Ironwood Ridge High School - Athletics

Athletics

The Ironwood Ridge Wrestling Team has had a large amount of success since the 2007-2008 season, when Coaches Tim Berrier, Jeff Hannan and Paul Vasquez took over coaching duties. The wrestling team finished 3rd in the team and individual state tournaments in 2008 with 1 individual state champion, 2 state finalists and 7 state placers. The following season (2009) the Nighthawk wrestling team finished 3rd in the individual state championship and a State Runner-up finish in the team dual state championship, finishing with 2 state champions, 3 state finalists and 8 state placers. The 2010 wrestling season began with the Nighthawks taking on the Sunnyside Blue Devil wrestling team, splitting the dual match with 7 wins to each team, Sunnyside won the match by scoring 3 more team points. Later that season the Nighthawks would avenge that loss by beating the Blue Devils in the individual state tournament, 201.5-199. The team finished with 4 state champions, 5 state finalists, and 9 state placers. The win earned the Nighthawks the number 1 seed in the team tournament. They ended their season with a runner-up finish in the team championship. Coach Tim Berrier was named Arizona Coach of The Year by Wrestling USA Magazine and the Arizona Daily Star. The 2011 season saw the Ironwood Ridge Wrestling Team win their 1st outright State Championship, winning the championship by over 25 points. Coach Tim Berrier was named Arizona Coach of The Year once again by Wrestling USA Magazine. The Nighthawks finished with 3 state champions and 5 state finalists. The Nighthawks return 3 state champions for their 2011-2012 campaign.The 2011-2012 Season was capped off by the Nighthawks winning the prestigious Flowing Wells Invitational, Division II Section II championship and their second consecutive Division II State Championship. Coach Tim Berrier was once again named Coach of the Year by the Arizona Daily Star and Wrestling USA magazine. The Nighthawks scored over 300 points in their sectional tournament and qualified all 13 wrestlers for the state championship. Ironwood Ridge scored 204.5 points and won the state title over Gila Ridge high school of Yuma, who scored 155 points. The Nighthawks once again managed to get 5 wrestlers into the state championship finals, but also had 5 other state placers. Ironwood Ridge finished with 3 state champions, 2 runner-ups, 4 5th place finishers, and 1 6th place finisher. Ironwood Ridge will once again return 3 state champions, but this time they are accompanied by 5 other state medal winners for the 2012-13 season. Since the 2007-2008 wrestling season no Division II Arizona team has had more State Champions(13), state finalists(20), state placers(39), or National All-Americans(6).Recent Ironwood Ridge Wrestlers to receive athletic/academic scholarships Eric Reichert -Wartburg College, Wrestling IA, 2008 Mike Short- Western Arizona J.C. -Football 2008 Ben Swartz- Northern Arizona University- Football 2008 Kevin Carlson- Universty of Arizona- Academics, 2010 Scott Filbert- Westpoint Military Academy, Wrestling, 2010 Luke McClure- Central Missouri University, Wrestling,2010 Kyle Webb- Lindenwood University, Missouri, Wrestling, 2010 David Wilson- Lindenwood University, Wrestling, 2011 Walker Slaughter- Lindenwood University, Wrestling, 2011 Trevor Willson- Arizona State University, Wrestling, 2012 Tyson Otuafi- Pima CC, Football, 2012

Current Ironwood Ridge Wrestlers & potential colleges Matt Filbert 2013, Westpoint Military Academy, U.S Naval Academy Troy Taylor 2013, Westpoint Military Academy Clint Allen 2013, Cornell College IA, Colorado School of Mines, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Jake Allen 2013, Cornell College IA, Colorado School of Mines, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

In 2006 the Ironwood Ridge football team won a share of the Sonoran Region championship, and the Amphitheater District Championship. The school currently competes in the 5A Division II athletic conference. Led by star player Daniel "Kraig" Vega, the Ironwood Ridge football team has also made the 4A playoffs four years in a row, and recorded their first playoff win in 2006 against Canyon del Oro. They are now competing in 5A, and will go back to 4A in two years. In 2007, Ironwood Ridge won the 5A-II Southern title in their first year in the division.

