And that is what happened Feb. 4 when Manipis and DeMatteo met in the championship round of the 113-pound weight class. Manipis defeated DeMatteo 2-0 to win the title. Both cruised to the championship round.

Justin Manipis (bottom), Skyline High School junior, and Skyline sophomore Joseph DeMatteo wrestle each other at 113 pounds in an all-Spartan championship final at the KingCo 4A tournament. Manipis won the match, 2-0. Photo by Greg Farrar

Manipis won his first two matches with pins. DeMatteo won a match with a pin and defeated Issaquah’s Jordan Hamilton 8-3 in the semifinals.

Eastlake’s Eric Harper won the 170-pound division with a 4-2 decision against Inglemoor’s Sam Gastineau. Harper reached the final after posting an 8-5 decision against Issaquah’s Andrew Ramirez in the semifinals.

Skyline had three second places.

Griffin Howlett was the runner-up in the 106-pound class after losing a 6-3 decision to Issaquah’s Torre Eaton. Ian Crouch took second at 152 when he lost to Bothell’s Brandon Davidson, 11-0. Michael Mecham was second at 160 after losing to Woodinville’s Ryan Christensen, 25-8.

Skyline’s Tristan Steciw was third at 120 pounds after pinning Issaquah’s Louden Ivey.

The Spartans had two fourth places. Joey Gurke was fourth at 132 after getting pinned by Bothell’s Kyle Hansen. Tyler White was fourth at 138 after losing to Woodinville’s Connor McCaw, 4-0.

Skyline’s Cyrus Sarkosh was fifth at 170 after pinning Inglemoor’s Blake Moody in 1:39.

Eastlake’s Ryan Wasserman was fourth at 152 after losing a hard-fought 7-6 decision to Issaquah’s Taylor Evans. Ryan Green, of the Wolves, was fifth at 160 when he decisioned Issaquah’s Tucker Brumley.

Skyline finished fourth in the team standings with 187 points. Eastlake was ninth with 68.5 points.

While Mercer Island repeated as champion of the round-robin-style tournament that pits 3A against 4A KingCo schools, the Spartans wound up 2-2 and the Wolves were blanked 0-4 in four matches.

Skyline head coach Gus Kiss has high hopes for his grapplers this season. After placing second at the KingCo tournament and sending five to state in 2010-2011, Kiss projected the Spartans to be strong enough this year to be one of the top teams in the league.

He attributes that confidence to having a deeper roster than ever, as well as a large contingent of returning athletes, including Griffin Holwett and Ian Crouch, who both qualified for state last season as members of the JV squad.

In addition to the two experienced youngsters, Skyline returns 10 other key wrestlers: Joseph DeMatteo, Jo Tono, Tristan Steciew, Christina Caldwell, Tyler White, Michael Mecham, Cyrus Sarkosh, Sean McAlhaney, Matt McTiernan and Larry Lioa.

“We should be able to fill all weight classes as a team, which will make us more competitive overall,” Kiss said.

The Spartans finished 8-2 in KingCo dual meets last year and 13-5 overall, so it looks to match or exceed that as it tries to make a name for itself as one of KingCo’s best. The team may get a boost from its athletic newcomers.

“We have a number of first year wrestlers who are upper classmen and good athletes that are bringing a good intensity into the room,” Kiss said.

Matches to watch: Skyline at Eastlake, 7:30 p.m., Dec. 15; Issaquah at Skyline, 7:30 p.m., Jan. 4; Skyline at Inglemoor, 7:30 p.m., Jan. 7.

Wolves on the mat

At the ‘Clash’ tournament, Eastlake standout Eric Harper was the bright spot against a dominant Mercer Island.

He beat Nicholas Chandler in a 15-7 major decision in the 170-pound bout.

Teammate Loagan Nielsen beat Andrew Picton 7-4 in the 182-pound match.

The Wolves graduated six of its top wrestlers from last season, including Chris Dallas (103), Adam Nakanishi (125), Max Benjamin (130) and Cole Neves (145). In 2011, the team will look for a fresh start, with first-year coach Dexter Beckstead and in working to fill each weight class with a contender.

