CIF State Boys Wrestling: North’s Coby Merrill wins second straight heavyweight title
Merrill successfully defended his heavyweight championship and joined exclusive company by becoming a four-time state finalist.
Black News 
Coby Merrill left no doubt about who is the best boys heavyweight wrestler in the state.
Merrill, a senior at North High School in Riverside, breezed though the 285-pound bracket at this year’s CIF State Championships at Dignity Health Arena in Bakersfield. Merrill successfully defended his state title when he pinned Andrew Arroyo of Clovis in just 37 seconds in Saturday’s championship bout. Merrill recorded four pins and a technical fall en route to wining a second state title.
The Iowa State-bound Merrill joined some exclusive company this season. He now is one of only 13 boys wrestlers in state history to be a four-time state finalist. Merrill also was a state runner-up in 2023 and 2024. He is just the fourth boys wrestler with ties to the greater Inland area to be a four-time state medalist and the ninth Inland boys wrestler to claim multiple state championships.
Merrill recently was ranked No. 8 in Flowrestling.com’s pound-for-pound national rankings. And he showed dominance during the CIF postseason. Merrill recorded 11 wins by pinfall (average time 34.5 seconds) and only one bout went beyond the first period.
In addition to Merrill, seven other Inland wrestlers finished on the podium at this year’s state championship meet.
Chino junior Zachary Samano advanced to the quarterfinals and placed sixth in the 120-pound division. It marked the third career podium finish for Samano at the state championships. He placed seventh at 106 pounds in 2024 and fifth at 113 pounds last year.
The other six wrestlers made the podium for the first time in their careers.
Lakeside sophomore Jesus Guzman reached the quarterfinals and finished fourth at 165 pounds.
Temecula Valley senior Ashton Lassig placed sixth at 175 pounds, while Moreno Valley senior Kaden Cryer finished sixth at 215.
Centennial senior Rocco Godinez advanced to the quarterfinals and placed eighth at 144 pounds. Etiwanda senior Carlos Sutton reached the quarterfinals and finished eighth at 285 pounds. Chaparral senior Jaxon Smith placed eighth at 215 pounds.
