Arlington takes down Mariner

Coach Shaun Williams' boys learned first-hand that every point counts during Arlington's 33-32 victory at Mariner.

By Travis Sherer • December 11, 2009 3:39 pm
Arlington's 140-pound grappler Chris Berg gets position on opponent Austin Parker. Berg would later score a pin.
Arlington's 140-pound grappler Chris Berg gets position on opponent Austin Parker. Berg would later score a pin.

EVERETT — Coach Shaun Williams’ boys learned first-hand that every point counts during Arlington’s 33-32 victory at Mariner.

And not just every point, but every take down, major decision, pin fall and much more was accounted for to determine the winner after the Dec. 10 match ended in a 32-32 tie.

“I knew it was going to be close, but I thought it would be down to like a point, not something like this,” Williams said.

After Mariner’s Nikolay Koltsov won the 130-pound match, referees and coaches swarmed the scorer’s booth, as they went down to the eighth tie-breaker — whichever team had the most take downs in the first period — to determine the winner.

“These are exciting matches,” Williams said. “They are much better than when one side blows out the other and everybody leaves early. Everybody stayed and cheered. It was fun.”

The Eagles’ eight take downs in the first period beat Mariner’s seven.

Arlington, which was without two team captains, led by as much as 28-11, a lead that stemmed from a Marauders forfeit at 215, pins by Ben Torve (285 pounds) and Chris Berg (140), a major decision by Matt Badgley (145) and decisions by Blake McPherson (160) and Seth Henderson (189).

But the lighter divisions caused Arlington some problems, as just three weights later, from 103-119, Mariner had taken a 29-28 lead.

In perhaps the most pivotal match of the night, 125-pound Hunter Amundson scored four takedowns in the final 75 seconds against Jonathan Kim to earn a 14-6 major decision, and help the Eagles retake the lead a 32-29.

Amundson wasn’t involved in the only crucial match, as 189-pound Seth Henderson wrestled up a weight to score a 2-1 decision over the lengthy Garry Kroshko, who was wrestling down one weight.

“I had to keep right on him,” Henderson said. “I knew that if I could get him in the third period, my training this offseason would help me win.”

This offseason, many of the varsity wrestlers traveled to Germany with coach Williams, and haven’t stopped wrestling since.

“I think it is matches like that where our trip to Germany showed,” Williams said. “What it came down to was experience and getting into and maintaining the right position.”

Arlington now prepares for the Tri-State Meet at North Idaho College Dec. 18-19.