U-Hi wins Battle of the Bone
Elliott Nay set the tone and University retained the Bone, but Central Valley gave partisans in the din of a capacity crowd at U-Hi plenty to yell about anyway.
U-Hi’s 40-24 victory margin in the annual Battle of the Bone wrestling matchup was not indicative of the contest, which was tied at 24 with three individual contests remaining. The Titans won eight matches to CV’s six.
That’s a far cry from scores of the previous four years, including last year’s 61-3 pummeling.
“We weren’t going to win, but I wanted to be respectable,” Bears coach John Owen said. “For three quarters of the night the outcome was in doubt. In my previous times, coming here has been a waste of gas money.”
The difference in the outcome was U-Hi’s 5-2 pin advantage and an early win by Nay, who benefited from a 3-pound weight allowance accorded wrestlers this time of year.
He competed at 135 pounds instead of his usual 140 and defeated Rocky Mountain Classic runner-up Jeff Croskrey 5-2.
It staked the Titans to an early 9-0 lead that they didn’t surrender until CV tied the contest and gave Titans fans palpitations.
“Coach brought me down because Lucas (Chesher, a returning state champion) is really good and he thought I had a better chance of beating Croskrey,” Nay said. “I’m better at 140 pounds but didn’t have to cut much weight.”
Coming on the heels of Chase Fish’s match-opening pin, he led 2-0 after a period and added an escape and second takedown midway through the second round that held up.
“That was a monster match for us,” said U-Hi coach Don Owen. “They’ve wrestled before and Elliott had done well against him.”
If that was a match that the Titans took from the Bears, CV got it back when Nick Severns bumped up to 189 from 171 and rallied from a 5-1 deficit, getting a match-tying takedown with only 5 seconds left and winning with another takedown in overtime.
Andrew Peterson had picked him off the floor and was setting him down for a takedown and deciding match points in regulation. Somehow Severns avoided it and gained the points.
“When you lock legs with him and roll through like that, you end up in a scramble and I came out on top,” said Severns. “That’s how I got him.”
It cut U-Hi’s lead at that point in the match to 21-18. Two contests later, it was 24-all on Nick Cambron’s pin at 103.
But the Titans got their final two pins from Brian Owen at 112 and Mike Malsam at 119 to secure the victory.
This was just the second Greater Spokane League match for defending state champion Owen and his first of the year at that weight class.
Owen has been out since early December with a back injury, but showed no effects with a wrenching back suplay, a move in which a wrestler arches his back to his head from a standing position and throws his opponent.
“One of the biggest things tonight was Brian making weight and getting to wrestle,” Don Owen said. “I wish he’d be a little bit more careful. It would go easier on his uncle’s heart.”
Owen’s dad is CV’s coach, so the sophomore will having bragging rights at home.
“We’re just short a couple of guys, that’s been the story of our season,” John Owen said. “The switch at 171 and 189 worked out real well, but they did the same to us at 125 and 130.”
The two teams go head-to-head again in playoffs Wednesday among the top two GSL division finishers
“We’ve got to show up again and be ready to wrestle hard again, just like tonight,” Don Owen said. “John’s got a good team. He’s got six tough kids.”
Elsewhere on rivalry night, Lewis and Clark (5-2) became King of the Hill with a 53-21 home win over Ferris (0-7). Trailing after four matches, the Tigers got wins between 171 and 275 for a 32-11 lead. Later, Alex Nelson’s takedown for LC with 10 seconds left topped Tyson Rhiele just after Rhiele’s escape for the tie. LC’s Steve Cooley and Anthony Varnell remained unbeaten in league, as did Taylor Yonago of the Saxons. … Shadle Park (3-4) continued its turnaround with a 48-18 romp at home against North Central (3-4). Jacob Rittenhouse’s 4-3 double-overtime win over Mike Perseo at 135 pounds was crucial. Paul Burdulis of Shadle stayed unbeaten in league at 152 with an overtime 5-3 victory against Scott Harris. … Mead (5-2) won handily at Rogers (1-6) in the Little Brown Jug, 56-7, although there were some close individual matches. In one, Bryan Clark of Rogers edged Mead’s John Sullivan 3-2. … Mt. Spokane (3-4) won at Gonzaga Prep (1-6) 50-21. Mt. Spokane’s Ryan Rabe reversed an early-season loss to Kevin Healy, 7-5. Ryan Phillipy of the winners scored a takedown with time running out to beat Kyle Martin 6-5, and Nick Petrie started a Mt. Spokane streak of four straight pins in the night’s second contest. … Clarkston (6-1) beat Cheney (2-5) 43-27 at home. Cheney’s Keith Parker shocked Lyle Draper, previously unbeaten in league, 10-2. … East Valley (7-0) beat visiting West Valley (1-6) 53-13, leading 53-4 before losing the last three matches.