As the Wolves wrestling squad works its way back up the ranks, the team almost checked off one hurdle on its to-do list.
In their first home meet of the season on Dec. 10, Sequim almost notched its first win in three seasons. The Wolves tied the Klahowya Eagles 39-39 but the tiebreaker went to the Eagles 6-5 for the most pins.
Coach Charles Drabek said the final was a tough loss to take but he said things are beginning to click for his wrestlers.
“The kids are starting to do what we’re showing them,” he said. “We even saw it against Olympic (a 78-0 loss). It’s exciting as a coaching staff.”
In Sequim’s five pins, wrestlers seemed to take control early.
Jaime Schroepfer (106 pounds) pinned Mason Clark in 41 seconds while Alma Mendoza (126) pinned Tyler Cabana in 1:26. Also earning pins were Grant Pierson (138) over Dallas McKinney in 2:29, Kevyn Ward (152) over Gavin Humblet in 3:03 and Michael Latimer (220) over Mariz Taylor in 56 seconds. Sequim’s Hunter Davidson (195) earned a 6-2 decision over John Russel and Sophia Cornell (113) won by forfeit.
Ben Newell came the closest for the Wolves in winning another match despite losing in a 6-2 decision to Caden Haga at 120 pounds.
Drabek said Latimer and Ward have looked good the past two weeks, particularly Latimer who pinned a wrestler that did well last year.
Mendoza was the only girl wrestler to start a varsity match last Wednesday, but Drabek said the other girls are progressing well.
“It’s been by leaps and bounds,” he said. “They are still learning moves because most are first-year wrestlers (in high school) but you can see the fire in their eyes.”
Other tournaments
Sequim sent its wrestlers to three events last weekend with eight varsity boys at the Battle at the Border in Blaine and the junior varsity boys and girls teams to the Foss Invitational.
Latimer and Ward had some of the best results at the Blaine tournament.
Ward (152) went 4-2 with three pins while Latimer went 1-2 with one pin in 26 seconds.
Craig Baker (126) went 2-2 with two pins of his own and losing by decisions while his brother Travis (138) went 1-1. Schroepfer (106) went 1-1 with a pin over Dewald Olivier of Bellingham in 1:06. Other Sequim wrestlers went 0-2.
Results from the Foss Tournament were not available at press time.
Early season trials
Sequim opened the 2014-2015 season with a 78-0 loss to Olympic, a team ranked No. 5 in the class 2A state rankings by washingtonwrestlingreport.com, on Dec. 4. Olympic earned wins via nine pins, three technical falls, one decision and one by forfeit.
Sequim rebounded, seeing three boys earn top-four placings at the Forks Invitational on Dec. 6. Jamie Schroepfer (106 pounds) took third place while Kevyn Ward (152 pounds) and Nathan Allison (285 pounds) both placed fourth.
In addition, Sequim’s girls wrestled in round robin format, with SHS veterans Alma Mendoza and Kaylee Ditlefsen both going undefeated. Ward and Mendoza were picked by coaches as Sequim’s Wrestlers of the Week.
