W.F. West's Allan McClure gets Centralia's Kyzer Bailey on his back during their Evergreen 2A Conference 195-pound matchup. Bailey would shake this off and battle back, but McClure won the match 14-10.
Centralia's Kyzer Bailey gets the upper hand on W.F. West's Allan McClure while grappling in the 195-pound bout during Evergreen 2A Conference action Thursday on Ron Brown Court in Centralia.
Centralia's wrestling team get ready for their Evergreen 2A Conference matchup against W.F. West Thursday on Ron Brown Court in the Hub City.
W.F. West's Allan McClure waits for the Evergreen 2A Conference dual against Centralia to begin Thursday on Ron Brown Court in Centralia.
W.F. West's Michael Anderson ties up Centralia's Kadin Heymann-Orr in the 132-pound bout during Evergreen 2A Conference action Thursday on Ron Brown Court in Centralia.
W.F. West's Beau Dugo tries to fight off Centralia's Tristan Dickey during their Evergreen 2A Conference 138-pound matchup.
Centralia's Isidro Cruz reacts to his loss to W.F. West's Nolan Camlin in the 152-pound bout during Evergreen 2A Conference action Thursday on Ron Brown Court in Centralia.
Centralia's Javon Brager slams W.F. West's Cole Miller to the mat in the 285-pound bout during Evergreen 2A Conference action Thursday on Ron Brown Court in Centralia.
Centralia's Kadin Heymann-Orr tries to shake off a takedown attempt from W.F. West's Michael Anderson in the 132-pound bout during Evergreen 2A Conference action Thursday on Ron Brown Court in Centralia.
Centralia's Joe Finch gets a leg up on W.F. West's Braydon Bostwick in the 182-pound bout during Evergreen 2A Conference action Thursday on Ron Brown Court in Centralia.
W.F. West's Allan McClure and Centralia's Kyzer Bailey face off during their Evergreen 2A Conference 195-pound matchup.
W.F. West coach Jamie Rakevich discusses the finer points of wrestling with the ref during Evergreen 2A Conference action against Centralia Thursday on Ron Brown Court in the Hub City.
Centralia's Kyzer Bailey and W.F. West's Allan McClure take a breather in the 195-pound bout during Evergreen 2A Conference action Thursday on Ron Brown Court in Centralia.
Centralia's Brayden Andrews and W.F. West's Nathan Gluck tie up in the 220-pound bout during Evergreen 2A Conference action Thursday on Ron Brown Court in Centralia.
Centralia's Kyzer Bailey and W.F. West's Allan McClure face off in the 195-pound bout during Evergreen 2A Conference action Thursday on Ron Brown Court in Centralia.
It wasn’t the first time they’d wrestled, and no one believes it’ll be the last.
On Thursday, though, the 195-pound match was still the must-see bout in the annual Centralia-W.F. West Evergreen 2A Conference dual wrestling meet — and by no means did it disappoint.
W.F. West’s Allan McClure outdueled Centralia’s Kyzer Bailey, 14-10, in the marquee bout, evening the season standings between the two seniors at one apiece and setting the stage for a few more postseason meetings.
“That was an awesome match,” McClure said. “It was fun wrestling Kyzer. I was happy to come back and beat him this time.”
Bailey, the top-ranked 195-pounder in the washingtonwrestlingreport.com’s 2A rankings, beat McClure, 9-5, in the finals at the Bearcat Invite in Chehalis on Jan. 10.
On Thursday, however, Bailey picked up a takedown and a pair of reversals and led 6-4 after the first period. McClure pulled a 3-point near-fall in the second period to lead 10-8, and Bailey was assessed a technical violation for leaving the mat between the second and third periods, putting McClure up 11-8 to start the finale.
With a minute left to wrestle Bailey notched a takedown, but McClure’s escape gave the Bearcat a two-point cushion, and he added takedown in the final seconds.
“I was feeling kind of down this week. I just wasn’t feeling wrestling,” McClure said. “But once I got on the mat I was energized and really excited to wrestle.”
It showed in the end, as he improved to 23-1 on the season.
“It was just little mistakes that cost Kyzer big points,” Tiger coach Scott Phillips said. “But, you know, it’s just one match for him, and he knows the postseason’s the most important part.”
The Bearcat bench was assessed a technical warning at the conclusion of the match for jumping up to congratulate McClure — though the emotion in the Centralia High School gym was hardly limited to the sidelines at that point.
“Our kids got a little too excited, and our kids got a little too close to the mat,” Bearcat coach Jamie Rakevich said. “But it’s nice to see a little fire for your teammate.”
It isn’t likely to be the last meeting between the Twin Cities 195-pounders.
“Duane (Bailey, Kyzer’s father) and I were talking, and if that’s the state finals, it wouldn’t surprise me,” Rakevich said. “It’d be great, and I hope it is. I’d love it for both the kids. And they’d better have two defibrillators there, for him and me.”
The next chance will be at the sub-regional meet, set for Feb. 7.
“I feel like Kyzer’s going to come back stronger next time,” McClure said, “so I’ll have to work really hard in practice, or I’m gonna lose next time, I can tell.”
McClure’s win gave the Bearcats a 33-6 lead in the dual, which they would go on to win 42-27.
W.F. West’s Michael Anderson (132), Beau Dugo (138) and Michael Matagi (145) all won by major decision, while Nolan Camlin picked up a pin over Isidro Cruz in the second period.
Eric Braun, the No. 2-ranked 160-pounder in the state, then recorded his 20th pin of the season in 37 seconds over Fernando Arevalo. The senior is now five shy of the school record, held by former state champion Derek Driscoll, who graduated in 2007.
W.F. West’s Brenden Spahr pinned Kaitlyn Whalen in the first period at 170, and Centralia’s Joe Finch — wrestling up a weight class — got an 8-2 decision over Braydon Bostwick at 182.
Brayden Andrews (220) and Javon Brager (285) both won by pin for the Tigers, as did Mykka Mcallister at 113.
“I don’t know that we wrestled our best match, to be honest,” Rakevich said. “I think we had some guys that underperformed a little bit, even in their wins. Centralia came out and battled. It’s a rivalry match, so they came out and fought hard.”
W.F. West’s Roehre Cunningham pinned Tristan Hicks-Avron with 2 seconds left in the second period of the 106 bout, and, in the final match of the night, the Bearcats’ Ethan Lund got a 4-2 win over Andrew Anderson at 120.
“I’m fairly happy, overall, as a team,” Phillips said. “We’ve got six or seven freshmen in the lineup, and some girls in there, and first-year wrestlers. I’m happy with our effort. I’m never happy with kids getting pinned, but overall, we competed.”
Centralia (0-3 league) will wrestle at the Rainier Invite this weekend, while W.F. West (3-0 league) is off until the sub-regional tournament next Saturday at Tumwater High School.
