Area wrestlers held their own against Japan

Wrestlers are a passionate lot and with good reason. The sport is big (and successful) here. So when Monday’s Spokane All-Stars vs. Team Japan international freestyle exhibition at Mead wasn’t reported in The S-R, there was feedback.

Their reasons for feeling slighted were two-fold:

First, there was a big crowd with people standing around the floor and on top of the bleachers, said Panthers coach Phil McLean.

“What an amazing night,” added Mead activities coordinator Dick Cullen. Cullen typically cruises the gym when events are held to make sure people are where they’re supposed to be. He said there was no one outside loitering. “People were glued to the match.”

That was because of reason No. 2: Spokane-area wrestlers won an unprecedented 5 of 12 matches against the touring Japan junior national team.

One, Tyler Cochran from Central Valley, moved up to heavyweight (255 pounds) and beat a three-time national champion, Takuya Masuda.

Brian Owen (University), Kyle Johnson (Lakeside-Nine Mile Falls), Ryan DesRoches (Riverside) and Clete Hanson (East Valley) were the other victors.

McLean, who put on the match, twice wrestled against a similar national Japanese touring team when he competed in high school at Deer Park.

“My first time, I got ‘teched’ in like 35 seconds. The second time I won,” he said.

In the past, locals might have won one or two of these matches. McLean was counting on Owen and DesRoches. But never before have they been so successful, he said.

“Our kids are really tough and they do more freestyle,” he said. “I think that’s part of it. We have some high-level kids and it’s a little bit contagious in the area as well. It was one of the neatest nights.”

The teams played by FILA (international) rules. Freestyle is now decided by a best-of-3 rounds format – unless there is a pin. Several did take the entire three rounds to determine the outcome which got fans into it, said McLean.

The Japanese team arrived in Seattle, spent Saturday in Snohomish, then drove back to Spokane with Mead, which had competed in and won a tournament there over the weekend.

“We got here at 2 in the morning and put them up in houses,” said McLean. “They worked out on Sunday, went with the kids to school on Monday, which was really neat. They were a great group of guys.

“It was really fun and I’m really tired.”

Getting into the spirit

It’s spirit games time of the year. They begin tonight in the GSL with the Stinky Sneaker between Central Valley and University in the Arena, 5:30 p.m. On Tuesday, the one that started it all, the Rubber Chicken, pits Ferris against Lewis and Clark.

The Gauntlet between Rogers and East Valley is Jan 18. Groovy Shoes (Shadle Park-North Central) is in February.

Travelin’ Stags

Deer Park wrestlers traveled to Gillette, Wyo., for a tournament prior to Christmas and they’ll be in Orem, Utah, for another on Jan. 18-19.

“We did all right,” said Stags coach Matt Jorgensen of the Pat Weede Memorial, an eight-team dual tournament in Gillette. “We were fourth and were missing a couple of guys.”

One was his son, Ryan Jorgensen, who re-injured the knee that required surgery and kept him out of last season. This time he sprained his MCL and is recently off crutches and in rehabilitation. Both injuries occurred in practice.

He’ll likely return for the end of season when Deer Park locks horns with Riverside. Last year’s dual decided the Great Northern League champion.

Deer Park went 4-3 in Wyoming, beating No. 1-ranked teams in their enrollment classification from Wyoming, North Dakota and Idaho.

Cody Miller made the all-tournament team with a 6-1 record. Brandon Leliefeld and Drew Acorn were also 6-1. Blake Adams went 5-2.

The Rocky Mountain Rumble in Utah is next for the Stags.