Sweet Home finished 10th last weekend in the 24-team Reser’s Tournament of Champions, held at Liberty High School in Hillsborough.
The tournament, considered by many to be among the three most challenging in the nation, mixes many of the best teams from all divisions in the state of Oregon.
Sweet Home was missing 145-pounder Kyle Hummer and 167-pounder Alex Armstrong, who were ill, which probably cost the Huskies a few places in the team standings, Coach Steve Thorpe said.
Sophomore 112-pounder Colton Schilling was the Huskes’ only individual champion, wrestling in a bracket that featured four defending state champions.
Schilling pinned Crook County’s McKennan Buckner, who beat Schilling last year at Reser’s, in the semifinals in 3:18 and then beat Jared Kasch of Culver 6-0 in the final. Both were state champions year at the 5A and 2A levels respectively.
“He beat some good kids en route to that,” Thorpe said. “(Schilling) was considered by many to be one of the outstanding wrestlers in the tournament. He had a great tournament.”
Kris Newport was fourth at 152 pounds, losing 14-6 to Roseburg’s Seth Thomas, the top seed and eventual champion, in the semifinals and then losing a controversial 5-4 decision in overtime in the consolation final to Trevor Wilson of Crook County.
“He just wrestled his heart out, as usual,” Thorpe said of Newport.
The varsity team’s other placewinner was Tyler Cowger, who took sixth at 140 pounds, all three of his losses coming by one point.
“He was right in there,” Thorpe said.
He said other good performances were turned in by Scottie Stockman (119) and Wade Paulus (189), both of whom finished one match away from placing.
In the junior varsity tournament, which he described as “as tough as any tournament you’ll enter,” Colton Holly finished third at 125 pounds and Justin Nicholson was fourth at 103. Mitch Keenon and Nate Melcher also wrestled well, Thorpe said.
“We’re starting to have these efforts from everybody, from top to bottom,” he said. “Guys are starting to pick it up, to compete hard.”
Sweet Home also traveled to Cascade Thursday, Jan. 27, where it defeated Taft 76-6 and lost to the hosts 34-33 in a match that came down to a 2-0 win by Cascade heavyweight Kaylan Stark over Zach Gill in overtime.
“We didn’t have Kyle Hummer and Alex Armstrong,” Thorpe said. “Cascade is too tough of a team to take two varsity guys out of the line-up. We still had some guys do some good things.”
The Huskies have two more dual meets, at home Thursday, Feb. 3, against Central and Philomath, and then on the road Thursday, Feb. 10, at Newport, which will also include a dual with Stayton before the regional meet at Stayton on Feb. 18-19.
“We’re focusing on regionals, getting ready for that,” Thorpe said.
Action on Thursday will begin at 5 p.m. when the Huskies face Central. Senior Night formalities will begin at approximately 7 p.m., after which the Huskies will face Philomath.
Sweet Home 76, Taft 6
103 – Ian Search (SH) won by forfeit; 112 – Colton Schilling (SH) pinned Zach Coultis (T) 1:07; 119 – Scottie Stockman (SH) pinned Darrin Russel (T) 2:12; 125 – Colby DeCleve (SH) pinned Seth Steere (T) 2:12; 130 – Ty Harvey (SH) won by forfeit;
135 – Trever Olsen (SH) pinned Jesus Frias (T) 1:41; 140 – Tyler Cowger (SH) dec. Skylar Thomas (T) 9-1; 145 – Double Forfeit;
152 – Kris Newport (SH) pinned Brandon Terrill (T) 3:05; 160 – Jacob Jewell (SH) pinned Ryan Bambrick (T) :50; 171 – Chance Jucutan (SH) pinned Killian Kuhan (T) 1:55; 189 – Wade Paulus (SH) won by forfeit; 215 – John Markert (SH) pinned David Smith (T) 3:58; 285 – Zach Gill (SH) won by forfeit.
Cascade 34, Sweet Home 33
103 – Ian Search (SH) dec. Pittman (C) 8-4; 112 – Colton Schilling (SH) pinned Bledsoe (C) 1:21; 119 – Scottie Stockman (SH) pinned Speer (C) 2:55; 125 – Beggs (C) maj. dec. Colby DeCleve (SH) 11-3; 130 – Ty Harvey (SH) dec. Andrews (C) 14-8; 135 – Dozler (C) pinned Mitch Keenon (SH) 3:03; 140 – Beggs (C) dec. Trever Olson (SH) 7-4; 145 – Tyler Cowger (SH) dec. Kath (C) 6-0; 152 – Kris Newport (SH) pinned Wyler (C) :41; 160 – Crawford (C) pinned Jacob Jewell (SH) 1:00; 171 – Biewend (C) pinned Chance Jucutan (SH) 1:13; 189 – Wade Paulus (SH) pinned Wachel (C) 1:13; 215 – Johnson (C) pinned John Markert (SH) :53; 285 – Stark (C) dec. Zach Gill (SH) 2-0 (OT).