If wrestling was a sport of luck, Sheridan Catlin could be said to have the beginner’s variety.
But wrestling is not a sport of luck; it is one of strength and skill. So when Catlin — a junior wrestler for South Whidbey High School who is in his first full varsity season — started his first match at the Mount Vernon Tournament Dec. 20, he was still questioning his abilities in these two areas. By the end of the tournament, the 215-pound Falcon had placed second in his weight class and found himself to be a better competitor than he had ever imagined.
“I was pretty surprised,” said Catlin, who started the tournament with just three previous varsity bouts to his credit.
His success mirrored that of the rest of his team, which placed third overall at the event at Mount Vernon High School, the Falcons’ best team finish of the year.
On their way to the placing, South Whidbey notched two championships thanks to the efforts of 112-pound senior Phil Schorr and 171-pound senior Ben Harris. In addition to Catlin’s second-place finish, 135-pound senior Conley White and 189-pound junior Jason Gilberts earned runner-up honors. In all, nine Falcons placed on the day in a powerful showing for a team that has barely been on the mat this season.
The tournament was the only action for the Falcons during their holiday break. A Saturday tournament at Nooksack Valley High School was cancelled due to inclement weather. This was the second cancellation of the season for South Whidbey, which also missed a chance to compete on Dec. 11 when Nooksack cancelled a meet at its school due to a conflict with the boys basketball tournament.
South Whidbey coach Wes Helseth said the Dec. 20 result at Mount Vernon is a bright spot for the past two weeks, during which a number of wrestlers have gotten sick and one was injured badly enough to put him out for the season. Justin Serrill, a 125-pound junior who placed fourth at Mount Vernon, dislocated his shoulder so badly in his consolation match at that tournament that he may not return to the mat.
“We’re getting a lot of guys on the fringe,” Helseth said.
But for those who are still wrestling, the season is a good one. Solid, strategic wrestling is becoming a hallmark of the Falcons’ style on the mat, as evidenced by several methodical and successful performances by the team at Mount Vernon. To win his weight class, Phil Schorr needed the patience of a veteran wrestler. He turned a 2-2 tie in the first round of his championship match against Tyson Metz of Anacortes into a 4-3 second-round advantage and a 7-3 victory thanks to a fluid escape and takedown of his opponent in the third round.
On the other hand, in his win, Ben Harris did the job quickly, scoring the team’s only pin in a finals round on the day. He took Everett’s Justin Boyce to the mat at 3:31 in the second period for the win.
As the big surprise for the team, Catlin worked his way through three bout victories before taking on Landon Campbell of Mount Vernon in a championship bout. He would go on to lose that bout 6-1, a close result considering it was his seventh varsity outing.
Catlin said the next time he gets into a championship, the score will be even closer.
“I will have more confidence,” he said.
Other South Whidbey placers at the tournament were Jason Mannie (fourth, 145 pounds), Zach Dahl (fifth, 103 pounds) and Kyle Calkins.
The Falcons compete next at home on Thursday.
