Flagstaff, AZ, WPH Press, 7/25/26
Tournament directors Sam Esser and Matt Ortega were proud to present the 2026 AZ State Four-Wall Championships at the Flagstaff Athletic Club East, featuring two of the top five Race 4 Eight pros in the picturesque “City in the Pines.”
Men’s Open Singles
Race 4 Eight #5 Ivan Burgos entered the 2026 AZ State 4-Wall Championships as the defending champion and top seed and advanced to the final by defeating his protégé and multiple-time junior national champion Ayden Brule.
Race 4 Eight #4 Leo Canales made the two-hour drive from Phoenix to compete in Flagstaff and was ruthless in his two-game sweep against former Race 4 Eight finalist Max Langmack in the bottom bracket semifinal.
Burgos led late in the first game of the final but was unable to close out the high-intensity first game.
“Leo showed a lot of composure and went to a slower play style late in the first, which forced Ivan into playing from tough positions,” stated referee Max Langmack.
Burgos was able to put the disappointing end to the first behind him, attacking Canales in the second with precise kills and drives.
“Ivan really pushed the pace in the second and was putting the ball down,” stated Langmack. “The intensity was high level the whole time but the second game seemed to be 110%.”
Leo built a 7-2 lead in the tiebreaker and appeared to be poised to dethrone the defending champion. After a Burgos run, the pair stood tied at 11. Leo served for the match at 15-14 but could not convert, with Burgos scoring the final three points of the match to retain his AZ title.
“I was down big in the tiebreaker,” Burgos would later say. “In the start of the tiebreaker I was making too many desperate shots because I couldn’t catch my breath. After my last timeout, I just started being more patient, returning serves better and making the right shots. Momentum shifted my way and I caught up. My power serve helped close it out.”
Semifinals
Burgos def Brule 15-1, 15-9
Canales def Langmack 15-1, 15-2
Final: Burgos def Canales 13-15, 15-10, 17-15
JR WPH Clinic at the 2026 AZ State 4-Wall Championships
WPH Master Instructor David Fink led a 4-Wall instructional clinic for several enthusiastic junior and collegiate handball players from Phoenix and Flagstaff, focusing on stepping into the ball and letting the ball drop, developing proper left-hand throwing and hitting mechanics, and ending the clinic by rallying with each of the players.
“It was great to see these youngsters on the court during this exceptional event,” stated Fink. “Each of the kids had a great attitude and were excited to learn.”
Thank you to tournament directors Matthew Ortega and Sam Esser for an outstanding event, incredible hospitality, and great competition. If you have never been to Flagstaff, makes your plans to attend next year’s AZ State Championships and enjoy one of the greatest towns in the U.S.
Additional results from the 2026 AZ State Championships, courtesy of Don Stewart below –
Open Singles Ayden Brule def. Matt Ortega; Semis: Leo Canales def Max Langmack; Ivan Burgos def. Brule Finals: Ivan Burgos def. Leo Canales in three games with tiebreaker won by 2 points 17-15.
Open Consolation: Max Langmack def Matt Ortega
Open Doubles: Leo Canales/Max Langmack def Ivan Burgos/Ayden Brule
A Singles: 1st round; Josh Watkins (AZ) def Sean McDevitt (CA); Sam Ortega Jr def Antonio Rivera. Qtrs: Josh Watkins def Matt Shiltz; K Ortega def Jesen Payton; Sean VanRoenn def Andres Sandoval; Derek Doyle def. S.Ortega Jr Semis: K.Ortega def J.Wakins; S.VanRoenn def D.Doyle Finals: K Ortega def S VanRoenn
A Consolation: Qtrs: M Shiltz def P Jensen Semis: Shiltz def S. McDevitt; Sandoval def Rivera Finals: Shiltz def Sandoval
A Doubles: Qtrs: Sean VanRoenn/Matt Shiltz def Cadem Ortega/Paxton Ortega; Kris Ortega/Sam Ortega Jr def Pat Bornhoeft/Brent Gowens; Josh Wakins/Derek Doyle def Jesen Payton/Andres Sandoval; Matt Ortega/ Bill Glenn def Moe Nouhaili/Antonio Rivera Semis: K Ortega/S Ortega Jr def S VanRoenn/ M Shiltz; M Ortega/B Glenn def J Wakins/ D Doyle Finals: M Ortega/Glenn def K Ortega/S Ortega Jr
B/C Singles: Qtrs: Mike Gardner(NV) def Ricardo Marroquin; Moe Nouhaili(NV) def Israel Figueroa Semis: S McDevitt(CA) def M Garner; M Nouhaili def Paxton Ortega Finals: M Nouhaili def S McDevitt
B/C Consolation: Paxton Ortega def Israel Figueroa. Paxton Ortega def Ricardo Marroquin
50/60 Singles Round Robin: 1st Pat Bornhoeft 2nd Brendan McDevitt, 3rd Leo Havener
70+ Singles: Qtrs: Bruce Forman(NV) def Frank Gamboa; Mike Conn (KS) def Dave Coulie(NM) Semis: B Forman def Doug Woods; Sam Ortega Sr def M Conn Finals: S Ortega def Forman
Legend Doubles Round Robin: 1st M Gardner/B Forman: 2nd D Stewart/L Havener; 3rd D Woods/F Lewis
Thanks for all the participants and players who all travelled to spend a weekend playing the “perfect Game”. A special thanks also for David Fink who gave a juniors clinic. His expertise, and experience are greatly appreciated ensuring the continued growth of handball.
Follow all of the brackets from the 2026 AZ State Four-Wall Championships HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer