DENVER | For the second straight season, Adonias Cantu has a chance to win a Class 5A state championship in the final match of the season.
The Eaglecrest senior — a runner-up at the 5A boys state wrestling tournament last season — completed the journey back to Saturday’s championship session at Ball Arena with a semifinal victory Friday evening over Thornton’s Dominic Pacheco.
Cantu ran his record to a sparkling 58-2 with an 11-9 decision over Pacheco, in a match that tightened up significantly in the third period. He was the only winner among four semifinalists for coach Javier Qiuntana’s Raptors, who will now have a finalist for a third straight season following Dorian Ervin in 2022 and Cantu last season.
Cantu’s opponent in the finals — which will happen after the Parade of Champions at 5:30 p.m. — will be Pomona freshman phenom Ignacio Villasenor (49-1).
Cantu began the season at 120 pounds, but shifted to 113 to start the new year and has suffered just one defeat, which came to an out-of-state opponent at the Conflict In Cleveland tournament.
He won the Region 4 tournament and has posted three straight victories in the state tournament, beginning with an 18-5 major decision win over Grandview’s Donavon Delbridge. He followed that with an 8-5 win over Chatfield’s Alex Rodriguez and then the victory over Pacheco.
Cantu and Villasenor — whose only loss came out of state — meet for the first time.
Cherokee Trail freshman Cooper Mathews made the 106-pound final, while Regis Jesuit junior Garrett Reece and Grandview sophomore Jonathan Montes Gonzales meet in the 150-pound final and Grandview junior Charlie Herting is in the 165-pound final to give Aurora-area programs a good presence on championship night.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
