Orting sending nine wrestlers to 2A semifinals, among teams looking to repeat at Mat Classic XXXIV
Last February, Orting High School sent six wrestlers to the state finals — and eventually left the Tacoma Dome with six individual champions and a Class 2A team title.
Perhaps a similar script will play out this weekend. Following Friday’s opening day of Mat Classic XXXIV, the Cardinals are in position to crown several more individual champions, and top the podium in the team race in 2A for a second consecutive season.
Orting piled up points again on the first day of the annual state tournament, taking a comfortable lead into Saturday’s final rounds. The Cardinals have 106.5 points, well ahead of Othello (72), Burlington-Edison (63.5) and W.F. West (58).
They have nine wrestlers in Saturday morning’s semifinals — including four of last season’s state champions — and at least one competing in eight of the 14 weight classes in 2A.
“I think we’re kind of in control of our own destiny,” Cardinals coach Jody Coleman said.
Dominic Thomas pinned Sedro-Woolley’s Owen Ensley in 2:49 in the quarterfinals in the 106-pound bracket Friday afternoon, starting a run of seven consecutive weight classes in which Orting advanced a wrestler to the semifinals.
Michael Fritz then pinned Washougal’s Brody Davis in 1:30 at 113 pounds.
Defending state champion A.J. Salguero — who is also part of The News Tribune’s 2023 class “Untouchables,” which lists the most unbeatable high school wrestlers in the state each season entering Mat Classic — shut out Sedro-Woolley’s Koe Greenough, 8-0, in the 120-pound bracket.
Owen Harding, another defending champion for the Cardinals, then beat Ellensburg’s Jack Eylar by 5-1 decision at 126.
Defending champion Bryan Dickerson won by 10-1 decision over Cedarcrest’s Francisco Contreras at 132.
Defending champion Apollo Cruz added another win at 138, beating Othello’s Forrest Roylance by 16-3 decision.
Matthew Gore followed up with a 5-1 win over Othello’s Camilo Mendez III at 145.
Orting added two more wins in the quarterfinals in the 195-pound weight class from Hunter Sonnenberg, who pinned Pullman’s Samuel Sears in 47 seconds, and Whyatt Larson Phelen, who shut out Ridgefield’s Cota Stover, 6-0.
Orting has three more wrestlers still competing in consolation rounds.
The Cardinals also have a repeat team title in sight.
“I think they expect it, to be honest with you,” Coleman said. “They’re just kind of driven that way.”
Orting isn’t the only program in position to secure a repeat team championship this weekend.
Following Friday’s opening rounds, five defending team champions lead their respective tournaments.
Three-time defending 4A champion Chiawana has a classification-leading 80 points heading into Saturday, and three wrestlers in the semifinals.
But, three South Sound programs aren’t far behind.
Tahoma, led by defending state champion Christopher Neal, currently sits in second with 69.5 points.
Neal, who won a 4A title at 170 pounds last season, and is in Saturday’s semifinals in the 182-pound bracket following a first-round pin against Camas’ Omar Shaheen in the quarterfinals, is one of six Bears wrestlers still competing for an individual championship.
Tahoma’s Crew Lambro (106 pounds), Alex Othon (113), Joe Sullivan (120), Nathan Curry (126) and Cyrus Comia (145) are also in the semifinals.
“We’re feeling really good this year,” Neal said. “We brought a lot of people this year, and I’ve seen my friends with a lot of matches that I’m very impressed by.”
South Kitsap is currently third in the 4A race, paced by a pair of defending state champions in Stone Hartford and Mitchell Neiner.
Hartford won the 120-pound title last season, and heads into the semifinals in the 132-pound bracket following a quarterfinals pin of Kentridge’s Jaheem Zakka in 4:35.
Neiner, who won a title at 126 pounds last season and is also part of this year’s class of “Untouchables,” won both of his matches Friday by technical fall, including a 24-9 victory over Issaquah’s Dash Riley in the quarterfinals.
Braden Shook (138), Gabriel Fragoso (170) and Phillip Chobot (182) also advanced to the semifinals for the Wolves.
Sumner is just behind South Kitsap with 66 points, and has six wrestlers in the semifinals, including defending champions Elias McDonald and Cody Miller.
McDonald won at 106 pounds last winter, and secured another trip to the semifinals in the 120-pound bracket with an 11-4 decision over Lake Stevens’ Trevor Wilson.
Miller, who won at 152 last season and is also part of this year’s class of “Untouchables,” beat Sunnyside’s Christopher Villanueva by 13-2 decision to advance.
Jeremiah J. Schliesman (126), Drake Thompson (152), Hank Herrick (152) and Matt King (182) are also in the semifinals for a Spartans program hoping to chase down a team title.
“We really want it,” Miller said. “We’re really pushing for that.”
Defending 3A champion Mead has 129 points, leading Hermiston (118.5), Stanwood (114) and Mount Spokane (93).
Perennial powerhouse Toppenish — which topped the 1A tournament last winter, and won the 2A classification in 2020 and 2019 — leads the 1A team race by 100-plus points with 155 after the first day. Toppenish has 13 wrestlers in the semifinals, more than any other program at Mat Classic. Omak (49.5), Deer Park (43) and Mount Baker (43) round out the top four in 1A following the first day.
Forks leads the 2B/1B race with 90.5 points, followed by Tonasket with 88.5, Jenkins with 62 and two-time defending champion Granger — which won the 2B/1B classification last season and 1A in 2020 — with 45.
Toppenish won the girls tournament — which is now split into two divisions — last season, and leads the 2A/1A/2B/1B team race with 131 points, ahead of White River (48), Royal (33) and W.F. West (32.5).
Moses Lake leads the 4A/3A Girls division entering Saturday with 88 points, followed by a pair of South Sound programs in Yelm (69) and Curtis (64), and Chief Sealth (58).
This story was originally published February 17, 2023 at 8:47 PM.
