High school wrestlers ready to hit the mat for new season
Dec. 8—Everyone's weight has been certified, the challenge matches have been done and the varsity lineups are set. This means it's time for another year on the mat for the area's high school wrestlers.
While the season has begun for several schools, everyone will be in full swing this weekend.
Here are some things to expect this season:
New era at Lewiston
The Bengals will be under the tutelage of first-year coach Colton Maddy, who has come to the valley after nine-year coaching stint in the suburbs of Seattle.
Maddy's first stop was Lindbergh High School in Renton, Wash. He was an assistant at his alma mater for four years before being promoted to head coach in the 2019-20 season.
After just one year in that job, he moved to Bonney Lake as an assistant but was thrust into the top job midway through the 2020-21 campaign.
He finished out the season and moved to Lewiston, where he started teaching freshman science classes a year ago. At that point, Stuart Johnson was leading the program. However, Johnson decided to resign and Maddy applied and got the job.
"I didn't know the coaching position was going to be open when I got here," Maddy said. "Corey (Williams) asked me if I was interested in applying and I was like, heck yeah. That was always the goal, to work (my way) up."
Maddy is inheriting a solid core of varsity and state returners, highlighted by junior Hoyt Hvass, who won the 120-pound state title.
"He's strong as an ox," Maddy said. "He's pound for pound the strongest kid in the wrestling room, and he sets a great example of what the other guys should be."
The girls team is highlighted by junior Joely Slyter, who finished third in the Folkstyle national tournament. She leads a group of seven.
"She's going to be the head of the program," Maddy said. "It'll be nice for the girls to have a person like (Slyter) in the room. They can look at her and see where they can be if they stick with it."
At heavyweight, senior Robert Storm will attempt to earn his first state championship. The only thing standing in his way will be one of the best in the country in Borah senior and Oregon State commit Aden Attao.
Attao and Storm met in the semifinal round of last year's state tournament, with Attao getting the better of Storm, pinning him seconds into the second period.
"I talked to him before the season and asked him if he was ready to pull off the biggest upset of the year and he said yes," Maddy said. "My brother and I are teaching a formula that we've used to coach heavyweights and he's buying in. All it comes down to is his belief, and I believe he can pull it off."
CV looking to build on success
Carlos Martinez is entering his 15th year as coach at Clearwater Valley, and this might be the most talent the Rams have had, considering the success they had a year ago
Highlighting the batch is senior Keyan Boller, who placed third at 126 last season in the Class 2A state tourney.
Boller has spent a lot of time in the wrestling room during the offseason in anticipation of moving up the podium.
Jake and Antony Fabbi were instrumental parts of the Rams' district championship and ninth-place state finish. The pair placed fifth and sixth, respectively, at the end-of-the-year tournament.
"They're both just naturally gifted kids," Martinez said. "They have phenomenal strength and speed which is just something that you can't teach."
Making the biggest jump in weight classes this year will be Isaac Goodwin who placed sixth at 195 in 2021 and will step up to heavyweight. The senior put on almost 30 pounds in anticipation of the season.
"At every level now, (heavyweights are) big strong kids, not just big fat kids," Martinez said. "Our state is no different. If you're going to compete you're going to have to put on weight the right way."
Bass Myers, who Martinez labeled as "the hardest worker in the room," returns at 182. Myers finished sixth at the state tournament last year purely based on outworking his opponent.
"(Myers) beat some guys that were better wrestlers than him last year just based on determination," Martinez said. "That's also how he did it when he played football. Every time he'd get a first-down run, it was just through determination and wanting it more."
Quick hits
Lapwai will have a wrestling team for the first time in more than three decades. The Wildcats currently have four wrestlers in its lineup, two at 195 and two at heavyweight. Junior Leland Whitefoot finished third at the Dick Griswold Tournament in Potlatch on Saturday after pinning Priest River's Gunner Eversole in the second round. ... Pullman brings back two state runners-up in Aydin Peltier (120) and Ivan Acosta (138). The Greyhounds also return 113-pounder Gavin McCloy. ... Skyla and Keira Zimmerman will be back for the Moscow wrestling team. Skyla, a senior, will defend her 113-pound state championship.
Pixley may be contacted at (208) 848-2290, tpixley@lmtribune.com or on Twitter @TreebTalks.
