By Cheryl Pruett
For The Beachcomber
The newly platinum-coiffed Pirate wrestlers finished the two-day Mat Classic state championship last Friday and Saturday in the Tacoma Dome with a highly respectable eighth-place finish.
It was a full team effort with everyone posting valuable team points or gaining exceptional experience. Five grapplers made it through the 16-man brackets to the medal round on day two. By the end of the tournament, Vashon had crowned one champion and taken home medals in third, fourth, sixth and seventh place.
They may have resembled a flock of newly hatched baby chicks with their stunning golden locks and bilious yellow hoodies, but Vashon’s explosive first round had the team tied for second place before the next set started. There were an amazing seven first-round wins, six of them by fall — garnering critical bonus points. With the tougher second round, there were only three wins, and four of the competitors were out. In the heartbreaking third round of “win and you stay, lose and you’re done,” Vashon split, with two living to tell the tale and two more out. Food and sleep followed, and the team was back in the dome early Saturday morning.
Junior Chase Wickman took the championship in the 113-pound weight class. Taking third was sophomore Bryce Hoisington, who lost only one match on Friday and swept three on Saturday to take third-place. His toughest match came on Saturday against Jacob Nelson of Elma. A true seesaw affair knotted at 6 when Hoisington got the 2-point takedown literally at the buzzer to take the win 8-6. He went on to crush Dean Lockwood from Deer Park, then Isaiah Crane of Freeman.
Logan Nelson, a junior, came home with a fourth-place medal. He won his first two matches on Friday to advance to Saturday. In a stunning match against Kareem Johnson of Kiona Benton, he went into four overtimes before getting the final takedown and the inspiring 8-6 win. On Saturday, he dropped his first match to the eventual state champion Alex Aguilar of Omak, went on to beat Konner Forshag of Freeman, then had a rematch with Johnson, dropping this one in a tight 1-3 decision.
Freshman Luke Larson made a splash in his first state experience. He won both of his first two matches by fall and moved on in the championship bracket. His second match against Casey Brady of Eatonville was a wild, scrabbling affair that had Larson down 3-10 before he switched things up and pinned Brady mid third round. He lost three on Saturday, including a rematch with Brady, but ended up taking home the sixth-place medal.
Junior Chester Pruett, after two years as an alternate, made it into the tournament and came home in seventh place. His match of the weekend was an overtime thriller of a win against Robert Berger of Granger, 3-1, that pushed him through to Saturday’s competition.
Juniors Shane Williams and Franklin Easton were both in on the Vashon’s pin train in round one, and both won matches decisively, getting those all important team bonus points. They both dropped the next two, but are well positioned to go deep in the tournament next year.
Rounding out the team for Vashon were juniors Preston Petersen and Rodolfo Flores and freshman Hunter Burger. Senior Joe Coller, who has made it to the state tournament each year but never through to the medal round, closed out his years as a Pirate wrestler with gallant effort and good cheer.
Coach Per Lars Blomgren had good words for the team.
“We are already crowned — unofficially, at least — as the most creative, smart and funny group in the state. The Pirates made a serious claim as the toughest, fiercest and most hard-working team as well,” he said.
Head coach Anders Blomgren was reflective after the team’s performance.
“The state tournament is so emotional — highs and lows — endings of careers and the blossomings of greatness. We had more of the latter. At the start of the year, I said we will be good, and we’ll be great by next year, but can we be great on February 20 and 21? … It’s important for all of us to realize how great a team we have, as people. I enjoy every year and the kinship we have, but this year was something special. The ties are tighter, and I am a better person from being around all our guys. We learn from and push and help each other. We battle, we believe, we stoke the fire, we are together. Other teams wonder and wonder how we peak at State!”
— Cheryl Pruett is the mother of two Pirate wrestlers
