The big question in both the 4A and 5A wrestling ranks is whether the defending champions can possibly be knocked off.
Pleasant Grove in 5A seems the most vulnerable as the Vikings are now seeking their seventh straight wrestling title. Pleasant Grove has been the dominant 5A power this decade, as it was the dominant 4A power in the 1990s.
Wasatch is going for its third straight 4A state title and has periods of dominance in its history where the Wasps were running roughshod over 2A and 3A competition in previous decades. Going up a classification in recent memory hasn’t done much to derail the Wasps.
But what is truly interesting is the connection between these two wrestling juggernauts.
Wasatch burst onto the scene as a wrestling juggernaut in the 1980s with Steve Sanderson as its head coach. Sanderson had two different tenures as the head coach over the next four decades and put Wasatch on the map nationally. His own sons won a combined 13 individual state titles.
Sanderson wrestled at Pleasant Grove High School, graduating in 1971, where he was a two-time state runner-up. His head coach was Darold Henry. Calling Henry’s influence on Utah prep wrestling huge would be a gross understatement. Current Viking head coach Brock Moore also wrestled under Henry in the late 1980s and early 1990s, winning an individual state title and was a key part of two state title teams.
Henry won eight state titles as a head coach, starting his coaching career in the late 1960s. Henry won his first state title in 1971 and two more in 1972 and 1974 while finishing second several times to Uintah, the top dynastic power of the 1970s led by Dennis Preece and Henry’s younger brother Chuck. Henry put together two more state titles in the 1980s before starting an incredible dynastic run for the Vikings, with them winning seven straight titles.
Amidst that streak, Henry handed over the reins to one of his former wrestlers, Tom Phelon, who won four in a row before Payson halted that streak in 1998. The Vikings didn’t win another state title until 2011, though they had some close calls, finishing second two different times.
Two teams hoping to end Wasatch's reign in 4A will be Payson and Uintah. The Lions have won four state titles, three in the 4A ranks and the 2015 3A state title. The Lions were put back into 4A in the last realignment and finished fifth last season.
Uintah has a much longer tradition of excellence, winning 23 team titles, though the Utes haven't held the gold trophy since 1999. Uintah also served as Pleasant Grove's and Wasatch's chief rival in the 1970s and 1990s, respectively.
Though Sanderson had incredible success with Wasatch, its current head coach Wade Discher, on his second stint as the head coach for the Wasps, has left a large imprint on this program and wrestling in Utah as a whole. Discher seeks his seventh state title as a head coach and third in his second tenure.
While Payson and possibly Uintah look to dethrone Wasatch, Layton will look to do the same to Pleasant Grove in 5A.
The Lancers have won three state titles in their school history, the first being in 1991 when they tied Pleasant Grove and in 1999 and 2000. Could there be another tie between these two programs as there was 26 seasons ago? Not likely, but not beyond the scale of possibilities either.
Layton lost three key members of its team just prior to the divisional championship but still had more than enough to win its division. Layton also defeated Pleasant Grove for the 5A state dual meet championship nearly two weeks ago.
But the individual state tournament with team scores is a different matter. In this tournament format, excellence is rewarded with more points, and JV wrestlers winning matches in the bracket can turn the tables in the scoring race.
Layton head coach John Fager has said, “Pleasant Grove is the team to beat until someone beats them.”
Layton did beat Pleasant Grove at the state duals, but the Vikings finished second at the Rockwell Rumble ahead of Layton (third), so the state tournament will decide things between these two 5A powerhouses. Both programs have experience but also young superstars that likely will be aiming at multiple individual titles before they are done with their prep careers. And for this year in 5A, these two programs stand head and shoulders above the rest.
Wasatch seems to be the clear team to beat in 4A this season, and with its first-place finish at the Rockwell Rumble has well earned, barring a huge turn of events this week, the title of best team in the state regardless of classification.
Brian Preece is a freelance sportswriter. He was the head wrestling coach at Provo High School from 1994-2006, and in 2006 Preece was named Utah Coach of the Year by the National Wrestling Coaches Association.