Cibola dethrones self

Raiders hold numerous wrestlers out of YUHSD duals, lose crown for 1st time since ’07

(1) Baylor 67, Iowa St. 53 (4) San Diego St. 85, New Mexico 57 (6) Louisville 86, Boston College 69 (7) Dayton 73, Duquesne 69 (10) Seton Hall 64, DePaul 57 Texas Tech 89, (12) West Virginia 81 (13) Kentucky 71, Vanderbilt 62 (14) Mich. St. 79, Northwestern 50 (21) Houston 69, East Carolina 59 (22) LSU 90, Alabama 76 (24) Penn St. 64, Indiana 49

Bagdad at San Pasqual, 6 p.m. Kofa at Cibola, 7 p.m. Buckeye at Yuma High, 7 p.m. Gilbert Classical at Antelope, 7 p.m.

Bagdad at San Pasqual, 4:30 p.m. Gilbert Classical at Antelope, 5:30 p.m. Cibola at Kofa, 7 p.m. Gila Ridge at San Luis, 7 p.m. Yuma High at Buckeye, 7 p.m.

Arizona Lutheran at Antelope, 4 p.m. Gila Ridge at Holtville (CA), 6 p.m. Buckeye at Yuma High, 6 p.m. San Luis at Cibola, 6:30 p.m.

Yuma High at Buckeye, 6 p.m. Cibola at San Luis, 6:30 p.m.

It was forfeit after forfeit for the Cibola Raiders wrestling team on Wednesday at San Luis during the Yuma Union High School District meet.

The Raiders, who are dealing with injuries, rested six varsity starters, including two-time Division IV state champ Nicholas Steele and reigning Division I state runner-ups Zeke Guerrero and Liam Hoffmeyer. Kofa became the first team not named Cibola to win the district title since 2007; however, the Kings owe a little thanks to the Raiders for sitting almost half of their team and not inserting replacements for those lineup spots.

“We have a lot of guys injured right now,” Cibola coach Marvin Avila said. “Now, we’re looking forward to sectionals and state. We just wanted to get by and through this. Our guys still worked hard. We know where we’re at right now.”

Despite not being crowned YUHSD champs for the first time in 13 years, the preseason goal of becoming Division I state champs is the next focus for Avila’s team and that begins with getting Steele healthy.

“He’s still working on it,” Avila said. “We’re looking to get him through this week, back in the weight room and getting back to the goal. The goal is to take state for Nick.”

Steele (160) hasn’t wrestled since early December, but Guerrero (145) and Hoffmeyer (195) wrestled just this past weekend at the Brad Jones Pack In

Buy these photos at YumaSun.com PHOTOS BY RANDY HOEFT/YUMA SUN CIBOLA’S RUSSELL TUGGLE (BOTTOM) tries to get Yuma High’s Mario Bugarin off his back during their 120-pound match at Wednesday’s Yuma Union High School District Duals at San Luis High School. Tuggle would go on to win 4-2.

KOFA’S ADRIAN JIMENEZ (LEFT) appears to be putting Gila Ridge’s Jarett Cervantes down on the mat during their 145-pound match at Wednesday’s Yuma Union High School District Duals at San Luis High School. Jimenez would win 17-1.