Wrestling alumni put on entertaining evening in home gym
Jeff Stevie, left, tries work his way out of a hold by Gunnar Doggett at the “Alumni Rumble.” The referee is Jason Newman.
With less than a month to go before the district tournament, the Liberty Bell High School wrestling team continued to build toward the post-season at the Apple Pie Invitational tournament in Tonasket on Saturday (Jan. 16).
Coach Gunnar Doggett reported that Tanner White lost two matches. Ivan Johnson and Finlay Holston made it to the semi-finals of the losers’ bracket, Doggett said, where Holston lost a tough match to No. 1 seeded Jorge Juarez from Tonasket.
Johnson lost a close match to the No. 1 seed from Reardan, and dropped a second match to a Cashmere wrestler.
Jacob McMillan made it to the finals, where he lost a decision to a Reardan wrestler at 160 pounds. Doggett speculated that the two wrestlers might encounter each other again at the state finals.
Liberty Bell was scheduled to be on the road to face Lake Roosevelt and Okanogan on Tuesday (Jan. 19) They will travel to Kittitas on Saturday (Jan. 23) for the Coyote Classic.
On Friday night (Jan. 15), the Mountain Lions hosted a fundraiser called the “Alumni Rumble,” featuring some familiar names from Liberty Bell’s grappling past. The alums seemed to be enjoying themselves, even as they huffed and puffed to get their wind back between the two-minute rounds. Former coach Gunnar Johnson, who also wrestled at the rumble, served as emcee and kept a comedic patter going throughout the matches.
Liberty Bell seniors Jacob McMillan, Ivan Johnson and Meritt Fink were recognized before the matches began.
Alumni rumble results:
• Ray Sanders defeated Taylor Woodruff on points in overtime.
• John McMillan pinned Gunnar Johnson in the second round.
• Derek Williams beat Beau Stevie on points in overtime.
• Andrew Tuller beat Justin McMillan on points.
• Emmett Fink beat Justin McMillan on points.
• Gunnar Doggett beat Jeff Stevie on points.
• Jason Newman pinned Dreton Acord in the second round.
• Kjell Johnson beat Tony Love on points.
