Wrestlers on to sub-regionals

Raider Wrestling wrapped up the regular season and is now preparing for the first round of postseason this weekend in Oroville.

Sub-regionals start on Friday at 4 p.m and continue on Saturday at 10 a.m. All schools in the Eastern Washington North B Wrestling League will be present.

The Raiders settled sub-regional tournament seeding questions at Kittitas Saturday at the Central Washington B Wrestling mix and match. Five Raiders wrestled two or three matches against those they had not wrestled during the season.

Jacob Smith defeated Adrian Tapia of Warden 8-6, then lost by pin to both Gary Rios-Lopez of Kittitas and Jeff Rounds of Liberty Bell. At 113 pounds in sub-regionals, Smith is seeded third and will take on Devon Walton of Tonasket in his first match.

Oscar Pakootas won both matches at Kittitas, defeating Tony Klepec of Okanogan 12-0, then pinning Emiliano Rodriguez of Mabton. At 132, Pakootas is seeded third and will wrestle the winner of the Sitar (of Tonasket)/Klepec match for his first match of sub-regionals.

Reese Caddy won all three of his matches. Caddy beat Carlos Hernandez of White Swan 7-5, Klepec 7-0, and Finlay Holston of Liberty Bell 7-4. He will enter sub-regionals as the number-nine seed at 132. Caddy will face Finlay Holston for his first match.

Gabe Moses at 138 went 1-2 at Kittitas. Moses lost to Chase Gleason of Kittitas by pin. Moses rebounded, pinning Lars Weigel of Okanogan, then lost to Daniel Espinoza of Kittitas, 16-3. Moses is the number-seven seed in sub regionals for 138. His first match will be against Ernesto Mendez of Warden.

Josh Jim won both his matches at the seeding mixer. Jim defeated Rodolfo Gonzales of Warden 11-4, then pinned Gonzales’ teammate, Roberto Guerrero. At 145, Jim is seeded ninth and will face Kade Nierman of Kittitas for his first match of sub-regionals.

Octavio Alejandre did not wrestle at Kittitas. Alejandre is the number-one seed among heavyweights for sub-regionals and will not wrestle until Saturday when he will take on Jimmy Coleman of Tonasket.

“We wrestled a great schedule, but the toughest is yet to come,” Head Coach Steve Hood said. “Our league is the toughest competition we have seen yet, and this weekend will be the best tournament we have seen yet.”

The top four from each weight class at sub-regionals will move on the the regional tournament at Northwest Christian in Spokane on February 13-14.