Region 4 Champions
Moses Lake Chiefs celebrate winning the regional team title with a score of 144 Saturday.<br>Pam Robel/Columbia Basin Herald
Chiefs take 103, 215 and team titles
WALLA WALLA — Roberto Cruz and Brett Fredrickson ran their respective brackets to take home individual titles at 103 and 215 pounds Saturday.
As a team Moses Lake scored 144 points to win the Region 4 team title. Cruz and Fredrickson contributed 24 points each to the finals score. The rest of the score came from Matt Palmer with 14.5 points, Sean Hoiness with 13 points, Cody Hoiness with 19.5 points, Jordan Hill with 10 points, Thomas Courtright with 7 points and Stevie Vasquez and John Fackrell combined for 32 points.
"I'm very happy with the performance of all the kids," said head coach Jamie Wise. "Even in the losses, they gave it all they had and I never ask for more than that."
In the 103 bracket Cruz took on Pat Belknap of University High School Friday night and pinned him after 1:11 to earn a spot in the semi-finals Saturday morning.
Fredrickson also opened the regional tournament with a pin Friday night. He pinned Igor Karamehic of Shadle Park High School after 1:13 for his semi-final spot.
Saturday morning Cruz matched up against Jordan Reese of Ferris.
He earned a take down and a reversal to go up 4-2 in the first period and extended his lead to 8-3 with two take downs in the second period.
Cruz began the third round of the bout in the down position and earned an escape before taking down Reese.
Reese countered with a reversal of his own. Cruz then scored another reversal and allowed an escape by Reese.
With 12 seconds remaining in the bout, Cruz earned a pin to move on to the championship match.
Fredrickson matched up against Bryce Malone of Mount Spokane High School in the semi-finals.
In the first round of the bout, Fredrickson took charge of the mat. He had an early take down before Malone earned a reversal.
Fredrickson followed up the Malone reversal with an escape before Malone scored another take down to go up 3-4. Fredrickson again earned an escape and followed it with a take down and a 2-point near fall.
Fredrickson earned the only point of the second round with an escape.
The third round was opened with a 3-point near fall for Fredrickson. He won the bout 12-8 for a spot in the finals.
In the championship match, Cruz took on Kyle Vanhorn of Eastmont, a wrestler he had faced and beaten at districts the week before. The final bout of the tournament was no exception.
"It wasn't a perfect match," Wise said. "But even having a bad match he (Cruz) dominated and that's good for Roberto."
In the first round both wrestlers earned a take down and an escape to tie it at three.
Cruz turned it on in the second round, earning two reversals and a 2-point near fall to go up 9-5.
Vanhorn made a surge late in the third period but it was not enough for the win after Cruz's reversal and 3-point near fall.
Cruz took the Region 4 individual title with a 13-8 decision.
At 215 Fredrickson took on Paul Senescall of Mead High School.
Both wrestlers battled for position in the first minute of the bout but Fredrickson won out with a pin after a mere 1:14. The pin in the finals was one of just three.
"He's (Senescall) a tough kid," said Wise. "But Brett didn't let him get anything started. Brett's tough when he goes out and competes. Good things happen for Brett when he competes."
Also competing in the finals were Cody Hoiness at 135 and Vasquez at 189.
Hoiness took on Tim Whitley of Wenatchee in the finals.
Hoiness fell behind 9-2 early, giving up three take downs and a 3-point near fall in the first round, and was held scoreless in the second round.
In the third period, Hoiness earned two escapes but lost the match 14-4.
At 189, Vasquez took on Matt Schaeffer of Mount Spokane.
In the first round, Vasquez earned a reversal and a 3-point near fall to go up 5-4 on Schaeffer but gave up the lead in the second round, after allowing a take down, a 3-point near fall and a reversal for Schaeffer. Vasquez scored twice in the second period, once with an escape and once with a two point reversal.
In the final round of the bout, Schaeffer scored the only points with a reversal to win 13-8.
"It was a great weekend," Wise said. "I don't want the season to be over for some of the kids but they gave it all they had."
Other wrestlers that qualified for state include: Matt Palmer at 119 and John Fackrell at 189; both placed third in regionals.
Other placers include: Sean Hoiness - fourth (130); Jordan Hill - fourth (140); and Thomas Courtright - fifth (152).
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