Sweet Home’s boys placed in the middle of the field at the Resers Tournament of Champions Friday and Saturday, Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, at Liberty High School in Hillsboro.
The Huskies warmed up for Resers on Thursday, Jan. 30, with a trip to Banks, where they beat the Braves 61-18.
Freshman Jake Sieminski and sophomore Kyle Watkins got things rolling for Sweet Home at Banks, as Sieminski decisioned the No. 3-ranked wrestler in the state, Hunter Smith, 8-2 to start things off, and Watkins followed that up with a fall against the Braves’ Dylan Smith.
“Those were big matches,” Coach Steve Thorpe said, noting that the Huskies followed up with a “lot of falls.”
“We had a lot of older kids in the lineup. They kind of go through and lay those falls on. That’s kind of what we’ve been doing this year.”
Sieminski was one of four Huskies to place in the varsity tournament at Resers Friday and Saturday, taking sixth as Sweet Home finished 11th as a team in a field of 26 schools.
“That’s pretty incredible for a freshman to go in there and place at that tournament,” Thorpe said, adding that he considers Resers one of the toughest fields in the state.
Crescent Valley won the varsity tournament, with La Grande second.
Also placing for the Huskies was Jackson Royer, who finished sixth after defaulting his last two matches on Saturday after waking up sick.
Travis Thorpe was fourth at 160, the fourth straight time he has placed at Resers, and Nich James battled back through the bracket at 182 to place fifth.
“I know Travis isn’t very happy with fourth place,” Steve Thorpe said, “but I love how he responded. He didn’t feel sorry for himself. He got back in there and started coaching his teammates.
“Nich came back and beat a guy who’d beaten him earlier (Owen Burkhart of Crater). That was a great adjustment.”
Also competing, but not placing were Kyle Watkins (113), Rian Howard (120), Connor Ford (126), Kaden Zajic (132), Brayden Newport (145), Gavin Walberg (152), Jesse Jamison (170), Iakona Howerton (195), Jake Fanning (220) and David McMullen (285).
In the Reser’s JV tournament, Sweet Home was seventh out of 24 teams as three Huskies made the finals, freshman Treyson Smith winning at 106 and Isaac Shaffer getting second at 160 and Colby Gazely second at 285 after losing 3-1 in sudden overtime to Mason Barber of Dallas in the final.
“Treyson Smith, when you place in that tournament, that’s something else,” Thorpe said. “We had three in the finals. That’s pretty good; it’s good momentum for the last part of the season.
Also competing in the JV tournament, though not placing, were Dominick Rodriguez (113), Trenton Smith (126), Daniel Goodwin (132), Tanner McMahon (145), Charlie Crawford (170), Tucker Weld (182), Marc Kanngiesser (195), and Kenny Storms (220).
Sweet Home’s boys will compete in the Oregon West Conference Dual Championships Thursday, Feb. 8, in Newport. The girls will compete in the women’s regionals Friday and Saturday at Thurston High School.
Thursday, Feb. 13, will be Senior Night for the Huskies as they host North Marion, while the junior varsity wrestlers host Dallas.
The boys regional tournament will be Feb. 21-22 at Stayton.
Sweet Home 61, Banks 18
106 – Jake Sieminski (SH) dec. Hunter Smith (B) 8-2; 113 – Kyle Watkins (SH) pinned Dylan Smith (B) (0:54); 120 – Jakub Hannon (B) pinned Ryan Clark (SH) (0:01); 126 – Connor Ford (SH) pinned Jackson Lyda (B) (4:49); 132 – Luke Bozied (B) pinned Trenton Smith (SH) (5:19); 138 – Jackson Royer (SH) pinned Forest Glover (B) (0:54); 145 – Brayden Newport (SH) pinned Tyler Smith (B) (3:43); 152 – Gavin Walberg (SH) pinned Joshua Hanlon (B) (0:39); 160 – Travis Thorpe (SH) pinned Johnathan Dudley (B) (1:18); 170 – Jesse Jamison (SH) maj. dec. Rephael Mauck (B) 9-1; 182 – Nich James (SH) pinned Daevan Vereen (B) (0:37); 195 – Iakona Howerton (SH) pinned Bryson Cook (B) (1:28); 220 – James Ellis (B) pinned Jake Fanning (SH) (0:39); 285 – David McMullen (SH) won by forfeit.