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Colville Indians High School Preview

By Kimo Morrison AKA Hillbilly Hawaiian, 10/12/18, 12:30PM PDT

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"Only the Bills can relate to Colville’s curse…losing 4 straight title shots."

A quick look at recent history going back a few years… it was 1969 when Jack Villers won the first individual title with 27 more years before another would emerge in 1996 when Jerimiah Divis brought home State Title #2.  Fast forward to 2011, Colville would put 2 wrestlers into the finals as Jesse Morrison and Chandler Knight whom both would end up second on the podium.  Finally, with the feeder programs pushing out 100 plus kids yearly along with a wealth of talented and dedicated kids who were willing to travel for both practice and competition, Colville in 2012 as a team hit the top 10 board for the first time EVER placing 6thin 1A.  The following 2 years in the 2A division they remained contenders placing 9th & 7th…AND THEN IT BEGAN!

The next 4 years would be a very bitter sweet era.  In 2015 the sweet would come fast and furious, the bitter took a couple years to settle in.  The sweet came right out of the gate in 2015 when Colville put 5 into the finals when TJ Baun, who took 3rd the previous year in 2A would fulfill his goal of becoming a State Champion. Tyler Ward winning title #2 at 132lbs and Ben Knight capping off the Champion list at 170lbs.  The bitter that particular year was two big losses in the finals, put that along with Freemans only Champion that year (Goldbauch I believe) coming on the wake of a HORRENDICE fleeing call in favor of Freeman in the semi-finals which in my own opinion was THE CALL that GAVE the victory and title that year…to our most rivaled opponent… (FREEMAN! 169.5-155.5)

The following year 2016 it was 3 more Champions with Colville crowning 2 freshman at 106 and 113 in Trevor Morrison and Trent Baun while Riley Smith making the move to 170 to get his first and last Championship.  The bitter here, THE VERY bitter was losing the title not only to Deer Park, but by a mere 4.5 points!  Why so bitter?  TJ Baun lost in the finals to Royal on the decision to wrestle through an injury on an illegal slam.  Had TJ laid down to take the victory… Colville wins their first ever team state title in a boy’s event EVER… however, TJ Baun is tougher and has more character than that... Colville loses to (DP 156-151.5)

2017 would be a year of injury, sickness and Granger!  Crowning only 2 State Champions in brothers Trent and TJ Baun, Colville was devastated by the losses of 126lb Trevor Morrison in the quarter finals to Luke Larson of Vashon Island, older brother 160lb Thailer Morrison lost in finals after dropping down to challenge 2x returning State Champ Austin Cain for the title. Then #1 ranked 152lb John Knight lost in the quarters to Tony Almaguer of Granger.  Knight and Morrison came back to redeem those quarter final losses later in the tournament and although both battled back to take 3rd place, the valued semi-final points that Colville needed would be missed as Colville was edged out by (Granger 198-185.5)

Like the BILLS often said: "2018 was going be OUR YEAR!"  Or so we thought… it was one of those things where you can almost visualize the aftermath of celebration and taste the sweet taste of victory.  And then, one of the worst rounds of wrestling in the history of our school would set into motion a cataclysmic meltdown.  With Murphy’s law being in full force that doomed Saturday, Colville took a nose dive of epic proportions that would end up being called THE ROUND.  A round, I can barely talk about still to this day.  Even in claiming three State Champions in Trent Baun, Trevor Morrison and John Knight, it was Deer Park that would answer the call to victory through the back door and place enough wrestlers WITHOUT even ONE CHAMPION to defeat us once again.  The most bitter part, it was a Colville raised and trained wrestler who had moved to Deer Park 2 years previously that WON that title for them.  Ethan Newman tore his knee in Regionals the week previous… came out on ONE LEG basically and manhandled his way to a VERY PAINFUL 4TH PLACE finish.  If not for the courage of Ethan Newman, Colville wins…but that isn’t how it happened. Colville drops 4th strait to (DP 159-136.5)

So here we are…coming into another year…a year of GREAT potential, potential for elated celebration or utter despair and loathing of both circumstances and repetitive failure.  It is a very anticipated and yet very anxious time right now as we close in on what may be Colville’s greatest year in local wrestling history or another year of wanting to gouge my eyes and heart out of my body!  Only this time…I think it is going to be the year that we put all naysayers to rest… I am going to go out on a limb and say, “it is ONLY ours to lose this year!”  If all remain in good health and injury free, Colville wins this year’s 1A team race by more than 50 points with its depth and individual championship talent. 

This year is the year for a state title, first due to the returning Champions that Colville returns this year.  Second due to the scrappy, unknown freshman crew coming into the room and third the prodigal son wrestlers who have decided to return for their senior year after choosing round ball as freshmen.  Lastly, like any other school we had move ins…luckily for us…a big handful of those just happen to be wrestlers!  For the first time ever, Colville will have a complete line up from top to bottom, with the only possible adjustment to be made would be whether or not we will see the return of former freshman state placer Junior Tyler Baun who took last year off.  

Let’s take a look at this year’s projected line up!

106 -   Logan Hydorn           Fr.

113 -   Tyvan Richter           So. (State Participant)

120 -   Colton Eslick             Sr.

            Devon Minnier          Fr.

126 -   Rueben Seaman      Jr. (State Placer)

132 -   Trent Baun                Sr. (3x State Champion)

138 -   Dillon Sahota            Jr.  (State Placer)

145 -   Takoda Morrison      Fr.

            Wyatt Gleaves          Fr.       

152 -   Chase Hilerbrandt    So.

            Danny DePaulo        Fr.

160 -   Trevor Morrison        Sr. (2x State Champion)

170 -   Tanner Goff               Fr.

182 -   Hunter Theraldson   Sr.

195 -   John Knight               Sr. (State Champion)

           Joey Allen                  Jr.

220 -   Ryder Goff                 Sr. (State Placer)

285 -   Jacob Newsom         Sr.

            Kenny Qualey           Sr.

Winning a state team title is more than showing up with a handful of good or even champion caliber guys… as history has proven to us.  It is ALL ABOUT THE TEAM RACE for the Indians this year.  If there has ever been a year that I believe the kids are willing to make sacrifices for the sake of the group… it’s this year. 

…WILL WE BE CURSED AGAIN AND LOSE AN ALL IN HAND ON A BAD BEAT!? 

Written by: The “Unprofessional Guy” (former moniker as boxing analyst/writer) 

AKA: Hillbilly Hawaiian

Kimo Morrison