By Jason W. Brooks
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PHOENIX — It’s always a little easier for high school state wrestling title contenders to stay motivated and to keep intensity high when at least one close-in-weight teammate is in the same spot.

That was the case for a pair of Ironwood and a pair of Kellis wrestlers this past weekend, with all four winning Division II individual titles on Feb. 22.

Ironwood junior Anthony Lopez left Veterans Coliseum with his first state title, completing an undefeated season by outlasting a Canyon View freshman in the 138-pound final, 12-7.

Lopez’s teammate, Julian Macias, also a junior, repeated as a state champ by dominating the D-II 144-pound class. He completed his 24-0 undefeated junior season with three pins and a major decision at state.

Kellis got state titles from Rylan Taylor at 175 pounds and Tristan Bacon at 215. Both dominated their classes.

Lopez said the 19 points scored in his final against a Canyon View senior meant the match was going according to plan.

“I wanted to keep the flow of the match going,” Lopez said.

The Eagle was a frustrated runner-up to a Canyon View senior at 126 pounds a year ago after placing third at 113 as a freshman. He said last year’s finals loss taught him how important the mental aspect is to his game.

“I really focused on the mental side this time, and not thinking any negative thoughts,” Lopez said.

Macias earned the 126 title as a freshman but was injured and didn’t compete at state last year. But he got to see his brother, Pablo, roll to his third and final state title, which was motivating.

“I really look up to him,” Macias said of his brother. “And it was great to win as a freshman, but to come back and wi this time is sweet as well.”

Lopez and Macias helped the Ironwood team place fourth in D-II this year, just ahead of Horizon and only 11 points removed from claiming the runner-up banner.

Taylor and Bacon, on the other hand, weren’t part of team that was in contention as Kellis placed 11th in D-II. But the Cougar seniors wanted to show that had work pays off.

Taylor didn’t have any of his matches go the distance at state, winning with a pin and three technical falls, including a 22-7 domination against fellow senior Taylor Franke of Arizona College Prep in the 175 final.

“I knew I had a target on my back (from winning state at the same weight last year), but it doesn’t matter what people think of you, as long as your skills surpass that,” Taylor said. “So I knew I had to work even harder, eat better, go for that extra practice — even on days when I didn’t want to go.”

Taylor said he started thinking of ways to win his second title from the moment he captured his first one.

“I’ve been working toward this the whole year,” Taylor said. “I knew what I truly wanted. I kept my head down. I just stayed hungry, super-determined, disciplined.”

Bacon, who’s committed to play football at Arizona State, said it felt great to finally win after coming close in 2024 and getting pinned by Kayden Luke of Canyon del Oro in the 215 final.

This year, Bacon tried to remove all doubt, taking down fellow senior Daniel Ucelo of Ironwood again and again in the final, allowing escape points but also building a huge lead.

“He’s also a great wrestler, so, props to him,” Bacon said of Ucelo. “So I used my athleticism to shoot, push off, give him a quick point and do it over and over again. It worked out for me.”

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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.