By Raymundo Frasquillo
MORENCI – The Casey Woodall-coached Morenci Wildcats host the Division IV – Section IV meet on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14. Weigh-ins are scheduled for 8 a.m., a coaches meeting for 9 a.m., and competition at 10 a.m.
Sixteen different teams are expected to join Morenci, including Benson, Bisbee, Eagar Round Valley, Elfrida Valley Union, Pima, Saint David, San Manuel, Thatcher, Tombstone, Willcox, and Tucson schools, Andrada Polytechnic, Catalina, Palo Verde Magnet, Saint Augustine Catholic, Santa Rita, and The Gregory School.
It will be a progress report of what has been gained to be applied to the state qualifying meet. The learning and experience-gaining journey for this season concluded with the two-day Diego Galdea Invitational, held at Salpointe Catholic on Jan. 24. It was the final regular-season meet of 12 designed to provide learning and experience in preparation for the sectional.
Morenci also hosted Saint Johns on Jan. 20, and returned from Winslow on Jan. 17, Eagar on Jan. 14, Pima on Jan. 7, and the Land of Enchantment Conflict in Cleveland on Jan. 2-3.
Six prior meets were the Morenci Christmas Clash on Dec. 20, the 2-day Marana Duels on Dec. 12-13, the Morenci Multi-Meet on Dec. 11, the Globe Multi-Meet on Dec. 10, the 2-day Mesa Red Mountain-held Nate Johnson Memorial Duels on Dec. 5-6, and the Morenci Multi-Meet on Dec. 3.
As a team, Morenci is 32-3 in duels, and during four meets in January, the Wildcats went a collective 187-65 with 133 pins. None of the numbers mean much to Woodall. What matters to the 3-time Collegiate Academic All-American and 2-time All-American is that the Wildcats work hard, learn from mistakes, and improve the next time they step on the mat.
Team wrestle-offs were held earlier in the week, with competitors vying for specific weight classes using a best-2-3 format to represent their school and community at the sectional meet.
Although it has never been the team’s goal, the Wildcats have won the sectional meet in 10 of 12 previous seasons under Woodall. The section meet was postponed and then cancelled in 2014 due to health concerns about skin disease, and in 2021 due to the ongoing global health crisis.
2025 Team Placements / Scoring
Last season, the Wildcats earned the Division IV – Section IV title with a total of 249.5 points, 52 more than runner-up Pima (197.5).
Eleven Wildcats qualified for the state meet by placing in the top five, five as section champions, three as runners-up, one as a third placer, and four as fourth placers.
Thatcher was third with 132 points, Benson fourth (111.5), San Manuel fifth (79.5), Eagar Round Valley sixth (72.5), Willcox seventh (71. 5), Bisbee eighth (42), and Tucson Saint Augustine Catholic ninth (38).
Tucson Andrada Polytechnic was 10th (37), Elfrida Valley Union 11th (33.5), Tombstone 12th (33), Tucson Santa Rita 13th (15), Tucson Catalina 14th (12.5), Saint David 15th (9), and Tucson’s The Gregory School 16th (zero).
2025 Division IV – Section IV Champions
Morenci’s five champions included freshman Ryder Nelson (106, 2-0, 2 pins), freshman Anthony Sanchez (120, 3-0, 3 pins), junior Kiano Torres (138, 4-0, 4 pins), sophomore Emerson Motes (144, 3-0, 2 pins), and senior Hollis Corbell (190, 2-0, 2 pins).
The other nine section champions numbered four from Pima, two from Thatcher, and one each from Benson, Round Valley, and Willcox.
Also placing first were Pima freshman Aiden Espinoza (113, 3-0, 2 pins), senior Kodi Ferguson (150, 3-0, 3 pins), senior Kutter Beals (157, 3-0, 3 pins), and senior Brock Haws (215, 2-0, 2 pins); Thatcher seniors Tristun Brown (165, 2-0, 2 pins) and Madden MaGill (175, 2-0, 2 pins), Benson sophomore Kolttin Deskins (126, 3-0, 2 pins), Round Valley junior Mason Orona (132, 3-0, 1 pin), and Willcox senior Travis Larson (285, 2-0, 1 pin).
2025 Division IV – Section IV State Qualifiers
A total of 115 participants from 16 different schools attended, with Morenci fielding a full team, Pima 12 entrants, Thatcher and Benson both 10, Tombstone and Tucson Saint Augustine Catholic nine apiece, San Manuel, Eagar Round Valley, and Willcox seven apiece, Tucson Andrada Polytechnic and Elfrida Valley Union six each, Bisbee, Tucson Catalina, and Saint David four apiece, and both Tucson Santa Rita and Tucson’s The Gregory School three.
Morenci qualified 13 of 14, Pima 9-12, Thatcher 6-10, Benson 5-10, Round Valley, San Manuel, and Willcox each 4-7, Bisbee 2-4, Andrada Polytechnic 2-6, both Saint Augustine Catholic and Tombstone 2-9, Santa Rita 1-3, Catalina 1-4, Valley Union 1-6, The Gregory School none of three, and Saint David none of four.
