They’re no secret anymore.
Coach Steve Thorpe’s Husky wrestlers aren’t going to be able to sneak up on any of the state’s top ranked teams anymore, not after they captured the 3A title Saturday at the Oregon Classic Wrestling Tournament in Portland.
The Huskies clipped Brookings, Madras, defending state champion Cascade and the No. 1 ranked Phoenix to erase any doubts they are shooting for big things at the district and state tournaments this season.
“This was a very difficult tournament,” Coach Thorpe said. “We wrestled twice on Friday and twice on Saturday. We would have liked to have met Cascade in the finals but it just didn’t work out that way.”
Huskies who went through the tournament without losses include Andrew Swanson, Mike Aerni, Kyle Temple, K.C. Stokes, Israel Helfrich and Andy Ellis.
“We didn’t look all that good against Brookings,” Coach Thorpe said. “We wrestled better as we went on.”
Mike Aerni had a big tournament, Coach Thorpe said, including a key win over the state’s No. 1 ranked 103 pounder (Corey Dupont) wrestling up at 112 from Madras.
“Aerni dominated this match,” Coach Thorpe said.
The Huskies always compete hard against Cascade and this match up was no exception.
“Cascade jostled their lineup. We knew they had lost their 125 pounder a couple weeks ago,” Coach Thorpe said. “They forfeited to Neil (Workman) at 119 and moved their 119 pounder to 125 to wrestle Kyle Temple. Kyle out conditioned the guy and finished strong. He won the match and got us on a roll.”
K.C. Stokes took on the No. 3 ranked Nick Demaris and won a 5-2 decision.
Adam Knight, 152 pounds, lost a 7-4 decision to No. 4 ranked Brent McManamon but wrestled his best match of the tournament, Coach Thorpe said.
“Every kid competed very hard,” Coach Thorpe said.
In Saturday evening’s finals match up against Phoenix, the Huskies pulled out all stops.
“Phoenix has been compared to our teams of 1998 and 1998,” Coach Thorpe said. “I don’t think anyone expected us to win except us.”
103 pounder Andrew Swanson started off a little slow in the finals match but rallied to pin Kevin Cowley in 5:36.
Mike Aerni pinned Mahon in :30 at 112 and Neil Workman pinned Vote in 2:55 at 119 to put the Huskies in good point shape early on.
Kyle Temple took a 7-5 win over Clark at 125 and Stokes pinned Gibson in 1:36 to put the Huskies ahead 27-0.
Coach Thorpe said the Husky conditioning program paid off handsomely in this tournament.
“Our conditioning is really starting to show. We are man-for-man out conditioning our opponents. Our guys didn’t leave anything on the mats,” Coach Thorpe said.
Calendar: The Huskies host a combined Madras/Sisters team Thursday at 6 p.m.
Sweet Home 55
Brookings 15
103: Swanson dec. Alcorn 11-1; 112: Aerni won by forfeit; 119: Workman was dec. 10-8 by Parke; 125: Stokes pinned Coatney iin 2:23; 130: Temple pinned Cox in 3:39; 135: Zurcher pinned Wamsley in 1:36; 140: Helfrich dec. Patterson 6-4; 145: Knight was dec. 6-3 by Marrington; 152: Lambert was pinned by Gerlach in 3:37; 160: D. Helfrich pinned Miller in 3:29; 171: Bostrom pinned Tavel in :47; 189: Burchard was dec. 10-4 by Chesterran; 215: Brewer pinned Vancamp in 3:38; 275: Ellis pinned Sanders in :25.
SHHS 54
Madras 16
103: Swanson pinned Casey in :12; 112: Aerni dec. Dupont 6-4; 119: Workman was dec. 6-4 by Meves; 125: Temple won by forfeit; 130: Stokes pinned Hanson in 3:02; 135: Zurcher pinned Oliver in 3:00; 140: I. Helfrich pinned Neff in :57; 145: Knight was dec. 4-3 by Stovall; 152: Lambert was dec. 13-2 by Oliver; 160: D. Helfrich was dec. 13-7 by Whitaker; 171: Bostrom pinned Vibbert in 1:20; 189: Burchard pinned Callier iin 1:13; 215: Brewer won by default; 275: Ellis pinned Scott in :57.
SHHS 45
Cascade 24
103: Swanson pinned Weight in 3:10; 112: Aerni was pinned by Phillips in 2:35; 119: Workman won by forfeit; 125: Temple dec. Cantrell 8-6; 130: Stokes was dec. 5-2 by Demaris; 135: Zurcher pinned Unger in 3:45; 140: I. Helfrich pinned Rush in 3:30; 145: Phillips was pinned by Unger in 3:28; 152: Knight was dec. 7-4 by McManaman; 160: D. Helfrich was dec. 11-10 by Anderson; 171: Bostrom was pinned by Ramseyer in 1:35; 189: Burchard dec. Hortsch 11-7; 215: Brewer pinned Erwinski in 3:03; 275: Ellis pinned Strinz in :42.
SHHS 42
Phoenix 25
Finals
103: Swanson pinned Cowley in 5:36; 112: Aerni pinned Mahon in :30; 119: Workman pinned Vote in 2:56; 125: Temple dec. Clark 7-5; 130: Stokes pinned Gibson in 1:36; 135: Zurcher was dec. by McCarty 21-9; 140: Helfrich pinned Staten in 4:40; 145: Phillips was pinned by Soysa in 1:02; 152: was dec. 13-6 by Kaufman; 160: D. Helfrich dec. Jacobs 9-2; 171: Bostrom pinned Farrell in 4:36; 189: Burchard was dc. 7-2 by Brown; 215: Brewer was dec. 3-2 by Ferguson; 275: Ellis won by forfeit.