TACOMA — Coach Brent Barnes has unbelievably high standards, which helps explain why his Lake Stevens High School wrestling team has won six state team titles since 1990.
But the Vikings, seeking their third consecutive Washington team championship, performed so well Friday they actually surpassed what Barnes thought was possible.
“This is exceeding my expectations,” Barnes said after seven Lake Stevens wrestlers won their first two matches and advanced to today’s Class 4A semifinals at Mat Classic XXI.
Lake Stevens, ranked first in 4A by Washington Wrestling Report and 34th in one national poll, took 13 grapplers to the Tacoma Dome. More than half of them reached the coveted round of four, helping Lake Stevens score 83 points — good for first place through Day 1 and a 32-point lead over Moses Lake (51 points).
The biggest surprise in the group is Jake Welch, who upset a top-seeded foe in the 160-pound quarterfinals. Welch earned a 12-7 decision against Graham-Kapowsin’s Tyler Story, the Region 2 champ and a 2008 state runnerup.
Welch, the Region 1 No. 3 seed, lost against Story earlier this season, Barnes said. But in the rematch, the Lake Stevens senior was aggressive and prevailed, setting off an emotional celebration by Barnes and other Vikings coaches.
“That was huge,” Barnes said.
Lake Stevens’ other semifinalists are Ryan Rodorigo (103), Josh Heinzer (112), Jack Stilwell (119), Sean Anderson (125), Jacob Anderson (145) and George King (152). Heinzer and King, both 2008 state champs, combined for four first-round pins in four matches that lasted a total of just 2 minutes, 55 seconds.
Mat Classic concludes today. Semifinals begin at 10 a.m. Championships finals will start at 5:15 p.m.
Eight wrestlers from other Western Conference schools also reached the 4A semifinals, including Sam Ottow (130 pounds), Stefan St. Marie (135) and Micah Morrill (152) of Snohomish. Ottow and St. Marie had two pins apiece and displayed relentless focus as they moved a few steps closer to improving on their 2008 runnerup finishes.
“They’re both gamers,” Snohomish coach Rob Zabel said. “When the match is on the line, I wouldn’t take two kids in the state over those two kids. They have battled and battled and battled for us all year.”
St. Marie is 37-0 this season. His next opponent is South Kitsap’s Kyle Fenton, the Region 3 winner.
Two Edmonds-Woodway wrestlers are in the semifinals: sophomore Andrew Vulliet (103 pounds) and senior Rudy Johanson (189). In his first match, Johanson, a three-time Washington state qualifier, dominated Skyline’s Anthony DeMatteo in a 17-2 technical fall. Last year, DeMatteo placed third in 3A.
Vulliet was impressive in his state-tourney debut, winning two close decisions. Vulliet, the Region 1 No. 4 seed, beat the Region 3 champ and the Region 4 runner-up.
“When he’s wrestling offensively I don’t think anyone can touch him,” Edmonds-Woodway coach Mike Hanchett said of Vulliet.
Arlington’s two regional champions, Chris Myers (160 pounds) and Bryant Dickerson (285), are semifinalists.
So is Kamiak senior Colton Kusilek (125 pounds). After losing in the quarterfinals en route to placing fifth last year, Kusilek (33-3) is thrilled to be in the title hunt.
“It’s huge,” he said. “Coming in, there’s a lot of pressure to get to that semifinals match.”
Kusilek is ranked No. 4 in the state. His semifinal opponent is No. 1 Kyle Komata of Woodinville. Kusilek lost by decision against Komata last season.
“He’s pretty strong,” Kusilek said, “and probably the favorite to win the tournament.”
Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at www.heraldnet.com/doubleteam.
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