In
what was really a first for Coach Steve Thorpe, his wrestlers lost
two conference dual meets in one season, falling 39-36 to Central
Wednesday, Feb. 12, and 35-31 to Cascade on Thursday.
Central
clinched the special region dual meet title for the first time and
this was only the third time Sweet Home hasn’t been league or
regional dual meet champion in Thorpe’s 18 years at the helm. It
was also the first time Central had beaten Sweet Home in 16 years.
Thorpe
blamed the loss on an “inexperienced official” who called a
defensive fall on Tyler Schilling, for whom this was only the second
loss of the season for the No. 1-ranked wrestler in the state at 120
pounds. Schilling had his legs on top of his opponent and was turning
him when the referee called the fall as Schilling twisted off his
lower back. Defensive falls are rarely, if ever, called.
He
said Anthony Hardee also lost, thanks to bad calls.
“Central
was horrific officiating, and I hate to say that,” Thorpe said. “It
cost us a dual.”
But
Sweet Home lost because the team allowed themselves to get in that
position, he said.
“We
had guys not compete, not do what they were supposed to do. No matter
how you slice it, that’s a loss.”
The
Huskies recovered to beat Newport 45-30 on Wednesday, in what were
make-up matches from the week before when their trip to Central was
snowed out.
By
Thursday, Sweet Home was back on track, albeit with a weakened
line-up due to illness and injury as they hosted Cascade on Senior
Night.
The
Huskies had three junior varsity wrestlers in the line-up, all in
tough middle weight classes and all wrestling up a weight.
“We
had multiple kids who just wrestled their hearts out,” Thorpe said.
“It was fun to watch and it was good for wrestling. It was a neat
thing for the seniors. They didn’t get to go out with a dual meet
win, but who cares? It was a big deal. They get to go out with a
packed house and a great dual meet.
“Cascade
is a good team. You’re also looking at a class-act coach and a
well-coached team.”
Not
only have the Huskies been young this season, but they’ve had
plenty of challenges, Thorpe said.
“We
have spent a season getting kicked in the face. We’ve had
adversity, adversity, adversity. We still have guys going out there
and competing. That makes me proud as a coach.”
The
regional meet, which includes Cascade, Central, Cottage Grove,
Elmira, Junction City, Newport, Stayton and Taft, in addition to the
Huskies, begins at 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 21, at Cottage Grove High
School, 1375 S. River Road. Semifinals and consolation matches begin
at 11 a.m. Saturday.
The
top four place-winners in each weight division will qualify for the
state tournament the following weekend in Portland.
Cost
is $6 per session for adults and $4 for students K through 12. Only
OSAA Gold Cards are accepted. Tournament passes are $18, and
Saturday-only passes are $12.
Thorpe
said he expects the biggest challenges for the regional team
championship to come from Elmira, Central and Cascade.
“This
year is the toughest our region, from top to bottom, has ever been,”
he said.
“We’re
ranked ninth in the state but the good thing is that our kids don’t
care about that stuff. What we’re going to do is shake hands, show
up and wrestle.
Cascade
35, Sweet Home 31
106
– Kobe Olson (SH) won by forfeit; 113 – Aaron Blanchard (SH)
pinned Darien Fagin (Cas) 1:06; 120 – Logan Humphrey (Cas) maj.
dec. Tyrel Miller (SH) 12-1; 126 – Tyler Schilling (SH) maj. dec.
Jared Reisterer (Cas) 9-1; 132 – Anthony Hardee (SH) pinned Cole
Cade (Cas) 3:32; 138 – Asa Alexander (Cas) pinned Joe Rasmussen
(SH) 4:57; 145 – Mattija Weeks (Cas) pinned Jake Porter (SH) 1:06;
152 – Ronald Benton Hayes (Cas) dec. Travis Petersen (SH) 8-2; 160
– Spencer Crawford (Cas) pinned Jason Miller (SH) 1:01; 170 –
Bryndyn Gardner (Cas) dec. Cole Ashcraft (SH) 7-1; 182 – Ben Terry
(SH) dec. Kuloly Tudela (Cas) 7-2; 195 – Hayes Van De Hey (Cas)
maj. dec. Ian Search (SH) 12-4; 220 – Troy Hazelton (SH) pinned
Jeffre Schaefer (Cas) 5:16; 285 – Malachi Gonzalez (Cas) dec. Colin
VanEck (SH) 10-4.
Central
39, Sweet Home 36
106
– Kobe Olson (SH) won by forfeit; 113 – Aaron Blanchard (SH)
pinned Steven Worthington (Cen) 3:54; 120 – Tyrel Miller (SH)
pinned Timothy Blair (Cen) 4:18; 126 – Christopher Chavez (Cen)
pinned Tyler Schilling (SH) 1:03; 132 – Collin Swinehart (Cen) dec.
Anthony Hardee (SH) 4-3; 138 – Daxten Blackwell (Cen) won by inj.
Def. over Dylan Elder (SH); 145 – Jake Porter (SH) pinned John
Lippsmeyer (Cen) 1:42; 152 – Tanner Swinehart (Cen) pinned Travis
Petersen (SH) 1:03; 160 – David Negrete (Cen) pinned Oscar
Hernandez (SH) 1:29; 170 – Oscar Amezcua (Cen) dec. Cole Ashcraft
(SH) 6-4; 182 – Alberto Meza (Cen) dec. Ben Terry (SH) 7-3; 195 –
Troy Hazelton (SH) pinned Collyn Lawson (Cen) 0:33; 220 – David
Vidal (Cen) pinned Gavin Baskin (SH) 0:29; 285 – Colin VanEck (SH)
pinned Marlon Tuipulotu (Cen) 1:20.
Sweet
Home 45, Newport 30
106
– Kobe Olson (SH) pinned Erik Alejandro (N) 0:14; 113 – Makiah
Chadwick (N) pinned Aaron Blanchard (SH) 3:58; 120 – Tyrel Miller
(SH) pinned Austin Ligon (N) 0:11; 126 – Tyler Schilling (SH) dec.
Joshua Connor (N) 12-8; 132 – Anthony Hardee (SH) pinned Mario
Tamayo (N) 0:21; 138 – Jordan Harris (N) dec. Jake Porter (SH)
14-11; 145 – Joe Rasmussen (SH) won by forfeit; 152 – Travis
Petersen (SH) won by forfeit; 160 – Marshall Dean (N) pinned
Jason Miller (SH) 2:59; 170 – Dalen Hargett (N) pinned Austin
Harvey (SH) 0:33; 182 – Robby Duprau (N) dec. Ben Terry (SH) 9-6;
195 – Ian Search (SH) pinned Patrick Connor (N) 1:34; 220 –
Robbie Bellamy (N) pinned Colin VanEck (SH) 0:50; 285 – Gavin
Baskin (SH) won by forfeit.