Scott Swanson
See our photo gallery for State Tournament photos: https://www.sweethomenews.com/photos/02_27_2019
Jackson Royer and Travis Thorpe won individual titles Saturday, Feb. 23, in the OSAA 4A state wrestling championships, but the Huskies were unable to overtake a loaded Tillamook squad in the team race, finishing second.
Sweet Home finished with 241 points to 264½ for the Cheesemakers, who like to refer to themselves as the “Mooks.”
“Tillamook is good,” said Coach Steve Thorpe. “They didn’t beat us because we wrestled bad. They wrestled good. It was definitely a dominant top-two-team tournament.”
Six Husky wrestlers made the finals, the most that Thorpe has ever had in 23 years as head coach, but only Royer and Travis Thorpe were able to come away with titles. In Thorpe’s case, at 152 pounds, his opponent was teammate Boe Baxter, who placed second along with Robbie Yunke at 145 pounds, Hayden McDonald at 160 and Nich James at 182.
Seventeen of Sweet Home’s 19 state qualifiers scored points – meaning they won at least one match, which was also a record for Steve Thorpe, he said.
“We won some matches that maybe we shouldn’t, and we lost some matches that maybe we shouldn’t,” he said. “That’s going to happen no matter what tournament you’re in, particularly in the state tournament. You get what you earned. I stand true to that.”
It was the second time in the finals for Travis Thorpe, a junior, as well as his second facing a teammate for the state title, after placing second to teammate Kobe Olson as a freshman.
Thorpe and Baxter had faced off two weeks before for the regional title, with Thorpe winning 2-1 in overtime after an official penalized Baxter for an illegal hold.
Saturday night, Thorpe was the clear winner of a 9-5 decision in a chess-match style face-off.
“It felt amazing,” he said of winning his first state championship. “I’m happy with the way I wrestled. I felt free and when you feel free you can do good. I’m thinking about taking new shots. Of course, it plays a big role that they know your moves and you know theirs, so it’s bad at the same time. It’s always fun wrestling a teammate. Bittersweet. I’m just happy I finished the job this time.”
Baxter, a senior, came in as a No. 5 seed and said he knew he was going to have a tough road to the finals. He beat senior Victor Torres of Madras 5-3, then major-decisioned No. 2 seed Tandy Martin of Marshfield 16-3 to make the final.
“I felt pretty good going into the finals,” Baxter said.
He said it’s uncomfortable facing a teammate, particularly after their district face-off, but “I’m proud of where I ended up. I thought maybe I could get to the finals. I kept telling myself ‘I can do it, I can do it.’
“Travis had a really good match, probably the best I’ve seen him wrestle.”
Steve Thorpe said the fact that two teammates wrestled each other for the title – the only ones in the entire tournament this year who did so – shouldn’t diminish their accomplishments because both had to battle through the bracket to get there, just like any other wrestler would, and both dominated their side of the bracket, Travis Thorpe pinning his way to the final.
“It’s always difficult to wrestle a teammate in the finals,” Steve Thorpe said. “One of the things I’ve said from the beginning of this season is that “iron sharpens iron.” They’ve trained together all year. They wrestled a great match.
“For Travis to be state champ, he had to beat one of the top wrestlers in the state of Oregon.”
Royer, a junior who stated early in the season – and again after winning the district title – that his goal was to win state, achieved that by pinning Tillamook’s Lucius Macias in their 132-pound final. He trailed 2-0 after an early takedown by a very quick Macias, but ended up taking the Cheesemaker down in the second period and turning him for a fall at 3:48.
“He beat the No. 1 seed pretty good and he’s no slouch,” Royer said of Macias. “He’s real fast on his feet. That’s what I was trying to do, win it on my feet. I got him in a good spot and ended up throwing him, then it was just being smart on top and I ended up getting a turn.”
“He knew he had a lot of match left,” Thorpe said. “One thing consistent about Jackson, he’s a very good wrestler on top.”
Thorpe noted that Royer’s goal since he was a freshman was to win a state title and he’d already taken third as a freshman and fourth as a sophomore in the tournament – for which “he was disappointed.”
“He pinned his way through the tournament. Not many people can say they had that kind of dominance. He earned this. He’s done all the extra things to earn this state title. I never doubted that he was going to be state champion.”
At 145 pounds, Yunke, a senior, found himself in a rematch with Cascade’s Noah Thompson, whom Yunke beat 9-7 in the regional final two weeks earlier.
