With one slap of the mat and a year of blood, sweat and tears, Brandon Davidson achieved something that most wrestlers can only dream of.
After taking fifth at state during his sophomore year and third last season, the Bothell High School senior pinned Tekwon Wallace of Evergreen High School, 33 seconds into the second round, to win the state wrestling title in the 152-pound weight class.
The match was just one of four for Davidson during the Mat Classic held Friday and Saturday at the Tacoma Dome. As a team, Bothell finished 26th with25 points, while Inglemoor was 47th as a team.
Lake Stevens High School took the team title with 162 points.
Davidson’s road to the title began on Friday with a dominating 10-1 victory against Camden Wheatcroft of Eastmont High School. But the second round would prove to be more difficult. Davidson drew Tucker Mjelde of Tahoma High School. The two grapplers finished three two-minute rounds of regulation tied 3-3, but Davidson would prove victorious during overtime, scoring two points to win 5-3.
Davidson’s semi-final match was just as grueling as he faced Damian Jackson of Rogers High School. There was very little room for error during the 3-1 victory.
Inglemoor’s Gabe Seward earned a Mat Classic victory on Friday, defeating Josh Beckler of Kentlake 7-2 during the first round of the 145 pound weight class bracket. But Seward lost during the second round 12-3 and then lost 5-2 during the consolation final.
Inglemoor’s Josh Koukal had one of the most dominating technical matches of the weekend, winning the 195 pound first-round match 19-3. But he would lose his second-round match 3-1 and his first consolation-final match, 4-1, during the double-elimination tournament.
Viking Jared Koukal lost both of his matches on Friday during the 170 pound weight class, while Bothell’s Virgil Smith was pinned twice at 138 pounds. Cougar Kyle Hanson was pinned during the first round of the 132 -pound tournament and then lost 16-8.
