One of the truisms of wrestling is the importance of picking a training partner who is going to push you every day.

Observers can tell who did just that when the tournament of champions happens and the line of wrestlers include wrestlers from the same school in successive weight classes.

It doesn’t always just stop at two.

Safford is a perfect example and has been for a long time under the direction of the legendry Herman Andrews.

When the tournament of champions happens Saturday night at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, the first three weight classes in Division III will sport the blue and white colors of the Bulldogs.

Jacoby Cardenas, Tate Bodine, and Alex Chacon are all in the finals for Safford at 106, 113 and 120, respectively.

“Once you put the shoes, you scrap and battle. No one challenges me more than them,” said Chacon, who state last year. “This is the fun part. All the hard work is done in the room, and you come out here to show how it pays off and have fun.”

The competition level in the practice room is almost always going to be harder than anyone they come across in competition.

They all know the battles will ensue right after school. And if they start feeling good about themselves, assistant coach Trey Andrews, a four-time state champion and Herman’s son, jumps in the rotation.

“They’re all good in their own way,” Herman said. “They grind and they challenge each other. And then Trey gets in there and that’s what brings up the room to another level. He can get his hands on them and humble them a little bit. It’s always going to be a learning process.”

Tough go

Two wrestlers expected to earn points and find the podium this weekend didn’t have the opportunity.

Mesa Mountain View senior 190-pounder Delton Kaufmann sustained a leg injury at a regular season tournament in Queen Creek, and it ended his season before sectionals.

He was a two-time state champion and three-time state placer and has already had a professional MMA bout.

Mesa junior 120-pounder Adden Jarman, who finished as state runner-up last year, finished second the Division I, Section II tournament, but an injury forced him out of the state tournament, which became a bye in the bracket at the fifth-seed spot.

Four timers

The number of four-time state champions will not grow this season so the total stands at 41 with the last one coming in 2023 when Sunnyside’s James Armstrong finished off his terrific career.

Back in the chair

Liberty brought five wrestlers to the state tournament and all five made the championship.

The program received a boost when head coach Eric Brenton returned to the program after being forced to step aside for a period of time.

“Getting our coach back was huge,” Liberty’s 190-pound Zandon Hopson said. “That’s so big off the mat, but you see it carry over to our matches. We did so good at Flowing Wells and that was the first time he was back. It’s awesome.”

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