Last-Match Pin Wins It For Pups

For the third time in as many Greater Spokane League wrestling matches, Mead’s fate hinged on the outcome of the night’s final bout.

And for the third straight time, all away from home, Mead was left disappointed.

Tom Brown’s second-period pin at 129 pounds Wednesday night lifted Gonzaga Prep (5-0) to a 35-30 victory and set up tonight’s match at Central Valley between the remaining league unbeatens.

CV (4-0) tuned up for the showdown with a 62-9 romp past Shadle Park. The Bears won 12 of 14 matches, including six by pin.

In other matches, University (3-1) beat Lewis and Clark (1-3) 52-16 and Ferris (2-3) beat North Central (0-4) 45-24.

The Gonzaga-Mead match was filled with momentum-turning pins and hold-on-to-your singlet decisions that kept the attention of a raucous audience.

Although suffering another defeat in his final year as coach, Cash Stone grinned broadly.

“Disappointed? No, not at all,” he said. “It reiterates what I’ve said all along. This is the greatest league in the state and the stands are jampacked. How many other kids get to experience this?”

Like Mead’s other matches, the Panthers spotted their foe an early lead, trailing 19-8, then roared back.

Jon Rugan’s first-round pin, following a week in which he had suffered three confidence-shaking losses, put the Panthers ahead 30-23 with two matches remaining.

But two-time state placer Cory Brannon responded with a pin of his own, leaving it up to Brown against Tom Nelson in the finale.

“I’d wrestled him in a tournament at University and pinned him there,” said Brown. “There was pressure, though. I wanted to be able to come back to school.”

Among the thrillers was Mead wrestler Lyle Beerbohm’s 4-3 decision over Nick Bliss in a match between state placers. Beerbohm got his lead with a second-period reversal and rode out the match.

Two matches later, Prep’s Ryan Turner wiggled his way into two reverses and a 5-4 win.

In between, Bullpup sophomore Kyle Gleason caught John Potter for a 46-second pin.

“I told him, ‘do not throw the head and arm’ because he panics,” said Bullpup coach Phil McLean. “He throws one and catches him.”

Gleason came up to his coach and said he didn’t mean to. McLean forgave him this time.

Ferris won five of the last six matches to rally against North Central. Included were a pin and major decision by Jack and Joe Claros after NC’s David Sandberg took just 11 seconds for a pin victory.

At LC, the Titans maintained title hopes by winning 10 of 14 contests.

Sophomore Reggie Lee won for the third time since cracking the Titan lineup. At 122 pounds, Tiger Jacob Wolback upset Craig Bishop 2-0 in overtime.

Two more significant matches remain, beginning tonight when the Bears host Gonzaga Prep.

Expect another spine-tingler when the schools square off.

“These are so amazing,” said McLean. “That’s why you wrestle them out. You never know what’s going to happen.”

, DataTimes