Othello, Quincy and Ephrata wrestlers prepare for district tournament
Othello's Anthony Ruiz (right) ties up with Ephrata's Rolo Reyes. Ruiz scored an 8-3 decision over Reyes.
ELLENSBURG — The District 5/6 2A wrestling championships will be held at Ellensburg High School this weekend. Matches begin Friday, Feb. 5, at 4 p.m. and continue the following morning at 11 a.m.
Toppenish, with a 9-0 record, sits atop the Central Washington Athletic Conference standings and is the favorite heading into the tournament. Just behind Toppenish, in second place, are the Othello Huskies, led by first-year head coach Rudy Ochoa.
Ochoa said the Wildcats are the team to beat, but the work his team has put in all year will have them prepared for the mat this weekend.
"As a team, the guys have been working hard all year,” he said. “They put in the time. Now it's time to be mentally focused; time to advance. Toppenish is the team to beat; the No. 1 team in the state. We have some holes — not a full lineup — but I'm confident that we'll perform well and do what we're capable of. "Anthony Ruiz is undefeated in league matches and 29-1 on the year. He came in fourth the last two years in state so I'm looking to see him improve.” Quincy and Ephrata sit in the middle of the CWAC standings, at fifth and seventh, respectively.
For Ephrata head coach P.J. Anderson, the weekend tournament gives his young team a chance to gain some experience and make a name for themselves.
"Our goal is to just get to next week," he said. "There's not a lot of experience. We just take it one match at a time. Our goal is to move on, but our group is so young, there's no expectations on anyone's shoulders right now. Just fight. Get into the Dome. That's our goal." ‘The Dome' is the Tacoma Dome, where the state championships will be held on February 19-20.
Ephrata has lost their last two matches, falling 63-18 to Toppenish and 36-28 to Quincy.
Othello will head to Ellensburg on Friday with revenge on their minds. Last week, the Huskies suffered a 34-28 loss to the Wildcats. Their other defeat came on Dec. 10 against Ellensburg in their first conference dual of the season.