Issaquah Eagles senior Kacie Moorehouse took the biggest risk of her high school wrestling career with 4-2 lead in the third round of the Mat Classic girls state wrestling tourney 170-pound title match against Washougal’s Abby Lees.
Moorehouse and Lees were tied up with 35 seconds left in the third round and it appeared Moorehouse would just grind out the closing seconds and win by decision.
It never happened.
Moorehouse utilized one of her favorite moves, the lateral drop to put Lees on her back for the pin.
“I questioned if I should,” Moorehouse said of going for the pin as opposed to winning by decision. “I wasn’t sure but I know that the more chances you take, the more rewards you can get. I was playing it cautious pretty much the whole match so I thought I’m going to throw a move that I know how to throw. I’m so relieved. I’m so thankful for my coaches. I wouldn’t be anywhere if it wasn’t for them. They are so good.”
Issaquah head coach Kirk Hyatt said Moorehouse is the first Eagles state champion in his two decades as head coach of the program.
“We have been waiting 20 years for this. I’m more emotional than her right now,” Hyatt said as he wiped away tears of joy. “We knew she was going to throw her (Lees). Kacie was just waiting for it. If she tied up with her, she was going to throw it.”
Issaquah assistant coach Manny Brown said he got nervous when he saw Moorehouse preparing to throw the lateral drop.
“As a coach you are thinking what are you doing but that is the way she is. She goes for it all the time. I’m not surprised she threw it,” Brown said. “She has practiced and practiced it all year long. I’m so happy for her. It was something that she really wanted and she worked real hard for it.”
Issaquah junior Addie Mejia took third place in the girls tournament 115-pound weight class. Mejia defeated Bremerton’s Haley Michaelson 6-0 in the third/fourth place match. Brown said Mejia is a confident grappler when she hits the mat.
“Addie has been wrestling for a long time and has got amazing skills. She is great at takedowns but what puts her over the top is her tenacity,” Brown said.
