Sweet Home’s youth and inexperience caught up with the Huskies Friday and Saturday at the OSAA 4A state wrestling championships.
Entering the placewinner matches late Saturday morning, Sweet Home had two wrestlers still competing: junior Tyler Schilling and sophomore Tyrel Miller.
It was the first time since the 1990s that the Huskies didn’t have a wrestler in the semifinals of the tournament. The last time Sweet Home did not have a wrestler in the finals was 2004.
Several were looking promising early on Saturday, but things fell apart. Freshman Kobe Olson lost to Crook County’s Terran Libolt in the quarterfinals of the 106-pound consolation bracket, missing out on a chance to medal, and the same thing happened to senior Dylan Elder, who had beaten teammate Anthony Hardee late Friday in a consolation match-up and then fell 6-2 Saturday morning to Kyle Kintz of Gladstone.
The only wrestlers still alive by noon Saturday, for the consolation semis, were Tyrel Schilling at 126 pounds and Tyrel Miller at 113.
But that didn’t stop Miller from pulling off some late fireworks.
After losing 8-1 to Tyler Campbell of Marshfield in his second match on Friday, Miller found himself in the consolation bracket quarterfinals against the explosive Campbell again. This time he pinned Miller to take fifth place.
“I thought I could have beaten him the first time, but I didn’t wrestle very good,” Miller said, adding that cutting to 113 pounds had taken its toll. “I got more food in me. I just felt better the second day.”
“It was just a great finish for Tyrel Miller,” Thorpe said, “getting fifth place and pinning that kid who had beaten him. He was wrestling to win.”
It was a disappointing weekend for Schilling, who placed third last year.
After opening the tournament Friday with a technical fall over Molalla’s Adam Miller, Schilling lost 8-1 to No. 2-seeded Kurt Mode of Crook County, whom he had beaten earlier in the season, and battled back through the consolation bracket to a match-up with Justin Coon of Tillamook for third place, and lost 5-1 to place fourth.
Schilling said he may have peaked at the wrong time, compared to some of his opponents.
“I don’t know, I wasn’t wrestling to the best that I can physically wrestle. I think I might have accidentally peaked a little too early.
“I think that they peaked where they needed to be, at a perfect time. They were right at the state tournament and they were ready to go.
“I wish I could have wrestled to the full of my ability, but I just wasn’t able to in that tournament.”
Thorpe said it was “disappointing” to see Schilling get fourth, after after beating Mode earlier, but he said his wrestler has carried “the whole load all year.
“It was a lot of pressure, a lot of responsibility.”
The Huskies finished 13th with 47.5 points, as Crook County, which had a tournament-high lineup of 23 wrestlers, steamrolled its way to a runaway victory with 406.5 points. Henley, which had 17 qualifiers, was second with 159, followed by Scappoose (139.5), North Marion (63), Marshfield (60.5) and Elmira 59.
“It’s not what we wanted, of course,” horpe said. “But it’s what we finished. We took 10 kids and eight scored in that tournament. The separation between 13th place and sixth place was nothing – just a few points.”
Freshman Kobe Olson had a good tournament, finishing one match out of the medal stand.
“This is a kid who just came on all season,” Thorpe said, noting that Olson finished with some 39 wins. “That’s incredible for a freshman to do that. That gives him a place to go for next year, something to build off of.”
For the Huskies in general, this was a building year.
“It was a difficult year, but some people would call that a great year,” Thorpe said of Sweet Home’s finish. “That just shows you the standard that we have in our wrestling program.
“We’re returning seven of those 10 guys we took. That ‘s exciting for me. We’re not going to take a big break, think about what we’re going to do for next year. We’re going to make some commitments and get better. Our next season started Sunday.”
Another of those returnees will be Hardee, a junior.
Jason Miller, also a junior, who was a late addition to the tournament entrants after another wrestler decided not to compete, got into the 152-pound division as a fifth-place district finisher and won a match.
“That’s tremendous for his confidence,” Thorpe said. Also coming back with state tournament experience will be sophomore Aaron Blanchard and freshman Tyler Fincher.
“I’m very proud of our kids for going out there and laying it on the line, taking chances and not quitting,” Thorpe said. “It’s nice to know you’ve got those guys coming back.”
