HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING TEAM CAPSULES

SUNRISE REGION

SOUTHEAST DIVISION

BASIC

Coach: Bruce Pierce

Top wrestlers: Brian Asay, Jr.; Mark Bleuze, Jr.; Mitchell Herrera, Sr.; Kelly Kofford, Jr.; Bladen Ficarrotta, Sr.; Neal Russell, Sr.

Outlook: Pierce replaces renowned coach Jim Duschen, who stepped down after posting a 20-2 dual record last season. Russell and Kofford were state qualifiers a year ago, and the team has plenty of depth in the lower weights.

CORONADO

Coach: Bob Clements

Top wrestlers: Josh Suey, Jr.; Adrian Alfaro, So.; Zach Babbitt, Sr.; Sean Carrington, Sr.; Ryan Favella, Sr.; Mark Miele, Jr.; Zach Nugent, Sr.; Luis Ruiz, So.; Sergio Vega, Jr.; Cavlin Parrington, Jr.

Outlook: Clements is an experienced coach who will look for an improvement on last year’s 13th-place finish in the Sunrise Region meet.

FOOTHILL

Coach: Bill Smales

Top wrestlers: Joshua Richert, Sr.; Zak Bench, Sr.; Peter Struzik, Sr.; Joel Olivas, Jr.

Outlook: Richert, Bench and Olivas all qualified for state last season, giving the team more returning qualifiers than it’s ever had before. Richert, a two-time state qualifier who was the Sunrise champ at 152 pounds last season, will lead a squad that hopes to compete for a region title.

GREEN VALLEY

Coach: Jon Ferry

Top wrestlers: Landon Saldana, Sr.; Dillon Hoffman, So.; Tommy Ford, Jr.; Daniel Allen, So.; Vince Pezzuto, Sr.

Outlook: A trio of state qualifiers returns in Saldana, Hoffman and Ford to lead the Gators. Allen and Pezzuto also placed in the top four at the Sunrise Region tournament and should help the Gators contend for the top spot this season.

LIBERTY

Coach: Jesse Shriver

Top wrestlers: David Magdaluyo, Sr.; D.J. Morgan, So.; Michael Reveles, So.

Outlook: The Patriots have more athletes out for wrestling than ever before, and they hope for a successful season. Reveles is back after finishing second in the Sunrise at 119 pounds a year ago.

SILVERADO

Coach: Tony Tuioti

Top wrestlers: Jared Nelson, Sr.; Brooks Williams, Sr.; Justin Snow, Sr.; Steven Sattley, Sr.; Andrew Hunt, Sr.

Outlook: The Skyhawks didn’t score a point in last year’s Sunrise Region meet, so any postseason success would be an improvement.

NORTHEAST DIVISION

CANYON SPRINGS

Coach: Vernon Schultz

Top wrestlers: Mark Esteban, Sr.; Erick Alcantar, Sr.; Daniel McCready, Sr.; Rafael Alcala, Jr.; Jon Arita-Vasquez, Jr.; Max Quezada, Sr.; Trellis Wilson, Sr.; Jamar Hal, Jr.

Outlook: The Pioneers have a strong group of juniors and seniors, and Schultz is looking for improvement off last year’s sixth-place finish in the Sunrise Region tournament. Returning state qualifiers McCready and Alcala should lead the team, along with Quezada, who had 30 wins a year ago.

LAS VEGAS

Coach: Aric Thomas

Top wrestlers: Jon Garcia, Sr.; Hugo Carrillo, Jr.; Will Leslie, Sr.; Brett Sampson, Jr.

Outlook: The Wildcats have won seven consecutive Sunrise titles and should be in contention again, led by returning regional champs Garcia and Carrillo.

RANCHO

Coach: Brent Westerhausen

Top wrestlers: Nathan Ramis, Sr.; Mitch Segura, Sr. ; Alex Lauriano, Sr.; Levi Lee, Jr.; Carlos Salazar, Jr.; Cody McDonald, So.

Outlook: First year coach Westerhausen expects more competition for spots in the lineup this season as the Rams look to improve on last year’s 4-2 league mark.

SUNSET REGION

SOUTHWEST DIVISION

BONANZA

Coach: Russ Leet

Top wrestlers: Dan Wosik, Sr.; James Hammontree, Sr.,; Dominique Bass, Sr.; Stuart Montenegro, Jr.; Court Oswald, Jr.; Seth Clucas, Jr.; Colton Bowler, Jr.; Thomas Tapusoa, Jr.; Paul Mundt, Sr.; Miguel Castro, So.

Outlook: Wosik was second in the state at 160 pounds and returns to lead a team that went 5-1 in the division last season. Hammontree also was a state qualifier and adds considerable experience for the Bengals, who should contend with Spring Valley for the top spot in the league.

