Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Morenci fans help lend support to the Wildcats during the sectional meet in Thatcher on Feb. 12. The Greenlee County school landed its 10th title in 12 seasons and the seventh under ninth-year head coach Casey Woodall. There were no sectional meets in 2014 because of a skin disease or 2021 because of the ongoing global health crisis.
By Raymundo Frasquillo
PHOENIX – The $64,000 question is, “Did the Casey Woodall-coached Morenci Wildcats rebuild or reload this season?”
If asked, he might say, “We do what we can, but there is always room for improvement,” or words to that effect.
A year-long goal of being the state’s best was realized on Feb. 19. The Wildcats earned their ninth state title, the eighth in the 21st Century, and the fourth under Woodall. They totaled 201.5 points with seven of 13 entrants placing. It was 26 points more than runner-up Yuma Catholic (175.5) and 53.5 more than third-place Heber Mogollon (148).
Morenci was also the state champion in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2016, 2017, and 2021. It is the second year in a row five individual Wildcats have emerged as class champions. Previously, four had been earned four times (2000, 2002, 2003, 2017) and three four times (1999, 2001, 2006, 2016).
The Wildcats ended third in 2019, scoring 144.5 points with nine entrants, or 38 fewer than champion Eloy Santa Cruz (182.5); second in 2020, tallying 155.5 points with 12 entrants, or 48 fewer than champion Santa Cruz (199.5); and as champions in 2021 amassing 301 points with 14 entrants, or 117 more than runner-up Yuma Catholic (184).
Nine of the 14 Wildcats on last seasons’ state championship team entered the 2022 sectional meet. Eight exited as qualifiers for this years’ state meet.
Individually, seniors Cody Torres (157, 4-0, 2 pins) and Jericho Sanchez (285, 4-0, 3 pins), and sophomores Breck Williams (113, 4-0, 3 pins), Noah Torres (126, 4-0, 1 pin), and John Provencio (138, 4-0, 2 pins) each earned individual state titles; senior Shawn Hudman (144, 3-1, 1 pin) was second, and junior Jordan Anaya (120, 4-2, 3 pins) third.
Seniors Kaden Summer (150, 2-2, 2 pins) and Martin Smith (132, 1-2), junior Arturo Rodriguez III (215, 1-2, 1 pin), sophomore Andrew Chavez (165, 1-2), and freshmen Trent Nelson (106, 2-2, 1 pin) and Hollis Corbell (175, 2-2, 2 pins) did not place.
The entire line-up contributed to the team scoring, with Williams and Sanchez both earning 28 points, Provencio and Cody Torres 27.5 apiece, Noah Torres 25, Hudman 20, Anaya 18.5, Summer and Corbell six each, Nelson five, and both Smith and Chavez three apiece.
Cody Torres exited his fourth state meet a 16-2 overall record with nine pins, and was 6-1 with 2 pins during three sectionals. He is the program’s first champion at 157, the 16th 2-time champion, the 17th multiple champion, the 30th as a senior, both the 61st and 66th champion, and the first as a sibling. At state, he is also 4-1 with a pin for third in 2019, 3-1 with two pins for second in 2020, and 5-0 with four pins for first in 2021. His sectional marks are 2-0 for first in 2019, 1-1 with 1 pin for second in 2020, and 3-0 with 1 pin for first in 2022.
Sanchez is 8-1 with four pins in two state meets. He became the school’s 67th champion, the 11th as a heavyweight, and the 31st as a senior. His lone sectional meet left him 3-0 with three pins.
Williams is the school’s second champion as a freshman, the 13th as a sophomore, the initial 113 champion, the 15th 2-time, 16th multiple champion, and both the 58th and 63rd champion. He is 8-0 with six pins in two state meets and 2-0 with two pins in one sectional.
Noah Torres is the program’s 64th champion, the second at 126, and 14th as a sophomore. He is 8-1 with four pins in two state meets.
Provencio is Morenci’s 65th champion, the third at 138, and 16th as a sophomore. Two state meets have him 9-1 with three pins.
