Dual lows give way to tournament highs
Published 4:00 pm Wednesday, January 28, 2004
On Thursday, the South Whidbey High School wrestling team lost a dual meet to Lakewood, winning only three bouts against the North Cascades Conference’s second-best team.
On Saturday, the Falcons were sixth among 16 teams at the Lynden Invitational Tournament on the strength of four championship bouts.
Proving definitively that they are a tournament team, the Falcons dropped another notch in the NCC rankings to 2-3 and fifth overall behind 7-0 Mount Baker, even as they emerged as the team to beat two days later. In losing to Lakewood 52-21, the South Whidbey boys were unable to wrestle as tight a meet with the Cougars as they and their coach, Wes Helseth, expected going in. Winning for the team was senior Phil Schorr at 112 pounds on a 7-0 score, junior Jason Mannie on a second-round pin at 140 pounds, and senior Ben Harris with a first-round pin win at 171.
Hurting the team on the scoreboard were unexpected losses. In his 119-pound match, junior Tyler Rueth took opponent Josh Hoffman to a 6-6 tie in the second round before being rolled to his back to lose on a stunning fall. Also suffering a tough loss was senior Conley White, who fell behind 5-0 in the first minute of his 135-pound match before losing 7-3.
Two days later in Lynden, the team that showed up to compete could not have been more different. Avenging their Thursday losses, both White and Rueth battled their way into championship matches at the Saturday tournament. Rueth lost his final bout 4-1 to Antonio Heffernand of Orting, while White was pinned in the second round of his 135-pound bout by Kyle Shattuck, also of Orting. But two second-place finishes got the team ahead.
Also taking top placings were Phil Schorr, who took second at 112 pounds, and Ben Harris, the champion at 171. Harris took the championship by pinning Travis Holibaugh of Mount Rainier High School in the first round.
Other placers for the team were Austin Hayworth — fifth in the 215-pound bracket — and junior Matt Errico, fifth at 160 pounds.
