Prep roundup: Curtis, Tahoma, Auburn Riverside, Bethel win league wrestling titles

Boys Wrestling

Top performer: Yusief Lillie, Bonney Lake

Defeated Bethel’s Donnie Krissak by technical fall (25-10) for the 106-pound 3A PCL title

4A SPSL Championships: You wanted state championship-caliber wrestling? Puyallup High School might as well have been the Tacoma Dome.

In a battle of wrestling heavyweights, Curtis edged South Kitsap for the 4A South Puget Sound League championship with 341.5 points to South Kitsap’s 324.5 points.

Aizayah Yacapin led the way for the Vikings, winning the 113-popund title with a pin in 2 minutes, 40 seconds over Olympia’s Chase Poston. Yacapin is the No. 2-ranked wrestler in all-classifications by Washington Wrestling Report.

The top wrestlers from this advance to next week’s regional tournament, which is the qualifier into Mat Classic.

Curtis also got titles at 182 pounds from Ketner fields, with a 5-4 decision over Rogers’ Hunter Briggs, and Xaiver Whitson won the 195-pound title, 3-1, over South Kitsap’s Izaiah Davis.

South Kitsap’s Mason Eaglin, the No. 1-ranked 170-pound wrestler (all classifications) in the state, who is committed to Duke University, had a tough matchup against Puyallup’s Isaac Clark, but Eaglin pulled it out, 3-0, for the title.

The biggest bout was probably at 152-pounds, with South Kitsap’s Sebastian Robles sparring with Curtis’ Adrian St. Germain, a junior two-time 1A state champion at Vashon Island before transferring to Curtis this year.

Robles, who is ranked just behind White River’s Nate Moore as the No. 2-ranked wrestler in the 152-pound weight class, cruised to an 8-1 victory. Robles placed second in the 4A state tournament last year and was sixth the season before that.

Also of note, Lane Holland of Graham-Kapowsin won the 126-pound weight class over Jason Walker of Puyallup by a decision of 9-2.

4A NPSL Olympic Championships: Auburn Riverside cruised to the division’s team title, with 374 points to second-place Auburn’s 258 points.

Auburn Riverside junior Yusef Nelson had the most convincing victory. He pinned Enumclaw’s Brandon Cormier in 2:22 for the 113-pound title heading into next week’s regional championships. Nelson is the No. 4-ranked wrestler (all classifications) in the state at 113-pounds by Washington Wrestling Report.

The Ravens’ Arthur Troncoso won in the 152-pound title by pinning teammate Peyton Schenschy in 5:34. And Kenny Miller won by a decision of 3-1 in the 160-pound title over Quinten Fedor of Todd Beamer.

Rounding out the winning team for Auburn Riverside was Will Russell who won the 220-pound title by pinning Austin Rewoldt of Enumclaw at 3:10.

Enumclaw’s Quinton Southcott pinned Decatur’s Bradley Tyack in 2:34 for the 145-pound title and Decatur’s Quinzy Salu pinned Enumclaw’s Austin Rewoldt in 3:10 for the 285-pound title. Auburn’s Cole Washburn also won by pin, taking the 170-pound title in 3:51 over Jefferson’s Roman Shuck.

Salu is the No. 2-ranked heavyweight in the state, Southcott is No. 3 at 145 and Washburn is listed at No. 5 at 182 pounds.

4A NPSL Cascade Tournament: Tahoma had quite a showing as the defending 4A state champions had nine wrestlers winning a weight class to help them take the top team spot.

Austin Michalski won by major decision over Justice Rivero of Mount Rainier by a 12-1 decision in the 120-pound title, while defending state champion Kione Gill, the No. 1-ranked 220-pound wrestler in the state, took home the 220-pound title with a 58-second pin.

The Bears took home the team title with 422.5 points to second-place Kentwood’s 372 points.

In the 126-pound bout, Tahoma’s Steele Starren won by decision over Layton Smail of Kentwood 10-3. Cameron Hanson won at 132 by decision over Bryan Nguyen of Kent-Meridian, 5-1. Gage Dress Moran won at 195, quickly pinning at 1:25.

