Alex Paul
They’ve picked up a few pounds and for some, their hairline is receding a bit.
They came from all walks of life: engineers, medical supply sales, retail, construction and forest fire fighting.
A few, like Rod Jaques, were pleased when they stepped on the new electronic scales and found they could still compete at their old high school weight. Most couldn’t.
For a couple hours Saturday evening, some 30 former SHHS wrestlers stepped back in time to help dedicate the Norm Davis Wrestling Room. For most, it was easy to see they hadn’t kept up with the diligent conditioning of their high school years.
Coach Steve Thorpe, who returned to SHHS to teach in 1991, said he invited a few of the wrestlers he and Coach Davis worked with. Coach Thorpe took over the head coaching job from his mentor in 1996. Coach Davis died of cancer two summers ago but not after leaving a record that will be hard for any coach to follow, including being inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
“I couldn’t invite everyone back, but I wanted to get a few guys together who bought into what I was selling when I took over the program,” Coach Thorpe said.
During his 34 year career, teams coached by Norm Davis in Idaho and Oregon amassed 504 wins 196 losses and five draws. Those numbers placed Coach Davis 19th nationally in terms of most dual meet wins according to statistics kept by Wrestling magazine.
Since taking over the program, Coach Thorpe’s Huskies have won 155 meets, lost 33 and tied one. The Huskies won back-to-back state championships in 1998 and 1999, took the Oregon Classic title three times and were second at state twice.
“I think what’s really important is that we also focus on sending kids on to the next level in terms of both competition and being academically ready,” Coach Thorpe said of his and assistant Coach Tim Boatwright’s philosophy.
Wrestlers Saturday evening included several who traveled to South Africa in 1997 where they competed against teams including the Russian Nationals. “Do you think we could make a state championship team out of this bunch,” Asst. Coach Tim Boatwright joked, noting the wrestling talent present.
“Coach Davis always stressed that wrestling is family,” Coach Thorpe said. “We’re here tonight to dedicate this room to him but to also develop a Sweet Home Wrestling Alumni group to further that cause.”
Coach Thorpe encouraged the group, sweating and gasping for air at times, to remember to give back to the program that gave so much to them.
“I want our program to continue to grow and to do that we need your help,” he said. “I want wrestling to be at the forefront of our athletic program at Sweet Home High School.”
Coach Thorpe added that the new wrestling room is a testament to the winning tradition.
“They don’t build rooms like this for teams that are mediocre,” Coach Thorpe said.
Among those present Saturday were several champions and runners up, including multi state champions Brian Coulter and Clint Sieminski.
Four members of the back to back championship teams, Sieminski, Kevin Lummus, T.J. Paul and David Helfrich (1999 team) also worked out.
After worked out for a couple hours, the group talked about the highs and lows of their high school careers and focused on several funny happenings.
“We’ve sent 14 guys to college programs in the last 12 years,” Coach Thorpe said. “Currently David Helfrich is wrestling at LeHigh and K.C. Stokes is at U.C. Davis.”
Wrestlers were also impressed with the new gymnasium and weight room complex during a tour of the facility.
During Norm Davis’ coaching career at Sweet Home High School, he coached 13 state champions: Dennis Christensen, 1975; Bill Anderson, 1976; Uriel Santana, 1980; Troy Santana, 1984; Manuel Santana, 1986; Mike Murphy, 1986 and 1987; Shane Cochran, 1989; Scott McCandless, 1989; Eugene Luke, 1995; Bryan Coulter, 1995 and Nathan Rice, 1995 and 1996.
He coached 81 state place winners. He sent three wrestlers to cultural exchange teams: Dennis Christensen to Japan, Uriel Santana to Italy and Troy Santana to New Zealand.
Coach Davis led the Cultural Exchange team to the Olympics in Montreal, Canada in 1976 and in 1988 he led the exchange team to South Africa. He hosted two teams from South Africa and 11 each from Japan and New Zealand.
In 1976 Davis was named Oregon Wrestling Coach of the Year and received the Scholastic Coach Magazine’s National High School Wrestling Coach Gold Award. IN 1996 he was inducted into the Oregon Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Last spring, during the annual SHHS awards ceremony, it was said of Coach Davis: “When coaching, he exemplified his integrity, morals, dedication and expectations. In 35 years of coaching and 12 years as an athlete, he missed only one practice and that was to attend his father-in-law’s funeral in Idaho. He told his wrestlers what they needed to hear, not what they wanted to hear. Each was treated equally and fairly, was expected to conduct themselves as gentlemen on and off the mat. He did not tolerate disrespect, bullying or poor sportsmanship…
“Norm wanted his athletes to focus on classes when in class, focus on their date when on a date, focus on wrestling when wrestling. He said good athletes were a dime a dozen, good athletes who were good people were worth something. He had an uncanny ability to pull the best from an athlete who was willing to listen and learn from him. He didn’t expect them to have wrestling as their number one priority, but it should be in the top three with family and school.”