Hudman leaves 8-5 with 4 pins at three state meets, also 1-2 in 2020 and 4-2 with 3 pins in 2021. He is 6-4 with 3 pins at sectionals, 1-2 with 1 pin in 2019, 3-1 with 1 pin in 2020, and 2-1 with 1 pin in 2022.
Smith finishes 4-4 with a pin during two state meets and 5-2 with three pins in two sectionals; Summer ended 5-4 with four pins during two state meets and 3-3 with one pin during two sectionals; Rodriguez is 7-4 with three pins during three state meets and 5-1 with two pins during two sectionals; and Anaya, Chavez, Corbell, and Nelson were in their initial post-season meets.
Morenci participant results
Cody Torres pinned Page freshman Richie Whiterock in 3:37 during round one, advanced out of the quarterfinals via an injury to Winkelman Hayden sophomore Johnny Arbizo, defeated Saint David senior Brayden Merrill by a semifinal 15-0 technical fall, and decisioned Willcox sophomore Kash Macumber for the title.
Sanchez pinned Hayden freshman Fernando Aragon in 19 seconds during round one and Yuma Catholic sophomore Max McVicker in 3:19 during the quarterfinals, decisioned Parker senior Abraham Silva 3-1 during the semifinals, and pinned Mohave Valley River Valley senior Mike Dulin in 2:56 during the title bout.
Williams pinned Ganado senior Austin Kee in 1:59 during round one, Arizona Lutheran freshman Brenan Wesolek in 1:03 during the quarterfinals, and San Manuel senior Raymond Garcia in 2:21 during the semifinals, and decisioned Yuma Catholic senior Mikey Doerr 6-5 for the title.
Noah Torres pinned Window Rock sophomore Ryan Kee in 2:50 during round one, defeated Mogollon senior Kaige Reidhead by a 14-6 quarterfinals major decision, Monument Valley sophomore Joseph Rodriguez by a 10-5 semifinals decision, and Holbrook junior Jason Ramirez by a 5-3 finals decision.
Provencio pinned Arizona Lutheran senior Danny Nunez in 1:34 during round one, defeated Queen Creek Benjamin Franklin senior Riley Adams by 16-1 quarterfinals technical fall, Yuma Catholic senior Jose Macias by a semifinals 7-4 decision, and gained the title by injury to Santa Cruz senior Wyatt Ogle.
Hudman pinned Benjamin Franklin junior Jack Jolly in 1:40 during round one, defeated Saint Johns senior Wesley Scarborough by a 5-3 quarterfinals decision, Yuma Catholic freshman Hunter Hancock by a semifinals sudden victory 4-2, and was pinned during the final 14 seconds to finish as runner-up.
Anaya defeated Holbrook sophomore Judah Pack by a 12-4 major decision during round one, succumbed by a 4-7 quarterfinals decision to Arizona Lutheran junior Zach Wene, pinned River Valley senior Curtis Olin in 1:59 during the consolation second round, pinned Tucson Mica Mountain sophomore Nathan Hernandez in 3:27 during the consolation third round, defeated Monument Valley junior Cauy Betony by a consolation semifinal 18-3 technical fall, and was decisioned 2-4 by Wene to place fourth.
Summer was pinned in 5:00 by Yuma Catholic freshman Rocky Stallworth during round one, pinned Window Rock junior Andrew Wood in 3:59 during the consolation first round, pinned Winslow senior Lucas Milligan in 2:08 during the consolation second round, and was pinned in 3:44 by Mayer junior Tony Walters during the consolation third round.
Smith defeated Tuba City junior, Hunter Merino, by a 12-3 major decision in the first round, was pinned in 1:15 by Chandler Seton Catholic senior Lucas Eviston during the quarterfinals, and was pinned in 1:44 by Mogollon junior Brock Reidhead during the consolation second round.
Chavez was pinned in 59 seconds by Mogollon senior Malaki Porter during the first round, pinned Parker sophomore Angel Velarde in 3:30 during the consolation first round, and was pinned in 4:04 by Pima freshman Jaxon John during the consolation second round.
Rodriguez pinned Maricopa Sequoia Pathway senior William Morris in 49 seconds during the first round, was pinned in 4:16 by Winslow sophomore Zach Shumway during the quarterfinals, and forfeited to Mogollon sophomore Kardon Porter during the consolation second round.
