Zach Espalin wrote down a goal at a young age, he estimates about kindergarten the first time, while living in Texas long ago.
It went with him when the family moved to Virginia, and again when they moved to Arizona just before he started high school.
That’s when he put that re-written message piece of paper on his mirror, so he saw it every day. The handwriting improved over the years, but the message remained the same.
Set a goal and get after it, much like the way he wrestles on his feet.
“I made it a goal a long time ago that I wanted to be a four-time state champion,” Espalin said. “I’ve kept it with me all these years from state to state.”
Espalin accomplished the feat, the 39th time it has happened in Arizona history, on Saturday might when the Chandler 126-pound senior defeated Boulder Creek’s Noah Kasprowicz, 7-3, at Poston Butte High School.
Espalin beat Kasprowicz, a two-time state runner-up, for the third time this season. The first go-around was 9-0 in a dual meet, and then it was 2-0 at sectionals last week.
“I wasn’t going to be stopped,” he said. “He closed the gap each time and made it closer. We both had our game plans. I knew I had to open it up and I got those two early takedowns and just kept the pressure on from there.”
Since moving here from Virginia, Espalin, who finished with a career record of 154-8, has been under the tutelage of another Chandler four-time state champion in Dalton Brady, a Chandler assistant, after meeting at Sunkist Wrestling Club.
“He is a smart kid, and he stays completely focused on the task at hand,” Brady said. “He has good positioning and he’s always in a good spot to score. It’s been awesome seeing him grow into a four-timer.”
Espalin, a two-time Fargo freestyle All-American, is clearly a very goal driven individual as winning four state titles wasn’t the only thing, he set out to do early in his wrestling career that he has accomplished.
He will continue his wrestling career at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, so he will be going back to the East Coast.
“I told everyone in the seventh grade when I was living in Virginia that I was going to wrestle for the Naval Academy,” he said. “It’s exactly where I wanted to go and now, I can’t want to get there and get started.”
Corona conditions
The state wrestling tournament is always full of emotion that is so palpable that people in the stands can feel it and react with a collective ‘Whoa’ or ‘Wow’ even when they have no connection to either wrestler.
It’s just that understanding of what it takes, all of the painful practices, cutting weight, working to perfect certain moves, to become a championship-level wrestler.
Sometimes it comes down to a last second move or a judgement call by a referee. All of that time on the mat for all of those years can take you to the brink of earning a place on the podium or falling just short. It can be exhilarating and crushing at the same time for the two combatants.
This year that intensity and emotion has been limited because each division competed on separate days at Poston Butte High School in San Tan Valley to keep the crowds low with a better chance of social distancing because of COVID.
It didn’t, however, take away from the accomplishments of the individuals. It just didn’t have the same feel as in previous years in Prescott Valley when the divisions were wrestling at the same time.
Here’s a look at some of the results and champions:
Team races (top 5 only)
Division I
1. Sunnyside 198; 2. Liberty 166.5; 3. Desert Vista 113.5; 4. Desert Ridge 98; 5. Cibola 92.5.
Division II
1. Casteel 219; 2. Marana Mtn View 203; 3. Campo Verde 158; 4. Ironwood Ridge 117.5; 5. Ironwood 105.
Division III
1. Safford 124; 2. Sahuarita 109.5; 3. ALA Gilbert North 98; 4. Mingus 95.5; 5. Combs 94.
Division IV
1. Morenci 301; 2. Yuma Catholic 184; 3. St. Johns 178; 4. Thatcher 137.5; 5. Mogollon 132.5.
Individual champions
Division I
106 – Damien Moreno (Kofa); 113- James Armstrong (Sunnyside); 120- Michael Trujillo (Liberty); 126-Zach Espalin (Chandler); 132-Damen Miller (Desert Vista); 138-Mourece Ramirez (Desert Vista); 145-Jonny Sierra (Cibola); 152-Tyler Sauter (Liberty); 160-Sebastian Robles (Sunnyside); 170-Gunnar Luke (Mesa Mountain View); 182-Rene Fragoso (Sunnyside); 195-Elijah Sobas (Hamilton); 220-William Durbin (Dobson); HVY-Liam Hoffmeyer (Cibola).
