After a decade of Lake Stevens, Moses Lake, Sedro Woolley, Orting, and Tahoma high school dominating the state wrestling mats, a new team is on the rise.
Bonney Lake wrestling coach Dan Pitsch is no stranger to winning.
"It's a great sport for your mind, your body. It is something that has definitely shaped my life," Pitsch said.
In high school, Pitsch won two individual state titles and helped Spanaway Lake win their first and only team wrestling title in 2001.
"The team championship I thought was more enjoyable, just a lot more fun to be able to do that with my teammates for me personally was something I will never forget," Pitsch said.
Sixteen years later, Pitsch would help another Bonney Lake make history at Mat Classic XXIX-- the state championships. Brenden Chaowanapibool won the 3A title in the 106-pound division.
"Last year for me was really great," Chaowanapibool said.
The next wrestler up was his teammate Brandon Kaylor in the 113-pound division, who won his third straight crown.
"Going into the tournament winning two was cool, but number three sounded so much better," Kaylor said.
With two individual state titles and a second place finish in the books, the team title came down to one match -- the last one. For Bonney Lake to win state, Sam Peterson had to win the 220-pound weight class.
"Nothing to lose right, except everything," Peterson said.
He survived and helped the Panthers win their first team title in school history.
"I was ecstatic. I was going nuts," said Peterson.
"It was just crazy, probably the coolest moment of my entire life," said Kaylor.
A year later and the Panthers are back with three defending state champs and one of the best freshmen in the country, Yuisef Lillie.
"It's pretty cool because everyone knows you're from Bonney Lake. When they ask, 'Do you wrestle?' and you say, 'Yeah,' then they say. 'Oh, you must be good.'" said Lillie.
"A great wrestler once said, once you wrestle, everything else in life is easy," said Kaylor.
Coach Pitsch couldn't agree more.
"Wrestling is just you and your opponent. Sometimes they can go really good; sometimes they can go bad. I think it's a very humbling sport, it teaches you about yourself, and it helps you in life overcome challenges," Pitsch said.
Kaylor has a received a scholarship to wrestle at Oregon State next year. That's also the same university his coach, Dan Pitsch, wrestled at.
Bonney Lake's Kiki Adair won a state title last year on the girl's side, and she also won a state championship in the discus in the spring.
