Bainbridge wrestlers John-Michael King and Zach Smith got right down to business Thursday night at West Seattle High School, both earning the only team points for the Spartans that didn’t come from Wildcat forfeits.
The remainder of the Bainbridge team dealt with what the sport is for most
wrestlers — a genuine struggle.
Spartan forfeits at the 275, 103 and 112-pound weight classes put Bainbridge in a quick 18-0 hole, and the team simply didn’t have enough force to mount a comeback against the undefeated Wildcats.
Patrick Macala ended his first period with West Seattle’s Richard Beausolia on his back after a two-point takedown.
Beausolia started the second in the down position, earned another pair of points on a reversal, then held Macala in a near-fall position at the four-minute mark. Another takedown and two near-falls left Beausolia with a 14-0 lead at the final buzzer.
Smith made short work of opponent Eric Hallberg with a single two-point takedown after picking Hallberg up and slamming him to the mat. Hallberg couldn’t find any wiggle room out of Smith’s grasp, and the Bainbridge junior’s effort led to a pin at 1:03 of the match, finally putting the Spartans on the scoreboard.
With West Seattle leading 22-6, senior John-Michael King scrapped through the first period against Nick Conner, but found himself down 4-1 after a pair of Conner takedowns.
King muscled a reversal on Conner and pushed him onto his back, good for a three-point near fall to take a 6-4 lead.
Thirty-seconds later, King tweaked Conner just enough to elicit a yell from the West Seattle wrestler, who rocked back-and-forth on the mat holding his left ankle during the injury time-out. Conner was unable to finish the match, and King notched six points for the Sparts in the win.
A West Seattle forfeit at 135 gave Peter Paskell a win, and brought Bainbridge to within four points of the Wildcats, but the middle weights would prove to be a rough stretch for the Spartans.
Brian Robert was on the defensive against Ionica Hanson, receiving a stall warning in the opening period after Hanson’s initial two-point takedown.
Hanson brought Robert to the mat five more times, with the Bainbridge sophomore earning only escape points the rest of the match. The contest ended with Hanson leading 14-4, and West Seattle up 26-18.
145-pounder David Winship saw less than a minute of action before being pinned by Eddie Hume, and Bobby Stowell’s match against Adam Layman was a grueling up-and-down affair that ended 21-7 in favor of the Wildcat.
The Spartans gave up the 160-pound weight class, but the six points were returned after Billy Thomas earned a forfeit at 171. Elliott Thompson put in a solid effort against Jimmy Kosta, taking control in the final moments of the match, but was unable to pin Kosta in the 8-5 loss.
Earl Young, in his second meet with the Spartans, recorded the final six points for Bainbridge on a forfeit at 215.
The Spartans wrestle at Nathan Hale next Thursday night.
