No doubt about it
Champion Kings are once again a royal pain for region foes
With gym bags, coats, sweatsuits, headphones and video cameras lying around the bleachers, it kind of looked like people were waiting to buy tickets to a big rock concert Friday at Kofa Gym.
But the teen-agers were not degree. waiting around throughout Friday at Kofa Gym for tickets. They were waiting to wrestle in the Desert Valley Regional championships, which started at noon and ran well into Friday night.
For the Kings, it was worth the wait.
In the six-team tournament, Kofa had seven DVR champions, 13 of 14 advance to the Class 5A State Wrestling Tournament and won the team championship by a big margin over Phoenix-north Canyon.
“There’s always a lot of pressure because everybody expects us to win,” said senior Steve Kelly, who won his second straight DVR title with an 8-4victory at 140 pounds. “It’s our home. We were the repeating region champs. We had to come out with some intensity. It looks like we did.”
With nine finalists, the Kings only had to hold off the Rattlers to win the team title. Kofa saved its best for last, having champions in six of the last eight title matches to finish with 211 points to easily top North Canyon, which had 151. Phoenix-shadow Mountain finished with 145,
“We were the repeating region champs. We had to come out with some intensity. It looks like we did. ”
the second. Up 7-5 with 32 seconds left, Velasquez scored a takedown with IO ticks left to win 10-5.
Considering Swanberg was the defending 189-pound Class 5A champion and 37-0 this season, you can understand why Velasquez, who is 38-2 this season, was mobbed by his teammates after the victory.
“It was a huge upset,” Kofa coach Shawn Rustad said. “He (Swanberg) was nationally ranked and a great wrestler. Cain did a great job.”
Brother Efrain Velasquez had a much easier time, receiving a forfeit in the heavyweight final
because Shadow Mountain’s Paul Meek had an injury. But Kofa’s other champions had tougher title contests.
Hipp’s may have been the most exciting. Up 3-0at one point, he fought off a late charge from North Canyon’s Travis Culling.
“It was getting real close there," said Hipp, a junior who was not even on varsity last season. “I knew I was up by a few points. I just had to pull through. When the horn sounded. I was relieved.”
Only four wrestlers got pins in title matches. Hughes would have