In what many wrestling aficionados billed as the League Title

match, the Liberty Patriots gunned down the Mount Si Wildcats 33-24 on

Mount Si’s home mat. The contest was a tremendous struggle for both sides

with the outcome dependent on the final match.

The opening match pitted Jordan Prior of Mount Si against Zach

Harris of Liberty in the 103-pound class. Prior wasted no time at all

controlling Harris, moving him to the mat and his back immediately. And with 31

seconds left in the first round, Prior pinned Harris’ shoulders to the

mat. The pin gave the `Cats a 6-0 lead.

But the next two matches would go in Liberty’s direction to tie

the meet. In the 112-pound class, Mount Si’s Andrew Ahmadi started

strong getting a takedown in the first round and an escape in the second. But

his opponent, Ryan Bamford had other plans, scoring a reversal early in

the third round, then racking up three nearfalls in a row to win by

decision, 9-3. The same would be true in the 119-pound class as Jason Moe

took on Liberty’s Mark Rowe. Rowe scored early with a takedown

midway through the first round but Moe would get the escape to close out the

round. In the second round, Rowe would score a reversal after starting in

the down position. Finally in the third round, Rowe would add two

more points on a reversal to Moe’s escape. The 6-2 decision evened the two

teams at six each going into the 125-pound class.

Next up for the `Cats was Ben Veyna who was scheduled to take

on longtime wrestler Kevin Bowen. But in a surprise move at the last

minute, the Liberty coach pulled Bowen to forfeit the weight class to Veyna.

The forfeit gave the `Cats a 12-6 lead. The strategy, though strange at the

time, may have meant the difference in the match as Bowen would re-enter in

the 130-pound class against Chad Mills.

Mount Si’s strength is through its middle weight classes, and

the130- pound class is no exception. Mills has typically dominated most of his

opponents and had even won a decision over Bowen in last year’s league

tournament. But Bowen is a tough wrestler and the match proved to be

even tougher. Mills scored first with a takedown at the one-minute mark

of the first round. In the second round, Bowen would score a three-point

near- fall, almost pinning Mills. He would add a reversal and another

three-point near-fall in the third to win the decision, 8-2. The loss gave Mount Si

a slim margin over the Patriots, 12-9.

Liberty would tie the meet again as Scott Rowe won by decision

over Blake Moore, 7-3. The match started with Moe scoring a takedown,

but Rowe quickly reversed, adding his own two points. Moe would

score once more on an escape to end the first round. But in the second, starting

from a down position, it was all Rowe, scoring a reversal and

three-point-nearfall for the decision.

So with nearly half the matches out of the way, the score was tied at

twelve each. Mount Si then sent Hiram Tame to the mat against Liberty’s

Alex Flieder in the 140-pound class. Flieder scored first with a takedown in the

first round. He then scored a reversal and two-point near-fall in the second

before Tame would score a reversal, two-point takedown another takedown

and another two-point near-fall. Tame added six more points in the third

to Flieder’s three, winning by decision, 14-10.

In the 145-pound class, Liberty’s Colin Reardon won by decision

over Mount Si’s Payton Thompson, 8-3. The win tied the score again

between the two teams at 15-15. Mount Si would suffer a heartbreaking loss

in the 152-pound class as Matt Murphy lost a close decision to the

Patriot’s Josh Nye 3-2.

In a move to bolster the middle lineup with more experience,

coach Bruce Caldwell placed Ryan Smith in at the160-pound class to take on

Kyle Gulit of Liberty. Smith, who usually wrestles at the 152-pound class,

lost to a determined Gulit, 6-2. The win gave Liberty a 21-15 lead with

only four matches left in the meet.

The move by Caldwell also pushed Kasey Robinson up to the

171-pound class to take on Don Robertson. Robertson thoroughly

dominated Robinson, finally pinning him with twelve seconds left in the

second round. The pin was monumental in moving Liberty toward a strong

advantage, as they took a 27-15 lead.

The entire meet would fall on the shoulders of three wrestlers for

Mount Si with Brad “The Bruiser” Davis stepping up in the 189-pound

class. His opponent would be a seasoned Austin Chatterton, who

typically doesn’t have the word “loss” in his

vocabulary. But anyone who knows Davis, also knows what his sheer

determination can accomplish and this match was no exception.

Chatterton scored first with a takedown from which Davis quickly

escaped. Chatterton took him down again, but Davis hung on and finally scored

a reversal late in the first round. In the second, Davis scored a two-point

near- fall and finally, with the crowd chanting his name, pinned Chatterton

with 15 seconds left in the round. The crowd went wild and Davis held

up his hands in victory. The pin moved Mount Si within striking distance

21 to Liberty’s 27.

Dylan Seubert was the `Cats next hopeful, wrestling Erin Seidler in

the 215-pound class. It would be a battle of the sophomores with Seubert

the obvious muscle man and Sieler holding the weight advantage.

Through two rounds it was a scoreless match then finally, as Seiler tired,

Seubert made his moves, scoring on a reversal and two three-point near-falls. The

decision moved Mount Si to within three points of Liberty. A win would tie

or a pin would win the meet.

Wrestling for Mount Si at the under-275-pound class was big

Sean Sexton. His opponent was the 187-pound Brian Anderson.

Anderson scored first with a takedown but Sexton wasted no time scoring the

reversal. In the second round, though, it was all Anderson as he scored on

two three-point near-falls. He would add another in the third before

pinning Sexton with 19 seconds left in the match. The pin gave Liberty a

decisive victory and league bragging rights.

“Liberty physically is a real tough team, said coach Caldwell.

“They’re better than they were last year, and we’re better than we were last

year. “They came out serious tonight and took it to us,” he added. “I thought

they would kill us in the upper weights, but what happened is we lost a few in

the lower weights and picked up a couple in the upper weights,” he continued.

Mount Si travels to Issaquah Thursday to take on the Indians.

Varsity starts at 7:30 p.m.