Dec. 6, 2004: The Salt Lake Tribune

Wasatch Looks Dominant Yet Again
by Peter Richins
The Salt Lake Tribune

LAYTON — If Saturday's final round of the Layton Invitational wrestling tournament is any indication, Wasatch again will dominate the state.

After two days of competition, the Wasps advanced seven wrestlers to the final round and held a 29-point lead over second-place Box Elder. The Bees had a slim chance of catching Wasatch, but the Wasps proved unbeatable in the championship round and won the tournament for the second straight year.

Wasatch finished with 297.5 points, well ahead of the Bees' 251. Viewmont was swept in the finals but still took third place with 230.5 points.

Despite Wasatch's 7-0 performance in the championship round, first-year Wasatch coach Ben Vombaur saw some room for improvement.

"We finished well,” Vambaur said. "There were a few guys that should have done better, and they will. We have a lot of things to work on on Monday.”

Wasatch beat Box Elder in the finals in three weight classes. The Wasps' Casey Smith won by major decision 9-0 over the Bees' Caleb Isom at 112 pounds. Ethan Smith earned a 7-2 victory over Jason Hancey at 130. And at 171 pounds, Carson Brown pinned Tyson Peterson.

"It's great to win our first tournament,” Vambaur said. "Utah has some great wrestlers.”

For the second straight year, Wasatch heavyweight Dallin Norton beat West Jordan's Rio Stottler. Last year Norton pinned Stottler, but this year Stottler held his own and lost 7-3.

"He has gotten a lot stronger and better; I was really impressed with him,” Norton, who was named Outstanding Wrestler for the upper weights, said. "I hope I get to wrestle him again at the All-Star Duals.”

Perhaps the Wasps' biggest victory in the finals came at 160 when Jordan Smith beat Brighton's Talan Knox 3-2. Trailing the defending Class 5-A champion 2-1, Smith countered Knox's move in the final period and earned a takedown in the final moment.

"I was looking forward to wrestling him this whole tournament,” Smith, who was a runner-up in the 3-A state tournament last year, said. "He's a tough kid, and it was a tough match.”

Perhaps the biggest upset of the night came at 135 when Bountiful's Cameron George beat Viewmont's Shay Lawrence in double overtime. George chose the down position after a scoreless first overtime, then earned an escape for the victory. George was named Outstanding Wrestler for the lower weights.

Also for Wasatch, Cyler Sanderson won by technical fall at 140 and Shane Bonner won by decision at 119.

Vombaur said the feeling on Wasatch's team is mixed.

"They are confident, and at the same time they know they need to make improvements,” Vombaur said.