U-Hi, EV on team missions
Tournament wrestling by its nature tends to be about the individual. But for University and East Valley, this weekend’s regional wrestling contests will have a decidedly team feel.
Local teams in the Region 4 tournaments, from 4A through 1A/B will get their share of state qualifiers and eventual state placers.
But numbers more than the anything weigh on the minds of both the Titans and Knights coaches as they mull over their chances for State 4A and 3A title challenges.
The Titans, who host the Region 4 tournament, qualified a whopping 19 wrestlers to the meet. Coach Don Owen is hoping to advance the lion’s share to the Mat Classic in order to challenge defending champion Lake Stevens.
“I’d like to get at least 11 and if we have a good tournament 14,” said Owen. “That is our goal and is what we’d love to get.”
Lake Stevens won its district tournament last week with 190 points, advancing 11 to its regional this weekend, eight of them finalists.
“The advantage we have over Lake Stevens is we’re a little deeper and need to show up with some of that depth,” Owen said.
East Valley, meanwhile, has its work cut out if the Knights are to prevent Sedro Woolley from winning its fourth straight 3A championship.
Like University in 4A, the Cubs piled up overwhelming numbers during its regional tournament. They sent 13 wrestlers to the finals, winning eight titles, and set a record for points in its district tournament with 446, nearly duplicating U-Hi’s 462.
Again, it will take a team’s worth of state qualifiers in order for the Knights to win state.
“The only way we’re going to have a shot at Sedro is if we can take numbers,” said coach Craig Hanson.
His wrestlers did their part in last week’s first meet by qualifying 15 to Saturday’s one-day Region 4 3A tournament in Ellensburg, nine of them finalists.
Hanson said that EV and W.F. West, out of Region 4, appear to have the best chance of pushing the wealth of wrestlers through for a challenge to the Sedro Woolley’s dynasty.
“It’s them and us who have a chance of getting enough numbers to have a chance of upsetting Sedro Woolley,” said Hanson. “I think we can do that.”
The 2A Region 4 state qualifying meet is at Deer Park and the 1A/B meet is at Reardan on Friday and Saturday.