In 2015, Squalicum’s Brian Pullman lost his first two matches of the 2A regional tournament, and his season was over. However, the 160-pound freshman was probably delighted.
“I really hated wrestling my freshman year,” Pullman said. “It was a grind every day, and you always felt like that day was worse than the last. I never wanted to go to wrestling practice.”
But, when new coach Rob Zabel came into the picture in Pullman’s sophomore year, everything fell in to place.
“He (Zabel) turned our program around 180 degrees,” said Pullman. “We went from a program that had a few good wrestlers, typically in the lighter and middle weights, and he focused more on technique and becoming a better wrestler, not just a better athlete.”
Zabel’s coaching helped Pullman immensely, and in their first year together Pullman placed 5th place in regionals at 182 pounds, and he was an alternate for the state wrestling tournament.
Pullman took a big leap in his junior season while wrestling at 195 pounds. He matched up against defending state champion Ben Broselle in a dual meet against Ferndale, and to many people’s surprise, Pullman beat him 5-1.
“I think I beat Broselle that day because he wasn’t ready to wrestle me, and maybe he thought I would be a pushover,” Pullman questioned. “And I was ready to prove everybody wrong, and I went out and did that. Granted, I was very nervous. I had my heart in my throat the whole match, and as soon as I won it was like I won the state finals.”
It was a new year, and a new mindset for Pullman. He believed that he could win any match, just by believing in himself. He went on to finish 3rd in the state tournament, narrowly losing to Jeremy Smith from Yelm in the semi-finals, 3-2. If Pullman would have won that match, he would have faced Broselle again, this time for the state championship. Broselle beat Smith 7-4 to capture his second state title.
Pullman came into this season, his final season, with one goal in mind. A state championship. The year was nearly perfect for him. His only loss was when he was called for stalling too much, and he came into the state tournament as the second ranked 3A wrestler in his weight class (220). The number one ranked wrestler was defending state champion, Sam Peterson of Bonney Lake.
In Pullman’s opening match he defeated Generous Yeh, from Edmonds-Woodway, 5-4. Pullman had beat him earlier in the year in the championship match of the Graham Morin Memorial Tournament, and the match went into triple overtime.
In the second round Pullman faced off against Kai Burgman from North Thurston. Pullman out-muscled the tall Burgman, and eventually beat him 3-2.
In Pullman’s first match of the second day at the Mat Classic he wrestled Janoh Thomas from Lincoln, and there was something different about him.
“He’s the only guy that looked back at me when I was staring at him before the match,” said Pullman. “So, I couldn’t quite crack him mentally. He was very quick, and very athletic. He came the closest to taking me down.”
Pullman won 7-4, and was on to the state championship.
His goal was right in front of him, and he knew all year that it would be between him and Peterson. Peterson had pinned two of his opponents, and beat the other one 9-2 during the state tournament. But, none of that mattered to Pullman, who had been waiting for this moment all year.
“We were allowed to practice at the Tacoma Dome on Thursday from 3:00 – 5:30, to get used to the surroundings,” Pullman remembered. “Instantly, when I saw him, I watched him the whole day. I never broke eye contact, unless I had to. I wanted him to know I was coming for him.”
Of course, the final match lived up to the billing. The score was tied 1-1 after regulation. Pullman scored a takedown to win the match in overtime, but it was a controversial.
“I know it wasn’t a takedown,” he said. “But, either way he was fleeing the mat. So, I would have won anyway. You can’t wrestle to survive, you have to wrestle to win.”
Now a state champion, it may have opened doors for collegiate offers. But, he plans on playing football at the next level.
“I’m not one of those dominant wrestlers that can pin everyone I wrestle,” he said. “I wasn’t one of those wrestlers that went to state all four years. It’s a typical hard-working story, and this is just a byproduct of all the hard work I’ve put in.”
