While the loss to Issaquah two weeks ago all but ended the Islanders’ shot at the 3A KingCo regular season title, the postseason tournaments still loom large and the team did a good job of getting back on track with a 45-30 victory over Bellevue Wednesday.
“We try not to make excuses,” said Mercer Island coach Creighton Laughary. “Issaquah is a good team. We look at that program and that is where we want to get back to. We have to improve on things that we have control over, like conditioning.”
Mercer Island’s meet against Bellevue went back and forth but the Islanders’ conditioning set them apart from the Wolverines.
That conditioning was most apparent during the first contest of the night. The 130-pound match began with Islander Jackson Fischer gaining a 2-0 lead but the junior could not extend the lead. A quick escape during the opening moments of the second round gave Fischer a 6-2 lead and the upper hand as he followed it up with a quick takedown. Fischer got his opponent on his back and grinded his hips in the Wolverines chest for a full minute. Then Fischer adjust the pressure, moving his chest on top of his opponent’s chest. But no pin resulted.
“I was close to the pin but I guess not close enough,” said Fischer.
When the round finished Fischer held an 11-3 lead and was awarded the technical fall.
Islander Sam Bliss’ 172 pound victory set was one that most spectators will not soon forget as both opponents combined for 50 points during the match. The Islander began the match with a big 10-4 lead on the scoreboard in the first period alone. That lead grew to 14-6 midway through the second round. But Bliss got caught in a precarious position and the Wolverine took advantage by putting the Islander on his back for the near fall. The move resulted in five quick points, pulling the Bellevue athlete within three points of Bliss.
“When he had me on my back I thought for sure I was pinned,” said Bliss. “But I could feel him get tired during the third round.”
The two wrestlers left everything on the mat as Bliss narrowly outscored his opponent 12-11 during the final period — easily the highest scoring round of the season for the Islanders.
For Bliss, who had never faced the Bellevue athlete before, the match was good preparation for the future.
“I knew nothing about him,” said Bliss. “That is exactly what the tournaments are like.”
Islander Davin Kunovsky won on points for Mercer Island, 10-3, at 135 pounds, while David Bowman dominated his match for a 14-3 victory at 140 pounds.
Austin Frazier also dominated his match at 145 pounds. The Islander gained the advantage during the first round but was unable to put his opponent away.
“I just knew I had to get after him before he got warmed up,” said Frazier.
Frazier wasted no time during the second round, earning the pin after just 10 seconds had clicked off the clock.
During the first four matches of the night Mercer Island built a 17-0 lead, that lead would disappear fast as Bellevue pinned the next two Islander wrestlers.
Another Bellevue pin at 180 pounds brought the Wolverines to within 22-18, the slimmest Islander lead of the night.
But a first-round pin by Islander Chris Pothoven at 215 pounds and a second-round pin by Tanner Linton at 275 pounds gave the Islanders breathing room before taking a forfeit at 103 pounds. The wins by Pothoven and Linton gave Mercer Island a 34-24 lead as they cruised to the victory.
The Islanders take on Newport at 7 p.m. tomorrow at home. It will be the last meet before the 3A KingCo tournament, which will start Feb. 2 at Liberty High School.
