By Neil Pierson

It’s not unusual for a high-school wrestling team to start the season without its first-choice lineup, and that’s the situation the Issaquah Eagles and Eastlake Wolves were dealing with last week.

In the season’s first KingCo Conference wrestling dual, the

Eagles collected pins in six of the first nine matches, then held on for a 48-36 victory at Issaquah High School on Dec. 5.

The night’s most important result might have been Issaquah senior Seth Hartman’s victory over Chris Lockwood at 145 pounds. Lockwood, a senior, jumped out to a 5-0 lead and nearly had his opponent pinned. But when Lockwood overex-tended himself, Hartman got a reversal and completed the pin in 1 minute, 53 seconds.

“That was a 12-point swing, or it would’ve been tied,” Eagles coach Kirk Hyatt said. “We’ve got

SPORTS 8 l December 11, 2013 SAMMAMISH REVIEW

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By Neil Pierson

Robert Biegaj didn’t join the varsity roster until late last sea-son, but he witnessed some of the reasons why the Skyline Spartans finished with a 7-13 overall record.

“Just from watching from the outside, I feel like people were being selfish and stuff, and we weren’t really a team,” Biegaj said. “But this year, I feel like we’re really coming together, bonding and being selfless. That’s one of our main focuses and cov-enants. So I think we can have a really good year as long as we stay together.”

Biegaj played a huge part in the Spartans’ season opener Dec. 4, as they dominated defensively in a 48-35 win over the Olympia Bears in a nonleague boys basket-ball game at Skyline High School.

The 6-foot-3 junior showed his versatility, scoring on a variety of jump shots and post moves, and even threw down a two-handed dunk late in the fourth quarter. Biejag led all scorers with 15 points, and looked more like a savvy veteran than his previous varsity experience might suggest.

“He played a little bit last year, but he probably should’ve played a little more, and that’s on me,” said Maui Borden, Skyline’s sec-ond-year head coach.

“He’s a captain for us this year as a junior. The kids look to him. He leads by example. He’s kind of a soft-spoken leader, which is

very effective. He just goes out and does it, and the guys watch and they follow.”

Skyline’s offense looked slug-gish at times against Olympia, which was coming off a 63-49 vic-tory over Capital in its opening game.

But the Spartans’ defensive effort was impressive. They forced 23 turnovers, many of them coming through a relentless full-court press.

Borden said his team’s ath-leticism and fitness allowed it to press for much of the game, and he expects to create the same suf-focating pressure for opponents throughout the season.

“We like to run the floor, because we can control what kind of condition we’re in,” Borden said. “So if we’re in great shape, our goal is to wear down the other team with our condi-tioning.”

Skyline took a 22-20 lead into halftime, and the break allowed senior captains Jonah Eastern and Collin Crisp to sharpen the team’s focus, Biegaj said.

In the second half, Skyline slowly pulled away, outscor-ing the Bears 26-15. Logan Wanamaker’s 3-pointer, followed by a Biegaj breakaway layup, gave the Spartans their first dou-ble-digit lead early in the fourth quarter.

Eastern, who was the team’s leading scorer last season, scored 14 points. He sank a pull-up jumper, then fed Biegaj in transi-

tion for a 44-29 lead with three minutes to play.

Biegaj’s final basket was a dunk that brought the crowd and the Spartans’ bench to their feet.

“I got the steal, and I was cramping up,” he said of the play. “I didn’t even think I was going to be able to dunk it. I just went up and just got it.”

Olympia is typically among the top teams in the Class 4A Narrows League, but never got going against Skyline’s stifling defense.

After scoring 19 points against Capital, guard Khalil Matheney managed only eight against the Spartans. He shared the team lead in scoring with Max Fortier and Ben Bishop.

Borden said it was a great way for the Spartans to start their sea-son. They’re capable of eclipsing last season’s seven wins – and then some – but they’ll have to buy into the blue-collar work ethic their coach is trying to instill.

“It’s a player-owned decision to have the effort that you need to play with defensively, and I think our guys understand that’s how we have to play,” he said. “I mean, there’s nothing that’s going to be really pretty about our game.”

Reach reporter Neil Pierson at 392-6434, ext. 242, or npier-son@SammamishReview.com. Comment on this story at www.SammamishReview.com.

Biegaj’s big game leads Spartans past Olympia Bears

Photo by Greg FarrarRobert Biegaj, Skyline High School junior forward dunks for the last of his game-high 15 points.

By Greg FarrarJonnie Estrada, Eastlake High School junior, gets a pin in the 220-pound bout against Issaquah freshman Terrance Zaragoza in only 24 seconds during the Dec. 5 match at Issaquah.

Eastlake wrestlers fall to Issaquah

See WRESTLE, Page 9