COULEE CITY — After a strong season of wrestling for the Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors are sending eight wrestlers to the Mat Classic.   

“We're excited about the group we got going,” head coach Brandon Walsh said.   

The Warriors are set to take six boys and two girls to Tacoma as they pursue more success at the state level. ACH had a strong performance across their team in their district tournament, where four boys made the semifinals, three advanced to the championship matches and two came out champions.   

The boys heading to the Mat Classic are Edward Jennings, Evan Tipps, Ian McWalter, Kelson Wood, Noah Butler and Porter Wood.   

Butler – who will be competing in the 215-lbs class – will be eyeing his third straight appearance in the state finals. His freshman year, he placed second and as a sophomore, he finished in first place. Walsh noted he does not seem to feel the pressure to repeat; rather, it has fueled his desire to reach the podium once again.   

“He's one of those unique kids that's fearless and he's more of a 'grab the tiger by the tail' type of kid rather than shy away from a challenge. I think he's going to have a great tournament,” Walsh said.   

Looking to make some noise in the tournament is Wood in the 144-lb class. He, too, had a strong showing in the district tournament; however, Walsh said his road to the podium might be slightly tougher.   

“I think he can beat anyone in the bracket,” the coach said. “It's a tough weight class, but he's wrestling really well. He won the district tournament on Saturday, and looked really good, and so hopefully we're peaking at the right time there.”  

On the girls side, freshman Karis Butler and eighth grader RyLee Goetz are the top two seeds in their brackets. With the strong performance they’ve had this season, Walsh said he would not be surprised to see them standing on the podium by the end of the weekend. Karis reached the semifinals last year as an eighth grader where she finished third.   

Seeing a pair of athletes with so much success early in their journey with the Warriors is rare, according to Walsh.   

“Riley has a realistic chance to be on the metal stand too, and I think she could be in the state finals as an eighth grader if she wrestles great. I think (Karis) has a great shot; we've never had a freshman win a state title. I'm sure she's looking to one-up her brother (Noah Butler),” Walsh said.   

As they prepare for the tournament, Walsh and the Warriors’ coaching staff won’t make drastic changes to their training. The grind of a 32-man bracket is not something they see very often, the coach said. As they gear up for the classic, their training will lean more on the mental side of their game.   

Most importantly, he wants his wrestlers to understand the work that is already done.   

“They've worked hard for two months now trying to get to this point, so now it's time to have fun and perform. I think the more loose they can be going into a big tournament like this, the better they do usually,” Walsh said.   

    Almira/Coulee-Hartline’s Noah Butler, left, battles for wrist control against a wrestler from Ephrata. Butler is eyeing his third straight appearance in the finals of the Mat Classic.
  

    Karis Butler, top, controls her opponent on the mat last season. Butler has an opportunity to earn a medal as a freshman, which would be a first in ACH history, according to Head Coach Brandon Walsh.
  

    Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors’ Head Coach Brandon Walsh, left, watches one of his wrestlers compete in the Banks Lake Brawl earlier this season. Walsh said he is confident his wrestlers will perform well at the Mat Classic.