Bailey Chafin, Dillan Davis, Tytus Hardee, Jesse Landtroop and Riley Vaughan were named this year’s Pat and Ernie Baxter Outstanding Wrestlers at the wrestling team’s awards dinner Sunday evening, March 9.
The five were the highest placers for Sweet Home’s boys and girls at the state championships on Feb. 28. Vaughan, Landtroop, Hardee and Davis each won individual state titles and Chafin finished second after having to withdraw from the state final with a serious knee injury.
“This was a good season,” Head Coach Steve Thorpe told the crowd of some 150 people who filled the high school cafeteria for the event. “It was a lot of work for our young men and our young women, especially those who are new to the sport. They kind of learned what it takes to be good.”
Thorpe credited his assistants for helping him coach and manage the expanded numbers of wrestlers on the team, particularly with the increasing numbers of girls, and also helping him get through what was “probably the most physically demanding year in my 34 years of coaching.”
He noted that the Husky boys not only brought home a second-place trophy from state, but also won the Oregon Wrestling Classic, while the girls placed second in the southern regional, qualifying for wrestlers for state, and were consolation champions at the OWC. The boys won their 11th straight regional championship as well.
As has become customary, each of the nine seniors at the dinner – heavyweight Colton Bennett was not present – had a chance to speak to the crowd. They thanked the coaches and parents for supporting them and several acknowledged the role wrestling has played in their development as individuals.
“Wrestling isn’t just a sport, it’s a place where I truly discovered myself,” said Emmaline Durrett, a second-year wrestler who was a division runner-up at the Reno Tournament of Champions before breaking her hand midway through the season. She said she learned that “toughness is not about strength, it’s about resilience.”
She added that she found “community” in Sweet Home wrestling, which was attested to by many of the other seniors.
Juniors
Assistant Coach Tomas Rosa introduced the junior wrestlers, pointing out that not only did Davis and Hardee win titles, but Luke Rosa and Jeremiah Steagall both finished third at state.
“Dillan and Tytus both had to beat kids who had beaten them earlier this year, and Lynkin (Royer) beat a kid in the blood round who had beaten him earlier in the year.”
Rosa and Thorpe said the Huskies had a goal to win a second straight state title, but that didn’t work out, and Rosa used Chafin’s injury, which ended her chances of winning a third-straight state title, to illustrate the importance of refocusing after disappointment.
“When the plan didn’t work out for Bailey, it was devastating,” he said, adding that it was particularly painful “not getting to that third state title.”
But, he said, “after a few minutes the switch was flipped and it was like, ‘We’re going to get better. We’ve done that before. I’m really excited to see what Plan B is.’
“We can’t go back to back, but we can start another championship run next year.”
Sophomores
Thorpe introduced the sophomores, pointing out that on the girls side Alizeah Weikel and Madi Looney were second-year wrestlers and this was the first year for Eturnyti Allison. Looney qualified for state.
“We took second place at the (45-team) south regional tournament,” he said. “They did an incredible job for us. They worked hard for us.”
Six of the sophomore boys qualified for state, Vaughan and Landtroop winning titles, Kyle Zajic making the final, where he lost to what Thorpe described as “pound-for-pound one of the best wrestlers in the state of Oregon,” and Keegan Jefferson placed fourth.
“That shows you the depth of our program,” he said. “This is the transition stage. This is the stage where you decide, ‘OK, do I want to make wrestling a priority?’ I’m very proud of this group.”
Freshmen
Rosa introduced the freshmen, noting that the class contributed to a team roster that was “a formidable number of kids – one of the deepest we’ve ever had. At one point we had seven at 144 pounds.”
The freshmen girls produced two state qualifiers in Bella Rico and Lyla Ventura, both of whom made it to the blood round.
On the boys side, Elijah Cruz finished fifth at 175 pounds.
Thorpe added as Cruz returned to his seat: “We’ve had a small group of wrestlers who have been four-time state placers. No pressure, buddy.”
Rosa said the Huskies, from the freshmen up, were typified by a mentality that was “just fearless. They weren’t just surviving. They were attacking and taking advantage of the opportunities they had.”
The team’s second line-up won the most duals ever this year, he said.
“That’s just a testament to you guys, just showing up and working, not being afraid of the outcome.”
Team Awards
Cruz and Rico were named Rookies of the Year for the boys and girls.
Most Improved were state qualifiers Lyla Ventura and Madi Looney, and Jeremiah Steagall, whom Thorpe described as someone who had failed to complete his freshman and sophomore seasons, but turned it around this year, evidencing “transformation as a student, a person and a wrestler – the wrestler was just a bonus.”
Iron Awards, presented to a wrestler who has overcome adversity – illness, injury or otherwise, went to Emma Durrett, fellow senior Russell Dickerman and junior Lynkin Royer.
Thorpe quoted his own father: “My dad in 1979 said, ‘The difference between a good athlete and a great athlete is the great ones can do it when they’re sick or hurt.’
“All three of these guys had every reason why not to but they did.”
Workhorse Awards, which honor wrestlers who push themselves and teammates, “who go above and beyond in a sport that is all about work,” as Rosa put it, went to Jesse Landtroop, Luke Rosa, Kyle Zajic and Bella Rico.
Tomas Rosa said they stood out with their work ethic and commitment to taking advantage of opportunities to get better. He said others might consider them “so good, so lucky.”
“Yeah, they’re lucky to come in early, to come in on Sunday when they had other things to do.”
Spirit of a Champion Awards, to those who “through difficulties and circumstances still show up and are inspiring to teammates and are just good people,” as Thorpe put it, went to Cael Stevenson and Ryder Carr, who have persevered through daunting personal difficulties this season.
Norm Davis Scholar Athlete Awards, which are based on net team points scored multiplied by the athlete’s GPA, went to Luke Rosa and Bailey Chafin.
Most Takedowns went to Bailey Chafin and Jesse Landtroop.
Most Falls went to Bailey Chafin (37) and Kyle Zajic (36).
Thorpe also presented Extra Mile Awards to assistant coaches Monte Sheppard and Shane Sheppard, who moved to Sweet Home this year and who stepped in big-time to help get things rolling in the fall when Thorpe was laid low by an illness.
Also honored were managers/statisticians Crimson Emmert, Natalie Spencer and Selah Wright, who, Rosa said, “honestly got to deal with a lot of chaos, running up to the Junior High to cover a match or, at the last minute, getting called on to be a timekeeper.”
Letter winners were not announced at the event.