Zook wins title; three Wildcats qualify for state / Boys wrestling

Oak Harbor High School senior Sam Zook defended his title in the Region 3 wrestling tournament Friday and Saturday, Feb. 10 and 11, at Everett High School and qualified for the state 3A meet along with two other Wildcats.

The first four in each weight class qualified for Mat Classic XXIX Friday and Saturday, Feb. 17 and 18, at the Tacoma Dome.

Zook, who took third in the state tournament last winter, won the 285-division. Sophomore Blake McBride (132 pounds) took second and senior Nick Dugin (182) was fourth.

Oak Harbor finished eighth out of 15 teams in what was arguably the most talented of the state’s four regional tournaments. Eight of the state’s top 18 ranked 3A teams were in Everett; Kennewick’s Kamiakin came out on top with 259.5 points. The Wildcats tallied 79.5.

“I was really impressed with the wrestlers’ performance,” Oak Harbor coach Larry Falcon said. “They took each match one at a time and one round at a time. I continue to be impressed with their continued intensity.”

Zook, the state’s top-ranked 3A wrestler in his weight class, pinned Arlington’s Tristan Emery in 3:08 in the title bout at 285. Zook reached the finals with two quicks falls.

Sixth-ranked McBride lost in his title match 10-5 to fourth-ranked Salihou Fatty of Edmonds-Woodway. McBride reached the finals with a bye, fall (2:47) and 19-3 win.

Dugin competed in the toughest weight class in the toughest regional. The state’s first-, second- and fourth-ranked wrestlers at 182 battled it out at Everett, and those three placed ahead of the unranked Dugin.

Dugin, who finished sixth in the sub-regional, was a surprise semi-finalist with a 3-2 win in the first round and an upset fall (2:26) in the quarterfinals. After losing to fourth-ranked Arie Van Veen of Stanwood 12-3, he won 11-4 before losing to second-ranked Zach Borisch of Kamiakin 10-0 in the match for third and fourth.

Oak Harbor sophomore Michael Fisken also competed in the rugged 182 class and finished sixth.

Oak Harbor results at the Region 3 Tournament:

106, Shamus Warden: lost by fall; bye; lost by fall, 2:02.

113, Dawson Seabolt: lost by fall, 4:36; bye; lost by fall, 1:54.

113, Jakob Dailey: lost by fall, 1:59; bye; lost by fall, 3:36.

120, Zion Gomez: won 3-1; lost by fall, 4:23; won 12-2; lost by fall, 2:22.

126, Tayvion Shaw: lost by fall; bye; lost by fall, 3:38.

126, William Nickelson: lost by fall; bye; lost by fall, :30.

132, Blake McBride (second place): bye; won by fall, 2:47; won 19-3; lost 10-5.

170, Trevor Vaughn: lost 4-2; bye; lost 3-1.

182, Nick Dugin (fourth): won 3-2; won by fall, 2:26; lost 12-3; won 11-4; lost 10-0.

182, Michael Fisken (sixth): won by fall, 3:08; lost 11-5; won by fall, 1:30; won 15-2; lost by fall, :22; lost 5-3.

220, Abe Coleman: lost by fall, 2:30; bye; lost 15-3.

285, Sam Zook (first): bye; won by fall, :48; won by fall, 1:00; won by fall, 3:08.

285, Hayden Campbell: lost by fall, 3:55; bye; lost by fall, :57.

Oak Harbor’s Michael Fisken nearly pins Josh Brown of Edmonds-Woodway. Fisken beat Brown 15-2 and eventually placed sixth in the tournament. (Photo by John Fisken)

Oak Harbor’s Nick Dugin, top, tangles with Everett’s Jacob Leonard. Dugin won the match 11-4 on the way to placing fourth. (Photo by John Fisken)

Blake McBride, right, tries to trip up Edmonds-Woodway’s Salihou Fatty in the title bout at 132 pounds. Fatty won 10-5 to claim first. (Photo by John Fisken)