Idaho studs

POST FALLS — Idaho might be the smallest state compared to the rest of those in the field during the seventh annual America’s Cup duals wrestling tournament.

But those wrestlers, they’re ... studs.

Idaho Black, which featured a handful of local wrestlers, dominated a team from California 48-20 in the championship dual on Sunday morning at The Arena, finishing off an unbeaten (5-0) weekend.

Post Falls senior TJ Wolf beat Zach Poore of California by a 7-0 decision at 143 pounds to finish the weekend unbeaten in five matches.

“I just think of these tournaments as the same as any other tournament,” Wolf said. “I just go out and wrestle my match. It’s kind of nice having it here because we’re in our own environment. If it were anywhere else, I’d go out and wrestle my match like I’d wrestle anyone else.”

It is the second straight year that a team from Idaho has won the tournament. An Idaho squad also won last year in Clovis, Calif., where the tourney was held its first six years.

“It’s pretty great to represent Idaho in this tournament,” Wolf said. “Wrestling with all these crazy good athletes and showing them what we’re made of. It was a pretty great weekend. I like this a lot. There’s a lot of good, tough matches. Being able to represent this state. We might be a smaller state, but we’re studs.”

Wolf will attend North Idaho College in the fall. Sunday, in all likelihood, was Wolf’s final wrestling match.

“I’m going to graduate, get my degree and get on with my life,” said Wolf, who intends to study to become a physical trainer. “I think I’m done wrestling. I’ve wrestled for so long, and now I want to focus on my career and future and what life and God has for me next.”

Fellow Post Falls senior Alius De La Rosa — who beat California’s Brett Villarreal by a 5-3 decision — also will attend NIC after becoming the school’s first four-time state wrestling champion in February. Like Wolf, this was likely his final match.

“It’s been a journey with endless memories,” De La Rosa said. “I’ll never forget this time in my life. I’ll never forget my family on the Post Falls wrestling team. I’m sad that it’s ending. I think it’s over and I’m retiring from wrestling. I want to focus on life, get a job and start doing that. I want to pave my own path in life. There’s definitely some interest to wrestle in college, but I think it’s time for a change.”

De La Rosa built a 3-1 lead after the first period and was able to hold on late after a Villarreal takedown cut De La Rosa’s lead to 4-3 in the third period.

“Confidence wasn’t really an issue in the first place,” De La Rosa said. “I’m usually really confident in the way I wrestle and I know if I wrestle my best, it’s all I can do. It’s sweet to get a chance to meet all the best wrestlers in the state, and see how they think and what they do. You can always find a way to better yourself.”

Wrestling in the event for the first time this weekend, Post Falls sophomore Matt McLeod went unbeaten, capping the weekend with a pin of Nick Myuang in 2:37 at 125 pounds.

“I was happy with the way I wrestled,” McLeod said. “I felt good. I felt confident, especially on my feet. I was really tired, and I’m kind of out of shape, but it was a good weekend.”

Post Falls freshman Ridge Lovett (103) and Sandpoint junior Casey Randles (175) also went unbeaten over the weekend for Idaho Black.

“They’ve got a bunch of really tough guys,” California coach Yogi Leake said. “We had to shuffle our lineup a little bit last minute and lost some guys due to injury. I thought it was a really close, competitive dual. We just didn’t have the lineup to compete with them on the final score.”

Leake, who is on the SCWAY (State of California Wrestling Alliance for the Youth) board, added that he liked having the tournament in Idaho, a 17-hour car ride from home.

“Idaho’s been coming out to California for the last five years and supporting the event out there,” Leake said. “After last year, we decided to switch it and bring it to northern Idaho. This team is primarily a Buchanan High team. It’s a great off-season tournament and I really like the setting of a duals tournament. (Post Falls wrestling club member) Rick Stimpson has been a supporter of bringing some teams out, so we’re trying to return the favor and compete.

Leake is an assistant coach at Buchanan High in Clovis, Calif., where the Bears are ranked fifth nationally.

“We didn’t get to see this place too much. It would have been nice to check out the area a little bit more, but it’s a nice area. We’ve got a 17-hour drive back.”

