Coach Brandon Crosby sent an email noting the top finishers in the past decade in Division IV wrestling.

The same three programs kept popping up.

Camp Verde. Morenci. St. Johns.

So guess which three are the D-IV state leading contenders heading into Friday’s first session at the Prescott Valley Events Center? But what binds Camp Verde, Morenci and St. Johns isn’t just their decade of dominance.

At the center of it is a strong family bond and desire to serve their schools. St. John’s Crosby, Morenci's Casey Woodall and Camp Verde's Tracy Tudor wrestled for the schools where they are currently coaching.

Their mission to push their alma maters ahead has rewarded them with a combined six titles and countless individual championships.

So it’s no surprise that Camp Verde, Morenci and St. Johns are sending a big contingent, 33 combined wrestlers, to the Prescott Valley Events Center.

“It’s a healthy rivalry,” said Woodall of D-IV’s three traditional powers. “When I wrestled, Camp Verde was in a different division. St. Johns has always been a rival. I have a lot of respect for them, and coach Crosby I believe feels the same way. We enjoy talking and wrestling each other, but at the same time we hate losing to them.”

As the defending two-time state champion, Woodall’s boys haven’t been losing much lately.

He was a sophomore and freshman (1999-2000) when Morenci won its first state championships under the watchful eye of Gilbert Padilla, a 30 plus year wrestling, 5-time state coaching champ. But after Padilla stepped down, Morenci’s trips to the top of the D-IV state wrestling mountain began to decline.

Woodall, a Morenci native, wasn’t about to let the drop off continue. He took over five years ago and implemented a year-round regiment to help raise the commitment level.

After two titles and a runner-up finish, Woodall has his program back atop the heap.

Last year, Morenci sent eight wrestlers to the semifinals.

“It was probably one of the coolest experiences,” said Woodall about his team defending the D-IV crown. “We got hot, and the kids started feeding off each other. We got seven of the eight in the finals, and that’s not going to happen in anybody’s career.”

But this season has been the most injury prone season Woodall has experienced, he said.

Still, 13 of his wrestlers made it to state.

One of those wrestlers is a returning state champ, Mark Roybal (145). Roybal’s dad, Mark Sr., also won a state championship at Morenci, and Roybal is Woodall’s wife’s cousin.

The family ties are also strong at St. John’s.

Crosby’s brother is his assistant, Ferrin, a two-time state champion at St. Johns, and Ferrin’s son, Tanner, is the defending 106 champ.

Tanner is also the last relative who will likely wrestle for Crosby, St. John 10th-year coach. Crosby’s two sons and a handful of nephews have wrestled for him.

This season, 13 of Crosby’s wrestlers also qualified for state, including his top studs, No. 1 seed Kaiden Smith (132) and undefeated T.J. Heap (220). St. John’s seniors, Pacer Witbank (182), Diego Hernandez (195), Heap and heavyweight John Holden, have helped carry the team, Crosby said.

His love for St. Johns isn’t the only thing that motivates Crosby, a two-time champ and 4-time runner-up as coach. It still drives the 50-year-old coach “crazy” that he failed to win a championship as a wrestler for St. Johns.

Every year he takes out his frustration on Camp Verde and Morenci.

“It’s going to be a war,” Crosby said. “Whoever stays the saltiest and grittiest the longest will probably win. It’s a great rivalry.”

Since his wrestling days in the late 1970s, to his Camp Verde assistant coaching days from 2005-2013, to becoming the head coach in 2014, Tudor has experienced his fair share of rivalry battles.

The same can be said about a couple of family members, Tudor’s son Beau (In 2007 became Camp Verde’s first ever heavyweight champ.) and nephew, J.T. Stalcup, a two-time state runner-up. Like Morenci and St. Johns, Camp Verde’s wrestling history is also rich, having won seven team titles.

A coaching legend, Bob Weir, and longtime assistant Mario Chagolla Sr., also made a name for themselves at Camp Verde High.

This season, 10 Camp Verde wrestlers qualified for state, including three No. 1 seeds, defending champs Skyler Pike, Korben Uhler (44-0) and Tristian Stanfield.

“There are four teams with an advantage, but it’s anyone’s game,” Tudor said.

Don’t forget about Arizona Lutheran

That’s right, there’s a fourth team, Arizona Lutheran, that’s trying to crash the party of St. Johns, Morenci and Camp Verde.

Arizona Lutheran defeated Camp Verde to win its sectional and is sending 10 kids to state. Arizona Lutheran started its program five years ago and might be the new guy on the block, but its coaching staff has a connection to one of D-IV’s triumvirate.

Steve Wene, who along with Todd Milhoan started Arizona Lutheran’s wrestling program, was born in Morenci, where he wrestled for a future mentor, Padilla. Wene went on to become the first wrestling coach at Pima in the 1990s.

Wene, a vice president of a law firm, and Milhoan, a pro trainer, guided Arizona Lutheran to a co-section title and fourth place finish at state last season.

Three of Arizona Lutheran’s seniors also received scholarships last season.

“Our goal is not only to have a successful high school wrestling program but prepare the students to graduate college,” Wene said.

Despite a season ending knee injury to returning state champion Weston Milnes-Bowers and ruptured appendix to senior captain Blake Wene (37-3), who qualified for state, Arizona Lutheran won its section outright on Saturday. Brandon Garcia (59-2), Jake Borneman (60-3), Alex Jordan (52-10), Ben (51-13) and Jon (45-19) Althoff and Shaw Miller (40-9) are still capable of taking Arizona Lutheran to new heights this season.