Huskies bring balanced team into new season

OTHELLO — After bringing home a second-place trophy from last year’s Mat Classic, the Othello boys wrestling team brings in a balanced team of both experienced and newcomer wrestlers to the mat this season. 

“The kids are really excited — we have a great turnout, 77 kids signed up and a lot of newbies giving it a shot,” head coach Rudy Ochoa II said. “We’re excited to see a high numbers and people excited about the season.” 

While Othello has 77 wrestlers that turned out this season, more than 20 of them are freshman; however, the Huskies have plenty of postseason experience to help guide along the wrestlers new to the high school program.  

Othello returns eight of the 10 wrestlers who took the mat at the Tacoma Dome a season ago, five of whom ended up placing; junior Daniel Gonzalez (113 pounds, fourth place), junior Mason Russell (126, fifth), senior Jeremiah Flores (150, fourth), junior Camilo Mendez III (157, fourth) and senior Mason Perez (285, second) all reached the podium at the Mat Classic. The Huskies had state placers in Isaac Campos (113, second) and Anthony Abundiz (132, fourth) both graduated. 

“Having been in the postseason, they act as mentors and are there to help the other kids through that process that will hopefully get to that position this year,” Ochoa said. “I think we have a really mature, veteran group. They’re aware that every year is a new year.” 

Huskie wrestlers stayed busy this off-season, including traveling to a team camp in Pasco and bringing in clinicians for camps in Othello. 

“I think it’s really going to benefit them,” Ochoa said. “The ones that were able to go, I think they’ll be able to share some of the things they learned with their peers. That’s valuable as well.” 

The 2024-28 classification cycle brought plenty of changes to the CWAC, as both Quincy and Toppenish will return to the league this winter. Toppenish won each of the last three 1A titles in convincing fashion, winning by 163 points over Castle Rock in 2024, 276 points over Mount Baker in 2023 and 302 points over Deer Park in 2022. While members of the 2A classification two cycles ago, the Wildcats won titles in 2018 and 2019. 

“I’m excited to see some old friends back in the league, it’ll definitely be more competitive with Toppenish,” Ochoa said. “It’s going to be a fun year. I like our league; our league is consistently competitive every year and it adds a lot of excitement to each and every dual.” 

Last year’s second-place finish marked Othello’s third consecutive top three finish at the Mat Classic, and the Huskies have finished in the top five of the 2A classification at each state tournament since 2018. For yet another high finish this season, Ochoa said it’ll take being persistent as well as ambition. 

“It’s going to take consistency, it’s going to take the desire to want to be better to work toward improving and foundation we’ve tried to push on these kids year in and year out; just try to be the best version of themselves, and at the end of the day, the results are going to take care of themselves,” Ochoa said.  

The Huskies open the 2024-25 season with a home dual against Ellensburg on Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. 

    Othello junior Camilo Mendez III, left, is one of five returning state placers. Mendez took fourth in the 2A 157-pound weight class.
  

    Othello senior Jeremiah Flores, top, wrestles at the 2024 Mat Classic in Tacoma in February. Flores placed fourth in the 150-pound class last season.