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Bellingham GEORGE YONLICK WRESTLERAMA WRESTLING 12/3/05 The Raiders, who hope to improve on their impressive sixth-place finish with a young team last year at the Class 3A state championships, opened their season Saturday by sweeping three matches to win the annual George Yonlick Wrestlerama before an enthusiastic home crowd. Bellingham crushed Class 4A Kentlake in the final 48-21. But the Raiders, who opened with a 55-18 victory over Inglemoor, needed the best possible outcome to rally in the semifinal against Monroe. Trailing by 24 points, Bellingham's sophomores Asa Harkness (119) and Taylor Perry (125), senior Victor Harkness (130) and junior Cameron Brearley (135) all won by pin to tie Monroe 39-all. Bellingham then was declared the winner on the seventh tiebreaking criteria - who had the most men score first. "We scored first in eight matches and Monroe scored first in six," said 152-pound senior standout Levi Brearley. He began the match against Kentlake with a 6-4 overtime victory via a takedown with 10 seconds remaining against Jesse Stokke, who took eighth at 4A state last year as the Falcons' lone returning state placer. "That was a great example of what we stress at Bellingham - that every man is important," Brearley said. "I've never had a match go to the seventh criteria," veteran Bellingham coach Brian Smith said. "After that match, I challenged our kids to ask themselves whether they wanted to be average or great. Then they were great against Kentlake." Victor Harkness and Brearley, two of seven returning state medalists for the Raiders, said the team felt a victory over Monroe still was possible despite trailing 39-15 with four matches left. "I knew we had four guys left with the potential for (six-point) pins," Harkness said. "Our little guys are really tough," Brearley added. Brearley and Harkness said the Raiders have the potential to beat four-time defending state champion Sedro-Woolley on Jan. 5 at Bellingham in the match that may decide the Northwest League title. "Our goal is to beat Sedro-Woolley," Brearley said. "If everybody competes the way we can, I think we have a shot." The Raiders posted pins against Kentlake by Evan Parberry (171), Ethan Cooper (103), Josh Knight (119), Perry and Cameron Brearley, who scored first-round falls in all three of his matches. Parberry also went 3-0 and Knight and Perry were 2-1. Asa Harkness and Victor Harkness, who won by a combined 30-1 against Kentlake opponents, also went 3-0 for the day. Levi Brearley, freshman Reid Chivers (160), junior Aaron Tiech (140) and junior Blair West (189) went 2-1. Levi Brearley was gratified by his win over Stokke. "He's better than the guys I beat at state last season," said Brearley, a three-sport standout who went 3-2 at state. In the ninth-place match, Squalicum edged Sehome 42-36, although the score was initially announced in Sehome's favor. Squalicum freshman Levi Johnson (135) won all three of his matches with first-round pins, while sophomore Erik Tuttle (112) also had three pins and freshman Garret Montanez (103) went 2-1 with two pins. Four Sehome wrestlers went 2-1, including junior Mike Guzman (119), senior Cori Maines (152), and freshmen Thane Yazzi (171) and Tenny Pitsch (215). "The best is yet to come for Squalicum," said coach Mark Parrish, whose young team plays host to Sehome on Thursday night. Sehome coach Scott Schroyer, also with only one first-string senior, echoed that thought with "our program is definitely getting better." Smith said he switched the tournament format from individual brackets to dual meets "to keep our team together and to promote a team attitude." Looking at the smiles of his wrestlers as they received the title trophy from Bellingham coaching legend Yonlick, the tactic worked just fine. BELLINGHAM INVITE |
