Shasta simply Masterful Wolves keep Red Bluff at bay for 1st section title since 2003 By John Ryan, Record Searchlight February 26, 2006 Max Burch's trophy has come home. The Northern Section Masters wrestling crown is back -- back on Redding's west side. Back to Shasta High School, where the former Wolves coach forged the perpetual award of wood and marble in his shop class. The Wolves won Saturday's Masters title with one of the most prolific performances in its history. They beat two-time defending champ Red Bluff, which terrorized the section and went unbeaten for the better part of two years. Shasta trumped its upstart Shasta Union High School District cousin Foothill, which came to the tournament looking to dethrone the established powers. Shasta tallied 206 points, the only time 200 has been broken since the Wolves did it in 1979. Red Bluff was second with 169 points; Foothill third with 167.After two near-misses in the past five years, the Wolves broke away from the pack Saturday at the Redding Convention Center and exploded down the stretch. Unlike last year's 27-point, final-round swing that saw the Spartans edge the Wolves by three for the title, there would be no 11th-hour comeback by Red Bluff. There was no 1.5-point shortfall to Pleasant Valley, like the one Shasta suffered in 2002 before coming back in 2003 to win it all. "In 2003, after we won it, I took it home and oiled it up," said Shasta coach Darren Stevens, one of Burch's pupils. "I was telling my guys (at a tournament in Red Bluff) we need to bring this back. This belongs at Shasta." After two days of guarded optimism, and quiet hopefulness, Shasta stuck its trophy. The Wolves spent the entire afternoon looking over their shoulder, waiting for someone to come rob the title at the last second. When they finally stole a peek from atop the medal stand, it turned out there was no one else there. "Nobody was going to beat Shasta tonight," Red Bluff coach Dave Rottenberg said. They never faltered." Team standings Shasta: 206, Red Bluff: 169, Foothill: 167, Anderson: 94, Sutter: 86.5, Willows: 86.5, Orland: 71, Enterprise: 66, Wheatland: 64, West Valley: 60,
Tim Navarrete EAL, DIV 1 & Masters Champion
BLAST DOUBLE 189 Pounder Zach Koutnik
Mat Thomas CHAMPION (as expected)
Kirk Nielsen 2x State Qualifier