Aztec Tigers Sweep District 1-4A Duals, Claim Championship

Aztec High dominated the District duals meet, finishing 5-0 and claiming the district championship while posting a lopsided points margin that underscored the program's depth. The Tigers combined strong decisions and multiple pins to punch a clear ticket toward the district individual qualifier and the state chase.

Aztec outscored opponents by an aggregate reported total of 354-42, a figure that captures the scale of the Tigers' dominance across five duals. Key individual wins supplied the margin: Cory Douglas defeated Bloomfield’s Elias Johnson 13-10 at 139 pounds, a signature victory over last year’s 133-pound state champion. Douglas also recorded a pin over Kirtland Central’s Kaleb Shondee and beat Miyamura’s Shane Saucedo. Ethan Vigil supplied a pin at 121 pounds over Bloomfield’s Gunner Samora, and Cayden Nevarez pinned Filoramio Aguilar at 172 pounds. Zach Sanders won a 152-pound decision, 7-2, over Bloomfield’s Eli Snell-Martinez.

Democratandchronicle-listed Aztec wrestlers who went undefeated at the meet include Dominic Dufur (145), Austin Littlefield (152), C.D. Simkins (106), Josiah Griego (113), Garrett Birzer (120) and Cody Candelaria (126). Those individual undefeated runs, combined with match-clinching pins and bonus-point wins, helped Aztec roll through its duals slate.

Local reaction reflected respect for Aztec’s performance and mixed outcomes for other programs. Farmington coach Jesus Mendoza praised his Scorpions after a 4-1 showing and second-place claim in some reports, saying, “The guys did a great job. We ran into a really tough team in Aztec. There were a couple matches we thought would go our way — they didn't go our way, no big deal. Second place is a good feeling. We're good.” Mendoza also singled out a gritty performance from a smaller-weight wrestler he called Dante and highlighted youngster James Schryver for contributing key points.

Kirtland Central competed shorthanded for a second straight week, missing named wrestlers Isaac Thomas, Brandon Silago and Raemondo Miles because of injury or illness. Broncos coach JJ Sandoval said a lot has changed since his team placed third at a Jan. 21 Aztec duals event, and the absences contributed to narrow losses and altered placements.

A few reporting discrepancies remain unresolved. Accounts differ on the Aztec-Bloomfield dual score (reported as both 35-21 and 47-35), on whether Farmington or Bloomfield finished second, and on the meet venue (reports variously list Kirtland Central and Lillywhite Gym in Aztec). The district classification also appears inconsistently as 1-4A and 1-5A across dispatches. Official posted scoresheets and district results will be needed to finalize those details.

Looking ahead, the District individual qualifier is scheduled for 10 a.m. Feb. 15 at Bloomfield, with the top three teams from the district earning automatic state bids and the final two 4A state spots awarded as wild cards. For Aztec, a sweep at the duals adds momentum and roster confidence built on a program history that lists multiple district championships and recent regional titles, positioning the Tigers as a team to watch as the postseason approaches.