Jacob Swift easily could have coasted the last four seconds.
Instead, he attacked – just like he has all four years at
Deer Valley (Glendale) – and finished his final high school match being physical and overpowering. It epitomized his career, as Swift dominated all the way to the 170-pound Division II state title to become Arizona's 30th wrestler to win four state titles.
"I was going to go after it and work that kid," Swift said. "That's how I got here and I am not going to change now. I am going to pound that kid in front of me until it is over. There is no relief."
Swift, whose other titles came at 126, 138 and 152, topped
Jacob Reynoso of
Ironwood (Glendale) 10-0 and was in total command. It was stopped with four seconds left because of a Reynoso shoulder injury, and after it resumed, Swift kept pushing until he stopped, popped up, pumped both fists and pointed to the crowd to make history on Friday.
"I know this is an individual sport, but this is about the team, the coaches, my family and my family that is (in heaven)," Swift said. "It was a long day. I spent a lot the day gazing off into the stars. I was envisioning how I was going to do it, what I was going to do after and what it was going to finally feel like."
The journey hasn't always been easy – he twice won title matches 3-2 in the final moments – and for whatever reason he is a bit of polarizing figure. Regardless of how he went about it or the fact that his lone loss came when wrestling up two weight classes before transferring from Thunderbird, Swift has left a legacy.
And he's looking to start another one after he finished his career 175-1 with a record 173-match winning streak.
It adds up to one of the amazing careers in Arizona wrestling history, but he is already thinking about what is next.
"It's a big deal for high school, but I have bigger goals," said Swift, who will have official visits at Arizona State, Michigan State, Wyoming and Adams State. "I am looking at a national championship now. Now that this is over and done, I am thinking about what is next."
The state crowned 55 other individual champions over the weekend but the team races in Division I and Division II were big storylines.
Danny Vega (in 2013)
Courtesy photo (file)
In D-I, two-time defending champion
Mountain View (Mesa), perennial champion
Sunnyside (Tucson) and multiple champion
Ironwood Ridge (Tucson) were in a tight battle until Ironwood Ridge pulled away with three champions in
Danny Vega (113),
Josiah Kline (132) and
Jeremy Berson (182).
The Night Hawks finished with 194 to Sunnyside's 171.5 and Mountain View's 166.5.
The Division II race came down to
Liberty (Peoria) and
Seton Catholic (Chandler), both programs looking for their first state team title.
Seton led by a slim margin most of the weekend, but Liberty took control when both schools placed finalists at 182 with Liberty's
Miles Nuessle topping the heavily favored
Bridger Barker, 3-1, to pull within in what equated to an eight-point swing.
The Lions clinched the next weight class when
Blake Smith earned a pin in the finals for a 164-159 margin of victory.
"I watched all of Miles' match and it got me fired up," Smith said. "I wanted to go out there and win for my team. We've been working and pushing for this a few years and we finally go it done."
Several nationally ranked individuals coasted to titles as Seton Catholic junior Quentin Hovis (D-II, 152), Sunnyside sophomore Roman Bravo-Young (D-I, 120),
Desert Edge (Goodyear) junior
Brandon Courtney (D-II, 120) and Vega continued to help Arizona gain traction nationally.
"This is just the next stepping stone," said Bravo-Young, who won his second title to move to 81-0 in his high school career. "I love winning state but there is a lot more to accomplish down the line."
Jason P. Skoda, a former Arizona Republic sports writer and current Prep Sports Director for 1013 Communications, is a 20-year sports writing veteran. Contact him at jskoda1024@aol.com.
