By John Leggett
The Courier-Herald
Bonney Lake’s wrestling squad celebrated Senior Night Jan. 20, but Enumclaw High rained on the seniors’ parade.
The vaunted EHS mat men tabulated a half dozen pins, a forfeit, a 21-4 tech fall at 160 pounds and a 16-3 major decision at 103 pounds to subdue the able Panthers 55-14.
The setback dropped Bonney Lake’s South Puget Sound League 3A dual match record to 3-4, but Panther boss Anthony Clarke said the match happened went about the way he had expected.
“Enumclaw is a solid club,” he said. “They’ve taken state two years in a row, so you can’t realistically expect to beat them, just learn from the mistakes you made against them.”
The match began at 145 pounds, which gave the Panthers the opportunity to get things off on the right foot, as that weight is where Panther Josh Peart earns his keep.
Peart did not disappoint, as he took his EHS opponent for a wild ride and ended up defeating Chance Mitchell 11-2 for a major decision and a 4-0 Bonney Lake lead.
This would be the last time Bonney Lake would hold the advantage.
Enumclaw easily claimed the next five weight classes and then it was time for the dancing bears to tussle at heavyweight. The Bonney Lake faithful reacted favorably when Jared Dorsey stepped on to the mat to tangle with EHS’ hulking Jeff Wiltse.
Dorsey won 1-0 as neither wrestler hit the mat even once.
It was then time for the opposite end of the spectrum, as 103-pounders BL’s James Jackson and Jared Paul of Enumclaw exchanged holds. The adroit Paul won a 16-3 decision over his challenger, nearly pinning him on several occasions.
Two of the more intriguing matches of the evening ensued, as Panther Andrew Cunningham, a 112-pound buzz saw transfer from New Mexico, won his bout easily with a 14-2 major decision. Next up was Robbie Slick, who wrestled Enumclaw’s Cole Snider and the dynamic duo nearly went the distance.
Slick made one fatal blunder and Snider took full advantage, pinning Slick with 1 minute, 12 seconds remaining in the third round.
The next battle at 125 pounds featured Enumclaw junior Hunter File, who changed camps in his sophomore season, transferring from Bonney Lake.
“I hold no animosity towards Hunter for changing schools, he is a good kid,” Clarke said, “but I was proud of the way our freshman, Matt Yuste, went right out there and aggressively got after it.” File pinned him in 51 seconds, but the coach liked Yuste’s effort.
“I am confident that Yuste will take his lumps this season, but then comeback strong for us next year, after some of those rugged 125-pounders have graduated.”
Enumclaw gleaned first-round pins at 130 and 135 pounds and it was time for the final face-off of the evening, the much anticipated bout between Bonney Lake’s Nick Bendon and Enumclaw’s Kyle Young at 140 pounds. Bendon and Young tore one another apart for three rounds, but Bendon was the eventual winner, claiming a narrow 7-4 decision.
Saturday, Bonney Lake finished fifth among 16 teams at the Tahoma Mat Classic at Tahoma High School in Maple Valley.
Cunningham wrestled down to 103 pounds and whipped a duo of opponents to reach the championship bout, where he faced Auburn Mountainview’s Tyke Reid. Cunningham earned a 2-0 decision to claim first-place hardware.
Slick made it to the championship round for the first time in his high school tournament career by blanking Kamiakin High’s Zach Regan in the semis with a 12-0 judgement. Slick took home the silver, though, as Kamiak’s Sedale Garcia pinned Slick with two seconds remaining in the second round of that 119-pound championship tussle.
Also wrestling in championship match were Bendon at 140 pounds and Dorsey at 285. Bendon took second after suffering a 14-4 major decision to Tahoma’s Tyler Lamb, who currently owns the No. 1 ranking in the state. Dorsey also stood on the second-place step as he lost 11-1 to Tahoma’s Konner Knutdsen.
Seven of the nine Panther grapplers placed, as Peart claimed third place honors at 145 and Gordi St. Peter, 130 pounds, and Yuste, 125, placed fifth.
Bonney Lake travels to Franklin Pierce tonight, Wednesday.
