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Ex-state champ Torrejon still fan of high school grapplers

Ed Torrejon has basked in the glory of being an NCAA Division II and high school state champion in wrestling.

Torrejon, a retired Tucson educator and former coach at Pima Community College, is considered the best wrestler to come out of Sahuaro and one of the best overall the city has seen.

Torrejon, 54, was a two-time state champ at Sahuaro. He won at 145 pounds as a junior in 1971 and at 155 the next year.

He led the Howard Breinig-coached Cougars to the 1972 Class 3A state team title (now 5A Division I) and was selected the state’s most outstanding wrestler that year.

Torrejon went on to became a three-time All American and two-time national champion at Eastern Illinois University.

He also was selected as an alternate for the 1984 U.S. Olympic team.

“Wrestling was the highlight of my life,” Torrejon said. “I won the NCAAs. I had a great career.”

The high school wrestling season is a special time of the year for Torrejon. He has been a supporter of the sport in Tucson since his high school days and regularly attends matches around town.

“I just like to come and watch,” he said. “I try to get to about six or seven tournaments a year, and that includes the state championships.

Torrejon has spent time working with Sunnyside’s Kyle DeBerry, who has a chance this weekend to become a four-time state champion. DeBerry has signed to wrestle at Arizona State. The 1A/2A, 3A, 4A and 5A state events will be held at the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale today and Saturday.

Torrejon has worked as a coach with some of Tucson’s most heralded high school wrestlers.

He provided instructions to the Gallick brothers – Aaron, Nate and Nick – all of whom were Arizona state champions.

Aaron was the first wrestler at Catalina Foothills to win a state title. Nate was a three-time state champion at Sunnyside and Nick was a four-time state champ for the Blue Devils.

“In the middle of their living room, they had a wrestling mat,” Torrejon said. “I coached Eddie Urbano . . . Robert DeBerry, the coach at Sunnyside . . . Thom Ortiz, the coach at ASU. It is just nice to be back here to watch wrestling in high school.”

The Tucson area has has been a state hotbed for the sport for more than five decades.

“There are a lot of great, dedicated coaches in Tucson who spend time with the kids,” Torrejon said. “I think what you have here is a lot of tradition.”

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STATE TOURNEY INFO

• Where: Jobing.com Arena in Glendale (at Loop 101 freeway and Glendale Avenue).

• When: Today and Saturday. Wrestling starts at 8:30 a.m. today for the Class 1A/2A and 3A events. Action in 4A Division I, 4A Division II, 5A Division I and 5A Division II will start at 4:30 p.m.

• Wrestling will start at 8:30 a.m. Saturday in 1A/2A and 3A.

• The consolation rounds for all conferences will start at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. The championship finals for all classifications will get under way at 5 p.m..

• Tickets: Admission is $8 for adults and $6 for students with identification each day.

• Outlooks: The only titles up for grabs in 5A are for individual wrestlers. All the other conferences will determine both team and individual state champions this weekend.

• Pueblo should be strong enough to wrestle its way to a top- five finish in 4A Division I. Rio Rico should do the same in 4A Division II.

• Safford is the two-time defending state champ in 3A. Morenci, Willcox and San Manuel are the top area squads in the 1A/2A competition.

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