Sweet Home’s wrestlers started their season at full stride last week, with dominating wins over Woodburn, McKay and Tigard Wednesday, Dec. 4, and a third-place finish in a field that include some of the state’s dominant teams in all divisions Saturday, Dec. 7, at Cascade.
Perry Burlison Classic (Cascade)
Behind second-place finishes from freshman Jake Sieminski at 106 pounds and seniors Travis Thorpe (160) and Jackson Royer (138), the Huskies scored 155.5 points to place third behind Crescent Valley (298.5) and Crook County (191), and ahead of Scappoose (100) and Central (92) in the 25-team tournament.
“I tell you, that will be one of the toughest tournaments in the state right now,” Coach Steve Thorpe said, noting that the Huskies were missing four varsity wrestlers. “When you have two different weight classes that have returning state champions facing off in the finals, that’s a tough tournament.”
He said he was proud that the three finalists made it that far. All three lost to Crescent Valley wrestlers – Sieminski by a fall to David Gillett (4:00), Royer by an 8-3 decision to Hunter Eveland, and Travis Thorpe falling 13-1 to James Rowley, a returning state champion and world bronze freestyle medalist.
Steve Thorpe said the “consistency” provided by Royer and Travis Thorpe is “beneficial” for the team.
On the girls side, Lexi Schilling won the 120-pound championship with a finals victory over teammate Paige Chafin.
Jessy Hart won the 130-pound title and sophomore Kami Hart, finished third at 190 – in her second high school tournament.
“I as really proud,” Steve Thorpe said. “This was a good week for us.”
He credited sophomore heavyweight Colby Gazeley, who “competed hard” and senior Isaac Schaffer, who wrestled up at 170 pounds to give Sweet Home a full line-up, and finished one match away from placing.
Other placewinners for the boys were senior Rian Howard, third at 120; senior Connor Ford, fourth at 126; junior Keegan Fox, sixth at 132; and senior Bryce Porter, fourth at 145.
In the junior varsity competition, freshman Brandon Elder won a championship at 119-123), freshman Trenton Smith won at 120-127, sophomore Christian Gregory at 124-132, and junior Gavin Walberg at 146-150.
Placing second were freshman Dominic Rodriguez (100-109), freshman Kaden Zajic (141-144) and sophomore Charlie Crawford (170-176).
Freshman Ryan Clark was fourth at 113-123, as was sophomore Dakota Melkvik at 188-201.
Finishing fifth were sophomore Alex Kisselburgh (125-128) and senior Marc Kanngiesser (208-223).
Freshman Evan Jensen was sixth at 149-151, as was freshman Connor McMullen at 185-191.
Sophomore Ryan Tyndall was eighth at 136-140.
The Huskies host Stayton, Reedsport and South Albany at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10.
They then travel to the Rose City Championships at Westview High School Friday and Saturday. Matches start at noon Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday. The girls will compete in the War of the Rose, also at Westview, on Saturday.
Dick Weisbrodt Duals (Lebanon)
The Huskies opened their season Wednesday, Dec. 4, with dominating wins over Woodburn (70-12), McKay (78-6) and Tigard (66-12).
“It’s nice to open up close to home,” Thorpe said. “Everybody can come watch and be part of what we’re doing and it’s not a long drive. We get to wrestle people we don’t typically see. Also, it’s nice that we wrestled well, real well.”
Sweet Home finished with 24 pins in the three duals.
“That’s typical of what we do,” Thorpe said. “We pin people.”
The Sweet Home girls won all their matches, including three by rookie Kami Hart.
“The girls dominated – they looked solid, a different level,” Thorpe said.
Also wrestling well were junior 220-pounder Jake Fanning, who won all three of his matches, with a last-second comeback pin against McKay’s Andy Nguyen, and sophomore heavyweight Colby Gazeley, who fought off some aggressive tactics by McKay’s Anthony Alvarez to pin him.
“They didn’t give up,” Thorpe said.
Jackson Royer, at 138 pounds, started his senior season off after winning a state title last year by pinning Woodburn’s Hector Paniagua, who finished third in state last year.
