BENTON CITY, Wash. — Coming off a season in which they won league and district wrestling titles, the Chiawana Riverhawks aren’t mincing any words when it comes to their plans for 2013.
“We want to be a state-title team,” said Clayton Smith, who finished second at 152 pounds for the Riverhawks at Saturday’s Bob Mars Tournament. “To do that, you got to want it. We’ve been building this program for four years.”
Step one for the Riverhawks was winning the annual memorial tournament for the beloved Kiona-Benton wrestling coach and teacher.
The Riverhawks finished with 1561⁄2 points, 211⁄2 ahead of Zillah in a sauna-like Lions Den at Kennewick High. The team crown came with just one individual title — Jaden Salazar at 145 — and second-place finishes from Smith and Austin Silvers at 182.
“We just need to keep doing what we’re doing,” Smith said. “Stay mentally focused and work hard every day in practice.”
Kiona-Benton finished third in the team race, getting a title from defending Class 1A state champion Cruz Del Angel at 182 with his 4-1 win over Silvers.
Don’t expect the junior to ease off the throttle this season.
“I’m ready to say I’m going to win every match,” he said. “I’m not saying that to be overconfident. I’m just going to go out there with my head held high.”
Del Angel’s cousin, Southridge senior Kevin Del-Angel (names spelled differently), looks primed for a run, though he’ll need to get in more work than the 36- , 11- and 15-second pins he used to blow through the 195 bracket.
“I feel pretty good. It’s good to get a couple wins real quick,” Del-Angel said, adding that after reach the state semifinals last season, he has one individual goal in mind this season: state title.
That goal was not uncommon at the season-opening tournament.
“I’m going to win a state title,” said Harley Kolp, Kamiakin’s senior 138-pounder and two-time state placer. “And it starts with winning this tournament.”
He certainly wrestled like a man with a plan in winning his weight, particularly in a 15-0 semifinal victory over Riverside’s Martin Herrera.
Kolp got into Herrera’s body and tripped him to the mat early. But instead of slipping out the backdoor for a sure takedown, Kolp worked up high and turned it into a five-point move.
“I feel like I’m out of position when I get behind, and I was in good position to finish it (inside),” said Kolp, who added another nearfall in the first period for a 7-0 lead, then turned a reversal into another five-point move before tilting his way to the technical fall.
“This is my senior year,” he said, “and I’m going to go all out.”
Riverside, the little Oregon school that could, picked up three titles: Gustavo Madrigal at 112, Hans Rockwell at 120 and Elijah Conlon at 126. Rockwell, a sophomore, also is hoping to repeat last year’s unbeaten state championship effort.
Othello got titles from Isaiah Barrera at 106 and Lucas Garza at 132. Richland’s Cameron Simpson won at 170, as did Wa-Hi’s Logan Reardon at 220.
Team scores—Chiawana 156 1/2, Zillah 135, Kiona-Benton 114, Riverside 112, Quincy 108 1/2, Pendleton 101, Othello 94 1/2, Southridge 93, Richland 81, Walla Walla 71, Kamiakin 68 1/2, Wenatchee 63, Moses Lake JV 50, Kennewick 42, Wapato 29, Columbia-Burbank 18, River View 3.
106—Isaiah Barrera (Oth) t.f. Tristan Holcomb (Pend) 21-6; Clayton Clark (ML) d. Tyler Almaguer (Kam) 5-2; Cooper McCallah (ML-NS) d. Daniel Cazier (C-B) 4-2. 113—Gustavo Madrigal (Rvsd) d. Christian Alejandrez (Qui) 4-3; Bryce Buckley (Chi) inj. def. Jose Garcia (ML); Jose Alabarran (WW) d. Tyler Hancock (Rvsd-NS) 8-6. 120—Hans Rockwell (Rvsd) d. Gabe Martinez (Qui) 4-2; Colton Skeen (Pend) m.d. Euduardo Rodriguez (Wap) 11-0; Cesar Castillo (Kam) d. Trenton Nett (SR) 4-2. 126—Elijah Conlon (Rvsd) d. Pedro Murillo (Chi) 13-12; Manny Martinez (Oth) d. Jacob Garcia (Chi-NS) 2-1; Alex Webb (Rich-NS) d. Justin Webb (Rich) 2-1.
132—Lucas Garza (Oth) d. TJ Hancock (Pend) 7-2; Michael Hosfield (Ken) d. David Marquez (Wen) 10-4; Noah Workman (Rich) d. David Lozano (Kam) 6-4. 138—Harley Kolp (Kam) d. Jessey Gonzalez (Zil) 3-1; Urbano Pina (Kam-NS) d. Martin Herrera (Rvsd) 7-0; Pryce Seely (Rich) d. Seth Matarazzo (KB) 10-1. 145—Jaden Salazar (Chi) p. Kale Setzner (KB) 2:59; Cortes Hernandez (Zil) p. Cody Mars (Rich) 1:29; Lydon Reams (SR) d. Matt Montelous (Rich-NS) 4-3.152—Diego Hernandez (Zil) d. Clayton Smith (Chi) 5-1; Kris Young (KB) d. Christian Francisco (Zil-NS) 8-3; Isias Jimenez (Qui) d. Mario Sepulveda (Rvsd) 7-0.
160— Pyper McCalleum (Pend) d. Shane McMurray (Zil) 6-4; Boss Garcia (Chi) inj. def. Andrew Collins (SR); Tucker Simonton (CB) d. Blake Bishiop (Chi-NS) 5-2. 170—Cameron Simpson (Rich) d. Antonio Melendez (Qui) 10-4; Tanner Yeager (Pend) d. Tyler Vargas (Chi-NS) 6-2; Jim Myers (Zil) p. Joel Torres (ML) 2:45. 182—Cruz Del Angel (KB) d. Austin Silvers (Chi) 4-1; Bryce Overholt (SR) d. Hector Zavala (ML) 4-3; Steven Gomez (Qui) d. Colton Deleon (Kam) 3-2.
195—Kevin Del-Angel (SR) d. Todd Riley (KB) :15; Zane Henderson (WW) p. Luis Ochoa (Zil) 1:15; Daniel Puerta (Rvsd) m.d. Bernardo Castillo (Chi) 10-2. 220—Logan Reardon (WW) p. Derek Gilbert (Oth) 3:03; Cody Zyph (KB) inj. def. Isaiah Van Weerdhuizen (Wen); Jack Ezell (Pend) p. Levi McBride (Chi) 1:48. 285—Kyle Lesmeister (Wen) d. Jerimiah Atkins (Zil) 3-1; Robby Calvert (Ken) p. Martin Villanueva (Chi-NS) :36; Abzael Loeza (Chi) p. Quin Piver (WW) 1:50.