Post Falls plans to host the tournament again in 2017 and ’18.

Weight classes for the tournament were adjusted with a five-pound window from the Idaho state regulations, which begin at 98 pounds and go up to 285.

FOURTH ROUND

IDAHO BLACK 81, IDAHO NORTH 0

103 — Ridge Lovett, Idaho Black, by forfeit. 111 — William Edelblute, Idaho Black, d. AJ De La Rosa, 9-4. 118 — Levi Austin, Idaho Black, p. Jonny Hill, 1:11. 125 — Matt McLeod, Idaho Black, md. Mathius De La Rosa, 8-0. 131 — Dante Carreno, Idaho Black, tf. Alessio Lemmon, 15-0. 137 — Christian Hudson, Idaho Black, by forfeit. 143 — TJ Wolf, Idaho Black, p. Wyatt Shelly, 1:52. 150 — Alius De La Rosa, Idaho Black, p. Tyler Morris, 2:25. 157 — Mario Peregrina, Idaho Black, p. Chris Farnsworth, 1:22. 165 — Tyler Presser, Idaho Black, p. Bailey Redwing, :31. 175 — Casey Randles, Idaho Black, p. Queong Smith, 2:27. 187 — Nate Clements, Idaho Black, p. Isaac Shadduck, :56. 200 — Tyler Mathews, Idaho Black, by forfeit. 225 — Scott McDonald, Idaho Black, by forfeit. 290 — Daniel Rodriguez, Idaho Black, d. Kameron Welker, 3-1.

CALIFORNIA 32, MICHIGAN 27

103 — Robert Altland, Michigan, d. Hunter Leake, 3-0. 111 — Jeff Leach, Michigan, d. Josh Poore, 7-2. 118 — Matthew Olguin, California, md. Cameron Mahlich, 9-0. 125 — Nick Myuang, California, md. John Russell, 11-0. 131 — Ethan Leake, California, p. Thomas Hubert, 3:35. 137 — Jake Abeyta, California, d. Sam Russell, 8-5. 143 — Avry Mutschler, Michigan, d. Zach Poore, 3-2. 150 — Brett Villarreal, California, p. Channing Perry, :30. 157 — Bryce Dempsey, Michigan, d. Tracy Hunter, 7-3. 165 — Kiran Srikanth, California, d. Jackson Nevavornski, 3-2. 175 — Jake Levatino, California, d. Keigan Yuhas, 4-2. 187 — Joshua Smith, Michigan, p. Joaquin Castillejos, 5:32. 200 — Abel Garcia, California, d. Elijah Boulton, 5-3. 225 — Tyden Ferris, Michigan, p. Isaiah Ortiz, 2:30. 290 — Max Bishop, Michigan, d. David Robles, 2-0.

SOUTHWEST OREGON 46,

IDAHO BLUE 25

103 — Landon Robinson, Southwest Oregon, d. Avery Stimpson, 11-7. 111 — Zeth Brower, Southwest Oregon, md. Jordan Grimm, 8-0. 118 — Hunter Sparks, Southwest Oregon, p. Joe Rice, 4:21. 125 — Zak Allred, Idaho Blue, md. Noah Stumbo, 14-1. 131 — Brian Edelblute, Idaho Blue, d. Austin David, 5-3. 137 — Brayden Huber, Idaho Blue, p. Pacer Quire, 2:41. 143 — Chris Velasco, Idaho Blue, d. Ethan Stoner, 8-3. 150 — Logan Meek, Southwest Oregon, d. Koy Meredith, 10-4. 157 — Trajan Hurd, Southwest Oregon, p. Devin Smith, 3:09. 165 — Austin Harris, Southwest Oregon, p. Tanner Hughes, 2:38. 175 — Mitch Willett, Southwest Oregon, p. Boe Boston, 2:58. 187 — Jared Walker, Idaho Blue, d. Cade Woodward, by injury default. 200 — Haydn Maley, Southwest Oregon, p. Payson Anderton, 4:49. 225 — Cameron Campbell, Southwest Oregon, p. Reegan Strunk, 1:20. 290 — Jake McGinnis, Idaho Blue, d. Beau Crawford, 5-0.

