3 Raiders, Hawks’ Fike reach finals

16 locals still alive after Day 1 of Division I-II state wrestling

Four local wrestlers went 3-0 Thursday at Prescott Valley Event Center on day one of the AIA Division I-II State Championships, and 12 others are still alive in the consolation round.

For Cibola, Aaron Gandara (152), Anthony Phillips (220) and two-time defending state champ Tommy Mommer (285) will all wrestle for Division I individual titles tonight; Gila Ridge’s Koby Fike (285) is the other local wrestler to reach a championship match.

The Raiders, who are second in the Division I team standings with 103 points but trail first-place Sunnyside (148) by a significant margin, have eight wrestlers in all still alive. Juan Sierra (106) was the only one outside of the aforementioned three to reach the semis, and is guaranteed of a top-six place; Gabriel Castaneda (145), David Castaneda (170), Sebastian Torres (182) and Mario Neblina (195) all are still alive in the consolation round after losing in the quarters.

Kofa, which is 14th in the Division I team standings with 42.5 points, has two guaranteed players — Aaron Valenzuela (113) and Carlos Urias (152), both of whom reached the semis but lost (Urias to Cibola’s Gandara). Isai Alonso (120), Anthony Morales (138), Jose Rascon (182) all lost in the quarters but won their ensuing consolation match to reach day two.

Gila Ridge, which is ninth in the Division II team standings with 47 points, has two wrestlers still alive besides Fike: 195-pounder Taylor Deibert (lost semis) and 113-pounder Christian Gerber (lost quarters).