TACOMA – This wasn’t the way Bainbridge senior Peter Paskell envisioned his senior wrestling season ending.

But ultimately, it’s not how he’ll remember the many hours of work that helped shape him anyway.

Paskell, the lone Spartan at the Tacoma Dome for last weekend’s Mat Classic XIX, the state’s high school wrestling championships, went 0-2 in the 3A 145-pound bracket

He was pinned in 1 minute, 15 seconds by Everett’s Cole Anderson before falling in the consolation round via a late pin at 4:24 from Yelm’s Josh Barnert.

“It feels good my senior year to finish it here and compete,” Paskell said of making state. “I was hoping to place. Unfortunately, I didn’t.”

But at the same time, Paskell knew how many wrestlers were left watching the tournament, rather than participating in it.

“It finally feels like everything I’ve worked for to some degree paid off,” he said. “It makes me feel good about myself.”

In his consolation bracket opener against Barnert, Paskell jumped out early, taking a 4-0 lead thanks to a pair of first-round takedowns.

A reversal by Barnert at the end of the round, to go along with a three-point nearfall, put Barnert ahead 5-4. He would build the lead to 14-6 before getting the late pin.

“My first match I was able to do my arm moves,” Paskell said. “My second match I still wasn’t there, but I was able to do a few things.

While he looked dominating early in the match, Paskell said it’s the mental side of wrestling he needs to continue improving on.

“Almost all my wrestling is mental,” he said. “I can get to that high-level competition in practice. For me, I had to get that in the match. If I get that in, I win.”

As a senior, Paskell said there’ll be a lot he’ll remember from his days as a Spartan grappler, but this may not be one of them.

“(I’ll remember) practicing with the new wrestlers,” he said. “Not this at all. It’s great for myself and my ego, but what I’ll miss most is practicing with the younger guys.”

Before he graduates, Paskell said he’ll try to pass his knowledge of the state tournament on to Bainbridge’s returning wrestlers.

“It doesn’t matter where you are or what level of competition,” he said. “Go all out.”

-Aaron Managhan

Spartans lose title to Rainier Beach

SEATTLE PACIFIC UNIVERSITY – The frustration and sadness that was on the faces of the Bainbridge boys basketball team on the ride home on the ferry said it all.

The number one ranked Spartans turned in one of their best defensive performances of the season as they held the seventh ranked Rainier Beach Vikings to a season-low 37 points.

Unfortunately, they could only score 36, losing in the Metro League title game Saturday at Seattle Pacific University.

It’s just their third loss of the season.

Head coach Scott Orness was disappointed with their performance.

“I thought our guys played hard, but we didn’t play smart basketball,” he said. “It didn’t look like one game we played all season long. The only reason we were in that game was because we played great defense.”

“Our offense looked like we hadn’t practiced for three months,” Orness continued.

He also put some of the blame on himself.

“I didn’t get them prepared to play for a Metro League championship game,” he said.

The Vikings shot just 33 percent from the field, but the Spartans weren’t that much better, shooting 38 percent.

Senior guard Rudy Sharar said they looked like they had no clue what they were doing on offense.

“Everyone was a step off from each other,” he said.

Despite the poor performance, Bainbridge was up at halftime and went into the third quarter up by one.

But that’s when DeAngelo Jones took over.

He knocked down a three-pointer that put Beach up by four, then after Coby Gibler hit a three, Jones scored again with 1:10 left to put them back ahead.

After Jones was fouled, the Vikings inbounded the ball but the scorekeeper forgot to start the clock, drawing wrath from Orness while Reggie Moore hit a jumper from 17 feet for the eventual game winner.

Bainbridge had three chances to win in the last few seconds but were denied.

Despite the loss, the Spartans go in as the number two seed from Metro to the district tournament.

They play either Cleveland or Newport Friday at 4:45 p.m. at Bellevue Community College in a winner to state game.

– Douglas Crist and John Becerra, Jr.

Girl hoopsters beat Holy Names

The Bainbridge girls basketball team finally got past Holy Names on Saturday, defeating the Cougars. 53-37 in a Metro League tournament game at Seattle Pacific University.

Four starters for Holy Names sat out for unspecified reasons.

Head coach Penny Gienger said she’s happy with where they are right now.

“We’re sitting fifth, which is the best we can do with how we did during the season,” she said. “All the guards are playing pretty well right now. Everyone’s playing well right now.”

Caitlyn Salo scored 16 points, while Lindsay Bratonia had 14 points.

The Spartans played without Megan Burris, who hyperextended her knee.

She sat out of practice Monday.

Bainbridge played yesterday against Mount Si in the opening round of the 3A Sea-King district tournament.

If they won, they play Chief Sealth tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at Bellevue Community College in a winner to state game.

If they lost, they play the loser of the Nathan Hale – Lakeside game in a loser out game tomorrow at 4:45 p.m at Ingraham High School.

-John Becerra, Jr.