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State wrestling preview: Mead takes strong contingent to Mat Classic

Mead’s Cameron Crawford, bottom, twists Shadle Park’s Jimmy Howells in a 160-pound match on Dec. 13, 2017, at Shadle Park High School. Crawford qualified for the state tournament this weekend at the Tacoma Dome. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)
By Dave Nichols daven@spokesman.com(509) 459-5441

Mat Classic XXX kicks off on Friday at the Tacoma Dome with two preliminary sessions, followed on Saturday with semifinal matches and the championship finals, slated for 5 p.m.

The Greater Spokane League and other area leagues are well represented as usual, with several wrestlers – and a few defending champions – ranked in the top 10 in their weight classes.

4A

Mead, third last season at Mat Classic and ranked No. 6 this year in 4A, sends eight wrestlers to state, led by junior Chase Tebbets, ranked No. 1 in the 120-pound weight class. Tebbets won a state title at 106 last year and took second place in 2016.

Sophomore Chase Randall finished fourth in state at 106 as a freshman last year and has eyes on a title.

Tebbets and Randall won district and regional titles the past two weeks.

Mead had one other regional champ – sophomore Ben Voightlaender, who is ranked No. 5 at 182.

Senior Brock Fickle (138, No. 5) took second at regionals. Senior Devante Goodman (145, No. 9) and juniors Jason Crawford (170, No. 11), Justin Mason (120, No. 7) and Cameron Crawford (152, No. 8) also qualified with a third-place finishes.

University, ranked 14th, sent four to state, led by its one regional champ – senior heavyweight Neftali Lopez. Lopez was sixth last year at 195 and has moved up to No. 4 in state at 285 after back-to-back wins at district and regional.

U-Hi seniors Tim Westbrook (113, No. 8, second at regionals) and Terrell Sanders (126, No. 2, second) and freshman Daniel Guzman (113) also qualified for state. Senior Hunter Gregerson went to regional ranked No. 1 in state at 195 but was upset in a semifinal and finished in fifth.

Central Valley, ranked No. 12, sent four to state with three regional champions: senior Bradley Wiggs (145, No. 8), junior Zak Stratton (170, No. 5) and senior John Keiser (220, No. 4), who finished fifth last season.

Ferris has three wrestlers going – senior Zach Strauss (170, No. 6), a district champ and regional runner-up, Josh Anastasi (126, fourth at regional) and junior Chris Homen (160, No. 9, fourth).

Lewis and Clark and Gonzaga Prep qualified one wrestler apiece. LC junior Carson Duncan (195, No. 12) was fourth at regional and G-Prep senior Darius Johnson, ranked fifth, was runner-up at 285.

3A

Mt. Spokane, ranked No. 2 in 3A, won the regional tournament with four champions among 12 wrestlers moving on to state: defending state champ senior Jake Howerton (152, No. 1); two-time state runner-up junior Blake Haney (126, No. 1); state runner-up at 113 last year sophomore Jarret Sharp (106, ranked No. 2 at 113); and junior Mason Miethe (195, No. 2).

The Wildcats had four runners-up as well: freshman Casey Howerton (120, No. 3); freshman Ky Haney (132, No. 3); senior Tayven King (182, No. 4); and sophomore Tyler Dallas (220, No. 12).

No. 6-ranked North Central sent six to state, including three regional champions: defending state champion junior Clayton Gilliam (132, No. 1), state runner-up senior Gavin Gies (138, No. 1) and senior Josh Johnson (160, No. 4).

Vadim Bobrovnikov (220, No. 8) was Rogers’ lone regional winner and the Pirates sent four to state. Shadle Park qualified two.

2A

East Valley took second at regional and sent seven to state, including regional champion senior Winston Scott (195, No. 2) – state runner-up last year, second-place finisher senior Zach Bowsky (138, No. 5) and third-placer sophomore Avery Sundheim (120, No. 4). West Valley sent three to the state tourney: regional champs sophomore Gaje Caro (152, No. 4) and senior Logan Reser (220, No. 4) and third-place senior Scotty Bray (182, No. 8).

Other area regional champions included Zach Nguyen, Cheney (138); Jake Freeman, Clarkston (145); Kiran Srikanth, Pullman (170); and Boedy Taylor, Cheney (182).

1A

Deer Park is ranked No. 1 in 1A but did not win regional. That title went to third-ranked Colville, which edged the Stags 212-198.5 in last week’s tournament.

The Indians had four regional titlists: two-time defending state champion Trent Baun (126, No. 1), Reuben Seeman (132, No. 2), 2016 state champ Trevor Morrison (152) and John Knight (182).

Deer Park had one regional champion, Gabe Sanchez (285, No. 2). Fifth-place Lakeside had five champs: Logan O’Dell (106, No. 10), Jeff Freidman (113, No. 1), Jared Lenz (160), Sammy DesRoches (170) and Akio Yamada (195).

Freeman defending state champ Hunter Nees (120, No. 1) led three regional champs for the Scotties, including top-ranked Logan Holt (138) and Garrett Trevino (220, No. 4).

B

Reardan sophomore Ethan Hull (120, No. 2) won regional and hopes to improve on his third-place finish at state last year. Ryan Issakides (126) of Selkirk was also a regional champ. He was a runner-up last year and state champ in 2016. Defending state champ Ethan Landt (182, No. 3) placed second at regional behind Liberty’s second-ranked Glen Johnson.

Girls

Sierra Mason, Newport (170), and Jasmine Fryer, West Valley (235) were regional champions last weekend. Other area girls who qualified for state include Sophia Dixon, Deer Park (110, third at regionals); Maizy Feltwell, Liberty (115, second); Alicia Stewart, Shadle Park (120, second); Charlie Johnson, Liberty (155, third); and Megan Mason, Newport (190, fourth).