3 wrestlers compete in state tournament

It was a good sign for the future of Maricopa High School’s wrestling team that all three of the athletes who qualified for the state tournament in Prescott Valley last month were underclassmen.

The three — sophomore Adolfo Franko, junior Joey Kelly and freshman Seth Masterson — were a big part of rebuilding the Rams’ wrestling program, said coach Eric Reed.

“We were really young this year,” Reed said. “We had some growing pains, but that just means we’ll be better in the years to come. They’re only going to get better.” Franko, Kelly and Masterson joined nearly 200 athletes at Tim’s Toyota Center in the two-day tournament, Feb. 11-12. While all three wrestlers won matches in the competition, none finished among the finalists.

Reed said the three athletes were disappointed, but he feels like it was a good learning experience for his young wrestlers. “I know they thought they could have done better, but it was definitely positive for them. They learned from their mistakes. Plus, it’s a big venue to compete in. It can be kind of scary.”

Reed is confident his team will be better next season. “It was challenging this year, but we’ll basically have everyone back next year. We have a good freshman class coming in. We want to be able to fill in all the weight classes. We’ve got camps lined up and open mat time. I’m excited for next year.”

Photo by Shannon Hull