Positioned and ready

TACOMA – A strong first round positioned both Deer Park and Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) wrestlers for potential team championship challenges on Friday’s first day of Mat Classic XIX.

The second round provided a reality check.

The Stags remain part of a crowded pack battling for the 2A championship after advancing three of the Great Northern League’s qualifiers into today’s semifinals.

Lakeside has five 1A finalists and Newport four, but Royal with seven semifinalists and 10 placers, took the upper hand. The Knights have scored 88 points. Orting is second with 69 and Lakeside third with 68.

“Royal just took a run,” said Lakeside’s Scott Jones, who is coaching his last state tournament. Jones was named 1A Coach of the Year prior to the quarterfinal round.

1A: Lakeside won eight of nine first-round matches and stood just five points behind Royal.

But the Eagles lost one shocker when two-time finalist Kyle Johnson’s 130-pound foe, Rogen Lopez from Vashon, dragged himself free for an escape and 5-4 victory.

“That was heartbreaking,” said Jones. “We wanted a surprise from either Ryan Norstadt (103) or Bryan Baumgarden (119), but didn’t.”

Still, Lakeside had a solid effort when Jacob Lauderdale (112) won by pin and 15-0 technical fall, Kyle Cartwright (140), won twice by pin, Wes McAdam (152) scored a pin and 13-8 decision, and Dustin Baldwin (171) and Reid Chivers (189), both won twice by pins. They all will finish among the top six and the Eagles will medal seven.

“We did pretty good, actually,” said Jones. “It’s just that Royal has so many guys. I hated leaving Johnson behind.”

Newport finalists are Daniel Swain (112), Steffen Ellison (125) and Brad Thew (285) by pins and Eric Moody with easy decisions at 130.

The Northeast A League will place 15.

2A: Deer Park has come a long way in coach Matt Jorgensen’s three years at the helm.

His first year, the Stags had one state qualifier, last year seven and this year nine.

After the first day of state, they are just 2.5 points out of the lead, trailing W.F. West (56.5) and Mt. Baker (54.5).

Levi Zadorozny, with a 2-0 victory in his quarterfinal after winning by pin at 112, Sam Lane (130), who will face Clarkston’s Matt Powell this morning, and Cody Miller (145), with a technical fall and pin, are all semifinalists.

Also in the semis are Riverside defending state champion Ryan DesRoches, who won by pin and decision at 160 pounds; Pullman’s Matt David (140), by pin and decision; and Clarkston sophomore DJ Darnall (152), who won a pair of high-scoring matches.

Much of Deer Park’s recent success, said Jorgensen, was a product of kids coming through the area little kids programs, off-season tournaments and the fact Dean Largent, who was the longtime successful head coach for the Stags, now coaches the middle school program.

“Hard work is contagious,” Jorgensen said. “Our goal was to be in the top four at state. It’s been a roller-coaster year. We’d win, then get an injury.”

But Deer Park finds itself in the thick of things with seven state placers among the 18 the GNL will have this year.