By Ryker Burr
For The New Era
Sweet Home Wrestling hosted and dominated an eagerly anticipated Senior Night on Wednesday, Feb. 4, against Tillamook.
Seven of Sweet Home’s eight seniors wrestled in their last home contest: Bailey Chafin, Tytus Hardee, Dillan Davis, Jackson Knight, Luke Rosa, Jeremiah Steagall and Lynkin Royer.
“What was special about this senior class is that I’ve had seven of them in the Mat Club since they were 4 or 5 years old… I’ve traveled all over with them,” said Head Coach Steve Thorpe, who went on to note he also coached many of these wrestlers’ parents.
“It’s a special group, for sure.”
The Huskies certainly looked special on the mat too, handling Tillamook 62-18. The Cheesemakers were fifth in the most recent 4A division wrestling rankings, topped by the Huskies. .
Nine of Sweet Home’s wins were by fall, and the other two were a major decision.
Hardee, Davis, Rosa, Steagall and Royer all won their final home match.
“Dillan Davis stood out to me by beating a really good kid in (Chance) Fletcher,” said Thorpe.
He also pointed out a few other winners: “Macen Rosa is a pretty dangerous wrestler. He got a nice pin,” said the veteran coach. “Kyle Zajic is consistently wrestling better and better.”
The girls didn’t settle either, as they dominated the Cheesemakers 72-12. All of the winning girls did so in pin-fashion, two of them – Raelyn Andrews (120) and Bella Rico (130) – in 34 seconds or quicker.
“Raelyn Andrews wrestled very aggressively and she started a huge momentum for us,” Thorpe noted.
Senior Bailey Chafin – who is aiming for her third state title this season – won her match over Haedyn Kirchhoff with a pin in 1:51.
As emotional as the evening was, Sweet Home’s week didn’t end on Senior Night. The Huskies traveled to Philomath, where they capped off a duel season of dominance against the league-rival.
The Green and Gold – who were without freshmen Cody Sieminski and Macen Rosa (illness) – crushed the Warriors 64-17.
That was the Huskies 34th duel win on the season, a mark that surely made the seven-time state champion coach smile.
“That’s pretty special,” he said.
The girls managed a convincing 54-17 win as well, perhaps a big reason for their now No. 3 ranking in the state per Mid-Major Media. The boys remain No. 1 as they have all year.
The girls will have one last tune-up before regionals at Oakridge, a strong program among Oregon’s smaller schools, on Wednesday, Feb. 11, beginning at 6 p.m.
Girls regionals will be at Cottage Grove on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 13-14, beginning at noon on Friday. Boys regionals will be in Newport on Saturday, Feb. 14, beginning at 10 a.m.
In both tournaments, a top-four individual finish punches a state meet ticket to the Veterans Memorial Coliseum Feb. 27-29.
“The last 2 ½ months was pre-season. Now is what matters,” Thorpe told his team.