Freeman blossoms into premier wrestling program

The Freeman wrestling program has come miles from where Chad Ripke found it.

On a state level, the Scotties have no history. They have yet to capture a state trophy. They finished two points out of doing so a year ago.

Freeman has been ranked No. 1 much of the season. The question is begged – why?

Especially considering that State 2A power Deer Park and Colville dropped to 1A this season. Especially considering that none of Ripke’s athletes wrestles year round as they do at Deer Park.

Ripke gives all the credit to an athletic senior class.

“We started working on these kids in middle school, trying to get them to choose wrestling,” Ripke said. “Freeman has never been known as a wrestling school. This senior class, all 12 of them, have helped change that culture.”

Ripke coaches middle school football. He’s taken every opportunity to convince athletes to try wrestling.

His backup heavyweight, Peyton Smetana, started as a freshman in basketball on varsity.

Though they don’t wrestle all year, they still don’t ignore the sport once the season ends.

“We do the Washington Intensive Camp every summer,” Ripke said.

Ripke’s athletes are generally too busy to spend more time wrestling. Most of them are three-sport athletes, and a half dozen also play for him in baseball.

Ripke remembers six years ago when Freeman wrestling was laughable. He had six wrestlers that season.

“We went to nine the next year, then to 22, then to 29 and we’ll finish with 34 this year after a turnout of 40,” Ripke said.

Freeman locked up a third straight Northeast A League championship last week, running its league dual winning streak to 20. The Scotties will seek a third straight District 7 title this weekend and a second consecutive regional title the weekend after.

In the bigger picture, Freeman wants nothing less than a state title.

“Deer Park won a state title last year with six kids and North Central won with six kids,” Ripke said.

For Freeman to win state, it must advance a few more than six. The Scotties will have to do so through a difficult district and regional.

“If we don’t win a state title, then it’ll probably be another NEA team,” Ripke said.

Junior Sebastian Hyta has been the Scotties’ leader this season. A 195-pounder, Hyta finished the regular season with a 33-1 record – his lone loss coming in the Tri-State tournament semifinals.

Seniors Markus Goldbach (182) and Teigan Glidewell (heavyweight) have also had solid seasons. Goldbach was a state runner-up last year and Glidewell took fifth among six returning placers.

The three are ranked No. 1 at their respective weights. Smetana is ranked third behind Glidewell.

Other ranked Scotties are: Hunter Nees (106, sixth); Noah Vetter (132, fourth); Isaiah Crane (138, fifth); Jesse Schmidlkofer (145, fifth); Konner Forshag (160, eighth); and Billy Sims (170, fourth).

Goldbach is one of the seniors Ripke recruited as a middle schooler.

“He made it very clear to my class that if we wanted to get better for football then being a wrestler would help us,” Goldbach said. “We had 20 something out in my class our freshman year. It’s just built from there. People have seen we are having success.”

The Scotties have respect for their coach.

“We see him as a second dad,” Goldbach said. “He’s there for us and we can always go to him. That’s what he’s built out here is family – from the assistant coaches to the athletes.”

Ripke, a Medical Lake graduate, took over as Freeman’s coach in 2005-06 after spending a couple of years at St. Maries. At Medical Lake, he was a four-time state placer and part of a state title team (1992).

Freeman captured back-to-back league titles in the early 2000s before Ripke arrived, but that success didn’t translate at state.

Ripke thought his team would break through for a state trophy last year.

“Freeman had never been on the state leaderboard,” Ripke said of the board used to display running team scores during the tournament. “We were in second and third most of the tourney until the very end when we slipped back to fifth.”

A handful of the athletes that helped lead Freeman to its first state football title two years ago also wrestle.

Ripke gives a lot of credit to his coaching staff. He hired former University assistant coach Matt Smith, who spent 15 years assisting Don Owen, and U-Hi grad Ryan Gable this year to go along with holdovers Mike Allen, Taylor Glidewell and Tim Smetana.

“We’ve come such a long way,” Ripke said. “Back when we had just six and nine wrestlers out, we didn’t get anybody over to the dome in Tacoma. We’re very humbled to be where we’re at.

“We’ve got some gifted athletes who have worked very hard and have great character. They have a great bond.”

That bond exists despite the fact that not all the athletes come from the same community. Freeman draws from four communities – Rockford, Hangman, Valleyford and Mica.

“It makes it such a joy to coach them,” Ripke said. “Even more so because they all come from smaller communities.”

Ripke’s investment has been well worth it.

“It’s been a long, long process,” he said. “At times it’s been very frustrating – so much so that I’ve felt like waving the white flag. But we’re reaping the benefits of going through hard times.”

Goldbach expects Freeman to challenge for a state title.

“We have the utmost confidence in our abilities to perform,” he said. “But a lot goes into it. It’s not just talent and ability that wins a state championship. There’s also a lot of luck. You have to avoid injuries and sickness. But if we wrestle to our potential and avoid those things, we can win a state title.”