Good Fortune U-Hi’s Jeff Schmedding Uses Smart Wrestling And A Bit Of Luck At State Tournament
As far as University High coach Don Owen is concerned, Jeff Schmedding was blessed at the state AAA wrestling tournament.
Schmedding changed Owen’s mind about the wisdom of the decision to add a 215-pound weight class to Washington high school lineups.
“I battled against the 215-pound class and here we have a finalist,” said Owen. “It tells you what a judge of horse flesh I am.”
Schmedding placed second in the inaugural event at Mat Classic VIII with a solid game plan and a bit of good fortune.
“He must have the best rabbit’s foot in this end of Washington,” Owen said, “because he won two coin flips at the ends of matches that were monstrous.”
Both gave him his choice of position. The first was for the third round of his second match. He got a reversal for two points and a 2-1 win over Joe Kobes of Sumner.
More dramatic was the flip in the second overtime of his 4-3 semifinal victory. He and Mercer Island’s Trevor Howard had done little on their feet after each got one-point escapes. Both were docked two points for stalling, including in the first overtime.
The green and red token used to determine choice of position for a wrestler came up his color in the second overtime.
Wrestlers wear either a red- or green-colored ankle wrap that corresponds to colored sleeves worn on each arm by referees. They signal which wrestler gets points by raising the appropriate arm.
The cooperative token gave Schmedding the first opportunity to escape. He did and was in the finals.
“I wanted to end it (earlier), but he kept on tying up my wrists and I couldn’t get open,” said Schmedding. “When I won the flip, I knew I could get away.”
Schmedding’s journey to the finals was one of tournament’s fairy tale success stories. Until January, he had given no thought to a state berth, let alone a championship bout.
“Things came together right after the Rocky Mountain Classic (in Missoula),” he said.
Schmedding went on to win 11 matches in a row, including the match winner against Gonzaga Prep enabling U-Hi to tie for the Greater Spokane League championship. He also won district and regional titles.
Volunteer assistant coach Brian Mizoguchi had worked with Schmedding, stressing position.
“I stayed in good position and saw what (the opponent) gave me,” said Schmedding. “If a shot was open, I’d get it.”
By not taking undo chances, Schmedding ran less risk of making a mistake.
“You’re not shooting (for takedowns) but you’re going forward,” said Owen. “Jeff didn’t back up much.”
It got him the second-place medal among AAA 215-pounders and made Owen a believer in the worth of the new weight class.
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