Beamer and Decatur represented the Federal Way area well, with the Titans reeling in seven state qualifications and the Gators four in action at the Region II wrestling championships in Todd Beamer's gym last Saturday.

"Awesome, hard work pays off," said Ben Thuney, who co-coaches with Bret Lucas for the Titans, in the long haul reaping their most rewards ever leading up to state.

The most wrestlers the Titans ever sent to state prior to this year was five.

"Our goal was eight to state, and we're sending seven and one alternate " said Thuney.

Top four wrestlers from regionals qualify automatically for state that happens this Friday and Saturday in the Tacoma Dome, and a fifth place finisher is the alternate, getting to compete only if one of the top four can't make it for an illness or injury.

Thuney and Lucas, and also assistant Randy Burns, have been telling the wrestlers since the infancy of this past South Puget Sound League wrestling season what is needed. Their best efforts now!

"Been telling the kids since Day one it's all about peaking at the end of the year," said Thuney.

Bam! It's happened.

It's taken eight years to get to this state of having a record number of wrestlers qualify to state for Beamer, which Bressler's done a time or two or three for Decatur in his decade long coaching there.

So, Lucas and Thuney are now getting close to Bressler's elite company. Bressler also was named "Coach of the year" for Region II, which has 18 teams in it, coming from the Kingco and South Puget Sound League South divisions meeting.

"It's a nice honor," said Bressler, adding, "But I'd just as soon have a few more kids make it to the state tournament."

Bressler's the bar for the Federal Way area, having three state champions in his decade long coaching that started out in 2000 with the Decatur program in shambles when he came, not winning many matches. But in that time he molded a program, getting state champion wrestlers in 2001 with Greg Trotter at 103 pounds, and his son Kyle at 189 pounds a two-time state champ in 2004-05, and, last year, Tevyn Tillman at 275.

Thuney and Lucas have a second place wrestler from state, last year's Trevor Mills, losing in overtime to Snohomish's Sam Otto. And, this year at regionals, though Beamer qualified seven wrestlers, none of those won the title. From Bressler's four going on to state now next weekend, one won, Dylan Aparis, who fought like an animal to win his match, 20-18, in overtime, at 152 pounds.

Things looked all but over for Aparis in overtime, after what had been a point for point free-for-all up to that point with takedowns, reversals and near-falls all in the mix for Aparis, a senior, and, his foe from Lake Washington. In overtime, Aparis was lifted up for what looked like an inevitable throwdown.

But no. Aparis stood tall being crushed in his opponents hands, not allowing him to flop him to the canvas like a sack of potatoes. Aparis remained straight as a board in his foe's arms, all the while squeezing and gripping his foe until he put him down. Most will pick up a foe and throw him from his feet for an easy takedown, 9 out of 10 times that's what happens.

But not this time. Aparis landed on his feet...

"He picked me up," said Aparis. "And I was just waiting for him to put me back down. When he did, I hit a switch on him."

"Switch" means a reversal, as when Aparis hit his feet under control, it was he who then used his momentum and tremendous upper body strength to turn the tables on his LW foe.

"Kid had him up in the air," said Bressler. "And that is how you want to defend it. Dylan hung and when the kid put him down he trapped the leg and hit a quick switch, got a cradle, and got a takedown. Dynamite match."

Bressler, during the match going into the third two-minutes of round action, the final round, said two words to Aparis as Aparis led, 13-10, going into the third round.

"Be smart," said Bressler with Aparis looking attentively at his coach.

Be smart meant what?

"I needed to stop making so many mistakes," said Aparis, who took third at regionals last year and didn't even go his sophomore year because of a dislocated finger from the league meet prior to regionals. His freshman year he didn't make it to regionals.

Aparis , who went 34-4 in matches this season, was sure of what mistakes he was making.

"Just trying to go for pins that weren't there," said Aparis. "He kind of surprised me, he was short and he was strong."

Aparis had a strategy going into this regional final.

"Take whatever he gave me," said Aparis. "My strategy was not to give up so many points. So that kind of went down the drain."

What were you thinking when he had you up in the air, Dylan?

"Picked up like that, a lot of people think they are in trouble," said Aparis.

