PALO VERDE
Head coach: Scott Nemchek, sixth season
Returning lettermen: Six
Top wrestlers: Josh Pine (So.), Billy Bigelow (Jr.), Kayden Pierson (Sr.)
Outlook: Pine, who likely will wrestle at 138 pounds, and Bigelow (152) each placed fourth in the state meet last season and lead a list of six returnees that also includes state qualifier Pierson (145).
“The team should be much improved and ready to contend for the region title,” Nemchek said.
SLAM! Nevada wrestler Manuel Saldate won his fourth individual state title this season, which earned him Nevada Preps Boys Athlete of the Year honors.
The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association voted to add girls wrestling as a sanctioned sport starting with the 2026-27 school year.
Drake Hooiman, a three-time wrestling state champion, has two Big Ten programs in final five. Also, two Arbor View football players got offers from Ohio State.
Standout performances from SLAM! Nevada, which won its fourth straight Class 5A state title, highlight the Nevada Preps All-Southern Nevada boys wrestling team.
Standout performances from Centennial and SLAM! Nevada highlight the first-ever Nevada Preps All-Southern Nevada girls wrestling team.
Makhi Clark and Aidan Hernandez won individual titles to lead Sierra Vista to its second straight Class 4A state wrestling championship Saturday at Western High.
SLAM! Nevada’s wrestling team continued its dominance by winning its fourth straight Class 5A team state title Saturday in Fallon. Centennial won the girls title.
Girls high school wrestling is expanding across the country. The trend is the same in Nevada, even though the sport isn’t fully sanctioned by the NIAA.
High schools from small towns are among some of the most dominant wrestling teams in state history. Just one Southern school has more than eight state titles.
Ten SLAM Academy wrestlers won individual titles as the Bulls cruised to the Class 5A Southern Region team title Saturday at Shadow Ridge.