FIFTH ROUND

IDAHO BLACK 48, CALIFORNIA 20

103 — Ridge Lovett, Idaho Black, p. Hunter Leake, 5:56. 111 — Josh Poore, California, d. William Edelblute, 4-3. 118 — Matthew Olguin, California, tf. Levi Austin, 16-0. 125 — Matt McLeod, Idaho Black, p. Nick Myuang, 2:37. 131 — Ethan Leake, California, p. Dante Carreno, 3:42. 137 — Christian Hudson, Idaho Black, d. Jake Abeyta, 1-0. 143 — TJ Wolf, Idaho Black, d. Zach Poore, 7-0. 150 — Alius De La Rosa, Idaho Black, d. Brett Villarreal, 5-3. 157 — Mario Peregrina, Idaho Black, p. Kiran Srikanth, 1:27. 165 — Jake Levatino, California, d. Tyler Presser, 7-0. 175 — Casey Randles, Idaho Black, p. Joaquin Castillejos, 1:43. 187 — Abel Garcia, California, d. Nate Clements, 4-3. 200 — Tyler Mathews, Idaho Black, by forfeit. 225 — Scott McDonald, Idaho Black, p. Isaiah Ortiz, 1:16. 290 — Daniel Rodriguez, Idaho Black, d. David Robles, 3-0.

IDAHO BLUE 69, IDAHO NORTH 9

103 — Avery Stimpson, Idaho Blue, by forfeit. 111 — AJ De La Rosa, Idaho North, d. Jordan Grimm, 10-8. 118 — Joe Rice, Idaho Blue p. Jonny Hill, :25. 125 — Mathius De La Rosa, Idaho North, p. Zak Allred, 1:30. 131 — Brian Edelblute, Idaho Blue, p. Alessio Lemmon, 1:28. 137 — Brayden Huber, Idaho Blue, by forfeit. 143 — Chris Velasco, Idaho Blue, d. Wyatt Shelly, 13-6. 150 — Koy Meredith, Idaho Blue, p. Tyler Morris, 2:36. 157 — Devin Smith, Idaho Blue, p. Chris Farnsworth, 1:12. 165 — Tanner Hughes, Idaho Blue, p. Bailey Redwing, :54. 175 — Boe Boston, Idaho Blue, d. Queong Smith, 6-4. 187 — Jared Walker, Idaho Blue, p. Isaac Shadduck, 1:04. 200 — Payson Anderton, Idaho Blue, by forfeit. 225 — Reegan Strunk, Idaho Blue, by forfeit. 290 — Jake McGinnis, Idaho Blue, d. Kameron Welker, 10-5.

SOUTHWEST OREGON 53,

MICHIGAN 18

103 — Landon Robison, Southwest Oregon, d. Robert Altland, 3-1. 111 — Zeth Brower, Southwest Oregon, d. Jeff Leach, 9-7. 118 — Hunter Sparks, Southwest Oregon, d. Cameron Mahlich, 6-3. 125 — Noah Stumbo, Southwest Oregon, p. John Russell, 1:21. 131 — Austin David, Southwest Oregon, p. Thomas Hubert, 1:28. 137 — Sam Russell, Michigan, tf. Pacer Quire, 20-4. 143 — Avry Mutschler, Michigan, md. Ethan Stoner, 13-5. 150 — Logan Meek, Southwest Oregon, p. Channing Perry, 1:55. 157 — Trajan Hurd, Southwest Oregon, p. Bryce Dempsey, 2:30. 165 — Austin Harris, Southwest Oregon, p. Jackson Nevavomski, 1:36. 175 — Matt McDowell, Southwest Oregon, d. Keigan Yuhas, 13-8. 187 — Mitch Willett, Southwest Oregon, tf. Joshua Smith, 17-2. 200 — Elijah Boulton, Michigan, p. Cameron Campbell, 5:34. 225 — Haydn Maley, Southwest Oregon, p. Tyden Ferris, :55. 290 — Max Bishop, Michigan, d. Beau Crawford, 6-3.