Mat Classic notes: Silas’ Elijah and Emanuel Cater among 90-plus South Sound wrestlers in semis
Late Friday afternoon, Silas High School sophomore Emanuel Cater punched his ticket to the Mat Classic XXXIV semifinals.
Cater took an early lead in a close match with University’s Taylor Daines in the Class 3A 126-pound quarterfinals, and a late reversal in the final period sealed an eventual 4-1 win.
Moments later, on a neighboring mat only feet away, Cater’s older brother Elijah — who won a state championship in the 3A classification last winter — picked up a 10-5 victory over Arlington’s Beau Gudde, also earning a spot in the 3A 126-pound semifinals.
Saturday, both brothers are set to wrestle in the state semifinals, knowing there’s the chance they could meet each other in the championship round later in the afternoon.
Of course, both need another victory in the morning — Elijah has a tough contest against Thomas Jefferson senior Christopher Trevino, who advanced to the semifinals on a 5-3 decision, and Emanuel a matchup with Mount Spokane sophomore Jayson Bonnett, who pinned his quarterfinals opponent — to set up a meeting in the final, but there is certainly excitement in the possibility.
“Wrestling my little brother in the state finals would be awesome,” Elijah said.
Should Elijah and Emanuel both advance, it wouldn’t be the first time they have wrestled against each other in a competition. The two have competed in tournaments together throughout their careers and “have fun, get better and push each other,” Elijah said.
“My brother has definitely made me better over every year,” Emanuel said. “We used to wrestle every local tournament, every tournament, and he made me a lot better, and I’m here now.”
Both Elijah and Emanuel made their Mat Classic debuts last winter — Elijah as a junior in the first state tournament held since 2020, and Emanuel as a freshman.
Elijah completed an undefeated season last winter by pinning University’s Tyler Walker in the second period of the 3A 120-pound title match, becoming Silas’ first champion in the boys division since 2003.
Emanuel reached the semifinals in the 126-pound bracket and eventually earned a podium spot in his first high school season, placing sixth.
IDAHO FOOTBALL SIGNEE ON TO SEMIS
Kennedy Catholic senior Xe’ree Alexander helped pace the Lancers football program to a 4A state title game appearance back in December.
This weekend, the Idaho football signee is seeking a chance at a championship in another sport — wrestling.
Alexander, who started wrestling as a freshman in high school in addition to being a standout on the football field, is now in the Mat Classic semifinals for the first time in his career after pinning Chiawana’s Lane Hedrick at the 4:00 mark in the quarterfinals Friday.
“It’s amazing,” Alexander said. “It feels great. I’m just trying to be No. 1 like the rest of my teammates are.”
Alexander was a member of The News Tribune’s All-Area and all-state football teams in the fall, as well as being named to TNT’s 2023 Western 100 class.
Following a stellar senior season with the Lancers — during which he piled up 930 rushing yards and 18 scores, added a pair of defensive touchdowns at linebacker and returned a kickoff for a touchdown — Alexander signed with the Vandals in December.
“I really saw a family there,” Alexander said. “The team really took me in like I was already part of the team, and I loved that.”
TITLE DEFENSE
Thirteen wrestlers from South Sound high schools entered this weekend’s state tournament as defending champions, and 12 will return to the semifinals Saturday.
The 4A boys classification has five defending champions back in the final four, including two from South Kitsap in Stone Hartford (in the 132-pound bracket this year) and Mitchell Neiner (138) and two from Sumner in Elias McDonald (120) and Cody Miller (145), as well as Tahoma’s Christopher Neal (182).
Neiner and Miller are also members of The News Tribune’s 2023 class of “Untouchables,” which lists the most unbeatable wrestlers in the state each year entering Mat Classic.
Elijah Cater is the only local defending champion in the 3A boys division, and is on to the semifinals.
Defending 2A team champion Orting is sending four of its defending champions back to the semifinals in A.J. Salguero (120), Quentin Harding (126), Bryan Dickerson (132) and Apollo Cruz (138).
Mount Tahoma’s Zeta Lee, the defending champion in the 110-pound bracket, is also back in the semifinals in the 4A/3A Girls division, while Curtis’ Clarissa Wangen (155) is also returning to the final four.
SOUTH SOUND IN THE SEMIS
There are 92 wrestlers from high schools in the South Sound who are set to compete in the semifinals Saturday morning, including 58 in the boys divisions and 34 in the girls. Here is the complete list:
CLASS 4A BOYS
106 — Curtis Carlisle, Rogers, jr.; Crew Lambro, Tahoma, fr.
113 — Alex Othon, Tahoma, fr.
120 — Elias McDonald, Sumner, jr.; Joe Sullivan, Tahoma, jr.
