Sweet Home’s wrestlers got their 2009-10 campaign rolling Friday, but it was a little ragged as the Huskies were missing some criticalexperience as they faced No. 4 Henley in a three-team tournament and lost 49-24.
The good news, though, was that Sweet Home bounced back later in the evening against Crook County, beating the Cowboys 44-31.
“I didn’t like how we competed as whole against Henley,” Coach Steve Thorpe said, noting that he appreciated his wrestlers’ willingness to move up in weight and, in the case of several junior varsity wrestlers, move up to fill holes in the varsity line-up.
“I’m happy they took advantage of that opportunity,” he said. “It’s nicer when we get a full line-up.”
Crook County is coached by former Sweet Home assistant Jake Huffman, who brought a “tough” team, Thorpe said.
“We got some good matches out of them,” he said.
The missing pieces for the Huskies will hopefully be supplied in the next week or two by football players Taylor Tagle and Christian Whitfield, who wrestled his first high school matches Friday, turning in a good effort at heavyweight, though he got pinned by both opponents after putting up a game effort, particularly against Crook County’s C. Harris.
“Christian, being a first-year high school wrestler, I was proud of him,” Thorpe said.
Also missing was junior Kris Newport, who is on his way back from shoulder surgery and was held out.
Sweet Home got two pins each from freshmen Colton Schilling at 103 and Tyler Cowger at 130.
“Tyler was really aggressive and was able to pin those two guys,” Thorpe said.
Seniors Mitch Grove, at 125, and Brock Crocker, wrestling up at 160, both were double winners, both getting a pin and a decision. Crocker is coming off an injured knee and was wrestling “conservative,” Thorpe said.
Senior Marshall Arndt got pinned in his first match by Henley’s Aaron Daniel, but bounced back to pin Cody Pfau of Crook County.
“Marshall should not be getting pinned,” Thorpe said, “But he came back and pinned the next guy.”
With their next match Friday, Dec. 11, at the Perry Burlison Classic at Cascade, the Huskies are waiting to get the football players back in shape.
“It’s been a very awkward start,” Thorpe said. “We’re not even close to where we will be. It’s a very good thing for the football team to be successful, but it’s a different kind of conditioning, football and wrestling.
“I think we’re going to be a better tournament team than a dual meet team.”
The Huskies will get another chance to see how far they’ve progressed, or need to, on Tuesday, Dec. 17, when they host Scappoose, North Marion and Molalla, all top-eight teams, starting at 4 p.m.
Henley 49, Sweet Home 24
103 €“ Colton Schilling (SH) pinned Cody Wright (H) 1:32; 112 €“ Scottie Stockman (SH) dec. Tyler Scott (H) 7-4; 119 €“ Zorg Laudet (H) maj. dec. Colby DeCleve (SH) 16-0; 125 €“ Mitch Grove (SH) pinned Jared Jones (H) 1:18; 130 €“ Tyler Cowger (SH) pinned Conner Fitzgerald (H) :42; 135 €“ Brian Heater (H) def. Trever Olson (SH) by TF, 16-0; 140 €“ Aaron Daniel (H) pinned Marshall Arndt (SH) 4:47; 145 €“ Jared Krapholler (H) dec. David Rinehart (SH) 12-8; 152 €“ Nick Johnson (H) pinned Jacob Jewell (SH) 3:51; 160 €“ Brock Crocker (SH) dec. Harman Heater (H) 13-6; 171 €“ Austin Brown (H) pinned Alex Armstrong (SH) 1:26; 189 €“ Justin Headly (H) pinned Brad Pitts (SH) 1:59; 215 €“ Drake Dow (H) won by forfeit; 285 €“ RJ Horter (H) pinned Christian Whitfield 1:17.
Sweet Home 44,
Crook County 31
103 €“ Colton Schilling (SH) pinned E. Martin (CC) :24; 112 €“ Scottie Stockman won by forfeit; 119 €“ Colby DeCleve (SH) pinned D. Barber (CC) 1:37; 125 €“ Mitch Grove (SH) dec. Jared George (CC) 6-3; 130 €“ Tyler Cowger (SH) pinned A. Katzberger (CC) 1:45; 135 €“ T. Pierce (CC) dec. Trever Olson (SH) 7-3; 140 €“ J. Dickson (CC) maj. dec. David Rinehart (SH) 15-1; 145 €“ Marshall Arndt (SH) pinned Cody Pfau (CC) :44; 152 €“ Trevor Wilson (CC) pinned Jacob Jewell (SH) 1:35; 160 €“ Brock Crocker (SH) pinned Jake Zeigler (CC) 2:12; 171 €“ Alex Armstrong (SH) pinned by T. Ough (CC); 189 €“ Brad Pitts (SH) def. B Martin (CC) by TF, 15-0; 215 €“ Ryan Smith (CC) won by forfeit; 285 €“ C. Harris (CC) pinned Christian Whitfield (SH) 3:23.