After losing a close match on the road last week to the state’s No. 2 5A team, Churchill, Sweet Home’s wrestlers returned to defeat Junction City 78-6 and Philomath 44-33 Thursday, Jan. 8, at home.
Sweet Home swept the lighter weights against Philomath, but lost all but one match over 152.
“Our lightweights wrestled really good,” Coach Steve Thorpe said. “We have gotten a lot of consistency out of our lower weights.”
He credited Philomath Coach Troy Woosley’s team with an aggressive effort in the match.
“Troy Woosley is a good coach with a young team,” he said. “He put out a line-up against us and they wrestled hard. They won some big matches for them.”
The Huskies’ line-up included rookie starter Devin Stafford, in his first varsity match at 170 pounds, and heavyweight Dalton Doerfler who is in his first year of wrestling.
“They wrestled very well,” Thorpe said. “They did a fantastic job.”
At Churchill on Wednesday, Jan. 7, Sweet Home faced a team with three returning All-Americans.
The Huskies won four matches by forfeit, but only Ricky Yunke at 113 pounds and Jake Porter at 152 were winners in bouts that were actually competed.
“They are tough – very, very tough,” Thorpe said. “They matched up perfect for them to wrestle us. It was a physical match.”
He credited 126-pound senior Anthony Hardee, who won two matches by pins on Thursday, with a notable effort in a 12-5 loss to Churchill’s Jake Ayers, top-ranked in the 5A at 126 pounds.
“The fact that he lost doesn’t change the fact that it was good wrestling, fun wrestling to watch,” Thorpe said.
“You have great wins and ugly wins and close wins and blow-outs. Although we won, we have got to learn from this. Now is part of the process for us. It’s not the end all to end all. We’re building toward regionals and state, plain and simple.”
Next up for the Huskies is the Oregon Classic tournament this Friday and Saturday in Redmond. Their next home appearance will be against Sutherlin in a dual at 6 p.m. on Jan. 22 that will feature both junior varsity and varsity matches.
Sweet Home 44, Philomath 33
106 – JC Elder (SH) won by forfeit; 113 – Ricky Yunke (SH) pinned Jamison Nunn (P) 1:02; 120 – Kobe Olson (SH) pinned Anthony Rath (P) 0:19; 126 – Anthony Hardee (SH) pinned Keltin Benson (P) 1:15; 132 – Tyler Schilling (SH) pinned Dylan Donnell (P) 1:29; 138 – Tyrel Miller (SH) pinned Cody Chambers (P) 0:43; 145 – Jake Porter (SH) TF James Howell (P) 19-1; 152 – Carson Calder (P) pinned Bryce Coulter (SH) 5:48; 160 – Jacob Morris (P) dec. Jason Miller (SH)6-4; 170 – Nate Burkus (P) pinned Devin Stafford (SH) 3:48; 182 – Cole Ashcraft (SH) dec. Taylor Kohn (P) 5-4; 195 – Tyler Lewis (P) pinned Hunter Olheiser (SH) 0:30; 220 – Kelby Evans (P) pinned Gavin Baskin (SH) 3:36; 285 – Ryan Duenas (P) pinned Dalton Doerfler (SH) 1:51.
Sweet Home 78, Junction City 6
106 – JC Elder (SH) won by forfeit; 113 – Ricky Yunke (SH) won by forfeit; 120 – Kobe Olson (SH) won by forfeit; 126 – Anthony Hardee (SH) pinned Travis Hodgson (JC) 0:15; 132 – Tyler Schilling (SH) pinned Josiah Starr (JC)1:51; 138 – Joe Rasmussen (SH) won by forfeit; 145 – Tyrel Miller (SH) pinned Joseph Goodwin (JC) 0:13; 152 – Bryce Coulter (SH) won by forfeit; 160 – Jason Miller (SH) won by forfeit; 170 – Tim Volner (JC) pinned Devin Stafford (SH) 2:22; 182 – Cole Ashcraft (SH) won by forfeit; 195 – Hunter Olheiser (SH) won by forfeit; 220 – Gavin Baskin (SH) won by forfeit; 285 – Dalton Doerfler (SH) won by forfeit.
Churchill 42, Sweet Home 36
106 – Gavin Sherrill (C) pinned JC Elder (SH) 1:44; 113 – Ricky Yunke (SH) pinned Joseph Wolf (C) 3:02; 120 – Cade Ezell (C) won by forfeit; 126 – Jake Ayers (C) dec. Anthony Hardee (SH) 12-5; 132 – Tyler Schilling (SH) won by forfeit; 138 – Tyrel Miller (SH) won by forfeit; 145 – Joe Rasmussen (SH) won by forfeit; 152 – Jake Porter (SH) pinned Braiden Burris (C) 3:18; 160 – Riley Jaramillo (C) won by forfeit; 170 – Justin Kearney (C) dec. Jason Miller (SH) 10-4; 182 – Gavin Carroll (C) pinned Brycen Denver (SH) 0:48; 195 – Wyatt Brink (C) pinned Cole Ashcraft (SH) 3:53; 220 – Dalton Doerfler (SH) won by forfeit; 285 – Blayne Burnett (C) pinned Gavin Baskin (SH) 1:01.