EVERETT
Archbishop Murphy kicked off Cascade Conference wrestling action with a 52-21 take down of Lakewood at home Jan. 10.
The Wildcats won 10 of 14 matches, including five by pin. Each team won two matches by forfeit.
“It’s always nice to pick up a win at home,” Archbishop Murphy coach Blaine Smith said. “Really good turnout of fans.”
Archbishop Murphy took a 27-0 lead after the first five matches, which included a forfeit for 103-pounder Max Van Hollebeke and pins by Jeremy Wattam at 112 pounds, Stephen Briede at 119 and Cameron Wade at 125.
“I feel like I’ve been improving,” said Wattam, who improved to 18-4 on the season. “I’ve been getting better on bottom.”
Three matches went down to the wire, and were decided by three or fewer points.
The toughest battle pitted Wildcat freshman against Lakewood sophomore Keely Caldwell, one of two girls to wrestle varsity for the Cougars.
Marshbank took a 5-3 lead in the first period, but Caldwell rallied to take an 11-9 advantage after a near fall after two rounds. In the final round, Caldwell scored on an escape to go up 12-11, but Marshbank got a takedown with 15 seconds left in the match to get the win.
“That was a good one,” Smith said. “That was an exciting one.”
At 152 pounds, Lakewood’s Billy McKeever scored a takedown and reversal to hold off Archbishop Murphy’s Eric Miller, a state participant last year, 4-1. Miller beat McKeever by two points at regionals last year, Lakewood coach Tom O’Hara said.
“Billy was the best match of the night for us,” O’Hara said.
The Wildcats’ Alex Martinez, who missed most of the first six weeks of the season with an injury, held on to beat Lakewood’s Aaron Leonard, 6-5 in the 171-pound match.
Martinez bled from the head and nose during the match but was able to finish and get the victory, his second of the year.
“He hasn’t had a chance to get on the mat much,” Smith said. “Competition like that is good for him.”
“I put on a lot of strength over the summer,” Kruse said. “I actually can compete up here. I just strapped him down, he never got back up after that.”
Archbishop Murphy’s Caleb Smith won a major decision over Lakewood’s Austin Schulz, 13-5, at 140 pounds.
The Wildcats’ Blake Torres took a 6-0 lead on Lakewood’s Steve Bingham, but Bingham came back for a pin at the 4:54 mark.
Returning state participant Zeke Evers of Archbishop Murphy pinned Alex Wilson in 55 seconds in the 215 pound match and the Wildcats’ Keegan Kruse pinned Will Wedekind in 1:33 in the 285-pound match.
“It’s good,” said Kruse, a state alternate last year, of his win. “I put on a lot of strength over the summer. I actually can compete up here. I just strapped (Wedekind) down. He never really got back up after that.”
The Wildcats’ Brad Gee won by forfeit at 189 pounds while Lakewood’s Kolten Baker and Jasper Hauer won by forfeit at 135 pounds and 160 pounds respectively.
Archbishop Murphy hosted Cedarcrest, the defending league champions, last night in a meet that took place after Enterprise deadlines.
“Until someone beats them, you have to say Cedarcrest is the favorite,” Smith said.
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