University Steps Up, Wraps Up Central Valley Titans Conclude Gsl Wrestling Season By Clinching Outright Championship, 34-21

Being a University senior means holding a four-year hex over Central Valley’s wrestling team.

It also means having some of the state’s top wrestlers as classmates.

So when U-Hi seniors such as Jeff Tucker and Don Wigen take the mat, they know state veterans Scott Garcia and Dusty Roberts are expecting big things.

In Tucker’s case on Thursday, that translated into a pin while wrestling up one weight, at 168 pounds.

The goal for Wigen - successfully pulled off - was avoiding a pin against CV’s strong heavyweight division.

Both efforts stood out during U-Hi’s 34-21 Greater Spokane League season-ending win before approximately 1,400 at CV.

U-Hi capped its first GSL title with an 8-0 record. The Bears finished fourth, at 5-3.

U-Hi, missing four regulars (101, 158, 168, 275), picked up the toss-up wins that counted. The Titans didn’t expect to beat CV’s Rick Giampietri at 158 or anyone the Bears wrestled at heavyweight.

But Tucker, filling in for Matt Smith at 168, and sophomore Craig Bishop, picking up at 101 when Jared Osborn cut his hand in shop class, won matches that CV had to have to pull an upset.

Tucker trailed Shaun Ramsey 4-0 before rallying with a reversal and a spiral ride that led to a pin just before the first-round buzzer.

“I heard somebody on the CV side yell, ‘10 seconds,’ so I knew I had to get him down,” Tucker said.

Tucker’s father Steve, a former CV student, wore a U-Hi shirt when he joined other ex-Valley wrestlers during a pre-match ceremony on ‘Alumni Night.’

Bishop built a 9-2 lead on CV’s John Reese, then held tough when the Bears freshman scored a reversal and came close to a late pin.

“I was scared, but I knew I had time on my side,” Bishop said.

U-Hi came into Bishop’s match - the ninth of 13 - with an 18-18 tie because Wigen, in the previous contest, avoided Gunder Gregerson’s attempt at a pin.

“I’m proud of Wigen because he hasn’t been on varsity all year, until recently,” said Titans coach Don Owen.

Wigen is filling in for Jeff Schmedding, who has a broken jaw.

“A couple of times we didn’t get the pin … when we could have,” said CV coach Dale Ethridge. “Their guys did a good job at avoiding the big points.”

CV couldn’t say the same. Garcia (21-1) had his 13th pin of the year, pulling out his noted head-and-arm hold to dispatch Dean Jolley in 58 seconds at 141.

Dusty Roberts (148) scored consistently against Shane Yackel before registering a pin at 2:59.

U-Hi’s Josh Knowles (115) led Nick Ota 9-0 before tacking on a pin at 3:08. The win gave U-Hi a 27-21 lead with two matches remaining. Andrew Richardson (122) clinched the team win with a 5-2 decision over Jess Hopson, then the Titans’ defending state champ, Andy Roberts (129), practiced his takedown moves in a 12-4 major decision over Matt Schlaich.

Shane Cunanan (108), Joel Gehrett (135), Giampietri, Ben Asbury (178), Justin Linerud (190) and Gregerson won for CV. All were three-point wins, however, with the exception of Giampietri’s pin of Joel Tucker, Jeff’s twin brother.

At Mead, the host Panthers’ Lyle Beerbohm (129), a transfer from Rogers, defeated James Dawe 9-0 in the final match for a 27-25 squeaker over the Pirates in the battle for second place and the Little Brown Jug. Ninth-ranked Mead finished 6-1-1, while eighthranked Rogers ended 6-2.

At Shadle Park, the Highlanders (3-4-1) flattened North Central 51-3. Shadle’s Corey Laughary (148) defeated Brian Thatcher 7-0 and is 11-0 against league opponents. Kevin Eng (115) had a pin to highlight his season for Shadle. Eddie Jones (122) of NC (1-7) defeated Shawn Howard 9-7 after the Highlander scored five points in the third round.

At Ferris, the Saxons (2-6) won the final four matches in a 31-28 win over Lewis and Clark (0-8). Junior Rob Richard (129) clinched the win by defeating Micah Maser 9-5. Israel Eaton (115) of Ferris had a 17-1 technical fall over state veteran A.J. Ahenakew, just back after recuperating from surgery. Jamie Firor (148) and Neil Carson (158) had the Tigers’ pins.