Everett unseats Sedro-Woolley
Published 10:46 pm Saturday, February 6, 2010
EVERETT — The Everett High School wrestling team began to gather at the center of its gymnasium shortly after the mats were rolled up after the 3A District 1 meet Saturday night.
As if by magnetism, one wrestler after another joined an amorphous blob of tension gathering in the middle of ‘The Pit.’ Some crossed their fingers. Others looked up to the ceiling and some just stared at each other, hopefully with smiles across their faces while the team results were announced over the loudspeaker.
When Sedro-Woolley was announced in second place, the mass of Seagulls cheered, yelled and jumped up and down along with many fans who remained in the stands. Until that moment, none of the wrestlers had been able to do the math that became increasingly clear as the afternoon wore on.
Everett was the tournament team champion, scoring 272 points — 23.5 points more than Sedro-Woolley.
“We haven’t knocked off Sedro-Woolley ever so this is quite an honor,” 18th-year Everett coach Brien Elliott said. “It’s something we’ve worked really hard for in the last 10 years.”
Elliott, who himself graduated from Everett in the early 1980s, and his band of Seagulls have a bit of a chip on their shoulder that fuels them to keep getting better, which has been their focus since before the season started.
“Everett is not supposed to be a dominating school in wrestling,” Elliott said. “We’re not respected. We’re just an inner city school that is supposed to maybe do well, but not be on top. Our kids find a way to win. That’s what the incredible part is.”
During the two-day championship, the Seagulls had 10 top-four finishers who will advance to next weekend’s regional championship at West Valley High School (Yakima) where the qualifiers from District 1 will take on wrestlers from three Yakima schools and five from Spokane to see who goes to the state tournament.
Everett’s 215-pounder Alec Bird captured the state title in 2009 but failed to win at either the district or regional tournament. He wasn’t about to let that happen again, defeating Sedro’s Joe Janicki 6-0 in the final.
“I’m just pumped to actually win my first district, Bird said. “It shows me how I’ve improved over this last year.”
Meadowdale finished fifth in the team competition and had five wrestlers qualify for the next level. Glacier Peak finished sixth and advanced six wrestlers, including three champions.
Seventh-place Lynnwood advanced four wrestlers, most notably Zach Calkins, the 112-pound champion. Calkins was one of just two Royals to make a final bout. After pinning his first two opponents on his way to the final he just held on for a 3-2 win over Ferndale’s Isaac Robinson in the closest championship bout of the tournament.
Calkins took a lot of pride in being the only Royal wrestler atop the medal stand.
“It kinda means a lot because Lynnwood is not the best school in the world (in athletics),” he said, “but it feels really good to give our school a district champion.”
Shorecrest finished last but advanced five wrestlers. The Scots’ lone finalist, heavyweight Ian Bolstad, was pinned by Sedro’s Keonrad Swartz.
Note: Everett’s Nick Clovsky was named the district’s Assistant Coach of the Year. The fifth-year strength and conditioning coach will have a chance at the regional award next week.
At Everett H.S.
Team scores—1. Everett 272, 2. Sedro Woolley 248.5, 3. Ferndale 228, 4. Mount Vernon 181, 5. Meadowdale 171.5, 6 Glacier Peak 165, 7. Lynnwood 136.5, 8. Shorecrest 127.5.
Top four finishers to regional.
Championship bouts
103—Bratz (GP) pinned Lopez (E) 0:54; 112—Calkins (L) dec. Robinson (F) 3-1; 119—St. Marie (GP) tech. fall Ubungen (L) 25-10; 125—Forrest (E) dec. Morgan (SW) 8-6; 130—Palabrica (E) dec. Diemond (M) 6-0; 135—Howell (SW) dec. Sanchez (M) 9-3; 140—Watts (MV) dec. Parada (M) 6-3; 145—Vanwyhe (GP) dec. Carlson (F) 2-0; 152—Barrington (MV) dec. Brame (F) 5-2; 160—Contreras (E) dec. Rivas (MV) 8-3; 171—Garcia (SW) injury default over Lopez (E); 189—Grieg (F) dec. Knutsen (SW) 8-6; 215—Bird (E) dec. Janicki (SW) 6-0; 285—Swartz (SW) pinned Bolstad (S) 1:21.
Third-place bouts
103—Simon (L) pinned Cha (S) 2:55; 112—Basabe (L) pinned Tanner (SW) 4:00; 119—Okara (MV) dec. Crook (E) 9-4; 125—Forst (SW) dec. Kiim (GP) 9-6; 130—Mast (SW) pinned Johnson (SW) 1:38; 135—Liles (F) pinned Officer (S) 1:25; 140—Johnson (F) dec. Sage (GP) 7-0; 145—Paeth (E) dec. Nelson (F) 6-2; 152—Patrone (M) injury default over Arbanasin (S); 160—Boyce (E) dec. Mungarro (F) 9-8; 171—Loeza (S) pinned Almanza (MV) 1:41; 189—Jack (M) dec. Jacobsen (E) 10-6; 215—Busquet (MV) dec Alexander (F) 4-3; 285—Carrol (E) dec. Morrelli (M) 6-4.
