Regional Should Be Big Battle

After having half the finalists in 14 weight classifications, winning eight state titles, claiming the top three team trophies and six of the top 10 places at last year’s 4A Mat Classic XI, the last thing Region IV competitors needed to hear was that Moses Lake and East Valley were coming aboard.

The Chiefs won three of four State 3A titles until returning to the Big Nine, where they were dominant. The Knights won the other recent 3A title and finished second once to Moses Lake.

“I don’t see another Region IV team winning state by the time we knock each other out of there,” said North Central coach Randy Cloke before the season started.

The days of large teams earning back-door points at state, he said, will be over.

Between them the two new 4A schools bore out Cloke’s fears, securing 22 regional spots formerly reserved for other schools.

They should make Region IV competition at this weekend’s tournament at Southridge High in Kennewick as tough as if not tougher than Mat Classic XII the following weekend in Tacoma.

Six of the top eight wrestlers per weight class in state will come from the region, estimates University HS coach Don Owen, whose District 8 champions have 10 regional entries.

This weekend’s tournament features three former or current state champions, seven other finalists and 18 state placers among 21 state veterans.

This sidebar appeared with the story: WRESTLING Regionals at a glance

Region IV 4A

Date and site: Friday 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. at Southridge High School in Kennewick.

At stake: Top four finishers at each weight qualify for Mat Classic XII in Tacoma.

Last year’s finish: 1. Wenatchee, 2, Gonzaga Prep, 3. University.

Returning champions: Doug Baker (Ferris), 112, 2nd in state 101; Tommy Owen (University), 125, two-time state champion; Travis Pascoe (Gonzaga Prep), 190, two-time state champion.

Outlook: Moses Lake, is the defending 3A state champion and has 14 regional qualifiers, including 2nd-place state finishers Ariel Garza, 125, Carlos Adamy, 135, John Zamora, 152 and former state champion and last year’s 4th-placer Jaime Garza, 119. East Valley also joins the fray with 8 regional qualifiers including State 3A runner-up Josh Birt, 189, 3rd-place John Sommer, 112 and 7th place Isaiah Hankel, 152. A total of 30 top six regional placers and 21 state qualifiers are in the field.

Region IV 3A

Date and site: Friday 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. at Ellensburg High.

At stake: Top four finishers in each weight qualify for Mat Classic XII.

Last year’s finish: 1. Moses Lake, 2. East Valley, 3. Cheney.

Returning champions: Matt Ellis (Prosser), 171, state champion at 168. Michael Schwegel, Hanford, 275, state champion.

Outlook: Clarkston, Cheney and Colville proved their three-way Frontier League title tie was no fluke, taking three of the top four sub-regional places and qualifying 23 of the 25 Frontier athletes who wrestle in this weekend’s regional. The format changes with wrestlers from Pierce County and Olympic Leagues joining in, so state berths may not be as easy to come by as the previous two years.

District 7 2A

Date and site: Friday 4 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. at Deer Park High.

At stake: Top two finishers in each weight qualify for Mat Classic XII.

Last year’s finish: 1. Lakeside, 2. Colville, 3. Medical Lake.

Returning champions: Kris Matthews (Lakeside), 103, last year’s 101 state champion; Chris Bennett (Newport), 130; Spencer Murphy (Riverside) 189; Jonny Varona (Medical Lake) 215, state champion; Chad Charbonneau (Lakeside), 275, state finalist.

Notable: With eight returning state qualifiers, the league is a bit younger and the tournament more wide-open.

Region III 1A/B

Date and site: Friday 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. at Moses Lake HS.

At stake: Top five finishers in each weight qualify for Mat Classic XII.

Returning champions: Craig Winona (ACH), 171, state 168 champ last year.

Notable: Sixteen state veterans from District 7 return against athletes from District 5 seeking to return.