Mead Coach Remains Upbeat After Losses
This wasn’t how it was supposed to end. In Cash Stone’s final year as Mead’s wrestling coach, the Panthers weren’t supposed to feel the sting of defeat.
At least not the way it happened. The Panthers lost three matches in a most excruciating way, in the last match of thrilling contests against Greater Spokane League title contenders.
“We’re not in Oz. This is Kansas. There are no Tin Men. This is reality,” said Stone, whose wife incidentally is named Dorothy.
At every stop, Stone, Mead’s wrestling coach for 38 years, has been recognized in pre-match ceremonies for his years of contribution to the sport. As fate would have it, the Panthers’ three toughest opponents were on the road.
And the lineup of each meet sent strong opposing wrestlers to center circle in the night’s finale.
On Jan. 8 at unbeaten Central Valley, Mead led 31-29 with the 115-pound contest remaining. The next night the Panthers trailed at once-beaten University 26-25 with the 122-pound contest on tap.
A week later they were leading 30-29 at then-unbeaten Gonzaga Prep up to the night’s 129-pound closer.
Even though the Panthers will finish in middle of the pack, Stone remains upbeat. He considered himself lucky to be a part of such exciting competition.
“Disappointed? No not at all,” he said. “How many kids get to experience something like this? Only in this league. It’s the greatest league in state.”
The agony of defeat was felt more acutely by Mead’s two-time state runnerup Jon Rugan.
Defeated twice, he blamed himself for Mead’s losses.
Then, at Prep, he won by pin, giving the Panthers a chance at victory.
“I feel like I messed the team up last week,” said Rugan.
“Don’t believe him,” countered teammate Joe Collier. “It was a team effort.”
Rugan said that he always has a cold spell at some time during the season, although both losses came against two likely state placers.
“The best thing I can hope for is I learned from my mistakes,” he said. “The last two I didn’t wrestle my match.”
With tournament qualifying meets coming up in a couple of weeks, Rugan and at least half a dozen of his teammates now can wrestle theirs.
Pirates surprise
Preparing for its toughest three opponents of the season, Rogers High quietly found itself still in the championship picture.
The Pirates won four matches in a row following its season-opening loss to University to be part of a three-way tie for second place.
Last night Rogers wrestled at Gonzaga Prep, tonight the Pirates are at Mead and next Thursday they host Central Valley.
Freshman 158-pounder Ryan Anstrom has won all five matches for the Pirates this year.
Three others, Daryl Groom, Daryn Steeneck and Marshall Sims won four straight heading into this week’s moment of truth.
Basketball at midpoint
Greater Spokane League basketball teams begin the second half of the season Friday with important games in the Arena.
Shadle Park and North Central boys and girls take part in the Groovy Shoes spirit games at 3:45 and 5:30 p.m.
Mead’s boys follow against University at 9.
The Panthers (4-4), winners of four out of six games since an 0-2 start, are part of a four-team battle with the Titans (4-4), Gonzaga Prep (4-4) and Central Valley (5-3) for third place in league. Mead is at Prep next Tuesday.
Shadle, 7-1 through the first half of the season, is in second place.
Lakeside forces tie
Like the girls team a week earlier, Lakeside’s boys basketball team swept back-to-back contests against its nearest challengers.
The Eagles handed Medical Lake its first loss of the season on Friday, and backed it with a thumping of Freeman on Saturday. A win over Medical Lake tied the Eagles for the Northeast A League lead.
Point guard Bill Bender, who is averaging 16.3 points per game ignited the 68-50 win at Medical Lake with a 20-point night.
During Lakeside’s 81-64 win over Freeman, George Petticrew had 30.
Petticrew is averaging 13.5 points per game. Inside presence Mike Dasenbrock is scoring at a 14.0 clip for the 9-3 team.
, DataTimes