Titans win ‘Battle of the Bone’; Bears show strength

The annual Battle of the Bone was movie theme-based. Although this was high school wrestling, it wasn’t “Vision Quest.”

The match pitted the “Titans of the Caribbean” against Central Valley’s “Boneheart” at University High.

Played out before a noisy crowd of more than 2,000 that filled the gym and elicited an ear-splitting cheer when University’s wrestlers entered the gym to their traditional introductory music “Bad to the Bone” by George Thorogood, the match befitted the rivalry.

The Titans won for the fifth straight year, 40-24, but needed to win the night’s final three matches to break a 24-24 tie.

Their previous four margins of victory had been by an average of 41 points. Last year, when University was the state’s best team, it won by 58 points.

“They’re not as strong as they were last year,” said CV’s Nick Severns, who won an overtime thriller, “and we’re a lot stronger.”

It showed in the score. Although half the matches ended in pin, five won by the Titans, there were also three two-point decisions, one decided in overtime, and a total of five won by four or fewer points.

“We weren’t going to win, but we wanted to be respectable,” said a satisfied CV coach John Owen. “We’d never competed with them since I’ve been coach.”

U-Hi scored the first nine team points, including an opening pin by league unbeaten Chase Fish, the first of five pins by the Titans.

CV came back to within 9-6. Trevor Robb took 3 minutes, 12 seconds to pin at 152 pounds for the Titans. Camren Ebat answered back in 3:18 for the Bears.

That was followed by Titan Nick Zumwalt‘s pin less than a minute remaining in his match that put his team ahead 21-12.

Severns and Tyler Cochran had back to back two-point decisions for CV that cut its deficit to three points and two matches later, the night’s 11th, the score was tied.

But Brian Owen and Mike Malsam, wearing a protective mask, clinched University’s victory with its last two pins.

“Those five kids we send out there are pretty good pinners,” said winning coach Don Owen. “They pin nearly every time out.”

Craig Byers polished it off with the night’s only major decision at 125 pounds. He’d wrestled as high as 135 during the season and Owen said the drop in weight class will help him during postseason.

But he was just as pleased with the efforts of Nick Bickley at 145 pounds and Andrew Peterson, against Severns at 189, who lost close decisions.

“Nick battled and gave himself a chance to win,” said Owen said. “Andrew had two tough calls at the end of the second period. I thought our kids wrestled hard.”

Today the Titans and Bears are competing at East Valley in the Washington Dream Duals.

On Wednesday the three schools will begin their quests to win the Greater Spokane League.

The Titans (7-0 in league) and Bears (5-2) do it all over again in the championship playoff semifinals. The Knights (7-0) hosts Clarkston (6-1) in the other semifinal.

Championship is on Saturday, then it’s on to the postseason district, regional and state meets for Spokane Valley wrestlers.

In the ‘Nick’ of time

Five Nicks wrestled in the U-Hi-CV match, including Zumwalt, Severns and Bickley.

CV’s Nick Cambron won by pin at 103. And in the 145 pound match Bickley lost 4-2 to CV’s Nick Walker.

Gymnasts in home stretch

University hopes to wrap up second place, its highest finish since the Stacey Heaton coaching era, when GSL gymnastics ends next week.

The Titans (10-2, 5-1) beat Shadle Park 159.9 to 150.45 and North Central. They’re tied for second with Central Valley.

Kayla McGahey finished second all-around by .45 point after totaling 35.4. She won uneven bars and vault and was third on balance beam.

Central Valley (11-2, 5-1) beat Ferris, Lakeside and Rogers and next week closes out the regular season against unbeaten Mead.

The Bears scored 160.95 points with Courtney Sexton winning all-around for the first time at 234.1. She won both balance beam and floor exercise. Teammate Maya Morgan won bars and was fourth all-around and third on beam.

Hayley Wetterhus, placed second during floor exercise and Brittney Szoke shared third in vault.