The family plan

The Kubec Trifecta.

They’ve thought about it for years. Now they can smell it.

It goes like this:

On Saturday night, Lake Stevens freshman Kelly Kubec wrestles his cousin — sophomore Kenny Kubec of Marysville-Pilchuck — for the Class 4A state championship in the 103-pound division.

Less than two hours later, they watch Kelly’s brother — Lake Stevens senior Tony Kubec — win an elusive state title.

Before Mat Classic XVI ends Saturday night at the Tacoma Dome, Tony and Kenny Kubec take turns hoisting Lake Stevens’ Class 4A team championship trophy above their accomplished shoulders.

"That would be awesome," said Tony Kubec, who most consider to be unbeatable in the 135 class of the state tournament, which begins at 10 a.m. today. "That would be exactly what we’ve been working for. It really feels like stuff is just lining up right now."

The Kubec Trifecta is no pipe dream.

Tony (30-2 record) and Kelly (32-3) have not lost an in-state match this season despite facing top-notch competition. They are part of a team considered a slight favorite over Heritage to win the state championship. Kenny (24-4) has lost just four matches, half of them to his cousin in division and regional championship contests the past two Saturdays.

Monroe coach Andy Cook, who has worked with the Kubecs since Kelly was 4 years old, said he thinks the trifecta will happen.

"There’s no question in my mind," said Cook, who won individual state titles for Burlington-Edison in 1993, 1995 and 1996.

Tony Kubec, who transferred from Cascade to Lake Stevens when his family moved after his sophomore year, has craved a state title for as long as he can remember. Despite his own lofty expectations and those of the wrestling community, Kubec did not place at state his first two years. Last season, he made it to the semifinals of the 130 division, just missing out on the finals when he lost to Kamiakin’s Tyler Sherfey, 7-4. He finished third.

This time, he wants it all.

"Not a lot of people get a chance like this — where you can win a title, your team can win a title and your little brother can, too," Tony said.

The elder Kubec isn’t flashy. You won’t see him flinging opponents all over the floor like he’s banging the dust off of a welcome mat. He simply wins.

"He’s never been the strongest, the fastest or the most athletic," Cook said. "He’s had to use concrete positioning and concrete technique to succeed."

Despite joining the Lake Stevens program as a junior, Kubec has become one of the Vikings’ team leaders. Selected a team captain, he takes pride in helping his teammates learn. Especially his little brother.

"Nobody is going to treat Kelly harder than Tony — sometimes you cringe," said Lake Stevens coach Brent Barnes, who suggested Tony would make a good wrestling coach in the future. "But nobody loves his brother more than Tony loves Kelly."

Like his wrestling style, Tony’s personality is relatively matter-of-fact. Kelly, who plans to be the next Chris Berman, is outgoing and full of flair when he competes.

Tony often laughs when he sees his brother hanging out with Kenny. "The kids" as Tony calls them, are like brothers and best friends. They compete in more ways than on the mat. They can be seen one moment racing in the pool. The next, they’re on a trampoline, finding out who can do the most impressive stunts. When it gets dark, they break out the pool cues and see who is king of the green felt.

"I’m the better pool player," pointed out Kenny, whose brother Joe Kubec finished second in the state at 141 pounds in 1998.

The friendly wrestling rivalry goes back as long as they can remember. They idolized local wrestlers, but rarely agreed on which competitors deserved their support. During the 1996 state meet, they argued about who would win the Class 2A 122 title match — Cook or Anacortes freshman Coyte Cooper. Kenny won that bet for pride when Cook — who would later live in Kelly’s house for a year — captured his third title. Though Kelly lost that bet, Cooper eventually went on to win three state titles.

Kenny and Kelly — sons of brothers Joe and Keith Kubec, respectively — can be brash at times. They were quick to point out that none of their wrestling talent comes from their fathers, who both wrestled with modest success at Lynnwood.

"It’s absolutely true," Keith Kubec said with a chuckle.

With Kelly’s athletic ability and extreme work ethic, the whispers of winning four state titles — something just three other Washington wrestlers have done — already have begun to circulate despite the fact he’s yet to wrestle a state match.

If he comes through on the first part of the Kubec Trifecta, he may well be on his way.