The News Tribune’s 2026 Untouchables — WA’s most unbeatable prep wrestlers
Some wrestlers are good, others are great. Then there are the “Untouchables.”
They are the most unbeatable high school wrestlers from around the state, which The News Tribune has published annually before the state wrestling championships for more than 30 years running.
This year’s class includes nine wrestlers. Four representatives can win a fourth individual state title at Mat Classic XXXVII this weekend, and three more are chasing a third championship at the Tacoma Dome.
ISRAEL ACOSTA (150)
Gonzaga Prep (4A), senior, 33-3
Gonzaga Prep coach Danny Pearson wasn’t sure where to start when discussing Acosta. Offense? Defense? Poise? The senior is the total package. “He’s really good in all the positions,” Pearson said. “He’s a really dominant offensive wrestler from the neutral position, but he’ll punish guys for trying to attack him.” Acosta has the mat time and experience — Pearson praised his work ethic and the joyous energy he brings to practice — but what sets him apart is his length and reach. He overwhelms opponents with ease. “His speed and length, he’s definitely got some fast twitch to him,” Pearson said. “He can be pretty explosive. That combination of speed and length allows him to cover a lot of guys quickly, and allows him to smother and smash guys.” Losses came to out-of-state opponents. Two-time Tri-State (Idaho) winner and two-time Mat Classic state champion.
MASON DesROCHERS (144)
Ridgefield (2A), junior, 28-0
DesRochers was untouchable across two seasons with 4A-Skyview, and a transfer to nearby Ridgefield hasn’t changed a thing. The two-time state champion is well-positioned to win a third title at this weekend’s Mat Classic XXXVII, this time from the 2A ranks. “He came in on Day 1 with the attitude: ‘No one’s standing in my way, and I’m going out to get it,’” Ridgefield coach Sean Schulz said of DesRochers, who sports a 97-3 career record and hasn’t lost since his freshman season. “The guy doesn’t take a break, whether it’s a six-minute match or a minute-long match. He’s pedal to the metal the whole entire time. And I mean, let’s be honest. We’ve all been around the wrestling world long enough, and when you run across guys like him that are just a buzz saw, it’s hard to keep up.” Mason and his twin brother, Jonas (2A 132), are a combined 55-0 for the Spudders this winter. “When you’ve got the young, up-and-coming kids that are in the room, whether they’re a first-year wrestler or just new to the program as a freshman... they’re able to look across the room and be like, ‘OK, so that’s what it takes to be at that level,’” Schulz said. “It’s a huge motivational factor for everybody in the room.” Pac Coast and Gut Check champion added wins at the HammerHead Invitational, Norm Friehauf Clark County Championships, and District 4 tournament.
TRE HAINES (165)
Arlington (4A), senior, 34-2
When the postseason rolls around, there are few wrestlers more dialed in than Haines, who always seems to take his game to the next level in time for Mat Classic. “His mindset coming into the postseason every year is absolutely remarkable,” Arlington coach Jonny Gilbertson said. “He’s always peaking for the state tournament. Just nothing but gold in his vision.” Three-time Mat Classic state champion always seems to find himself in the right position on the mat. “He has good movement, he’s very experienced, and he just has an unwavering belief in what his abilities are,” Gilbertson said. “He’s quick, he’s strong. He’s a lot stronger than he looks. He has the ability to slow things down and make things look easy against really high-level opponents.” Haines won the Edmonds Invite and Rumble in the Valley in Prosser this winter and placed at the Reno Tournament of Champions. Hasn’t lost to an in-state opponent since his freshman year. “I have no doubt he’s gonna go get it done again this year,” Gilbertson said.
OWEN MARSHALL (132)
Tahoma (4A), junior, 32-2
One look at Owen Marshall’s opponents says enough. The now-two-time TNT Untouchables selection inevitably pins the majority, using deceptive strength and speed for takedowns most don’t see coming. “You don’t look at him and think, ‘I’ve got this monster coming after me.’ But when he grabs hold of you, you realize that it’s different,” longtime Tahoma assistant Boomer Burnham said. “The way he grabs onto somebody is a different feel. All of a sudden, you’re quickly made aware that he’s very strong and he’s very technical. ... He doesn’t get out of position very often. Very rarely does anyone even touch his legs.” Marshall plans to pin his way through the 4A 132 bracket at this weekend’s Mat Classic XXXVII, the favorite to repeat his 2025 state title inside the Tacoma Dome. Tri-State, Rose City (OR), and Edmonds Invite champion remains undefeated in-state, finishing sixth at the nationally-recognized Doc Buchanan Invitational (CA).
