CdA, Sandpoint, Bonners Ferry rule

Prep wrestling fans got their fill Saturday at Post Falls High School as area 5A, 4A and 3A schools hit the mats with team titles – and a whole bunch of state berths – on the line.

Coeur d’Alene easily made it three titles in a row, sending a record 12 wrestlers into the finals in the 5A Region I Tournament and pulling in nine individual titles.

It may have been more, but three title matches pitted Viking against Viking.

In 4A Region I action, Sandpoint outlasted Post Falls in a two-way battle for top honors that required wrestle-backs to determine a winner.

Bonners Ferry continued its dominance in 3A District I, earning its fifth straight title despite an unexpected challenge from upstart Priest River.

The top four placers in 5A, the top two in 4A and the top three in 3A move on to their respective state tournaments, beginning Thursday and running through Saturday at the Idaho Center in Nampa.

The Vikings, who scored 356 points to Lewiston’s 254 and Lake City’s 188, will send 25 wrestlers to state.

Fourth-year coach Jeff Moffat, watching his first group of freshman wrestle as seniors, couldn’t have been prouder of their efforts – both at regionals and all season long.

“We wrestled well – we expected a good 24, 25,” Moffat said. “We had a good day; I feel bad for the two guys who didn’t make it – that can be hard on a guy.

“These kids have worked hard all year, and they deserve to go to the state tournament – it’s a tribute to them because they’re the ones who are putting in all the hard work.

CdA 135-pound titlist Josh Manes, 40-1 this year and third in the state a year ago, said there is some extra incentive to turn the regional crown into a state crown.

“I blew it at state last year,” said the senior Manes, admitting he’s grown up a lot in the last 12 months. “I should have won state last year and I just didn’t get the job done mentally.

“I think I’m a lot better prepared this time around.”

Sandpoint squeaked by Post Falls, competing without the services of last year’s second-placer at state, injured senior 215-pounder Adam Shamion, 285.5 to 266 while Lakeland and Moscow scored 161 and 87.5, respectively.

Bulldogs coach Mike Randles acknowledged Shamion’s glaring absence, lamented a few of his own and praised his team’s effort.

“Both Sandpoint and Post Falls had a couple of obstacles to overcome – they lost a good kid, we had a couple of kids out of our lineup with our 45- and 12-pounder …

“We knew it was going to be a donnybrook, win lose or draw, and I’m happy with what our kids did.”

Trojans coach Dennis Amende, who will take eight wrestlers to Nampa, tipped his cap to the Bulldogs and did a little lamenting of his own – Shamion, if he had gone through undefeated, would have scored 22 points.

“It’s fun being in the same league as Sandpoint,” said Amende, whose team ended the Bulldogs perennial dominance at regionals a year ago but were unable to make up for the loss of Shamion this time around. “They’re a great program and they had a good tournament.

“We had some kids wrestle real well, and we had some kids who didn’t – it’s been a long year.”

Bonners Ferry, expecting its biggest challenge from St. Maries, got all it could handle from Priest River, having to come back in the finals to eke out a 276.5 to 262 win over the Spartans. The Lumberjacks finished with 218, Timberlake had 170 and Kellogg ended up with 134.

Key to the Badgers’ victory was the effort of sophomore 140-pounder Kenny Swift, who avenged a pin earlier in the season by pinning Priest River’s Kelly Miller at a pivotal moment in the tournament.

“It feels wonderful, I don’t know,” said Swift with a genuine in-hog-heaven smile on his face. “He pinned me in the first round at Sandpoint, so I planned on going out there and doing my best, and it worked out.

“It makes it so much sweeter knowing that it gave my team a boost when we needed it.”

Badgers coach Conrad Garner, hoarse from exhorting his team all day and all evening long, said the tightness of the competition made winning even more enjoyable.

“Our team really pulled together – seven finalists and we had four in consolation that all came through for us,” Garner said. “It more special because of the way we won, but it’s not as comfortable.”

Washington State 4A

University senior Cory Fish and freshman Brian Owen have experienced considerable personal successes. But, said both, they had never experienced a feeling quite like this.

Individual state championships by the most senior and youngest member of the Titans wrestling team put the topper on U-Hi’s first State 4A team championship at Mat Classic XVII in Tacoma.

“It’s a great night tonight,” said Fish, who completed his career and a 38-1 season with his second straight title. “I’ve never been a part of anything this big before.”

Using a move dubbed the “Pigdog Stretch” in U-Hi’s wrestling room, a leg ride and power half nelson, Fish pinned previously unbeaten Shane Martin of Olympia at 119 pounds to secure U-Hi’s 135th point and victory over Lake Stevens for the team title.

“I didn’t know anything about this kid,” said Fish, “but I knew he was pretty good.”

Two matches earlier, the 103-pound Owen had dispatched fellow freshman Matt Sencenbaugh of Auburn 12-4 with a series of takedown moves and on reversal.