Scott Swanson
Of The New Era
The Sweet Home wrestling team is once again aiming for the top of the podium at the state meet, but there are a lot of steps that have to be negotiated before the Huskies get there.
After winning the state championship in 2007, the Huskies last year placed third in the state – by half a point. The goal this year, Coach Steve Thorpe says, is to get back there.
Looming ahead this year is what Thorpe is calling “the toughest schedule we’ve wrestled” as he begins his 13th year.
With 42 wrestlers, including one girl, out to compete for spots in the lineup of the state’s second-ranked 4A team, Thorpe said he’s pleased with how things look.
“I like where we’re at right now,” he said. “We’re getting in the mode of training. We’re focusing not so much on what we’ve done in the past. We’re focusing on what we need to do to meet our goals.”
Expected to lead the way for the Huskies are five returning state placewinners from last year and one from two years ago.
Kris Newport, the first Sweet Home wrestler to win a state title as a freshman, is back for his sophomore campaign, along with juniors Taylor Tagle (fourth in state at 103 pounds), Brock Crocker (fourth at 135), Mitch Grove (fifth at 103) and Matt Grove (eighth at 112).
Senior Jack Perry is also back, after missing a return trip to state last year due to injuries. Perry placed fourth in state in 2007.
Other returnees who have state meet experience are sophomore Kyle Hummer, junior Marshall Arndt, sophomore Keenan Martin, senior Donny Roberts, junior Brad Pitts, junior Anthony Albright and senior Marc Callagan.
Thorpe said he expects the off-season preparation by “a lot of these kids” will pay off.
“I’m excited,” he said. “We have some hardworking kids this year, not just out of the seniors but out of the juniors and sophomores as well.”
The Huskies last year were strong in the lower weights, but weren’t as dominant in the heavier divisions. With some of those wrestlers getting bigger and some newcomers coming in to help fill in the gaps in the line-up, Thorpe said he expects this team to be competitive.
“We’ll have different guys at different weights,” he said. “Some of the freshmen have wrestling backgrounds, and I’m excited about them.
Also back from last year’s squad are Jacob Jewell, Logan Clark, David Rinehart, Mike Harry, Tyler Holly, Nikki Smith and Mandy Binks.
New to the team this year are Jesse Albright, Alex Armstrong, Jacob Ciullo, Colton Woody, Chance Jucatan, Avery Shamek, Glen Hesberg, Scottie Stockman, Hunter Bidwell, Steven Bidwell, Tyler Paulino, Raul Hernandez and Alix Veitenheimer.
Among the newcomers out for the team this year is one senior, Zane Wise, an all-state tackle for the Huskies last year in football,who decided to try wrestling and will help fill a need at heavyweight.
Back this year after opting not to wrestle last season is senior Chris Farris, a two-time state qualifier during his first two seasons with the team.
“I expect the same thing from the returnees that I expect from everyone who is new,” Thorpe said. “I expect them to get better by the end of the year.
“It’s realistic to expect (last year’s state placewinners) to get a higher place this year. It’s even realistic to expect Kris to repeat.”
Thorpe said he expects both Philomath and Central to give the Huskies a challenge this year in the district meet and “Newport has a couple of really good kids.”
The Huskies kick things off with a four-way match at 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, against Redmond (a 6A division school), Lebanon (ranked fifth at 5A) and South Umpqua, which has a defending 4A state champion and two all-Americans on its roster.