An overtime win by junior Conley White Thursday and a clutch victory by classmate Phil Schorr against a Sultan opponent the week before spiced an up and down week for the Falcon wrestling team.
Wrestling at 130 pounds in a home dual meet against Lakewood, White got his team and a gymnasium full of screaming wrestling fans back into a meet that had headed south. Down 18-34 due to several forfeits and unexpected falls, South Whidbey was in a deep scoring hole that looked like it was going to get deeper.
Struggling for any kind of advantage in the first round of his bout against Cougar Mark Villano, White escaped both an awkward standing foot hold and several near takedowns. Though behind 4-0 to start the second, White had loud crowd support. After picking up two points of his own, he took a fatigued Villano down to the wire, scoring a two-point takedown in the final four seconds to send the bout into sudden death overtime.
In the extra period, White came through for his fans, scoring a takedown that gave him a 6-4 win and brought the crowd to its feet.
Though the Falcons would go on to lose the meet 44-27, the event was still a showcase for the team’s top performers. Schorr, who provided the winning points Jan. 16 in a 39-38 comeback over Sultan by pinning Jacob Grills in the last bout of the night, made himself a three-time winner for the week. He pinned Lakewood’s Adam Beach in 23 seconds, 90 seconds faster than he was able to notch a fall against Klahowya’s Timmy Burke to win the 103-pound class at Saturday’s Klahowya Klassics tournament.
Also winning for South Whidbey Thursday was senior Chris Long (8-1) at 152 pounds, Ben Harris at 160 on a third period fall, sophomore Tyler Rueth at 112, and 135-pounder Jason Mannie with a first period pin victory over Carl Wedekinde.
The dual loss came on the heels of a tournament performance Saturday that was more sparse in terms of placings than others this season. Aside from Schorr, the only top placers for the team were Mannie and Harris. Both placed second in championship bouts.
Falcon coach Wes Helseth said the team might have picked up a second championship but for the judgement of the tournament’s scale against senior Chris Long. Long weighed in one-tenth of a pound over 145, which forced him to wrestle at 160. Though able to win in the early rounds, Long was unable to place against bigger, heavier competition.
Winners Thursday in Sultan were Schorr, Justin Serrill, Mannie, Long, Sean Noste, Harris and Jason Gilberts.
Thursday’s meet was the Falcons last at home this season. They compete next at the North Cascades Conference championships at Sultan High School on Feb. 7 and 8.
