Titans breeze to title

The best match of the 4A Region 4 wrestling tournament came in the afternoon finals.

But the most compelling wrestling was in the state qualifying semifinals and consolations. It’s the session where fortunes rise and fall for wrestlers, qualifying them for state or ending their seasons in disappointment.

Saturday was no exception.

Five semifinals alone were decided in overtime. Numerous were decided by one and two points. And wrestlers came off their backs to rally from large deficits and assure state berths.

It was there that host University achieved success, sending eight into the championships and qualifying a total of 10 wrestlers to state.

But it was there, also, that the Titans tasted disappointment. The seasons of three state veteran wrestlers, Mike Malsam, state placer Trevor Robb and Jon Sahlberg came to an end.

“It’s a heartbreak day, it always is,” said coach Don Owen. “I have to feel fortunate I got 10, I guess, and we had some real good surprises. But we’re leaving a chunk of the team here.”

However the match of the tournament came at 140 pounds in what could easily be a preview of next week’s state title contest.

It pitted defending champion Kyle Yonago of Ferris against unbeaten Titan Jeremy Montang, third last year, and met all expectations.

Yonago, whose season has been halved by injury and illness, finished just fourth last week in the district meet. He trailed Montang 4-2 in the third period before stunning him with a pair of breathtaking takedowns. The last, a double-leg shot coming with 17 seconds remaining produced the electrifying 5-4 triumph.

“I was just like a different person this tournament,” said Yonago, recovering from a broken hand and taking antibiotics for bronchitis. “Last week I felt horrible. My body was killing me trying to get down to weight and in shape.”

But he showed no signs of fatigue against Montang, who had a 30-0 record entering the match.

“All I had was my quickness and basically the power of my hips,” said Yonago. “He’s such a solid wrestler, I’m just happy to beat him.”

U-Hi won five championships, including the first three during the afternoon’s finals and finished with 209.5 points to win as a team, well ahead of runner-up Pasco’s 95.

Four weren’t unexpected, but one, at 189 pounds where Joey Korn won the first title of his career, was a complete surprise.

Korn carried a pedestrian 19-12 record into the tournament, but won three straight matches, including 7-4 over Mead’s top-seeded Scott McKenney, and 5-3 over Walla Walla’s Jeremy Daggett in the finals.

He didn’t do anything fancy, but didn’t make any mistakes, relying on powerful hips and a disciplined style.

“I just wrestle with really good position and don’t let people move me,” he said. “I find whatever works for me from wherever I end up.”

Titans teammates joining him atop the awards stand were 30-1 freshman Brian Owen, who pinned or won by technical fall at 103. Chase Fish, now 31-4, followed at 112 with eight third-period points and an 8-1 decision.

Cory Fish, 34-1 at 119, was denied a rematch with two-time Moses Lake state champion Anthony Vela, who was academically ineligible. Instead he beat state runner-up Cesar Iniguez 2-1 for the championship.

Nick Zumwalt won 7-2 for the 160-pound title and Matt Machala (130) and Tim Owen (145) were U-Hi’s other finalists.

Greater Spokane League wrestlers had half the finalists, but won 10 of 14 championships over the visiting Big Nine.

Mead won a pair, Neil Didier at 152 pounds and Paul Senescal at 215, 12-6 over Eastmont’s Jake Wamsher with a series of athletic moves.

“I’m lighter than most guys in the weight and I’ve got to do whatever I can to get the match over with,” he said. “I don’t really rely on my technique. I don’t have much so just go out there and scrap.”

Mt. Spokane’s Jake Reynolds rallied in the third round for a 3-1 win at 171 and CV’s Lucas Chesher, one of five Bears headed to state, won by injury default over Lewis and Clark’s Nate Powell, who was ill.

Powell did have enough strength to rally from 7-1 and 12-8 deficits with a wild five-point move from underneath in the semis.

“I knew if I won that one I wouldn’t have to wrestle anymore,” said Powell. “He slipped off the top and I just took advantage of the situation and grabbed his head.”

All told the Big Nine advanced 29 wrestlers to state, the GSL 27.

University will try and challenge for a title with its contingent.

“I would have loved to have had two or three more,” Don Owen said. “This makes it a little more difficult, but I still believe in our kids.”