By John Leggett
The Courier-Herald
Posting their sport’s first winning record and then capturing a sixth-place team trophy at last year’s Class 3A state tournament has elevated the Bonney Lake High wrestlers’ confidence.
The Panther grapplers have once again set the bar high, as they hope to duplicate the regular season winning record during the 2009-10 campaign and again wind up among the top 10 teams at state.
Anthony Clarke, the only wrestling coach the Panthers have had, believes these dreams are most certainly reachable.
The graduation of Addison Tracy, who claimed the state championship belt in his 140-pound weight class in 2009, left some big shoes to fill, Clarke admits.
Clark also notes senior Nick Bendon is unsure whether he’ll wrestle at 135 or 140 pounds. “At either weight he is one of the better wrestlers on the team, so he will fill either one of those positions confidently and with a wealth of experience,” Clarke said.
From 103-pounder, sophomore James Jackson, to muscular heavyweight, sophomore 240-pounder Travis Novey, the Panthers will be fortified with wrestlers challenging one another in nearly every weight class.
Stepping into the ring as Bonney Lake’s 112-pounder will be experienced sophomore Andrew Cunningham, a transfer from New Mexico.
The 119-pound class will be occupied by senior Robbie Slick, who according to Clarke seemed to get better with each match last year, while at 125 pounds, freshman Matt Yuste and senior Gordi St. Peter will be battling it out.
Senior Phil Hathaway at 135 pounds will have to fight off Mount Tahoma transfer John Hernandez to see who will fill that weight, but only if Bendon goes with the option of wrestling at 140.
“There is a great deal of competition between 135 and 145 pounds, because Josh Peart is in that equation, too, Clarke said. “Peart wrestled so well in the state tournament as a junior alternate at 145.”
Tipping the scale at 152 pounds are sophomores Jake Leuders and Joey Surver as well as junior Justin Rush.
Senior Tim Beck was gone but not forgotten at 160 pounds as he did not wrestle in his junior year of eligibility, but has returned to the fold. Beck has one challenger breathing down his neck though, junior D.J. Williams.
A real dogfight exists at 171 pounds as Evan Dorsey, who wrestled well in that weight class last year as a frosh, has junior Harrison James nipping at his heels.
No one has been penciled in at 189 pounds, but Clarke suspects that David Vance might be the man there. Vance is also pressing senior Jared Dorsey for the 215-pound starting honors. Dorsey may be stepping aside for Vance though, because Dorsey in turn, may be vying for the heavyweight chores with Novey.
“This should be a fun year and if everything falls into place we might be doing well at state again,” said Clarke, whose contingent travels for a 7 p.m. bout Thursday at Clover Park.