The Ironwood Ridge men's basketball team has also experienced recent success. The Nighthawks reached the 2007 Arizona 4A Division I state title game, where Ironwood Ridge was beaten by Apollo High School 61-48. The state runner-up team featured 8 seniors and was led by coach Karl Pieroway. In 2007, the Ironwood Ridge Nighthawks added head Coach Brian Peabody and the 6'7" player from Mountain View High School, Austin Smith. Smith is being recruited by DI schools such as Nevada, Arizona, Louisville, Liberty and San Diego State. The basketball team started off the 2007-2008 season being ranked as the #1 team in the state. The point guard, Lawrence Hampton (sophomore), and shooting guard Calvin Barbera helped them remain one of the top ranked teams. Barbera dropped 29 points in the semi-final game going 7-10 beyond the arc. Other players, such as Trent Kamins and Chad Carter came off the bench to add on to the explosiveness of the team. Peabody lead his team to a region championship in 2008. Brian and the boys won the 2008 state championship completing the mission beating Marcos De Niza 61-51. The win was not the first state championship at the school, but broke the Tucson state basketball drought in the 5A, which lasted 25 years.

On November 3, 2007 the girls cross country team (led by Coach Rob Clouse) took the 5A-II state title, the first team state title in the short history of Ironwood Ridge. They again repeated by winning the state title in 2008 and 2009 again.

In 2010, the girls track team won the state title.

The Ironwood Ridge Men's Golf Team won the 2008 5A-II state championship (led by Coach Ryan Bais), shooting 589, destroying the field by 18 shots. Ironwood Ridge golf has won 4 region championships as well. Jake Mckinley was named the player of the year in 2005 by the Arizona Daily Star. McKinley continued his golf career at South Florida University. Ben Esparza was named the player of the year in 2008 by the Arizona Daily Star and the Tucson Citizen. Esparza signed with the University of Arizona on a golf scholarship. Alex McMahon was named to the HP Junior Academic All-American Team in 2010, an award given to only 12 young men across the entire country. Alex was also the winner of the Gary P. Durrenberger Trophy for lowest match average in Souther Arizona for the 2010 season. McMahon was also named Player of the Year in 2010 by the Tucson Citizen. Alex signed with the University of Arizona on a golf scholarship. Coach Bais was named the coach of the year in 2007 by the Arizona Daily Star and was named coach of the year in 2008 and 2010 by the Tucson Citizen.

The Ironwood Ridge men's tennis team has also experienced much success by being the 4A-1 State Runner Up in 2007. The tennis program also won the 5A-II State Championship in 2008 and defended their title by winning again in 2009 by going 19-0. They again reached the finals in 2010, but came up short being the 5A-II State Runners-Up. They returned to the top in 2012 to win the schools 3rd state championship in Division II. The tennis team is led by Coach Ryan Bais. The tennis program has won 6 straight region championships as well. John Nanosky won the state 4A-I singles titles in 2006 and repeated in 2007. Nanosky signed with Arizona State University on a tennis scholarship. Timothy Holten and Dillon Kennedy won the state 5A-II doubles titles in 2008 and repeated in 2009. Josh Taylor and Conor Spiegel were State Runners-Up in 5A-II, for doubles, in 2009. In 2011 Alec and Cody Petford were the Division II State Doubles Champions. Josh Taylor and Conor Spiegel were the Division II State Doubles Runners-Up in 2011 as well. Alec Petord and Cody Petford were the Division II State Doubles Runners-Up in 2012 as well. John Nanosky was named the player of the year in 2006 and 2007 by the Arizona Daily Star and the Tucson Citizen. Timothy Holten and Dillon Kennedy were named the co-players of the year in 2009 by they Arizona Daily Star. Coach Bais was named coach of the year by the Arizona Daily Star in 2007 and again in 2009.

Ironwood Ridge is also the only US high school that offers Taekwondo for credit. The class is taught by Mark Pawley, a certified fifth degree black belt instructor.

Ironwood Ridge has also started as of this year its first ever men's water polo team. The team is coached by Mark Hodge who played polo in the Air Force.