By Jason W. Brooks
Mail | X: @JasonWBrooks2

PHOENIX — Things don’t go quite as well for hoped for Shadow Ridge’s wrestlers at the Feb. 15 through 17 state wrestling championships, but the Stallions still managed a strong showing at Veterans Coliseum.

The Stallion boys placed 11th in Division I among the 39 scoring teams with 48 points. Sunnyside of Tucson easily outpaced Shadow Ridge’s West Valley rival and runner-up Liberty for the team title.

SRHS senior Abel Garza, the top seed at 215 pounds, made the finals as expected, but then lost in overtime to Aidan Odom of Corona del Sol, 2-1.

Garza, who was 31-1 entering the state tournament, quickly pinned each of his first two opponents at state, then beat Blake Sweetman of Brophy Prep, 8-3, in the 215 semifinals.

In the final, neither Garza nor Odom gambled much. Garza led by a slim margin throughout most of regulation before Odom tied the match in the final minute of regulation.

In overtime, Odom didn’t need much time to get behind Garza for two points for the sudden-death win.

Fellow SRHS senior Ammon Passey reached his final as well. The 150-pounder came into state with a 40-3 mark, beat his first two opponents by technical fall, then outlasted Lucas Conrad of Corona del Sol in the semifinals by a 7-5 score.

Passey then lost to top-seed Carlos Stanton of Sunnyside in the final by major decision, 13-5.

Nicholas Albertson, a junior, won his tourney opener at 138 pounds, eventually going 3-3 at the tourney and placing sixth.

Other state qualifiers for the Stallions included 126-pounder Carter Cianfrogna. The senior won one match in Phoenix over the weekend.

Junior heavyweight Michael Kudla also qualified for state. He lost both of his matches at the state tournament.

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Shadow Ridge’s Nicholas Albertson, bottom, battles 138-pound top seed Keegan Green of Liberty at Feb. 17 in the state wrestling championships at Veterans Coliseum. Albertson, a junior, placed sixth in his weight class in the tourney.

Independent Newsmedia/Jason W. Brooks

Jason W. Brooks
News Editor | Chandler Independent

Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.

Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.

Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.

Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.

Community: He supports animal shelters.