Miller said he wants to improve next year.
“I’d just like to give a big thanks to Ty Schilling for being a good partner, and Coach (Tomas) Rosa and (Steve) Schilling for coming in on weekends with me for extra help to make weight.
Schilling said he has “a new goal to work on after finishing fourth.
“I was the one guy they were hoping on this year, and definitley that’s what I’m trying for next year.”
OSAA 4A State
Wrestling Championships
Sweet Home Finishes
106 – Aaron Blanchard (SH) lost by fall to Michael Bresser (Henley) 1:19; in consolation bracket, pinned Nathan Ward (Gladstone) 2:24; lost by fall to No. 1 seed Braxton Sue (Scappoose) 2:04. Did not place.
106 – Kobe Olson (SH) lost by fall to Izaak Grubbs (Marshfield) 1:18; in consolation bracket, dec. Triston Rostocil (North Marion) 8-2; dec. Colton Walker (Astoria) 3-2; lost 12-2 to Terran Libolt (Crook County); Did not place.
113 – Tyrel Miller (SH) pinned James Ahhee (Baker/Powder Valley) 3:02; lost 8-1 to Tyler Campbell (Marshfield); in consolation bracket, pinned Cade Hite (Marshfield) 4:02; lost 4-3 to Johnny Avina (Crook County); pinned Tyler Campbell (Marshfield) 4:57 to finish fifth.
113 – Tyler Fincher (SH) lost by fall to Johnny Avina (Crook County) 2:26; in consolation bracket, lost 7-0 to Trevon Kuhlman (Henley); did not place.
120 – Tyler Schilling (SH) TF Adam Keller (Molalla) 5:19; lost 8-1 to No. 2 seed Kurt Mode (Crook County); in consolation bracket, dec. Trey Shores (Crook County) 6-2; dec. Logan Humphrey (Cascade) 2-1; lost 5-1 to No. 3 seed Justin Coon (Tillamook) to finish fourth.
132 – Anthony Hardee (SH) dec. Davin Nichols (Mazama) 4-2; lost by fall to No. 2 seed Hayden Bates (Crook County) :41; in consolation bracket, lost 7-6 to Dylan Elder (SH); Did not place.
132 – Dylan Elder (SH) lost by TF to Bee Nguyen (Klamath Union) 2:33; in consolation bracket, dec. Jose Stevens (Ontario) 6-4 OT; dec. Anthony Hardee (SH) 7-6; lost 6-2 to Kyle Kintz of Gladstone; Did not place.
152 – Jason Miller (SH) lost by fall to No. 4-seeded Austin Tillery (Henley) 2:47; in consolation bracket, dec. Drew Owens (Tillamook) 3-2 OT; lost 6-5 to Jose Mendez (Klamath Union); did not place.
182 – Ben Terry (SH) lost by fall to No. 2 Seed Chase Anderson (Klamath Union) 3:40; in consolation bracket, lost by fall to Logan Good (Gladstone) 4:36; Did not place.
195 – Troy Hazelton (SH) lost 12-3 to Juan Lopes (Ontario); in consolation bracket, pinned Brendon Rohas (Henley) :52; lost 9-7 to Zachary Smith (Crook County); did not place.
Team Scores – (1) Crook County 406.5; (2) Henley 159.0; (3) Scappoose 139.5; (4) North Marion 63.0; (5) Marshfield 60.5; (6) Elmira 59.0; (7) La Grande 57.0; (8-tie) Cascade, Newport 55; (10) Tillamook 53.0; (11) Phoenix 51.0; (12) Ridgeview 48.0; (13) Sweet Home 47.5; (14-tie) Central, Estacada 46; (16) Gladstone 44.5; (17) McLoughlin 43.5; (18) Banks 41.5; (19) Klamath Union 41.0; (20-tie) Astoria, Ontario 37.0; (22-tie) Cottage Grove, Hidden Valley 19.0; (24) Douglas 16.0; (25-tie) Junction City, Taft 14.0; (27) South Umpqua 13.5; (28) Siuslaw 11.0; (29) Philomath 8; (30) Mazama 7.5; (31-tie) North Bend, North Valley, Stayton 3; (34-tie) LaPine , Madras, Molalla, Sutherlin 1; (38) Baker 0.0