Boys Wrestlers to Watch
Published 6:24 pm Saturday, December 6, 2008
Sam Ottow &Stefan St. Marie
Snohomish seniors
The Snohomish duo were a combined 81-4 last season to lead the Panthers to a perfect Wesco North season, which included ending Lake Stevens’ remarkable streak of 117 consecutive dual-meet triumphs and a fifth-place finish in Class 4A at the Mat Classic. The seniors will try to repeat that feat but better their individual performances in this their final season at Snohomish.
A three-year state placer, Ottow (40-3) finished second for the second-straight year when he endured a heartbreaking 4-3 loss in the 125-pound title match. This year the goal is winning the title that has alluded him the past three seasons. “We understand that this is his last shot at a state title. It’s a big deal for him, his family and the program,” first-year Snohomish head coach Rob Zabel said. Ottow comes from a lineage of wrestlers. Both of his older brothers Jordan and Lee were state placers for Monroe, where Sam wrestled and finished second as a sophomore and sixth as a freshman. Lee is the lone brother with a state title (1996).
St. Marie (41-1) was nearly perfect in his first season as a full-time varsity wrestler. The junior cruised through the season before placing second by losing his lone match to Lake Steven’s Josh Monson in the 135-pound title bout. “Stefan continues to work to get better, which he has been doing. And he continues to be a team leader. He shows that with his work ethic,” Zabel said of St. Marie.
Cary Irwin
Everett senior
From junior varsity to placing at the 3A Mat Classic, that was the journey Irwin took last season in the 152-pound weight class, helping Everett earn a fifth-place finish at the Tacoma Dome.
Irwin began the season wrestling in JV matches before finally beating out the varsity teammate that stood in his path. Then, Everett head coach Brien Elliott says, “He got on a little tear, started wrestling really well, developed and ended up placing third at state.”
Irwin also placed first at the 3A Region 1 tournament and this season will team up with teammates, senior Taylor Boyce (sixth, 160) and junior Alec Bird (fourth, 171).
“Both Cary and Taylor are ranked second in their weight classes in their state rankings. We’re going to do well. It’s a tough league being in the 3A/4A (Wesco North) but I’d prefer it that way. We’re pretty happy with quite a few kids being back,” Elliott said.
Josh Heinzer
Lake Stevens junior
There was no sophomore slump for Josh Heinzer last season. Heinzer won the 4A state championship in the 103-pound weight class, leading Lake Stevens to its third 4A Mat Classic title in five years. This season he’ll wrestle at 112 and early indications are that the slight jump in weight won’t deter any chances of a repeat state title for Heinzer. Dave Gilbertson of the Washington Wrestling Report ranks Heinzer as the No. 1 112-pound wrestler in the Class 4A.
George King
Lake Stevens senior
He’s got a name like a professional wrestler — George King and so far his performance has been nothing but professional. As a sophomore King finished fifth in the 145-pound weight class at the 4A Mat Classic. He followed that up with a state championship last season, again in the 145-pound weight class. In this his senior year, King comes in ranked No. 1 in the 152-pound weight class by Dave Gilbertson of the Washington Wrestling Report. Once again, it could be good to be the King.
Demitri Robinson
Tulalip Heritage sophomore
The big question for Demitri Robinson will be how to follow up a record-breaking freshman season that saw Robinson not only become the first and only wrestler to compete for Tulalip Heritage but also won a Class 1B state title in the 103-pound weight class. Robinson finished 28-3 last year while wrestling for both Marysville-Pilchuck High School (19-3) and Tulalip Heritage (9-0). Robinson will most likely wrestle in the 119 and 125 weight classes.
Compiled by Kevin Johnson Herald Writer