3A Pierce County League Championships: Bethel won handily by more than 100 points getting a final score of 395.5 to second-place Bonney Lake’s 280.5 points to cruise past the defending 3A state team champions.

Bethel’s Gar Rodside won the 145-pound title by decision over Ethan Wells of Lakes, 6-1. And Josh Walker won at 160, shutting out Blade Gray of Spanaway Lake, 7-0.

The Braves’ depth was able to overcome Bonney Lake’s seven 3A PCL individual champions: Yuseif Lillie (106), Brenden Chaowanapibool (113), Brandon Kaylor (120), Evan Tracy (126), Devyn Sweem (138), Cody Coffey (152), Sam Peterson (220).

Lillie, a freshman who is the No. 10-ranked 106-pound wrestler in the nation by FloWrestling.org, romped to a 25-10 technical fall victory over Bethel’s sophomore Donnie Krissak, the No. 5-ranked wrestler in the state, for the 106-pound league title.

And the Panthers’ defending state champions rolled. Kaylor, an Oregon State signee, beat Bethel’s Ryan Brown by pin in 3:38 for the 120-pound title as he begins his postseason in his quest to join the elite four-time state champion fraternity.

Peterson had the biggest test, as the defending state champion edged Lincoln’s Janoah Thomas, 3-2, for the 220-pound title. Chaowanapibool beat Lincoln’s Boira Mokmouen, 7-1.

Lincoln’s JJ Dixon, the No. 1-ranked 195-pound wrestler in the state, pinned Bonney Lake’s Jazz Sherrod in 1:35. Dixon is a defending state champion.

Girls Basketball

Top Performer: Mercy Nelson, Rainier Christian

Scored 18 points in 34-26 win over Tacoma Baptist

Rainier Christian 34, Tacoma Baptist 26: Mercy Nelson led the Mustangs to a win with 18 points as the Crusaders struggled early.

“We still could of come out stronger in that first quarter,” Rainier Christian assistant coach Jen Brooks said. “Just coming out with more intensity that first quarter.”

It was in that first quarter where the Mustangs scored 15 points while the Crusaders could only muster four and were unable to come back from that.

Mount Rainier Lutheran 39, Muckleshoot 22: The Hawks beat out the Kings with Isabella Foxley getting a double-double getting 15 points and 11 rebounds.

“Isabella gives me 32 minutes every night all out. She was hitting the deck tonight,” Mount Rainier Lutheran coach Jim Perry said. “She was getting fouled extremely hard. She’s a walking bruise tonight.”

Foxley’s toughness wasn’t all that the Hawks had going for them. They also put the pressure on early and overwhelmed the kings.

“We went into a diamond trap and they just couldn’t correct,” Perry said. “We got a big girl we play all the time, Katia Cureton. She picked off a few and it really changed the course of the game.”

Boys Basketball

Top Performer: Adam Bailey, Mount Rainier Lutheran

37 points, 10 rebounds in 56-32 win over Northwest Yeshiva

Mount Rainier Lutheran 56, Northwest Yeshiva 32: Adam Bailey led the Hawks with a monstrous 37 points and 10 rebounds in their win over the Lions.

“Adam was doing everything he possibly could do to help this team,” Mount Rainier Lutheran assistant coach Alexander Carter said. “We were able to move the ball to him in scoring position.”

The matchup had the Hawks sweating as the Lions were leading 10 to 8 after the first quarter.

“Yeshiva came out and they came out strong,” Carter said. “They hung with us for three quarters.”

However, it was late in the game that Hawks finally wore down the Lions to pull ahead for the last time.

“The fourth quarter we came out strong,” Carter said. “I think Yeshiva just got a little bit tired and we were able to beat them down the court.”

That win now gives them a game against Muckleshoot on Monday.

“We just going to keep going out to compete,” Carter said. “Nobody wants to lose and nobody wants to go home.”

This story was originally published February 3, 2018 at 11:57 PM with the headline "Prep roundup: Curtis, Tahoma, Auburn Riverside, Bethel win league wrestling titles."