Tiger boys take second at Connell, fall to Ellensburg in dual
The Ephrata wrestling team split the week, falling to Ellensburg 50-22 in a dual Thursday, Dec. 11 before taking second at Saturday's Connell Tournament.
Ellensburg Dual
EPHRATA — Ellensburg won nine of 13 varsity matches, including six by fall, in a 50-22 dual win Thursday, Dec. 11.
Ephrata picked up three wins in the heavier weights. Colt Staples (165) pinned Wyatt Green in 49 seconds, Jonathan Ramirez (175) added a first-period pin, and Payton Woods (215) outlasted Sealy Graham 2-1 after three overtimes with two escapes.
Ephrata's Payton Woods celebrates a victory over Ellensburg's Sealy Graham in the third overtime to secure a 2-1 win Thursday, Dec. 11.
In third-period wins, Tiger freshman Louden Leenhouts (106) won 1-0 over Ellensburg sophomore Kyler Mays, the only point came in the second-period after an escape. Nathan Sandoval (126) added a 10-1 major decision with three takedowns and an escape.
Ellensburg Dual
Dec. 11, Ephrata
| Wt. | Ephrata | Result | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 106 | Louden Leenhouts | W DEC 1-0 | Kyler Mays |
| 113 | Jose Cervantes | L F 2:00 | Isaac Panattoni |
| 120 | Noah Hatten | L F 0:32 | Caleb Disch |
| 126 | Nathan Sandoval | W MD 10-1 | Reid Moreland |
| 132 | Kylan Lus | L F 1:49 | Peyton Disch |
| 138 | Mike Ramirez | L TF 19-4 | Cash Eylar |
| 144 | Isaac Barajas | L F 1:14 | Rylie Carlson |
| 150 | Jose Rodriguez | L F 1:42 | Lane Magruder |
| 157 | Noah Castillo | L F 2:00 | Wyatt Winston |
| 165 | Colt Staples | W F 0:49 | Wyatt Green |
| 175 | Jonathan Ramirez | W F 1:14 | Zane Bennett |
| 190 | Austin Smith | L DEC 4-3 | Cash Calhoun |
| 215 | Payton Woods | W DEC 2-1 TB | Sealy Graham |
| 285 | Daron Hernandez | L F 2:35 | Silas Stewman |
Connell Tournament
CONNELL — Isaac Barajas and Payton Woods won titles Saturday, Dec. 13, as Ephrata scored 222 points to finish second among 15 teams. Host Connell took first with 279.5 points.
Barajas (144) went 4-0 with four first-period pins against opponents from Kittitas, Sageview, Colfax and Chiawana.
Woods went 3-0 at 215 with two pins and a 15-0 technical fall against Micah Hanafin of College Place.
Colt Staples (165), Mike Ramirez (138) and Daron Hernandez (285) each finished second in their respective weight classes.
Staples had back-to-back technical falls and a pin before losing to Connell's Joshua Forsyth 6-4 in the final round. Hernandez reached the title match after three pins before losing to Preston Stingley of Kittitas 2-0. Ramirez reached the finals with a pin, a technical fall and a forfeit before losing 7-3 to Colfax's Cooper Phillips.
Danny Wurl (215), Nathan Sandoval (126), Noah Castillo (157) and Louden Leenhouts (106) each had third-place finishes for Ephrata. Leenhouts lost 5-1 in the semifinals to Lake Roosevelt's Jack Steffler. Adrian Negrete (165) and Isias Perez (150) placed fourth, Noah Hatten (120) fifth and Austin Smith (190) sixth to add team points for the Tigers.
Ephrata travels to A.C. Davis High School in Yakima for a tournament this Saturday, Dec. 20.
Connell Tournament
Dec. 13, Connell
| Wrestler | Wt. | Record | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isaac Barajas | 144 | 4-0 | 1st |
| Payton Woods | 215 | 3-0 | 1st |
| Colt Staples | 165 | 3-1 | 2nd |
| Mike Ramirez | 138 | 3-1 | 2nd |
| Daron Hernandez | 285 | 3-1 | 2nd |
| Danny Wurl | 215 | 3-1 | 3rd |
| Nathan Sandoval | 126 | 3-1 | 3rd |
| Noah Castillo | 157 | 3-1 | 3rd |
| Louden Leenhouts | 106 | 2-1 | 3rd |
| Adrian Negrete | 165 | 2-2 | 4th |
| Isias Perez | 150 | 2-2 | 4th |
| Noah Hatten | 120 | 4-1 | 5th |
| Austin Smith | 190 | 3-2 | 6th |
| Jose Cervantes | 113 | 0-2 | — |
| Kylan Lus | 132 | 2-2 | — |
