Panthers pin down win against Columbia River

In Washougal, you know it is varsity wrestling time when the gymnasium lights suddenly turn off, replaced by a single light hanging over the mat.

The indoor, seasonal light show quickly got a large Washougal crowd roaring for the Panther’s first home dual meet of the season against the Columbia River Chieftains on Dec. 12. The Panther boys wrestling team took care of business, beating the Chieftains 48-29.

Heavyweight senior Xander Romo got things started with a quick pin in the first round over the Chieftains’ Caeden Craig.

“What I was doing was waiting until he got in deep and sunk in,” Romo said after the match. “So, basically, I was just setting him up for a hip toss, where I get my arm behind him and throw him back on his back.”

Romo weighs about 225, but wrestles opponents weighing up to 285 pounds. He says he could drop to 220 if he wanted to, but feels he has an advantage against larger opponents with his quickness.

The Dec. 12 match was payback time for Washougal sophomore Jonathan Wells, who went up against Rocky Hanes in the 120-pound division. Hanes had knocked Wells out of sub-districts last season, costing the Washougal Panther a trip to the state tournament. On Dec. 12, Wells pinned Hanes in the second round.

“It felt good. I think the difference was better conditioning, which kept me strong the entire match,” Wells said.

That conditioning came from long-distance running: Wells competed for the Panthers at the state cross-country championships.

Washougal junior Cole Pass beat the Chieftains’ Reuben Bisagna with a pin, after taking Bisagna down with a double leg move.

“I got him on the bottom, where he was real frisky, so I had to stick to his hips and ride him like a bull for the pin,” Pass said.