RIDGEFIELD — His name is Darion Green. But on the wrestling mat, you can call him Danger.
The Hudson’s Bay senior got his nickname “because I’m dangerous on the mat.”
But that doesn’t mean he’s reckless.
Saturday at the Class 2A Greater St. Helens League Sub-Regional Wrestling Tournament, Green defeated R.A. Long senior Orion Yates in one of the best matches of the day at Ridgefield High School.
But Green didn’t rely on brute force or high-risk maneuvers to beat Yates, who placed fourth in the state last year.
Rather, he wrestled smart and technically sound. When his opponent was on top, Green stymied his moves. Then leading 3-2 in the final round, Green scored a reversal and takedown in quick succession and won the 132-pound match 7-2.
It’s a different approach for Green, who placed eighth in state last year and won his third sub-regional title on Saturday.
“I wrestle a lot smarter and use better technique,” he said. “I don’t try to do as much flashy stuff as I used to. I stick to the foundations.”
Green is hoping that approach leads him to a state championship in two weeks at Mat Classic. The top four in each weight class Saturday advance to regionals next weekend in Shorecrest.
“I’ve been putting in the work I need to do to hopefully win state,” Green said. “Last year I thought I was good enough to do what I wanted to do. This year I realized never settle with where you’re at. Always push forward.”
Pushing forward en masse is what Washougal did throughout Saturday’s tournament. The Panthers won the team title with 240 points, 59.5 ahead of second-place Hudson’s Bay.
The Panthers had individual champions in Urich Reyes at 113, Tanner Lees at 138 and Taylor Leifsen at 152. Tanner Klopman, Dylan Kiemele, A.J. Christianson and Michael Hickey finished as runners up to pad Washougal’s point total.
Ridgefield had four individual champions. Taylor Nolan won at 120 pounds, Trevor Newburn at 126, Tommy Herz at 145 and Josh Sokolowski at 160.
Kai Blue (106), Colton Wheeler (170) and Cameron Loos (220) won titles for Hockinson.
Jeff Jackson won the 182-pound title for Woodland and Casey Wishon of Hudson’s Bay won at 285.
Girls District 4 sub-regionals
As a defending state champion, Washougal’s Abby Lees is used to being on top of the competition.
So she found herself in an unusual spot during the 170-pound final of the District 4 Sub-regional Girls Wrestling Tournament on Saturday at Ridgefield High School.
Lees was tied 0-0 heading into the third round against Skyview’s Hailey Horrocks, a state qualifier last year. Plus, she had to start the round in the bottom position.
“I’ve had trouble with the bottom position all my life,” Lees said. “These past few weeks, all I’ve been working on is the bottom. Get up, get up. Keep driving. Keep moving.”
So drive and move she did. Within 30 seconds, Lees had control of Horrocks and finished the match with a pin.
“That’s the matchup we wanted to see,” Washougal coach Heather Carver said. “Hailey is a phenomenal wrestler. Her style poses a conundrum for Abby that she needs to work on. It brings out the skills that she needs to improve on to try and make a run at Mat Classic.”
Horrocks and Lees know each other well. They were both on a team that represented Washington at a national tournament last summer in Fargo, N.D.
“It’s actually super hard to wrestle people that you’re friends with,” Horrocks said. “But I Iove wrestling her because I know I have to work super hard.”
Washougal had five individual champions on Saturday. Joining Lees atop the podium were Baylee Wright, Morgan Ratcliff, Christina Murray and Brooklyn Wurm-Wertz.
The top four in each weight class advance to regionals next Saturday in Aberdeen. The weekend after that is Mat Classic, where Washougal hopes to improve on its eighth-place showing last year.
“We had a team talk, a family talk, both boys and girls,” Carver said. “We set the bar that we want to take home hardware at Mat Classic, both of us.”
2A SUB-REGIONAL TOURNAMENT
At Ridgefield High School
Team scores — Washougal 240, Hudson’s Bay 180½, Ridgefield 161, R.A. Long 157½, Hockinson 123, Woodland 111, Mark Morris 79.
Top four to regionals
106 — 1st: Kai Blue (H) p. Ivan Mendoza (RAL). 3rd: Dylan Draper (R) d. John Dodge (MM) 8-4.
113 — 1st: Urich Reyes (Was) d. Tanner Klopman (Was) 9-1. 3rd: Xree Flemming (RAL) bye.
120 — 1st: Taylor Nolan (R) d. Dylan Kiemele (Was) injury default. 3rd: Jason Powell (Was) d. Blake Tofte (HB) 9-7.
