Sweet Home’s boys placed second in a 30-team field over the weekend at the War of the Roses wrestling tournament at Westview High School in Portland.
Sweet Home placed second as a team behind Newberg (344 points), with 245 points, ahead of Dallas and Sprague, which tied at 228, Tillamook (220.5) and Sumner, Wash. (211). Lebanon was ninth (172 points) and Cascade was 13th (164).
On the girls side, Sweet Home was fifth out of 30 teams. Union (Wash.) scored 220 points with 12 wrestlers, followed by Sunnyside (Wash.) with 209 points from 14 wrestlers, Century with 180 points from 23 wrestlers, Centralia (Wash.) with 118 points from 14 wrestlers, and the Huskies with 97 points from eight wrestlers.
Coach Steve Thorpe said the field was the toughest he’s seen yet at that particular tournament.
“That tournament was the real deal,” he said. The only 4A schools were Sweet Home, Tillamook and Cascade, all among the top-ranked programs in the state. Twelve teams were from Washington.
“This is a two-day tournament that gives you a first taste of what a regional or state tournament is going to be like,” Thorpe said.
Six Huskies placed, the highest being junior Travis Thorpe, who was second at 152. Thorpe won five matches, four of them by falls and a major decision, before losing 8-1 to Tyson Resco of Wilsonville.
“Tyson is a great wrestler,” Steve Thorpe said. “Travius wrestled very well. He had a huge semis win (6-3) against Chase Miller (of Lebanon), who won this tournament last year – a dominant win.
“You put yourself in those situations where you’re giving yourself a chance to win,” he said. “You get to go in there and compete against those schools, see some of the top wrestlers in the state. That lets you know where you need to be, how you match up with the others.”
Robbie Yunke placed fourth at 145 pounds, going 6-2, as did Nich James, who went 5-2 at 182 pounds.
Yunke had two come-from behind falls, against Manuel Monroy of Thurston and against Cascade’s Kane Nixon, the defending state champion, whom Yunke trailed 15-2 before pinning Nixon.
“That’s a testimony to believing you’re still in the match until it’s over,” Thorpe said.
Robert Watkins was fifth at 132 pounds, going 4-2, after missing most of last season with a hand injury, Thorpe noted. Also placing fifth were Jackson Royer at 138 pounds, going 5-2, and Boe Baxter at 160 pounds, going 5-2.
Thorpe pointed out that both Royer and Baxter beat Tillamook wrestlers in key matches, experience that may off down the road.
Other competitors for Sweet Home were Treyson Smith, who went 4-2 at 106; Kayle Watkins, who went 4-2 at 106; Christian Gregory, who went 3-2 after losing his opening match at 120; Connor Ford, who went 2-2 at 120; Tristan Spencer, who went 2-2 at 126; Brayden Newport, who went 4-2 at 132; Bryce Porter, who went 3-2 at 138 pounds; Gavin Walberg, who went 3-2 at 145 pounds after losing his opener; Isaac Schaffer, who went 0-2 in his first varsity outing at 152 pounds; Jesse Jamison, who went 4-2 at 160 after losing his first match in a tech fall; Tucker Weld, who went 0-2 at 170; Hayden McDonald, who went 4-2 at 170; Levi Baird, who went 2-2 at 220; Jake Fanning, who went 0-2 at 220; David McMullen, who went 2-2 at 285; and Kenny Storms, who went 0-2 at 285.
Thorpe said the number of teams made for huge brackets, as high as 50 wrestlers in some of the lighter and middle weights. “We had a lot of kids make it to Day Two,” he said. “That’s something we talk about. Those Day Two guys score points. We had some guys who didn’t compete well. We’ll provide the opportunity and they will have a chance to get better.”
On the girls side, Sweet Home had four placewinners.
Jessy Hart was second at 125 pounds, losing 6-2 in the final to Kayla Brosius of Union, and Marissa Kurtz was second at 120, losing 5-2 to Stephanie Blankenship of Sunnyside (Wash.) in the final.
Lexi Schilling was third at 115 and rookie wrestler Kailey James was fourth at 140.
Other competitors for the girls were Dyanna Arnold, who went 1-2 at 155 pounds; Paige Chafin, who went 1-2 at120; Madelyn Neuschwander, who went 1-2 at 115; and Sicily Neuschwander, who went 2-2 at 105.
“There were 209 entrants in the women’s tournament,” Thorpe said. “Women’s wrestling is growing so fast – the opportunities and quality of wrestling is going to get better and better.
“Every one of our girls won matches. And we put two in the finals. Marissa and Jessy lost close ones. Those are experiences they’re able to use to get better and better.”
The Huskies will travel to Grants Pass for the Winter Kickoff Tournament Friday and Saturday, Dec. 14-15. They will return Dec. 20 for their first home meet, at 4 p.m., to host South Albany, Cascade, Reedsport and Stayton.