Scott Swanson
Jake Porter signed a letter of intent Monday, April 24, to wrestle for Umpqua Community College.
Porter placed second at 145 pounds in the OSAA state championships in February and followed that up with a second-place finish in the state Greco championships Sunday, April 23, along with a fifth in freestyle.
“Jake has a college wrestling style,” said Sweet Home Coach Steve Thorpe. “He doesn’t have a panic mode in him and he’s strong and he’s controlled.”
UCC is re-starting its wrestling program in the fall after a 20-year hiatus, with Sweet Home alum and former assistant coach Kyle Temple at the helm. Temple, a graduate of Southern Oregon University, is currently coach at Cottage Grove after stops at Sprague and Stayton.
“It feels pretty cool,” Porter said before signing the letter, flanked by his parents Robert and Becky Porter, in front of a couple of dozen teammates and staff members. “I’m nervous about it, naturally.”
He said the idea of wrestling in college became a reality for him this season.
“I thought I should go wrestle for college,” he said. “I’m good enough to, I think. I didn’t feel like it last year.”
Thorpe said the fact that Porter was still wrestling last weekend is an indication that he has the commitment to make it at the college level.
“It isn’t by accident, what he’s done,” the coach said.
Porter said he’s excited to wrestle for Temple, whom he’s known “forever.”
“I’m really good friends with him.”
He said he plans to major in computer science. He said he will wrestle at 145 pounds and will likely redshirt his first year.
Thorpe said Porter’s signing brings the number of Sweet Home wrestlers he has sent to college “close to 30.
“What a great opportunity for him to go and get to continue to wrestle and work toward an associate’s degree or a transfer degree or whatever he wants. No matter what happens, he’s headed to college to wrestle at the collegiate level. This is a very exciting time for him. I’m excited for UCC to get him.
“It’s just going to be difficult to call him a River Hawk instead of a Husky.”