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Jody Coleman traded his all-red suit and sparkling, gold slippers for Naruto robes this year at Mat Classic XXXVII. The idea wasn’t his at first, but Orting’s head coach soon grew fond of the sleek, black cloaks patterned with red clouds. Consider the matching team colors a bonus.
“I try to have a theme for the year,” he said Saturday, donning his ‘Akatsuki’ robe from the Tacoma Dome’s bleachers. “This year was all based on Spartan stories and mottos, things like that.
“I think the kids would just stare at me blankly, so I don’t know if they were ever hearing me.”
When Akatsuki robes from the popular Naruto anime show appeared on one wrestler’s TikTok feed, the idea to coordinate outfits at the upcoming state tournament stuck. They’re worn by one of the show’s strongest clans, the primary villains from the iconic television and manga series.
“That just represents us,” Orting’s Arcadius Cruz said.
Coleman found a bulk deal online, ordering 25 robes for $25 a piece, and the rest was history. The reaction? A mixed bag. Most wrestlers caught the reference and offered compliments, even grabbing their cell phones for photo ops. Coaches and referees, not so much.
“I told the kids — we can’t just do this and go out there and get beat,” Coleman chuckled. “They will forever talk about how they beat you and how dumb you looked. So you have to win big, and they won’t call it dumb. They’ll call it cool.”
Orting’s earned that leeway. Before Saturday’s championships even began, they had all but guaranteed a fifth-straight 2A team title at Mat Classic XXXVII — an all-around domination of the field that included seven Cardinals finalists. Four of them captured individual titles.
Here’s a match-by-match breakdown of Orting’s championship finalists at the Tacoma Dome:
113 — Nery Rivas stacked 14 points in the first period and defeated Aberdeen’s Ryder Lessard via technical fall (17-1, 2:06). Rivas managed two near-falls in the opening minute and jumped into the arms of his head coach after the whistle, now a two-time state champion. “It feels normal to me,” he said. “I know I should’ve been here. I worked too hard for me not to be here.”
120 — Arcadius Cruz defeated Toppenish’s Audon Clark (TF 17-1, 5:24) for his first state title after a third-place finish at Mat Classic XXXVI last February. “My dad told me, ‘He’s gonna try to slow you down. You be you,’” Cruz recalled. “I had to put the pace on him.”
126 — Four-time status denied: Trevor Anderson defeated Toppenish’s Steve Romero via 6-5 decision in triple overtime, an instant classic between defending state champions. Romero was seeking his fourth individual title; Anderson won his second. “It’s really special,” he said of Orting’s fifth-straight team title. “We just have a bunch of hammers in that room. I’d rather suffer in the room than suffer on the mat, so I just want to push myself as hard as I can with (our) top guys.”
138 — Toppenish’s Justyce Zuniga defeated Dominic Thomas via 7-3 decision, a rematch of last year’s 2A 132 championship at Mat Classic XXXVI. Zuniga claimed his fourth individual title, a Division-I Little Rock wrestling commit and TNT Untouchables selection. “I went in there with the mindset of knowing I’m going to win,” Zuniga said. “I could’ve been a lot more dominant. I could’ve beat the brakes off him like I did last year. Sometimes, it’s not always about that. I knew I was going to win. From the first takedown, I knew the match was over.
“All glory to God. Without him, I wouldn’t have been able to make the changes that I did. And shoutout to all of my best friends, Steve (Romero) especially. It’s hard seeing your childhood best friend lose, but at the end of the day, it just wasn’t his day. … I love that kid so much.”
150 — Cardinals freshman Dakota Anderson piled four takedowns and defeated Toppenish’s Isaiah Rios via 13-8 decision.
165 — Michael Fritz defeated Deer Park’s Emmitt Priddy via technical fall (18-0, 3:04), a quick and clean clinic that lifted the Cardinals senior to his third state title. “I love nothing more. It’s the best thing in the world,” he said of Orting’s fifth-straight team title. “The room is just filled with hammers, and it’s great to be around these guys. We push each other to be better.”
175 — North Kitsap’s Luan Bekteshi defeated Amos Voss via 2-1 decision.
“This is the group of kids that are all the younger brothers,” Coleman said. “They’ve been in the room the longest. … They’re so comfortable.
“It’s fun to win with these guys because I’ve known them forever.”
