EHS WRESTLING: Hornet three-peat would be perfection

With the largest turnout – close to 60 – in the Enumclaw High wrestling room in years, and many of those returning to the program, coach Lee Reichert is pleased with the first two weeks of practice, but knows it’s a long way to a third straight state championship. “We’re optimistic,” Reichert said.

By Brenda Sexton • November 30, 2009 6:02 pm

With the largest turnout – close to 60 – in the Enumclaw High wrestling room in years, and many of those returning to the program, coach Lee Reichert is pleased with the first two weeks of practice, but knows it’s a long way to a third straight state championship.

“We’re optimistic,” Reichert said. “We’re looking forward to it. We’re looking forward to winning the league title. We’re looking forward to winning subdistricts. We’re looking forward to winning districts. We’re looking forward to winning the region and we’re looking forward to winning state.”

The Hornets are looking for perfection.

“Someone’s got to win it, why not us?” has been the team’s mantra for the past few seasons.

If anyone knows what it takes to win three straight state wrestling titles it’s Reichert. He led Kentwood to back-to-back-to-back titles in 1990, 1991 and 1992.

“It’ll take a good team to beat us, we’re pretty balanced,” Reichert said, but he’s also not counting his chickens before they’re hatched.

“We’ve had to replace what we’ve been doing,” he said, referring specifically to two-time state place winners Sam Bauer and Jason Gray, who graduated.

The Hornets took a school-high 14 wrestlers to the Class 3A state tournament in February and put four in the finals. State 215-pound runner-up Brad McCutchen returns, as does third-place state finisher Josh Musick and seventh-place state placer Kyle Young.

Also back in the lineup from the state tournament are Travis Reano, Marcus Nichols and Kario Wallin.

Then there are veterans to the program, who were waiting their turn behind standouts. Wrestlers like D.J. Qualls, Cole Snider, Jeff Wilse, Hunter File, Chance Mitchell, Lucas Semera, Andrew Fox, Riley Klein, Johnny Avila, Russel Horton, Teddy Sherwood, Steven Knapp and A.J. Molieri are making their presence felt in the early rounds.

It all makes for a balanced attack, which will be necessary, in the always-tough South Puget Sound League 3A, which Reichert believes will be more balanced this season.

“We’ll have to come and wrestle every night,” Reichert said. “We can’t wait to get it going.”

The season started Tuesday with a takedown jamboree at Todd Beamer High in Federal Way, then continues Saturday with the 16-team White River Classic, where EHS won’t be the only defending state champion – Class 1A state champion Orting is expected to be there along with a number of other top teams in the state.