Senior Bryce Porter, at 145 pounds, finished with three falls.
“He did a lot of work in the off-season,” Thorpe said.
Sophomore Kyle Watkins also had three wins, pinning two opponents and winning by disqualification after a third bit him in their match, in which Watkins was leading.
Travis Thorpe won two matches at 160 by falls and a third by forfeit, and sophomore Jesse Jamison pinned all three of his opponents at 170.
Dick Weisbrodt Duals at Lebanon
Sweet Home 70, Woodburn 12
Woodburn vs. Sweet Home @ Dick Weisbrodt Duals on 12/04/2019.
106 – Jake Sieminski (SH) won by forfeit; 113 – Kyle Watkins (SH) pinned Juan Velasquez (W) (3:31); 120 – Rian Howard (SH) won by forfeit; 126 – Connor Ford (SH) maj. dec. Bryan Ramirez (W) (10-2); 132 – Wesley Vasquez (W) pinned Keegan Fox (SH) (3:01); 138 – Jackson Royer (SH) pinned Hector Paniagua (W) (3:55); 145 – Bryce Porter (SH) pinned Tomas Felix (W) (1:01); 152 – Brayden Newport (SH) pinned Misael Ramos (W) (3:07); 160 – Travis Thorpe (SH) pinned Kaden Christiansen (W) (1:24); 170 – Jesse Jamison (SH) pinned Alan Ibarra (W) (0:21); 182 – Nich James (SH) pinned Alex Avendano (W) (0:38); 195 – Jaime Cruz (W) pinned Tucker Weld (SH) (1:12); 220 – Jake Fanning (SH) pinned Santiago Roque (W) (2:30); 285 – Colby Gazeley (SH) pinned Grant Morales (W) (1:21).
Sweet Home 66, Tigard 12
106 – Jake Sieminski (SH) won by forfeit; 113 – Kyle Watkins (SH) pinned Giovanni Alvarez (T) (0:30); 120 – Rian Howard (SH) dec. Cameron O`Connor (T) (6-1); 126 – Cade McCallister (T) pinned Connor Ford (SH) (5:33); 132 – Keegan Fox (SH) pinned Chase Dennis (T) (1:09); 138 – Jackson Royer (SH) pinned William Guttman (T) (0:48); 145 – Bryce Porter (SH) pinned Tim Cousineau (T) (1:40); 152 – Brayden Newport (SH) dec. Zack Vorvick (T) (6-4); 160 – Travis Thorpe (SH) pinned Gannet Markozen (T) (0:45); 170 – Jesse Jamison (SH) pinned Jordy Espitia (T) (1:48); 182 – Nich James (SH) won by forfeit; 195 – Tucker Weld (SH) pinned Uriah Subia (T) (0:48); 220 – Jake Fanning (SH) won by forfeit; 285 – Johnny Nomani (T) pinned Colby Gazeley (SH) (1:42).
Sweet Home 78, McKay 6
106 – Jake Sieminski (SH) won by forfeit; 113 – Kyle Watkins (SH) won by DQ over Connor Everetts (M); 120 – Ryan Clark (SH) won by forfeit; 126 – Rian Howard (SH) won by forfeit; 132 – Keegan Fox (SH) pinned Bryant Mendoza (M) (2:41); 138 – Jackson Royer (SH) pinned Mitchell Everetts (M) (1:32); 145 – Bryce Porter (SH) pinned Enrique Montoya (M) (0:39); 152 – Brayden Newport (SH) pinned James Jennings (M) (1:43); 160 – Travis Thorpe (SH) won by forfeit; 170 – Jesse Jamison (SH) pinned Gavin Harris (M) (1:07); 182 – Nich James (SH) pinned Erick Ambrosio (M) (1:59); 195 – Israel Rivas (M) pinned Tucker Weld (SH) (0:35); 220 – Jake Fanning (SH) pinned Andy Nguyen (M) (5:54); 285 – Colby Gazeley (SH) pinned Anthony Alvarez (M) (2:58).