The Vashon High School grapplers closed out their regular season with another dual meet victory and a strong showing at a very tough Emerald Ridge Tournament.
On Thursday, Jan. 22, the Pirates traveled to Cascade Christian to take on the Cougars in the last league dual meet of the season. Saturday found the team at Emerald Ridge High School facing some of the top wrestlers in the state in the 3A and 4A classifications.
The Pirates beat the Cougars by a final score of 46-22. There were numerous forfeits due to the small size of the Cascade team. Of the 14 weight classes, only seven varsity matches were actually wrestled. Of those seven, Vashon won four.
Freshman Hunter Burger won by pin 22 seconds into round one. Juniors Chester Pruett, Clyde Pruett and Logan Nelson also won their matches. Alyx Arteaga, Franklin Easton and Eli Hudson lost. In junior varsity action, freshman Ben Angelacos turned in the match of the night with a decisive victory by pin in round one.
With injuries, attrition and illness sidelining many, Vashon had only 12 wrestlers competing at the Emerald Ridge Tournament.
On the JV side of the event, Vashon had Rodolfo Flores and Isaiah Davis, both in the 120-pound weight class. Both scored first-round wins, both by pin. Flores continued on to finish third in his bracket.
The remaining 10 wrestlers all muscled their way through full 16-man varsity brackets. It was an exceptionally brutal and exhausting day, but of the 10, seven went on to post very impressive top-five finishes. Most losses in the final rounds were very close affairs with only a 1- or 2-point differential.
Chase Wickman took the championship in the 120-pound weight class, not breaking a sweat until the finals when he had to go into overtime to beat his opponent from Kent Meridian, 5-3.
Logan Nelson continued his winning ways, making it to the finals and taking second after dropping a heart-stopper, 4-3. Burger posted an excellent day, snatching another victory in the final seconds and crawling up the backside of the bracket to take third. Chester Pruett took third on a thrilling overtime toe-dragging takedown.
Luke Larson won his first two matches, dropped the third and in the battle for third place came up just short to a brute from White River, losing 3-2 and taking fifth. Clyde Pruett mounted an impressive day, brawling through five matches, losing the last one literally in the final two seconds and finishing fifth. Shane Williams won three great matches and also finished fifth.
Also competing for Vashon was Franklin Easton who wrestled very well, finishing one match shy of the medal round. Alyx Arteaga and Ben Angelacos also represented Vashon in the varsity brackets.
Up next for the team is the league sub-division tournament, hosted by Vashon for the first time in several years. On Saturday, Feb. 7, teams from Port Townsend, Klahowya, Cascade Christian and Bellevue Christian will join Vashon on the first leg of the journey to the state competition. The top three placers will move on to the division championships the following weekend. Wrestling action will begin at 9 a.m. and will wrap up in the early afternoon.
— Cheryl Pruett is the mother of two Pirate wrestlers.