Harper, a returning junior, brings experience at state to help lead the Wolves through a competitive district. He placed sixth at state in the 160-pound class last season. He and Nielsen will be able to carry the team only so far, as a shallow roster may cause problems for Eastlake when it comes to accumulating points in dual meets.

Seniors Ryan Green (152) and Zach Leavitt (145), and juniors Austin Faccione (120), Mark Smith (138) and Sabrina Hadlon (103) return in hopes they can score some needed points while the team looks for newcomers to step into other weight classes.

Matches to watch: Skyline at Eastlake, 7:30 p.m., Dec. 15; Eastlake at Eastside Catholic tournament, 10 a.m., Dec. 30; Issaquah at Eastlake, 7:30 p.m., Jan. 19.

Reporter Christopher Huber can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 242, or chuber@isspress.com.

Among the highlights for Sammamish schools was Eastlake freshman swimmer Edward Kim’s district- and school-record-setting performances in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle events at Husky Pool. He swam the 50 free in 21.97 seconds and the 100 free in 46.32 seconds. Kim, who was also part of the Wolves’ winning 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays, qualified for state in four events and his 100-free time earned him All-American status, according to coach Kate McCary.

Eastlake placed fifth overall at districts with 149 points. Skyline took seventh overall with 104.5 points.

For Eastside Catholic, all-star Ethan Hallowell qualified for the state 3A meet and earned All-American consideration in both the 200-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle races, finishing in 1:39.28 and 44.73 seconds, respectively.

The Crusaders tallied 83 total points and placed seventh.

Along with Kim’s performances for Eastlake, perennial speedster Zach Alleva won the 100-yard breaststroke event with a state-qualifying time of 1:01.10. In winning the 200 medley relay, the Wolves (Kim, Alleva, Ryker Oldenburg and Henry O’Neil) set a new Eastlake school record (1:40.20) to qualify for state. The same four swimmers qualified for state after winning the 200 free relay in 1:31.24.

Boys wrestling

Skyline hosted the Region 2 wrestling tournament Feb. 12 and sent 10 of its own to compete. In the end, four Spartan grapplers earned a berth to state, with one more going as an alternate.

In the 103-pound bracket, Griffin Howlett took fourth place and will wrestle at the Mat Classic Feb. 18 and 19. Teammate Joseph DeMatteo earned fifth place and will join him. Eastlake’s Chris Dallas placed second in the 103-pound competition after being pinned in 44 seconds by Eddie Cuevas, of Curtis.

Skyline’s Jordan McCaslin (152 pounds) placed third after battling back through the consolation round and eventually beating teammate Ian Crouch 7-4. The fourth-place Crouch also made it to state and Collin Ehret (125 pounds) placed sixth and will go as an alternate.

In addition to Dallas, Eastlake will send 160-pounder Eric Harper to state after he placed third. In the consolation round, Harper beat Rhys Stevenson, of Puyallup, 11-5.

Eastside Catholic is also sending two wrestlers to state. In the 152-pound category, junior Anthony Roy placed second at the 3A regional tournament after losing 11-6 in the championship bout to Jack Schleer, of Franklin. Along with Roy, junior Joe Stoutt will head to state in the 215-pound division. Stoutt, placed third at regionals after he pinned Bainbridge’s Mike Grant in 2:35.

Gymnastics

The Eastlake and Skyline gymnastics teams went up against some tough competition at the District 2 meet at Sammamish High School Feb. 11-12. Neither team scored well enough to see a gymnast qualify for state.

Reporter Christopher Huber can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 242, or chuber@isspress.com.

Most notable for Neves was his 39-second pin of Bishop Blanchet’s Zach Weber in the second round of the daylong tournament.

“I’ve got it down to muscle memory,” Neves said after the speedy match. “It all comes natural.”

Cole Neves, of Eastlake, stays focused as he pins Zach Weber, of Blanchet, in the second-round 145-pound bout. Photo by Christopher Huber

He ultimately earned the top spot of the 145-pounders when he pinned Lake Washington’s Joel Gonzales in 2:30 in the final round.

Neves’ victory was among the highlights for Sammamish wrestlers, but plenty of others from Eastlake, Skyline and Eastside Catholic found success at the annual tournament.

