By Ed Shepherd
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Mount Rainier got some strong efforts from its wrestlers in the Highline School District Invitational that had eight teams participating from all over the state of Washington and was hosted in the Rams' gym on Saturday.

"It was a good tournament for us. We had a girl get first and two girls get third, and a freshman in the final but we are rebuilding. We have a lot of ninth graders," said Ruben Cortinas, the Rams' head wrestling coach.

That said, it's no surprise to say the Rams did not win the tournament or place (second), or show (third), they weren't event showing up in fourth place in this race. Fifth. But, they tried hard, fought hard. And, out of the eight teams in attendance, plus a few more schools there on the girls side, separate from the boys, the Rams did alright, with, perhaps, the most exciting ending of a wrestling match out of the whole invitational by James Davis.

Highine won with 186.5 points, Shelton finished second at 165.5, Skyline third 144.5, Lakes fourth 126, Mt. Rainier fifth 109, Anacortes sixth 76, Evergreen-Tyee seventh 66 and Enumclaw eighth 43.5 points.
But, yeah, the Rams fought hard, and their lone first place, which was not from a champion in the boys weight classes, was nevertheless, a champion. And, her name is freshman, Giuliana Pepe, who beat two Spanaway Sentinel girls in an abbreviated version of the boys tournament that was not included in point total scoring for the boys teams at the invite. But Pepe did great. She got a blue ribbon medal for first, and two teammates, did well. Norma Perez and Hope McCormac took third places home.

"I wasn't really excited about coaching girls in the program, but they are disciplined and committed," said Cortinas. "My goal is to get eight girls because then they can get a paid head coach. I really want to promote girls wrestling."

Cortinas is in his first year coaching the Rams in high school, but he's been around, and close by, at that.
"I was coaching at Pacific Middle School before last year," said Cortinas. "I came here and now I wiill get the ninth graders, too. So, I will be able to spend six years with the kids instead of four. We are going to change this program around."
Sounds like not just the girls are committed that are with the Rams' wrestling program.
The Rams' Pepe likes wrestling. As a girl, there's, maybe, some awkwardness to it for some, but, from a girls perspective, who loves to wrestle, it's their perception that matters. Wrestling is, definitely, a healthy, happy thing for Pepe.
"It's a huge stress reliever," said Pepe.
And, there's even something that sounds a little more than just happiness when Pepe is on that wrestling mat and rolling around and grimacing and making others grunt, even scream, at her arm grabs, and other wrenching moves. Sounds like pure joy.

"When you get to hurt people for medals, it's fun," said Pepe.

Pepe is hoping to not just have a good season, but to make it great. And, how just does one go about doing that?

"Make it to state," said Pepe.

And how's that happen?

"My main focus is to put up a fight," said Pepe.

"She does, she does," said Cortinas, smiling.

"Got to put in lots of work, repetition," said Pepe.

"Yes, yes," said Cortinas. "Repetition is another skill."

So, then, moving on to the boys wrestler who already's been mentioned vaguely, Davis, it was some finish in his match against Brent Leffers of Enumclaw. Starting off, in round one, Davis got behind 2-0. Then, in the second round, he got a takedown, a reversal, and his opponent got a takedown and near fall that Davis fought out of, but Davis trailed, 6-4, after round two. In round three things got worse for Davis as Lefferts got more points on another reversal and takedown and near fall, and all Davis could get were three escape points. So he trailed, 12-7, with a minute left in the match.

And, in that last minute of round three, Davis went into another gear, doing a shot that led to a take down for two points, making it a 12-9 score. Then Davis, not done at that point, turned his opponent over with a nice rollover arm pin move and was in the process of pinning him when time ran out. The score only showed, 12-11, which meant that the near fall was a two-point score, instead, of the more lengthy time of nearly pinning a foe that three points.

Well, Davis was dejected enough looking, but a little in bewilderment because of losing that pin opportunity in the waning seconds of the third round because time ran out. He was starting to get ready to cool down when the referee said, "Get back here, we made a mistake, it's 12-12."

So that meant one thing.

Overtime!

In it, Davis was ready to go, given that extra life, feeling a little like a cat, probably, nine lives and all.
"I had to win," said Davis, speaking of going into OT. "I was thinking, 'I can't waste an opportunity like this.'"

Davis wasted little time, just over 10 seconds, getting a takedown, and that was all it took since it was sudden death, first wrestler to score in OT wins.

"Got pretty lucky," said Davis, smiling, afterward.

When Davis did not get lucky, however. He was in his semifinal, as he had opened with a bye before pinning a Highline wrestler at 2:20 of round two. But, then, in the semi, Davis got beat by a pin 1:09 into round one. And he knew exactly why he lost.

"Oh, I made a mistake in that one," said Davis. "I took a quick shot right at the beginning and he caught me in a cowcatcher. It's where he hooks you under the armpit and puts you right on your back."
But third place, a fine effort from Davis for his Rams team, second best finish of all the boy wrestlers.
"He fought hard," said Cortinas.

Flores finished best for his team, doing great in his wrestles for the Rams in the 113 pound class for his first year in high school. He opened the tourney with a bye in the first round before beating a wrestler from the Lakes Lancers, a school out of Lakewood in Tacoma, in his second round wrestle, a pin at 1:19 in round one. Then, in a semifinal, he wrestled a Highline wrestler, and, got the win, by pin, again, this time at 2:39, so just over a quarter way into round two for that nice victory. Then, in the final, he wrestled hard against a tough wrestler from Skyline, but couldn't get into any kind of rhythm. Flores trailed, 7-1, after round one, and was felled for the pin at 2:21 of round two.

"He's young, he's going to be a good one," said Cortinas.

Also, wrestling for the Rams at the tournament was Minh Pham at 132, Maxwell Bergseth at 138, Andrew Fragasso and Lavdrim Ajdini at 145, Tommy Nguyen at 152, Josh Gibbs at 170, Alex Bergseth at 182 and Noble Alexander at 285.