Heading into the state meet, Canyon Randall was the third-ranked boys team in Class 5A.

That was where the Raiders finished in the last meet — but on Saturday, the Panhandle powerhouse won state title No. 7.

The Raiders finished with 109 points to claim the state title, passing Melissa and Comal Smithson Valley on day two.

Melissa finished second with 93 1/2 points, while Amarilla Tascoca had 91 1/2 to give West Texas two of the top three teams.

Randall has now won four of the 5A titles since a divisional split in the 2014-15 season.

Randall won in 2019, 2020 and 2021. The other titles came in 2013 (Class 4A) and in 2008 and 2009 — when UIL had only one class.

Tascosa was the Class 5A champion last year.

Randall had five of its seven wrestlers bring home an all-state medal, while Mikey Ruiz won a state championship for the second year in a row.

The sophomore pinned Grapevine’s Kevin Contreras in 5:44 in the 113-pound title in a showdown of No. 1 vs. No. 3 in the pre-state rankings. Ruiz finished the year with a 41-0 record.

Add in his wins to close out last year and winning the 106-pound title, he has a 52-match winning streak.

“Honestly I had fun, there was not pressure,” he said of trying to repeat.

Ruiz dominated the match and held a 14-2 at the time of the pin thanks to four takedowns and two near falls that led to five points. 

Ruiz beat the No. 2-ranked wrestler, Enrique Uribe, in the semifinals by an 11-2 decision….