Coach’S Son Gets Vocal When He’S Supporting Lakeside’S Wrestlers
While Scott Jones directs the Lakeside wrestling team, his 12-year-old son, Levi, directs the crowd.
“Here we go Eagles, here we go,” Levi and his buddies hollered during Lakeside’s Great Northern League showdown with Riverside last week. Lakeside won 50-16.
“Eagle Power!,” they yelled a few matches later.
Jones said Levi and his friends aren’t embarrassed to get up and root for their wrestling heroes. Levi is a sixth-grader and a member of a junior wrestling program, along with his friends.
“He’s got a pretty vibrant personality and likes to get the crowd going,” Jones said. “To them, they are the same as fans cheering at a rock concert or for WWF. These are their heroes.”
Sit back and relax
It’s not often that Lakeside heavyweight Chad Charbonneau is able to kick back and watch his teammates wrestle.
Usually he’s the last match of the night and is gearing up during other matches. But Charbonneau took care of business in the second match against Riverside last week, leaving him 12 matches to view from the sidelines.
Still, Charbonneau wasn’t too comfortable. He must have changed positions in his chair 10 times. He leaned back with his legs stretched out. He slouched, with his hands on his knees. He sat on the very edge of his seat, with his hands on his bald white head and his green T-shirt pulled up over his chin. Occasionally, he’d grab his water jug and take a swig.
By the 145-pound match, once Lakeside was in control, Charbonneau relaxed a bit, chomping on his gum. He even stood up to stretch for the 152 bout.
“It’s great, it’s good to have a change,” Charbonneau said. “I kind of like the pressure of being last but it’s nice, too, to get it over with and sit back and watch my teammates battle hard.”
Charbonneau, second in state last season and fourth as a sophomore, takes an undefeated record into tonight’s match at Medical Lake.
Rams still could have piece of title
Riverside still has a chance to share the GNL title if Medical Lake defeats Lakeside tonight. The three teams would tie with one league loss each.
“We’ll just wrestle on,” Rams coach Randy Miller said after last week’s emotional loss.
Only the league’s top two in each weight class advance to the state tournament. Miller is frustrated with that.
“They’re just going to kill each other, murder each other at districts,” he said.
Riverside junior Spencer Murphy believes the Rams will be closer to Lakeside next season. They will lose only two seniors; six underclassmen are wrestling varsity.
Murphy, the team’s 189-pounder who was fifth at state at 190 last season, defeated Lakeside’s Troy Plese last week.
“We’ll be back next year, we’ll be strong,” he said. “We just need to step up and get tougher on our feet. And not give up so many back points and pins.”
Senior 171-pounder Dwight Kassinger, another Riverside winner in the Lakeside match, is confident in what the Rams can do next season, too.
“They’ll be tough,” he said. “They’re (Lakeside) losing five (seniors) so they’ll have a run for their money next year.”
Nice time for a bye
Of the last four Greater Spokane League games played by the Gonzaga Prep girls basketball team, three have been against top teams: University, Mead, Central Valley.
So Tuesday’s bye came at a perfect time for the Bullpups, said coach Mike Arte. And they play last-place Rogers tonight.
“It’s a light week for us,” said Arte, whose team is 12-3 and in first place. “We’re a little banged up, both the boys and girls (teams).”
Prep took the weekend off, conditioned Monday, practiced Tuesday and Wednesday, and will practice Friday then take Saturday and Sunday off.
“The coaches are looking forward to it, to recharge the batteries for stretch run,” Arte said.