When Antonio Sandoval stepped into the role of Head Coach for the Pahrump Valley High School wrestling team this year, it marked not just a transition, but a continuation of a legacy deeply rooted in community, tradition, and hard-earned grit. For Sandoval, wrestling isn’t just a sport—it’s the defining thread woven through his childhood, his college experience, and now his professional life as he leads one of Pahrump’s most storied athletic programs.
Sandoval first stepped onto a wrestling mat when he was in fifth grade, drawn into the sport through the long-respected Powerhouse youth program. Like many kids navigating new interests, he drifted away for a couple of years—but when he entered high school, he was convinced to give it another try by longtime PVHS Head Coach Craig Rieger. “He brainwashed me pretty good,” Sandoval joked, remembering how Rieger’s relentless belief in hard work and personal accountability pulled him back in. That decision changed the entire trajectory of his life.
Surrounded by a talented and driven group of teammates, Sandoval flourished. Their collective success on the mat caught the attention of college coaches, giving him the chance to continue his wrestling career at the next level at a school in Kansas. But his journey took an unexpected turn. A series of injuries cut his competitive path short—but opened another door. His coaches recognized not just his wrestling IQ, but his passion for the sport’s culture and values, and brought him on as a student assistant coach. The role kept him connected to the one thing he knew he loved. “I knew that without wrestling, I was going to be lost,” he said. “Coaching saved me.”
Despite building a life far from home, Sandoval always envisioned returning to Pahrump. “I always knew I was going to come home. I wanted to coach with Rieger,” he said. That dream became reality when he returned to PVHS after graduating and joined the high school staff as an assistant during Rieger’s final season. Soon after, he joined new Head Coach Frank Lopez as an assistant, working to share the same commitment to preserving the culture they grew up in.
Coming back was surreal in more ways than one. Sandoval quickly realized that he was now coaching the sons of people he once idolized as a kid. “I remember watching them when I was 10 years old,” he said. “Now their kids are in the program. It’s incredible.” Names like Holzer and Cowley—legendary within the walls of the PVHS wrestling room—are now appearing again, this time on new rosters, in new brackets, with new goals. “It’s really cool to see the entire history of Pahrump wrestling right in front of us. I’m grateful to be in the middle of it.”
The opportunity to take over the program arose sooner than expected. Coach Lopez received a promotion at work that made it impossible for him to give the time he wanted to the team, and Sandoval stepped into the role as the next in line. “I didn’t plan on being in this position, but I definitely wasn’t shying away from it,” he said. “We always knew it was supposed to be Frank and me who would see this thing out. He’ll still be involved, just not as much as he’d like—and not as much as I’d like—but he’ll be around.”
Sandoval will lead one of the largest rosters the program has ever seen—roughly 90 to 91 athletes and counting. Supporting him this season are Assistant Coaches Mike Colucci, who heads the JV program, and Elliott Owens, who Sandoval unofficially refers to as the girls’ head coach. “The girls love Elliot, and he has such a good way of relating to them. They listen to him more than they listen to me and Mike,” he laughed. Several alumni have already offered to volunteer throughout the season, which Sandoval welcomes—especially with such a large room to manage. “Anyone who wants to come in and help, absolutely. The door is open.”
Sandoval’s coaching philosophy is deeply rooted in the lessons he learned under Rieger. Hard work. Simplicity. Control what you can control. “We don’t need to do anything special—we just have to work hard,” he said. “We’re not fancy. We’re from Pahrump. We don’t have much flashiness to us.” It’s the same philosophy that helped define decades of wrestling success in the program, a mindset passed down from generation to generation. “Good things happen when you work as hard as you can for as long as you can.”
Though the season is only beginning, there are already standout athletes expected to lead the charge. Junior Zach Hulderson, a returning state finalist, has been attending every conditioning run since football ended. “He works so dang hard,” Sandoval said. “He deserves every good thing that comes his way.” Another major returner is junior Iyan Bosket, who finished third in the state last year. His older brother, Oscar, was a state champion, and Sandoval sees the same potential in him. “Iyan is such a respectful, hardworking kid,” he said. “He deserves to do great things.”
Senior leadership will also be a cornerstone of this year’s team, with wrestlers such as Ben De Santiago, Ethan Rouse, Joseph Scheer, and Jayden Crisler all entering their fourth year in the program. “This senior class has worked so hard for four straight years. We expect really incredible things from them,” Sandoval said.
The freshmen class, often a group that arrives wide-eyed and unprepared for the intensity of high school wrestling, has surprised the coaching staff. Many are brand new to the sport, though a few have come from the Junior Trojans youth program or other junior wrestling programs. Despite the challenge of jumping into one of the most physically demanding high school sports, they are showing grit and discipline far beyond what is normally expected. “You can see that it sucks for them,” Sandoval said, laughing, “but they’re pushing through it. They show up every day and work hard. It’s incredible to watch.”
That influence, he believes, will shape the season. “Culture is everything. When the majority of the room is working hard, the rest follow.”
Of course, wrestling isn’t without its criticisms—especially when it comes to weight cutting. Sandoval addressed the misconception directly. “We will never make a kid cut weight. Ever,” he said firmly. “If an athlete wants to wrestle in a certain weight class, we’ll support them. If they don’t, we support that too.” He emphasized that horror stories often come from poor coaching practices in other places, not from programs like PVHS, which prioritize health, safety, and autonomy.
When athletes do choose to cut weight, the staff teaches them how to do it slowly, safely, and intelligently. “It’s about small goals,” Sandoval said. “You don’t lose it all at once. You don’t shock your body. You take it day by day.” For many, cutting weight is more about strategy than aesthetics—filling gaps in the lineup, positioning themselves advantageously, or wrestling at the weight that best suits their size and strength. Still, Sandoval stresses that no one on his staff believes there is a single “right” way to manage weight. “Everybody’s body is different. Our advice is just advice. Do your research, talk with us, but ultimately it’s your decision.”
The season officially kicks off with one of the program’s most treasured traditions: the Thanksgiving practice. Each year, alumni spanning decades return to the PVHS wrestling room for a morning run followed by a packed practice session. With wall-to-wall wrestlers, returning champions, former leaders, and young athletes just beginning their journeys, it’s a symbolic passing of the torch—and always signals that competition season is close.
The Varsity team’s first tournament will be on December 12 at Shadow Ridge High School, where PVHS wrestlers will face high-level competition early in the year. It’s a challenge Sandoval welcomes. “It’ll show us exactly where we are and what we need to work on,” he said.
And for any student still wondering if they should join? It’s not too late. The program will continue accepting athletes through mid-to-late December, as long as they can complete the required number of practices to compete. “The door is always open,” Sandoval said. “There’s a place for everyone.”
As Sandoval steps onto the mat this season as head coach for the first time, he brings with him the weight of tradition, the pride of his hometown, and the same philosophy that shaped him into the wrestler—and coach—he is today. PVHS wrestling remains, as always, a family. A legacy. A community cornerstone.
