Grizzly girl wrestlers on a roll

COLFAX – The Newport High School girls’ wrestling team is looking crisp and clean this season after grappling their way to the number nine spot in B school rankings for wrestling teams in Washington after the Colfax League Mixer Thursday, Jan. 29, followed by a couple matches Friday, Jan. 30 at Liberty at State Duals at Othello Saturday, Jan. 31.

“We did very well this last week,” coach Scott Pillers said. “We were seeded last going into the tournament and that must have sparked something in the girls because they went out on fire.”

The Grizzly girls won the dual against Black Hills, 48-36. According to Pillers, that was the team’s first ever dual as a girls’ team, “Where we were all from the same school.”

“Newport used to compete in a dual tournament at Dream Duals in Spokane, but that team was made up of 5-6 schools,” Pillers said.

After Black Hills, Newport faced number two ranked Othello where Newport lost, 60-23. The Grizzlies closed out the day wrestling Chief Sealth, losing 48-36.

“I was sure we could beat them, but with my over-confidence I made a coaching error, and we lost,” Pillers said. “Overall, knowing we are in the top nine teams in the state feels quite accomplished.”

Coming up, the girls travel to the State Qualifier in Liberty Saturday, Feb. 14.

SOPHIA MATTICE-ALDOUS IS A MURROW NEWS FELLOW WORKING DIRECTLY WITH NEWSROOMS AT THE NEWPORT MINER AND RANGE MEDIA THROUGH A PROGRAM ADMINISTERED BY WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY. HER REPORTING IS AVAILABLE FOR USE VIA CREATIVE COMMONS WITH CREDIT.