State wrestling preview: Behind senior Jarret Sharp, junior-heavy Mt. Spokane eyes Mat Classic three-peat

Top-ranked Mt. Spokane is eyeing a three-peat.

Its standout 113-pounder wants to avoid a personal four-peat.

Senior Jarret Sharp’s previous three appearances at the Mat Classic were successful, finishing second each trip.

Anything less than a state title this weekend will be a disappointment for Sharp, though, who brings a No. 1 ranking to the Tacoma Dome.

“I got one last shot, so it’s all in,” Sharp said. “I have to give all I got.”

In Sharp’s previous state championship matches, he fell to two of the better wrestlers in the Northwest in of the most talent-heavy weight classes.

In 2017 and 2018, Sharp lost to Brenden Chaowanapibool, a three-time state champion who is competing at NCAA Division I Air Force.

Last year, Oregon State commit Yusief Lillie defeated Sharp for the state title.

Bethel’s Donnie Krissak, who placed second at 106 pounds last season, is ranked No. 2 at 113 behind Sharp. No other ranked 113-pound wrestlers placed at state last year – in any weight class.

Mt. Spokane coach Travis Hughes believes Sharp is primed to earn his first state title this weekend.

“These last few weeks he’s been pretty driven,” Hughes said. “You can tell. Probably more focused than most guys on the team.”

Mt. Spokane, which has been ranked No. 1 all season, doesn’t return a defending state champion, but several medal contenders placed in the top five a year ago.

Sharp, Ky Haney (145) and Casey Howerton (152) are back after reaching their respective state championship matches in 2019.

Mt. Spokane, which has won back-to-back Greater Spokane League titles ahead of tradition-rich 4A program Mead, qualified 11 wrestlers to state at last weekend’s Region 4 tournament.

Is this Mt. Spokane team as deep as the previous two state champions?

“I think we’re similar to last year’s team,” Hughes said. “We had two senior leaders, but now we have a junior-heavy team.”

4A

Defending state champion Chiawana is the prohibitive favorite, returning three state champions and several others who will likely be in medal contention.

GSL power Mead, which finished second to Chiawana at the Region 4 tournament last weekend, qualified 10 wrestlers to state, including Chase Randall (126), who has been ranked No. 1 or No. 2 throughout the season.

The Panthers are ranked ninth and University, which had five wrestlers finish in the top three at the region tournament last week, is ranked 16th. Central Valley is 17th.

Ranked No. 1: Q’Veli Quintailla, fr., Gonzaga Prep (126); Braxton Mikesell, sr., Central Valley (285).

Returning state champions: Mikesell (2019).

3A

Second-ranked Edmonds-Woodway is the only team in the 3A ranks in the same neighborhood as No. 1 Mt. Spokane.

The GSL not only boasts the two-time defending state champion Wildcats, but five wrestlers with No. 1 distinction and several in the top three.

Ranked No. 1: Steven Zaragoza, jr., North Central (106); Jarret Sharp, sr., MtS (113); Zach Lopez, soph., Shadle Park (120); Kenndyl Mobley, soph., NC (126); Ky Haney, jr., MtS (145).

Returning state champions: Mobley (2019).

2A

State power and and No. 1 Toppenish is favored to win its fourth state title in five years.

Local teams don’t appear to have the depth to vie for a title, but have several individuals who figure to be somewhere on the podium Saturday.

Avery Sundheim (138), who finished second a year ago and third in 2018, and second-ranked Jake Kessinger (145) lead East Valley.

Great Northern League champion and seventh-ranked Cheney qualified several wrestlers, including Dylan Straley (145), Jackson Showalter (152), and Blake Seubert (160), all ranked No. 3 in their respective classes.

West Valley senior and third-ranked Gaje Caro (182) reached the state semifinals last year before an injury.

Ranked No. 1: None

Returning state champions: None

1A

No. 1 Granger, which has five top-ranked wrestlers, is expected to dethrone defending state champion and sixth-ranked Colville.

Region 4 champion and fourth-ranked Deer Park and rival No. 8 Lakeside are aiming for trophies.

Ranked No. 1: Nathan Gregory, soph., Deer Park (120); Levi Miller, jr. DP (132); Ethan Davis, jr., Medical Lake (170); Sammy DesRoches, sr., Riverside (182).

Returning state champions: Reuben Seeman, sr., Colville (132); Davis (2018).

2B/1B

Top-ranked Tonasket is eyeing a four-peat, but Eastern Washington squads Liberty (No. 2), Chewelah (No. 3) and Reardan (No. 4) hope to give the Tigers some trouble.

Chewelah star junior Kaden Krouse (170) is favored to three-peat.

Ranked No. 1: Alex Plasencia, sr., Davenport (145); Rylan Anderson, sr., Reardan (152); Krouse (170), Charlie Harrington, sr., Liberty (285).

Returning state champions: Krouse (2019, 2018); Harrington (2019).

Girls

Top-ranked White River, which placed second a year ago, will be a force again at the girls Mat Classic.

The best girls team in the Spokane area – 27th-ranked North Central – is led by fifth-ranked freshmen Kilee Callaghan (135).

Liberty junior Maizy Feltwell (120), who placed fifth at state the previous two seasons, takes a No. 2 ranking to state.

Mead’s Kelsey Loeun (110) and Newport’s Sierra Mason (170) have been ranked in the top 10 throughout the season and have hope to medal.

Ranked No. 1: None

Returning state champions: None