ORO VALLEY, Ariz. (KGUN) — Canyon del Oro High School's (CDO) Kayden Luke was a big topic of conversation throughout the football season, but now, it's wrestling season for the senior.
From an undefeated season on the football field, to a perfect record on the mat. Not only did Luke walk away with a state championship in football, he’s also looking for his second in wrestling.
“If you knew Kayden, and you knew his preparation, you wouldn’t be surprised," CDO Wrestling Coach David Sholes said.
Luke thought the last award he would get for football was the state championship trophy, but one more came along.
He won the Bijan Robinson Player of the Year Award as the top player in Southern Arizona.
“I think that was something I was looking forward to all year, so I was super happy that I won it," Kayden Luke said.
But Luke wasn’t at the Arizona Bowl to receive the award. Instead, he was at a wrestling tournament in Prescott, Ariz.
“I looked at my phone, and I saw I had won it and then I kind of just went on with my day, wrestled again and won the tournament," Luke admitted.
Not only did he win the tournament, but he also won the Most Outstanding Wrestler Honor.
“He’s self-motivated, you do not have to motivate Kayden," Sholes said. "He’ll do whatever the extra need is to challenge himself.”
Luke has wrestled as long as he can remember. Both his father and uncle were wrestlers at the CDO.
“Those guys are my heroes right there," Luke said. "Those guys train me every day, they let me know what I’m doing wrong, what I’m doing right. I looked up to them growing up, and I still do. Their names are on the wall. So, I think it’s a legacy I definitely have to live up to.”
And so far, Luke has accomplished this. Last year, he won the Division 2 AIA State Championship.
“The best thing about Kayden with all his accolades and everything is that he remains coach-able," Sholes said. "That ability to stay coach-able and his humble nature is what I’ll miss the most.”
Now in his final season of wrestling, Luke has one thing on his mind: to become a back-to-back state champion wrestler.
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Erin Patterson is a reporter for KGUN 9. She's agraduate of the University of Alabama with a Bachelor’s in News Media with a Sports Concentration. Erin recently obtained her Master's Degree in Sports Journalism from Arizona State University at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, where she gained experience a sports reporter, anchor and producer. Share your story ideas and important issues with Erin by emailing erin.patterson@kgun9.com.
