Taking on the streak

Published 11:52 pm Monday, January 14, 2008

What’s it like to take on the perennially powerful Lake Stevens High School wrestling team?

Kevin Judkins put it in terms that even the most casual sports fan can understand.

“It’s a program that’s at the top and has been for a long time. It’s kind of like beating the Yankees,” said Judkins, head coach of the Snohomish High wrestling team.

Judkins is one of the rare people who knows what it’s like to beat Lake Stevens, which has won 18 consecutive league championships and five state team titles since 1990. In 1993 Judkins, then Lynnwood’s coach, guided the Royals to a tight victory over the Vikings.

Since then Lake Stevens hasn’t lost a league dual meet — a remarkable, well-publicized winning streak that has lasted 117 meets over about 15 years.

Ending Lake Stevens’ incredible run isn’t necessarily a priority, Judkins said. It’s more about trying to beat an elite opponent.

“The streak is out there,” said Judkins, “but I think they’ve established themselves well enough that (the goal) is just beating Lake Stevens. That’s everybody’s goal.”

That’s certainly the mission for Snohomish this week. Judkins’ team is 6-0 in Western Conference North Division meets, just like Lake Stevens. The teams are scheduled to fight for division supremacy 7 p.m. Thursday at the Snohomish High gym.

Although Lake Stevens is the favorite, as usual, it could be an interesting battle. According to Washington Wrestling Report, Lake Stevens is ranked No. 1 in Class 4A and Snohomish is No. 6.

Although injuries might limit the teams a bit, they are both loaded with experienced competitors. Lake Stevens features 2007 state champion Zach Zweifel (now at 112 pounds), ‘07 runner-up Jack Stilwell (119) and a total of 10 wrestlers who have won at least 15 matches this season.

Snohomish counters with standouts like Sam Ottow (125 pounds), a junior who transferred from Monroe after placing second in the state last season at 119; Brad Perry (140), who has a season record of 22-2 and took fifth at 130 in 2007; and undefeated junior Stefan St. Marie (135, 27-0).

Judkins said his Lynnwood team’s 1993 triumph versus Lake Stevens came down to the final match. What will it take for Snohomish to pull off a similar result?

“If we’re going to knock them off, we’re going to have to win two to three (matches) through the middle there, where it’s their strength,” Judkins said. “We’re going to have to attack their strength and knock them off in a couple places there.”

If banged-up Lake Stevens wrestlers Josh Monson (6-1) and Josh Villani (17-4) are healthy enough to compete, the Vikings might be too powerful for Snohomish, or any team in the state for that matter.

“It’s a huge task ahead of us. We’ve got some kids who can do it but we’re coming in as huge underdogs,” Judkins said.

Last season Lake Stevens zipped to a 30-0 lead and won 13 of 14 matches en route to a shocking 48-6 rout over Snohomish. Just like this season, both teams were undefeated in dual meets entering the clash.

But with the highly anticipated matchup switching sites this time, Snohomish hopes for a much different result.

“It didn’t turn out like we wanted it to” last season, Perry said. “But luckily it’s (at Snohomish) this year so I’m looking forward to it, with our fans.”

Ottow grew up watching his older brothers compete for Monroe in meets against Lake Stevens. He respects the Vikings and wants to prove his new team is a worthy opponent.

“It kind of carries on because Lake Stevens is always the team to beat,” said Ottow. “We’ve got a team this year that’s got a lot of studs on it and we’ve got a chance to beat them. We’re really motivated to end their streak.”

Said St. Marie, who last season competed in the junior-varsity meet, “Any team would like to be the one to knock off the kingpin.”

“We’ve always had them on our mind,” he added, “and we’re working hard to do our best.”

Contact Herald Writer Mike Cane at mcane@heraldnet.com. For more high school sports news, check out the prep sports blog Double Team at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/heraldnet/doubleteam.