LA CENTER — The Forks wrestling team had a dominating weekend in La Center, including a convincing first-place showing in the La Center Invitational.
The Spartans won the championship by more than 80 points over the other 15 teams.
In fact, Forks racked up so many points that the championship was settled before Saturday’s finals even started.
The Spartans were one of three teams from Class 1A, while the rest were from larger classifications.
Forks claimed four of the eight individual finals it competed in: Sebastian Morales was the 126-pound champion, Javier Contreras won the 152-pound division, Jack Dahlgren placed first at 182 pounds and Miguel Morales won at 220 pounds.
Alvaro Ortiz (120 pounds), Garrison Schumack (138), Reece Moody (170) and Tristan Tumaua (285) all took second for the Spartans.
Other placers for the Spartans: Alan Ensastegui (fourth place, 126 pounds), Kenny Gale (fifth, 160), Dimitri Sampson (fifth, 195) and Joseph Mariner (sixth, 145).
Forks also competed at La Center in a pair of double duals and were decisive winner in each to improve to 4-1 on the season (2-0 in Evergreen League).
The Spartans defeated La Center 58-12 and Monroe 52-10.
Both Forks and La Center were without 106- and 113-pound wrestlers and La Center also forfeited five other weights.
The Spartans won five of the seven matches contested for the win.
For Forks, Ortiz needed only 17 seconds to pin Adam Harrison, and Miguel Morales pinned Mathew Lincoln in 43 seconds.
Contreras and Moody also won by pin, while Ensastegui won a major decision over Walker Wright.
There also were double forfeits at 106 and 133 pounds in the match with Monroe, during which the Spartans won all but two contested matchups.
Sebastian Morales, Schumack, Moody, Miguel Morales and Tumaua all won by pin for the Spartans.
Alvaro Ortiz won by technical fall 22-2 over Rory Fielder, Dahlgren won by technical fall 16-1 over Eddie Aguirre, Contreras took a 7-0 decision over McKinley Braa, and Enstastagui won a 4-1 decision.
The Spartans compete next at Port Angeles’ Battle for the Axe on Saturday, Jan. 3.
Riders second at Larry Brown Invite
FIFE — Despite having only 11 scoring wrestlers (12 overall), Port Angeles still managed to finish second place at the Larry Brown Invitational at Fife High School.
Leading the way for the Roughriders on Saturday were five finalists, with two of them bringing home gold: Matt Robbins (195 pounds) and Roberto Coronel (285 pounds).
“Matt literally smashed the competition in winning two of three matches by pin, including as dominant of a win as one could imagine in the semifinals,” Port Angeles coach Erik Gonzalez said.
“He then followed that up with a 9-0 shutout in the finals that wasn’t even that close.
“Matt is certainly making a statement to start the season.”
Eight out of 12 Riders placed in the top five of their brackets.
Other placers for Port Angeles: Tyler Gale (second place, 113 pounds), Brady Anderson (second, 126), Evan Gallacci (second, 182), Ben Basden (third, 120), Cody Anderson (fifth, 113) and Caleb Joslin (fifth, 145).
The Riders next travel to Bellingham for the Graham Morin Memorial Tournament at Squalicum High School on Saturday at 10 a.m.
Sequim at Battle at the Border
BLAINE — Kevyn Ward won four of six matches in the 152-pound division for the Wolves at the Battle at the Border at Blaine High School.
Ward opened by pinning Bellingham’s Alden Roberts in 58 seconds. He also pinned Blaine’s Black Renskers and Issaquah’s Brandon Vrinceano and defeated Ferndale’s Cory Slaughter by a 15-13 decision.
Sequim’s Craig Baker had a pair of wins in the 126-pound class with pins of Issaquah’s Charles Hoehl and Sehome’s Aiden Vanbrink.
In the 106-pound class, Jaime Schroepfer won his opening match, pinning Bellingham’s Dewald Olivier in 1:06, before suffering an injury in his second match.
Travis Baker won one match at 138 pounds and Michael Latimer won a match at 220 pounds.
The Wolves host North Mason today at 7 p.m.
Sequim 39, Klahowya 39
SEQUIM — The Wolves and Eagles wrestled to an Olympic League tie Thursday.
Kevyn Ward, Michael Latimer, Alma Mendoza, Jaime Schroepfer and Grant Pierson all won by pin for Sequim, while Hunter Davidson took a 6-2 decision over Klahowya’s John Russell.
Girls Basketball
Coupeville 42, Sequim 39, OT
COUPEVILLE — Turnovers doomed the Class 2A Sequim Wolves on the road against the Class 1A Coupeville Wolves.
“Coupeville outplayed us, especially in the second half,” Sequim coach Evan Still said of Saturday’s game.
“Even though we had the fewest turnovers we’ve had all year in a game [19], the turnovers that we did have were costly and they capitalized on them.”
Sequim turned the ball over six times in the last three minutes.
Sequim had a three-point lead and were shooting 1-and-1 at the free-throw line, but failed to convert.
Sequim forced a turnover, but then turned it over with 14.9 second left in the game.
Coupeville hit a 3-pointer to force overtime, and then held Sequim scoreless in overtime to pull off the upset.
“I think that we can take some positives from this game. We know what we need to work on,” Still said.
“I thought that Victoria Cummins, Elise Beuke and Jordan Miller played well.”
Cummins and Miller led Sequim with 10 points each, and Beuke scored eight and had seven rebounds.
Miller pulled down five boards.
Makana Stone had a game-high 16 points for Coupeville.
Sequim (1-0, 3-2) hosts Kingston for an Olympic League game on Wednesday.
Coupeville 42, Sequim 39
Sequim 7 14 7 11 0— 39
Coupeville 6 8 8 17 3— 42
Individual scoring
Sequim (39)
Cummins 10, Miller 10, Beuke 8, Lester 3, Bentz 3, Haggerty 3, Landoni 2.
Coupeville (42)
Stone 16, Kiel 7, Thorne 7, Vidoni 6, Myers 4, Hammer 2.
