The road to a fourth straight state title a little harder for Warden

WARDEN - The road to the state championship has a steeper incline than previous years for the Warden wrestling program.

In years past, it seemed like a downhill, smoothly paved road with the trophy displayed nicely at the end for the Cougars. This year is a little different.

Rick Bowers, head coach for Warden, expected just that.

"I told the kids at the beginning of the year that we are going to win and it was going to be a dog fight," Bowers said. "It was going to be won in the trenches."

So far, Bowers has been proven right.

The Cougars won the Connell tournament by 1 1/2 points over Connell, due in part by matches won in the consolation rounds. Liberty Bell has taken three different shots at Warden and each time, the Cougars barely escaped.

So far, the season hasn't panned out like the last three years for Warden. There hasn't been consistently dominant wins, but the Cougars have proven themselves.

Their only two losses have come against Lakeside, a 2A school who won Dream Duals, and East Valley (Spokane), the 3A Dream Duals champions.

Bowers said the state championship will come down between two schools — Warden and Liberty Bell. But, he added, Warden still has the advantage.

"We know that Liberty Bell is solid and they have proven it to us three times," Bowers said. "I think our depth for state and our experience at state really helps us."

Two years ago, Warden clinched the state title the Friday evening of the tournament and Bowers motivated his wrestlers to beat Zillah's total team points scored at the tournament. Last year, Warden again clinched the title Friday night and Bowers motivated his wrestlers to place at the tournament.

This year, Bowers said there will be no Friday night speech congratulating the team, it will be preparing the team to win the state championship.

Before that Friday even comes, some of his wrestlers already feel the pressure to perform.

"People say Warden built a dynasty and will walk through state, but this year is different," said Joseph Elizalde, 189-pound wrestler for the Cougars. "Everybody is a big part of the team and everybody has to produce points to win state."

"Everybody has a role they have to play on this team," said 140-pound wrestler Ben Stott.

Warden's Carlos Hernandez is the only returning state champion from last year's team.

But, even as the favorite to win the 1A 215-pound state championship, there is still an obstacle in Hernandez's way, namely Chase Campbell of Kalamath, who beat Hernandez earlier in the season at the Jeremiah Schmunk Memorial Invitational.

"I know I am not the best anymore," Hernandez said. "I hate it when there is an obstacle in my way and now there is an obstacle in my way and I have to get over it."

Bowers said, that even though the big names that have accompanied Warden in the past and guarantees for the state championship are more rare this year, this team is still a state championship caliber team.

Warden's 135-pounder Guillermo Mendoza said it won't be easy becoming state champions, but they have the ability to do it anyway.

"Winning is never easy and it is the hard work that makes us who we are," Mendoza said.