Titans capture Classic championship

The snow that has blanketed Spokane this winter claimed only one team casualty in this weekend’s annual Pacific Northwest Classic Wrestling Tournament at University High.

Expected Montana entrant Kalispell was unable to participate and host coach Don Owen noted the absence as a factor in his Titans winning Saturday’s championship.

“Kalispell has 12 state placers and won the Reno (Nev.) tournament,” Owen said. “We benefited a little bit. But it’s always nice to win your own tournament.”

Young U-Hi had seven finalists and four champions among 11 placers while compiling 236 points to defeat Moses Lake, which finished with 171.5.

Six of the Titans’ placers are sophomores and all but one of the others juniors.

“They trained really hard over Christmas and the kids didn’t miss. They are really committed,” Owen said of the effort. “I knew we’d be better as the year went on because they are young.”

Sophomores Brandon Matlock, at 103 pounds, and Dustin Johnson at 171 were champions. Sophomores Tyler Clark (112), Brandon Byers (119) and Jake Laden (215) also were finalists.

“I think when we first got together, it was, ‘Wow, there’s a lot of talent here,’ ” Johnson said. “When we realized it we sat together and made goals.”

Matlock said the Titans dedicated themselves to winning when they didn’t get to state last year.

Seeded second in his weight, Matlock had two pins and also won 19-1. In the title match he cradled Central Valley’s Logan Ames to win in 2:36.

Johnson needed three overtimes to hold off CV’s Cody Stratton 2-1.

“Every time I have a loss I try to watch film with coaches and zero in on what I did wrong,” said Johnson, second at the Tri-State Tournament in mid-December. “It’s all about discipline and not giving up little points.”

Ryan Zumwalt, by injury default at 152, and Jacob Mason, 9-2 over CV’s Andrew Wickstrom at 160, picked up the other U-Hi titles.

CV had four finalists, including 285-pound champion Colby Davis – with a throw in overtime to beat Ben Fuson of Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) 3-1 – and finished third as a team with 155 points.

Runner-up Moses Lake had five finalists, including tourney outstanding wrestler Nicco Moreno, who beat Lakeside Tri-State champion, sophomore Josh Lauderdale, 13-11 at 130.

The smaller schools entered in the PNW Classic had their share of success.

Reigning State 1A champion Lakeside reeled off three successive individual titles from 112 to 125 before suffering the tough losses at 130 and 285 and finishing fourth as a team.

Also for Lakeside, brothers Mike and Bryan Baumgarden knocked off U-Hi finalists, and two-time state champion Jacob Lauderdale pinned Nicco’s cousin Ricco Moreno, also from Moses Lake. Mike topped Clark 3-1 at 112 and Bryan pinned Byers early in the third round at 119. Lauderdale took just 46 seconds for his title at 125.

“We’re trying to teach in the room to take every tournament the same, whether it’s at Vashon Island, Tri-State or here,” Lauderdale said. “We wrestle a style to get the job done, whether it’s a 4A or B school like Republic, which is a great team.”

Republic, the current State B champion, had two champions at the PNW.

Scotty Bacon, a Tri-State champ, pinned Othello’s Reuben Lopez at 135, his third pin of the tourney. He won by major decision over Moses Lake’s Cameron Chlarson in the semifinals.

A weight later, J.J. Gubler, a two-time state titlists and this year’s Tri-State runner-up, topped Ferris’ Scott Davis 12-2.

Gubler said he considered it an honor to compete against wrestlers from big schools. He said he is fortunate to have a good wrestling partner in Bacon.

“At 135, I have a stud sophomore who pushes me hard every day in the practice room,” Gubler said. “All our success comes from our partners, and most B schools don’t have that option.”

Other champions were Tamrich Perez from Southridge at 145, Brad Gee from Stanwood at 189 and Spencer Fackrell from Moses Lake at 215.

•Freeman Winter Classic: The East Valley Knights had three individual champions and went on to claim the team title at the Freeman Winter Classic.

Shane Lee earned a title at 125 pounds, along with Aaron Brown at 135 and Tyler Matsuda at 160. EV scored 189 team points, outdistancing Medical Lake’s 167.5.