Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – The story of Justin Avila’s high school wrestling career would be a long one.

“The kids’ story is insane,” West High coach Nate Moore said. “You could write a book on it.”

On Saturday evening Avila got the storybook ending.

Avila got his long-awaited state title with a 9-7 win over top-ranked Jabari Hinson of Ames in the 150-pound title match at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

“Four long years, man,” Avila said. “It was worth the wait.”

Avila has certainly had a wrestling story worthy of being told.

He jumped all the way up to 170 pounds as a freshman to find a spot in a West High lineup loaded with talented upperclassmen at the middle weights.

Teammate Hunter Garvin won a title during Avila’s freshman season and his older brother Robert, a three-time state champion, finished runner-up that season.

Justin Avila was sure his turn to win a title was coming.

It did on Saturday but it wasn’t without some setbacks and some waiting.

A four-time qualifier, Avila missed the medal stand as a sophomore and finished fifth at 150 pounds last season.

Avila finally got the finish he wanted.

“It was hard, it was a long four years,” Avila said. “It’s all worth it.”

Even the title came in dramatic fashion for Avila who led 7-2 after the opening period and hung on for the 9-7 win.

“With Justin you never know what he’s going to do,” Moore said. “What was it 9-7 and at the end of the match we almost get taken down, he headlocks him in the first. It was crazy.”

Second-ranked Avila (49-3) locked up a headline less than a minute into the match and put Hinson (49-1) on his back.

Avila didn’t get the pin but the takedown and four-point near fall gave him a 7-2 lead after the opening period.

“I felt like I was going to be able to get my underhooks going and I tried it,” Avila said. “I like going for big moves so when I got that locked up it was pretty sweet. I wasn’t able to get the pin but it was enough to get the job done.”

Avila led 8-6 after two periods and 9-7 after an escape early in the third.

Avila held off a late takedown attempt from Hinson and an ensuing scramble to secure the win.

“That was kind of scary,” Avila said. “It was nerve wracking but thankfully I was able to keep my composure and hold on and be a state champ.”

After the win Avila hugged Robert who as an assistant coach at West High this season.

“I’m so grateful for him,” Justin Avila said of Robert. “When you look up to somebody that much and you are able to win and hug him at the end and have him tell you that he is proud of you it’s indescribable.”

West High went 1-1 in title matches on Saturday as junior three-time finalist Alexander Pierce (47-3) fell to top-ranked Nico DeSalvo (38-0) of Southeast Polk 4-1 in the 113-pound championship match.

Last year’s 106-pound champion, DeSalvo scored the only takedown of the match with 20 seconds remaining to secure the win.

“We knew going into it that Alex is not the type of kid that can make it a one transaction match,” Moore said. “When you make it a once transaction match you are flipping the coin. I thought he looked good, he had good pressure and he got that stall call and then he was in our leg.”

Class 3A State Tournament

At Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines

Team scores (Top 10; area teams) – 1. Southeast Polk 255.5; 2. Bettendorf 142.5; 3. Indianola 127.5; 4. Carlisle 126; 5. Johnston 114; 6. Waukee Northwest 105; 7. Ankeny Centennial 101; 8. West Des Moines Dowling 100.5; 9. Waverly-Shell Rock 91.5; 10. West High 84.5; 28. City High 34; 28. Clear Creek Amana 34; 35. Liberty High 18.5;

Individual Results

Championship Round (area athletes)

113 – Nico DeSalvo (Southeast Polk) dec. Alexander Pierce (West High) 4-1

150 – Justin Avila (West High) dec. Jabari Hinson (Ames) 9-7

Consolation semifinals (area athletes)

120 – Kendall Kurtz (City High) pinned Mitchell Pins (Dubuque Hempstead) 1:54

120 – Mat Prine (Southeast Polk) dec. Matthew Tran (West High) 1-0

138 – Cody Trevino (Bettendorf) dec. Cole Krutzfeldt (West High) 6-2

144 – Ryan Young (Indianola) dec. Nolan Howell (Clear Creek Amana) 9-3

175 – Noah Noland (Carlisle) dec. Landon Bell (Liberty High) 10-3

215 – Kolby Gibbons (Johnston) major dec. Raphael Etuma (City High) 14-5

Third-place match (area athletes)

120 – Kendall Kurtz (City High) major dec. Mat Prine (Southeast Polk) 8-0

Fifth-place match (area athletes)

120 – Mitchell Pins (Dubuque Hempstead) dec. Matthew Tran (West High) 4-0

138 – Cole Krutzfeldt (West High) dec. Collin Frost (Davenport Central) 13-7

144 – Nolan Howell (Clear Creek Amana) dec. Sevastian Soto (Carlisle) 14-11

175 – Landon Bell (Liberty High) dec. Logan Bruxvoort (Pella) 10-4

215 – Carson Slorah (Indianola) dec. Raph Etuma (City High) 8-7

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