MHS wrestlers battle for spots in state tournament

At this time of year in high school wrestling, the competitors adopt a survive-and-advance mentality.

Beginning with this weekend’s sectional tournaments and culminating – for those who qualify – with the state meet on Feb. 11-12, the objective for each wrestler is to win his next match and progress through the bracket for his weight class.

For the Maricopa Rams, the season’s most-important test begins Friday, when they hit the mats for the first of two days of matches in the Division III Sectional III tournament at Tucson Empire High School.

“We will most likely have 11, if not 12, weight classes filled,” Maricopa coach Conroy Bowman said in reference to the sectional, which concludes Saturday. “Out of those, I would be happy to see half of them advance – preferably more, but half would be good for us.”

Five wrestlers in each weight class at the 16-team sectional will qualify for the following weekend’s state tournament at Tim’s Toyota Center in Prescott.

In addition to Maricopa, the schools competing in the Empire sectional are Tucson Amphitheater, Gilbert Campo Verde, Tucson Catalina, Coolidge, Douglas, Empire, Florence, Gilbert Higley, Tucson Palo Verde, Rio Rico, Tucson Sabino, Safford, Sahuarita, Tucson Santa Rita and Chandler Seton Catholic.

While the Rams have wrestled against Campo Verde several times this season, most of the remainder of the field will be unfamiliar.

“The other teams are very new to us,” Bowman said. “We haven’t seen them.”

Bowman expects Safford and Amphitheater to provide some of the toughest competition at the meet. Amphitheater is one of the top-level programs in Tucson, while Safford won six consecutive Class 3A state championships from 2005-10.

“It will be quite a challenge going against them,” Bowman said. “We are going to prepare the best we can and see what we can deliver.”

Maricopa wrestlers Adolfo Franco (a 140-pound junior) and Joey Kelly (a 171-pound senior) will be aiming to advance to the state meet for the second consecutive season.

The Rams’ other top contenders in the sectional figure to include freshman Sky Murcek (103 pounds), sophomore Jacob Lara (130), senior Shakeil Becker (145), senior Louis Ochoa (152), sophomore Kyle Kingery (189) and senior Sean Dodge (215).

Bowman said the Rams have been improving throughout the season, with the goal of working into top form for the sectional and state tournaments.