A snazzy import

Sandpoint High wrestling coach Mike Randles knew the news of a highly touted transfer from California landing in his program would get out sooner than later.

But Randles admitted he didn’t know how good Joey Fio was until the 119-pound sophomore met defending 4A state champion Corey Fish, a senior from University, in the semifinals at the Tri-State tournament before the holidays.

Aggressive from the opening whistle, Fio used four takedowns to handle Fish 11-3 and advance to the championship finals. Five hours later, Fio had his way again in an 8-4 decision over Preston Gentry of Meridian after Gentry also had knocked off a state champion, Anthony Vela of Moses Lake, in the semifinals of perhaps the toughest weight class in the prestigious tournament.

In the quarterfinals the night before, Gentry topped 3A state champ Brandon Palaniuk, a junior from Lakeland, 6-1.

“His win against Fish was impressive,” Randles said. “He’s definitely at a high caliber.”

So how does a wrestler from the Sacramento, Calif., area, who was one of just two freshmen to place in California’s lone state tournament, end up in Sandpoint?

The short answer is the Fio family was looking to move out of California and stumbled upon Sandpoint while driving through the area on the way to a summer wrestling camp in Montana. The long and involved answer that Fio didn’t want to discuss on the record is he wasn’t going to return to Ponderosa, located about 20 miles east of Sacramento, after a season-long conflict with his coach.

“I actually gave him and his dad a tour of the school back when he was in eighth grade,” Randles recalled. “I took them to the gym and showed them the (state title) banners.”

But Randles didn’t give it much thought the following school year when Fio never enrolled as a freshman.

“It happens a couple of times a year,” Randles said of prospective transfers touring the school.

Last spring, Fio’s father called Randles and asked what his son needed to do during the summer to prepare for this season. Again, Randles didn’t give it serious consideration until he saw Fio’s name on Sandpoint’s junior varsity soccer roster just before school started.

Sandpoint has produced a handful of multiple state champions who have gone on to have successful collegiate careers.

Randles can see Fio finding a place for his name among former Bulldogs standouts Jared and Brett Lawrence, Jake Rosholt, Zac Taylor, Luke Feist and Tony Hook.

Fio’s style is similar to Sandpoint’s state champions.

“It’s pure aggression – he’s constantly on the move,” Randles said. “I’m a fan of that style. His hands are in a constant state of motion. It’s fun to watch.”

Fio cultivated some of his style from watching a senior from Bakersfield, Calif., cruise through the 130 class unscathed at state last year.

“He won every match by technical fall and never had any points scored on him,” Fio said. “I don’t want to sound cocky, but I try to beat the hell out of people. That’s my approach.”

Fio begins and ends many of his comments with the qualifier “I don’t want to sound cocky.”

“He’s all California,” Randles said.

Fio doesn’t plan to return to California any time soon, however. Actually, he considered transferring to Bakersfield or the Sacramento area before his family decided to move out of state.

“I sometimes wish I was still in California so I could prove myself,” Fio said.

He knows there’s a world of difference in wrestling between California and Idaho. Here, Fio is on his way to becoming a big fish in a smaller pond. He almost became a big fish in a bigger pond a year ago.

Fio finished the year with a 52-4 record and went to state ranked second and favored to win before the wheels came off. He placed eighth. What was difficult for Fio to swallow was he had beaten the seven placers ahead of him during the season.

“I should have won state,” Fio said. “I was cutting too much weight. I was way weak. I ran out of gas.”

Fio, who started wrestling as a sixth-grader, didn’t experience immediate success.

“I used to get my butt kicked,” he said.

But a youth freestyle coach saw some potential.

“He took me on as a ‘garage project’ ” Fio said. “That’s what he called kids he thought he could help.”

Two years later, Fio won the Tournament of Champions for eighth-graders statewide and added a state freestyle championship later.

Shortly thereafter, however, Fio suffered a broken hip. He couldn’t wrestle for seven months.

To avoid losing a year of competition in high school, Fio was home schooled for a year, repeating the eighth grade.

Fio said it was legal under California rules as long as the student doesn’t turn 19 before he starts 12th grade. He turns 17 in May.

He’s thrilled with the new and fast start at Sandpoint. Unranked before the season, his win at Tri-State put his name atop the state rankings.

Which means Fio is no longer Randles’ little secret.

Said Randles: “It’s pretty apparent he’s the real deal.”