Nelson pinned Parker freshman Lucas Tahbo in 22 seconds during the first round, was decisioned 3-10 by Winslow freshman Micheal Romero during the quarterfinals, decisioned Page sophomore Zach Hansen 8-2 during the consolation second round, and was decisioned 6-13 by Ganado sophomore Cimmaron Curley during the consolation third round.
Corbell was pinned in 1:54 by Arizona Lutheran senior Gabriel McKenney during the first round, pinned Chinle junior Timothy Clark in 2:58 during the consolation first round, pinned Winslow senior Izaak Padilla in 2:30 during the consolation second round, and was pinned in 49 seconds by Wickenburg junior Coy Bower during the consolation third round.
Area participant results
Pima had three placers, senior Mason Palmer (2nd at 150, 3-1), sophomore Jaxon John (6th at 165, 3-3, 3 pins), and freshman Jaxon McBiles (6th at 106, 3-3, 2 pins). Sophomores Pepper Hughes (190, 2-2, 2 pins) and Hayden Blair (132, 1-2) did not place. All five Roughriders added to the team scoring total, Palmer with 19 points, John 13, McBiles 11, Hughes seven, and Blair one.
Thatcher had two placers, seniors James Green (3rd at 190, 4-1, 1 pin) and Jesse Green (5th at 175, 3-2, 2 pins). Juniors Cooper Udall (150, 2-2, 1 pin) and Hunter Saline (215, 1-2), sophomore Tristun Brown (113, 2-2, 1 pin), and freshman Kutter Beals (132, 2-2) did not place. Each of the Eagles contributed scoring, with James Green adding 16 points, Jesse Green 13, Beals seven, Brown 4.5, Udall four, and Saline two.
Willcox had two placers, sophomores Kash Macumber (2nd 157, 3-1, 1 pin) and Ed Tingle (4th at 190, 3-0, 3 pins). Senior John Collins (132, 0-2), sophomore Ayden Fimbres (120, 0-2), and freshmen Travis Larson (215, 1-2, 1 pin), Landon Ward (106, 0-2), and Mario Fernandez (120, 0-2) did not place. Macumber added 21 points, Tingle 18, and Larson four.
The other Section IV champions, Globe junior Andrew Gonzales (144, 3-2, 2 pins) placed 4th, Benson senior Tyler Paquette (165, 4-2, 2 pins) 5th, and Mica Mountain junior Joshua Beans (126, 1-2, 1 pin) did not place
The other Section IV teams, Pima 13th (51 points) placed 3-5, Globe 14th (47) 2-4, Thatcher 15th (46.5) 2-6, Willcox (16th, 43) 2-7, San Manuel 2-way tie for 18th (20) with 2-4, Benson in 3-way tie for 20th (34) with 2-4, Saint David 26th (19) 1-1, and Tucson Santa Rita 31st (11) 1-1.
Other top 10 teams and state champions
Yuma Catholic placed 10 of 13, a champion, a runner-up, two-thirds, a fourth, a fifth, and four sixths; and Mogollon 5-11, three champions, a runner-up, and a third.
Arizona Lutheran finished fourth (113) with 6-8 placing, Winslow fifth (110) with 4-13, Saint Johns sixth (83.5) with 4-6, Mica Mountain seventh (81) 6-11, Holbrook eighth (65) 3-9, Wickenburg ninth () with 3-8, and Kayenta Monument Valley 10th (62.5) with 4-6. There were 39 teams scoring at least a point and seven additional schools represented.
The other individual state champions were Yuma Catholic freshman Khel Lipumano (106, 4-0, 2 pins), Globe junior Gabe Gonzales (120, 4-0, 3 pins), Seton Catholic senior Lucas Eviston (132, 4-0, 2 pins), Arizona Lutheran senior Cam Jordan (144, 4-0, 3 pins), Mogollon seniors Cael Porter (150, 4-0, 2 pins) and Malaki Porter (165, 4-0, 2 pins), Santa Cruz senior Diego Chavez (4-0, 3 pins), and Mogollon senior Fisher Porter (190, 4-0, 1 pin), and Saint Johns junior Kyson Price (215, 4-0, 1 pin).
