Kettle Falls and Chewelah Send Wrestlers to State from District 6 1B/2B

Wrestlers from Kettle Falls and Chewelah punched their tickets to the Mat Classic in Tacoma with strong performances at the WIAA District 6 1B/2B Tournament at Freeman High School.

Kettle Falls advanced multiple athletes to state, highlighted by a runner-up finish from Joseph Young at 132 pounds and a third-place effort from Ezekiel Evans at 150 pounds.

Young (25-10) powered his way to the championship match with a technical fall and back-to-back pins before falling by decision to Reardan’s Carson Kline in the title bout. 

Evans (29-7) reached the semifinals with two pins before dropping a narrow 5-3 decision. He rebounded with a pair of falls, including one in the third-place match, to secure a state berth and 29 team points.

Also qualifying for Tacoma were Lee Fowler (106 pounds), Josh Bair (113 pounds), Michael Winn (120 pounds), Gideon Evans (126 pounds), and Kincaid Freer (165 pounds), each placing fourth in their respective brackets.

Fowler (16-11) battled through the consolation rounds with four consecutive pins to reach the third-place match. Bair (26-8) responded to an early loss with three straight bonus-point wins, including two technical falls and a pin, to finish fourth. Winn (27-10) and Gideon Evans (21-8) each recorded multiple falls on their way to fourth-place finishes, while Freer (22-6) advanced to the semifinals and secured his state spot with a consolation semifinal victory.

Baylor Rosen (150 pounds) placed sixth, while Aiden Fowler (175 pounds), Hunter Smith-Rowe (215 pounds), and Harley Rowe (215 pounds) competed deep into the brackets, with Rowe finishing seventh.

Chewelah will also be represented in Tacoma after qualifying several wrestlers from the district tournament.

Dakota Katzer (157 pounds) led the way with a runner-up finish. Katzer (31-12) reached the finals with three dominant wins, including two falls and a technical fall, before dropping a narrow 10-9 decision in the championship match.

Titan Tapia (157 pounds) claimed third place, earning bonus-point victories in both the quarterfinals and consolation semifinals before winning by medical forfeit in the third-place match.

At 106 pounds, Taseyn Stauffer (7-17) fought through the consolation bracket to place ninth, recording two pins on his way to a state berth. Trevin Stauffer (132 pounds) placed eighth after multiple consolation victories, and Brody King (138 pounds) also placed ninth with three wins in the wrestle-backs.

Fred Morris (285 pounds) added an eighth-place finish for Chewelah, earning two pins during the tournament.

With strong showings across multiple weight classes, both the Bulldogs and the Cougars will send hefty squads to the Tacoma Dome this weekend, Feb. 19-21.