Sunnyside head coach Anthony Leon earned his 10th state championship since 2013 and his ninth in a row, putting him past legendary Blue Devil coach Don Klostreich in Sunnyside history and in Arizona history. Former Sunnyside head coach (current Marana Mountain View) Bobby DeBerry leads the state with 15. By comparison, Holbrook and Winslow have 11 state championships to come in second to the 39 the Blue Devils have. Former Payson head coach Dennis Pirch had 10 from 1980-2000.

The 226-199.5 victory over Mesa Mountain View wasn’t the kind of dominating performance the Blue Devils are used to but a championship is a championship. Liberty took third place (141).

Individuals of note include Sunnyside junior Xavier Chavez (150) picking up his third state championship and Brophy senior Joshua Finch Logan beating Sunnyside senior Zayne Candelaria in the 285-pound division. Candelaria is a two-time state champion headed to Oregon State. Two-time state champion, Liberty sophomore Ryder Schulte (175), ended the year with 48-0 record and Kofa junior David Elias (132) ended with a 31-0 record.

There are four championship seniors graduating so there will be ten returning state champions next winter, depending on section results, injuries or transfers.

 

 

BOYS INDIVIDUAL STATE CHAMPIONS

D-I 106: Jack Thrush, Fr. Sunnyside 38-5

D-I 113: Malik Hoskins, So. Sunnyside 33-2

D-I 120: Cannon Farrar, Jr. Gila Ridge 32-1 (2X)

D-I 126: Carson Miles, Jr. Liberty 46-3 (2X)

D-I 132: David Elias, Jr. Kofa 31-0

D-I 138: Justin Beauvais, Sr. Mesa Mountain View 28-1 (2X)

D-I 144: Nicholas Meza, Jr. Cesar Chavez 23-1

D-I 150: Xavier Chavez, Jr. Sunnyside 20-5 (3X)

D-I 157: Vaughn Strobel, Sr. Casteel 45-5

D-I 165 Travis Cardenas, Sr. Chandler 25-2

D-I 175: Ryder Schulte, So. Liberty 48-0 (2X)

D-I 192: Zandon Hopson, Jr. Liberty 44-2

D-I 215: Jeremy LeBlanc, Sr. Liberty 45-2

D-I 285: Joshua Finch Logan, Sr. Brophy 22-6

 

BOYS DIVISION I

1 Sunnyside 226

2 Mesa Mountain View 199.5

3 Liberty 141

Mesa Mountain View. (Andy Morales/AZPreps365)

 

 

THE VIDEOS