The foe then only has to sweep away your legs and flatten you to the mat like a pancake. Two points for takedown, game over, so to speak?

Aparis smiled but wasn't done explaining this one full out.

"He was definitely in the most control, but you still have a little bit of control and you have got to keep wrestling. A lot of people get picked up and think they are done. They don't even try."

Aparis did more than try, he did it, and, got the most honor locally for his trying feat of diligent success.

Aparis, like all these wrestlers that made it to the title match won two wrestling matches prior to the final, pinned his first guy in 30 seconds and his second foe in 50 seconds.

The second most exciting match score-wise and place-wise was second place finisher for Beamer, Ares Carpio, a sophomore at 119. Carpio gave it a game go, but lost 6-4 in the very end.

"I need to focus on myself a little more," said Carpio, who didn't make it anywhere last year because of a knee injury late last season.
Carpio's focus in this match against a Rogers wrestler was on winning, not going for the tie. He was behind most of the match, down 2-1, then 3-1, giving up an escape. Then he tied it with a minute left in round three.

The crowd, definitely pro-Beamer in their own gym screaming for Carpio, with some Rogers (South Hill, Puyallup) fans there too, then watched Carpio grab his foe and let go. That move gave his foe a 4-3 lead in the final 30 seconds. Then Carpio went for a takedown, shooting at his foe's legs. But he was counterattacked for a takedown, 6-4. That was it, the final time ran out.

Should you have let him go?

"It was either that or overtime," said Carpio. "I thought I would take him. I went for all or nothing."

Well, the end result is definitely not nothing for Carpio. State is next and Carpio will be there and the incentive to face this Rogers foe again would be nice.

"That's all I care about, getting to state," said Carpio.

The other second place match, going in order of placers for Beamer, was Tre Uson, another sophomore, going at 112 weight class.
He lost 10-1, so, it wasn't close but it was a good learning experience for Uson.

Uson looked overpowered in this one and he now is 31-7, not bad, considering he is not only young but was with "double digit" losses last year.

"I guess (I was overpowered)," said Uson. "I will work harder."

A third place wrestler for Beamer was Connor Gleason at 171. He was rooted on wildly from the fans in the stands as he was in a tough match. It was tough mostly because the foe tried to head butt Gleason and did end up ramming his head into Gleason's chest a time or two.

"I started beating him and he just got more and more angry. He knew he was not going to beat me so he went into fighter mode. I was really pumped, I had the support of whole crowd, even our rival school (Decatur) was cheering for me."

"I give Conner a lot of credit for keeping his composure," said Thuney.

Another Beamer, Ben Draeger, took fourth at 160 pounds, but it's still good enough to go on to state. And Draeger, a soccer goalie for the successful boys soccer team, making it to final four of state a couple years ago, and captain of his wrestling team this season, knows what from here on out needs to be done.

"I need to work on my feet a lot more and I can't rely on my go-to move," he said.

Draeger is happy with the whole fact of so many Federal Way school wrestlers from the SPSL South going, counting Decatur, too.

"A lot of people going to state, that's exciting," said Draeger, saying what he's going for, so to speak. "One of my goals was to go to state, but I am not just going to participate now, I am going to place."

Draeger was a pretty good bet to make going to state last year but he got injured in a match against another wrestler, Aparis, and, that hurt him as he showed great heart hopping around the ring in that match but losing to Aparis.

"I am glad for him (Aparis)," said Draeger. "We don't have to wrestler each other, and, it is good to be friends with him."
Aaron Set-Heit also wrestled. He was actually in the championship match, like Carpio and Uson, for Beamer, and he lost quickly by pin in the first minute of the first round. He knows he can do better.

"I got caught expecting a different move," said Set-Heit, "I shouldn't have been expecting moves, I should have just wrestled hard."
State is now.

"Hopefully top four at state," said Carpio.

For Decatur, and Bressler's troops, it was Eric Godfrey, for one, doing well -- getting fourth place at 140 as a senior.

"I wanted to do better, I just have to go harder, and work harder in practices."

Tyler Thomas of the Gators was also fourth at regionals.

"Both did a good job. They were 25-plus match winners," said Bressler.