Tigers double up on mat titles

TACOMA – Lewis and Clark’s Trevor Powell said that winning a State 4A wrestling championship Saturday was the least he could do.

Then, he added, “We’re going to have another one.”

Good to his word, Tigers teammate Anthony Varnell produced the second, three matches later.

Powell, in another battle with University’s Brian Owen, used his size and strength advantage – and a penalty point on Owen – for a 2-1 win and the 125-pound title. Varnell, whose quickness and uncommon strength for a 140-pounder, jumped to a big early lead then weathered exhaustion and a disputed ending for a 9-8 triumph.

The wrestling championships at Mat Classic XIX were LC’s first since 1988, bringing to six the total in the Tigers’ history.

“We batted 1,000 percent – you can’t do any better than this,” said LC coach Ty Lingo. “This is what we’ve been shooting for, but it took longer than I thought.”

The Tigers and Owen were the GSL’s only state finalists. U-Hi placed fourth for the second straight year.

Powell’s dad, Jeff, was a three-time state champion at Royal City in the early 1980s.

“I figured I had to do it one time,” Trevor said.

On Jeff’s birthday, his son treated him with a title and, coincidentally, Royal was this year’s State 1A team champion.

Big for a 125-pounder, Powell’s size posed a problem for Owen. Despite his repeated takedown attempts, including one waved off that his coach Don Owen said should have been scored, Powell tied him up and denied him.

Powell took a 1-0 lead with a second-period escape and got the penalty point when Owen was cautioned twice for false starts.

“A lot of it is that Powell is so strong and great defensively,” said Don Owen. “He’s hard to score on.”

Varnell said his victory was culmination of a lifelong dream.

“It means the world to me,” he said.

Facing Mitch Tipton, of team champion Lake Stevens, Varnell hit him with a powerful double leg takedown and later lifted him high in the air and set him down to lead 4-1 in the first period. He blasted out of holds for escapes.

“He’s incredibly strong,” Lingo said of Varnell. “He has the highest strength quotient at LC.”

Varnell’s lead was 8-3 in the third period when he ran out of gas. With time expiring, Varnell gave up an escape and Tipton fell on him for what could have been the winning takedown, but it was ruled, to boos, that time had expired.

“I was really tired or something or other,” Varnell said. “When I started getting tired, I started making dumb mistakes.”

“At the beginning of the season I knew they had the potential to be state champions,” Lingo said. “It’s been 19 years, so it’s outstanding getting LC back to that tradition. But I’ll dearly miss those guys next year. I’m pretty lucky.”

U-Hi scored 76.5 points to finish behind Lake Stevens (148.5), Pasco (135.5) and Moses Lake (121) giving this region three of the four team trophies. The Titans had six state placers, including Elliot Nay, who finished third.