LAZARUS McEWEN (113)
Capital (3A), sophomore, 22-1
The cool, calm and collected McEwen cruised to his first state title last winter and already has his sights set on three more. Always comfortable, the favorite in this weekend’s 3A Boys 113 bracket at Mat Classic XXXVII mastered the art of leverage through years of youth training and seemingly never loses control. “He’s got the length in his arms, he’s got the muscle, he’s got the strength,” Capital head coach Jimmy Belleville said. “He’s not a big, muscular kid. He’s just strong … he’s got the positioning.” Belleville joined the exclusive, four-time state champion club with Black Hills High School (2006-09) and sees the same potential in McEwen. “You don’t come in wanting just to win one,” he said. “When I was 11, back in 2001, I was like, ‘I’m gonna go win four.’ I don’t know when he had that epiphany, but he had it at some point. His goal is not two.” The Edmonds Invite and Rose City (OR) champion is undefeated in-state this winter, his lone loss at the Reno (NV) Tournament of Champions. “He already has his game plan set, and he knows what he’s going to do,” Belleville said. “And when that doesn’t necessarily go his way, he can adjust on the fly. He’s always prepared for what he needs to do. Just having that mindset of, ‘I know what I’m going to do, I know how I’m going to do it, and if something gives me some sort of little block, I already have my second, third, fourth, moves ready.’”
CZAR QUINTANILLA (126)
University (3A), senior, 17-2
The youngest of four wrestling brothers in this storied Spokane wrestling family, Quintanilla has no shortage of mat time and valuable experience. His older brothers, in fact, have been around the program in a coaching capacity during Quitanilla’s high school career, providing even more experience. It shows on the mat, where this University star is always composed and never sped up. “His mindset, he’s really goal-oriented,” University coach Ryan Montang said. “He’s focused. He sets up a plan of action, and he’s really intentional about sticking to a plan.” Few opponents have been able to move the master of chain wrestling off those plans. “He’s pretty well-rounded,” Montang said. “He’s super fast. He’s strong. He does it all.” He’s really quick going from one thing to another. When you watch him against high-level guys, his ability to go from one thing, to another, to another, and keep wrestling at a high pace, is really one of his strong attributes.” Tri-State (Idaho) champion and three-time Mat Classic state champion.
STEVE ROMERO (126)
Toppenish (2A), senior, 28-3
Whenever Romero and his teammates cross paths with head coach Pepe Segovia in the Toppenish High School hallways, they’re quick to ask: “Coach, is it Thursday yet? We’re ready for the Dome!” That much adds up: Romero is a three-time state champion and could join a coveted group of four-time winners at Mat Classic XXXVII this weekend. “Steve’s a conservative wrestler and a technical wrestler,” Segovia said. “He’s not about the spotlight or being all flashy when he’s out there wrestling. He works hard, he’s consistent on his takedowns and rides tough on top, and I think that’s what’s key for winning all these matches and getting to the point where he’s at right now.” 2025 Winter Cup, Rumble in the Valley, and District 5 champion is undefeated in the state of Washington and notched top-six finishes at the prestigious Doc Buchanan Invitational (CA) and Reno (NV) Tournament of Champions. “His mat presence is great,” Segovia said. “He’s aware at all times. He plays the edge of the mat, and he wrestles till the whistle blows.”
DOMINIC THOMAS (138)
Orting (2A), senior, 33-3
This two-time Mat Classic champion is as fearless as they come, the personification of Orting’s anyone-anytime-anywhere dynasty under Jody Coleman. “He’s just really confident,” Coleman said. “That’s probably the one thing that makes him stand out. He goes out there, whoever is in front of him, he thinks he’s gonna win.” Add lightning quickness and deceptive strength to that bravado, and it’s easy to see why Thomas is one of the state’s top wrestlers, in any classification. “He’s about as fast as you get,” Coleman said. “He’s kind of the whole package. When he’s controlling tempo, his shot is just unstoppable.” Two-time Tri-State (Idaho) champion has two Mat Classic state wrestling titles and a runner-up finish. All three losses this season came to out-of-state opponents.
JUSTYCE ZUNIGA (138)
Toppenish (2A), senior, 1-1
Zuniga moved to California last summer but promptly returned in the fall, eventually cleared by the WIAA to wrestle the final week of Toppenish’s regular season — just in time for what matters most. The embodiment of “go-go-go” can win his fourth state title at the Tacoma Dome’s Mat Classic XXXVII this weekend, a feat completed by fewer than 30 wrestlers in tournament history. Zuniga’s confidence and mat presence is obvious, a relentless aggressor committed to Division-I Little Rock. “Sometimes it can come off as being too arrogant and cocky, but that’s just a style he has, even in practice,” Segovia said. “He’s non-stop. Our coaches take a good butt-whooping from him, too.”
This story was originally published February 19, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "The News Tribune’s 2026 Untouchables — WA’s most unbeatable prep wrestlers."
