In a 33-team tournament at Moon Valley High School on Dec. 16 and 17, the Camp Verde High School wrestling team finished fourth overall, the smallest school to place in the top five at the tournament.
“The team wrestled aggressively,” Camp Verde Head Coach Bob Weir said. “Every wrestler gave 100 percent on all their matches. We were the smallest school in the tournament and we did well.”
Corona Del Sol High School, a Division I program, finished first overall in the team standings while fellow Division I program Desert Vista High School was second. Horizon High School, a Division II school, finished third, while the Cowboys took fourth. Division II Moon Valley wrapped up the top five.
Top performances for the Cowboys at the Moon Valley Invitational included senior Michael Casillas, who finished 8-1 in the 106-pound weight class with five pins. His 8-1 record was good enough for second place overall.
Sophomore Isaiah McReynolds, who wrestles at 113 pounds, finished second overall with a 7-2 overall record in the field and five pins at the tournament.
“Isaiah [McReynolds] had a great tournament. He ended in a three-way tie for first in the pool and won it on a tiebreaker. He defeated the three state placers from last season,” Weir said.
Other notables from the Moon Valley Invitational for the Cowboys include 138-pound junior Heath Carroll, who was 8-2 with four pins, finishing fourth overall.
At 152 pounds, junior Joel Lobaugh took seventh overall with a 7-2 record and five pins while fellow junior Elmer Ruiz, who wrestled at 195 pounds in the tournament, was 7-3 with four pins to finish sixth.
Junior Anthony McBeth at 220 pounds did not place, but he finished with a 5-2 record and three pins in his pool. Senior Derrick Brown at 145 pounds did not place, but he was 5-2 with four pins.
“Tournaments like this will help prepare the team for the competitive level of the Division IV state tournament,” Weir said.
Next up for the Cowboys is the Steve Blackford Wrestling Tournament at Arizona State University on Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 28 and 29.
At ASU, the Cowboys will see 31 other teams wrestling in four pools of eight. The winners of each pool will wrestle in an eight-team bracket at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe while the Sun Devils wrestling team competes at the same time.
“It will be a great opportunity for a small school to show talent and hard work, both of which our guys have,” Weir said.
No official start time was released for the tournament at ASU this week. Camp Verde will return home Wednesday, Jan. 11, for a six-way meet.
First match time for the tournament in Camp Verde is set for 3 p.m.
