AURORA | One of the newest events added to Hog Wars decided the title of the longrunning strength and teamwork competition for local prep linemen hosted by Rangeview July 16.
New Raiders coach Chris Lopez added an oversized pizza box relay as one of seven events used to determine bragging rights for a competition that turned two decades old since Dave Gonzales and his staff started it back in 2005.
The original competition featured five events, but expanded to seven this season (even missing the usual fire truck push) and after each was contested, Cherokee Trail and Pomona finished in a tie in points, which required an extra event to break the tie. Lopez decided on the pizza box relay and the Panthers were able to hold off the Cougars to become the first non-Aurora area winner of Hog Wars.
A video look at the 2025 Hog Wars competition, here
“An event that were not normally used to as big boys decided it, but it was fun and good competition,” said Cherokee Trail assistant coach Enrique Estrada, who coached the program’s top group of Wyatt Jones, Mason Carr, Zaid Barakat, Lytton Warnick, Brandon Rodriguez, Hadey Naser and Ethan Eshetu.
The line will be the most experienced group in the upcoming season for coach Justin Jajcyzk’s Cougars and they showed their abilities and physicality with their performance at Hog Wars.
Easily the top performers in the bench press with 100 reps and also first in the monster truck tire flip (68) and “log” press (98), Cherokee Trail faced a point deficit to Pomona (winners of the pizza box relay and obstacle course), but forced a tiebreaker with a head-to-head win in the closing tug-o-war event.
The Panthers — last season’s runner-up — led most of the final race as its final runner overcame a buckling leg to make it across the finish line first.
Rangeview’s top team (Biram Griffey, Callen Evans, Leo Lopez, Brayden Goddard, Avoryon Brown, Kory Hill and Jaiden Deans) finished in third place with an event win in the sled push, followed by Vista PEAK Prep’s top unit (which included Yobanni Barron, Jeremiah Bustamante, Dominic Linderman, Prince Boakye Yiadom and Cuyler Wilson in fourth. The Bison — who got a noticeably big performance from Bustamante — won the farmer’s carry.
Cherokee Trail’s No. 2 team second fifth, Vista PEAK Prep’s No. 2 team in sixth and Rangeview’s second unit seventh.
Eaglecrest had won the past three Hog Wars in 2021 and again in 2023 and 2024 after the event did not take place in 2022, but the Raptors did not compete this season. Rangeview has won 11 times, while Gateway (2011), Overland (2012), Cherokee Trail (2013) and Vista PEAK Prep (2019) have one Hog Wars title to their credit.
Though smaller, this season’s competition again lived up to its original intention of honoring the “hogs.”
“We had some great teams from our community and Pomona coming in as well,” Lopez said. “To me, what Hog Wars is about is No. 1 giving recognition to the guys in the trenches. Quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, linebackers get enough attention. I think any coach will agree you win games with the offensive and defensive line, so this is our way of giving back to them an appreciating them and their hard work.”
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
ALL-TIME HOG WARS CHAMPIONS
2005: Rangeview: 2006: Rangeview: 2007: Rangeview; 2008: Rangeview; 2009: Rangeview; 2010: Rangeview; 2011: Gateway; 2012: Overland; 2013: Cherokee Trail; 2014: Rangeview; 2015: Rangeview; 2016: Rangeview; 2017: Rangeview; 2018: Rangeview; 2019: Vista PEAK Prep; 2020: No competition (coronavirus pandemic); 2021: Eaglecrest; 2022: No competition; 2023: Eaglecrest; 2024: Eaglecrest; 2025: Pomona
