By Ed Shepherd
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Close one.

Foster Bulldog senior Cale Woyvodich beat Highline wrestler Zach Edson just barely, 2-0, in the 120-pound weight class battle for fifth and sixth place at the 2A Washington State Mat Classic at the Tacoma Dome Saturday.

"Got in on the first shot, in the first round, and after that we kept battling and no points were scored," said Woyvodich after three rounds of this consolation final.

He gave props to Edson, a friend who Woyvodich wrestled four times this season -- twice in the Seamount League regular season and twice in tournaments.

The result? Two wins for each.

"He's a tough competitor, the fourth time this year we've wrestled each other," said Woyvodich.

His father, Ed, assistant coach on the Bulldogs' team to head coach, Patrick Kalaleu, put those "close call" words closer to understanding.

"God's gift he's even here, standing here, talking to you right now," said Cale's dad after Cale had just finished doing the Walk Of Fame that all wrestlers in all 14 weight classes get to do at the end of the two-day, Friday and Saturday state competition, getting handed medals up on the podium for first through eighth place.

Woyvodich collapsed on the mat after a regional competition last year.

"I was in the intensive care unit for five days at Emmanuel Hospital in Vancouver."

Regionals were at Salmon Creek, in southwest Washington, so, that's why Woyvodich was taken there.

What happened?

"Lacerated spleen," said Woyvodich. "It was from the finals match. The kid picked me up and I came back to the mat and I landed awkward."

A spleen is close to the kidney's, so that gives some physiological reference of how Woyvodich was thrown down to the mat on his side, awkwardly.

So Woyvodich was asked the obvious question, based on the fact he said his percentage of not living in intensive care was "very high."

You thank God, you're here?

"Yeah, I do," he said. "My faith is my life."

So, Woyvodich made it through that terrifying ordeal and got right back to state, where, by the way, he was for his sophomore and freshman years, too, being a state placer -- fourth -- both those years. And, if one didn't guess, after collapsing at regionals, Woyvodich did not wrestle at state.

So, back he was, at state this year, doing what he loved. Sounds a little insane to some, maybe, going back to do the sport that nearly took one's life away.

"I could have quit," said Woyvodich. "But, I didn't want to have it end like that. I hate to lose. When I lost the opportunity to compete here last year, it made me want to come back all that much more."

So, back he came, and, this season, Woyvodich missed some of this season from a nagging back, which, in fact, may have cost him at state this year, too, as he admitted it was bothering him some. But, he wrestled through it, to fifth best wrestler in the state in 2A.

In his opening match at state this year, his senior season, Woyvdovich got pitted against a wrestler from Port Angeles. Woyvodich won it, barely, 4-2.

"He came out tough, pretty strong kid," said Woyvodich. "I won my attacks, executed the game plan."

In his second match, a quarterfinal, that was one that didn't go perfectly, including having to wrestle the would-be champ at 120 pounds.
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"I wrestled the guy who took first in the state in that match, I couldn't get in on my angles," said Woyvodvich. "Lopez, from Selah."

"He was a good wrestler," he said.

Any points in that match wanted back by Woyvodich, where he thought could have done something different and beat Lopez?

"No," he said, of Lopez, who beat Woyvodich, 7-1. "He was really strong."

So, Woyvodich got pushed into the consolation bracket, needing to win two more wrestles for state placer, podium-standing, honors.

First, Woyvodich faced an Ephrata kid, from east of the mountains, and Woyvodich won that consolation match, 5-2.

"My back started seizing up, but, I stuck with the game plan, stayed in their mentally, toughed it out," said Woyvodich.

Then, Woyvodich went against a Clover Park wrestler, winning it, closely, 5-2.

"Clover Park kid was real tough, good on his feet, real quick," said Woyvodich. "Got two real nice take-downs against him."

Next, up, in what would decide if Woyvodich would wrestle for third or fourth place, or, fifth-sixth, of the consolation bracket, was a guy from Cedro Wooley.

"Yeah, I've known Adam (Adkinson) since I was little," said Woyvodvich. "Today, he got the better of me. I beat him earlier this year in a tournament."

That, then, set up the battle with Edson already thus described, whom Woyvodich was happy to say more about him.

But, also, Edson, for the Pirates, said some things about Woyvodich.

"He's a good kid," said Edson, who finished sixth this year at state for the Pirates, improving on his eighth place finish last year. "He's stingy, and, that's what a wrestler needs to be, careful about what they give and take, points-wise."

And, now, to Woyvodich's comments on Edson.

"Good leg rider," said Woyvodich. "Overall, a solid wrestler."

Now, one doesn't just get good overnight at wrestling, there must be more to it than that, so, who's all helped Woyvodich be so good on the canvas.

First question, when did Woyvodvich start wrestling?

"My whole life," he said.

With who?

"Reuben Navejas at Freestyle Takedown Express is who I stared with," said Woyvodich "He taught me how to wrestle."

And, Kalaleu, your Bulldogs' coach?

"Best guy out there," said Woyvodvich. "Always there to support us. Teaches us life lessons, respect. Just how to be a better man in life. Happy, he's my coach."

And, what about family?

"Supporting me all the way, dad, mom, sister, Taylor," said Woyvodich. "Don't think I could have done it without them."

And, grandpa was there, too, at state, with camera.

"Yep," said Woyvodich. "Grandpa. Jim Haggerton, the mayor of Tukwila."

Coach Kalaleu re-emphasized Woyvodich's accomplishments, and, maybe, it's fair to say, miraculous accomplishments this year.

"Cale's done awesome," said Kaleleu. "Done a really, really, really good job."

And, lastly, Woyvodich is a sparkling student, having a 3.98 g.p.a., with only three more months of a 4-year education to go. And, he's taking AP classes, which are the ones advanced placement students take, readying for college, going to get nice pay scholarships for academics, likely.

But, the real question to all that is what stopped him from having a 4.0?

"Physics and history, they got me," said Woyvodich.

But, something should tell everyone that this kid is going to go far, and has got everything under control.
Wrestling. Studies. Life.