The Sports Stream

Leading the Titan wrestling team

By Steve Christilaw

Current contributor

Ryan Montang was practicing a method of teaching that he especially likes.

Ironically, it’s the Socratic Method – a system of questions and answers designed to bring about understanding. The subject matter, however, would be more in line with something another Greek philosopher preferred: Aristocles, who is known to history by the nickname he was given by his wrestling coach: Plato.

A social studies teacher and now head wrestling coach, Montang loves how teaching the sport is a pure form of the occupation.

“This is what it’s all about,” he said. “You demonstrate, the kids ask questions. It’s as pure as it gets.”

Would it help to be able to put a few of his social studies students in a headlock?

Montang just grins.

Fired with enthusiasm and armed with the encyclopedic knowledge of the sport he learned from his predecessor, he’s off to a good start.

Montang is in his first season as the new wrestling coach at University High, his alma mater. He was endorsed for the job by Don Owen, who retired at the end of the 2018-19 season, his 26th at the school. Montang spent the previous five seasons as one of Owen’s assistant coaches.

Wrestling rooms are visually, and aromatically, different from a classroom to be sure. But it is all about learning none the less.

At a recent session Montang spent a good time instructing is charges on the way to get a proper grip on an opponent’s elbow. While his assistant coaches worked with different weight classes, the head coach dove into the lightweights to offer hands-on demonstrations to throw who needed a little extra instruction.

For anyone who ever observed Owen teaching the minutia of each phase of a wrestling hold, it was like watching a chip off the old block. Or perhaps another bricklayer building onto the program’s Wall of Fame.

Montang is one of dozens of former U-Hi wrestlers who later became coaches in the sport, an accomplishment of which Owen is especially proud.

“I think that’s the part I’m most proud of in my career,” Owen said after Montang was announced as the new coach. “To have that many former wrestlers want to give back to the sport and carry it forward, that means a lot.”

In 2002, the new head coach as a 125 pounder for the Titans, and he finished his senior season on the awards platform at Mat Classic, bringing home a fifth-place medal.

It was even more of an impressive run at state than the medal indicates. Montang lost to eventual state champion Burke Barnes, the son of long-time Lake Stevens coach Brent Barnes, by a major decision.

Barnes, who won his other three matches at state via pin in a minute or less, stormed off the mat after his arm was raised.

“Let me tell you something about that match,” Owen said. “You don’t always remember every match, but that one I can still see like it just happened. Burke is one of the best wrestlers this state has ever produced, and he was probably less than a sportsman after that match.

“Ryan went toe-to-toe with him and let him know he was in the fight of his life. He never gave an inch. I was so proud of him.”

It was Barnes fourth consecutive state title.

After a successful run as the coach at Timberlake, Montang left to teach at U-Hi and coach under Owen, who was always available for advice and counsel during his tenure.

The new coach brings the same attitude he displayed as a senior at state to his new job leading the Titans.

His first move as the new coach was to make sure the entire coaching staff would be back – a staff made up mostly of former U-Hi wrestlers. The only new assistant coach this season is a familiar face: Don Owen.

As Montang shifted into another technique, this one called the “Russian Tie,” he demonstrated how to capture an opponent’s arm and steer them into the proper positon to throw them to the mat and even move them into a pinning combination.

“There, did you see that?” Owen asked from his spot along the wall. “Coach strung together three different moves there. That’s what you want to be able to do.”

There are fine points to managing a wrestling program that aren’t readily apparent. Issues involving weight management, for example, can create major problems for teams and wrestlers if not managed properly.

At U-Hi the coaching staff handle them with nary a hitch – a testament to both its knowledge base and its experience.

Still, for a new head coach charged with enthusiasm, it can be more to handle than originally planned for.

“I have a 55-minute prep period and I plan to spend 20 or 25 minutes working on my plan on what I want to concentrate on in that day’s practice,” he explained. “But then I look up at the clock and that’s gone and it’s almost time to start practice.”

Head coach Ryan Montang (left) and Don Owen (right) celebrate their team while at a wrestling match.

File photo