G-Prep Aces Mat Test

GSL wrestling

Wrestling a match during finals week always scares Gonzaga Prep coach Phil McLean.

But his Bullpups passed their latest test with ease, 47-18, at Central Valley to remain unbeaten.

The only glitch came at 215 pounds, where the two best athletes in their respective crafts met again.

This time, CV football record setter Tyree Clowe faced state wrestling champion Travis Pascoe on his turf. But the result was the same. Clowe wore his opponent out - just like he did on the football field last fall.

Clowe scored eight third-period points to hand Pascoe his first loss, 8-5, after 22 wins this season.

The Bullpups junior, wrestling up a weight, gave up too many pounds and said he was bothered by a concussion.

“His brother was wrestling with him and knocked him out the other day in practice,” said McLean. “He complained of being dizzy.”

Several times during the match, Pascoe needed time to clear his head.

That didn’t make the upset any less sweet for Clowe, who battered Pascoe and his Bullpup teammates for 145 yards and two touchdowns before sitting out the second half of CV’s 23-13 football win with an injured shoulder.

He trailed 2-0 entering the third round when he caught Pascoe with a decisive four-point move.

“I just tried to tripod up,” said Clowe. “He was high and I grabbed a leg and rolled back.”

The stunning win in the night’s second match gave the Bears hope. Just as quickly, Bullpup Doug O’Coyne rolled off his back for a pin at 275 and Prep recaptured the momentum.

Among Gonzaga’s 10 wins were two key contests, at 122 pounds where Brett Roberts upset Kyle Bush 1-0, and at 148, where James Deidesch weathered a scary finish to hold off John McGaugh 6-5.

“I thought we wrestled real well,” said McLean. “In fact this is the best we’ve wrestled on finals week that I can remember.”

Gonzaga Prep (7-0) has two matches remaining, against Mt. Spokane and North Central.

CV (5-2) dropped into a third-place tie with Mead, a 40-29 victor over North Central (3-4), and Rogers, which beat Lewis and Clark (2-5) 34-24. The Pirates meet CV and Mead next week.

Second-place University (6-1) topped Ferris (1-6) 49-25 and Shadle Park (1-6) beat Mt. Spokane (0-7) 38-20.

The Titans spotted Ferris leads of 12-0 and 19-4, but rallied. They ran off three successive pins, including one by 129-pounder Andrew Smith who was tied when he reversed and stuck his foe.

Kyle Matson’s 10-4 win at 115 pounds helped stake the Panthers to a 23-6 lead against NC in a match that had figured to be close.

Rogers led LC just 23-21, but got a technical fall from Mike Piper with three matches remaining. Antonio Mantese broke a scoreless tie with his takedown and pin midway through the first round of the night’s final match.

Kevin Olson’s third period takedown to beat Bobby LaBelle for a 10-9 win in the opening match at 190 pounds set the tone for Shadle’s first victory.

The Highlanders stemmed a Wildcats rally with Ty Schuetzle’s technical fall and a pin by Matt Largent.