DesRoches repeats; Stags 2nd
TACOMA – Contrary to expectations, Ryan DesRoches worked up a sweat on his way to the 160-pound State 2A championship.
In fact, the Riverside junior said, winning his second straight title at Mat Classic XIX in the Tacoma Dome was harder than the first.
“It was a lot harder mentally this time to stay focused,” he said after dispatching Matt Passmore of Steilacoom 8-0 in the finals. “Last year I was the underdog.”
There was no sneaking up on anyone this time as he ran his winning streak to 47 straight matches since losing in the district finals last year. Along the way he beat the 3A and 4A state champions.
At state he won his first three matches with relative ease, the closest being a 9-4 decision in the quarterfinals.
“This whole year was fun,” DesRoches said.
Fun isn’t the word Deer Park coach Matt Jorgensen used even though the Stags finished second in the team race with 113 points, 13 1/2 behind W.F. West of Chehalis.
“For Deer Park and the kids second was huge, but we wanted it all,” the former Stags wrestler said. “What these kids went through, they didn’t get any breaks at all. This is good for the kids.”
The Stags brought nine wrestlers and placed seven.
But missing was a 103-pounder who injured a knee last month, the coach’s son who tore up a knee last summer and another started who missed the postseason.
The Stags had a chance until the end, but in championship matches 130-pounder Sam Lane lost 11-5 and 145-pounder Cody Miller lost 7-2.
The only other Great Northern League wrestler in the finals was Pullman junior Matt David, who lost 8-6 at 140.
When Jorgensen took over in 2005 he brought one wrestler to state and he placed third. Last year he brought seven, including four freshmen.
The Stags got a third-place finish from freshman 103-pounder Drew Acorn, who was wrestling junior varsity until his teammate was injured. Acorn rallied after getting pinned by eventual state champion Nick Burnham of Black Hills in the first round.
DP junior Levi Zadorozy was third at 112 after losing a wild, high-scoring overtime affair in the semifinals. Stags sophomore Brandon Leliefeld also placed third at 135.