KENMORE — Logic dictates that the challenge increases the farther an athlete advances into the postseason.
Marshaud DeWalt is the exception.
The South Kitsap heavyweight showed that during Saturday’s Class 4A Region 2 wrestling tournament when he needed just 1 minute, 14 seconds, to pin Woodinville’s Duke Clinch in the championship round at Inglemoor.
That was almost 3 1/2 minutes less than the time DeWalt needed to pin Bellarmine Prep’s Luke Yi the previous week at sub-regionals.
South coach Chad Nass said he marvels at the progression DeWalt, who was a junior-varsity basketball player the last two seasons for the Wolves, has made since the beginning of the season.
“I’m excited every time he goes out there because I don’t know what he’s going to do,” he said. “Is he going to lift a heavyweight and get everybody all fired up?”
Nass said during a December interview that he talked with DeWalt in the past about wrestling only to see him turn out for basketball. He said he was not certain DeWalt would wrestle until tryouts. While the 5-foot-5 DeWalt lacks experience, he set the school record in the power clean before football season.
“It helps a lot,” said DeWalt, referring to pinning opponents. “Having a little more strength, being able to squeeze and being able to put it away.”
DeWalt, whose only previous experience with the sport came when he was 8 years old, enters Mat Classic XXVII as the top seed in his weight class out of regionals.
“I never envisioned it,” DeWalt said. “I never had intentions on wrestling. I got talked into it this year, I did it and it’s turning out great.”
Can he add a state championship to his sub-regional and regional championships?
“It’s the plan,” DeWalt said. “Just keep working my way up.”
Nass did not rule out the prospect.
“I think his mind-set is to go in there and win it,” he said. “I would be hard-pressed to find a kid as strong and athletic as he is at heavyweight. But does he have enough wrestling experience to pull it off?
Along with DeWalt, junior Deion Anderson placed first at 113 with a 6-2 decision against Bellarmine Prep’s Jed Klein. It marked the second consecutive week Anderson defeated Klein in the postseason.
“It’s kind of tough because once you start wrestling people a lot they start catching onto your style,” Anderson said. “You have to switch things up a bit.”
Nass said he was impressed that Anderson “didn’t have his best stuff in the finals … and he still won a regional title.” Despite that, Nass believes Anderson continued to show improvement in one area.
“Some of the stuff we’ve been working with him on is riding better on top and I thought he did a much better job,” he said.
South’s other competitor in the championship round, junior Brandon Forster, lost a 5-0 decision against Yelm’s Jacob Rash at 126. Forster injury defaulted against Rash at sub-regionals and Nass said his pupil has missed significant time this season with undisclosed injuries
“He’s still a little rusty after his layoff,” he said.
The Wolves had 11 wrestlers advance to regionals and eight will proceed to state. The others are seniors Leroy Portillo (106), Lucas Pervinich (145) and Jaxon Moffett (152), sophomore Ashton Schessler (106) and freshman Sebastian Robles (120). Another freshman, Nathan Marin, was fifth at 145 and will serve as a state alternate. That helped South place second among 17 schools with 153.5 points. Yelm (283) won the team competition.
“It was really a nice day,” Nass said. “That’s a pretty good percentage of kids. I’m really pleased.”
Those competitors will be joined by Makayla Ramirez, who placed first at 140 in the Girls Region II tournament in Yelm and will advance to state.
“She’s tough and is really talented,” Nass said. “I think she’s going to be a really high state placer. I think she has a shot at winning it.”
Class 4A Region 2 results
Team scores
Yelm 283, South Kitsap 153.5, Mount Si 107, Issaquah 85, Bellarmine Prep 77.5, Skyline 63.5, Timberline 63, Bothell 62, Inglemoor 60, Olympia 59, Eastlake 37, Woodinville 36, Redmond 25, Gig Harbor 24, Newport 24, Skyview 0, Stadium 0.
First/second place
106-Mason Harrison (Y) d. William Tickman (I) 8-4. 113-Deion Anderson (SK) d. Jed Klein (BP) 6-2. 120-Nathan Swanson (SKY) d. Thomas Munoz (Y) 7-2. 126-Darren Harris (Y) p. Layn Pannkuk (O) 1:38. 132-Jacob Rash (Y) d. Brandon Forster (SK) 5-0. 138-Tanner Page (Y) d. Logan Pine (O) 15-10. 145-Riley Seward (I) d. Mason Marenco (MS) 12-5. 152-Virgil Smith (B) d. Justin Edens (MS) 10-3. 160-Michael Euliss (T) d. James Rodeman (Y) 7-5. 170-Mark Mulligan (MS) won by injury default against Bo Campbell (Y). 182-Blake Moser (GH) p. Jayce Allred (Y) 2:40. 195-Aaron Ibanez (B) p. Brennan Moore (BP) 2:38. 220-Holden Miller (Y) p. Andrew Harris (MS) 1:43. 285-Marshaud DeWalt (SK) p. Duke Clinch (W) 1:14.
Third/fourth place
106-Leroy Portillo (SK) d. Ashton Schessler (SK) 8-7. 113- Steven Solusod (I) d. Martin Miller (E) 5-2. 120-Sebastian Robles (SK) d. Trevor Shaw (O) 11-3. 126-Dakota Benson (Y) p. Gunner Starren (I) time not denoted. 132-Jacob Nolan (Y) p. Garin Swanson (SKY) 4:02. 138-Cole Morrison (W) d. Andy Pham (I) 3-2. 145-Lucas Pervinich (SK) p. Hunter Risk (T) 4:42. 152-Ryley Hallman (Y) p. Jaxon Moffett (SK) 3:56. 160-Colby Starren (I) d. Carson Grisaffi (BP) 8-5. 170-Alex Kudryashov (R) p. Patrick Flannery (O) 2:35. 182-Tyler Losch (Y) won by injury default against Caleb Brejda (I). 195-Jacob Kaufman (E) d. Ryan Cook (Y) 17-6. 220-Elliott Villars (MS) d. Nolan Richardson (N) 7-2. 285-Luke Yi (BP) d. Donovan Foster (T) 5-2.
