It's a good thing gas prices have dropped. Otherwise, Chandler Basha's Jake Smith might suck the wrestling program dry.

Instead, he is the driving force in the practice room, and his hard work paid off Saturday night with his first varsity tournament title, as he won the 189-pound championship at the McClintock Invitational.

"What a story he is," Basha coach Mike Garcia said. "He might not be the most talented wrestler, but he has the biggest gas tank. He just outhustles everyone."

Smith, a junior, defeated Phoenix Paradise Valley state runner-up Craig Lazenby 6-3 in the championship match, getting the first two takedowns to build a 4-2 lead.

"I didn't even place in this tournament last year," Smith said. "There is nothing better than getting your hand raised after six minutes of working hard."

Smith was one of two Basha champions to help the team to a fifth-place finish at the 24-team event.

The team champion was Tempe Corona Del Sol with 227 1/2 points on the strength of six finalists and three champions. Gilbert Mesquite (140 1/2), Chandler (138 without state placer Max Mejia) and Chandler Hamilton (132) rounded out the top four.

Corona claimed the tournament in the semifinal round when it won six of its seven bouts to open a big gap. Corona closed with Ryan Miller (145), Derek Felton (160) and Luke Macchiaroli (215) as champions.

Mesa Desert Ridge's Nate Covarrubias (103) was the Outstanding Wrestler for the lower weight classes, and Scottsdale Shadow Mountain's Doug Zigman (heavyweight) was the Outstanding Wrestler for higher weight classes.

Other individual titles went to Highland's Chad Done (112) and Blake Mabry (135), Basha's Ty Wheeler (119), Scottsdale Desert Mountain's Shane McGough (125) and Adam Blumer (152), Mesquite's Mike Hamel (130), Gilbert Higley's Emanuel Del Castillo (140) and Mesa Red Mountain's Cody Saul (171).