Young Huskies think they have a real shot at state

State veterans Carmona, Lopez could have big say in how high team finishes

OTHELLO - The Othello Huskies aren't sending a huge contingency to this weekend's Mat Classic XX wrestling tournament at the Tacoma Dome, but that doesn't mean they aren't expecting big things.

The Huskies, coming off a fifth-place team finish at last weekend's 2A regional meet, have six qualifiers at state, and only two of them - Michael Carmona and Kevin Smith - are seniors. Is that a concern for Othello head coach Ruben Martinez? Not really.

Othello thinks it can place as high as second because of the parity shown among the west-side districts. District 7 and Region IV champion Deer Park is the clear favorite for the 2A title, but only the Blaine Borderites, with 12 qualifiers, stand out among the others in sheer numbers.

"This year happened to be an exception. There was a little more parity over there," Martinez said. "There's no other team, other than Blaine, bringing such a high number.

"If we wrestle like we have been the last two weekends, there's a pretty good chance we can be right in there," he added. "That's what we're shooting for."

The Huskies' most accomplished wrestler is Carmona, a seventh-place state medalist at 285 pounds last year. He pinned two of his three opponents en route to the regional title, and Ellensburg junior Blake Nichols was his victim in both the district and regional title matches.

Carmona got a strange draw at Mat Classic, however, getting Black Hills senior Trever Lowery in the first round. Lowery is the sub-regional champion and a fifth-place medalist at state in 2007, but a fourth-place effort at the Region III championships cost him a better seed.

"The first kid (Carmona) is wrestling was actually the best kid at that weight class," Martinez said. "They're the only two kids who placed last year (at 285) and they're wrestling right off the bat.

"Like I told Michael, 'That's the guy we need to beat to win the state title," Martinez added. "We figure, if we can get through him, we should be able to be in the finals."

Blaine senior Shane Hicks is another concern, though he's on the opposite side of the bracket and wouldn't face Carmona until the finals. A regional champ, Hicks bulked up from the 189-pound class, where he took fourth last winter.

"He might actually be the tougher kid," Martinez said of Hicks.

For Carmona to be in contention, he'll need to wrestle the way he has the latter half of the season.

"Michael is wrestling really well right now - no mistakes," his coach said. "That's the one thing that really cost him earlier in the year, right when he first got out of football."

Kevin Smith took the No. 3 spot at regionals for the 152-pound class. An early 8-2 loss to Clarkston's Gabe Hocum derailed him from a better placing, which Martinez thinks is a real possibility in Tacoma.

"Kevin is probably a top four kid at that weight if he wrestles well," the coach said.

Smith has a first-round tilt with River Ridge junior Michael Fujimori, and his possible quarterfinal opponent - Klahowya junior Danny Zimny - is one the Othello coaches are familiar with from the Yakima SunDome Tournament.

The beast of the 152-pound bracket is Deer Park junior Cody Miller, a runner-up at 145 last year, but again, the Huskies don't have to worry about him until the championship match.

The most unique aspect of this year's state-qualifying group are the two ninth-graders making the trip - 119-pounder Matt Jordan and 140-pounder Amando DeLeon. It's the first time Othello has accomplished that feat in program history, and is certainly a rarity for the rugged region the Huskies compete in.

DeLeon is the No. 4 seed from regionals, and the depth of that weight is demonstrated in the fact that Prosser senior Joseph Huizar, No. 1 in state for most of the season, could only garner an alternate's spot to Tacoma.

"Amando is probably at the toughest weight class in the state," Martinez said. "For him to make it out is a real accomplishment."

DeLeon's road to a state championship goes directly through the biggest obstacle remaining - top-seeded Joe Sawyers of Klahowya in the first round.

Still, Sawyers is a sophomore and certainly beatable. Other favorites like Pullman senior Matt David, the Region IV champ, and previous state medalist Brandon Leliefeld of Deer Park won't be on DeLeon's radar until at least the semifinals.

"I think Amando's wrestled some of the tougher kids and he's gotten better each and every time he's gotten out on the mat," his coach said. "If he wrestles like he did at regionals, then there's a pretty good shot for him to be in the semis."

Jordan could sneak up on his opponents after being the fifth and final seed out of regionals. His youthfulness hasn't been a negative factor, especially after his 6-0 victory over Ellensburg senior Zach Heaton to claim the last spot to Tacoma.

"Being up a couple weight classes might help us a little bit, we're thinking," Martinez said. "Matt has beaten some quality kids this year from Ellensburg and Ephrata."

But Jordan "probably has the toughest draw" of any Othello wrestler at state, the coach noted, and opens against Black Hills junior Nick Burnham, the defending state champion at 103 pounds.

There are three other freshmen in the 119-pound division, and Jordan does avoid the same side as regional champ and two-time state medalist Levi Zadorozny of Deer Park.

Sophomore Reuben Lopez isn't going to surprise anyone at Mat Classic. He's garnered statewide attention throughout the year, entering regionals as the No. 2-ranked 130-pounder in the state.

He was the regional runner-up to third-ranked Carlos Torres of Selah, but still got the No. 2 overall seed for state. His reputation has been built off a sixth-place state finish in 2007, and the fact that Lopez has excelled even after moving up three weight classes.

"You always hope that you get the No. 1 seed," Martinez explained, "because if you're the No. 1 seed generally you get a good quarter bracket. He's the No. 2 seed and he actually got the better quarter bracket."

The coach feels Lopez should handle his first foe, Blaine freshman Kyler Mackowiak, and Klahowya sophomore John Hays - a possible quarterfinal opponent - is someone the Huskies have already seen.

"If you look at the other half of that bracket, it's really stacked," Martinez said.

Junior Jake Smith was the fifth regional seed at 112 pounds, but as the third-ranked wrestler in the state, is far from being under the radar. He'll battle River Ridge sophomore Zach Sheffield in Friday's first round, and Martinez feels Smith is capable of placing high if he shores up some problem areas.

"He's lost a lot of close, close matches," the coach explained. "A lot of him is just working on not giving up that first takedown. We feel like we can get that first match, and if we do we feel like we're sitting in good shape.

"He's a very smart kid, a quick learner," Martinez said of Smith.

Smith also benefits from having three of the other favorites - Ridgefield's Tyler Lefebvre, Burlington-Edison's Juan Farias and top-ranked Isaiah Garza of Toppenish - on the other side of the draw.

Whoever the opponent might be this weekend, Martinez is confident his Huskies match up well.

"We're taking six kids that can score some points," he said.