TACOMA — A year ago, the wrestling season ended dramatically different for Ryan DeWeese and Alex Coffman.
DeWeese, representing Edmonds-Woodway High School, surged to the Class 4A state tournament finals in 2010 and finished in second place. On the other hand, Coffman, wrestling for Mar
iner High School, went into 4A state with high hopes but endured two straight losses and was eliminated on Day 1.
But this weekend during Mat Classic XXIII at the Tacoma Dome, DeWeese and Coffman’s journeys were remarkably similar. Both wrestlers grappled their way to an individual state championship and made school history.
Ranked No. 3 in the 130-pound division, DeWeese, a senior, won with a major decision, a decision and a pin in the first three rounds and on Saturday night capped his stellar tournament with a 19-6 victory over second-ranked Clint Powers of Skyview in the 130 final. DeWeese, who edged Powers in overtime in the Region 1 tournament, became the first Edmonds-Woodway state wrestling champ since the school opened in 1990, E-W coach Joe Trieu said.
“It’s amazing. I’m so proud of Ryan. He did it!” said Trieu, who gave DeWeese a huge hug after DeWeese did a backward somersault on the mat following his victory.
The last wrestler from Edmonds to win a state title was Edmonds High’s Marcus Requa (3A, 101 pounds in 1989). Twenty-two years after Requa won it all, DeWeese became a champion by sticking to his strength: consistency.
“Ryan just is a very consistent wrestler,” Trieu said of DeWeese, who finished the season with 30 wins and five losses. “A lot of (wrestlers) go up and down and Ryan was just there in the match, doing what he always does.”
Less than two hours after DeWeese won the 130-pound final, Mariner’s Coffman, also a senior, became his school’s first state wrestling champ since Jared Wright won the 4A 145-pound title in 2000. Ranked first in the state, Coffman defeated Moses Lake sophomore Jonathan Perales 12-5 in the 160 final.
A three-sport athlete who plays football and baseball in addition to wrestling, Coffman savored his championship victory on Saturday. After winning and capping a 29-1 season, he rolled onto his back and pointed up with both hands.
“I never imagined it,” he said a few minutes later. “As much confidence as I had in myself and as much motivation (as he had), it’s unreal to actually be in this situation.”
Coffman’s biggest challenge in the tournament came in the semifinals against second-ranked Sam Voigtlander of Mead. Coffman prevailed with a 4-3 decision.
A few minutes after Coffman won the final against Perales, he looked at the 2A mat, where Tumwater’s Riley Prentice — the only wrestler who beat Coffman this season — won the 2A 160-pound final.
Asked what motivated him the most to become a high-caliber wrestler, Coffman praised his coaches, including Matt Krier, currently a Mariner assistant coach who was the Marauders’ head coach last season.
“From middle school on up to when I started out as a freshman on varsity (Krier) just kept pushing me,” Coffman said.
Coffman will celebrate his 18th birthday on Tuesday. Considering his state title as a gift to himself, he joked: “I don’t want anything else.”
Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at www.heraldnet.com/doubleteam and follow Cane on Twitter at MikeCaneHerald.
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