The Pahrump Valley High School JV wrestling team competed against a deep and competitive field at the Clark Classic JV Zones on Saturday, January 24, gaining valuable postseason experience and seeing several wrestlers make extended runs through their brackets.
Among the highlights of the day were podium finishes from Bryce Whitney and Marlon Garcia, along with a strong fifth-place showing from Cameron Scherer, as the Trojans tested themselves against programs from across Southern Nevada.
At 150 pounds, Bryce Whitney delivered one of the most impressive performances of the tournament, finishing third overall. Whitney opened his day with consecutive falls over Adrian Torres of Green Valley and Ammon Waite of Las Vegas before moving into the consolation bracket following a close quarterfinal decision. From there, he went on a dominant run, recording four straight falls—including wins over Mater Academy East, Foothill, Silverado, and Arbor View—to secure third place.
Cameron Scherer also put together a strong tournament at 150 pounds, finishing fifth. Scherer opened with back-to-back falls in the championship rounds before dropping into consolations. He rebounded with two more falls to reach the consolation semifinals and capped his run with a hard-fought fall in the fifth-place match against Silverado’s Josiah Ceda.
At 215 pounds, Marlon Garcia earned a third-place finish after navigating a demanding bracket. Garcia opened with two falls before a narrow sudden-victory loss sent him into the consolation rounds. From there, he battled through multiple matches, earning wins by fall, tie-breaker, major decision, and sudden victory to claim third place, finishing his day with a dramatic overtime win over Kimo Nunu of Silverado.
Several other Trojans also picked up key wins and points for the team. Alexander Martinez (120) advanced through multiple championship rounds with a disqualification win and a fall before facing stiff competition in the later rounds. Azael Machuca-Castillo (126) recorded an 11–5 decision in championship action, while Angel Mundo (138) earned a tie-breaker win in consolations.
Jonathan Lopez (175) opened his tournament with a fall and followed with an 8–5 decision win before bowing out in later rounds. Emmanuel Alvarez Valencia (150) notched a decisive 14–7 win and pushed a strong opponent to overtime in championship action. Ace Blumer (215) and Aidan Ruiz Schultz (285) each picked up wins in both championship and consolation rounds, with Ruiz Schultz recording both a decision and a fall.
JV Head Coach Mike Colucci praised the group’s effort and progress as the season came to a close. “Great end to the JV wrestling season! Our kids are tough and work hard. We’re excited for the future of PVHS wrestling!”
While not every Trojan advanced deep into the brackets, the Clark Classic JV Zones provided meaningful postseason mat time for a large JV roster across nearly every weight class. With multiple podium finishes and numerous competitive matches, the Trojans left Clark with experience that will pay dividends as the program continues to develop.
*Photos provided by Coach Colucci.
