Exertion and concentration are evident on the face of Ilwaco senior wrestler Chris Lake, top, as he battles Liberty Spangle junior Ashton Strobel in the first round of the WIAA state tournament Friday. Strobel forged into the lead with several takedowns in the second period and won 8-4. He advanced to the consolation final and placed fourth.

TACOMA — No fairy-tale ending, but wrestler and coaches left the Tacoma Dome last weekend with a strong feeling of satisfaction for their concluded season.

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• Check out other Pacific County wrestlers’ performances at the WIAA state tournament online at www.chinookobserver.com

Chris Lake of Ilwaco wrestled in the 152-pound division at the WIAA state championships. He lost his first match 8-4 and was pinned in the final round of his second bout to end his senior season.

Afterward, Lake climbed the steep steps to the nosebleed seats in the stadium to join his teammates. Together they absorbed the spectacle of 24 simultaneous mats of grappling student-athletes below them. And, in a commendable Ilwaco tradition, they and their coaches rooted earnestly for their west-side rivals Forks and Adna.

“It was a good season — I had fun,” said Lake. “The season was really great … being with all my friends.”

Intensity ramps up

Earlier, his coaches had roared encouragement from their mat-side seats as Lake first tackled Liberty Spangle junior Ashton Strobel.

The bout saw Strobel earn a couple of points for a takedown in a moderately even first round. Lake scored with an escape in the second, but Strobel added four more points with several aggressive moves to build a 6-1 lead.

The referee did remind Strobel about stalling, but there was no official warning.

With the final two minutes looming, the intensity of both sets of coaches’ voices ramped up. Both wrestlers moved more slowly. Lake scored with an escape, but Strobel added more points. Lake countered with a reversal to make it 8-4, but the clock ran out.

Short break

Just 77 minutes later, with tape on a hand injury, Lake took to the mat again in a loser-out match against Tyge Plank. The Tonasket freshman had lost his first match 6-3 to top-ranked Granger sophomore Cody Northwind, who later won the championship.

The first period saw both wrestlers staying on their feet for long periods as they circled, grabbed each other, then broke apart. The second followed a similar pattern. Once pressed down on the mat, Lake drew on his skill and found reserves of strength to prevent being pinned. In Round 3, Lake began on top but Plank’s early reversal scored two points then he slowly gained dominance on the mat and eventually secured the pin.

Top 8 in state

Despite the losses, IHS head coach Larry Kemmer was upbeat, savoring his student-athlete’s achievement. After all, booking his trip to Tacoma placed Lake in the top eight in the state in his weight class.

“It’s the state tournament — anything can happen,” said the coach. “Everybody wrestles at a level higher. You have to be at the top of your game at the right time.”

He noted that Lake’s season saw him place first or second every time he took to the mat. He placed second at regionals, losing that final to Tristan Ridley of Adna who powered through his half of the state bracket but lost the 152-pound title match Saturday night. “Absolutely everybody wants to win,” Kemmer said above the noise reverberating around the stadium floor. “Getting here is the hard part.”

‘Role model’

When Kevin McNulty left Ilwaco four years ago, Kemmer moved up to head wrestling coach. Lake, then a freshman, was in his first squad and the coach has watched him mature. “The ultimate [goal] is to have a kid make it this far.” he said. In fact, Lake achieved that twice. As a sophomore, he qualified for the 2019 championships, placing fifth in the 138-pound division. There was no state meet in 2020 because of covid.

In addition to his on-mat skills, Kemmer noted Lake’s leadership and example. “He is a great role model for the rest of the team.”

The senior, while happy to learn of his coach’s praise, indicated it was not something he sought. “You are who you are,” he said, modestly, “and you try to get better.”

Building a squad

As Lake resumes playing his trumpet for band events before graduation, he is looking forward to attending Gonzaga University in Spokane to study law, hoping to keep on wrestling and making music. “I am really excited for it,” he said.

And the Fishermen coaches are already talking about rebuilding the squad when its captain and three others seniors depart.

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‘He is a great role model for the rest of the team.’

Larry Kemmer

IHS coach about wrestler Chris Lake

Assistant coach Frank Womack was looking ahead Friday afternoon while cheering one of the 10 rival Forks grapplers whose match followed Lake’s finale.

“We have a fairly new team this year,” Womack noted. After covid disruptions, turnout was slim. Ilwaco began the season with eight boys and two girls. with one more joining late and two dropping out, one with an injury. “We don’t have the numbers as we have in the past.”

His dream is to build a full squad of two wrestlers at each of the 14 weight classes for both boys and girls. He has young daughters who are already keen on the sport.

As a more immediate priority, he is hoping to recruit other helpers to be drill partners. “We can teach anyone to wrestle — they just need to step up,” Womack said.

One who helped with coaching this year was Michael Rodda, who graduated from IHS in 2021.

“I have been able to learn a lot about coaching and it has become an enjoyment of mine,” he said. “I want to continue in the future. I enjoy seeing how everyone progresses through the season. It has made me very happy.”

• For the record: In the 1B/2B title match Saturday, regional champion Ridley of Adna, the only other senior in the 152-pound bracket, lost to Granger’s Northwind 2-0. Lake’s opponents had mixed success. Liberty Spangle’s Strobel placed fourth but Tonasket’s Plank lost his third match and did not reach the finals.