Prep wrestling: ‘Scrappy’ Shadle Park looking to build off successful start to year as postseason looms

First-year Shadle Park wrestling coach Dew Rogers repeats two words more than any others when it comes to describing his team.

Warriors and scrappy.

“We’re a scrappy team that likes to work hard and likes to play hard,” Rogers said. “We go in every day to work hard and get our work done, but we’re going to have fun doing it and be sure to do it as a team. They’re warriors.”

The warrior description has been evident with the Highlanders’ on-mat success this season, including a 2-0 start in Greater Spokane League 2A duals following Wednesday night’s resounding 48-27 victory over East Valley.

Scrappy, though, could point to one of several things – or more specifically, one of several wrestlers.

Take Tyrese Guzman, for example. The 150-pound junior is not ranked in the top 10 at his weight, according to washingtonwrestlingreport.com, despite winning at the M2 Mallet last month. He also didn’t have any postseason results last year.

That’s not because of a lack of talent, though. It’s because he was suspended from the team in the middle of his sophomore season following an on-mat physical altercation with an opponent.

The incident resulted in a one-year suspension by the WIAA, which was reduced through the end of last season after an appeal. Guzman has spent the past year not only perfecting his craft on the mat, but more important, learning to control the fire that cost him several months with his teammates.

“Now that I look back on it after some time, I know the things that I could have done to handle that differently and how I could have solved that,” Guzman said. “It just feels good to be back and to be working hard and succeeding not only for myself, but also for my team.”

Rogers said what impressed him most with Guzman was his accountability and the leadership role he has since taken with the team.

“He’s a wrestler and deep down inside he’s got a warrior spirit,” Rogers said. “The minute we could get him back on the mat, we did. He’s a great wrestler, but he’s also become a great leader. The day after the incident, he came and apologized to every coach. He’s stayed disciplined ever since.”

But Guzman is not the only Highlander who came into this year with a chip on his shoulder.

After defeating teammate Joseph Stahl to claim the district title at 113 pounds last season, Shadle Park senior Braeden Champion was disqualified at regionals after missing weight.

“It affected me pretty heavily, and coming off that district win it just hit that much harder,” Champion said. “But right away I focused on what I can do better, and things I can put into place to make sure that doesn’t happen again. I want to be out there at the end and be part of the reason this team places at state.”

Champion’s results this season prove the extra effort he has put in is paying off, including a second-place finish at the Freeman Winter Classic and a sixth-place finish at the Tri-County Classic.

Rogers credits Guzman and Champion for not backing down in the face of adversity and believes the rest of the team has translated their resiliency into a new identity.

“With them, it’s definitely a mind game because they are both very high-level wrestlers,” Rogers said. “So, it’s less about teaching them every move and more about making sure they’re in the right headspace. They’re both stronger when they know they have to go out and fight for their guys, and the rest of the team has responded to that as well.”

It also helps that this is a Shadle team loaded with experience and success. Junior Lucas Horner is again wrestling at a high level after his fifth-place finish at state last year. Brayden Burgener, another state placer, is also back for his junior season with a M2 Mallet victory under his belt.

But there are still a few question marks for the Highlanders, with Stahl – who took eighth place at Mat Classic last season – and fellow state participant Corbin Juarez trying to come back from injury as Shadle enters a grueling stretch of the schedule.

The Highlanders will put their perfect dual record to its toughest test Wednesday with a trip to West Valley. That will be followed up by a trip to Pullman on Jan. 24. The Greyhounds are ranked third in 2A, according to washingtonwrestlingreport.com, while the Highlanders are ranked 15th and WV 18th.

“We’re not worried about outcomes, we’re worried about getting on the mat and scrapping,” Rogers said.

“We would be shooting ourselves in the foot if we sat here worrying about wins and losses. It’s great to be (undefeated), but we came here to get on the mat and fight. And when you do that, results tend to follow.”