GSL enters Mat Classic XX on quite a roll

Before last weekend’s 4A regional wrestling tournament in Yakima, Central Valley coach John Owen saw the number of bodies Moses Lake had in the field and worried.

“When they came in with 10 (district) champions I told somebody the race was for second – that they’d lead and no one would catch them,” he said.

As it turned out, the Greater Spokane League cut a wide swath through the Columbia Basin League, more than doubling the CBL’s state entries and winning all but two individual weight classes.

CV’s Bears, who the year before had fallen on hard times in the postseason, led the way with 10 state qualifiers, eight of them finalists and five of them champs.

Moses Lake was relegated to a second-place finish.

“I’ve only been doing this for five years, but I know one thing,” Owen joked. “In the past we could have taken the team to state in a motorcycle and sidecar. We’ve traded it for a yellow bus. It’s the first year we’ve taken more wrestlers than coaches.”

He said the GSL showing says a lot about the level of talent in the league. Those 38 wrestlers now invade Mat Classic XX and challenge the remainder of the state. The Bears have a chance to be in the title chase.

The Bears and University in 4A, East Valley in 3A, Deer Park and Riverside in 2A, Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) in 1A and Reardan and Republic in B are all trophy candidates.

Deer Park and Lakeside are title favorites. Competition begins Friday at 11 a.m. and concludes with placing matches on Saturday.

A closer look at the meet:

Class 4A

Defending champion: Lake Stevens

Favorites: Lake Stevens, Kentwood, Central Valley, Graham-Kapowsin. Seven individual titlists return.

Returning state placers: Brian Owen, U-Hi, 130, three-time finalist; Tanner Teeples, CV, 112 and Philip Smith, Mead, 125, both third; Kevin Healy, Gonzaga Prep 135, fourth; also, David Hall, 103, G-Prep; Tyler Cochran, CV, 215, Ryan Zumwalt, 140 and Danny Jordan, 160, both U-Hi; Dylan Morgan, Ferris. CV’s Logan Bowman won 1A state last year.

Local outlook: GSL athletes dominated regional competition. CV, with eight top-two seeds, and U-Hi, with two title challengers, have top-four team potential.

Class 3A

Defending champion: Sedro Woolley

Favorites: Enumclaw, Auburn, Sedro Woolley. Six individual titlists return.

Returning state placers: Clete Hanson, EV, 189, two-time top-three placer; Dakota Lawson, EV, 171; Justin Scott, Mt. Spokane, 135.

Local outlook: EV is young, but with 10 state qualifiers, six of them regional finalists, including Nic Price, champion at 145, the Knights have a shot at a trophy after finishing seventh last year.

Class 2A

Defending champion: W.F. West (Chehalis)

Favorites: Deer Park, Black Hills, Bellingham. Five individual state titlists return.

Returning state placers: Two-time state champion Ryan DesRoches and Jacob DesRoches, Riverside; state runner-up Matt David, Pullman; top-three finishers Cody Miller, Drew Acorn, Levi Zadorozny and Brandon Leliefeld, plus Waylan Cork, all Deer Park; Matt Powell, Clarkston and Justin Fiman, West Valley.

Local outlook: The runner-up Stags came within 13.5 points last year of the school’s first title in any sport. Ten qualifiers this year are hoping to complete the quest.

Class 1A

Defending champion: Royal

Favorites: Lakeside, Castle Rock, Orting and Royal. Five individual titlists return.

Returning state placers: State champions Jacob Lauderdale and Reid Chivers, second-placers Wes McAdam and Dustin Baldwin, third-place Kyle Johnson and Ryan Norstadt, all from Lakeside; Runner-up Daniel Swain, third-place Brad Thew and Steffen Ellison from Newport and Russell Whitley from Chewelah.

Local outlook: Lakeside’s Eagles have the power and numbers to get the school’s sixth team title after finishing third, 17 points away from a championship when Royal and Orting finished above them last year. But first-year coach Troy Hughes cautioned that, like last year, those teams remain tough.

Class B

Defending champion: Reardan

Favorites: Republic, Reardan, Kittitas. Seven individual titlists return.

Returning state placers: Champions Jordan Hancock, Ryn Rollins and J.J. Gubler from Republic and Derek Toney from Reardan. Medalists are Reardan’s Chris Goodson, Tim Eggleston, Josh Eldred and Rory Beckstrom; Republic’s Landis Mills, Levi Larson, Jared Palmier and Nick Olson; Liberty’s Nick Stanifer and Springdale’s Alex Kalugin.

Local outlook: The Eastern regional was particularly loaded this year so state should be similar in some fashion to last weekend’s regional when Reardan, Kittitas, Republic and Oroville finished one through four.