Decatur Gator heavyweight Tevyn Tillman and Todd Beamer Titans' 119-pound Trevor Mills, both finished fifth in their weight classes at the XIX Mat Classic at the Tacoma Dome Feb. 16-17.

Mills and Tillman were the only two wrestlers that advanced past the first day out of all the 20-something wrestlers from the four local high schools.

Neither got as far last year as this year. In fact, neither Mills nor Tillman made it to state last year, with Tillman not even getting to districts -- the meet before state that qualifies the best of the rest.

The best of the best are at state and both Mills and Tillman learned a lot in their first experiences there.

Mills beat four wrestlers to get the fifth-place medalist honor -- not bad out of the 94 or so 4A schools with wrestling teams in the state of Washington.

His loss he talked about, in the semifinal in the morning, which preceded his wrestle for fifth-sixth that easily could have been for first-second. Mills lost that semifinal bout, 5-1, to keep him one wrestle away from wrestling for the state championship.

"That was kind of disappointing," said Mills. "I made a mistake, I tried to step across and trip him, and he took advantage of it. I knew a throw was coming and I couldn't stop it."

Both Mills and Sam Ottow of Monroe are sophomores so there's a good chance both will be getting right back to where they were this year -- if drive, intensity, discipline, follow as it has. It should for Mills, under his head coach, Brett Lucas.

Lucas has progressed the Titans program every year his five or so years there now, sending more and more wrestlers to state. This year, six wrestlers qualified for state from the Titans.

Mills' teammate Tyler Enos is a sophomore, so he will be back, and the Gators have some sophomore that will return like Greg Bull , who actually was out his first two wrestles. But it was the experience like Mills that made it all good, even losing early for Bull.

"Just seeing all the matches, seeing all the people," said Bull.

There are 15-20 mats with B, 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A wrestlers on them.

There's a lot of pressure out there and after having good seasons and qualifying from districts to state, it's then very, very tough.

So, amazing then is when a coach brings even 3-4 wrestlers to state.

But, on the side opposite of the South Puget Sound League South, where the Titans reside, is the SPSL North, headed by some good coaches including Decatur's Mike Bressler, who brought a city-best eight wrestlers to state this year.

Tillman was the best of the Gator eight, as he wound up fifth, with some pretty good learning experiences along the way. None of the learning experiences were in his fifth-sixth place medalist wrestle however. Why? Because his foe-to-be in the fifth-sixth place final had head-butted the referee, or something, in the match loss that foe had prior to the consolation medalist against Tillman. And that foe-to-be of Tillman's was unsurprisingly disqualified for that kind of act. So, Tillman won by forfeit. That says something about Bressler's program too. His guys go out there with class, and end with class. Win or lose, fairly or unfairly, they may show their emotions, as we all do, but they show them with class.

Steven Hagdahl, the 215-pound Gator wrestler also made it to the second day like Mills and Tillman. But Hagdahl lost his wrestle to be able after that to wrestle for a top eight medal.