By Mike Cooper

When perennial powerhouse Moses Lake took the mat Friday night in a non-conference meet against Edmonds-Woodway, the fans got what they came to see, exciting wrestling.  Moses Lake, which has won 17 state team titles and placed in the top ten 46 times, defeated the Warriors 52-18.  (You can read more about Moses Lake’s wrestling legacy here.)

The final dual meet score does not always reflect the excitement that takes place when two grapplers step on to the mat, and Friday night was no exception. Take the match-up at 120 lbs. between Warrior Noah Cuzzetto, defending state champ, ranked first in state this year, and Chief Fernando Leyva, who placed fifth in state last year and is currently ranked seventh. Cuzzetto continued to dominate the weight class by pinning Leyva halfway into the second period.

The evening’s most exciting match came at 170 lbs., featuring Noah Cuzzetto’s brother, Matt. The older Cuzzetto was wrestling up a weight from his normal 160 lbs., and was matched against a much bigger Hector Zavala from Moses Lake. It was a low-scoring affair that finished in a 2-2 tie at the end of regulation. In the one-minute sudden victory overtime, the wrestlers started on their feet. While the period was action-packed with big moves at the edge of the mat, neither wrestler could score.  The next overtime is two, 30-second periods with both grapplers having a chance to score. During this action, Cuzzetto scored two escapes and Zavala scored a takedown, leaving the tally knotted at 4. In the final 30-second overtime, the wrestlers start on the mat and it is sudden victory. The bottom wrestler must escape or reverse to win. If the top wrestler rides on top the entire 30 seconds, he wins. Cuzzetto had the choice and chose to start in the bottom position. With 10 seconds left in the period, Cuzzetto scored an escape at the edge of the mat to win 5-4.

Edmonds-Woodway, which defeated Cascade Thursday night, now has a record of 5-3 and remains atop the Wesco South.

Results:
106–Clayton Clark (ML) pinned Gabe Baltazar, 1:34; 113—Trey Long (ML) maj. dec. Jackson Fair, 9-1; 120–Noah Cuzzetto (EW) pinned Fernando Leyva, 3:10; 126–Chase Clasen (ML) pinned Tyler Stedman, 2:25; 132–Bradl Fox (ML) pinned Mark Hood, 5:31; 138–Sean Cotton (ML) pinned Hiram Martin, 1:48; 145–Brendon Sanchez (ML) dec. Nathan Vulliet, 5-3; 152–Hudson Mauseth (ML) dec. Wes Korbein, 6-0; 160–Nico Hernandez (ML) pinned DeShaun Washington, 2:32; 170–Matt Cuzzetto (EW) dec. Hector Zavala, 5-4 OT; 182–Marq Brown (EW) dec. Easton Castro, 2-1; 195–Jordan Lacell (ML) pinned Spencer Schultz, 0:30; 220–Dylan Morris (ML) pinned Jasen Turnquist, 4:17; 285–George Johanson (EW) pinned Cole Deaver, 1:17.