Gig Harbor High wrestlers Ball, Zeitner eye state podium spots
For Gig Harbor High School senior wrestler Zayne Ball, it was tough to watch Bethel’s Josh Walker win the Class 3A state title in the 160-pound weight class at last year’s Mat Classic state tournament.
Not just because Ball ended up taking seventh, which was personally disappointing, but rather because Ball had already pinned Walker earlier in the season. If Ball was at his best that weekend, maybe it could’ve been him on top of the podium.
“It’s motivation to try to get back,” Ball said. “That bracket was so close, that I felt like if we wrestled again, there’d be different guys getting different places.”
Gig Harbor coach Jacob Spadoni said the weight class was as competitive as any he’s seen.
“Any guy could have won state that day,” Spadoni said. “It wasn’t that Zayne really was not the best guy out there. If you wrestled that thing 10 different times, there’s going to be a new state champion 10 different times.”
The good news for Ball is that he’ll get one more crack it, barring any injury setbacks. After taking sixth-place as a sophomore and seventh last season, Ball is eager to place even higher this season.
“I’ve been putting in a little extra work this year,” Ball said.
In addition to Ball, who is the No. 5 ranked wrestler in 160, Gig Harbor returns junior Trevor Zeitner, the No. 8 ranked 145-pounder by washingtonwrestlingreport.net. Zeitner enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign, emerging as one of the team’s best and culminating in a Mat Classic appearance.
“Trevor is coming out hot,” Spadoni said. “He’s ready to make a statement this year.”
Ball has been one of the program’s top wrestlers since he came to Gig Harbor High as a freshman. In both of his state losses last winter, he lost the matches by two points. He’s right on the edge; now, he’s just trying to get over.
“I’m really focused on getting the little things down,” Ball said. “When I’d get into a leg ride, I’d get too high. Just getting deeper with my shots, focusing on those little things that just make sure that every move I make has a higher success rate. Another thing is just chain wrestling. I’d just do one move and stop, but now, I’m trying to chain them more together. So I’ll go to one move and if that doesn’t work, I’m already into the next move.”
He’s also approaching matches more confidently in his senior season.
“I used to get really nervous before matches, even if I knew I could beat the guy,” Ball said. “This year, maybe not more of a swagger, but definitely just a confidence going in there, and if I lose, I learn. It’s an opportunity to learn.”
Ball’s uptick in confidence has been evident to Spadoni so far this season.
“He’s being a little more aggressive at the start of matches,” Spadoni said. “He’s working on racking up points early. We’ve already corrected some issues. He doesn’t make a lot of mistakes anymore. Now he just has to counter off and take advantage of other people’s mistakes.”
Spadoni also lauded Ball’s willingness to take on a larger leadership role after the graduation of John Bittinger, one of the program’s top wrestlers last season, alongside Ball, and the leader in the wrestling room.
“When he’s got a partner, he’s helping them and coaching them more,” Spadoni said. “That’s nice to have in a guy, you’re not just learning from the one guy in the center, you’re learning from everyone around you. You’re learning from more than just me. They understand the moves because they’ve been here for a few years.”
Spadoni is in his third year at the helm of the program, which has seen increased participation since he took over the head coaching duties.
“Last year, we filled out every weight but we weren’t as tough as we are this year,” Spadoni said. “So we’re definitely on the upward climb still.”
That showed during the Wilfong Invitational at Puyallup High last weekend, where Gig Harbor took fourth this season after taking fifth last season.
“Our numbers are up still from last year,” Spadoni said. “We’re missing one or two weights right now but I don’t see that as much of an issue, because the team itself is looking strong.”
Up next for Gig Harbor is the North Mason tournament on Dec. 22. The tournament begins at 10 a.m.