That had been his only victory over Thompson in half a dozen meetings between the two, and this time the Cascade sophomore made sure there wouldn’t be a repeat, putting on a masterful display of aggressive takedowns and solid defense in a 13-2 major decision.
“He was definitely more on,” Yunke said. “I don’t know what it was. He just clicked and I stayed the same. I wrestled my best. I left it out there. There’s nothing more I can do.”
Thorpe said Yunke’s finish was a deserved cap on “a good career.”
“Robbie is a dangerous wrestler,” he said. “Although he didn’t win a state title, I don’t think that defines what he has done.”
McDonald, senior who missed a season and a half of high school wrestling, pinned his first three opponents en route to the final at 160 pounds, where he faced junior Parker Robinson of La Grande, who came into the match as the No. 1 seed, with a 43-2 season record.
McDonald said he was hoping to “pull my straps off, pound my chest and point up to the crowd” after winning a title, but Robinson took control early and McDonald couldn’t fend off three of his opponent’s takedown attacks, though he avoided several and also scored on two escapes.
“I was really thinking, after the match pull my straps off, pound my chest and point up to the crowd, but things don’t always happen; you don’t always get what you want,” McDonald said. “It’s hard to catch up with guys who have been doing it a while.
“I knew he was good kid from the beginning. Everybody had told me and I’d seen him beat teammates of mine. I was just going out there and trying to somewhat avenge teammates for losing. He beat me too.”
McDonald said he exceeded the expectations he had at the beginning of the season, but as the year developed and “I started beating people I shouldn’t, I started realizing ‘I can make an impact here, somewhat,'” he said.
Thorpe said McDonald improved with every match he wrestled.
“He wrestled Parker, who’s one of the best wrestlers in the state of Oregon. Hayden wrestled a match that was absolutely incredible. Hayden is dangerous.”
James, who also pinned all his opponents on his way to the final, faced No. 1 seed Fabian Niemi of Tillamook, who came into the match with a 43-3 record. Niemi, a senior, left no doubt who was top dog on that particular night, scoring a 20-5 technical fall with 20 seconds left in the match.
“He wrestled with confidence,” Thorpe said of James. “He wrestled as hard as he could. He lost to a really good wrestler.
“Nich is disappointed, but Nich doesn’t take these things as a deterrent. This is a little obstacle he has to get through. He had a great tournament.”
He noted that James also helped fellow qualifiers Austin Olin and David McMullen get better.
Sweet Home trailed Tillamook 130-121 going into Saturday’s matches. During the semifinals the Huskies surged ahead in the point standings, but after four straight losses in the backside of the consolation bracket, the Cheesemakers led 249-229 going into the finals.
Though the Huskies emphasize “finishing on odd numbers,” it didn’t happen often enough in Saturday’s finals.
After losing losing three finals matches, Sweet Home was mathematically eliminated, although Tillamook only had four wrestlers in the finals.
In the consolation brackets, senior Robert Watkins and junior David McMullen placed fourth, at 126 and 285 pounds.
Watkins lost 7-3 to eventual champion Maximus Tate of Molalla in the semifinals, but came back to pin Isaiah Franco of Klamath Union in the consolation semis then fell to Woodburn’s Freddy Hernandez in the consolation final.
“He was just really strong,” Watkins said of Hernandez, who muscled his way to a 15-7 major decision.
Thorpe said Watkins has been “consistent and a good young man and a great teammate, who would have liked to finish higher than he did, but you can’t take away from what he accomplished.
“If fourth place was what he did, that what he could accomplish. Robert always gives 100 percent.”
McMullen, a junior, lost a close 4-3 decision in his opening match to Estacada’s Kenny Clark.
“It was a tough match,” said McMullen, who suffered a head butt in the bout, when both tried to shoot at the same time. “He was a big kid, but I should have beat him.”
He put that behind him to win four straight matches on the backside of the bracket, including a 5-2 win over Junction City’s Bryer Moore in the consolation semis, whom McMullen beat on a stalling call for the regional championship.
“I was particularly happy about the win over Brier Moore,” McMullen said. “It was good to beat him officially, and not have any gripes about it.”
He said he was pleased with his finish.
“I think I did really well. I’m excited for next year.”
He said he needs “to get a lot bigger.”
“I’m one of the lightest guys in my bracket and smallest. I need to bulk up.”
