Sweet Home’s boys wrestling team, like just about everybody else, has been dealing with sickness as well as the normal injuries and other hurdles that arise every season.
But the Huskies put on a good show Thursday evening against Tillamook, a perennial powerhouse in state 4A competition, downing the Cheesemakers 57-24, and then turning around Friday to take their seventh straight Linn County championship title in a tournament they hosted.
“We had a good week of wrestling,” said Coach Steve Thorpe. “We took on one of Oregon’s toughest teams and we beat them 10 matches to four.”
The Huskies won going away Friday, with a deep team that produced. Sweet Home finished with 273 points, ahead of West Albany (226) and Lebanon (225).
Freshman 160-pounder Ashton Swanson had a “signature win” with a pin of Tillamook’s Gilbert Whitlatch, “a ranked kid and a very good wrestler,” Thorpe noted. Junior Kaden Zajic bumped up a weight to give Swanson that opportunity, also pinning his opponent as Sweet Home dominated five of the six upper weight divisions.
“We had some great efforts from some people that night,” Thorpe said. “It was kind of nice to come into that the way we did.”
On Friday, senior Kyle Watkins had a “dominant” day at 126 pounds, the coach noted, as did 120-pound freshman newcomer Jacob Landtroop, both winning county championships. Also winning titles were sophomore Kyle Sieminski at 106, junior Jake Sieminski at 132, sophomore Ryker Hartsook at 152, Zajic at 160 and senior Colby Gazeley at 285.
“He’s a small heavyweight now, and he’s doing a good job,” Thorpe said.
Another who did well was junior 145-pounder Daniel Goodwin, who “wrestled tough” to place third after being sick, the coach said.
Next up for the Huskies are a dual at Philomath, which will also include Elmira and Stayton, on Wednesday, Jan. 12, and then they are off to the Oregon Classic, with 25 qualifiers.
“We’re injured right now and we’re sick,” Thorpe said. “It would be neat if you could always do things when you’re healthy.”
Linn County Championships
Boys Results
Team Scores – (1) Sweet Home 273; (2) West Albany 226; (3) Lebanon 225; (4) Harrisburg 150; (5) South Albany 74; (6) Central Linn 67; (7) Scio 43; (8) Santiam 18.
106 – Kyle Sieminski pinned Bricen Frazzini (WA) (0:46); pinned David Cumpiano (WA) (0:34); champion.
106 – Emilio Grajiola lost 12-4 to Bricen Frazzini (WA); dec. Owen Hoyt (WA) 7-2; lost by fall to Bricen Frazzini (WA); placed fourth.
106 – Evan Ashcraft did not place.
113 – Killan Boggs lost by fall to Luke Cheek (H) (1:36); lost by technical fall to Jayce Miller (Sweet Home) (16-0 4:37); received bye; placed fifth.
113 – Jayce Miller lost by fall to Marshall Duncan (WA) (1:07); won by technical fall over
Killan Boggs (Sweet Home) (16-0 4:37); lost 10-3 to Luke Cheek (H); placed fourth.
120 – Jacob Landtroop pinned Travis Seehafer (H) (0:47); pinned John Cartwright (L) (3:34); champion.
126 – Brody Olsen did not place.
126 – Kyle Watkins pinned Colter Traeger (Scio) (0:16); pinned Isaac Talmadge (H) (0:38); maj. dec. Curtis Talmadge (H) 9-1; champion.
132 – Laird Pettner did not place.
132 – Jacob Sieminski pinned Aaron Rico (CL) (0:44); pinned Jarron Huebner (WA) (1:33); pinned Tanner Wallace (L) (1:04); champion.
138 – Christian Gregory (Sweet Home) pinned Russell Dickerman (Scio) (0:17); pinned Devon Keene (L) (2:35); lost by fall to Kellen Hanson (SA) (5:03); placed second.
145 – Trenton Smith pinned Jordan Smith (Santiam) (0:51); dec. Darius Freeeman (L) 7-2; lost 10-3 to Derrek Sossie (WA); placed second.
145 – Daniel Goodwin (Sweet Home) pinned Abraham Noll (H) (1:12); lost by fall to
Derrek Sossie (WA) (2:52); pinned Landen Hecht (H) (4:20); maj. dec. Darius Freeeman (L) (16-2); placed third.
152 – Ryker Hartsook pinned Avery Adams (SA) (1:07); pinned Jack Shanks (L) (5:34); dec. Noah Reese (WA) 8-4; champion.
152 – Preston Kegler did not place.
160 – Ashton Swanson lost by fall to Julian Gaitland (WA) (0:27); pinned Evan Breen (Santiam) (0:09); pinned Carlos Garcia (L) (4:19); pinned Isaac Reid (L) (1:00); lost by fall to Cole Goracke (CL) (0:54); placed fourth.
160 – Kaden Zajic pinned Parker Hughes (H) (3:35); pinned Isaac Reid (L) (0:47); pinned Julian Gaitland (WA) (1:21); champion.
170 – Kayo Ebbs lost by fall to Boden Lindberg (WA) (0:29); lost next two matches by injury default; placed fifth.
170 – Nathan Thompson did not place.
182 – Evan Jensen lost 7-0 to Austin Loveal (L); pinned Kevin Vath (Scio) (2:47); lost major decision to Bryce Chilgren (H) 13-5; pinned Danen Kennedy (L) (1:57); placed fifth.
182 – Charlie Crawford pinned Danen Kennedy (L) (1:06); dec. Bryce Chilgren (H) 8-2; lost 9-2 decision to Jacob Beauchamp (CL); placed second.
195 – Tucker Weld lost 8-0 maj. dec. to Pablo Gonzalez-Solis (L); defeated Jackson Williams (L) on disqualification; dec. Malachi Hansen (CL) 9-7; Placed third.
195 – Bode Hart lost by fall to Pablo Gonzalez-Solis (L) (3:43); lost 11-6 to Malachi Hansen (CL); pinned Jackson Williams (L) (2:54); placed fifth.
195 – Dylan Sharp did not place.
220 – Dakota Melkvik did not place.
285 – Colby Gazeley pinned Juan Garcia (WA) (0:28); pinned Lukas Darby (L) (1:43); champion.
Thursday, Jan. 6
Sweet Home 57, Tillamook 24
106 – Kyle Sieminski (SH) pinned Bryce Haltner (T) (1:19); 113 – Joshua Perdew (T) pinned Jayce Miller (SH) (3:56); 120 – Jacob Landtroop (SH) pinned David Weathers (T) (5:43); 126 – Kyle Watkins (SH) pinned Lucas Robertson (T) (1:47) 132 – Jacob Sieminski (SH) pinned Baird Hagerty (T) (0:57) 138 – Bradley Rieger (T) pinned Christian Gregory (SH) (0:54); 145 – Trenton Smith (SH) dec. James Goddard (T) (4-1); 152 – Parker McKibbin (T) pinned Ryker Hartsook (SH) (5:52); 160 – Ashton Swanson (SH) pinned Gilbert Whitlatch (T) (4:31); 170 – Kaden Zajic (SH) pinned Hayden Hamerl (T) (3:16) 182 – Charlie Crawford (SH) pinned Logan Mckibbin (T) (4:16); 195 – Tucker Weld (SH) pinned Koi Smith (T) (0:23); 220 – Jackson Contreras (T) pinned David Steagall (SH) (4:33); 285 – Colby Gazeley (SH) pinned Michael O`Neil (T) (1:01).