The Husky wrestlers opened up their league competition with a 46-22 triumph over Stayton, one of the better teams in the Capital Conference this year.
After exposing the team to a difficult pre-season, coach Steve Thorpe said the Huskies were ready for league competition.
“We had guys excited for the league to start,” said Thorpe. “Stayton is one of the better teams in the conference. They have won all or most of the tournaments they have been in.”
Thorpe believes the tough schedule will begin to pay off as they go through their league meets.
“If a team isn’t solid from top to bottom,” stated Thorpe, “we will make an average team look bad now.
Brian Lindsay, whom coach Steve Thorpe said is getting into much better shape, started the Huskies off with a fall at 152 pounds. Thorpe points to Lindsay as an example of a wrestler who has faced stiff competition in Sweet Home’s difficult schedule and has improved because of it.
After Stayton strung together a few wins, including a forfeit at 171 due to an injury to Travis Smith, Jesse Aitken and Rob Martin led the turnaround with falls. The Huskies lost five matches at the varsity level, including the one forfeit, and were perfect in the JV matches.
“We had wrestlers string moves together,” emphasized Thorpe. “We wrestled for longer spurts than they did.”
In a make-up meet that attracted teams from West Albany, Central, and Scio, Sweet Home continued to dominate with impressive victories over all three schools. They accumulated pins in droves, with 6 versus West Albany to start with. Central had only two victories by decision and one forfeit while giving up forfeits themselves in the top three weight divisions. Otherwise, they suffered pins at the hands of the Huskies in every other match. Six of the matches were forfeits when Sweet Home took on Scio, five going to Sweet Home. But the Huskies logged in four more pins in the remaining matches.
Aitken and Martin each had successful outings against some of Scio’s highly rated 2A wrestlers. Aitken had to come from behind and controlled the final round for a 13-7 win. Martin continued his impressive year with yet another 30 second pin. Martin has been defeated only one time this year; all of his victories, other than one forfeit win, have come by falls.
Tomas Rosa continues to impress Thorpe. Rosa bumped up a weight class to take on Scio’s Olin West, a top 2A wrestler. Leading 6-4, Rosa gave up an escape point to attack and pick up two on a takedown to up his lead to 8-5. Rather than control the final minute, Rosa, who been called for stalling in the second round, continued to take the action to West but got caught ina reversal and a three point near fall.
“You can never fault him for making a hustle mistake,” said Thorpe. “We don’t want mentalerrors though. We’ll get those mistakes out of the way now before district.”
At 125 pounds, Chad Workman returned after an illness to earn four victories during the week, two by falls. Other wrestlers who had good weeks with three pins each include Rosa, Shane Vandehei, and Colt Campbell.
“Occasionally, it’s good to wrestle some average teams,” said Thorpe. “This week was a good confidence booster for us.”
The Huskies continue action Wednesday against South Albany and Corvallis and then with league competition at Sisters on Thursday.
Wrestling
League Match @ Stayton
SHHS 21, Stayton
103: Wixom dec. John Sutten, SH, 2-0
112: Shane Vandehei, SH, pinned Scnelle, 2:17
119: Grunseth dec. Trevor Tagle, SH, 9-3
125: Chad Workman, SH, dec. Smith, 6-3
130: Tom Helfrich, SH, dec. Fiedler, 8-7
135: Bryan Corliss, SH, dec. Schmitz, 16-3
140: Tomas Rosa, SH, pinned N.Merrell, 3:49
145: Colt Campbell, SH, pinned Todd, 1:54
152: Brian Lindsay, SH, pinned Merrell, 3:50
160: Summers dec. Hance Woody, SH, 10-0
171: Koumentis, Stay, by forfeit
189: Thatcher pinned Matt Harkey, SH, 5:14
215: Jesse Aitken, SH, pinned Wilson, 0:45
275: Rob Martin, SH, pinned Cavarubias, 0:53
4-Team Non-League Match
SHHS 52, W. Albany 16
103: Sutten, SH, dec. Donahue, 9-4
112: Vandehei, SH, pinned Lugo, 0:17
119: Tagle,SH, dec. Burner, 12-10
125: Workman, SH, dec. St.Pierre, 13-1
130: Ledesma dec. Helfrich, SH, 10-3
135: Corliss,SH, pinned Sim, 1:09
140: Rosa, SH, pinned Wiens, 1:30
145: Campbell, SH, pinned Ramsey, 5:20
152: Rose dec. Lindsay, SH, 16-5
160: Hartsfield dec.H.Woody,SH, 5-2
171: Stothoff, W.Alb, by forfeit
189: Harkey, SH, pinned Sandburg, 1:27
215: Aitken, SH, pinned Lafollete, 1:15
275: R. Martin,SH, pinned Holms, 3:29
SHHS 66, Central 12
103: Sutten, SH, pinned McLean, 1:04
112: Vandehei, SH, pinned Silva, 0:33
119: Tagle,SH, pinned Garcia, 3:42
125: Workman, SH, pinned Thomas, 0:40
130: Helfrich, SH, pinned Flores, 3:19
135: Hathorne dec. Corliss,SH, 9-2
140: Rosa, SH, pinned Pederson, 1:14
145: Campbell, SH, pinned Carillo, 1:57
152: Lindsay, SH, pinned McMurtry, 2:15
160: Tombia dec.H.Woody,SH, 5-0
Central wins by forfeit at 171; SHHS wins
by forfeit at the next three weights.
SHHS 60, Scio 15
SHHS won by forfeit at 6 weights; Central
won by forfeit at 171.
103: Sutten, SH, pinned Vintion, 0:47
125: Workman, SH, pinned J.Beckstead, 3:12
140: West dec. Rosa, SH, 10-8
152: Lindsay, SH, pinned Gore, 1:23
160: B.Buckstead pinned H.Woody,SH, 3:55
215: Aitken, SH, dec. Stillman, 13-7
275: R. Martin,SH, pinned Petersen, 0:32