SHORELINE — The Jackson wrestling team heads into this weekend’s Region 1 tournament with high hopes and significant challenges.

But if the Timberwolves repeat their performance from the Western Conference 4A South Division sub—regional meet, there could be some surprises.

“We did better than we did last year,” said Jackson coach Blaine Gilchrist-Smith. “We had some younger guys that did well. They did unexpectedly well. That’s always good.”

Everett backed up its regular season dual meet championship by cruising to the sub-regional team title with 376.5 points, well ahead of second-place Mountlake Terrace (263.5). Mariner (230.5) took third, followed by Kamiak (211), Edmonds-Woodway (191), Jackson (163.5) and Shorewood (135) at the Feb. 7-8 competition at Shorewood High School

While some of its underclassmen will be making their first appearance at regionals, Jackson’s best hopes for moving on to state appear to be veterans Dan Rodriguez and Charly Eaton. The two advanced to regionals last season.

Rodriguez had the Wolfpack’s best showing at sub-regionals, taking second place in the 160-pound division. The Jackson senior lost 16-9 to Everett’s J.D. Mowrer in the finals.

The highlight of the tournament for Rodriguez was his 8-7 semifinal upset over No. 1 seed Kyle Bernhardt of Everett.

“I was down by one,” Rodriguez said. “In the final seconds, I got that reversal to get up by one again.”

Due to a broken hand suffered during the preseason, Rodriguez was sidelined until early January. He nevertheless heads into regionals feeling confident about his conditioning despite missing so much of the regular season.

“I’m happy with the shape I’m in,” Rodriguez said. “I go six minutes and I’m not sucking down too hard.”

In addition to the Wesco 4A North Division, Jackson will be going up against the South Puget Sound League’s North Division. Some of the new teams include powerhouses such as Auburn, Kentwood and Enumclaw.

The top four finishers at regionals earn berths to next week’s state tournament.

“I think it’s going to be a mini-state tournament,” Rodriguez said. “I think if you make it through there, you’ve got a good chance of doing something at state.”

Eaton recalls just being happy that he made it to regionals last year. The Jackson junior, who took third in the 130-pound division at sub-regionals, will have a different mindset this time around.

“Last year I was pretty surprised to even make the regional,” Eaton said. “But this year I think I need to expect more of myself and make it a goal to place in the top four.”

The level of competition at regionals was definitely a step above anything that Eaton had ever encountered.

“It was by far the most competitive tournament I’ve ever been to,” he said. “It was just a different feeling from any other tournament because I knew that every kid had to earn his spot there.”

Ryan Loya (145) also earned a third-place finish at sub-regionals. Like Rodriguez, Loya was sidelined for a good portion of the regular season.

Loya suffered a tore rotator cuff in November and then had to deal with a variety of ailments and issues that caused him to miss almost an entire month of the season.

The Jackson senior came into the postseason having only wrestled a total of eight matches. He ended up having four more matches at sub-regionals.

“Wrestling live matches, that’s how you get in better shape,” Loya said. “I just wasn’t in as good as shape as I would have liked to have been.

“I don’t really know too much about the wrestlers we’re going against. I’m hoping to go to state.”

Also headed to regionals are sophomore Jacob Houvener, who took third at 189, and freshman Harrison Warner, a fourth-place finisher at 215.

Rodriguez predicts his two younger teammates will benefit greatly from this weekend’s tournament.

“In a couple of years, I think they’re going to be names to be reckoned with,” Rodriguez said.

Warner actually will be wrestling a pigtail match with the North Division’s No. 5 prior to the start of regionals. The top three finishers earned automatic regional berths.

Other finishers for Jackson were Joe Reynolds (sixth at 125), Kevin Iverson (sixth at 145) and Joe McCoskey (sixth at 189).