Yelm’s Phoenix Dubose, Derrick Platt still in position to repeat after first day of Mat Classic

In between rounds at Mat Classic XXXI, Yelm High School’s defending state girls wrestling champion Phoenix Dubose was doing laps around the Tacoma Dome.

She wasn’t running to keep her weight down.

She was carrying on conversations.

“Phoenix is a social butterfly,” Tornados girls coach Amy Earley said. “These are her people.”

And the Dome seems to be her place, too. Dubose easily won her two 115-pound matches Friday — both by pin.

In fact, the Yelm standout has trouble explaining the move that sent Lakewood’s Torrie Blackwood to mat. All she knows is that it worked — getting a fall in one minute, 27 seconds to reach the state quarterfinals.

“I was feeling good today,” Dubose said. “I was definitely on my game. I came out and I was doing what I know works, wrestling my moves.”

Dubose will face Sunnyside’s Aailiyah Chavez in the quarterfinals Saturday morning.

If Dubose can defeat Chavez, she will clinch a fourth state placing for her career. And if she wins her next two matches, she will be in a championship match for the third consecutive season.

And yet, she seems unaffected by any of the pressure that comes with defending a state title.

“Mostly it is because this is my fourth year here,” Dubose said. “I have gotten used to the layout of the Dome, and it is little easier coming and stepping on the mat and wrestling your opponent like it is any other tournament, which it is.”

With Dubose the school’s lone championship-bracket survivor, the Yelm girls appear out of the chase for a third consecutive team title.

But, the Yelm boys are right in the thick of things.

The Tornados have five quarterfinalists in Ryan Davis (136), Steven Reyes (138), Chayton Miller (152), Jason Nelson (170) and defending state champion Derrick Platt (195).

And their 82 points are right behind tournament-leading Mount Spokane (84), which also has five wrestlers in the quarterfinals.

“We probably made up some ground,” Yelm boys coach Gaylord Strand said. “We will keep in it as long as we can, and if we keep winning, we get points.”

Platt spent a total of 2:17 on the mat Friday, including.a round-of-16 pin of Rainier Beach’s Jacob Pamer in 29 seconds.

“He is our horse,” Strand said.

Other 3A wrestlers who advanced to the quarterfinals included Shelton’s Ammon Anderson at 195, and North Thurston’s Kai Burgman at 285.

Black Hills has three wrestlers in the 2A quarterfinals — Nolan Kessee at 138, Julian Kennedy at 160 and Tate Elliot at 285.

Also still alive in the 2A championship bracket are Rochester’s Jayden Lancaster (145), Centralia’s Caleb Hylton (160), River Ridge’s Riley Edwards (170) and Tumwater’s Caden Hicks (220).

Edwards is the surprise quarterfinalist of the group. He is unranked, and placed third at the 2A SPSL Sound sub-regional tournament two weeks ago.

But the Hawks’ junior won a pair of decisions, including a 6-2 win over Mountlake Terrace’s Jalce Jones in the round of 16.

Elma’s Taitum Brumfield (195) was the only local to survive in 1A winner’s bracket.

In 2B/1B, a pair of Rainier products — Jayson Ducey at 106, and Tyler Barlass at 126 — are through to the quarterfinals.

Other girls in the quarterfinals include Elma’s Jamison Carrel (130), W.F. West’s Brisa Leal-Sierra (170) and Shelton’s Quinn Lacy (285).