February 12, 2011 - 1:41AM
Brady, Monty lead E.V. grapplers with state championships
By Jason P. Skoda, Ahwatukee Foothills News
PRESCOTT VALLEY – Dalton Brady and Seth Monty are both sophomores.
That’s about where the similarities on the wrestling mat end.
Brady, a Chandler 112-pounder, is a naturally gifted wrestler that will end his career as one of the best the state has ever seen.
He is slick, has good hips, quickness that should be illegal and is so confident he’d probably eat a Sloppy Joe without a napkin.
Monty, a Mesa Mountain View 140-pounder, made state as a freshman with a record just above .500, but found his way on to the podium for a fourth-place finish that led to a newfound confidence. With that said, he isn’t the most technically sound wrestler and had to overcome some mental blocks.
Yet both left Tim’s Toyota Center as equals – Division I state champions.
“That’s what makes wrestling great – there are some many different and good stories about these kids,” Chandler coach Vidal Mejia said.
Brady finished the year 41-0 and is 80-1 in his high school career. For the second year in the row he met Desert Ridge’s Nate Covarrubias in the finals. It was a 3-2 OT win for Brady last season, but this time he took control from the start and the outcome was never in doubt.
“I wanted to get the first takedown and set the tone and the pace of the match,” Brady said. “I’ve wrestled him a lot and we have practiced together. Nate is really strong and it’s hard to score against someone that you know so well.”
Monty's (42-3) rise to state champ was a bit more unexpected, but it started about a year ago when he finished fourth.
“He caught fire last year,” Toros coach Bob Callison said of his first state champion since 2007. “After that he went to national tournaments, did well, got experience and came back a different wrestler and it really paid off.”
One that was still holding Monty back was his finals opponent – Mark Bayer from Phoenix North Canyon. Bayer beat Monty 5-1 in the placement round at state last year and then again this year at sectionals.
He trailed 3-0 again Friday night before he got a headlock on Bayer and pinned him in the second period for the win.
“I knew he beat me and it was starting to get to be a mental thing, but I just had to wrestle my match,” Monty said. “I’m not the most technical wrestlers, but I want to win like no one else.”
Another sophomore – Desert Vista’s Alex Bambic – came away with the 215-pound title when he beat Corona del Sol’s Simon Allen, 9-4.
Allen (45-1) had his knee come out of socket and come back into place early in the first period to hinder his quickness and strength, but Bambic (37-3) set the pace from the start.
“I wanted to beat him and have a chance to be a three-time state champ,” said Bambic, who is now 2-1 against Allen in two state meets. “I had to finish my shots and I did that.”
Other Division I champs from the area were Desert Vista’s Robbie Mathers (125) and Kendall Love (135), Highland’s Curt Done (130), Mesa’s Dorian Coleman (160) and Mesquite’s Corbin Cooke (HVY).
In the team race, Tucson Sunnyside won its 14th straight title with 124 ½ points, while Highland (114, 6 placers), Desert Vista (102, 5 placers), Yuma Cibola (96) and Chandler (93, 5 placers) finished in the top five.
Corona (72) was seventh, Red Mountain (71) was eighth, Mesa (69.5) was ninth and Mountain View (62) tied Anthem Boulder Creek for 10th.
In Division II, Marcos de Niza’s Jesus Morales beat Chaparral’s Gino Stoppa, who was trying to become the school’s first title winner since 1988, for the 130-pound title. Queen Creek’s Kolton Lock won the 145-pound title with a win over Barry Goldwater’s Austin Crawford.
Lock became the school’s second two-time state champion, joining David Hollis.
“It puts him in an elite class at our school,” Queen Creek coach Tod Workman said. “He is an example for everyone in our room what hard work and dedication can do.”
In the team race, Tucson Ironwood Ridge ran away with it and finished with 141.5 points while Marcos was second with 116 behind six overall placers, including state runner-up Adam Pavlenko at 215.
That’s about where the similarities on the wrestling mat end.
Brady, a Chandler 112-pounder, is a naturally gifted wrestler that will end his career as one of the best the state has ever seen.
He is slick, has good hips, quickness that should be illegal and is so confident he’d probably eat a Sloppy Joe without a napkin.
Monty, a Mesa Mountain View 140-pounder, made state as a freshman with a record just above .500, but found his way on to the podium for a fourth-place finish that led to a newfound confidence. With that said, he isn’t the most technically sound wrestler and had to overcome some mental blocks.
Yet both left Tim’s Toyota Center as equals – Division I state champions.
“That’s what makes wrestling great – there are some many different and good stories about these kids,” Chandler coach Vidal Mejia said.
Brady finished the year 41-0 and is 80-1 in his high school career. For the second year in the row he met Desert Ridge’s Nate Covarrubias in the finals. It was a 3-2 OT win for Brady last season, but this time he took control from the start and the outcome was never in doubt.
“I wanted to get the first takedown and set the tone and the pace of the match,” Brady said. “I’ve wrestled him a lot and we have practiced together. Nate is really strong and it’s hard to score against someone that you know so well.”
Monty's (42-3) rise to state champ was a bit more unexpected, but it started about a year ago when he finished fourth.
“He caught fire last year,” Toros coach Bob Callison said of his first state champion since 2007. “After that he went to national tournaments, did well, got experience and came back a different wrestler and it really paid off.”
One that was still holding Monty back was his finals opponent – Mark Bayer from Phoenix North Canyon. Bayer beat Monty 5-1 in the placement round at state last year and then again this year at sectionals.
He trailed 3-0 again Friday night before he got a headlock on Bayer and pinned him in the second period for the win.
“I knew he beat me and it was starting to get to be a mental thing, but I just had to wrestle my match,” Monty said. “I’m not the most technical wrestlers, but I want to win like no one else.”
Another sophomore – Desert Vista’s Alex Bambic – came away with the 215-pound title when he beat Corona del Sol’s Simon Allen, 9-4.
Allen (45-1) had his knee come out of socket and come back into place early in the first period to hinder his quickness and strength, but Bambic (37-3) set the pace from the start.
“I wanted to beat him and have a chance to be a three-time state champ,” said Bambic, who is now 2-1 against Allen in two state meets. “I had to finish my shots and I did that.”
Other Division I champs from the area were Desert Vista’s Robbie Mathers (125) and Kendall Love (135), Highland’s Curt Done (130), Mesa’s Dorian Coleman (160) and Mesquite’s Corbin Cooke (HVY).
In the team race, Tucson Sunnyside won its 14th straight title with 124 ½ points, while Highland (114, 6 placers), Desert Vista (102, 5 placers), Yuma Cibola (96) and Chandler (93, 5 placers) finished in the top five.
Corona (72) was seventh, Red Mountain (71) was eighth, Mesa (69.5) was ninth and Mountain View (62) tied Anthem Boulder Creek for 10th.
In Division II, Marcos de Niza’s Jesus Morales beat Chaparral’s Gino Stoppa, who was trying to become the school’s first title winner since 1988, for the 130-pound title. Queen Creek’s Kolton Lock won the 145-pound title with a win over Barry Goldwater’s Austin Crawford.
Lock became the school’s second two-time state champion, joining David Hollis.
“It puts him in an elite class at our school,” Queen Creek coach Tod Workman said. “He is an example for everyone in our room what hard work and dedication can do.”
In the team race, Tucson Ironwood Ridge ran away with it and finished with 141.5 points while Marcos was second with 116 behind six overall placers, including state runner-up Adam Pavlenko at 215.
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