TACOMA - Led by two individual runners-up, Royal High School finished the wrestling season as the top team from the South Central A Conference East at the state tournament last weekend.

Royal finished seventh with 82 points. SCAC East league and district champion Kiona-Benton tied for eighth with 76 points.

Orting won the title. SCAC West Zillah and Granger finished third and fourth, and Wahluke struggled to 36th with 9.5 points.

Wahluke sent three boys to the meet. The best finish was eighth place for 220-pound Alberto Cruz. Tyler Yorgesen scored one win at 182 before bowing out. Jack Yorgesen dropped two matches.

Cruz made it to eighth place with wins over Teigan Glidewell of Freeman and Dallon Grinder of Ki-Be.

Royal's runners-up were Alex Myrick at 160 pounds and Damien DeLaRosa at 182.

Myrick nearly won his title, falling to Chase Fuson of Lakeside, 3-2 in the final. He got to the final with victories over Anthony Louthan of Montesano by pin in 2:33; Josh Judd of Lakeside, 8-3; and Billy Poppie of Chelan, 7-6.

DeLaRosa advanced to his final with wins over Elliot Marcus of Ilwaco by pin in 3:01; Alex Cortez of Chelan, 8-6 in overtime; and Preston Morris of Vashon Island, 6-1.

Brian Gallardo took third place at 106 pounds after dropping a 4-0 semifinal. His wins came over Ryan Wilson of Elma by pin in 3:23; Jacob Ulland of Lakeside by pin in 1:27; and Wilson again by pin in 1:50.

Danny Barajas, state champ at 113 last year, finished fourth at the tougher 132 this year. He was en route to another final when he was upset in the semifinals by Kit Major of Riverside. He defeated Alex Aguilar of Omak, 9-5, to assure fourth place.

Freshman Carlos Hernandez finished his first year of wrestling with seventh place at 120 pounds. He scored wins over Troy Rathjen of Meridian, John Mars of Castle Rock and Daniel Percifield of Burbank.

Not placing for the Knights but scoring a win was Emilio Bustos at 152. Laddie Goroski had a tough meet at 145 and bowed out after two matches.