Youth movement works for Bears

To call Central Valley’s wrestling team youthful is classic understatement.

Its 52-22 triumph over visiting Shadle Park on Wednesday night belies the fact that 11 of 18 wrestlers listed in the program are either sophomores or freshmen and only three are seniors.

“We’re pretty young, aren’t we?” Bears coach John Owen said.

Freshmen and sophomores, some of them first-year wrestlers, filled eight weight classes and five of them won.

Most notably, freshman Kyle Neil at 120 pounds was taken to his back with time running down, but before the referee could signal Shadle Park near-fall points, Neil rolled through for a stunning pin with just 5 seconds left.

Two other freshmen also won – Bryson Beard as expected at 113 pounds and Chauncye Garigan at 160 – as did sophomores 152-pounder David Shephard and 195-pound Aaron Stintzi.

“I thought it was not any accident,” Owen said of his team’s convincing victory. “But when you’re a young team it’s like the tide: it rolls.”

Shadle’s Brett McVay started the night with a pin and the Highlanders trailed just 16-15 through six matches.

But the tide rolled in for CV with a series of pins, including Neil’s that put the Bears up 34-15. Of their nine victories, the final eight were by fall.

CV improved to 3-0 in the Greater Spokane League and tonight is at Ferris before hitting the meat of its schedule after the new year. Shadle dropped to 0-3 and hosts Rogers.

“Some of the young guys will get better,” Owen said. “But we’ve got a ways to go, believe me.

In other GSL matches: Eight Ferris (1-2) wins came by either pin or forfeit in a 54-15 win over visiting Gonzaga Prep (0-3). The Saxons’ Dylan Cronkhite trailed with 30 seconds remaining at 126 pounds, but reversed to a near fall for a 10-7 triumph. Teammate Elijah Ross had a takedown and near fall inside 15 seconds to win 7-4 at 145. … Scrappy Mt. Spokane (3-0) lost three of the first four matches, but followed with six straight wins at home to defeat North Central (1-2) 40-25. The Wildcats’ Christian Nibarger scored early and late to edge Jacob Clute 4-0 at 138 pounds. NC’s Cody Kiourkas took down state placer John Hoover twice, then got a late third-period escape to win 7-6 in a big match at 145. … Mead (3-0) beat Lewis and Clark (0-3) at home, 55-21. Chandler Rogers moved up a weight to 182, but the end result was the same, a pin. The Tigers’ Travis Ellingsen got a takedown at 152 with 3 seconds left to beat Zach Kiest. … U-Hi’s Ethan Bonieki and Rogers’ Eddie Smith had a wild match, with Smith ahead 10-9 after two rounds and in the down position to start the third. But Bonieki pinned him, one of nine by the visiting Titans in their 65-9 win.

Great Northern

Preseason favorites Deer Park and Colville opened the season with easy wins, the Stags 53-18 at home against West Valley, the Indians 42-19 over visiting East Valley. In the featured 138-pound match between state veterans, the Stags’ Matt Miller topped WV’s Austin Hilderbrant 3-2. … Colville won five close matches in a victory … Clarkston defeated visiting Pullman 58-8 in a forfeit-filled match.

Prep report

Check out The Spokesman-Review’s Prep Report page for local high school sports scores, standings and stories, as well as prep reporter Greg Lee’s blog and archived Thursday columns at www.spokesman.com/preps