Aberdeen wins key matches to knock off Hoquiam, 43-30

Tightly contested and entertaining throughout, Aberdeen and Hoquiam’s wrestling teams met on the mat at Sam Benn Gym on Wednesday night and didn’t disappoint.

With the Bobcats picking up two forfeit wins from the Grizzlies, the visitors needed to win key matches to stay close for a non-league dual meet win. However, the hosts got the wins and secured a 43-30 victory in front of a large two-tone partisan crowd.

The pivotal matches came early and at the end, with Aberdeen gaining the wins in both. The late match was the most dramatic, which is a trademark in Aberdeen-Hoquiam matchups — past and present.

At 113 pounds, Caleb Lock took on Hoquiam’s Alex Houbregs with the Grizzlies leading, 27-25. Houbregs was in control in the first two rounds. Gaining the first takedown, Houbregs rolled out to a 6-0 lead after two rounds and looked like he had Lock locked in to start the third.

With Hoquiam needing a bigger margin of victory, or a pinfall, to increase the team score and make the final match of the night at 132 a match-deciding contest, Houbregs pressed Lock. When the HHS sophomore tried to lift and throw Lock down onto his back, the Bobcat squeezed out for a reversal.

In the same motion, Lock got Houbregs onto his back and into a cradle hold. With time about to expire, Lock squeezed the hold for the pinfall at 5:44, setting off a raucous celebration from the Aberdeen bench. Lock’s teammates surrounded him and bounced in celebration of the match-clinching win.

“This could have gone either way,” AHS head coach Jimmy Martin said. “That was awesome (for Lock). That’s how we teach it. There is good wrestling tonight on both sides. I am really happy about that. That was a great match. I’m just really happy for the kids.”

“We had some kids wrestle their hearts out,” HHS head coach T.J. Helland said. “We were in position. You just have to win the tough ones and they got them tonight. You figure out one or two matches where you need the points and this time, they got the points.”

Two forfeit wins after Lock provided the margin of victory, with Hoquiam getting a measure of consolation when Antonio Garcia edged Angel Cisneros in overtime, 9-7, in the final match at 132.

The early key match came at 145 pounds when Bodie Wharton faced Andre’s Vasquez. After two low-scoring rounds, Vasquez held a 3-2 lead early in the third when Wharton scored a reversal and hit a cradle hold for a 3-point near-fall to secure a 7-3 win.

Both teams will see each other again in a return dual meet at Hoquiam Square Garden on Jan. 19.

Today, Aberdeen will host Tumwater in an Evergreen 2A Conference dual meet. On Saturday, Hoquiam will be at the Pat Alexander Invitational.

138 — Tyler Souphommanichanh (A) pinned Levi Sutter, :38. 145 — Bodie Wharton (A) dec. Andre’s Vasquez, 7-3. 152 — Jordan Zapata (H) dec. Patrick Hunt, 8-2. 160 — Brady Cummings (H) pinned Brody Trader, 2:36. 170 — Nick Davis (A) pinned Mojo Rose, 3:23. 182 — Jordan Sears (H) won by forfeit. 195 — Artimus Johnson (H) pinned Andres Cisneros, :34. 220 — Jacob Jamieson (A) maj. dec. Hunter Hinchen, 11-0. 285 — Skyler Murray (A) pinned Zach Underwood, 1:18.

106 — Lutra Felton (H) pinned Cameron Harris, 1:49. 113 — Caleb Lock (A) pinned Alec Houbregs, 5:44. 120 — Edgar Salazar (A) won by forfeit. 126 — Bryson Hayden-Sauer (A) won by forfeit. 132 — Antonio Garcia (H) dec. Angel Cisneros, 9-7 (OT).