Class 5A boys wrestling ran through the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex this year.
Melissa won its first state title and Azle took home a second-place trophy at the UIL Wrestling Championships, which wrapped up on Feb. 14.
Melissa had 153 points, which is the third-most ever in Class 5A history. Canyon Randall has the top spot with 196 1/2 in 2021 and 156 points in 2019.
For Melissa, it’s the second trophy in three years. Oliver Pierce guided the Cardinals to a runner-up finish in 2024.
“We’re going to keep getting better,” said Melissa’s Vinny Ferrari, one of two champions. “We have the best coach in Texas and definitely one of the top coaches in the country. He’s getting us better every day. He’s working us. We had the most state finalists this year. You know, we’re just getting better every single year.”
Azle had 78 points, jumping a spot from third to second going into the finals.
It’s the first time the DFW team had two of the trophy teams since 2018, when Prosper was 2nd and Frisco Liberty took 3rd. The last time DFW teams went 1-2, it was back in 2016 when Rockwall-Heath took first and Frisco Centennial was second, with only four points between them.
Mission Sharyland and Cedar Park tied for third with 71 1/2 points.
Since going to two classes in 2014, there has never been a tie for a boys’ trophy in either class.
Now, we will go back to look at how we did in our predictions before the state meet. We looked smart in some and dumb in others, but here’s a recap of how each of the weight classes broke down in Cypress.
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Our Favorite: Santiago Miranda, jr., Mission Sharyland
Our Contenders: Esteban Vela, sr., Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial and Kingston Barker, sr., North Mesquite
Our Sleeper: Enrique Dioses, jr., Lubbock
How did we do?
Miranda made the finals but lost to Dumas freshman Conner Smith by a 10-3 decision. Smith, 45-1, beat Vela in the quarterfinals and then Dioses in the semifinals to reach the finals.
Baker lost in the first round to Juan Velasquez from Rio Grande City Grulla, so we struck out there.
Vela took third, beating Velasquez by a 16-1 tech fall. Dioses placed 5th with an injury-time win against Chaz Marone from Fort Worth Chisholm Trail.