126 — 1st: Trevor Newburn (R) p. Wyatt Gaspar (R). 3rd: Jon McMillian (HB) p. Andrew Hopple (Was).
132 — 1st: Darion Green (HB) d. Orion Yates (RAL) 7-2. 3rd: Dylan Cherry (Was) vs. Nick Wolfe (Was), to be wrestled Monday.
138 — 1st: Tanner Lees (Was) d. A.J. Christianson (Was) 9-6. 3rd: Owen Enriquez (RAL) p. Richard Dyer (H).
145 — 1st: Tommy Herz (R) d. Coleman Nading (RAL) injury default. 3rd: John Gable (Was) p. Junior Salas (HB).
152 — 1st: Taylor Leifsen (Was) p. David Jimenez (RAL). 3rd: Tristan Maxwell (HB) d. Alex Rice (HB) 2-1.
160 — 1st: Josh Sokolowski (R) p. Michael Hickey (Was). 3rd: Zach Miranda (Woo) d. Hakon Metzger (HB) 6-1.
170 — 1st: Colton Wheeler (H) d. Hunter Robbins (MM) 6-1. 3rd: Austin King (HB) d. Rodrigo Ordonez (RAL) injury default.
182 — 1st: Jeff Jackson (Woo) p. Tanner Graham (RAL). 3rd: Ruben Valle (RAL) d. Luis Santamaria (HB) 9-0.
195 — 1st: Garrett Erickson (MM) p. Jared Cloud (Woo). 3rd: Mason Armstrong (Was) p. Alejandro Renster (HB).
220 — 1st: Cameron Loos (H) p. Alex Bollinger (MM). 3rd: Chandler Martin (Woo) p. Ryan Bishop (H).
285 — 1st: Casey Wishon (HB) p. Andrew Pottratz (Woo). 3rd: Zackary Hegwine (MM) d. Dakota Andelman (Was) 9-3.
GIRLS WRESTLING
DISTRICT 4 SUB-REGIONALS
At Ridgefield High School
Team scores — Washougal 169, Ridgefield 127, R.A. Long 120, Hudson’s Bay 106, Hockinson 94, Woodland 85, Mark Morris 60.
Top four to regionals
100 — 1st: Ashlyn Daugherty (Woo) p. Samantha Eakins (Was). 3rd: Abbie Huft (Mountain View) d. Frances Helling (Woo) 9-0.
105 — 1st: Hikaru Abe (Skyview) p. Sarahann Oster (Was). 3rd: Savannah Chandler (Rid) d. Sydni Ruse (Camas) 12-6.
110 — 1st: Averie Freund (Kelso) p. Kyli Doty (Kelso). 3rd: Julianne Reynolds (Union) d. Annalisa Flores (Kalama) 10-3.
115 — 1st: Makenna Speed (Kal) p. Olivia Lindsey (RAL). 3rd: Raven Dale (Kel) p. Abby Palandrani (Sky).
120 — 1st: Baylee Wright (Was) d. Lacy Dunlop (Cam) 6-4. 3rd: Gabby Bloom (Columbia River) d. Ciyree Sams (Kel) 2-0.
125 — 1st: Annabell Helm (U) p. Jaden Robb (Was). 3rd: Kylie Moore (Kel) p. Katie Garr (Castle Rock).
130 — 1st: Sierra Joner (Battle Ground) d. Brooke Schimmel (Woo), injury default. 3rd: Mikah Bartell (Was) d. Signe Zacho (Was) 9-8.
135 — 1st: Krista Warren (U) d. Mialisa Oster (Was) 5-4. 3rd: Trynity Mendez (Wahkiakum) p. Naomi Garcia (Fort Vancouver).
140 — 1st: Morgan Ratcliff (Was) p. Marissa Montano (U). 3rd: Bailee Thompson (Cam) p. Daisy Avalos (FV).
145 — 1st: Christina Murray (Was) d. Irelyn Gottschalk (CR) 7-5, OT. 3rd: Sydney Burres (Cam) p. Isabel Hernandez (FV).
155 — 1st: Brooklyn Wurm-Wertz (Was) d. Faith Hartman (Cam) injury default. 3rd: Catelyn Schaeffer (MV) p. Stephanie Cuevas (U).
170 — 1st: Abby Lees (Was) p. Hailey Horrocks (Sky). 3rd: Sam Flannelly (Cam) p. Marlyn Ordonez-Valencia (RAL).
190 — 1st: Dakota Moon (Kal) p. Rayana Carlon (Wah). 3rd: Sophia Sadki (Stevenson) bye.
235 — 1st: Aiyanah Valencia (RAL) bye.
