East Valley on a roll

TACOMA – At the beginning of the season no one, not even the coaches, knew how good East Valley wrestlers would be. The team had some veteran, but youthful, wrestlers back and had graduated most of its upper-weight tournament strength.

But this is a team that has come far so fast from the beginning of the season.

The Knights find themselves on the second day of Mat Classic XX, leading the State 3A tournament. EV has six semifinalists and 66.5 points for a narrow lead over Auburn (63.5) and Enumclaw (62.5) going into today’s matches that begin at 10 a.m.

“Chasing a team title is sweet,” said coach Craig Hanson. “Who’d have thought at the beginning of the year that we’d even be in it?”

He said the Greater Spokane League, whose 4A schools have put 10 wrestlers into today’s semifinals in the Tacoma Dome, provided the Knights with stern tests.

He added that the balance among a number of 3A schools with like numbers of state qualifiers gave his team hope of competing in Tacoma.

“I was glad to see the playing field so level,” said Hanson. “It’s looking like we can wrestle with everyone.”

3A

Things couldn’t have gone much better for EV with a new generation of upper-weight stars rounding out the Knights’ first-day performance.

Returning state placer Dakota Lawson, now at 171 pounds, had a big day with a tournament opening technical fall and punishing first-period pin.

“I’ve been just trying to settle down and stay in control,” said Lawson of his postseason dominance. “It would be nice to get a state championship.”

His task is formidable in the same weight as defending champion Jake Swartz.

East Valley two-time state placer Clete Hanson, now at 189, got himself in a jackpot and fell behind 10-4 in his quarterfinal against White River’s Caleb Padgett. But he clawed his way back to within with 12-8 after two rounds, got an escape and takedown in the third period and, after cutting Padgett, sent the match into overtime with 18 seconds left. There he got the winning takedown for a 15-13 win.

“This is my senior year and I wasn’t going to blow it,” Hanson said.

Next up for EV, Jordan Berezay rallied after being taken down early to win 12-6 and advance at 215.

In earlier weights, Keith Babington (103), Nic Price (145) and Jake Rodriguez (135) advanced for the Knights, Rodriguez continuing postseason success after an up-and-down season.

“When I was losing in the GSL it motivated me to change the things I needed to,” he said.

“The kids wrestled right up to what I was shooting for, hoping for,” Craig Hanson said.

4A

Freshman Jarod Maynes continued his sterling postseason, as Central Valley put half of its eight top-two seeded wrestlers into today’s semifinals and will place six.

Maynes (103) rolled to pin and 14-2 decisions to join his state title-contending teammates Tanner Teeples (112), who pinned twice, and Tyler Cochran (215), who won by decision, in the semis.

Teeples and Cochran are returning state placers, joined by Jacob Neumann (189). Fellow 189-pounder Logan Bowman, who lost his opener, has battled back through.

University’s Brian Owen (130) and Anthony Rivera (119), a pair of state finalists in years past, also have advanced to the semis. Owen won twice by first-period pin and Rivera won by technical fall and pin.

They’re joined by Titans sophomore Ryan Zumwalt (140), a semifinalist last year.

“Last year when I wrestled here I got anxious and lost matches I shouldn’t have,” said the sixth-place finisher of a year ago, who wants to place higher.

Also in today’s semifinals are Mead’s Philip Smith (125), and Gonzaga Prep’s Kevin Healy (135) and Chris Tripplet (145).