With a little effort, Oak Harbor High School’s three heavyweight wrestlers could squeeze into a Volkswagen Beetle. But, no matter how big a shoehorn coach Peter Esvelt uses, he won’t be able to cram the trio into the postseason.
That’s a shame for Esvelt because he considers Jackson Constant, Tyler Adamson and Sam Zook to be among the state’s best 3A wrestlers in the 285-pound class. Each school, however, can enter only two in each weight division at the subregional tournament.
The subregional tournament, the first step toward a state title, is 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6, and 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, at Stanwood High School.
Oak Harbor and the five other Wesco 3A North schools will be joined by the Seamont League’s two 3A teams, Hazen and Kennedy Catholic, at subregional.
The top four finishers in each weight class will qualify for the regional tournament Saturday, Feb. 14, at Marysville-Pilchuck High School.
Constant, a 6-foot-2, 280-pound senior, has represented Oak Harbor in most varsity matches this season and will take one of the allotted berths.
Adamson, a 6-5, 250-pound senior, defeated Zook 3-2 in a wrestle-off Friday to earn the second slot.
Zook, a 6-foot-6, 265-pound sophomore, is the odd man out although he is ranked 12th in his division by the Washington Wrestling Report.
His competitive season is over but his contributions aren’t. Zook said his job now is to push Constant and Adamson in practice each day to make sure they “go all the way” to the state finals.
Constant, who took up wrestling as an eighth-grader, has been ranked in the top 10 all season. He qualified for the past two state tournaments but has been haunted by bad luck.
An injury hampered one trip, then last year he wrestled one match with strep throat and then was medically disqualified.
His goal this year, he said, is to “reach the podium, to finish in the top three.”
Adamson began wrestling as a freshman, and the first two years “were a learning experience” as he backed up Constant.
Last year he honed his skills enough to compete among the best but finished fourth at subregional when only three advanced. This winter he has been consistently ranked among the top 15.
Having three outstanding wrestlers in the same weight class isn’t all bad. Each gives the other a strong practice partner to force improvement.
“I grew up with Tyler,” Constant said. “We have a bond we formed before high school, and it has helped, not only in wrestling but other sports.
“We have wrestled together since our freshman year and help each other out. Outside of practice we will discuss what we need to work on.”
Zook is “really good at picking up on things we mess up on in matches,” Adamson said.
The trio’s talents go beyond the wrestling mat. They played side-by-side on Oak Harbor’s offensive line last fall. Adamson started at left tackle, Constant at left guard and Zook at center.
Constant would like to continue wrestling in college, hoping to compete at Central Iowa.
Adamson, a three-time, all-Wesco first-team football player, hopes to play that sport at Eastern Washington University next season. He hasn’t received a formal scholarship offer from the school yet, but if that doesn’t work out, he has offers from a handful of Division III schools.
With graduation a few years off for Zook, he is not sure which sport he will pursue in college.
The Wildcat heavyweights aren’t the only Oak Harbor wrestlers expected to shine during the postseason.
Senior Jeremy Vester, ranked third at 138 pounds this season, finished fourth in the state last year at 132 after also qualifying his freshman and sophomore years.
Senior Mark Johnston, who has qualified for state three times, is looking to place this season. He is ranked eighth at 152 pounds.
Senior Christian Bertram, ranked third at 126 pounds, qualified for the past two Mat Classics.
On the girls side, junior Amber Cramsey-Behnke (235 pounds) is a two-time state qualifier and placed third in 2014. She will shoot to place again if she can make weight.
Esvelt’s goals for subregional are “five or six placers” and “at least two wins at each weight class.”
“Our kids, especially our seniors, have set these goals for themselves,” Esvelt said, “and that is far more important than my goals.
“At state, the difference between a win and a loss is boiled down to one right or wrong step, a couple of seconds. I know many of the guys looking forward to state have set the goal of placing high in the state tournament.”
Here’s what Esvelt has to say about his big boys:
Constant: Jackson has always been one of the most naturally strong kids I have coached. It is exciting to coach him because he has a strong chance to win against the best in the state. As a captain, he is a calm leader; even when he is really mad or fired up for a match, you are not likely to notice a difference in his demeanor before he wrestles.
Adamson: The only person who beats him in the majority of tournaments is also from Oak Harbor. He is the most athletic of the 285s. With how good he is at football, I have been impressed with his dedication this season, because his work ethic and intensity from football to wrestling has not wavered, and possibly increased.
Zook: Sam has great position, and the tall body type that you see in NCAA heavyweights. He is actively improving his wrestling technique and intensity, going to camps and doing all the other things to be on the podium at state. (Because of his height,) Sam is a great partner for Jackson; he needs a partner who is tough enough to get him better.
