Mat Classic XXXVI: Orting’s Harding, Salguero Jr. chase elusive fourth state title

When the Orting Cardinals enter the Tacoma Dome each February, the lights aren’t too bright. The moment isn’t too big, and the overwhelming sprawl of countless wrestlers — plus thousands more looking on — isn’t so overwhelming.

It’s more than “they’ve been here before.” In Tacoma, winning is all the Cardinals know.

The defending three-time 2A team champions are back for more: Orting sent 14 wrestlers to Saturday’s quarterfinals and beyond, and the Cardinals hold a slim lead over Toppenish for what could become their fourth-straight team title at Mat Classic XXXVI.

“Everybody’s in good spirits,” Orting coach Jody Coleman said Friday. “We drilled the heck out of them (at practice this week), so I think they’re just hungry to wrestle.”

Some schools bring two or three wrestlers to Tacoma. Stronger programs bring eight or nine. Orting brought two dozen.

The Cardinals returned four reigning individual champions to Mat Classic XXXVI: Dominic Thomas (132), Alan Salguero Jr. (138), Quentin Harding (157), and Levi DiCugno (175). Also back are a pair of runner-ups from last year in sophomores Laithan Lawson and Ty Satiacum Jr.

And don’t forget Trevor “TJ” Anderson, this season’s 2A SPSL Wrestler of the Year who fell in last year’s 2A 120 semifinals and hasn’t lost since.

Anderson (32-0) hunted opponents like prey in Friday morning’s opening rounds, instantly attacking and maintaining pressure.

“I don’t want to give any of these kids hope that they can win,” Anderson said after a quick, seemingly-effortless win in the Round of 16 via fall (1:07). “I just want to go out and dominate.”

It’s a two-team race on the 2A boys team leaderboard between Orting and Toppenish, once again rivals after the Wildcats rose from 1A last fall. The Wildcats visited Orting for a highly-anticipated dual meet last December where the Cardinals prevailed by a razor-thin margin, 33-32.

“No disrespect to 1A, we had a great run in 1A, but obviously we didn’t belong there,” Toppenish head coach Pepe Segovia told The News Tribune this week. “Just all the politics and logistics behind the classification, we had to drop down. But... we chased the competition in 1A, now in 2A. We did the same thing. Nothing changed.

“We went out of our way and finally went out to Orting. After years of trying to get that duel to happen, Coach Jody (Coleman) said, ‘You know what? Let’s do it.’ So we went out there, had a very intense match, pretty much for bragging rights as Washington’s best team, and Orting got the best of us by a point. That’s unsettled business. We’re looking to get the victory and avenge that loss where it really counts – at the Dome.”

HARDING, SALGUERO JR. IN CONTENTION FOR FOURTH TITLE

Quentin Harding and Alan Salguero Jr.’s quest to join elite company lives on.

The pair of Orting seniors can win their fourth individual state title at Mat Classic XXXVI — something just 22 wrestlers (18 boys) in state history have completed.

Harding collected a pair of technical falls in the 2A 157’s opening rounds, and Salguero Jr. notched a fall and technical fall (2A 138) to advance to Saturday’s state quarterfinals at the Tacoma Dome.

“We’ve known each other since we were little,” Salguero Jr. said. “We helped each other grow, always competed against each other. He’s my best friend on and off the mat, and we continue to push each other. (Winning a fourth) would be really special to us.”

Harding and Salguero Jr. would join three wrestlers in Orting history to accomplish the feat: Drew Templeman (2009-12), Fred Green (2012-15), and Alexander Cruz (2015-18).

And neither shy away from the limelight. Winning a fourth individual title is a daily discussion at practice, and the team embraces the pressure in completing a 2A team four-peat. The message during Friday morning’s warmups: “One last ride. Let’s go do it.”

“We don’t feel like there’s crazy pressure,” Harding said. “We just want to go have fun and do what we love to do.”

Salguero Jr. agreed. “I’m just going out there and trying to have fun. Win or lose, it doesn’t matter.”

Coleman, arguably the busiest coach of the weekend with 24 wrestlers in attendance, wants to soak all of it in.

“It’s kind of bittersweet, because I’ve known these kids forever,” Coleman said. “We do have some seniors that are really special to me, in my heart, because I watched them grow up. I’m just trying to embrace the next week, because that’s it. I’ve known them since they were like five years old, and then they’re gone.

“I guess I’m just trying to enjoy the moment.”

TEAM LEADERS

2A BOYS — Orting (138.5)

2A GIRLS — Toppenish (92)

1A BOYS — Wapato (112.5)

1B/2B BOYS — Okanogan (99)

1A/1B/2B GIRLS — Zillah (58)

SOUTH SOUND IN THE QUARTERFINALS

These local wrestlers advanced to Saturday’s state quarterfinals:

2A BOYS

106 — Nery Rivas, Orting; Roberto Rivera-Jesus, Black Hills

113 — Arcadius Cruz, Orting

120 — Trevor Anderson, Orting; Rorek Foss, Black Hills

126 — Cash Boos, Black Hills; Ty Satiacum Jr., Orting

132 — Justice Lopez, Orting

138 — Alexander Richardson, Foss; Alan Salguero Jr., Orting

144 — Michael Fritz, Orting; Laithan Lawson, Orting; Porter Niklason, Black Hills

150 — Brock Armstrong, Orting

157 — Quentin Harding, Orting; William Lowery, Orting; Mekhi Richardson, Tumwater

165 — Ammon Combs, Black Hills; William Conroy, Fife

175 — Levi DiCugno, Orting; Amos Voss, Orting

190 — Urijah Satiacum, Orting

215 — Jameson Beckord, Eatonville

285 — Trevion Johnson, Foss

2A GIRLS

100 — Sloane Kruger, Black Hills; Shan-Lee Salazar, Orting

105 — Najalia Baublits, Eatonville; Kenzie Goodman, Orting; Kyler Menza, Washington

110 — Athena Kusander, Washington

115 — Lilly Hopkins, Orting

120 — Aleeciya Meredith, Franklin Pierce

125 — Madison Watts, Orting

135 — Jayden Crouch, Orting

140 — Amayrany Rodriguez, Franklin Pierce

155 — Breanna Klein, Clover Park; Isabella Steinebach, Black Hills

170 — Makenzie Ball, Eatonville; Madeline Payne, Black Hills

190 — Isabella Chernard, Black Hills; Belleza Torres, Orting

1A BOYS

113 — Tyler McManemy, Cascade Christian

120 — Devon McManemy, Cascade Christian

126 — Aiden Kucera, Cascade Christian

144 — Casper Appleman, Cascade Christian

215 — Caleb Harris, Cascade Christian; Zachary McKnight, Life Christian

285 — Griffen Wells, Cascade Christian

1A/1B/2B GIRLS

115 — Makenna Kelpman, Life Christian

130 — Hazel Nielsen, Vashon Island

145 — Persephone Puz, Vashon Island

190 — Mercedes Chavez, Life Christian; Alara Demir, Vashon Island

235 — Sophie Stennes, Cascade Christian