It was win No. 600 for Coach Steve Thorpe Thursday evening, Jan. 9, as the Huskies beat Elmira 73-6 after demolishing Mazama 75-3.
Then it was on to another round of tough competition Friday at Newberg in the Earl Gillis Invitational duals tournament, where they placed second to the No. 1-ranked hosts in a field that also included Cleveland, David Douglas, Lebanon, McNary, Milwaukie and Thurston.
“We wrestled on Thursday and Friday with a lot of intensity and a lot of emotion,” Thorpe said, noting that his wrestlers came off the winter break rejuvenated and ready to roll.
The Huskies got wins from nearly everybody on Thursday, with some big ones coming from Iakona Howerton at 195, and Jake Fanning at 220.
Howerton pinned Mazama’s Jason Ortega, who came into the match ranked eighth in the 4A at 182. Then Fanning decisioned Mazama’s Dominic Hankins, ranked fourth in the 4A Division at 195 this week, 3-1.
Another quality win was Travis Thorpe’s 6-3 decision over Ayden Wolgamott of Elmira, ranked No. 4 at 152. Thorpe is ranked No. 1 at the same weight, though they matched up at 160 Thursday.
Thorpe said he’s never set goals for numbers of wins, but he attributed his record to the program and the people who contribute to it.
“Sweet Home wrestling has been the most consistent program in the state of Oregon over the last 30 years,” he said. “We’ve never had a losing season since 1994. (The 600 wins) is just a testimony to everybody involved in it.”
On Friday, Sweet Home opened at Earl Gillis with a shutout against Milwaukie, 76- -1, the extra point coming after a Milwaukie wrestlers refused to shake hands.
Then came Thurston, which was fresh off a win over Roseburg two nights before. Sweet Home won 46-21, winning seven of its first eight matches.
Steve Thorpe credited Treyson Smith, in particular, with a “hard, smart match” in a 5-2 win over Eduardo Mathews, who was ranked No. 2 in the 5A.
Rian Howard followed that up at 126 with a 30-second pin of Logan Slonecker, ranked fifth at that weight.
“Thurston is a really good team,” Thorpe said. “When you have two great match-ups and you’re pinning them, you get on a roll.”
Christian Gregory followed that up with a fall at 132, and Jackson Royer, coming off an injury, beat Hunter Harwood 8-2 at 138, Harwood ranked sixth in the 5A.
“Hunter Harwood is a very good wrestler and Jackson just dominated him,” Thorpe said.
At 145 Tristan Spencer won by a fall over No. 6 Calvin Royce, then Ethan Spencer followed up at 152 with a major decision.
At 160, No. 2-ranked Asher Ruchti won a 7-1 decision over Travis Thorpe, but Nich James got a pin at 182 and Howerton followed that up at 195 with another fall – after he found himself on the bottom with 30 seconds left, trailing 12-0 to freshman Vaun Halstead, then caught Halstead in a head and arm and turned him and pinned him with six seconds left.
“You are never out of a match until it’s over,” Steve Thorpe said.
Newberg, the No. 1-ranked team across all divisions, beat the Huskies 48-25, but it was a competitive match.
“Newberg is really good this year,” Thorpe said. “They deserve (that ranking) for sure.”
Sweet Home got wins from Jake Sieminski at 106, Smith at 113, and Howard at 126, but didn’t get back on the board until Travis Thorpe’s 11-3 major decision over Gavin Korkeakoski at 160.
Steve Thorpe said he was particularly impressed by sophomore 170-pounder Jesse Jameson’s performance in losses against No. 4-ranked Shane Teigen of Thurston (6-4) and Hudson Davis of Newberg (7-1).
“I don’t know when I’ve seen him wrestle as hard,” Thorpe said. “It was absolute non-stop, with absolute fire and intensity. He’s getting tougher to beat.”
Also wrestling well on Thursday were the girls, though exact scores weren’t available at press time.
Both Lexi Schilling and Jessy Hart continued to dominate, Thorpe said.
“That gives us a little something good to go on as we go into the Oregon Classic this weekend, a little bit of momentum,” he said.
The boys and girls both start wrestling at 11:45 a.m. Friday in Redmond. The boys will start against North Marion, with Mac High and Hidden Valley in their pool as well.
The girls’ opponents hadn’t been determined by press time.
Earl Gillis Invitational at Newberg
Sweet Home 76, Milwaukie -1
106 – Jake Sieminski (SH) pinned Gavin Smith (M) (1:20); 113 – Treyson Smith (SH) maj. dec. Alfredo Castillo (M) 10-2; 120 – Kyle Watkins (SH) pinned Theo Baldwin (M) (0:33); 126 – Rian Howard (SH); 132 – Christian Gregory (SH) won by forfeit; 138 – Jackson Royer (SH) won by forfeit; 145 – Tristan Spencer (SH) pinned Brandon Pomeroy (M) (5:42); 152 – Ethan Spencer (SH) pinned Isaac Vallejos (M) (3:52); 160 – Travis Thorpe (SH) pinned Eli Gelfand (M) (0:26); 170 – Jesse Jamison (SH) pinned Phoenix Owen-Kennedy (M) (0:59); 182 – Nich James (SH) dec. Korbyn Amundson (M) 10-4; 195 – Iakona Howerton (SH) pinned Hunter Entrikin (M) (2:57); 220 – Jake Fanning (SH) won by forfeit; 285 – Colby Gazeley (SH) pinned Ulises Aguilar-Soto (M) OT 5-3. (Milwaukie’s team score was adjusted by -1.0 for not shaking hands.)