Thorpe credited McMullen’s finish in his first state tournament to the work the junior has put into the sport the past year.
“Hats off to him. He did the extra stuff last spring and summer and it paid off. David McMullen picked the right time to start winning matches.”
Freshman Kyle Watkins was fifth at 106 pounds, after beating teammate Treyson Smith, who placed sixth as a result of that final match, after both won crucial matches in the blood round early Saturday morning to guarantee a spot on the medals stand.
“Those points help when you are in a race for a trophy,” Thorpe said. “They have made each other better this year.”
“Kyle came in as a freshman and started growing. To place at the state tournament as a freshman is an accomplishment. Kyle was consistent for us. He won matches we needed to win.”
Smith, an unseeded sophomore, pinned No. 4 seed Kyler Pemberton of Mazama in their opening bout.
Thorpe said Smith’s improvement was evidenced by his presence on the medals stand.
Junior Connor Ford was sixth at 113 pounds and sophomore Tristan Spencer was sixth at 120.
It was Ford’s second time in the tournament, but this year he made it into the medals with a 5-3 blood round win over No. 6 seed Zane Shadrick of Junction City, who beat Ford in the regional tournament.
“I have to congratulate him for being a placer,” Thorpe said.
Spencer, he said, missed an entire week of practice after the regional tournament after suffering a hematoma caused by a nose fracture, in addition to some other life complications.
“You want to talk about somebody just being tough,” Thorpe said. “This 15-year-old boy was an example to other young boys and girls, men and womn. I’m inspired by how this kid competed in spite of adversity.”
Thorpe credited the extra-curricular work by his wrestlers and his assistant coaches – Tomas Rosa, Steve Schilling, Tim Boatwright, Brock Crocker and Colton Schilling – for the Huskies’ success.
“We work well together,” he said of his staff.
He noted that nearly every placewinner had wrestled in spring freestyle and Greco tournaments, at camps and at summer tournaments.
“We had guys who did extra stuff but didn’t place, but they did better,” he said. “They had one tough draw, one bad match. That doesn’t mean they won’t do great things for this program. If you want to be good, you’ve got to do those things.
“I’m grateful for our coaching staff and for the unselfish parents who care about and support our kids and this staff. This is a pretty great place to be a wrestling coach.”
OSAA 4A Division State Wrestling Championships
Team Scores: (1) Tillamook 264.5; (2) Sweet Home 241; (3) La Grande 189; (4) Baker/Power Valley 129; (5) Cascade 105.5; (6) Junction City 105.5; (7) Woodburn 96; (8) Phoenix 69; (9) Marshfield 57.5; (10) Henley 56; (11) Molalla 54.5; (12) Estacada 53; (13) Ontario 51; (14) Banks 46; (15-tie) Elmira, Hidden Valley 36; (17) Madras 34; (18) Cottage Grove 30; (19) Mazama 27; (20) Corbett 21; (22) North Marion 19; (23) Philomath 17; (24) Seaside 16; (25) Newport 15; (26) Klamath Union 12; (27) McLoughlin/Weston McEwen 11.5; (28) Siuslaw 6; (29-tie) Gladstone, Sisters 5; (31) Astoria 3; (32) North Valley 0.
Sweet Home Results
106 – Kyle Watkins, a freshman, maj. dec. Bradley Rieger (Tillamook) 12-0; lost 13-7 to Dustin Asher (Mollala); pinned Madison Shearer (Henley) 1:30; dec. Gavin Stone (Baker) 8-5; lost 3-0 to Isael Duran (Baker); pinned Treyson Smith (Sweet Home) 0:55; placed fifth.
106 – Treyson Smith, a sophomore, pinned Kyler Pemberton (Mazama) 3:21; lost by fall to Isael Duran (Baker) 5:51; pinned Gabe Chavez (Hidden Valley) 3:33; dec. Hunter Smith (Banks) 6-2; lost 8-1 to Dustin Asher (Molalla); lost by fall to Kyle Watkins (Sweet Home) 0:55; placed sixth.
113 – Connor Ford, a junior, pinned Isaac Wood (McGloughlin) 2:22; lost by fall to Wesley Vasquez (Woodburn) 1:43; pinned Ethan Haertel (Tillamook) 0:48; dec. Zane Shadrick (Junction City) 5-3; lost by fall to Keegan Hagerty (Tillamook) 0:56; lost by fall to Mariano Duran (Baker) 2:51; placed sixth.
