ANDREW LANG
THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
BELLINGHAM - Since Bellingham senior wrestler Dylan Hanson was a freshman, the Red Raiders have never lost a dual meet to city-rival Sehome.
Hanson did his part to help himself and fellow seniors Austin Bavaro, Patrick Anderson and Scott Tang earn a career sweep of the Mariners.
Riley Takemura (120 pounds), Bavaro (126), Anderson (145) and Alden Roberts (152) pinned their opponents, and Hanson capped the win with a dramatic three overtime 2-1 decision against Sehome heavyweight Devin Robins, as Bellingham rolled to a 49-25 Northwest Conference win Wednesday, Jan. 9, at Bellingham High School. The Bellingham/Squalicum girls' wrestling team tied the Lynden girls 36-36, as boys and girls wrestled side-by-side on different mats.
"It's great because we came out knowing it was going to be a tight one," said Hanson of the win. "We had some matches we didn't know if they were going to go our way our not. Those guys really stepped up."
Hanson exemplified Bellingham's will to win in the evening's final match. Though his heavyweight bout with Robins may not have featured the most action, it was arguably the most exciting.
After a scoreless first period, Hanson took bottom position and worked his way up to his feet for a one-point escape. Robins took bottom to start the third period and earned his own one-point escape to tie the match. Neither wrestler had enough energy to attempt a takedown, and the match went into overtime.
Hanson and Robins spent the first 1 minute OT period shoving each one another around from the neutral position. Robins was awarded bottom position to start the second overtime - a 30 second period. Robins got to his feet twice, but Hanson was able to throw him to the mat before Robins could pry Hanson's hands apart for the escape. Once Hanson got bottom position in the third overtime, he capitalized, earning an escape in the first 10 seconds. He stalled enough in the final 20 seconds to earn the win, which drew a roar from the Bellingham wrestlers and fans in attendance.
"I've been in a couple overtime matches, but that one was close," Hanson said. "I think we were both visibly getting gassed. It came down to who is going to go the hardest. In practice I work on going in burst. I had 30 seconds to keep him down. Then I had 5 seconds to get up and get my one (point)."
While Hanson and Robins generated the match of the night, the dual was won in Bellingham's strong middle to lower weight classes.
Sehome was, however, starting from a 12-0 hole after forfeiting its 106- and 113-pound match. Takemura pinned Sehome's Emily Lucke in 1:43 to put the Red Raiders ahead 18-0, and Bavaro made it 24-0 with his pin of Nick Mellick 1:37 into the first period.
The Mariners cut Bellingham's lead to 24-7 with decisions from 132-pound wrestler Steven Yazzie and 138-pound wrestler Evan Villalobos, but Bellingham's Anderson and Roberts earned back-to-back pins to give the Red Raiders a 36-7 insurmountable lead.
"We were pretty worried here," Bellingham coach Tom Hinz said. "This senior class has never lost to Sehome, so we were a little scared. The match of the night, in my opinion, was the (1)52 pounders. Maybe (Roberts) he shouldn't have won that match, but he pinned the kid in the third round. The big thing for us was not getting pinned. They have some studs over there."
Sehome 160-pounder Austin Vosburgh recorded the Mariners' only pin. He beat David Burnham in 3:38.
"That's how it was my freshman year," said Hanson of his team focusing on not getting pinned. "It was go out there and don't get pinned wrestling varsity. Now that I'm a senior, a lot of the younger guys are stepping up. It's really key for us."
Only three varsity matches took place on the girls' side. Multiple forfeits by Bellingham/Squalicum and Lynden put the Lions ahead 30-24 heading into the final two matches. Taryn Rogers pinned Lynden's Candida Delgadillo in 30 seconds to tie the match at 30-30. Lions' 190-pounder Alexas Magana pinned JoJo Willoughby in 58 seconds to put Lynden back in front.
"We were tied, so she had a little bit of weight on her shoulders," Lynden girls' coach Santos Gallegos said of Magana. "I told her before the match to go out there and have fun and not worry about the points."
A Bellingham/Squalicum forfeit in the 235-pound class made the final 42-30 in favor of Lynden, but it was later revealed Chelsey Howard's exhibition match at 106 against Lynden's Teresa Medina counted as a varsity match. Howard's pin, coupled with the voided forfeit tied the match at 36 apiece.
Reach Andrew Lang at andrew.lang@bellinghamherald.com or call 360-756-2862.
BELLINGHAM 49, SEHOME 25
106: Chelsey Howard (Bellingham) forfeit. 113: Dewald Oliver (Bellingham) forfeit. 120: Riley Takemura (Bellingham) pin Emily Lucke (Sehome) 1:43. 126: Austin Bavaro (Bellingham) pin Nick Mellick (Sehome) 1:37. 132: Steven Yazzie (Sehome) dec. Scott Tang 9-1. 138: Evan Villalobos (Sehome) dec. Babak Abedsaidi (Bellingham) 7-5. 145: Patrick Anderson (Bellingham) pin Jose Ramirez (Sehome) 0:53. 152: Alden Roberts (Bellingham) pin Seth Peterson (Sehome). 160: Austin Vosburgh (Sehome) pin David Burnham (Bellingham) 3:38. 170: Blair Bennett (Bellingham) dec. Eric Lane (Sehome) 10-2. 182: Spencer Marshall (Bellingham) forfeit. 195: Zack Zimmerman (Sehome) forfeit. 220: Josh Whitman (Sehome) forfeit. 285: Dylan Hanson dec. Devin Robins (Sehome) 2-1 (3OT).
LYNDEN 36, BELLINGHAM/SQUALICUM 36
100: Chelsey Howard (Bellingham/Squalicum) pin Teresa Medina (Lynden) 1:45. 106: Natalie Martinez (Lynden) forfeit. 112: Virginia Rodrieguez (Lynden) forfeit. 118: Sydney King (Bellingham) forfeit. 124: Maria Ortiz (Lynden) forfeit. 130: Alandra Marquez (Lynden). 137: Dioceline Garfias (Lynden) forfeit. 145: Jamie Keller (Bellingham/Squalicum) forfeit. 155: Abbie Sandell (Bellingham/Squalicum). 170: Taryn Rogers (Bellingham/Squalicum) pin Candida Delgadillo (Lynden) 0:30. 190: Alexas Magana (Lynden) pin. JoJo Willoughby (Bellingham/Squalicum) 0:58. 235: Lisabel Hernandez (Lynden) forfeit.
Reach ANDREW LANG at andrew.lang@bellinghamherald.com or call ext. 862.
