Third-ranked Othello dispatches Warden 57-12
Connor Vanderweyst/Columbia Basin Herald Othello's Mariah DeLeon (front) tries to escape the grasp of Warden's Cathy Mendoza Monday at Othello High School.
Connor Vanderweyst/Columbia Basin Herald Othello's Denise Guerra (red) looks up briefly in her match against Warden's Mariah Garza.
Connor Vanderweyst/Columbia Basin Herald Warden's Aaliyah Escamilla takes down Othello's Gabby Rodriguez.
OTHELLO — Had the first round been one second longer, Iyalhye Barraza (120) would have been pinned by Warden’s Alexis Mendoza.
Saved by the buzzer, Barraza fought off her back twice more over the course of the next two rounds and tied the match 11-11 with a reversal and three back points as time expired in regulation. With her escape in double overtime, Barraza outlasted Mendoza 12-11, completing the nine-point swing.
Barraza’s effort trickled down to the rest of the lineup as third-ranked Othello won five of the next six matches en route to a 57-12 win over Warden.
“Anybody wrestling into overtime really gets the team really pumped and everybody’s cheering,” said 2016 state placer Nikki Velazquez. “Everybody’s on their feet trying to make our girl win. We always want to win. We always say never lose in overtime so that’s kind of what we always tell her and she had an amazing match.”
The lopsided result was atypical for when both programs meet up.
Last season, Othello edged Warden 36-34 and two seasons ago — when Warden was the reigning state champion — Othello came away with a 40-39 upset on criteria.
Regardless of the budding rivalry, both programs have a mutual admiration for each other.
“It’s grown into more of a respect, is what it’s become because both programs produce great wrestlers,” Warden head coach Valerie Hernandez said. “A lot of the matches I thought we did pretty well. I’ve got a young team that came out and they know what we need to work on... I think if we would’ve had this match at the end of the year it would’ve been a totally different match on both ends, honestly.”
The Cougars hung with the Huskies early, winning two of the first three matches. In a match-up of two freshmen, Warden’s Aaliyah Escamilla (100) controlled Gabby Rodriguez from the opening whistle and was in position for a first-round pin, but was called for an illegal hold.
Escamilla regrouped and won by major decision, 12-3.
Warden’s Mariah Garza (110) was also whistled for an illegal hold when she had an opportunity to pin Denise Guerra. Trailing 7-6 late in the match, Guerra elected to cut Garza for a chance at a tying take-down.
However, time ran out and Garza held on to the 8-6 victory.
Hernandez highlighted the perseverance of Escamilla and Garza.
“I actually liked that they continued and kept going,” Hernandez said. “They don’t have an attitude that they give up. They come in here on a mission.”
Ahead 27-12, Othello began to pull away in the middle weights.
Velazquez (135), Elizabeth Giles (140) and Mariah DeLeon (145) all won by fall. State veteran Kaylee Martinez capped the sequence with a workmanlike 5-0 win against Andrea Hernandez.
“We’re really strong in that middle core,” Othello head coach JJ Martinez said. “I’ve got to give credit to them. You’ve got to really strategize to beat Warden. Warden always comes out to attack, Warden’s always competitive no matter what kind of team. Today, we were just on our game.”
Full results:
235: Warden forfeit
100: Aaliyah Escamilla (W) d. Gabby Rodriguez 12-3
105: Emily Mendez (O) p. Angelica Vela
110: Mariah Garza (W) d. Denise Guerra 8-6
115: Beverlyn Garza (O) p. Felicia Alvarez
120: Iyalhye Barraza (O) d. Alexis Mendoza 12-11 (2OT)
125: Warden forfeit
130: Monica Canales (W) d. Ruby Villalobos 17-2
135: Nikki Velazquez (O) p. Nakisha Guerra
140: Elizabeth Giles (O) p. Mariah Garza
145: Mariah DeLeon (O) p. Cathy Mendoza
155: Kaylee Martinez (O) d. Andrea Hernandez 5-0
170: Warden forfeit
190: Estephania Vargas (O) d. Bianca Urias 7-1