Basin teams battle through brutal 2A regional
ELLENSBURG, Wash. — The Central Washington Athletic Conference wrestling teams from the Columbia Basin battled through a difficult regional tournament to send 11 combined wrestlers to Mat Classic XXI.
Othello and Ephrata will each send four participants to the state tournament, while the Quincy Jacks will have three participants.
The Huskies led the Columbia Basin schools with a sixth-place finish (101 team points). The Jacks finished in ninth place with 66 team points and the Tigers finished in 11th place with 51 team points.
It was a tough weekend for the Columbia Basin schools as Othello was the only school to bring home a regional champion from a brutal tournament.
Othello head coach Ruben Martinez said the Region IV tournament is the state’s toughest.
“It’s the same every year,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what division it is. We get the toughest districts together and we knock each other out.”
Othello’s lone regional champion came in the 135-pound weight class when Reuben Lopez earned a 14-5 major decision over Bryce Dresler of Medical Lake.
Martinez said his only regional champion had his best performances of the year over the weekend.
“This weekend was the best performance (we have seen) from him,” Martinez said. “He has wrestled a lot of tough kids this year and it showed (at regionals).”
While Martinez was the only Columbia Basin 2A coach to bring home a champion, he was not the only coach to believe the Region IV tournament was the state’s strongest.
Ephrata head coach P.J. Anderson said the regional tournament put together some of the best teams in the state.
“It was a tough region. (Top-ranked) Deer Park and Riverside were there,” Anderson said. “There are going to be a few weight classes (at state) that the first through fifth placers at regionals will be first through fifth at state.”
Perhaps the toughest weight at the regional tournament was the 119-pound weight class and no two schools know how difficult it was more than Ephrata and Othello, Anderson said.
“Across the board there are a few weights that the kids medaled at last year and (they) didn’t get out of the region,” he said. “It’s always tough to see.”
Ephrata junior Anthony Bush and Othello senior Jake Smith both placed at Mat Classic XX in 2008 at 112 pounds and both made the jump up to 119 pounds this season.
Neither Bush nor Smith qualified for the state tournament at 119 pounds.
While the regional tournament was a difficult tournament to advance from, Quincy head coach Manny Ybarra said the wrestlers may be stronger because of it.
“When you come from the toughest region, you get to go against somebody who isn’t as tough (at state),” he said. “Hopefully that will work out in your favor.”
While Ephrata and Othello struggled at 119 pounds, the Huskies, Jacks and Tigers all found success at 135 pounds.
Othello’s Lopez won the 135-pound title, Quincy’s Manny Ybarra finished fourth, and Kurt Nygard of Ephrata grabbed fifth place.
The top five wrestlers at this weekend’s tournament qualified for Mat Classic XXI.
Ephrata Qualifiers and Regional Placers
- 135) Kurt Nygard - Fifth
- 145) Quinton Hendrickson - Third
- 160) Chris Davidson - Fifth
- 215) Deion Ducksworth - Fifth
Othello Qualifiers and Regional Placers
- 125) Matt Jordan - Third
- 130) Kiki Rebuelta - Fifth
- 135) Reuben Lopez - First
- 140) Amando DeLeon - Third
Quincy Qualifiers and Regional Placers
- 125) Tim Silvas - Fourth
- 135) Manny Ybarra - Fourth
- 189) Michael Reyes - Fourth