126 — Jeremiah J. Schliesman, Sumner, sr.; Nathan Curry, Tahoma, sr.
132 — Stone Hartford, South Kitsap, jr.
138 — Braden Shook, South Kitsap, soph.; Mitchell Neiner, South Kitsap, sr.
145 — Cody Miller, Sumner, jr.; Cyrus Comia, Tahoma, jr.
152 — Drake Thompson, Sumner, sr.; Hank Herrick, Sumner, sr.
160 — Devan Carter, Graham-Kapowsin, jr.; Mathias Collins, Kennedy Catholic, sr.
170 — Gabriel Fragoso, South Kitsap, soph.; Emanuele Collins, Kennedy Catholic, jr.
182 — Phillip Chobot, South Kitsap, sr.; Matt King, Sumner, soph.; Christopher Neal, Tahoma, sr.
195 — Shane McConville, Kennedy Catholic, sr.; Ronnell Parker-Borrero, Graham-Kapowsin, jr.
220 — Xe’ree Alexander, Kennedy Catholic, sr.; Chase Baker, Kentwood, jr.
CLASS 3A BOYS
113 — Logan Heath, Spanaway Lake, sr.
120 — Adonai Garza, Kent-Meridian, fr.; Andrew Flores, Lincoln, fr.
126 — Christopher Trevino, Thomas Jefferson, sr.; Elijah Cater, Silas, sr.; Emanuel Cater, Silas, soph.
145 — Lake Harris, Yelm, soph.
152 — Yasar Faizi, Kent-Meridian, sr.
160 — Emmett Casey, Peninsula, sr.; Maverick McEwen, Capital, jr.
170 — Ezekiel McEwen, Capital, jr.
182 — Navarre Dixon, Lincoln, jr.; William Caretto, Yelm, sr.
195 — Charles Larsen, Silas, sr.
285 — Aidan Anderson, North Thurston, sr.; Jonah Smith, Yelm, fr.
CLASS 2A BOYS
106 — Daniel Herrera Sanchez, Washington, jr.; Dominic Thomas, Orting, fr.
113 — Michael Fritz, Orting, fr.
120 — Caleb Evanger, White River, sr.; A.J. Salguero, Orting, soph.
126 — Quentin Harding, Orting, soph.
132 — Bryan Dickerson, Orting, jr.
138 — Apollo Cruz, Orting, jr.
145 — Matthew Gore, Orting, sr.; Caleb Dale, White River, soph.
160 — Westin Triplett, Enumclaw, sr.
195 — Hunter Sonnenberg, Orting, sr.; Whyatt Larson Phelen, Orting, jr.
220 — Riley Simmons, White River, soph.
285 — Zeke Luchi, Enumclaw, sr.
CLASS 1A BOYS
132 — Colin McIntyre, Vashon Island, jr.
CLASS 2B/1B BOYS
170 — Dorien Cano, Rainier, fr.
CLASS 4A/3A GIRLS
100 — Praline Werner, Puyallup, sr.
105 — Isabella Moore, River Ridge, sr.
110 — Zeta Lee, Mount Tahoma, jr.
115 — Lafedyia Eldridge, Tahoma, sr.
120 — Mary Rush, Auburn, jr.; Madisyn Erickson, Yelm, jr.
130 — Sierra Wangen, Curtis, jr.; Lavender Bel, Graham-Kapowsin, sr.
135 — Bailey Parker, Peninsula, fr.; Samantha Blank, Yelm, soph.; Annika Lee, North Thurston, sr.
140 — Flor Parker-Borrero, Graham-Kapowsin, fr.; Cheyenne Wakeham, Federal Way, sr.
145 — Amailee Niz, Yelm, sr.; Monica Kaiser, South Kitsap, sr.; Camryn Erickson, Yelm, sr.; Kayla Reddick, Lincoln, sr.
155 — Sarah Wright, Kentwood, jr.; Clarissa Wangen, Curtis, jr.
170 — Ryley Nager, Curtis, fr.; Reminess-Rose Kaleopa, Spanaway Lake, jr.
190 — Aissata Bangoura, Todd Beamer, soph.
235 — Katherin Petersen, Tahoma, soph.
CLASS 2A/1A/2B/1B GIRLS
100 — Sloane Kruger, Black Hills, soph.; Kyler Menza, Washington, fr.
110 — Marjorie McDaniel, Orting, jr.
115 — Brooklyn Jones, Orting, jr.
120 — Lilyana Lamothe, White River, soph.
125 — Anna Dicugno, White River, sr.
130 — Anna Spencer, Fife, jr.
135 — Nicole Poussier, White River, sr.
140 — Taydem Bylin, White River, fr.
145 — Elibeth Cervantes, Shelton, soph.
235 — Emily Weddle, Rochester, sr.
