SK pins Bellarmine's ears back in 80-0 laugher

Tuesday night’s dual wrestling match between Bellarmine Prep and South Kitsap lacked just one thing. Drama.

The Wolves quickly turned their home opener into a pin-fest and cruised to a school-record 80-0 victory over the outmatched Lions. South Kitsap recorded pins in 10 of its 14 contested matches.

“We all just had a good match,” Steve Razey said. “We prepare for the hard teams and just go out like we practice. Our coaches say to practice how you want to wrestle, so we did.”

The entire match looked like a practice as South Kitsap came within four points of a perfect score. If a team were to record pins in all 14 matches, it would garner 84 points, the most a team can earn.

“I had no idea what to expect,” said Kyle Saltsgaver, who easily won his match at 275 pounds, pinning Dan Quarles with 47 seconds left in the first round.

“He was bigger than me,” said Saltsgaver, who placed fourth at last week’s Auburn Invitational. “He went for the head and arm and I just threw it back on him and tripped him and it went right for me.”

Razey, who pinned C.J. Gilson three minutes, 15 seconds into his 215-pound match, was also coming off a fourth-place finish in Auburn and wanted a chance to redeem himself.

“I take pride in what I do and I can’t stand losing,” Razey said. “So I wanted to come out and give it my best. I feel a little redemption. It feels good.”

He also knows there is room for improvement.

“I know I could be doing a lot better,” Razey said. “I need to just push myself. I’m not too happy.”

The biggest match of the night may have Micah Kipperberg’s pin of Keith Richstad, coming 5:35 into the 135-pound match. Kipperberg, who placed seventh in the Class 4A state meet last year, finished fourth as well in Auburn.

“This was very important (to me),” Kipperberg said. “I was excited, I was focused, I was pumped up because of the loss I had. I decided I was going to come out and tear the other guy’s head off. And I did that.”

The Wolves got pins from Josiah Kipperberg, at 103 pounds, Jacob Coppinger at 125, Brandon Kelly at 130, Craig Senter at 145, and Jon Potts at 189, all worth six points each. Garrett Lyman and Brent Chriswell both scored major decisions, worth four points each, while the remaining matches were forfeits, worth six points.

In all, coach Ron Hudiburg was pleasantly surprised while Saltsgaver was happy but determined to do better.

“I feel that I have a lot to do,” Saltsgaver said. “I have to get stronger and I have to work.”

The Wolves put their 104-straight Narrows League dual match winning streak on the line Monday when they play host to Port Angeles. First match begins at 7 p.m. at the South Kitsap gym.

South Kitsap 80, Bellarmine 0

103 pound – Josiah Kipperberg , SK, pinned Michael McKenna, 2:44; 112 – Robbie Luder, SK, by forfeit; 119 – Garrett Lyman, SK, md. Mark Perez, 12-3; 125 – Jacob Coppinger, SK, pinned Eesa Abdul-Lafif, 1:56; Brandon Kelly, SK, pinned Scott Gibson, 2:46; 135 – Micah Kipperberg, SK, pinned Keith Richstad 5:35; 140 – Kyle Coppinger, SK, pinned Semus Savon, 2:25; 145- Craig Senter, SK, pinned Kevin Respicio, :56; 152 – Pat Kelly, SK, by forfeit; 160 – Brent Chriswell, SK, md. David Maybury, 15-5; 171 – Jeff Cink, SK, by forfeit; 189 – Jon Potts, SK, pinned Kevin Hale, 1:51; 215 – Steve Razey, SK, pinned CJ Gilson, 2:45; 275 – Kyle Saltsgaver, SK, pinned Dan Quarles, 1:13.

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