CLARK

Coach: Hunter Weller

Top wrestlers: Amos Bailey, Sr.; Ben Segun, Sr.; Jakob Payton, Jr.; Freddy Banalos, Sr.

Outlook: Payton was second in the Sunset last season at 119 pounds and should be a contender at that weight again. Bailey, who was fourth in the Sunset at 160, also is back as the Chargers try to improve on last year’s ninth-place regional finish.

DURANGO

Coach: Todd Marshall

Top wrestlers: Not available

Outlook: The Trailblazers are extremely inexperienced, with only three returnees with varsity experience.

SIERRA VISTA

Coach: Joe Cap

Top wrestlers: Rocky Stonebreaker, So.; Julian Batz, Jr.; Manny Sedillo, Jr.; Mike Gomez, Jr.; Brent Reed, Jr.; Shane Slade, Sr.; Nick Burtz, Sr.

Outlook: Cap is looking for a strong season, with the core of last year’s squad returning.

SPRING VALLEY

Coach: Fred Meyer

Top wrestlers: James Bates, Jr.; Jerry Wu, Sr.; Chas Roxas, Sr.; Colton McFadden, Sr.; Martin Bustos, Sr.; Justin Ortner, Sr.

Outlook: The Grizzlies are looking to build off last year’s Southwest Division championship and hope to contend for region and state titles this season. McFadden was second in the Sunset at 145 pounds last year, and Wu and Roxas each placed third at the region tournament.

NORTHWEST DIVISION

CENTENNIAL

Coaches: Terry Moll and Mike McGuire

Top wrestlers: Marty Raymondo, Sr.; Brady Worden, Jr.; Spencer Worden, So.; Jack Armstrong, Sr.; John Adams, Sr.; Teddy Huntsman, Sr.; Justin Torosian, Sr.; Adrian Romero, Sr.

Outlook: The Bulldogs compete in one of the state’s strongest leagues, with Cimarron-Memorial and Mojave expected to be among the state’s best teams, and always-tough Palo Verde not that far behind. Centennial will look to improve on last year’s 12th-place regional finish.

CHEYENNE

Coach: Mike Abrams

Top wrestlers: Kenny Davis, Jr.; Anthony Johnson, Sr.; Chris Magnatta, Sr.

Outlook: Davis, who was fourth in the Sunset Region at 103 pounds, returns to lead the Desert Shields.

CIMARRON-MEMORIAL

Coaches: Mike Garcia and Tim Jeffries

Top wrestlers: Robert Atwood, Sr.; Nicholas Harris, Sr.; Britain Longmire, Jr.; Brogan Ashjian, Jr.

Outlook: The Spartans had their streak of four straight state titles broken last season, but return individual champs Harris and Longmire in an attempt to regain the top spot. Atwood and Ashjian also placed at state, and five other varsity returnees have Garcia excited about the team’s prospects.

MOJAVE

Coach: Colin Wilson

Top wrestlers: Travis DeGroat, Jr.; Jake Evans, Jr.; Seth Spindler, Sr.; Colby Evans, Sr.; DeAndre Taylor, Sr.; David Jordan, Sr.; Alex Proffitt, Sr.; Reggie Powers, Sr.; Trey McElhaney, So.; Dylan Berg, Sr.

Outlook: The Rattlers won their first state wrestling title last winter and appear poised to contend for the top spot again this season. Mojave returns seven athletes — DeGroat, Jake Evans, Colby Evans, Taylor, Jordan, Proffitt and Powers — who placed in the top four at state last season. Powers was the 189-pound champ a year ago.

PALO VERDE

Coach: Jasen Baril

Top wrestlers: Glenn Terrano, Sr.; Josh Ludlow, Sr.; Matt Stucki, Sr.; Jason Morrison, Sr.; Donovan Bayardo, Jr.

Outlook: New coach Baril inherits a team that is always strong but hasn’t been able to unseat Cimarron-Memorial or Mojave at the top of the league. Terrano, second in the state at 119 pounds as a junior, returns along with four others who have posted 30-win seasons.

SHADOW RIDGE

Coach: Gus Gledhill

Top wrestlers: John Kanipe, Sr.; Sean Mestas, So.; Sean Hawley, Sr.; Andrew Barnson, Sr.

Outlook: First-year coach Gledhill is excited about the team’s numbers, with more than 50 wrestlers out for the team. The experience level isn’t as exciting, though Kanipe placed fourth at state at 215 pounds last season while at Rancho.

NOTE: Arbor View, Bishop Gorman, Del Sol, Chaparral, Desert Pines, Eldorado, Legacy, Valley and Western did not respond to requests for information about their teams.