Jonathan Yarbrough had a plan for his subregionals final matchup — be patient with his shot and use smart technique.
When the whistle blew, though, Yarbrough, a 220-pound senior, went off script, immediately vaulting his body at his younger opponent’s legs.
“I decided to change my mind and just go for it,” said Yarbough, the Kentlake grappler who competed in state his sophomore year as a 182-pounder but fell short in 2013.
The end result, like his strategy, did not go as planned, as Yarbough lost by decision to Kentwood sophomore Austin Duncan, 8-4.
A downtrodden Yarbrough was not satisfied with second place, but like four of his teammates, he advanced to the regionals tournament. For a squad that battled injuries and finished with only two conference wins during the regular season, there was room for excitement amidst the disappointment.
“Something like this pisses you off and makes you want to work harder,” Yarbrough said. “I’m still looking at the big picture. I can get fourth in the next tournament and still win the big one. I just have to keep that mindset.”
As expected, the dominant Tahoma grapplers earned first place at the Feb. 8 subregionals meet with a team total of 441, easily distancing themselves from second-place Kentridge’s score of 230.
The Bears won the 4A state team title in 2012 and finished second in 2013. Coach Chris Feist said he was confident that his team would leave the Kent-Meridian mats with plenty of wins and had his eyes towards the next markers: regionals and state.
“We’re here to learn, get better and advance,” Feist said just before the finals matchups, where eight of his 11 athletes finished first. “Just let the wrestling speak for itself.”
For Yarbrough and Kentlake, the real fights begin this weekend.
“They’ll all get a rematch,”said Kentlake assistant coach Tyler Carrico.
Area Results
113 Nick Whitehead – THS
120 Justin Spila — THS
126 Cruz Velasquez —THS
132 Todd Link — THS
145 Justin Welding — THS
152 Josh Beckler — KL
160 Tucker Mjelde —THS
182 Adam Hockenson — THS
195 Cooper Thomas — THS
220 Austin Duncan — KW
