Vikings march on
Published 11:13 pm Saturday, February 9, 2008
VANCOUVER — Zach Zweifel wrestled like he was in a hurry to get home.
Proving he’s ready to win his second consecutive state championship next weekend, Zweifel ripped through his bracket Saturday during the Class 4A Region 1 wrestling tournament.
Zweifel, a Lake Stevens High School senior, won all three matches by first-round pin en route to the 112-pound championship. He was arguably the most dominant competitor in the 19-team tourney at Skyview High School.
Only one other wrestler had three pins: Battle Ground’s Eric Starks, an Arizona State University recruit.
Zweifel was one of many mat monsters for Lake Stevens, which scored 250 points to beat division rival Snohomish (169 points) for the team title. The tourney included 13 Western Conference teams and six squads from the Greater St. Helens League: Battle Ground, Evergreen, Heritage, Mountain View, Prairie and Skyview.
Scoring points for his team, not fleeing Vancouver, was the main motivation for speedy pins, said Zweifel, who beat his first two opponents in 22 and 25 seconds, respectively.
“He’s doing what he’s supposed to be doing. He’s a returning state champion,” Lake Stevens coach Brent Barnes said of Zweifel, who last season placed first at 103 pounds.
Zweifel was one of a meet-best nine finalists and four individual champions for Lake Stevens.
The top four placers in each weight division qualified for Mat Classic, the state championships, which take place Feb. 15-16 at the Tacoma Dome. Fifth-place finishers are state-tourney alternates and will compete if a higher placer scratches.
The top-ranked, defending 4A state-champion Vikings put themselves in excellent position for their final test. Lake Stevens led everyone with 13 state-bound finishers. Sixth-ranked Snohomish and 11th-ranked Heritage had seven apiece.
“We’re hoping to get another state championship obviously, and no other 4A school has ever done that back to back,” Zweifel said.
Technically, he’s correct. No program has won consecutive big-school titles since the AAA classification became 4A in 1997, but Kentwood (1990-1992), Moses Lake (1979-1980, 1964-1968 and 1959-1961), Clover Park (1977-1978), Kennewick (1970-1971) and Lincoln (1953-1954) previously had big-school title streaks, according to Washington Interscholastic Activities Association records.
Lake Stevens’ other individual regional champs were Josh Heinzer (103), B.J. Alewine (130) and George King (145).
Other local schools’ champs included:
n Snohomish’s Sam Ottow (125), Stefan St. Marie (135), Brad Perry (140) and Richard Reed (160).
n Kamiak’s Colton Kusilek (119).
n Mariner’s Daniel Link (152).
n Marysville-Pilchuck’s Michael Pfeiff (285).
Wesco teams accounted for 23 of 28 finalists and 11 of 14 first-place finishers. Only one final, the 189-pound bout, didn’t feature a Wesco competitor.
Kusilek, who beat Lake Stevens’ Jack Stilwell 2-0 for the 119 title, highlighted Kamiak’s fourth-place performance. It was the Knights’ best team effort since 2001, said Kamiak coach Dan Hanika.
Kusilek, whose first-period takedown accounted for the only points in the 119 final, had a great week of practice and has been in a groove the past month, said Hanika.
Another wrestler on a prolonged roll is Snohomish’s St. Marie. He fell behind 2-1 in the third period of the 135 final against Josh Monson of Lake Stevens but quickly responded with a lightning-quick reversal and won 3-2, edging Monson for the second straight week.
“I just immediately had to do it,” St. Marie, who improved his season record to 37-0, said of his pivotal attack. “Sometimes that’s what it takes, is that extra little bit when you get to the top level.”
Lake Stevens heavyweight Zach Teuber also dug deep and earned a trip to Mat Classic. In a winner-to-state consolation match against Snohomish’s Bret Brill, Teuber rallied from deficits of 7-1 and 10-5 before winning by pin with a mere half-second remaining in the final period.
Teuber, who last season lost to Brill in a winner-to-state battle, said he never doubted himself.
Said Teuber, who went on to place third, “You’ve just got to be positive and keep going through.”
At Skyview H.S. (Vancouver)
Team scores (Number of Mat Classic qualifiers in parentheses)
1. Lake Stevens 250 points (13), 2. Snohomish 169 (7), 3. Heritage 102.5 (7), 4. Kamiak 77.5 (3), 5. Mariner 74 (3), 6. Skyview 65 (3), 7. Mountain View 60 (4), 8. Oak Harbor 58 (3), 9. Marysville-Pilchuck 49 (2), 10. Battle Ground 43 (2), 11. Edmonds-Woodway 34 (2), 12. Shorewood 33 (2), 13. Monroe 21 (1), 14. Jackson 20 (1), 15. Stanwood 19 (1), 16. Evergreen 16 (1), 17. Cascade 13 (1), 18. Mountlake Terrace 0 (0), 19. Prairie 0 (0).
Championship matches (both qualify for state championships)
103—Heinzer (LS) dec. Martinez (OH) 4-0; 112—Zweifel (LS) pinned Holland (Ever) 1:17; 119—Kusilek (K) dec. Stilwell (LS) 2-0; 125—Ottow (Sno) dec. S. Anderson (LS) 4-1; 130—Alewine (LS) dec. Austin (LS) 2-0; 135—St. Marie (Sno) dec. Monson (LS) 3-2; 140—Perry (Sno) dec. Tuttle (OH) 18-9; 145—King (LS) major dec. Regan (K) 9-1; 152—Link (Mar) dec. Jensen (Shore) 6-3; 160—Reed (Sno) dec. Welch (LS) 5-4; 171—Starks (B) pinned Munoz (K) 1: 26; 189—Ramsey (Sky) dec. Gay (MV) 5-4 OT; 215—Cunningham (H) technical fall over Hillis (M-P) 21-6; 285—Pfeiff (M-P) dec. Reinhard (Sno) 5-4.
Third/fourth-place matches (both qualify for state championships)
103—Rodrigo (LS) dec. Buchan (Sky) 10-6; 112—Powers (H) dec. Duran (Stan) 9-8; 119—Wood (H) dec. Mead (J) 4-1; 125—Leclaire (H) dec. Tiongco (Mar) 3-1; 130—Loos (H) dec. Duncan (C) 3-1; 135—Pellegrini (LS) major dec. Alfi (E-W) 13-0; 140—Eacrett (LS) dec. Klum (H) 1-0; 145—Yee (Mar) dec. Garcia (Sno) 6-3; 152—Murray (Mon) major dec. Roller (MV) 9-1; 160—Schedler (Sky) pinned Thomason (MV) 2:25; 171—Conner (MV) pinned Reilly (OH) 4:10; 189—Hester (Shore) pinned Johanson (E-W) 4:34; 215—Becker (B) pinned Caraballo (Sno) 0:35; 285—Teuber (LS) dec. Forgette (H) 6-4.
Writer Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/heraldnet/doubleteam.
