By Ed Shepherd
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Foster is experiencing some hard knocks in wrestling, having just lost 14 of 14 wrestling matches -- with12 of the weight-class losses by forfeit from sickness and injury, mostly -- against Lindbergh on Thursday.

"This year's been really tough," said Bulldogs wrestling coach Patrick Kalalau. "Last week, we were hit with the flu's. And, this week, injuries to kids."

The Bulldogs' Mark Schenck did wrestle on this day, in the 138-pound weight class, but if it was this time last week, he wouldn't have wrestled.

"I had ringworm last week. It's a real nasty skin rash. It's not good when you get it but it goes around in wrestling," said Schenck. "You put on an antifungal cream and let it dry a week, and it won't spread."

One more Bulldogs wrestler was almost not wrestling on this night either.

But Schenck did wrestle, coming into his match with a nice 16-6 record. But he went against a tough kid from the Eagles, who didnt' give up, down, 3-2, to Schenck after the second round, from Schenk's takedown and ecape to the opponent's two escape points in those rounds. Schenck was looking like he would get another takedown score at the end of the second round, but he wasn't awarded the points. Then, in the third round, the foe got an escape point on Schenck, wresting from his grasp, midway through it, to tie the score, 3-3.

"I let him go" said Schenck, frustratingly.

And, then, right after that, with a half minute left in the third round, Schenk got a technical violation called against him for "locking hands," as the ref called it. So, 4-3, the Eagle wrestler led Schenck because of that. And, Shenk just, after that, couldn't quite get the foe turned over, though, no fault for trying, as the foe stayed suctioned to the mat against Schenck in end part of the third round, mostly. And, then, in the final seconds, the foe got another escape and a "locking hands' violation.

"I'm glad I got that (locking hands) out of the way before the postseason," said Schenck. "I screwed myself up with two technical violations."

Schenck actually beat this same wrestler at a tournament that the Bulldogs attended when the team was all healthy a month or so ago at a tournament at Roosevelt High School in Seattle. I got some take downs, I won by, 7-0. But, we were wrestling at an unfamiliar weight class and I was a little more conditioned for the 148-pound, weight class."

Schenck had fans cheering. One was louder than the others, with a mom-sounding voice, so to speak. And, it was his mom, who was trying to help her son as he wrestled. As Schenck's foe was trying to pull free of Schenk's arms wrapped around his waist, Schenck's mom was shouting, at the end of round two, with her son, leading, 3-2, at the time, pleading words.

"Don't let him go, Mark, you don't let him go," said a convincing, even, parental voice, which was Brenda Schenk, Mark's mom.

And, that time, Schenck listened to mom, or, heard her, anyway, he didn't let go.

"She comes out to every tournament I am at," said Schenck. "It's awesome she's out there to support me. It's good to know that because in a match you only have yourself out on the mat."

Schenck is hoping to get past where he got last year in wrestling, as a Bulldog, this season.

"I was fourth at the league meet last year," said Schenck. "This year my goal is to go to state. Top four from league go to regionals and top four from regionals go to state."

So, that all goes to say, Schenck has fire in his bellly, having missed qualifying for regionals by just one place.

The other wrestler for the Bulldogs, wrestling against the Eagles was sophomore, Frank Leuga, at 285 pounds. He is wrestling in his first-year, and, he happened to get to wrestle one of the tougher guys in 3A, who took second a couple weeks ago at a big, 16-team tournament called, The Cardinal Classic, at Franklin Pierce High School. Garcia was 17-0 going into that tourney, too, and, already having won two other tourbnaments. So, Garcia was a tough foe for a young, underclassman, wrestler, like, Luega to face, to put it mildly. And, Leuga came out of the round one start all fired up but got caught quickly with an arm wrap and a take down and a pin, 43 seconds into the first round.

"He tries hard ,good attitude, got tied up and kid put him in a head and arm," said Kalalau.

It's nice to know, too, that teammates will give pointers to help fellow wrestlers out, like, Schenk did about Leuga.

"He can't be tying up with the Lindbergh kid, he is a lot taller than him," said Schenck. "A lot heavier, too, he has 60 pounds on Frank. He does a head and arm and Frank gets caught in it. But, that wrestler, James Garcia, he is a good wrestler. He won league last year."

Added Kalalau of his wrestler, Leuga, "He has a lot of energy, tries hard. He needs to throw that energy into the match. We had a talk, afterward, about what he can improve on."

