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Deep Titans dethrone Knights

U-Hi claims Classic with dozen in top six

Mike Vlahovich
Staff Writer
December 11, 2005

Competition during Saturday's Inland Empire Wrestling Classic at Central Valley was stern – with seven teams securing individual championships, including four by East Valley.

But the strength of the tournament didn't faze University, which piled up 219 points and dethroned the defending-champion EV Knights, who finished second with 166.5.

Coaches and observers said this year's field was the best in memory.

There were state or national placers in every weight class except 189 pounds, and 135 pounds was loaded.

In that one, Oregon runner-up Brent Parks from Hermiston decisioned two-time Idaho finalist and 2004 champ Brandon Palaniuk from Lakeland 4-0.

Eight of 14 championship matches were decided by four or fewer points. There were no major decisions and only two pins.

"It was a lot tougher," said U-Hi coach Don Owen of the tournament. "It was a lot more balanced; there were a lot of tough teams and almost everyone had their No. 1 wrestlers here."

Third-place Hermiston won three titles, while U-Hi's Titans and fourth-place CV each had two.

Lewis and Clark and Ferris from the Greater Spokane League and Sentinel of Montana had the others.

Where the Titans stood out was in numbers. A dozen finished among the tournament's top six.

One was Mike Malsam, a 119-pounder who competed at 130 pounds and placed third.

Another was sixth-place finisher Brian Owen, a defending state champion who was forced to injury default out of the tournament with a back injury.

"It's bad that we lost our 119-pounder for a while," said Owen of his nephew. "But it was a good tournament for our first time out. Our back-door guys had a lot of good matches."

GSL wrestlers were in every weight final except 135.

Several of the title matches pitted league competitors against each other.

EV showed its mettle in three of them. Anthony Rivera got an overtime takedown to beat Mead's Phillip Smith 3-1 at 112 pounds; Tyler Jolley beat U-Hi's Dono Totten 6-0 at 275; and sophomore Clete Hanson edged state-placing Titan Nick Zumwalt 3-1 at 171.

Hanson, a more chiseled wrestler this year and two-event Cadet national placer, made a first-round takedown on a nifty move stand up.

"Last year I cut a lot of weight and was killing myself," he said. "During a match I was just drained. This year I see a lot of difference. I just feel better."

His dad, EV coach Craig Hanson, said it was a matter of breaking out of the "freshman thing."

"Last year he knew he could wrestle with everybody, but was in that freshman mode where if anybody took him down, he didn't think he would score any points."

U-Hi's champions were 125-pound Chase Fish, a workmanlike 6-0 winner over Jamie Tamura, one of three North Central finalists, and Trevor Robb, who beat Hermiston's Randy Larson 8-2.

"I knew in my head I was going to win this tournament," said Robb, "but boy, was he strong and very solid."

Don Owen said that Larson is one of the better wrestlers in Oregon, "and Trevor dominated him. I was really pleased."

CV's wins came at 119, where Chase Ferrozzo edged Ferris' Tyson Rhiele 4-3, and 160, where Camren Ebat won 8-4 over Lakeland's Scott Underdahl.

Ferrozzo had been pinned last Thursday wrestling up in weight in a GSL match at Mt. Spokane. He said he was more comfortable in his element.

"It's a lot better wrestling at my own weight, that's for sure," he said.

In the other all-GSL final, LC's Anthony Varnell beat NC's Dan Siebert 10-3 at 140.

Ferris' Taylor Yonago at 130 beat Moses Lake's Sean Hoiness in a match of state veteran wrestlers.

"I just tried to push myself through the whole match and tried to wear him down," Yonago said.

EV had finalists in the final four weights – winning three titles – including Dan Michalski, 7-5 over Moses Lake's Stevie Vasquez at 189.

It marked a solid comeback after a poor first day for the Knights.

"We lost all those matches right off the bat and I thought, 'Holey, Moley, I hope that's not a trend,' " Craig Hanson said.

"Even though we have sophomores and juniors in the upper part of the lineup, they're able to handle themselves. Down below we have to get some work done, but at the top end, that's a nice finish."

GSL teams return to league action Wednesday.