Turnabout was fair play for Enumclaw High Saturday night at the 18-team Spud Walley Invitational in Sedro Woolley as the Hornets found themselves behind defending state 1A champion Orting and Tahoma, 2009’s fourth-place state 4A team, at the end of a long and grueling tournament.
One week earlier, it was the two-time 3A defending state champion Hornets that outlasted Orting in a battle of the best.
“Overall it was a great outing for us,” said EHS coach Lee Reichert, who was welcomed into the Tahoma High wrestling hall of fame over the weekend. “There was good competition and the opportunity to improve. We don’t like to lose, but to take third to Orting, they’re tough, and Tahoma, they’re tough, too.”
The Hornets, who pounded Lakes Dec. 9 in the South Puget Sound League opener, travel to Peninsula tonight, Wednesday, looking for their 27th-straight league victory and then head to the Rogers Holiday tournament in Puyallup Saturday.
In Sedro Woolley, Orting closed out the night with 241.5 points. Tahoma followed with 179.5 and Enumclaw was third with150. Kelso finished fourth with 143 and host Sedro Woolley came in 11th.
The Hornets put three in the finals with Josh Musick earning the 152-pound title and Kario Wallin taking the 160-pound crown. Hunter File dropped a tight 4-3 contest to Antonio Brown of Orting in the 125-pound championship match.
“It was a tight match all the way through,” Reichert said. “The kid ended up nipping us.”
Musick walked over state finalist Niko Hughes of Kelson, 12-0 for his title.
“Musick just looked awesome,” Reichert said.
Wallin eked past defending state 2A champion Riley Prentice of Tumwater, 6-5.
Both remain undefeated so far this season.
The Hornets got a 1-2 punch from Lucas Somora and Marcus Nichols at 130 pounds. Somora finished third, while Nichols was fourth.
Heavyweight Brad McCutchen returned to the Hornet lineup to take fourth. McCutchen, who’s been nursing a knee injury, pulled out before the end of the tournament to prevent re-injury.
Freshman Jerad Paul also earned a fourth-place finish for EHS at 103 pounds.
At 135 pounds, Andrew Fox lost one match all day for his fifth-place finish. Cole Snider also finished fifth at 119 pounds.
Chance Mitchell ended his day sixth at 145 pounds for the Hornets.
The Hornets’ 140-pound state-place winner Kyle Young started the tournament, but had to withdraw with a neck injury. He is expected back in the lineup this week. The Hornets also held out 215-pounder Steven Knapp, who had finished second a week earlier at the White River Classic.
Another tournament highlight was Reichert’s honor. The Tahoma High graduate was unable to attend the Hall of Fame ceremony Friday night at his alma mater due to his obligations with the Hornets, but the Bears’ coaching staff presented it to him at the Spud Walley Tournament.
Reichert said he has great memories from his days wrestling at Tahoma High, where he was a third-place state finisher, and was inspired by the coaches there.
“They set the groundwork for me to go into education and coaching,” he said. “Tahoma is always special to me.”
