It was everything everybody thought it was going to be. The wrestling showdown between the Decatur Gators and Enumclaw Hornets Thursday night in Federal Way lived up to the hype.

But it was the two-time defending Class 3A champion and second-ranked Hornets that walked away with the 36-30 win the South Puget Sound League 3A Division championship. The third-ranked Gators finished with a 4-1 record. Enumclaw, who has won four of the last five state titles, has never lost a dual meet in the SPSL 3A Division.

Decatur junior Trysten Dawson picked up a 3:10 pin at 113 pounds to give the Gators a 30-27 lead in the team standings with two matches remaining on the night.

But the battle-tested Hornets won the final two matches to sneak out of Decatur’s gym with the victory. After Enumclaw won an 8-1 decision at 120 pounds to tie the match at 30-30, it all came down to the 126-pound match between the Hornets’ Tyke Reid and Gator freshman Zach Berry.

Reid, who finished second at state last year, dominated the match, pinning Berry in 55.9 seconds to give the Enumclaw the SPSL title.

The final score was a lot closer than it looked like it was going early on. The Hornets jumped out to a commanding 16-4 lead after the first five matches of the night. Decatur’s only win during that stretch was from 138-pound sophomore Isaiah Diggs, who grabbed a 19-8 decision.

But then the Gators’ heavier weights did what they have been doing all season long — win.

Nick Karis, a state runner-up last year, started the comeback with a 17-2 technical fall at 170 pounds. Junior Spencer Smith followed at 182 pounds with a hard-fought 7-4 win.

Decatur’s other state final veteran, senior Rowland Gaydosh, worked a 46-second pin at 195 pounds to give the Gators their first team lead of the night, 18-16. Gaydosh finished second at 170 pounds a season ago.

After an Enumclaw pin at 220 pounds gave them the lead back, senior heavyweight Kyle Gleed turned the tables again with a 1:08 pin to put Decatur back up, 24-22.

But the Gators could muster only one more win in the final four matches, a pin by junior Trysten Dawson at 113 pounds.

Decatur will travel to Emerald Ridge for the Jaguar Invite Saturday before starting their postseason run at the Sub-district Tournament, which will be held Feb. 1-2 at Auburn Mountainview.