SAMMAMISH REVIEW
December 9, 2009 • 19
Wrestlers hit mats with eyes on state tournament By Christopher Huber
As the fervor for fall sports on the Plateau settles down, wrestlers across the plateau are hitting the mats for the winter. Competition around the league will likely prove to be fierce, but coaches, on the whole, seem to be quite optimistic and confident about their teams’ chances in the race to make the tournaments. The third time may be the charm for Skyline wrestler Alexis Wilcher this season. The senior has placed second for the past two years at the state tournament in the 145- and 140-pound levels and will make a bid for the title in 2010 in either the 135- or 140pound category. After going 12-13 overall and 5-4 in KingCo in 2008-2009, the Spartans will look to senior captains Anthony DeMatteo (189) and Danny Christianson (152) to lead by their experienced example, said coach Gus Kiss. Both were state participants in last year’s Mat Classic state wrestling tournament. “The big thing is leading by example,” Kiss said. “That’s an important quality to have.” Skyline graduated a handful of wrestlers, including standouts Nolan Richards and Larson Caldwell. With 34 turning out this year, Kiss said the group is young but enthusiastic for the season. “They’re working extremely hard this year,” Kiss said.
DeMatteo invited to play in Hawaii Skyline senior linebacker Anthony DeMatteo learned Nov. 29 that he would get a chance to play with the best high school football players in the country in the Aloha Prep Bowl. He was one of only two Washington athletes chosen to represent the Mainland team — Bothell’s Colin Porter will join him in Hawaii, said Norah Grady, of the SportsLink communications team. “When I first found out, I took it as a great honor,” DeMatteo said. “To be fit to play with some of the top athletes in the nation, it’s very honorable of them to consider me. I’m very excited. I get one more game of high school.” DeMatteo, one of the captains of Skyline’s state championship team, has also received an offer to play at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Aloha Prep Bowl will happen Dec. 12 at Aloha Stadium and is a double-header day of football. It includes the 19th annual Hawaii Goodwill Senior Bowl and the second annual
The Spartans are still looking to fill the 189 and 171 spots, but Kiss said he hopes a couple of football players may decide to join, now that the season is finished. He said senior Joey Lim may surprise opponents this year in the 112-pound category. “He’s got a good shot,” Kiss said. Skyline will have to look out for Woodinville, Inglemoor and Issaquah. “We’ll be in the hunt this year,” he said. Matches to watch: Skyline vs. Issaquah (Eastlake High School), 6 p.m. Jan. 7; Skyline at Brian Hill Invitational (Eastside Catholic High School), TBD Dec. 29; Skyline vs. Eastlake (Beaver Lake Middle School), 6 p.m. Jan. 21. Coming off a 3-9 record last year, the Eastlake Wolves are looking to take advantage of returning most of their experienced grapplers in 2009-2010. It only graduated two seniors, although some athletes decided not to return, due to participation fees tripling, coach Riley Cornett said. “We’ve got a few less guys this year than we had last year, but a lot of good attitudes in the room,” Cornett said. “We should have some surprising sophomores breaking through in the varsity line-up.” Clay Monahan, Ryan Klein, Zach Leavitt, Jordan Wiley and
Hawaii/Polynesia-Mainland Bowl, according to the event Web site. DeMatteo will play in the Hawaii/Polynesia-Mainland Bowl with 31 of the top-rated players from the continental U.S. against the top-40 from Hawaii or with ties to Hawaii, according to an
Everything
File photo
Eastlake’s Trevor McKinnon puts a hold on Issaquah’s Cody Duke in a 140-pound match last year. heavyweight Brad Leinweber could help make Eastlake a prominent contender. Captains Max Benjamin (119) and Trevor McKinnon (160/171) will lead the way for the Wolves as they try to make their way back to the state tournament — Benjamin went to state as a sophomore last year. “Max is another great example of a guy that comes in and works
hard every day,” Cornett said. “Al Charat’s (125) looking really good this year, too.” The team will rely on more focused practices and workouts this season to make the difference in KingCo competition, he said. Eastlake is working harder on technique and focusing more on strength conditioning throughout the early part of the season as it prepares for a more difficult
end-of-season, he said. Matches to watch: - Mount Si and Issaquah at Eastlake, 6 p.m. Jan. 7; Newport at Eastlake, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 12; Liberty at Eastlake, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 14.
event press release. “It’s going to be a lot of fun. I thrive on good competition,” he said. He was selected from over 1,000 athletes who were also considered for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, Grady said.
SportsLink and Football University, as well as the Hawaii National Guard, put on the event each year. The Hawaii/PolynesiaMainland Bowl will air at 7 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time on FOX West Prime Ticket, the press release said. Both games will stream on the
Web at www.hawaiidigitalsports.com and will have live play-by-play state at www.ScoringLive.com. DeMatteo said he looks forward “to the fact that I get more experience and to playing with top athletes. And to see where I stand with good linemen, good running backs.”
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Reporter Christopher Huber can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 242, or chuber@isspress.com. Comment on this story at www.SammamishReview.com.
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