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Posts Tagged ‘Mat Classic XXXV’

One-man wrecking crews make statement

Posted in Swim, Wrestling, tagged , , , , , , on February 17, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Finn Price, reppin’ the red and black at the year’s biggest swim event. (Photo courtesy Paul Lagerstedt)

One athlete. No teams. Big results.

Coupeville’s Finn Price and Jaje Drake closed out their respective state meets Saturday with strong finishes, standing tall as lone Wolves.

CHS doesn’t field swimming or wrestling programs, so the duo persevered, training and traveling with other schools during the regular season, than forging their own paths in the postseason.

Price, a sophomore, won the consolation finals in the 200 free Saturday at the 2A state championships at the King County Aquatic Center, while also claiming fifth in the 100 free.

His times of one minute, 55.06 seconds in the 200, and 52.41 in the 100 were both better than his results in Friday’s prelims.

Overall, 2B Coupeville (which is just Price, remember) finished 30th out of 34 schools in the team standings.

Jaje Drake (right) brings the gun show to Cow Town. (Sophia Broderick photo)

Drake lost a close match with Rainier’s Matthew Kenney Saturday, ending his run at Mat Classic XXXV at the Tacoma Dome.

The Wolf senior, competing in the 2B/1B boys 215-pound class, finished his tourney with a 2-2 record.

That ties him with current CHS football coach Alex Turner, who also went 2-2 at state in 2019 during his own senior season.

Drake, a one-man demolition crew hefting the torch for the Wolves by himself, carried Coupeville to a 33rd-place performance (out of 50 schools) in the team standings.

“I’ll be back!” (Jackie Saia photo)

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CHS grappler shines at Mat Classic

Posted in Wrestling, tagged , , , , on February 16, 2024| Leave a Comment »

“Mama said knock you out!” (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

On to day two!

Coupeville’s Jaje Drake won two of three matches Friday at Mat Classic XXXV in Tacoma, keeping alive his bid to bring home some hardware.

The Wolf senior, who is wrestling in the 215-pound class in the 2B/1B classification, opened with a win over Jacob Randall of Okanogan.

That moved Drake into the quarterfinals, where he put up a strong fight before falling to Gabriel Smith of Ritzville, one of four contestants in the 12-man field who had a first-round bye.

Springing right back into action, Coupeville’s lone grappler, who trained and traveled with South Whidbey during the regular season, roared back with a victory against Preston Stingley of Kittitas.

That pushes Drake into a showdown with Matthew Kenney of Rainier Saturday, the second time this season the duo have clashed.

The winner of that match is guaranteed to finish at least 6th, and could go as high as 3rd, while the loser is eliminated.

Drake, who was an All-Conference lineman for Coupeville football this fall, is the second Wolf in recent years to rep the red and black on the wrestling mat.

Current CHS football assistant coach Alex Turner also advanced to state in 2019 while following a similar path.

Coupeville is one of the few schools in the state not to have its own wrestling program, necessitating the agreement with South Whidbey.

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Wolf grappler set for Mat Classic

Posted in Wrestling, tagged , , , , on February 12, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville’s Jaje Drake trained and travelled with South Whidbey during the regular season, then went his own way in the postseason. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

So, you’re saying he has a chance?

There are only 12 wrestlers from 2B/1B schools left standing in the 215-pound weight class, and Coupeville’s Jaje Drake is one of them.

Despite his school not having a grappling program of its own, the Wolf senior qualified for Mat Classic XXXV and stands four wins shy of a state title.

He’ll open the big dance Friday at the Tacoma Dome, squaring off with Austin Morgan, a junior from Okanogan.

Drake and his opening opponent both played football this fall, with the latter lining up at tight end and on the defensive line for the 2B state champs.

The duo are on the bottom half of the state wrestling bracket, opposite Gabriel Smith, a senior from Ritzville.

He’s one of the top four seeds and gets a first-round bye.

Win or lose that opening match, Drake gets right back at it, as state is a double-elimination event.

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