Warriors claim Edmonds Invite crown

EDMONDS

The Edmonds-Woodway wrestling team came in with a tall order to fill in the 35th annual Edmonds School District Invitational.

The goal was to win the team championship.

The last time Edmonds-Woodway came away with a first-place trophy from its own tournament was in 1992, a time when many of this year’s Warriors still were in diapers. Heading into the finals, Edmonds-Woodway trailed Woodinville by six points.

But by the end of the night, three Warriors won individual titles to help lead Edmonds-Woodway to the team title Jan. 5 at Edmonds-Woodway High School.

The Warriors finished with 203 points to edge the Falcons, who had 199. Jackson placed third with 160 and Meadowdale was fourth with 150.

Edmonds-Woodway had three matches against Woodinville in the finals and came away with victories in two of them. In addition, the Warriors went home with another first-place medal and two second-place medals.

“It was a great finish,” said Edmonds-Woodway head coach Mike Hanchett. “We see-sawed back and forth in the lead with Woodinville all day and met up with them all day and they won several key matches. Coming into the finals we were down six points, so it was a lot of pressure on those kids to come through. They definitely performed and not only got the wins for themselves, but picked up the win for the team.”

In their first appearance in the finals of a tournament, Michael Asefaw and Sam Warren pulled out victories over their Woodinville opponents.

Asefaw scored a 7-3 decision over Matt Moss in a 152-pound match that was a lot closer than the score indicated, while Warren won by the same score over Brady Olson at 112.

Another important match was in the 145 finals, where Ryan McAllister recorded a pin over Lynnwood’s Luke Ulke at 1 minute, 56 seconds.

“Really, the key was not just the finalists but everybody that won every match all day long and stayed in … and scored points for the team,” Hanchett said.

“They worked at it as a team, no matter what position they were in all day long. They all did a great job. The McAllister pin was a huge point swing for us.”

McAllister echoed his coach’s sentiments on how the Warriors won the team championship and he was glad to do his part.

“It was the whole team,” McAllister said. “I knew we needed a pin. Coach told me to go out and get it and I did what they said.”

It was McAllister’s first time in a tournament finals.

“It feels good,” he said. “It feels even better that our team won. … Our season goal was to come out and win our tournament. We’re progressing as a team. We’re only going to get better.”

McAllister recorded a pin at 1:43 in his first-round match and then recorded a 7-5 decision in the finals.

Asefaw rallied for the victory in the finals with less than 30 seconds left in the third round.

“I was scared to death. There were 26 seconds left,” Asefaw said. “I just knew I had to go for it. The team needed it. All the guys have been working hard. I couldn’t let them down. … That final drive came from my team.”

Asefaw scored 12-6 and 13-0 decisions en route to the finals.

Warren credited his teammates for sticking together throughout the tournament.

“Everyone’s got to do their part,” he said.

Going up against a Woodinville opponent only added to the pressure that he felt, Warren said.

“We knew we could bring it home and beat them,” he added.

Edmonds-Woodway was missing one of its top wrestlers in state returner Rudy Johanson (189), who was away on a family vacation.

Hanchett likes the way the Warriors are shaping up as a group.

“I think as a team they are coming together,” he said. “We’re a really young team. They’re really understanding how important that teamwork is to securing those wins.”

Also advancing to the finals were Andrew Vulliet (103) and Steven Alfi (135), both of whom lost 1-point decisions. Woodinville’s Joah Fennell won a 5-4 decision over Vulliet and Franklin Pierce’s Erik Booth edged Alfi 1-0.

Other top Edmonds-Woodway finishers included Mac Hutchison (third at 103), Stefan Carlson (third at 119), Ryan DeWeese (third at 125), Merim Cutuk (third at 285), Christian Haperman (fourth at 130) and Zach Cranny (fourth at 160).

Lynnwood and Meadowdale each came away with one individual title. Lynnwood senior Tanner Detschman pinned Granite Falls’ Zack Teter at 1:41 at 160 and Meadowdale’s Nick Montanari recorded a fall at 1:34 against Granite Falls’ Zack Jones.

It was a relatively short work day for both wrestlers as each only had two matches. Detschman pinned his first-round opponent and then advanced to the finals on an injury default. Montanari had a first-round bye and then pinned his semifinal opponent in 40 seconds.

“I didn’t get a lot of mat time,” Montanari said. “I got about two minutes on the mat all day. It’s a good win. I look forward to the season and going on to state.”

Other top placers were Mountlake Terrace’s Zach King (second at 125), Mountlake Terrace’s Nate Dabling (second at 140) Meadowdale’s Michael Loutsis (second at 215), Meadowdale’s Andrew Parada (second at 130), Lynnwood’s Rodson Ubungen (third at 112), Lynnwood’s Stephen Takashima (third at 135), Mountlake Terrace’s Dakota Red Cloud (third at 215) Meadowdale’s Phillip Stevenson (third at 160), Mountlake Terrace’s Noah Wright (fourth at 171), Meadowdale’s Matt McKeegan (fourth at 119) and Meadowdale’s Jole Morelli (fourth at 285).

NOTE

GOOD SPORT: Zach Jones of Granite Falls was presented with the Mike Hess Sportsmanship award by Ed Aliverti, Washington State Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame announcer, and Bryce Cook, WSWCA Hall of Fame coach, prior to the start of the finals. Jones finished second in the 189-pound division.

Hess was a longtime teacher and wrestling coach at Edmonds-Woodway High School. Aliverti also is a member of the NAIA Wresting Hall of Fame and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Cook, coached for 30 years in the Edmonds School District, compiling a 255-103-2 dual meet record. He coached his teams to three Wesco titles and coached six individual state champions.