TACOMA — For a few moments on Saturday evening, two Lake Stevens wrestlers reversed roles.
Tony Kubec, a control freak while wearing a wrestling singlet, introduced Auburn’s Tyler Roshau’s face to various part of the Class 4A state championship mat at the Tacoma Dome.
A little earlier, aggressive teammate Lester Brown borrowed the Book of Kubec, controlling Cory Vombaur of Evergreen (Vancouver) for the longest six minutes of his life.
The unplanned trade was a winner for both sides. Both won their first individual state titles Saturday at Mat Classic XVI to lead the Vikings to a runaway Class 4A state championship.
After winning, they both quickly snapped back into place. Brown, who led the 125-pound weight division title bout by a point before a last-second takedown gave him a 3-0 victory, performed a back flip and raised his hands to the Vikings fans in the Tacoma Dome stands. Kubec, seemingly feeling more relieved than elated to win the 135-pound title, walked off the mat like he was going to history class.
There was no thought of a back flip.
"I’m not quite the athlete Lester is," smiled Kubec, who entered the third round of the title bout leading 2-0 before a wild third round led to his 11-4 victory.
Both wrestlers erased their own disappointments of Mat Classic past. Kubec, who finished the season 34-2, didn’t make it to the second day as a freshman or sophomore before leaping up to third place at 130 last year. Brown (35-4), a junior, finished eighth and fifth, respectively, the last two seasons.
Brown put Lake Stevens in prime position to win the team title by winning perhaps the Vikings’ most important match of the tournament.
Brown knocked off Heritage’s Peter Barnes — the same wrestler who knocked Brown out of the 112-pound winner’s bracket last season — in a semifinal. He became the first of four Viking to qualify for a title bout while knocking out a Heritage competitor.
"It’s awesome," said Lake Stevens coach Brent Barnes, whose team scored 124.5 points to outdistance Heritage’s 88. "They (Brown and Kubec) are workout partners and they’ve pushed each other. For them to both finish their seasons as state champions is a neat experience."
For Barnes, who previously won titles in 1990, 2000 and 2001, the 2003-04 season was particularly special. Four Vikings wrestled in championship matches, including Clint Osborn (275) and Matt Leonard (215).
"As hard as kids worked this year — and them being such a good crew of kids makes it really rewarding," said Barnes, who won his first 4A title.
Osborn trailed 3-1 in the closing seconds of his title bout when he took down Heritage’s Brad Farmer. Officials ruled that Osborn did not have control of Farmer, who improved to 35-0, long enough to record the potential match-tying two points.
Leonard lost 10-5 Battleground’s Jay Carlile.
Leonard trailed East Valley (Spokane) wrestler Brad Fraser 5-3 with 1:20 remaining in his semifinal match. Leonard reversed Fraser the edge of the mat circle with less than 10 seconds remaining and was initially awarded two points. East Valley coach Craig Hanson successfully argued that Leonard was out of bounds and should only be awarded one escape point. Moments after the match was restarted, Leonard took Fraser down just before time expired to win 6-5.
"I wasn’t very upset," said Leonard of the point removal. "I just knew I had to go out and get the job done. Having that point taken away kind of pushed me along."
In addition to their four finalists, Kelly Kubec (third place, 112), Brock Austin (sixth, 140) and Billy Moehrle (eighth, 152) all won medals.
Cascade got some mileage out of its two contestants. Sophomore Jonny Gilbertson finished second at 112 to returning 103 champion Anthony Vela of Moses Lake. Teammate Brent Larson placed third at 152.
Mariner’s Trenton Tuiasosopo (215) and teammate Michael Bell (189) finished third and fourth, respectively. Oak Harbor’s Tony Nicolas (145) — who fell to two-time champion Tyler Sherfey in the semifinals — also finished third, as did Marysville-Pilchuck’s Norman Orr.
Kamiak heavyweight Joe Huss placed fifth.
Oak Harbor’s Karlson Miller (103) and Stanwood’s Chris Mather (119) finished sixth.
Everett’s Tyler Hill (119), Oak Harbor’s Danny Wichers (140) and Stanwood’s Riley Cornett (145) came away with seventh-place medals.
Marysville-Pilchuck’s Kenny Kubec (103) and Stanwood’s Jake Allen (171) finished eighth.
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