EDMONDS — All the hard work over the summer, during fall and spring workouts and after practices came down to one moment for Nathan Vulliet.
Leading 4-0 in his match with Jacob Butler, the Warriors 145-pounder was on the bottom and needed more points to win by major decision and give E-W an insurmountable lead. Using a Peterson Roll, which consists of a wrestler grabbing an opponent’s hand and leg and rolling him to his back, Vulliet scored a reversal and a near-fall and controlled Butler on his back for the rest of the match to score a 9-0 major decision and give the Warriors a seven-point lead with just one match to go.
Kamiak’s Jacob Butler would get a pin in the final match of the night but due to Vulliet’s win Edmonds-Woodway held on for a one-point win, 37-36, to win its third league title in a row and fourth in five years at Edmonds-Woodway H.S. on Thursday night.
“It was huge because it locked it in for us,” said Edmonds-Woodway coach Brian Alfi of Vulliet’s win. “The kids were pumped and it was nice to see all of this group’s hard work pay off.”
Alfi deflected all credit for his team’s success back to them.
“It’s the kids. It’s not anything we did as coaches,” Alfi said. “These kids put in the work all year round and it resulted in the win tonight. It’s good for the younger guys to see that if they want to do what the guys did tonight they have to put in the hard work.”
The marquee match of the night was arguably defending state champ Edmonds-Woodway’s Noah Cuzzetto and Kamiak’s state-placer Josh Heitzman. The Warriors sophomore won 8-0 and kept his record spotless against Washington wrestlers (Cuzzetto’s lone loss this season is to a two-time Oregon state champ).
“Noah was flawless,” Alfi said. “He was very aggressive and really came out pumped for that match. That’s always the matches you want for those kind of kids. He likes to be challenged and really gets up for those matches.”
At Edmonds-Woodway H.S.
106—Gabe Baltazar (EW) pinned Kobe Kamin :52; 113—Ryan James (K) pinned Jackson Fair 2:25; 120—Noah Cuzzetto (EW) major dec. Josh Heitzman 8-0; 126—Tyler Stedman (EW) dec. Nathan Goodwin 12-5; 132—Mark Hood (EW) major dec. Alex Maxey 15-6; 138—Tyler Frisch (K) pinned Hiram Martin 4:38; 145—Nathan Vulliet (EW) major dec. Jacob Butler 9-0; 152—Spencer Mitchell (K) pinned Wes Korbein 1:13; 160—DeShaun Washington (EW) pinned Conner Mitchell 4:24; 170—Tyler Webley (K) won by forfeit; 182—Marquise Brown (EW) major dec. Kyle Sullivan 9-1; 195—Michael Powell (K) pinned Michael Swires 3:14; 220—Jordan Mochmar (K) pinned Jason Turnquist 1:10; 285—George Johanson (EW) won by forfeit. Records—Kamiak 3-2 league, 5-8 overall. Edmond-Woodway 5-0, 9-3.
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