Lakeside Top Team In District

2A wrestling

One coach called them the “heartbreak rounds.”

Most wrestlers competing in championship and consolation finals in a state qualifying tournament are merely jockeying for seeding at the Mat Classic next weekend in Tacoma.

But none of the four remaining Great Northern League athletes left in each bracket of Saturday’s District 7 2A tournament were even assured a state berth. Two would qualify for state. The question was, which two?

“It’s a sad thing, isn’t it,” said Lakeside High coach Scott Jones prior to a wrestle-back match between second- and third-place Eagles teammates Josh Austin and Taylor Galvin for the second 135-pound berth.

“If it were anywhere else in the state of Washington, both would be going.”

As it was, Galvin had to settle for being one of the league’s top three after spending the season behind Austin on junior varsity.

There were five such wrestle-back matches among GNL seconds and thirds, who hadn’t faced each other before in the District 7 2A tournament. In only one, however, did a third-placer, Riverside’s 275-pounder James Nuesse, claim a state berth.

Lakeside won the tournament with 307.5 points to runner-up Medical Lake’s 218.5. Five schools divvied up the 28 available state berths with Lakeside sending seven, five of them as individual champions.

Medical Lake’s Cardinals, with four champs, and Riverside each had six qualifiers. Newport had five and Chewelah four.

“I wish we had a regional, but no one will have us,” said Medical Lake coach Sam Peterson. “We’re leaving a lot of good kids home.”

One of those is Riverside’s Casey Bullen, who compiled a 25-4 season record. Bullen didn’t get the opportunity for a wrestle-back match because he had already lost to Chewelah’s Phil Eggleston in the semifinals.

“We really had a good showing overall,” said Riverside coach Randy Miller, “but a senior who was basically the heart of our team is staying home.”

Bullen was one of several who deserve a state trip but won’t go.

But wrestlers generally agreed that a wrestle-back is the only fair way to determine the best state qualifiers given the GNL’s dearth of spots.

“We only have two berths, which is unfair to us,” said Austin, “So I think it is a great idea.”

All but four first- and second-seeded wrestlers advanced.

Lakeside’s champions included Jason Nees in an overtime upset at 103, Kris Matthews by pin at 112, Austin Laughery by technical fall at 140, Shawn Close at 145 and Chad Charbonneau by pin at 275.

Medical Lake’s champions were tournament outstanding wrestler Jonny Varona, 215, top-seeded Josh Cruger, 152 and second seeds Aaron Gomez, 125, and Andy Denson, 189.

Other champs were Riverside’s Dwight Kassinger, 171 and second-seed Mike Norton, 160, Chewelah’s Jared Reddinger, 135 and second-seed Mark Bietz, 119, and Newport’s unbeaten Chris Bennett, 130.

“The league as a whole is going to score a lot of points at state,” said Medical Lake coach Peterson.