Division II
106 -Enzi Spina (Ironwood Ridge); 113-Gavin Gonzales (Ironwood); 120-Daniel Miranda (Marana Mountain View); 126-Xavier Lerma (Ironwood); 132-Sergio Ramos (Casteel); 138-Brandon Paredes (Marana Mountain View); 145-Ramon Ramos (Casteel); 152-Austin Scott (Marna Mountain View); 160-Chris Lopez (Marana Mountain View); 170-Markell Rivera (Ironwood); 182-Jake Ortiz (Desert Mountain); 195-AJ Valle (Casteel); 220-Rudy Acedo (Marna Mountain View); HVY-Cailor Benson (Paradise Valley).
Division III
106 – Brody Townsend (Mingus); 113- Cole Housley (Show Low); 120- Colby Evens (CHVA); 126- Kai Miller (Mingus); 132- Andrew Sweilem (Barry Goldwater); 138- Cooper French (Coconino); 145- Caleb Cordova (Safford); 152- Seth Fernandez (Combs); 160- Payton Wayman (LEWI); 170-Conrad Brady (Mingus); 182- Travis Christianson (Payson); 195-Bric Jobe (AGN); 220-Kellen Gibson (ACP); HVY-Taniela Taunima (Combs).
Division IV
106 -Breck Williams (Morenci); 113-Gabriel Gonzales (Globe); 120-Solomon Lucero (Morenci); 126-Marcus Morales (Morenci); 132-Cael Porter (Mogollon); 138-Wyatt Ogle (SCV); 145-Malakai Porter (Mogollon); 152-Cody Torres (Morenci); 160-Ote Allsup (Will); 170-Jame Thomas (St. Johns); 182-Fisher Porter (Mogollon); 195-Diego Chavez (SCV); 220-Trey Rodriguez (Morenci); HVY-Jayden Dobson (Yuma Catholic).
Studly programs
Sunnyside won its fourth consecutive state title – Division I this year, Division II in 2020 and 2019 and Division I in 2018.
It continues one of the most dominant streaks in Arizona high school sports history as the Blue Devils have finished in the top three at the state tournament every year since 1977 expect once, including 35 state titles, and nine runner-up finishes.
The only time the program didn’t crack the top three was 2012 when Sunnyside finished one point out of third to finished tied for fourth.
In other words, since the AIA kept keeping team scores in 1977 the Blue Devils have finished in the top four every year.
Safford won its eighth team title under Herman Andrews Jr., which is the fourth most by a coach in state history, and ninth overall by winning the Division III championship with one champion in Caleb Cordova at 145.
Morenci won its eighth state title by taking the Division IV title by a wide margin behind five individual champions and third since 2016, under Casey Woodall, after taking the reins from Gilbert Padilla.
Liberty had a two-year streak of winning the Division I state title come to an end but still finished as the runner-up to Sunnyside.
“We didn’t take advantage of certain situations that we did in the previous years and that was the difference,” Liberty coach Eric Brenton said.
The Lions still represented the Red Dot Nation well including 120-pound state champion Michael Trujillo, who won in the final seconds for the state title.
He was trailing late and was in the down position. He hit a granby roll to get an escape and then won a scramble in the final second to win it.
Breaking through
Casteel won the Division II team title because of its depth to hold off Marana Mountain View, which ended up with five individual champions.
It was the first team title for the Colts in its fifth year as a program and third for coach Bob Callison, who won two times at Mesa Mountain View.
The shortened season made the coaches adjust after the competitors only got about 12 to 14 matches all season long compared 40 to 50 matches in a season to prepare the postseason.
Callison said he relied a little bit on the experience of the 2014 season, which was affected by an outbreak of skin diseases by several teams.
“It came in handy as a guide,” Callison said. “It wasn’t exactly the same, but the way we peaked at the right time that season helped me guide this team. I was continually gauging how my wrestlers felt in regard to muscles soreness and energy level.
“I would ramp up when I thought we needed a push and I back off a bit when I felt like the kids needed to recover. I guess it was a little bit of wisdom I gained over the years.”
Jason Skoda can be reached at jason@arizonavarsity.com with comments and story ideas.