O’Dea took the team title with 178 points, but Skyline Green placed third (131) and Eastlake placed fourth (113). The Crusaders tied for eighth with Kennedy with 87.5 points. Skyline Silver placed 14th of 18 teams, scoring 54 points.

The winter-break tournament serves as an important conditioning event for grapplers like Neves. It keeps them fresh during the two-week hiatus before entering league competition.

“This is, like, the primest time to be in top physical condition,” Neves said.

Other tournament highlights from plateau wrestlers include top-two finishes in the 103, 112, 119, 125, 130, 135, 140 and 152 weight classes. O’Dea and Cedarcrest dominated the heavier weight brackets.

Eastlake’s Chris Dallas was the 103-pound champ after he pinned O’Dea’s Torre Eaton in 1:41 in the final. Dallas pinned three of four opponents and beat Skyline’s Griffin Howlett 8-0 in the second round.

Skyline’s Jo Tono made it to the championship bout in the 112-pound tournament, but lost to Curtis Chittenden, of Cedarcrest. Chittenden pinned Tono in 2:58.

In the 119-pound competition, Tristian Steciw pinned his way to the championship match, but ultimately fell to Blanchet’s Jesse Dunn in 3 minutes, 33 seconds.

Adam Nakanishi, the 125-pounder from Eastlake, tore it up through three rounds at Eastside Catholic. He made it to the final bout after beating Skyline’s Collin Ehret 9-7. Nakanishi lost, though, to O’Dea’s Zack Hamilton, who pinned him in just 1:48.

Another Sammamish grappler, Max Benjamin, of Eastlake, made his respective championship bout. He reached the 130-pound final round after winning close decisions in the second and third rounds. Benjamin ultimately fell to Jake Portes, of O’Dea, in 3:11.

Drew Beggs, of Eastside Catholic, advanced to the 140-pound final round after he pinned Roosevelt’s Joe Flynn in 3:12 in the second and beat Sammamish High School’s John Hernandez 19-4 in the third round. Beggs dropped the final bout to Dominic Nicacio, of O’Dea, in an 11-3 major decision.

Eastside Catholic’s Anthony Roy (152 pounds) fell in 4:41 to Cody Paxman, of Cedarcrest, in the third round and settled for a consolation.

In the girls competition, Skyline’s Morgan Alverson (130 pounds) placed third overall. She lost to Evergreen’s Taylor Jackson by pin in 1:12 in the first round. Alverson then pinned Cleveland’s Jacqueline Baunsgaurd in 1:47 and lost to Evergreen’s Ashley Snyder 8-0.

Eastside Catholic hosts West Seattle at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 6; Eastlake hosts Skyline, Garfield and Redmond at 6 p.m. Jan. 6.

Reporter Christopher Huber can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 242, or chuber@isspress.com.

Friday, Dec. 17

Newport 57, Skyline 52

1 2 3 4 OT1 Final

Skyline 10 9 15 14 4 52

Newport 7 12 13 16 9 57

Skyline scoring: Lucas Shannon, 16; Kasen Williams, 13; Bryan Cikatz and Will Parker, 9; Jordan Simone, 3.

Thursday, Dec. 16

Seattle Prep 67, Eastside Catholic 42

1 2 3 4 Final

S. Prep 18 16 20 13 67

E. Catholic 7 13 10 12 42

EC scoring: Chevy Walker, 16; Matt Callans and Joey Schreiber, 7; Skyler White, 6.

Tuesday, Dec. 14

Skyline 41, Redmond 37

1 2 3 4 Final

Redmond 14 5 11 7 37

Skyline 10 12 10 9 41

Skyline scoring: Lucas Shannon, 13; Bryan Cikatz, 8; Will Parker, 7; Kasen Williams, 5; Jonah Eastern, 4.

Monday, Dec. 13

Newport 76, Eastlake 50

1 2 3 4 Final

Newport 11 20 18 27 76

Eastlake 12 10 14 14 50

Eastlake scoring: Mike Miller, 14; Abdu Elkugia, 12; Brandon Lester, 11; Mike Hwang and Conner Iraola, 6.

