Six Knights Roll Into Aa Semifinals
AA wrestling
East Valley’s relentless firstday wrestling performance at Mat Classic IX kept the heat on its AA state tournament competition.
The Knights advanced six wrestlers into today’s semifinals and scored 60-1/2 points to lead runner-up Monroe, which has 42.
Seven of the nine East Valley entrants will place among the state’s top eight, which was Knights coach Craig Hanson’s idea all along.
“We set a goal of scoring 125 points. We thought that was more than enough to win, probably,” he said. “We’re winning the matches I thought we’d win and actually a couple more we were shaky in.”
Beginning with 115-pounder Kevin Woolf and ending with 190-pounder Tristan Beeman, the Knights put on an impressive first-day clinic.
Woolf started slowly against a wrestler who had upset defending champion Lee Ottow of Monroe. The East Valley junior ultimately overwhelmed North Mason’s Brian Singleton 14-6 for his second easy victory.
“Usually the first round I try to see what they’re doing and figure them out before I try anything dangerous,” said Woolf. “I just keep on truckin’ no matter what.”
Beeman didn’t have a good opening match, but turned it on in the second for a 16-0 technical fall.
“I’ve been sick and was a little tired,” he said of his initial state contest. “I knew I had to step it up after that.”
In between, Justin Walker rallied from an early four-point deficit for an 11-10 quarterfinal victory at 122 pounds. He faces two-time state placer Quinn Sharpe of West Valley in today’s 11:20 a.m. semifinal.
Quinton Chapman took an 11-0 lead and held on to win 13-5 at 135. A five-point mistake, when he was nearly pinned, sapped his energy, he said.
Brad Crockett moved on at 141 pounds and meets returning placer Neil Lapham from Olympia.
Chris Duncan outmuscled muscler Nolan Gwinn of Capital 9-0 at 168.
“He was really a lot stronger and I kept away until I got a shot,” said Duncan. “He was working for cradles and bars and stuff, and I tried to avoid them.”
Next up for Duncan is three-time state placer and former state champion Brandon Springer in his semifinal.
Region IV wrestlers, like their counterparts in the AAA and A-B tournaments, had an impressive start, winning 38 of 56 firstround matches. Of those, 25 have advanced to the semifinals.
Included were the six Knights and Clarkston junior Tyson Thivierge, who pinned his way to the 178-pound semifinals in an attempt to replace his brother Corey as state champion at that weight.
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