Royal wrestling opens Best of the West in fine fashion
Prep sports recaps
PASCO - The Royal Knights wrestling team began the prestigious Best in the West tournament on Wednesday with a pair of victories.
The Knights wrestled the day's first match and walloped a team of Northwest all-stars 64-6. Eight of Royal's 13 victories came via pins.
Royal's Hank Ellis pinned Richland's Taylor Guthrie in 80 seconds at 103 pounds. Ethan Tonnemaker (112) followed by a second-period pin of Toppenish's Jose Barrera, and Pedro Lopez (119) widened Royal's lead to 17-0 with a 15-0 technical fall of Newport's Anthony Coulson.
At 125, Travis Villegas picked up a pin of Kiona-Benton's Robert Palencia in 2 minutes, 35 seconds. Leo Acevedo (135) took a 14-7 decision over Richland's Kyle Jensen, and 140-pounder Luke Tonnemaker squeaked past Skyview's Cavin Engel 8-5.
At 145, Royal's Sam Villegas earned a 17-2 technical fall on Sandpoint's Dillon Quigly. Angel Ledezma (152) followed with a 7-3 win over Skyview's Garrett Bergum and Mitch Christensen (160) pinned Hanford's Thomas Ruane at 3:10.
Zach Lewis took his 171-pound foe, Toppenish's Jose Peralta, down at 1:50. Hector Ledezma (189) took just 22 seconds to pin Skyview's Tyler Worm, T.J. Hunt (215) pinned Richland's Brady Simpson at 1:04, and Edgar Montoya (285) beat Richland's Daniel Montgomery 7-4.
Royal's only loss to the all-stars was at 130 pounds, where Newport's Nick Carrol pinned Tanner Clouse at 1:35.
The Knights wrestled again later in the day and picked up a 45-29 victory over Bonney Lake.
Ellis (103) opened with a forfeit win before Royal lost six consecutive matches. Trailing 29-6, the Knights came storming back and took the final seven weight classes.
Sam Villegas (145) started the streak with a pin of Owen Van Wyck at 1:35. Angel Ledezma (152) beat Nathaniel Wilson 6-2 and Christensen (160) pinned Joey Salgado at 5:40.
Lewis (171), Hector Ledezma (189), Hunt (215) and Montoya (285) all won by forfeit.
At 112, Ethan Tonnemaker fell in an 18-8 major decision to Hunter File. At 119, Lopez was pinned at 3:50 by Pat Bendon. At 125, Travis Villegas was pinned in overtime by Quinton Healy.
Clouse (130) fell in a 32-second pin to Nick Bendon. Acevedo (135) lost a close, 12-10 decision to Josh Peart. Luke Tonnemaker (140) was blanked 8-0 by Addison Tracy.
Royal wrestled a quarterfinal dual match with Toppenish today at 10 a.m. A win meant a semifinal berth against either Pasco or Skyview. Thursday's championship dual match is scheduled for 4 p.m.
Boys basketball
Lind-Ritzville 49, Davenport 33
DAVENPORT - The Broncos maintained their grasp on second place in the Bi-County League on Tuesday with a 16-point road win over the Gorillas.
Lind-Ritzville trailed 18-17 at halftime, but took the lead with a 12-7 third-quarter spurt, then put things away with a 20-8 run in the fourth.
The Broncos (6-1 overall, 4-1 Bi-County) were led by Matt Saetre's 17 points, their only man in double-digit scoring.
The Broncos host St. John-Endicott on Friday in Ritzville, a 7:30 p.m. start.
Northwest Christian 89, Almira/Coulee-Hartline 30
SPOKANE - The visiting Warriors were no match on Tuesday for perennial power Northwest Christian, which had three players score at least 14 points.
The Crusaders (7-0, 5-1) took control of the Bi-County contest with a 25-11 first-quarter run and held the Warriors (1-3, 1-3) to single digits in three of four quarters.
Garrett Jess had a team-high 13 points for ACH, which returns to the floor on Friday, Dec. 28, with a 7:30 p.m. game at Waterville.
Girls basketball
Lind-Ritzville 57, Davenport 39
DAVENPORT - The Lady Broncos rolled to a 27-11 halftime lead and easily defeated the Gorillas on Tuesday in a Bi-County League contest.
Katlin Fowles led three Lind-Ritzville players in double figures with 15 points. Kelsey Arlt had 12, Devon Killian had 10 and Danielle Sackmann added nine.
The Broncos (6-1, 4-1) sit in second place in the league standings heading into Friday's 6 p.m. tip-off at home against St. John-Endicott.
Northwest Christian 72, Almira/Coulee-Hartline 27
SPOKANE - The Warriors were held to single digits in each of the first three quarters as the first-place Crusaders (5-3, 5-0) rolled to victory on Tuesday in a Bi-County clash.
ACH (1-3, 1-3) got seven points from Sarah Gloyn and six points apiece from Nikki Osborne and Megan Osborne. Northwest Christian had four players in double figures.
The Warriors take an extended holiday break before returning to action on Friday, Dec. 28, at Waterville.