Thomas Jefferson came ready and left happy from Federal Way High School after the Raiders' wrestling team ate up rival Federal Way, 57-23, in action Thursday.

Speaking for the Raiders' win was head coach Jess Workman, who quickly put things in perspective.

"We're young, and still trying to improve," said Workman.

The Raiders benefitted in this one from pins for five wins and also three forfeits didn't hurt as assistant Eagles coach Casey Stieger said.

"Giving up 18 points (forfeit losses are six points each), it's tough to come back from that, said Stieger, who is behind in command to Beckett Cordes who was the assistant mid-season last year before the head coach quit and Cordes became it. "But give credit to TJ. They came out and competed. Thomas Jefferson has a good wrestling team."

The Eagles won a few, too, mostly by pin, with 171-pound grappler Justin Southern's effort being the most noteworthy of all the many matches won by pin for both schools. The senior, Southern, who quarterbacked the Eagles for the second straight season into the playoffs, just picked up and threw down his foe, in a matter of seconds, winning 1:20 into the first round.

For Southern, maybe he would not have quickly turned from Clark Kent into Superman, lifting his 171-pound foe straight up and down, smashing him to the canvas, if not for what happened to Southern's face right before all that spectacular action.

"I tried to be pretty aggressive," said Southern. "I got a pretty good double leg shot but was elbowed in the lip. That made me more angry I guess."

The Eagles were down at one point, 33-0, thanks to the three forfeits and some good wrestling wins from the Raiders, led by 119 pounder Ivan Mukomoi's 1:10 pin, 130 grappler Kyle McIntosh's 3:13 pin in the second round and 135-pound Travis Reynolds' pinning at 1:55 of the first round.

Also helping out was Scott Van Eaton's pin at the 145 weight class. His damage came at 1:31. Also, helping stretch the lead big was a narrow 5-4 win from Zeke Nistrian that really was key to giving the Raiders such an insurmountable lead that the Eagles were pretty much done. They were for sure done at 285 when a forfeit happened there. It was 39-17 at that point, following the Raiders' Zach Roth's pin at 1:29 of the first round.

Roth might be the Raiders' best hope for state. He was close last year as a sophomore and is captain on the team this season.

"I was two points away from regionals," said Roth.

"Hey, such and such, you can go out there and beat that guy," said the fan to a friend sitting in the stands.

But there was no savior at that weight class and the Raiders then won a forfeit at 103 that Bryce Garceau benefitted from. And Ty Garceau pinned the next guy one minute in and the match was done.

Winners of pins for the Eagles included their captains, 215 pound Jonathan Detzler and 152 Jacob Conklin, who won with a pin at 1:32 of the first round for Detzler and a 19--7 major decision five-point win for Conklin that gave the Eagles their first points to make it 33-5 at the time.

The Eagles may have lost this battle, but before this season is through they could win quite a few wars, like having wrestlers qualify for going deep into the postseason. Workman mentioned that "three or four'" of his have the potential.

McIntosh is one who could get to the postseason for the Raiders and he says some teammates will be with him hopefully.

"We're hoping," said McIntosh. "We're improving. We have a lot of potential."

The Eagles also look like they have a few legits to get potentially to state.

"We have a lot of chances individually for chances at state," said Detzler. "I would say six legitimately have a chance, if we keep working hard and working together."

They were working hard together after the meet. Everyone was helping carry the mats, Southern, and, the older classmen were right in there with the frosh and lower ages.

"Yeah," and "yeah," said Detzler and Conklin, responding to the question of everyone on the Eagles after the meet was over cleaning up and working as a team.

Detzler lost in the match before the third-fourth placement match to just miss out on state.

Detzler is a lanky kid, who people in the stands were calling out things like: "Go get him, spidermonkey."

What's up with that?

Detzler laughed and said, "That's from Talladega Nights, The Legend of Ricky Bobby. It just means to go out there all out and be aggressive."

Conklin was right there in the thick of things, too, getting knocked out shy of regionals.

These two know that this sport is tough and they also know that several on their team could be at the upcoming Mat Classic, as Detzler already indicated.

"We have a motto of not to give up, not to give in and not to give out," said Detzler and Conklin as both were saying it the other way.

Besides all those mentioned, 160-pound Noah Eliason won by pin 53 seconds into his match.

The Raiders are with a 2-2 record, having beaten Spanaway Lake and Federal Way and lost to Kentlake and Rogers. The Eagles are 0-2 in the South Puget Sound League North.