Girls basketball

Saturday, Dec. 18

Skyline 74, Bishop Blanchet 38

1 2 3 4 Final

Blanchet 10 12 11 5 38

Skyline 16 20 21 17 74

Skyline scoring: Christy Cofano, 19; Lindsey Nicholson, 11; Michelle Bretl and Megan Weideman, 10; Haley Smith, 8.

Thursday, Dec. 16

Seattle Prep 63, Eastside Catholic 32

1 2 3 4 Final

Seattle Prep 16 17 19 11 63

E. Catholic 9 8 2 13 32

EC scoring: Michaella O’Rourke, 10; Emma Burnham and Alex Johnston, 8; Shannon Graves, 5; Sarah Hill, 1.

Wednesday, Dec. 15

Skyline 56, Redmond 36

1 2 3 4 Final

Redmond 8 9 9 10 36

Skyline 14 18 15 9 56

Skyline scoring: Megan Weideman, 13; Haley Smith, 12; Michelle Bretl, Morgan Farrar and Susie Tinker, 6;

Tuesday, Dec. 14

Eastside Catholic 46, Franklin 45

1 2 3 4 Final

Franklin 5 17 18 5 45

E. Catholic 13 8 14 11 46

EC scoring: Michaela O’Rourke, 13; Sarah Hill, 11; Colleen Nuss, 7; Shelby Newell, 5; Emma Burnham and Lauren Johnson, 4.

Monday, Dec. 13

Eastlake 66, Newport 50

1 2 3 4 Final

Newport 13 9 7 21 50

Eastlake 15 14 20 17 66

Eastlake scoring: Kendra Morrison, 29; Katy Ainslie, 14; Sam Naluai, 11; Abby Carlson, 6.

Wrestling

Tuesday, Dec. 14

Skyline 41, Bothell 27

103 — Joseph DeMatteo, S, won by forfeit. 112 — Chris Ungerecht, B, pinned Jo Tono 3:49. 119 — Tristan Steciew, S, dec. David Schormann 7-1. 125 — Justin Manipis, S, maj. dec. Andres Bird 9-1. 130 — Collin Ehret, S, won by forfeit. 135 — Tyler White, S, dec. Allen 6-4. 140 — Toby Brown, S, won by forfeit. 145 — Brandon Davidson, B, pinned Christian Caldwell 1:46. 152 — Ian Crouch, S, maj. dec. Dustin Rhode 12-4. 160 — Jordan McCaslin, S, dec. Zachary Alvis 5-0. 171 — Willein Gimaze, B, dec. Michael Mecham 11-8. 189 — Cyrus Sarkosh, S, pinned Magnus Leo 1:02. 215 — Tommy Forker, B, won by forfeit. 285 — JR Osblado, B, pinned Larry Liao 1:22

Boys swimming

Thursday, Dec. 16

Issaquah 107, Skyline 73; Issaquah 135, Bothell 39

200 medley relay — Skyline (Ryan Collins, Alex Marber, Paul Jett, David Jett), 1:45.34. 200 free — Willy Matsuda, I, 1:54.33. 200 IM — Skyler Kersten, I, 2:11.06. 50 free — Brian Ruggles, I, 23.62. Diving — Max Levy, S, 168.35. 100 fly — Matsuda, I, 54.85*. 100 free — Ruggles, I, 51.80. 500 free — Kersten, I, 5:25.86. 200 free relay — Issaquah (Ben Halter, Gentry Gevers, Ruggles, Matsuda), 1:35.38. 100 back — Collins, S, 57.72. 100 breast — Ben Nussbaum, I, 1:08.23. 400 free relay — Issaquah (Matsuda, Austin Melody, Kersten, Ruggles), 3:28.54.

Tuesday, Dec. 14

Skyline 108, Woodinville 77

200 medley relay — Skyline (Mitch Corson, Tucker Russell, Ryan Collins, David Jett) 1:50.58 200 free — Ashton Powell, S, 2:05.99. 200 IM — Alec Raines, S, 2:13.09. 50 free — David Jett, S, 24.14. Diving — Drew Rothe Carlson, W, 207.70. 100 fly — Paul Jett, S, 59.06. 100 free — Joshua Scheck, W, 54.25. 500 free — Alec Raines, S, 5:11.29 200 free relay — Skyline (Paul Jett, Alex Carey, Ashton Powell, David Jett) 1:37.99 . 100 back — Zachery Oropesa, W, 1:01.91. 100 breast — Michael Wagner, W, 1:12.20. 400 free relay — Skyline (Paul Jett, Ashton Powell, Alec Raines, Ryan Collins) 3:47.13.

