Centralia, W.F. West and Rochester wrestlers grappled it out at a three-team mix-and-match meet on Tuesday in a tuneup for the sub-district tourney set for Saturday morning.
The Tigers had four wrestlers go undefeated on the night. Freshman 120-pounder Antonio Campos improved his unbeaten record this year to 10-0 with two pins against two of W.F. West’s tougher wrestlers, Centralia coach Scott Phillips said.
Jamal Waterman went 3-0 at 126 pounds, including an exciting fall in his first match.
“He’s wrestling pretty good and still only has one loss on the year,” Phillips said.
On the girls side, Centralia sophomore Jade Hudson went 3-0 in the 105-pound weight class.
In the 140-pound division, Centralia junior Analeese McAllister won her first match by snapping her opponent down into a half Nelson to set up a second-round pin. She would go on to win her second match as well.
“I’m ready to go win the rest,” McAllister said. “She’s kind of squirmy but I just kept doing what I had envisioned and it worked. I had her locked up tight, so it was pretty good.”
W.F. West senior Evan Moon won his only match of the day. Moon, who weighs 160 pounds and placed sixth at state in 2020 in the 152-pound division, moved up to wrestle 170-pound Centralia senior Sawyer Kassel on Tuesday, who was a state participant last year.
Moon would win the match by pin, but said he could definitely feel the weight difference and the leverage the tall Kassel had on him.
“You always want to win,” Moon said. “That’s the goal every time. That’s what you wrestle for.”
Moon said he was just grateful to be able to wrestle this season as 2021 sports were nearly derailed by the pandemic, especially wrestling, which is considered a high-risk sport.
“It’s really disappointing, because last year I came off of a season where I felt I was making big improvements,” Moon said. “I was thinking I would continue to take steps, and then it ends up being a year and a half since I stepped on a mat. It definitely sucks.
“You always dream of that last match being state — and it’s not. But I can’t complain because I also never thought we were going to have a season this year.”
Instead, Moon and the rest of Lewis County wrestlers will end their season at either the sub-district tournament held at 9 a.m., Saturday, at W.F. West or at the district tourney on Tuesday. The top two wrestlers in each weight class at sub-districts advance to districts, which is being held at Tumwater High School.
