Three epic goals were all punctuated by Ryan Allred’s 152-pound state wrestling championship Friday, Feb. 13, at the Prescott Valley Events Center.
Two of them were personal for the Camp Verde High School senior, whose title-winning pin in 1:05 made Allred the first wrestler in program history to win four state titles in four years.
“My dad and me have talked before about a lot of kids we see on TV able to have a huge fan base,” Allred said. “With four state titles and one loss in my career, I’m able to live that dream.
“So many people support me and a lot of kids look up to me. It’s just breathtaking … mind-blowing. Like a weight off my shoulders.”
As in every season since his only loss as a freshman at Verde Duals, Allred went undefeated this season, pinning every one of his 44 opponents in under five minutes — a vow he took immediately after the Cowboys won last season’s Division IV state wrestling title.
“I got to pin all my kids in, like, 2:10,” he said. “So I met my goal.”
At 1 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, the sore Allred and his teammates returned home to get “the best sleep I’ve ever had,” he said, after accomplishing the third goal — the Cowboys’ third straight state team championship, edging Morenci Junior/Senior High School by eight-and-a-half points.
“You have to go to your horse,” said Tracey Tudor, head wrestling coach, who shared many of the head coaching duties with CVHS Principal Bob Weir for the first two titles in the streak. “Without Allred’s win, we don’t win State, I think. It sealed the deal.”
For the full story, State results and more Camp Verde High School wresting photos, please see the Wednesday, Feb. 18, issue of the Camp Verde Journal.
