TACOMA — Moves that work in run-of-the-mill wrestling meets don’t always do the trick during state quarterfinals.
That was the message Evergreen coaches delivered to Matthew Nguyen on Friday afternoon at the Tacoma Dome.
The good news for Nguyen was that the message wasn’t delivered by Tahoma’s Gabe Boynay, who leveraged a Nguyen gamble into a late reversal before the Evergreen junior held on for a win that gives the Plainsmen two Nguyens among their three wrestlers in the semifinals at Mat Classic XXIII.
A total of 12 wrestlers from The Columbian’s readership area remain alive for state championships. The semifinals start at 10 a.m. today, with the finals scheduled for 5 p.m. at the Tacoma Dome.
Evergreen had two Class 4A semifinal slots nailed down early in Friday’s quarterfinal round.
Michael Nguyen pinned his two opponents to reach the semifinals at 103.
“You’ve got to go all out at this point,” Michael Nguyen said. “They were good matches (Friday). I’m confident and ready to give it my all (today).”
Matthew Nguyen scored two decisions, the second of them a bit close for comfort.
Trying to build on a third-period lead, Matthew Nguyen found himself in a precarious position when Boynay scored a reversal and near-fall. Nguyen recovered with his own quick reversal, then held on for a 14-9 victory.
“I was on my hip and he surprised me,” Matthew Nguyen said.
“It feels great” to be in the semifinals, he added. “But I’ve got to wrestle better (today).”
Evergreen senior Tim Peraza used two second-round pins to reach the 4A semifinals at 215 pounds.
Clint Powers of Skyview at 130 pounds and Dillon Thomas of Union at 171 also advanced to the Class 4A semifinals, each winning a pair of decisions on Friday.
Three Clark County wrestlers are Class 3A semifinalists. Aaron Blaine at 125 pounds and Emilio Alcantar at 140 won twice for Hudson’s Bay, and Camas’ Miguel Salamanca scored late to win his quarterfinal match at 145.
Salamanca scored the go-ahead point by escaping with 30 seconds left, then added a late takedown that proved decisive against Blake Johnson of Mercer Island.
“I just used my single-leg standup that got me escapes all season,” said Salamanca, crediting the Camas coaches for conditioning him well enough to thrive in tight third-round situations.
“You’ve got to in the close ones wrestle every second, get every point you can, and don’t give up any dumb points,” Salamanca said.
In the Class 1A tournament, La Center’s Chris Mayolo (145 pounds) and Stevenson’s Wade Huett (285) reached the semifinals. (Click here for story on 1A wrestlers.)
Only two Clark County girls advanced to semifinal matches. Skyview’s Julie Yoshioka opened with a decision and followed with a first-round pin in the quarterfinals. Stephanie Simon of Evergreen pinned both of her opponents at 145 pounds.
Skyview senior Anna Stauffer, who placed second here a year ago, lost because of injury default in the 140 quarterfinals.
Among the difficult quarterfinal losses on Friday: Prairie’s Travis Addy lost on a takedown at the buzzer in a 3A 145-pound shootout; Columbia River’s Terrence Joshua fell 7-6 in the 3A 189-pound quarterfinals; Battle Ground’s Mixtly Simon lost a 9-8 decision in the girls 171-pound division.