Newport 101, Eastlake 82

200 medley relay — Eastlake (Edward Kim, Zach Alleva, Ryker Oldenburg, Jason Kroon) 1:44.95. 200 free — Lucas Ung, N, 2:01.70. 200 IM — Alleva, E, 2:13.69. 50 free — Sebastian Bury, N, 23.22. Diving — Antoine Signoretty, E, 147.65. 100 fly — Bury, N, 57.98. 100 free — Kim, E, 46.59*. 500 free — Ben Allen, N, 4:52.05*. 200 free relay — Newport (Bury, Nathan Burwell, Nicholas Weiss, Ben Allen) 1:35.87. 100 back — Kim, E, 55.53*. 100 breast — Alleva, E, 1:03.99. 400 free relay — Eastlake (Ryker Oldenburg, Alleva, Henry O’Neil, Kim) 3:38.00.

Gymnastics

Thursday, Dec. 16

Newport 166.45, Ballard 163.0, Bothell 162.05, Skyline 122.8

All-around — 1, Taylor Stern, Ba, 37.4; 2, Candace Ho, N, 35.95; 3, Kristine Wong, N, 35.5. Bars — 1, Stern, Ba, 9.2; 2, Wong, N, 8.8; 3, Ho, N, 8.35. Beam — 1, Stern, Ba, 9.25; 2, Carlie Bodine, Bo, 9.1; 3, Wong, N, 8.95. Floor — 1, Stern, Ba, 9.6; 2, Wong, N, 9.55; 3, Ho, N, 9.4. Vault — 1, Ho, N, 9.5; 2, Raynie Hultgren, Bo, 9.4; 3, Stern, Ba, 9.35.

Boys swimming

Eastlake

The Eastlake boys swim and dive crew embarks on its first season without former coach Andy Hay since 2007. But new head coach Kate McCary took over from the assistant coach position and knows how the Wolves do things.

Eastlake brings back senior speedster Ryker Oldenburg, juniors Zach Alleva and Henry O’Neil, all with state experience, to lead the boys in 2010-2011. Freshman Edward Kim and seniors Dylan Jessum and Nick Howard will look to add points each meet for the Wolves as they seek a bit more representation at state.

Collin Ehret, Skyline sophomore, controls Issaquah’s Jerdon Helgeson during the second period of their 135-pound wrestling match Dec. 8, won by Ehret 11-4. Photo by Greg Farrar

Meets to watch: Redmond at Eastlake (Redmond Pool), 3:30 p.m., Jan. 6; Eastlake vs. Issaquah at Inglemoor (Juanita Pool), 3 p.m., Jan. 11; Skyline at Eastlake (Redmond Pool), 3:30 p.m., Jan. 13.

Skyline

The boys of Skyline, with head coach Susan Simpkins, will look to add some depth to be able to compete against the typically fast KingCo league teams. Skyline went 3-5 in 2009-2010.

The Spartan’s roster will be junior-heavy this season, with swimmers like Devan Carlson, Mitch Corson, Travis Fox, David Jett, Alex Marber and Ashton Powell leading the way. Sophomore Tucker Russell, along with captains Austin Crow (senior), Alex Carey (senior) and Tyler Hamke (sophomore) will create much-needed depth against teams like Newport, Issaquah and Garfield.

Meets to watch: Skyline at Issaquah (Boehm Pool), 3:30 p.m., Dec. 16; Skyline at Newport (Mary Wayte Pool), 8:30 p.m., Jan. 25.

Wrestling

Eastlake

Opening its first season with new head coach Keith Johnson, the Eastlake Wolves wrestling team seems to be throwing their weight around.

It started the season 2-0 in dual meets.

Johnson said the team could make a run at the KingCo 4A title this season, relying on a strong senior and sophomore class, he said.

