After nine Weekend Wars and nearly 100 wrestling matches, four Camp Verde wrestlers remain undefeated.
Two of them are still in middle school.
That is the kind of depth confronting wrestlers from high schools around the Southwest when their team vans roll into the Sterrett Wrestling Complex at 7 a.m. every other Saturday morning.
All summer opponents of incoming eighth-grader Hayden Bowers and seventh-grader Korben Uhler have rolled out with a loss, as they did Saturday, July 19 — from as far away as Bayfield High School near Durango, Col.
“These guys are just absolutely unbelievable,” Mario Chagolla Sr., Camp Verde High School assistant wrestling coach and Weekend Wars director, said of the undefeated foursome, which also includes incoming Camp Verde High School senior Alex Noone and sophomore West Phillips. While Noone made it as far as the Division IV quarterfinals at 132 pounds last season, Phillips is a 106-pound sophomore coming off a freshman season on junior varsity.
“They have repeatedly annihilated all challengers,” Chagolla said. “It would be a good bet that they do well in their respective weight classes. Without hesitation I can say they are the real deal.”
For the full story, please see the Wednesday, July 23, issue of the Camp Verde Journal.
