Backed by four champions, the Enumclaw High wrestling team carried home the first-place trophy from Saturday’s Spud Wally tournament in Sedro Woolley.
After finishing fifth at the White River Classic, the Hornets also picked up a 60-12 season-opening South Puget Sound League 3A victory Dec. 8 over Bonney Lake.
Coach Lee Reichert said the Classic finish didn’t sit well with the team, and now, back at full strength, the Hornets are back.
“The only team that beat us was ourselves,” Reichert said. “We just weren’t ready.”
He said in the league match with the Panthers the Hornets put the hammer down.
“We went in there with the attitude we’ve got something to prove here,” he said.
But Saturday’s finish in the 18-team Spud Wally tournament was the true sign.
“It was a good outing for us,” Reichert said. “It was a great tournament for us.”
Tyke Reid, Hunter File, Lucas Somera and Josh Musick were title winners for the Hornets.
Reid, who scored two pins on the way, topped Daniel Page of Tumwater 7-6 in the final for the 112-pound crown.
File, returning to the Hornet lineup after sitting out, won a 15-0 technical fall and a 12-3 decision before earning a 1-0 decision over Colton Weiks of Tumwater for the 130-pound title.
Somera, also returning to the EHS lineup after sitting out with a wrist injury, earned a 7-0 decision over Josh St. Marie of Glacier for the 140-pound championship. His earlier matches were won by pin and 11-5.
Musick won all three of his matches by pin en route to the 152-pound crown and was named the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler. In the championship final, he slammed Arlington’s Nathan Shortt to the mat in 23 seconds.
Three more Hornets were in the finals.
Travis Reano finished second, dropping a 15-4 decision to two-time state champion Drew Templeman of Orting in the 125-pound final.
Kario Wallin came up a point shy to his nemesis Nikko Veltri of Orting in the 160-pound final. Wallin earned his way into the final with a 1:11 pin and a 5-1 decision.
At 189 pounds, Colton Malek lost a 2-1 decision to Easton Hargrave of Tumwater in the final. He scored a pair of pins, 1:08 and 35 seconds, plus an 8-1 decision before reaching the finals.
Hornets Cole Snider, 125, and Marcus Nichols, finished third.
T.J. Cormier finished sixth for the Hornets.
Neighboring Tahoma and Orting finished second and third behind EHS with Kelso and Tumwater not far behind.
