COULEE CITY — Almira/Coulee-Hartline hosted the Banks Lake Brawl on Saturday in Coulee City, bringing in boys and girls wrestling teams from across the region for a day of competition. 

“We were excited, it’s fun to host our own tournament,” ACH head coach Brandon Walsh said. “Showcase wrestling a little bit in our community. We’ve been hosting that tournament for about 15 years; it’s always fun to wrestle in front of the home crowd.” 

The Warriors led the way among the boys' teams at the tournament, taking first with a team score of 167 points. Tonasket (154.5 points) and Northwest Christian (Colbert) (122 points) rounded out the top three at the tournament. 

Ephrata’s junior varsity team took fourth at the boys tournament, while the Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos placed sixth. 

“The kids wrestled well; we’re at that stage of the season where hopefully we’re done with the learning and now, we’re into the improving,” Walsh said. “I think we saw a little bit of that on Saturday.” 

Eleven Warriors reached the podium at Saturday’s tournament; Levi Oliver (113/120, third), Aaden Baergen (138, third), Porter Wood (144, second), Jacob Hubbard (157, second), Ian McWalter (165, third), Evan Tipps (175, second), Paul Stout (190, fourth), Peyton Horton (215, fourth) and Kayle Casimir (285, third). 

“Overall, it was a good day,” Walsh said. “The kids were pretty fundamental in how they approached it, and we’ve got some tough kids that never quit in matches. We had some come-from-behind wins that are a product of being gritty and tough.” 

ACH’s Jack Molitor (120) and Noah Butler (215) both won their respective weight classes. 

“They’re both state placers last year and have high expectations for themselves this year,” Walsh said. “For them to come out and put on a good show at our tournament was exciting for the home crowd.” 

The ACH girls wrestling team placed seventh as a team at the girls tournament; three of the four Warrior wrestlers placed – Karis Butler (135 pounds, second), Dayanna Mendoza (140, fourth) and Jayden Hubbard (170, third). 

Walsh said there were around 50 girls wrestlers at the tournament, the most there has ever been at the Banks Lake Brawl. 

“I think we fell on the right weekend where some of the local teams were looking for somewhere to go, but most of the tournaments we go to with the boys, there’s no girls wrestling at it; we have made that available, and I think we’ll continue to so that our girls will get to wrestle at a home event,” Walsh said. “In the end, it turned out great.” 

Ephrata’s junior varsity boys and girls teams each had seven placers, while the LRS boys team saw six wrestlers place.  

Other Local Placings 

Bavarian Wrestling Tournament — Leavenworth 

Royal boys (second place, 179.5 points): freshman Andy Calderon (106 pounds, third place), junior Dennis Hernandez (120, first), junior Thomas Antonio (132, first), freshman Scout Stevenson (138, third), sophomore Cael Orth (157, first), junior Shea Stevenson (165, first), junior Alejandro Bustillos (175, fourth), senior Kevin Paz (215, third) and sophomore David Baeza (215, fourth). 

Warden boys (third place, 121 points): eighth-grader Stratton Yorgensen (106, fourth), junior Erik Camacho (120, tied-fourth), freshman Luis Cisneros (126, third), senior Michael Gonzalez (138, first), senior Junior Santiago (144, second) and junior Gabriel Serna (215, second). 

Blackhawk Invite — Cheney 

Quincy boys (seventh place, 112.5 points): senior Saidt Alvarez (113, second), junior Jace Reyes (138, second), junior Enrique Rebollo (150, fifth), senior Julian Silvas (175, senior) and junior Alejandro Barajas (190, fifth). 

Gut Check — Kent 

Moses Lake boys (15th place, 110.5 points): junior Ian Garza (113, fourth) and senior Drayden Gaither (138, fifth place). 

Moses Lake girls (11th place, 94 points): freshman Anahi Garcia (145, tied-sixth) and junior Katelyn Rodriguez (235, tied-fourth). 

Pacific Northwest Classic — Spokane Valley 

Othello boys (fourth place, 154.5 points): freshman Xavier Mendez (106, fifth), senior Christopher Garcia (106, sixth), junior Daniel Gonzalez (120, second), junior Mason Russell (132, first), senior Jeremiah Flores (144, fifth), senior Parker Freeman (165, fifth), senior Anthony Solorio (215, sixth) and senior Mason Perez (285, sixth). 

    Almira/Coulee-Hartline’s Jayden Hubbard, left, was one of three Warrior girls' wrestlers to place in Saturday’s Banks Lake Brawl.
 IAN BIVONA/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD   

    Lind-Ritzville/Sprague’s Carson Kubik, left, takes down his opponent at Saturday’s Banks Lake Brawl in Coulee City.
 IAN BIVONA/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD   

    Almira/Coulee-Hartline’s Evan Tipps, top, works to flip his opponent on their back during Saturday’s Banks Lake Brawl in Coulee City.
 IAN BIVONA/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD