Senior Night slump: Spartan wrestlers come up short in year’s final home match

By Luciano Marano • February 1, 2020 10:30 am
Luciano Marano | Bainbridge Island Review - Spartan senior, team captain Sagel Bush on the mat during last week’s Senior Night home match.
Luciano Marano | Bainbridge Island Review - Spartan senior, team captain Sagel Bush on the mat during last week’s Senior Night home match.

It was a double feature nobody wanted to see.

The Bainbridge High School varsity wrestling squad was bested by both visiting teams Thursday, Jan. 23 during their final home match of the year, despite several strong individual showings.

Against Ballard, the Spartans were ultimately defeated 48-24

Against Roosevelt, the island squad was on the wrong side of a 47-30 final score.

The Spartans finished regular season competition earlier this week, traveling to Lincoln High on Tuesday and to Ingraham, to face Ingraham and Nathan Hale in a doubleheader, on Thursday.

The Metro League Tournament is slated to begin Friday, Feb. 7 at Nathan Hale High School, and the Metro Regional Tournament will be held at Chief Sealth High School on Saturday, Feb. 15.

Last Thursday’s doubleheader against Ballard and Roosevelt was also Senior Night, and the three Spartan upperclassmen — Christopher Longridge, Beck Gibson, and team captain Sagel Bush — were recognized prior to the start of competition.

In the match against Ballard there was one bye, five forfeits, and two double forfeits.

Ballard’s Nathaniel Nicholson pinned Harrison Cate in the 120-pound match.

Then, 126-pound Spartan Levi Field-Bennett pinned Thomas Duggan.

Hugo Swangstu pinned 138-pound Bainbridge grappler Quentin Ikuse.

Spartan senior Gibson pinned Connor Fatland for a win in the 145-pound bracket.

Bainbridge’s Wyatt Goad pinned Peter Golden in the 182-pound match, and Spartan heavyweight Julian Blythe (195 pounds) was pinned by Diego Salazar.

There were also two exhibition matches: Ballard’s Brendan Day pinned Garrett Swanson in 2:28, and BHS’ Longridge pinned Robert Struthers in 2:22.

Against Roosevelt, there were two byes, six forfeits, and one double forfeit.

Avi Berman bested BHS’ Cate in the 120-pound bracket.

Field-Bennett scored his second win of the night, over Sandor Jonas, in the 126-pound match.

Longridge likewise notched another win: against Teran Mitchell in the 138-pound bracket.

Gibson, too, scored a second win, pinning Matthew Chung in the 145-pound bracket.

Roosevelt’s Joshua Peterson ultimately scored a 19-3 victory against BHS’ Goad in the 182-pound match.

Again, there were two exhibition matches: a 138-pound bout in which BHS’ Ikuse pinned Ian Crowner in 37 seconds, and a heavyweight contest wherein Blythe (220) pinned Leo Vanderwhite Ma in 1:02.