Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Preps: Wrestling State Tournament, preview

One year after coming tantalizingly close to capturing the first state wrestling title in school history, Cimarron-Memorial enters this weekend's Nevada State Tournament with its eyes clearly fixed on the top prize.

The Spartans, who finished just 12 1/2 points behind champion Wooster last year, come into the two-day event as clear-cut favorites. At last weekend's Southern 4A Zone tournament, Cimarron grabbed the team title and placed 11 wrestlers among the top six in their respective weight classes.

"Realistically, we were pushing for 13 (state qualifiers), but we're pleased with 11," Spartans coach Tim Jeffries said. "This is really going to be a battle, and we're looking forward to it."

Leading the charge for the Spartans will be their three zone champions: 135-pounder Chris Harris, 152-pounder Kendall Thacker and 215-pounder Joe Parry. Thacker and Parry are defending state titlists, while Harris wound up second last season.

Blocking Cimarron's path will be Wooster, two-time defending champs and a top two finisher at states for the past seven years. The Colts will bring 10 wrestlers to the event, including four northern zone title winners and four zone runner-ups.

Another strong contender from the northern half of the state is Fallon's Churchill City. The Greenwave, which gave Wooster a run for its money at last weekend's zone tournament, will have 11 wrestlers competing in the state draw.

Green Valley, which wound up second in the southern zone, should also be a factor with 10 wrestlers present. The Gators were the only area squad to give the Spartans significant competition this season, actually finishing ahead of Cimarron at last month's Victor Valley Invitational Tournament.

Silverado, the third-place finisher in the south, could also be in the mix, thanks in large part to three zone champions: 125-pounder Yonas Waldu, 140-pounder Mario Paladino and 189-pounder Tom Cass.

But there's no doubt about who everyone will be gunning for when the event kicks off at 10 a.m. on Friday.

"It's Cimarron all the way," Wooster coach Tom Bailey said with certainty. "They're a big-time favorite coming in. But you never know what's going to happen at state."

For the Spartans to live up to expectations, they'll need to have strong efforts across the draw, particularly from wrestlers who fall out of the winner's bracket sooner than they might have expected.

"I think last year, people thought Cimarron would win it also," Bailey said. "But they kind of got shut out at a few weights in the consolation bracket. It's always tough for kids who lose to get focused on the team effort."

"Every round of the state tournament there are upsets, and you have to get them back up if they get upset," Jeffries agreed. "If you do, you can help your team a lot."

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