Nampa wrestler wins Rollie Lane Invitational the hard way

In terms of difficulty, Wyatt Silvis’ path to his first Rollie Lane Invitational championship qualifies as a level 10.

The unranked Nampa High senior fought his way through the 220-pound 64-man bracket by defeating the No. 3, No. 2 and No. 1 seeds.

Silvis earned a 4-0 decision over top-ranked Columbia senior Scott McDonald in the title match Saturday at the Ford Idaho Center, avenging a 1-0 loss to McDonald earlier this season.

“Scott and I have wrestled since freshmen year, and him and I have always gone back and forth,” Silvis said. “He’s been a huge competitor, and he’s also a great pal. I get along with him really well. So, to come unseeded and win is huge.”

But Scott hasn’t been the only competitor fueling Silvis’ strong season. His older brother, Afton Silvis, a 2015 Nampa graduate who won the 195-pound state title last season, has pushed him to be a better wrestler from the get-go.

“He’s my best friend and my worst enemy,” Wyatt said.

The younger Silvis has never won a state title, but after winning Rollie Lane — which is considered a de facto all-class state championship — Silvis has proven he has the physical tools to claim state as well.

“He’s come a long way since the beginning of the season,” Nampa coach Luke Crockett said. “But he’s still got some work to do.”

Silvis was one of five Treasure Valley wrestlers to win individual titles, but the District Three’s title drought extended to a sixth year.

Reigning 5A state champion Post Falls won for the second year in a row. The Trojans totaled 218.5 points, Crook County, Ore., was second with 182.5 and Caldwell — the 2015 4A state champion — took third with 168.5 points.

VALLEY WRESTLERS IN 9-OF-15 TITLE MATCHES

After winning just one individual championship in 2015, Treasure Valley wrestlers fared better this season, as four other locals joined Silvis at the top of the podium.

▪ Caldwell junior Dante Carreno won an all-Valley final at 106 pounds. Carreno, who won the 4A state championship at 98 pounds last season, took down New Plymouth sophomore Joe Rice 6-0.

“I just wrestled smart and attacked first,” Carreno said. “Then once I was leading, that was it. It gave me more confidence to win, and then I just finished strong.”

▪ New Plymouth senior Levi Austin won his first Rollie title with an 11-4 decision at 113 pounds against junior Jace Hays of Baker, Ore. The 2A Pilgrims sent two wrestlers to the finals despite representing the smallest classification in the field.

The showing gives both Rice and Austin confidence heading into the final month of the season as the Pilgrims look to build on last year’s historic runner-up finish at state. New Plymouth lost by just a half point to Ririe.

“These two wrestlers are exceptional, and for a school our size to have two wrestlers at that level, it’s very exciting,” New Plymouth coach Caleb Campbell said. “I think our program is heading in an amazing direction right now. We’re really excited.”

▪ Centennial junior Jaron Chavez won a Rollie title on his first try, besting Lakeside, Wash., junior Garrett Brown 3-1 at 160 pounds. Chavez won a state championship as a freshman at 126 pounds and finished third at state last year at 160. Chavez’s older brother, Jon Jay, also was a Rollie and state champion and now wrestles at Cornell.

“He’s someone that I kind of see as a role model,” Jaron said. “Now I’m kind of achieving what he’s achieved. It feels pretty good.”

▪ Levi Perry is a three-time state champion at the 4A level, winning at 132 (freshman), 160 (sophomore) and 182 (junior), but a Rollie Lane title has previously eluded him.

The Kuna 195-pounder wasn’t denied his senior season, dominating Carson Raymond of Crook County, Ore., for a 16-5 major decision.

“I was pretty pumped up. I’ve worked hard for this,” Perry said. “It’s a good outcome.”

TOP HONORS

The outstanding wrestler awards went to 132-pound champion Dalton Young of Lakeside in the lightweight division and 152-pound winner Lane Stigall of North Marion, Ore., in the heavyweight division.

This story was originally published January 10, 2016 at 12:21 AM with the headline "Nampa wrestler wins Rollie Lane Invitational the hard way."