Sweet Home 46, Thurston 21
106 – Jake Sieminski (SH) pinned Braylin Ruchti (T) (2:59); 113 – Treyson Smith (SH) dec. Eduardo Mathews (T) 5-2; 120 – Kolton Malone (T) pinned Kyle Watkins (SH) (2:59); 126 – Rian Howard (SH) pinned Logan Slonecker (T) (0:30); 132 – Christian Gregory (SH) pinned Sawyer Casarez (T) (1:48); 138 – Jackson Royer (SH) dec. Hunter Harwood (T) 8-2; 145 – Tristan Spencer (SH) pinned Calvin Royce (T) (4:56); 152 – Ethan Spencer (SH) maj. dec. Varney Doreen (T) 16-7; 160 – Asher Ruchti (T) dec. Travis Thorpe (SH) 7-1; 170 – Shane Teigen (T) dec. Jesse Jamison (SH) 6-4; 182 – Nich James (SH) pinned Keannan Bowditch (T) (1:22); 195 – Iakona Howerton (SH) pinned Vaun Halstead (T) (5:54); 220 – Jeremy Foss (T) dec. Jake Fanning (SH) 9-2; 285 – Brian Jenkins (T) pinned Colby Gazeley (SH) (0:27).
Newberg 48, Sweet Home 25
106 – Jake Sieminski (SH) pinned Dylan James (N) (0:57); 113 – Treyson Smith (SH) pinned Sophia Redwine (N) (0:59); 120 – Nicky Olmstead (N) pinned Kyle Watkins (SH) (5:05); 126 – Rian Howard (SH) dec. Harrison Womack (N) 2-0; 132 – Ayden Garver (N) pinned Christian Gregory (SH) (2:59); 138 – Micah Worthington (N) won by forfeit; 145 – Charlie Evans (N) pinned Tristan Spencer (SH) (1:38); 152 – Price Pothier (N) dec. Ethan Spencer (SH) 11-6; 160 – Travis Thorpe (SH) maj. dec. Gavin Korkeakoski (N) 11-3; 170 – Hudson Davis (N) dec. Jesse Jamison (SH) 7-1; 182 – Nich James (SH) won by forfeit; 195 – Alec Love (N) pinned Iakona Howerton (SH) (1:08); 220 – Hunter James (N) pinned Jake Fanning (SH) (0:53); 285 – Connor O`Bryan (N) pinned Colby Gazeley (SH) (3:05).
Sweet Home Duals – Jan. 9
Sweet Home 75, Mazama 3
106 – Jake Sieminski (SH) pinned Bailey Rogers (M) (1:53); 113 – Treyson Smith (SH) pinned Ashton Lewis (M) (1:03); 120 – Kyle Watkins (SH) pinned Treyce Horton (M) (3:14); 126 – Rian Howard (SH) pinned Sander Allison (M) (0:24); 132 – Christian Gregory (SH) pinned Justin Ivy (M) (4:26); 138 – Jackson Royer (SH) pinned Savien Burk (M) (0:49); 145 – Tristan Spencer (SH) pinned Taylor Casey (M) (0:57); 152 – Ethan Spencer (SH) pinned Jullin Gardner (M) (0:52); 160 – Travis Thorpe (SH) pinned Christian Lewis (M) (1:19); 170 – Ethan Richards (M) dec. Jesse Jamison (SH) 6-4; 182 – Nich James (SH) pinned Cade Wynne (M) (1:27); 195 – Iakona Howerton (SH) pinned Jason Ortega (M) (1:14); 220 – Jake Fanning (SH) dec. Dominic Hankins (M) 3-1; 285 – Colby Gazeley (SH) pinned Isaac Pena (M) (3:31).
Sweet Home 73, Elmira 6
106 – Jake Sieminski (SH) won by forfeit; 113 – Treyson Smith (SH) maj. dec. Enrico Cervantez (E) 10-1; 120 – Kyle Watkins (SH) pinned William Walton (E) (5:07); 126 – Rian Howard (SH) pinned Wayde Walton (E) (0:23); 132 – Christian Gregory (SH) pinned Logan Cave (E) (1:20); 138 – Jackson Royer (SH) pinned Seth Drago (E) (1:06); 145 – Tristan Spencer (SH) pinned Ruben Fox (E) (4:09); 152 – Ethan Spencer (SH) won by forfeit; 160 – Travis Thorpe (SH) dec. Ayden Wolgamott (E) 6-3; 170 – Jesse Jamison (SH) won by forfeit; 182 – Nich James (SH) won by forfeit; 195 – Nat Brown (E) pinned Iakona Howerton (SH) (1:52); 220 – Jake Fanning (SH) pinned Camden Levine (E) (3:03); 285 – Colby Gazeley (SH) won by forfeit.