113 – Christian Gregory, a freshman, lost 8-2 to Ezra DeLuca (Phoenix); dec. Coby Hibbert (La Grande) 5-0; lost by fall to Justin McConkey (North Marion) 2:13; did not place.
120 – Tristan Spencer, a sophomore, dec. Dalton Ford (Sisters) 18-14; pinned Andrew Gastelum (Seaside) 0:41; lost 13-4 maj. dec. to Ezra McIntosh (La Grande); lost 8-4 to Frankie Harlow (Marshfield); lost by fall to Marcos Hernandez (Woodburn) 2:49; placed sixth.
120 – Keegan Fox, a sophomore, lost by tech fall to Kiez White (McGloughlin) 15-0, 3:53; pinned Marcos Pena (Klamath Union); lost by fall to Frankie Harlow (Marshfield); did not place.
126 – Robert Watkins, a senior, pinned Caleb McDonald (Estacada) 1:01; pinned Brayden Newport (Sweet Home) 1:28; lost 7-3 to Maximus Tate (Molalla); pinned Isaiah Franco (Klamath Union) 2:04; lost maj. dec. to Freddy Hernandez (Woodburn) 15-7; placed fourth.
126 – Brayden Newport, a freshman, pinned Justin Ivy (Mazama); lost by fall to Robert Watkins (Sweet Home) 1:28; lost 7-4 to Cole Isaacson (La Grande); did not place.
132 – Bryce Porter, a junior, lost 5-4 to Kyle Wulf (Ontario); pinned Chaz Patterson (Sisters) 2:36; dec. Pierce Reardon (Hidden Valley) 9-2; lost by fall to Colton Anderson (Baker) 2:15; did not place.
132 – Jackson Royer, a junior, won by forfeit over Chance Ralston (Cottage Grove); pinned Blake Fritz (Klamath Union) 0:53; pinned Ruben Hernandez (Ontario) 1:45; pinned Lucius Macias (Tillamook) 3:48; finished first.
138 – Gavin Walberg, a sophomore, lost by fall to Casey McCall (La Grande) 3:38; lost 10-4 to Fernando Soto-Cruz (Cottage Grove); did not place.
145 – Robbie Yunke, a senior, pinned Chris Silveira (Tillamook) 2:29; maj. dec. Jake Eskew (Baker) 10-0; pinned Tanner Thompson (Banks) 2:45; lost 13-2 maj. dec. to Noah Thompson (Cascade); finished second.
152 – Travis Thorpe, a junior, pinned Konrad Hoyer (Marshfield) 3:35; pinned Hunter Lehman (Gladstone) 5:23; maj. dec. Tommy Cruz (Tillamook) 11-3; dec. Boe Baxter (Sweet Home) 9-5; finished first.
152 – Boe Baxter, a senior, dec. Israel Paniagua (Woodburn) 9-5; dec. Victor Torres (Madras) 5-3; maj. dec. Tandy Martin (Marshfield) 16-3; lost 9-5 to Travis Thorpe (Sweet Home); finished second.
160 – Jesse Jamison, a freshman, pinned Fisher Bastian (Hidden Valley) 1:08; lost by fall to Parker Robinson (La Grande) 1:51; lost by fall to Gauge Bloomer (Baker) 4:28; did not place.
160 – Hayden McDonald, a senior, pinned Johnathan Dudley (Banks) 1:41; pinned Chael Williams (Gladstone) 5:53; pinned Elijah Santana (Phoenix) 2:26; lost 8-2 to Parker Robinson (La Grande); finished second.
182 – Nich James, a junior, pinned Dylan Adcock (Estacada) 0:51; pinned Julian Grinager (Hidden Valley) 0:34; pinned Robert Plympton (Corbett) 4:47; lost by technical fall to Fabian Niemi (Tillamook) 20-5, 5:42; placed second.
195 – Austin Olin, a senior, lost by fall to Lance Moser (Estacada) 1:40; lost by maj. dec. to Ethan Martin (Sisters) 12-2; did not place.
285 – David McMullen, a junior, lost 4-3 to Kenny Clark (Estacada); pinned Alex Doherty (McLoughlin) 2:06; dec. Isaac Pena (Mazama) 12-5; dec. Skylar Smith (Astoria) 9-2; dec. Bryer Moore (Junction City) 5-2; lost by fall to Gabe Shuckle (La Grande); placed fourth.