Williams takes sixth at 140

The Class 3A state wrestling tournament finished Saturday night and already coach Joe Klein and the White River High Hornets are looking toward next season.

“Our goal is to get back on the board again,” Klein said.

The Hornets, who were state champions in 1995 and took runner-up honors in 2001, 2002 and 2003, are perennial Top 10 finishers. Saturday, they finished 18th with junior Chase Myers earning their top finish at fourth.

South Puget Sound League 3A rival Enumclaw won the state title, its second in as many years. The SPSL 3A’s Bonney Lake was sixth, Auburn Mountainview, ninth, Franklin Pierce, 10th and Sumner 17th.

“We brought five and all five boys won at least one match,” Klein said. “I’m pretty proud of that.”

Junior Alec Williams finished sixth.

“Both guys who placed are going to be back next year,” Klein said. “We lose a couple seniors, but we return most of the team.

“We’ve got a huge fan base here,” Klein said of the White River crowd at the Tacoma Dome. “Most of the guys on the team are here watching; hopefully they’ll get the fever and want to put in the extra time. That’s what it takes.”

Meyers started Friday with an opening-round 215-pound loss to Kyler Crow of Ferndale, but bounced back to win four straight, all by pin, to face SPSL nemesis Keiffer Comstock of Sumner for third and fourth place. Comstock pulled off a 7-4 victory for third.

Williams, at 140 pounds, won his first two matches – a 3-1 decision over John Janicki of Sedro Woolley and a 7-6 win over Mount Si’s Ryan Makela – before running into defending state champion Brandon Yeik of Olympia. Yeik, who lost the title to Enumclaw’s Jason Gray Saturday night, topped Williams 5-3.

Williams dropped the next two to finish sixth.

The Hornets also took senior Jeremy Gurule, 130, senior Michael Madden, 160, and sophomore heavyweight David Meagher.