LA CENTER — The Forks wrestling team opened its season with a successful trip to La Center.
First, the Spartans swept a pair of dual matches Friday, beating La Center 64-10 and Washougal 48-21.
The next day, Forks, with only five varsity returners from last year, placed second out of 16 teams at the La Center Invite.
The Spartans had three individual champions: Josue Lucas at 106 pounds, Reece Moody at 170 pounds and Jack Dahlgren at 195 pounds.
Kenny Gale was the runner up in the 182-pound division for Forks, while Joel Mohn (160 pounds) and Garrison Schumack (145) each placed third in their respective divisions.
Spartans 220-pounder Nathan Flores took fourth, Keith Thompson (120 pounds) and Saul Avila (132) both took fifth and Colby Demorest (138) finished sixth.
Forks, which won the La Center Invite last season, tallied 184.5 points Saturday. This year’s title went to Chehalis with 244.5 points.
“With this many young and inexperienced wrestlers, I really didn’t expect placing this high,” Spartans coach Bob Wheeler said.
“These guys have a lot of room for improvement, which makes us look really good for the future.”
Lucas, Thompson and Demorest are all freshmen, and Flores is only a sophomore.
Double dual duty
Forks won seven of eight contested matches in Friday’s dual against La Center.
Lucas went up a class to 113 pounds and pinned Role Grove in 3 minutes, 10 seconds.
Thompson won the 120-pound division by pinning Jerrick Cothern in 48 seconds.
Avila needed 2:44 to pin Issae Johnson in the 132-pound match.
Daniel Cruz pinned Andrea Tuia at the 1:30 mark of the 138-pound match.
Freshman Shane Queen (152 pounds) and Flores (220) also won by pin for the Spartans. Queen pinned Jayden Schwitz at the 1:01 mark, and Flores needed 1:23 to pin Fernando Sandoual.
Mohn defeated Tristin Huss 9-1 in the 160-pound class.
Schumack lost to Jeffery Mayolo 10-2 at 145 pounds, Forks’ only non-forfeit setback of the dual..
Schumack came back in the second match to pin Washougal’s John Gable in 5:03.
The Spartans had two other wins by pin: Thompson over Dylan Kiemele at 5:11, and Avila over Jeffry Wells at 4:58.
Dahlgren won by technical fall 16-1 in the 195-pound match with Ruben Agullar.
Keith Kullender won the 126-pound match for Forks 15-7 over Hunter MacPhail, and Moody defeated Michael Hick 8-5 in the 170 class.
Cruz was pinned in 20 seconds by Washougal’s Tanner Lees, and Queen was pinned by Taylor Leifsen in 1:41.
Mohn fell 4-1 to A.J. Christianson.
Forks’ next match is Tuesday, Dec. 29, at Vashon’s Rock Island Tournament.
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Compiled using team report.
