Mount Si’s wrestling team closed out the season on a tough note last week, as they fell in three of their four matches, all at home.
Last Tuesday, Jan. 27, the Wildcats welcomed in Liberty and Sammamish and faced both of them back-to-back. In the contest against the Patriots, Liberty won 48-30.
For Mount Si, Andrew Sypher (119), Ben Larson (130), Connor Deutch (145) and Ryan Ransavage (285) all won their individual contests by pinning their Liberty opponents. Ryan Makela (140) and Shane Dixon (152) both had much closer bouts, but each of them won their matches by decision. Makela beat Liberty’s Wright Noel 14-10, while Dixon outlasted the Pats’ Jay Chakravarty 11-9.
Liberty dominated the rest of the matches. Their wrestlers pinned Mount Si’s Cody Botten (103), Aaron Peterson (119), Cody Hookland (135), Shelby Williams (160), Joe Milks (171), Brian Carlson (189) and Tony Hanna (215). The Wildcats forfeited one match in the 103-pound class to Liberty.
Against the Totems, it was all Mount Si in a 64-15 rout. Larson, Hookland, Dixon, Williams and Carlson all won their matches, pinning their Sammamish opponents.
Several matches were forfeited to the Wildcats by the Totems. Hanna and Milks were the only Mount Si athletes who fell in their contests.
Last Thursday, Jan. 29, Mount Si welcomed in a large crowd, as they hosted Issaquah and Skyline. Liberty was also in attendance as well, but the Wildcats did not compete against them.
Mount Si opened strong against the Spartans, but fell 44-34. Botten and Makela both pinned their Skyline opponents to take wins, while Milks (160), K.C. Bailey (171), Carlson, A.J. Brevick (145) and Peterson were all pinned themselves by the Spartans. Sypher rolled to an easy 11-1 win over Tyler White of Skyline, while Larson fell in a tight 5-4 decision to his Spartans counterpart. There were also several forfeits of other matches by both teams. Hookland, Michael Nelson (285) and Josh Mitchell (215) were beneficiaries of forfeit victories for the Wildcats. For Mitchell, though, his night was only the beginning.
The freshman was among those who wrestled for Mount Si in the nightcap, Senior Night, against the Issaquah Eagles. He wrestled Issaquah’s tough Ryan Wilmers, and ended up pinning the Eagle with seconds to spare, earning Mitchell his first varsity win in his first varsity contest (not counting the forfeit win in the above-mentioned Skyline match).
“I just went out there aggressive, hoping to do good, and I ended up pinning the guy,” Mitchell said. His efforts had a positive impact.
“It was for the whole team,” Larson said. “I know our coach was really happy. He said that made his night.
“The team was really happy and I feel great for Mitchell,” Larson added. “That’s got to be something special for him.”
Mitchell’s pin was the lone major highlight for the Wildcats, who wrestled well but were blown out 48-19 by the Eagles. Other winners for Mount Si, all by decision, were Larson, Dixon, Makela and Ransavage.
Still, the scores did not tell the story.
“It seems that, score-wise, Skyline was better than Issaquah, but I don’t see it that way,” Mount Si coach Jeff Newcomer said. “I was much more disappointed in the Skyline [result], actually, even though it was closer, because I really don’t think we wrestled that well.”
Ransavage summed up his four years in the program as fun, but also intense. Newcomer indicated both Ransavage and Makela will be missed.
“Both Ryans (Makela and Ransavage) have jumped into a leadership role this year,” he said. “They certainly have proven themselves on the mat.”
Milks, Carlson, Nelson and Bailey were also honored in the ceremonies which occurred prior to the start of the Issaquah match.
Mount Si competes in the Kingco 3A meet Saturday, Jan. 31, at Liberty High School. Matches start at 10 a.m. Admission is $6 for adults, $4 for students with an ASB card.
Look for Makela and Ransavage to lead the way for the Wildcats. Newcomer is also hoping that younger wrestlers will do well, such as Botten and Sypher.
