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Stags dominate Mat Classic

West Valley’s Quinn Gannon lifts Black Hills’ Nick Burnham during Gannon’s upset victory for the 130-pound title.Special to (Ingrid Barrentine Special to / The Spokesman-Review)
West Valley’s Quinn Gannon lifts Black Hills’ Nick Burnham during Gannon’s upset victory for the 130-pound title.Special to (Ingrid Barrentine Special to / The Spokesman-Review)
By Mike Vlahovich mikev@spokesman.com(509) 927-2180

TACOMA – There are no presumptions when you talk with Deer Park head coach Matt Jorgensen. As strong as the Stags were, in past conversations there was never a hint he thought they were a lock to win a second straight State 2A championship at Mat Classic XXI.

Yet this year’s version, with seven returning state placers – two of them champions a year ago – was even more dominant than the previous one, surprising even Jorgensen.

Six Stags finalists stepped on the mat and their individual championships produced another team title Saturday at the Tacoma Dome. The Stags scored a 2A-record 184.5 points to W.F. West’s 95.5 in winning those half-dozen championships

Jorgensen said he wasn’t comfortable, even after Deer Park took a near 20-point first-day lead.

“I wasn’t this morning, until after the semifinals,” he said. “They wrestled out of their minds. Six for six is pretty impressive. I don’t know if it’s been done before. We figured on contending and that we were favored, but this is a total surprise.”

If 6 for 6 in the semis hasn’t been done before, then certainly six straight individual titles hasn’t either.

DP’s championship total was one more than Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) recorded last year.

The success began with Blake Adams at 112 pounds and ended with Shawn Burton at 285. Drew Acorn, at 119, and Cody Miller, at 152, each won for the second straight year.

Adams, third last year, compiled a 34-6 record this year. He scored in every period for a methodical 6-1 victory, coming off anterior cruciate ligament surgery

Acorn was far from methodical in his approach to the 119 title in a match between aggressive athletes. He had been pinned in 30 seconds a week earlier by Toppenish’s Julian Romero. This weekend he returned the favor with a sudden move in the second round.

Billy Rhoads at 140 (7-3), Brandon Leliefeld at 145, Miller and Burton at 285 added the other championships.

West Valley’s Quinn Gannon would argue that good coaching makes a champion.

The 130-pound junior, in his first state appearance, upset two-time champion Nick Burnham of Black Hills 7-3 thanks to a new coach, new style and new attitude.

Former North Idaho College and Central Valley coach John Owen took over for the Eagles this summer.

“He switched my stance, gave me new shots and taught me to tie up,” Gannon said. “He broke me down and rebuilt me into a state champion.”

The Great Northern League’s other champion was Clarkston’s Gabe Hocum at 171.

Riverside, with five placers, including third-place finishing brothers Jacob and Nick DesRoches, placed fourth for the second straight year with 78 points.