2A BOYS — Orting (395)
1A BOYS — Wapato (263.5)
1B/2B BOYS — Granger (208.5)
2A GIRLS — Toppenish (297)
1B/2B/1A GIRLS — Royal (262)
Continue reading...
“I try to have a theme for the year,” he said Saturday, donning his ‘Akatsuki’ robe from the Tacoma Dome’s bleachers. “This year was all based on Spartan stories and mottos, things like that.
“I think the kids would just stare at me blankly, so I don’t know if they were ever hearing me.”
When Akatsuki robes from the popular Naruto anime show appeared on one wrestler’s TikTok feed, the idea to coordinate outfits at the upcoming state tournament stuck. They’re worn by one of the show’s strongest clans, the primary villains from the iconic television and manga series.
“That just represents us,” Orting’s Arcadius Cruz said.
Coleman found a bulk deal online, ordering 25 robes for $25 a piece, and the rest was history. The reaction? A mixed bag. Most wrestlers caught the reference and offered compliments, even grabbing their cell phones for photo ops. Coaches and referees, not so much.
“I told the kids — we can’t just do this and go out there and get beat,” Coleman chuckled. “They will forever talk about how they beat you and how dumb you looked. So you have to win big, and they won’t call it dumb. They’ll call it cool.”
Orting’s earned that leeway. Before Saturday’s championships even began, they had all but guaranteed a fifth-straight 2A team title at Mat Classic XXXVII — an all-around domination of the field that included seven Cardinals finalists. Four of them captured individual titles.
Here’s a match-by-match breakdown of Orting’s championship finalists at the Tacoma Dome:
113 — Nery Rivas stacked 14 points in the first period and defeated Aberdeen’s Ryder Lessard via technical fall (17-1, 2:06). Rivas managed two near-falls in the opening minute and jumped into the arms of his head coach after the whistle, now a two-time state champion. “It feels normal to me,” he said. “I know I should’ve been here. I worked too hard for me not to be here.”
120 — Arcadius Cruz defeated Toppenish’s Audon Clark (TF 17-1, 5:24) for his first state title after a third-place finish at Mat Classic XXXVI last February. “My dad told me, ‘He’s gonna try to slow you down. You be you,’” Cruz recalled. “I had to put the pace on him.”
126 — Four-time status denied: Trevor Anderson defeated Toppenish’s Steve Romero via 6-5 decision in triple overtime, an instant classic between defending state champions. Romero was seeking his fourth individual title; Anderson won his second. “It’s really special,” he said of Orting’s fifth-straight team title. “We just have a bunch of hammers in that room. I’d rather suffer in the room than suffer on the mat, so I just want to push myself as hard as I can with (our) top guys.”
138 — Toppenish’s Justyce Zuniga defeated Dominic Thomas via 7-3 decision, a rematch of last year’s 2A 132 championship at Mat Classic XXXVI. Zuniga claimed his fourth individual title, a Division-I Little Rock wrestling commit and TNT Untouchables selection. “I went in there with the mindset of knowing I’m going to win,” Zuniga said. “I could’ve been a lot more dominant. I could’ve beat the brakes off him like I did last year. Sometimes, it’s not always about that. I knew I was going to win. From the first takedown, I knew the match was over.
“All glory to God. Without him, I wouldn’t have been able to make the changes that I did. And shoutout to all of my best friends, Steve (Romero) especially. It’s hard seeing your childhood best friend lose, but at the end of the day, it just wasn’t his day. … I love that kid so much.”
150 — Cardinals freshman Dakota Anderson piled four takedowns and defeated Toppenish’s Isaiah Rios via 13-8 decision.
165 — Michael Fritz defeated Deer Park’s Emmitt Priddy via technical fall (18-0, 3:04), a quick and clean clinic that lifted the Cardinals senior to his third state title. “I love nothing more. It’s the best thing in the world,” he said of Orting’s fifth-straight team title. “The room is just filled with hammers, and it’s great to be around these guys. We push each other to be better.”
175 — North Kitsap’s Luan Bekteshi defeated Amos Voss via 2-1 decision.
“This is the group of kids that are all the younger brothers,” Coleman said. “They’ve been in the room the longest. … They’re so comfortable.
“It’s fun to win with these guys because I’ve known them forever.”
TEAM CHAMPIONS
2A BOYS — Orting (395)
1A BOYS — Wapato (263.5)
1B/2B BOYS — Granger (208.5)
2A GIRLS — Toppenish (297)
1B/2B/1A GIRLS — Royal (262)
Continue reading...
