Seven wins, including four by way of fall, were just enough for the Mount Si wrestling team at Eastlake Jan. 22.

The Wildcats picked up falls from Dan Peterson, Ben Larson, Shane Dixon and Doc Derwin, before holding off a late surge by the Wolves to post a 36-33 dual victory. Even though it was close, Mount Si still wasn’t feeling too fortunate — not after losing by a single point just one day earlier.

The Wildcats were, however, feeling grateful about getting a win.

Doc Derwin goes for the pin in the 189-pound match against Eastlake on Jan. 22. Derwin earned his pin and the Wildcats defeated the Wolves, 36-33.

“We were definitely in need of a win,” head coach Jeff Newcomer said. “We’re kind of in a down time right now. We’re still seeing a lot of inconsistencies with our lineup.”

The best match of the night came at 171 pounds, where Shelby Williams pulled out a 19-16 decision in a match that went back and forth. It was tied, 12-12, after the first two periods.

Other important wins for Mount Si came at 189, where Derwin pinned his opponent in 4:19, and at 119, where Peterson started off the dual with a pin in 2:44.

“The matches at 189, 171 and 119 were all key. All of those helped us, for sure,” Newcomer said. “But we still have a lot of work to do.

“We’re not really all that focused on our duals right now. We’ve thrown quite a few freshmen and new guys out there, so that makes it tough. We’re just trying to get our guys good enough to get some of them into the state tournament.”

Larson’s pin came at 135 pounds, while Dixon’s was at 152 pounds. Mount Si also picked up an 8-2 win by Ryan Makela at 145 and a forfeit for Ryan Ransavage at 285.

A day earlier, the Wildcats fell to Newport, 39-38. Mount Si’s key wins came from Andrew Sypher in a 15-0 technical fall at 119, Larson by way of fall at 135, Frank Tassara by a 6-0 decision at 152 and Michael Nelson with a pin at 285. The Wildcats also received wins by way of fall at 145 and 189.

Both Newport and Mount Si were forced to forfeit one match. They each won seven matches. The difference in the dual came in the fact that Newport won five matches by way of fall, while the Wildcats picked up only four.

Reach editor Ryan Piersol at editor@snovalleystar.com or 392-6434.

When Ryan Ransavage runs out on the wrestling mat, he doesn’t look all that intimidating. He doesn’t look that strong. He doesn’t even look that quick.

Then again, he doesn’t much look like a pioneer either.

Nevertheless, the Mount Si senior is playing all four parts quite well this winter. Using a rare combination of strength and speed, the heavyweight has launched himself to a No. 2 state ranking in his weight class.

Mount Si senior Ryan Ransavage throws around 285-pound wrestlers like overmatched weights.

It’s unusual territory for a Wildcat. Mount Si has never had a heavyweight in legitimate position to win a state championship, much less actually accomplish the feat. But here Ransavage is — strong, fast and in position to make history.

“It would be pretty neat if I could win (state) and be the first,” he said. “It would be amazing, probably the best thing to happen to me in high school.”

Too often, however, when Ransavage thinks about wrestling, he doesn’t recall the number one, but the number four. That’s how many inches he says he was from advancing to the Class 3A state finals a year ago.

Ransavage lost in the semifinals to Jake Anstett of Everett in overtime. Before that match went to an extra period, Ransavage managed what would have been a match-winning take down, but was just barely out of bounds.

Following that defeat, Ransavage dropped two more matches that day and ended up sixth.

He’s used that disappointing finish as fuel this season, having already won first at the Sedro-Wooley Invitational. He defeated some of the best heavyweights in the state during that tournament and, being the true trailblazer that he is, became the first-ever Wildcat to win a championship there.

“He’s wrestling really well,” Mount Si head coach Jeff Newcomer said. “I think he’s got a really good shot (to win state). I think the biggest thing for him is that he stays focused and stays hungry. If he does end up losing, it will probably only be because he’s complacent.”

Newcomer said Ransavage is a tough match for opponents, because he does so many things well. At 255 pounds, he’s smaller than most of his opponents and, as a result, quicker. He’s also unusually strong, having posted top marks on the football team last spring with a bench press of 325, a squat at 480 and a clean of 265.

“He has incredible strength and he also has a lot of speed. That speed is really rare for a heavyweight. And he’s really good at his techniques, which is something he’s worked really hard at,” Newcomer said.

“I think a lot of people go in underestimating what he can actually do. Because, while he’s really strong and really fast, he doesn’t look like he’s either.”

Ransavage should get a great idea of how he stacks up with the rest of the state this weekend when Mount Si travels to Sequim. Port Angeles heavyweight John Camp, who is the only 285-pounder in Washington ranked ahead of Ransavage, is scheduled to be there. The two could also meet up again later in the season when the Wildcats travel to Port Angeles.

Ransavage should also get a chance to see the state’s No. 3-ranked heavyweight at some point this season since Cody Treddenbarger wrestles for league foe Juanita.

Not that Ransavage is aware of his potential. This summer, while attending a camp at Oregon State University, he faced Beavers 197-pound All-American Kyle Bressler. Battling to the best-of-five in takedowns, Ransavage at one point had a 2-1 lead. With the score evened at 2-2, though, Mount Si’s big man chipped five of his teeth on Bressler’s forearm.

The experience might have been painful, but it was still valuable.

“It was different wrestling him,” Ransavage said. “He was just so much quicker and stronger for his size than most guys I see.”

Soon, Ransavage is scheduled to make an official recruiting visit to Western Washington University in Bellingham. He’ll be going as a football recruit, but certainly hasn’t dismissed the idea of wrestling in college, as well.

“There aren’t as many opportunities to wrestle in college as there are in football, but I’m just hoping I don’t have to make that choice,” he said. “Wrestling in college is so much more intense and you have to be so committed. But I don’t know. I still might rather do wrestling, just because I like it more.”

Reach editor Ryan Piersol at editor@snovalleystar.com or 392-6434.