Chiawana wrestlers send Coach Anderson out on a winning note. His son earns 3rd championship

Isaiah Anderson finished off his final high school opponent, Jose Flores of Kennedy Catholic, with a pin in 76 seconds Saturday night in the Class 4A boys’ 195-pound championship match at Mat Classic XXXIII in the Tacoma Dome.

And with that, his high school career was done. He finished as a three-time state champion, and is now headed to Oregon State University to wrestle.

Just as important for him, was the fact he helped send his father — Chiawana head coach Jack Anderson — into retirement as a champion.

The Riverhawks scored 166.5 points, outlasting Sunnyside with its 145 points, to earn their third consecutive team title.

“It feels amazing,” said Jack Anderson. “It was an intense weekend. We had eight guys in the semifinals. And if you lose in that, and you’re a teenager, it’s emotional. I’m really proud of those kids who lost in the semifinals. They bounced back from a tough loss and won to get us some points.”

It was a special way to go out, as Jack Anderson plans to spend more time with his family and watch Isaiah wrestle in college.

“It feels good,” said Isaiah Anderson, who pinned all four of his opponents. “It feels like I’m relieved. But it’s also bittersweet.”

Bittersweet because the younger Anderson was unable to achieve his goal of being a four-time state champ. Covid stopped all competition in 2021 his junior year, something beyond his control.

Also bittersweet is knowing an era has ended.

At the conclusion of his title, Isaiah ran to his father and jumped into his arms for a hug.

“It’s funny,” said Isaiah. “When I was a young kid and won my first state youth title, I have a picture of me jumping into his arms then. My mom gave me a picture of the first one and this last one side by side.”

Anderson finished this season with a 15-0 record. After suffering a shoulder injury last summer with resulting surgery, he missed his senior football season and was only cleared to wrestle in January.

But he got to watch three of his teammates also win state titles Saturday.

Junior Isaiah Medina took a 6-1 decision from Chiawana teammate Daeton Johnson for the 113-pound title.

And Alanna Haney won the 135-pound crown in the girls tournament.

And then there was his wrestling partner, senior Darion Johnson, who beat Michael Ager of Rogers of Puyallup 7-1 for the 182-pound title.

For Johnson, his title victory at 182 gave him bookend state championships.

As a freshman, at 120 pounds, Johnson won the 4A title and finished the season at 39-0.

Over three next three years, though, he gained 60 pounds of weight and muscle.

“As a freshman, I was so little in weight, that I had to wrestle completely with moves,” said Johnson. “Now, at 182, I was able to scramble like I was 120 pounds. That helped a lot at my weight class.”

Johnson is headed to Utah Valley State University, where he’ll wrestle on a scholarship.

But like Isaiah Anderson, he’ll miss the Chiawana program.

“I’ll just miss everyone,” he said. “A lot of these coaches have been coaching me since I was 7 or 8. I’ll miss the guys too.”

It’s been said the toughest mat to wrestle on for Chiawana has always been the practice room.

Johnson agrees.

“My wrestling partners have been Isaiah and Judah Bishop, and Judah will be a state champion next year,” said Johnson.

The Chiawana winners weren’t the only 4A state champs.

Hanford junior Jake Hubby defeated Sunnyside’s Christopher Villanueva at 138 pounds for a title, while Kamiakin senior Jaxin McCallum topped Glacier Peak’s Connor Aney for the 285-pound championship.

Sunnyside’s EJ Villanueva earned the 145 title when he beat Hanford’s Caden Wilson 7-2 in the championship; and Grizzlies teammate Alejandro Fernandez earned the 132-pound title.

But it’s clear Isaiah Anderson may have been the biggest star on a night full of stars in Tacoma.

“My goal was obviously become a four-time state champion,” he said. “I couldn’t get that. Now I want to be an NCAA All-American.”

With that, he was back in the gym on Monday.

“I’m not taking the week off,” he said.

3A boys

The Mid-Columbia had three state champions in this tournament, led by Southridge sophomore Jacob Chapa.

The 106-pounder pinned Mead’s Tanner Crosby in 1:49, earning the title and finishing the season with a 39-8 record.

Chapa was joined by Hermiston’s Sam Cadenas and Jaxson Gribskov.

Cadenas, a senior, beat Bonney Lake’s Burak Bowers 5-4 for the 285-pound crown; while Gribskov, a junior beat Mead’s Deklen Agloinga in a major decision 12-4 for the 182-pound title.

Cadenas finished the season at 35-3, while Gribskov was 35-12.

Those two helped lead the Bulldogs to a second-place finish with 171 points. Mead took the team title at 236.5 points.

Walla Walla’s Jake Humphrey ended his prep career with a second-place finish, losing in the 170-pound title match but finishing the season with a 36-3 record.

Girls tournament

The area standouts were Chiawana junior Alanna Haney and Royal junior Alondra Morales.

Haney earned the 135-pound title, beating White River’s Nicole Poussier 5-3 in the title match.

Morales — who finished her season at 20-0 — edged Chief Sealth’s Delaney Groves 8-7 for the 140-pound crown.

While Toppenish ran away with the team title with 206 points, Richland had a respectable finish with 68 points and a fifth-place team position in the standings.

Bombers senior Hailey Ahsmuhs placed second at 170 pounds, junior Erin Kremer finished fourth at 190, and senior Edna Fuentes finished fifth at 125.

2A boys

Othello finished third as a team with 136.5 points, with a number of Huskies doing well: freshman Mason Perez placed second at 285 pounds, while sophomore Isaac Campos finished third at 106.

The Huskies got fourth-place finishes from junior Terrill Freeman (195), senior Ethan Perez-Medina (170) and junior Josue Solorio (220).

Grandview sophomore Evan Benitez (126 pounds) and Prosser junior Nehemiah Michael Medrano (182) both finish second in their respective weight classes.

Orting won the team title with 214.5 points.

1A boys

Connell junior Adrian Magana was the region’s only high placer, finishing fourth at 182 pounds.

The big story was Toppenish’s domination of the tournament.

The Wildcats won nine of the 13 individual weight class titles, and finished with an incredible 402 points as a team. Deer Park and Eatonville were a distant second in the team standings, both with 100 points.

1B/2B boys

No area athletes placed high, and Granger took the team title with 161.5 points, beating out Tonasket’s 156.5 points.