Repeats Highlight State Meet
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Uneasy can lie the head that wears a wrestling crown. Any number of things can conspire against a repeat winner.
“It’s tough,” said Deer Park coach Dean Largent, who has coached his share of titlists. “Most returners during state are in close matches that can go either way. You have to think luck is smiling on you. And then to do it again.”
Two Northeast A League competitors beat the odds and upheld expectations of fans who figured their route to the finals would be a breeze.
“The pressure builds,” said Largent. “People don’t realize how tough it is to get there.”
Three-time Riverside finalist Henry Peterson and repeat champion Alex Schulz won with pins or easy victories all the way through.
Peterson wore the most colorful adornment.
He colored his hair in the red and silver of the Rams for the tournament and won his second championship. Peterson handed Dwayne Magnusson of Blaine his first loss, 8-3, after Magnusson had won 33 in a row.
Peterson built a 6-1 lead with takedowns to cruise to the title.
“I just wanted to go out in style,” Peterson said of his hairdo. “It was my last year. With all the work I put in, nothing could stop me.”
Finishing with a 29-3 record, Peterson added that his second championship was the best.
“This proves the first was not a fluke,” he said.
The powerful Schulz, up a weight to 178 pounds, became the first in a family of wrestling brothers to win two championships.
He defeated an unbeaten wrestler, building an 8-1 lead over Vashon’s 30-0 Tony Puz with takedowns and a near fall en route to a 10-6 win.
“My brothers always said I’d be the better wrestler,” he said. “The youngest one gets the benefits of it all.”
The two champions were among five Northeast A-B district finalists, including a pair of unbeaten firsttime championship contenders.
Almira/Coulee-Hartline’s Severin Walsh improved to 34-0 to provide the Warriors with their first-ever finalist.
He built a 4-0 lead in the title match, showing the superb balance and scoring ability that he had throughout the tournament. After giving up a pair of points, Walsh’s match-ending takedown made ACH wrestling history with a 6-2 win over Jason Dick of Elma.
ACH is only in its fifth year of wrestling. Walsh and teammate Jason Ogle, who finished fifth, were the school’s first state participants.
Newport’s Terry Haney took a perfect 28-0 record into the 148-pound title bout.
Haney had put his all into the season, setting a state title as his goal in a bet with his younger brother last summer. But he gave up a last- second escape to lose the title 11-10, leaving him devastated. His coach, Mike Haptonstall, was also crushed.
“It was a gallant fight,” he said. “He would have been our first champion. He’s such a hard worker. Had he won, what a model (he’d be) for the other kids.”
Also placing was third-place Wes Williams of Deer Park, fourthplacers Mark Scott of Springdale, Ben and Bart Orth of Lakeside, fifthplacers Ogle and Dan Cassels of Medical Lake and sixth-place Josh Erickson of Chewelah.
Deer Park was the area’s highest finisher in fifth place with 63 points despite the fact only four wrestlers qualified for state.
“We kind of surprised ourselves,” Largent said. “I knew the kids could compete but they really wrestled well the last two days.”