Stags stand tall

Seasoned veterans or newcomers alike, it didn’t matter. The Deer Park wrestling beat goes on.

Eleven Stags – three of them defending state champions, the rest first-timers, including three freshmen and two sophomores – are headed to Mat Classic next week in Tacoma to see if they can make it three State 2A team titles in a row.

Deer Park had four champions among six finalists, two third-placers and added three fifth-place state qualifiers to win the regional tournament Saturday at West Valley with 210.5 points. Othello (178.5), Toppenish (169) and Riverside (167.5) followed.

“I’m pretty happy,” DP coach Matt Jorgensen said. “We qualify 11, which is good, and have four champions, which is good. We have kids who buy in and don’t mind hard work.”

The first two finals offered ample evidence why balanced Deer Park is so strong. On one mat, defending 285-pound champion Shawn Burton reversed his district loss to Clarkston’s Devin Norland with a close-to-the-vest 2-1 triumph.

At the same time, a pair of Stags freshmen, Cole Harris and Jake Konzal, battled for the title at 103 on the other.

Burton had been thrown and pinned by Norland a week earlier.

“I was a little bit worried, so I played it a little safer,” Burton said. “I did a little knee tap and not as much shooting.”

Harris, who was coming off shoulder surgery and lost by pin to Konzal earlier, won 10-3. Konzal was competing with a heavily wrapped broken hand.

Defending state champion Billy Rhoads (140) and first-time qualifier Ammon Collins (189) also won titles for DP. Last year Collins didn’t make it past the first day of regional.

Defending state champ Blake Adams (119) of DP lost 10-6 to Prosser’s Osmar Jaimez.

Great Northern League teams captured eight of 14 championships. Nick DesRoches (171) and Chase Florez (152) prevailed among four Riverside finalists.

“I came into district first seed, came up against a Clarkston kid in the semifinals and lost in overtime,” Florez said.

West Valley defending state champion Quinn Tate-Gannon rallied late in the semifinals and edged Riverside state placer Brenton Beard 7-5 in the 130-pound final.

The GNL had 15 of 28 finalists against rugged CWAC competition and 29 of 70 state qualifiers.

4A regional

At Richland, University advanced 10 to state, eight of them finalists, and won 219-179 over Moses Lake.

From 152 pounds on up the Titans proved stout, winning four titles. Included was Jake Mason’s 3-1 victory over Mead’s Jordan Rogers in the fifth meeting of the state championship pair.

“It was a heckuva match right down to the buzzer,” U-Hi coach Don Owen said. “Jordan almost had a takedown. He shot low with 30 seconds left, Jake pulled closer to get his leg free, pulled Jordan by and spun around with 1 second to go.”

Ryan Zumwalt began things with a 14-5 win at 152. Dustin Johnson edged Wenatchee’s Jacob Sealby 6-5 in overtime at 189 and Jake Laden won 7-5 at 285, where the Titans advanced two to state.

Other Greater Spokane League champions were Central Valley’s Jarod Maynes over U-Hi’s Tyler Clark, 3-1 at 119; Jeremy Golding by pin at 125 and Tyler McLean by decision at 130 for Mead; and Brandon Riehle of Ferris (135) over U-Hi’s Kevin Harder. Ryan Gabel (103) and Brandon Byers (119) were U-Hi’s other finalists.

Moses Lake had three champions among six state qualifiers, featured by Brian Chamberlain’s 5-3 win over Mead state champion Jake Trotter at 215 with an overtime takedown.

Despite having 28 fewer competitors, GSL schools took 20 of 42 state berths. Mead had five, Ferris three and CV two.

3A regional

Led by surprising Shadle Park, the GSL turned in a superb effort at West Valley (Yakima).

Shadle upset North Central 142-122. The GSL had half the champions, 13 of 28 finalists and qualified 22 to state, overshadowing traditionally tough District 1.

Darren Bunke (130), by pin over Mt. Spokane’s Wyatt McGuire; Brendan Tarr (145), also by pin; and Dylan Lemery (189), 5-0 over NC’s Anthony Whitmarsh. were champions among Shadle’s five finalists and six state qualifiers.

NC also had five finalists and sends six to state. Jared Berlinger (119) and Nathan Brown (125) won regional titles for NC.

Rogers’ Vang Lor (112) and East Valley’s Aaron Brown (140) also were regional champs. EV, fourth behind Everett with 105 points, has four state qualifiers, as does Mt. Spokane. Rogers has two.

1A regional

Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) qualified five to state, including regional champions Michael Baumgarden (119) and Josh Lauderdale (135), who both won by pin. The Eagles, however, were a distant fourth in team scoring.

Other Northeast A League winners were Tanner Bolt (152) of Kettle Falls over Newport’s Dylan Ellison, and Will Peters (285) of Chewelah. Lakeside’s Dallas Watkins (215) finished second. Eight other NEA wrestlers advanced through consolations.

B regional

For the second straight week host Kittitas edged Reardan, this time 247-240.5.

Pomeroy finished third at 225.5, with Republic a distant fourth at 134.

Republic won four individual titles – Gilbert Maycumber (103), Kyle Kirkendall (112), Ryne Rollins (119) and Scotty Bacon (152).

Reardan’s champs were Logan Zunker (135) and Niko Knezovich (171). Springdale’s Conan Kalugin (135), Lind-Ritzville’s Herson Rodriguez (140) and Almira/Coulee-Hartline’s Reid Ashley (285) were local victors.