The Bulldogs best wrestler, if history is any foresight, would be Kale Wovidich, but, he didn't wrestle on this night, because of a pulled back muscle. He will be back on the mat, soon, wrestling in the 120 pound weight class, likely. He's quite talented, he went to state as a freshman, and, sophomore, and, both years, took fourth at the Tacoma Dome. Then, last year, as a junior, he was showing his power and strength and drive by continuing to wrestle guys until he couldn't physically do it anymore. And, so, Wovidich's health forced him to forfeit his semifinal match at regionals. Wovidich had qualified himself for state, too, at regionals, so, that was good. But, bad was the fact that he was hurt too badly at regionals, wrestling, to be able to wrestle at state.

Not a broken leg, not a pulled muscle, that kept Wovidich from competing at state, either.

"He ruptured his spleen during regionals," said Kalalau. "He was in pain, it got to the point where he couldn't walk. He had to forfeit his semi final and he didn't make it to state. He was in a hospital for a week down in Portland."

Wovidich, out now, should be back shortly, in a week or so, said Kalalau

"He's injured, pulled a muscle in his back," said Kalalau. "He's been going through therapy the last few days."

Already, Wodivich has won a couple tournaments this season, the Roosevelt tourney, and, a Washington Premier tourney, and, Wovidich is undefeated so far this season, according to Kalalau.

Another wrestler with state promise this season would be junior Louis Cuellar, who will wrestle at either 120 or 126 class. He was out of the Eagle' dual because of sickness. Cuellar made it to state last year, but last in the early going, but, still he went. And, Kalalua thinks that he will get a chance to go, again, redemption.

"I expect Louis to make it, and, Kale, and, Mark can make it, too," said Kalalau of his state potential wrestlers.

Another wrestler who might be back to wrestling this season is Kumar Teve, who is out right now from suffering to fractured ribs, and, back injury, too.

"He's a first year wrestler,' said Kalalau. "A good attitude."

Their coach, Kalalau, tries hard, too, as Schenk put in some good words for his coach.

"He doesn't show us new moves," said Schenck. "He works on getting us better at the moves we do know."
And, speaking of not knowing someone yet on the Bulldogs team but she'll be known now, that being, junior, Shakila Omar, a girl wrestler, enjoys this tough sport, for fun, and, for life.

"Honestly, I love it," said Omar. "It's a challenge. I feel like it's going to help me through life."

"I wanted to kick her off the team, but she wanted to stay on," said Kalalua. "We have no other girls so she wrestles against the boys. She hangs in there."

Kalalua didn't wrestle against the Eagles, but she has wrestled at a tournament, which was last weekend. And, she enjoyed her first, and, only match she's been able to wrestle in against girls this season.
Did you do any moves on that girl?

"Yes, I did," said Omar. "I did a double take down and 'the drag.' It's where they put their hands on your shoulders and you drive their arm away from you, but, still holding onto it, and, pulling them down to the floor." Omar lost the match, but she did go into the third round before losing so not bad for a first-year wrestler.

"Before the first match, I wasn't sure I could do it, but, I did it, and, now, I want to do more," said Omar.
There was a sadness in her voice, some, as she said the next thing.

"I wish there were more girl wrestlers on the team," said Omar. "Four girls were on the team, but, each quit, it wasn't for them. I was, like, I'm going to stick to this."

And, again, Schenck explained his support of Omar wrestling by the words he said of her, critiquing her in a positive light of her past tournament wrestle last weekend.

"The girl Shakila wrestled was a weight class above her, but she maintained control a lot of the match," said Schenck. "For being her first match, she did a great job. She just needs to stay in control. If you take a break for a second, the match can turn against you."

And, Omar took her turn at talking about Coach Kalalau.

"He teaches us more than just being in the sport," she said. "Wrestling is something to take with you the rest of your life."

And, for this season, any goals, short-term, long-term?

"Just keep going until the end, see how far it will take me," said Omar. "I feel more capable of trying something new, things things that are challenging."

And, Omar is already thinking about next season, what she is preparing to do a lot more.

"To have more matches in the beginning, tournaments, to get better," she said.

Get to state?

"Yeah," said Omar, who has participated in track well as a Bulldog, too.

"I've been to state in track every year, I was one place away from placing (top eight) in the 400 meter run last season," said Omar.

And, she was wanting to be wrestling against an Eagles' wrestler on this night, but they didn't have anyone to wrestler her .

"I was upset I didn't get a chance to wrestle today," said Omar. "But, I guess, I get to wrestle next Thursday"

The Bulldogs travel to Kennedy for a 7 p.m. match next Thursday.