Huskies claim five individual titles

OTHELLO — The Huskies spent the entire day battling with Grandview for first place at Saturday's CWAC South district tournament. After 209 matches had been wrestled, a mere 6.5 points separated Othello from the Greyhounds.

In match 210, the 189-pound championship bout, the Huskies would finally put Grandview away.

With Othello up by 6.5 points, Grandview had a chance to overtake the Huskies by winning head-to-head matchups at 189 pounds and 215 pounds.

In the 189-pound match, Othello's Jacob Johnston earned a 6-5 decision over Grandview's top seeded Rigo Rodriguez to clinch not only an individual title, but the team title as well.

Following Johnston, the Huskies' Rudy Ochoa won the 215 title with a 6-3 decision over Grandview's Hele Lopez. Ochoa made it to the title match by edging top seeded Michael Cuello of Connell 3-2 in the semifinals.

In the closest match of the finals, Othello's Freddie Flores beat Adam Orozco of Connell 7-5 in two overtimes. After neither wrestler could break the 5-5 tie in the one-minute overtime round, the match went to a second overtime period.

Flores, having scored the first points of the match, was given the choice of top or bottom position for the final 30 second scramble. Flores chose the bottom position and scored a reversal for the 145- pound championship.

Othello's other champions needed much less time to secure their titles.

At 119 pounds, Mat Garza pinned Naches Valley's B.J. Bernard at the 3:00 mark to win Othello's first championship of the evening.

Later, Phillip Ontiveros captured the 140-pound title in dominant fashion, earning a 22-7 technical fall victory over Miguel Avalos of Toppenish.

Derek Stelter finished second for the Huskies after dropping a 4-2 decision in the 112-pound final.

In the 275-pound title match, Othello's Michael Carmona lost by fall to number one seeded Dustin Howard of Toppenish.

Othello advanced 12 wrestlers and two alternates to next weekend's regional tournament in Moses Lake.

Team Scores:

1. Othello, 327.5; 2. Grandview, 313; 3. Toppenish, 296; 4. East Valley, 160; 5. Connell, 145; 6. Naches Valley, 135.5; 7. Kiona-Benton, 96.5.

Othello place winners (top four to regionals in Moses Lake):

103 - 4. Jake Simpson; 6. Felipe Lozano; 112 - 2. Derek Stelter; 5. Nicoh Montemayor; 119 - 1. Mat Garza; 6. Roy Rodriguez; 125 - 6. Chris Gifford; 130 - 3. Jack Calvert; 4. Don Cantu; 135 - 4. Kevin Smith; 6. Ray Melo; 140 - 1. Phillip Ontiveros; 3. Teddy Montemayor; 145 - 1. Freddie Flores; 6. Tyson Alvarez; 171 - 5. Charlie Valdez; 189 - 1. Jacob Johnston; 6. Edgar Lopez; 215 - 1. Rudy Ochoa; 275 - 2. Michael Carmona.