EVERETT – You wouldn’t know it by looking at its sparkling record, but the Lake Stevens High wrestling team struggled in recent weeks.
Sure, the first-place Vikings entered Thursday night’s crucial Western Conference North Division wrestling meet against the Cascade Bruins undefeated and proud owners of a mind-boggling league victory streak. But Lake Stevens coach Brent Barnes craved a return to form after what he considered a few sub-par efforts.
Oh, did Barnes get his wish.
Lake Stevens won the first six bouts en route to a stout 24-0 lead and eventually toppled Cascade 39-18 at the Cascade High gym. The Vikings (7-0 Wesco North, 8-0 overall) aced their toughest test of the regular season by topping previously undefeated Cascade (6-1, 8-2).
Michael V. Martina / The Herald
Lake Stevens notched its 102nd straight triumph in a league dual meet – a streak that dates back to 1993 – and took a crucial step toward securing its 17th consecutive league title. The Vikings wrap up their Wesco North schedule against Monroe on Jan. 26.
“No doubt,” Barnes said when asked if this was his team’s best performance of the season. “They wrestled as well tonight as they’ve wrestled all year long. … It was a great team effort from bottom to top.”
Sophomore Josh Monson (130 pounds) and senior Jon Wilbourne (189) had pins for Lake Stevens, and junior Kelly Kubec defeated Cascade’s Jonny Gilbertson at 135 in a matchup of elite competitors.
Kubec, who moved up a weight class to set up the duel, appeared focused and ready to erupt when he high-fived teammates during pre-meet introductions. “I told (the Vikings) before the match, ‘Hey, look in my eyes. I’m not losing.’ “
Kubec held his word, rallying for a 9-7 win over Gilbertson. It was one of several tight battles that Lake Stevens snared.
“We wrestled a team that knows how to win close matches,” Cascade coach Jake Huizinga said. “We lost six matches that could have gone our way.”
Kubec, the 112 4A state champ last season, and Gilbertson, a senior who placed third at 125, treated fans to a high-profile clash. Gilbertson used an explosive burst to take a 5-2 lead after one period, but Kubec fought back to knot the score at 6-6 through two periods. With an escape and a quick takedown in the first 15 seconds of the third period, Kubec pulled ahead 9-6 and held on to win.
After winning, Kubec pumped his fists and yelled toward the cheering Lake Stevens fans in the stands. Kubec said he tried to inspire his teammates to match his fire and that intensity.
Lake Stevens defeated Cascade 52-10 last season. The Bruins, who finish their regular season at Stanwood, finished fourth in the division behind Lake Stevens, Stanwood and Marysville-Pilchuck.
The home crowd didn’t have much to cheer about early on during senior night as Monson, Kubec, Kai VanLeuven (140), Kyle Hughes (145), Billy Moehrle (152) and Zach Burnett (160) all won for Lake Stevens. But Cascade won four of six bouts midway through the meet, highlighted by the pins of senior Ben McKinlay (275) and junior Andrew Walt (112).
At Everett
130-Monson (LS) pinned Rios 3:40; 135-Kubec (LS) dec. Gilbertson 9-7; 140-VanLeuven (LS) major dec. Little 13-2; 145-Hughes (LS) dec. Douglas 4-0; 152-Moehrle (LS) technical fall Tran 17-2; 160-Burnett (LS) dec. Morrison 9-4; 171-Vigoren (C) dec. McGuire 6-0; 189-Wilbourne (LS) pinned Kubin 2:39; 215-Austin (LS) dec. Kendo 4-3; 275-McKinlay (C) pinned Schwartzmiller 0:32; 103-R. Walt (C) dec. Zweifel 7-1; 112-A. Walt (C) pinned Alewine 1:26; 119-Eacrett (LS) dec. Duncan 1-0; 125-Tipton (LS) dec. Bates 10-6. Records-Lake Stevens 7-0 in division, 8-0 overall. Cascade 6-1, 8-2.
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