Eastlake’s top returners, seniors Max Benjamin (130 pounds) and Adam Nakinishi (125) will lead the way, but newcomers Eric Harper (160), Michael Rosado (135) and Sabrina Handlon (103) will provide support across the board.

“Wolves wrestling will be making a strong push at winning a KingCo championship,” Johnson said. “The team will need to continue to focus on technique and their condition to do well.”

Bouts to watch: Eastlake at Skyline, 7:30 p.m., Dec. 16; Redmond at Eastlake, 7:30 p.m., Jan. 6; Eastlake at Issaquah, 7:30 p.m., Jan. 20.

Skyline

With the likes of Anthony DeMatteo and Danny Christiansen lost to graduation, the Spartan wrestling team will have to make up some ground to compete in 2010-2011.

It’s a young squad, said coach Gus Kiss, but, if key returners like Collin Ehret (135 pounds) and Jordan McCaslin (160), can dominate on the mats, youngsters like Joe DeMatteo (103), Tristan Steciw (119) and Cyrus Sarkosh (189), look to provide some consistent support.

Kiss seemed confident that the high off-season camp participation rate would ultimately benefit Skyline grapplers’ stamina and overall competitiveness this season.

Bouts to watch: Eastlake at Skyline, 7:30 p.m., Dec. 16; Skyline at Woodinville, 7:30 p.m., Jan. 18.

Gymnastics

Eastlake

The Eastlake gymnastics program is looking to continue building its depth in 2010-2011. First-year coach Jennette Fuller is the third coach in three years.

But she said team leaders like seniors Maggen Wolk, Esme Fussell and Bianca Barr have held the team together in the past and should do a good job for the girls this time around.

While it’s unclear how Eastlake will fair against the KingCo competition, Wolk, Fussell and Barr could get some needed help from notable newcomers, freshman Emily Rapada and sophomore Nicole Rader.

Meets to watch: Eastlake, Bothell and Roosevelt at Issaquah, 7 p.m., Jan. 13; Eastlake, Roosevelt and Woodinville at Ballard, 7 p.m., Jan. 27.

Skyline

As the season began, Skyline gymnastics head coach Debbie Gliner was excited to see such large turnout.

“I have the largest Skyline team ever this year,” Gliner said. “With lots of new team members, I’m looking forward to having more depth than the past few years.”

Of the 33 gymnasts who turned out this year, 25 are underclassmen, she said, which means Skyline has a lot of potential.

As the younger girls gain experience, top returner senior Amy Bearman, a standout in all four events, will lead the way, along with captains Taylor McCombs (junior) and Emily Whan (senior).

Gliner speculated that Inglemoor, Woodinville and Newport will be the teams to beat if Skyline wants to contend for a KingCo title.

Meets to watch: Issaquah, Newport and Redmond at Skyline, 7 p.m., Jan. 27.

Reporter Christopher Huber can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 242, or chuber@isspress.com.

Five wrestlers from Sammamish schools are headed to state after strong finishes at the regional meets Feb. 13. Skyline’s Danny Christianson (152 pounds) and Anthony DeMatteo (215 pounds) will vie for a top ranking Class 4A in Tacoma Feb. 19-20. Eastlake’s Trevor McKinnon (160 pounds) will join them and Eastside Catholic’s Jake Cowin (140 pounds) and Anthony Roy (152 pounds) will grapple at the Class 3A Mat Classic the same days. DeMatteo faired best of the five at districts. He became the Region 2 champion after beating Redmond’s Tyler Black 8-2 in the final round. Christianson placed fourth in districts after losing his final-round bout 4-3 to Graham-Kapowsin’s Dylan Evanger. Eastlake’s McKinnon also took fourth overall at regionals. He eluded a pin but lost 15-6 to Matt Dawley, of Graham-Kapowsin, in his final match. Cowin, an Eastside Catholic standout, had a tough championship match against Liberty’s Wright Noel. He lost 6-1 but took second in Region 1 Class 3A action. Roy nearly got third place, but lost 3-2 to O’Dea’s Athan Dumont. Roy still captured a spot at state with a fourth-place regional finish.