Lake Stevenss happy to put an end to long inactive stretch
Published 4:09 pm Monday, December 22, 2008
The Vikings were hungry for competition, and it showed.
After going nearly a week and a half without an event, the Lake Stevens High School wrestling team won the team title Saturday at the prestigious Tri-State Tournament in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Josh Heinzer (112 pounds), Jack Stilwell (119) and George King (152) won individual championships for the Vikings, ranked No.1 in Washington’s Class 4A by Washington Wrestling Report.
Lake Stevens won the Tri-State title with 206.5 points. Flathead (Mont.) was second with 186.5 points.
“More than anything, it was just good to get some wrestling in. To get over there and get some good quality matches in was the most important thing,” Lake Stevens head coach Brent Barnes said.
Lake Stevens was the only local prep team that competed this past weekend, when weather conditions continued to demolish the area’s high school sports schedule. It took Lake Stevens about eight hours to get from Lake Stevens to Coeur d’Alene, Barnes said.
The weather was bad in Idaho too. Poor conditions prevented 19 teams from participating in the Tri-State tournament, according to a Coeur d’Alene Press story.
The quality of competition was good but would have been better if the other squads had participated, Barnes said.
In the finals, Heinzer won a 16-2 major decision, Stilwell won a 5-0 decision and King won 6-5, also by decision. King edged Moses Lake’s Sam Villegas in what Barnes said could be a preview of the 2009 4A state final.
Last season Villegas was a 2008 1A state champion at Royal, and King won the 4A 145-pound title.
“It was a good, hard-fought match,” Barnes said.
Jackson’s Cox has two college football offers
Taylor Cox, a senior running back/defensive back from Jackson High, has received football scholarship offers from Eastern Washington University and Central Washington University, Jackson football coach Joel Vincent said. This past fall Cox was an All-Wesco South First Team running back. He rushed for 971 yards (9.4 yards per attempt) and 18 touchdowns. Class of 2009 football players can sign a binding NCAA National Letter of Intent in February.
Santa loves basketball
The unofficial Costume of the Night award at the Mariner versus Jackson boys basketball game Dec. 16 went to a jolly Jackson fan who dressed as Santa Claus. The young Kris Kringle impersonator even brought bells, which he frequently jingled in the bleachers. At one point Jackson students even sang “Jingle Bells” while Mariner player Ayanle Yusuf shot free throws.
Cascade alumni game
The 2008-09 Crimson &Grey Alumni Basketball Game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Jan. 2 at the Cascade High gym. The cost is $30 per player. For more information contact Jamar Williams at jwilliams@everettsd.org or 425-385-6007.
Mike Cane, Herald Writer
