EPHRATA — The Ephrata Tigers defeated the Selah Vikings 51-30 on the road Thursday. Head coach Raul Tejeda said the Vikings brought a tougher challenge to the Tigers this year.   

“First few matches (we) were kind of like, ‘This is going to be a tough duel.’ And it was, but we're pretty stacked on the middleweight to the heavyweight (classes). So that was kind of a sudden relief, but yeah, they're getting better and it was a good duel,” Tejeda said.   

The Vikings took a 30-6 lead early after scoring five pinfalls in the first six matches. The Tigers found momentum after Alexandra Estrada Rangel scored a win in overtime. From there, Ephrata won seven straight matches via pinfall to defeat the Vikings.  

“I think in years past, we've kind of been more dominant. Selah has been getting a little better and it shows,” Tejeda said.   

Despite falling behind early, Natali Abundiz scored a pinfall win over Kaydin McDonald to get the Tigers on the scoreboard with six points. The Vikings only scored two more match wins afterward; both were pinfalls.   

Estrada Rangel earned a tough win in the 135-lb class. She took her opponent to overtime, where she scored the first takedown to earn a sudden victory. With a new spark the Tigers rattled off six straight pinfall victories to take a commanding lead and win the meet.   

Addison Vasquez, Kashlynn Cobb, Adylene Sanchez, Gabbie Grace Bafus, Tessa Hausken and Carolina Monico earned swift pinfall victories Thursday. Cobb, Sanchez, Bafus and Hausken pinned their opponents in under a minute. Tejeda was thrilled to see his wrestlers show some dominance, he said.   

“They work pretty hard up in the way mat room, so it's nice to see them going out there and being a little dominant. Sometimes they kind of get in their head, but they’ve wrestled like that this whole season,” Tejeda said.   

Their performance showed the potential they have going forward and eventually in the postseason, he noted.   

“They could go back to state again, and that's kind of what we're hoping for. They've worked hard and it's showing, so that's a good sign,” he said.   

Tejeda said his wrestlers have excelled at forming a strong mindset. Aside from physical training, working on the mental side of wrestling is a priority for the Tigers. However, he still saw things to work on though just minor issues.   

“We got into a few positions that we keep working on, and we get better at them, but we’re still going to go back and adjust a few things. It's minor stuff; it's something that we can't fix. We're still halfway through the season, so I'm pretty sure we can fix that,” he said.  

The Tigers head to Lake Roosevelt on Saturday to compete in a tournament with 13 other schools at 10 a.m. Tournament results were not available at the time of press. Their next home meet is Jan. 22 against Toppenish at 6 p.m.   

Tejeda said it’s important they drill down on their mental game and try to stay healthy as they begin to push for the postseason in a few weeks.   

“I think we still have a good chance of bringing all those girls back (to state) and a few more. That's the goal right now,” Tejeda said.   

RESULTS:  

100: Jazzmine Ruiz (Selah) over Peighton Black (EPH), pinfall  

105: Kailey Johns (Selah) over Alejandra Barajas (EPH), pinfall   

110: Chloe Mahre (Selah) over Chenille Garcia (EPH), pinfall  

115: Natali Abundiz (EPH) over Kaydin McDonald (Selah), pinfall  

120: Gabbie Gonsalves (Selah) over Devanae Bazan (EPH), pinfall  

125: Adelynn Husted (Selah) over Iris Downs (EPH), pinfall   

130: Alexandra Estrada Rangel (EPH) over Miley Zahler (Selah), Sudden Victory 11-8  

135: Addison Vasquez (EPH) over Olivia Eismann (Selah), pinfall   

140: Kashlynn Cobb (EPH) over Arionna Wangler (Selah), pinfall   

155: Adylene Sanchez (EPH) over Aaliyah Sotelo (Selah), pinfall  

170: Gabbie Grace Bafus (EPH) over Shayla Clark (Selah), pinfall   

190: Tessa Hausken (EPH) over Myah Cleverly (Selah), pinfall  

235: Carolina Monico (EPH) over Gabrielle Burkett (Selah), pinfall  

145: Kalee Rayn Castillo (EPH) over Unknown, forfeit (Selah)   

    Kallee Rayn Castillo, left, competes in a match against Othello earlier this season. Castillo earned the Tigers seventh straight match win against Selah due to a forfeit by the Vikings.
  

    Natali Abundiz, right, eyes her opponent during a match against Othello earlier this season. Abundiz scored the first pinfall for the Tigers against Selah Thursday.