EV in the hunt
TACOMA – A shoulder injury kept Foster Orton from wrestling last season. It was the pain of his absence that kept the competitive fire within smoldering.
The East Valley competitor has reached his highest point so far, a date in today’s 160-pound semifinals of Mat Classic XVIII in the Tacoma Dome.
“It’s my senior year and what every wrestler wants is to go to state,” Orton said.
He’s far surpassed the goal of just being here. Orton, one of five Knights who swept their first two matches in the 3A portion of the four-classification state tournament, assured himself a placing medal.
East Valley is firmly in team trophy contention.
The Knights finished the first day in third place with 46.5 points behind three-time defending champion Sedro-Woolley’s 99 and Kelso’s 59.5.
Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls), the state’s nonpareil 2A program, sent seven of 10 wrestlers into the semis and placed nine to position itself for a fifth team championship. The Eagles have 77.5 points and a comfortable 31-point lead over Castle Rock.
Republic and Newport both qualified five wrestlers to the semifinals in the quest for 1A/B hardware behind leader Royal.
Although Greater Spokane League 4A schools didn’t qualify the numbers to state of previous years, six individuals reached today’s semifinals and University is tied for fourth.
4A
Central Valley 103-pounder Nick Cambron started a run of lower weights success for GSL 4A wrestlers.
His 8-6 victory was followed by U-Hi’s defending champion Brian Owen, who pinned at 112, and Mike Malsam at 119, Lewis and Clark’s Trevor Powell at 125, Ferris’ Taylor Yonago at 130 and CV defending champion Lucas Chesher at 140.
“He’s pretty strong,” said Cambron of his comeback from a 6-2 deficit. “But he tanked in the third round and I think that’s what gave me the victory.”
U-Hi didn’t have one of its better starts, lamented coach Don Owen, but the Titans bounced back and are in trophy contention with maximum effort from four placers.
3A
East Valley may not have last year’s state numbers, but the Knights can’t quibble with the results.
“This is really good,” said Orton of the five-semifinal performance. “All of us are just jacked. We really want this.”
Earlier Anthony Rivera and Bryce Fisher reached the semifinals, Fisher for the second straight year. Clete Hanson continued his late-season surge, but for sheer dramatics, no win was bigger than unbeaten Tyler Jolley’s at 275.
He trailed 5-0 after nearly being pinned and needed a late stall point for a 9-all tie in his quarterfinal match. In overtime, he promptly flattened Anacortes’ Brian Bonner.
“How about that?” asked a relaxed coach Craig Hanson. “To fight his way of his back like that and point his way back like that.”
NC got two semifinalists. Jamie Tamura’s upset win at 125 put him in today’s winner’s bracket.
“The kid Jamie beat was predicted to win it,” said Indians coach Mike Ranieri.
Scott Harris is also in the semis, by pin, and Clarkston’s Jason Fairley chases a third finals berth.
2A
Earlier in the day Lakeside coach Scott Jones was named State 2A coach of the year. Then his team went out and performed a second-round feat equaled by only one other Eagles squad.
“We’re having fun right now,” said Jones after his seven wrestlers won quarterfinal matches and two others came back through the consolation rounds to be assured medals.
“A half-hour ago I was as nervous as can be. But then we got a couple of upsets, at 152 and 189 pounds that juiced the team.”
Wes McAdam had a pin at 152 and sophomore Dustin Baldwin was on the mat a little more than two minutes while pinning twice at 189.
Three returning finalists, champ Jon Millard, second placers Levi Jones and Kyle Johnson are back in the semifinals. All told, the GNL has 13 in the semis.
1A/B
Eric Moody was second in state last year as was his Newport team. There’s extra incentive for the junior 125-pounder this weekend.
“We’ve been working harder in practice,” he said. “We knew we took second and it was motivation for the team because we have a chance to take first this year.”
Moody pinned his way into the semifinals, joining four teammates with state championship hopes. The Grizzlies trail Royal 79-63 in team scoring, although the Knights still have eight unbeatens.
“We’re giving it everything we’ve got,” said Newport coach Terry Haney of his team’s performance. “We peaked at the end of the season. We’re right where we need to be.”
Republic is fifth in team scoring with defending champion Seth Schertenleib leading the five-semifinal effort. District 7 has a total of 18 semifinalists and Lake Roosevelt has two.