When the crowd roared and the lights shone brightest in the Tacoma Dome, the moment was not too big for Ridgefield twins Jonas and Mason DesRochers and La Center’s Hunter Shirley, as they each dominated their state finals matches to stand at the top of the podium on Saturday, Feb. 21.
The DesRochers twins finished the season 32-0 each, both capping it off with their third state titles as juniors. Now, the pair look to their senior seasons for the chance to join rare company in Washington state high school wrestling history.
But beforehand, the twins relished their moment on Feb. 21, representing their hometown after two years wrestling for Skyview High School at class 4A. Dropping down to the 2A classification representing Ridgefield High School, this time around there was no drop in talent at all, as the classification is dominated by Orting and Toppenish, who have combined to win all but one of the last 10 team state titles.
“I mean, 2A on paper is the tougher division. Me and my brother didn’t care,” Mason DesRochers said. “We didn’t come here for wrestling. We came here for our friends, our old community, you know. And it’s just great to get it done.”
In the semifinals, both Mason and Jonas DesRochers went up against Orting wrestlers who would go on to earn third and fourth place finishes, assisting in Orting’s 2A team state title.
In the finals, Jonas DesRochers had full control over last year’s runnerup, Ellensburg's Cash Eylar. Jonas DesRochers ended it with a pin for the 2A 132-pound state title.
“I set a goal when I was little that I want to be a three-time state champion,” Jonas DesRochers said. “I already got that, so I think it’s time to go get that fourth and surpass my goal.”
With Jonas DesRochers hitting the mat first at 132 pounds, he set the tone for his twin. He added that sometimes the twin dynamic can get a little weird based on the result of whoever competes first.
“If one of us loses, if we wrestle after, our matches don’t go very well,” Jonas DesRochers said. “We like to feed off each other. So he saw me get a win, so I expect him to pull through.”
Wrestling a couple of matches later at 144 pounds, Mason DesRochers did just that en route to a tech fall finish over last year’s third place wrestler, Toppenish’s Anthony Sifuentes.
“We feed off each other,” Mason DesRochers echoed after his state title win. “Like, if one of us loses, then the other one doesn’t wrestle quite as good.”
The DesRocher twins headlined a stellar Spudder team performance as the Ridgefield High School boys team finished third, behind the powerhouses of Orting and Toppenish.
Other podium finishers for the Spudders included:
A teammate battle all season leads to a state title for La Center
The class 1A 106-pound state title match had a guarantee to feature a La Center wrestler as sophomore Hunter Shirley squared off against freshman Dillon Regis in the semifinal round.
Regis has had the upper hand on Shirley this season, with wins over his teammate in the District 4 tournament and the Pac Coast Championships. But Shirley evened the season series at two after a 6-2 semifinal win over Regis to secure his spot in the state final bout.
“I beat him the first time in the season at a tournament, and then I lost to him two times in a row, so I thought I better make it even and make it count and win when it matters,” Shirley said, reflecting back on his journey to overcome a teammate rivalry to then clinch state glory.
Shirley dominated Stratton Yorgesen of Royal High School from the opening whistle, winning the state title 18-1 by technical fall. Shirley nearly ended the match with a pin on more than one occasion. But he racked up nearfall points in all three periods totalling out 10 of his 18 points in the championship win.
“It shows a lot, but there’s definitely more I can do,” Shirley said after his win.
Regis finished his freshman season with a win. Regis landed a pin in the third-place match over Wapato’s Jacob Gambito to join his teammate near the top of the podium.
Other podium finishers for the La Center Wildcats included:
How others fared in the Tacoma Dome
In the boys 4A state championships, Battle Ground High School had a pair of podium finishers as Andrew Gray earned second place at 157 pounds while Emet Ordway finished fifth place at 215 pounds.
In the boys 3A state championships, Prairie High School’s Tommie Vick earned third place at 138 pounds.
In the boys 2A state championships, Woodland High School had a pair of podium finishers with Marcellus Arevalo finishing in fifth place at 157 pounds while Mathis Johns placed sixth place at 126 pounds. Hockinson’s Austin Wallace placed seventh place at 138 pounds.
In the girls 2A state championships, Hockinson’s Teagan Trenda finished in second place at 130 pounds while Makenzie Carter placed in sixth at 105 pounds.
