If wrestling coach Steve Thorpe thought his Huskies might sneak up on someone at this year’s state tournament, those thoughts vanished Saturday.
The Huskies swept the Oregon Classic (the state’s dual meet championship) Saturday evening, downing Phoenix 47-12 in the finals.
Sweet Home sliced through their opponents en route to the championship spotlight, winning over Creswell 72-6, 77-0 over Ontario, 52-15 over an improved Molalla squad and tusseling to a win over Banks 32-26.
“Out of some 70 total matches, we lost only 15 and seven of those were to Banks,” Coach Thorpe said. Banks was ready to wrestle and we went into that match a little flat. I think we were looking past Banks and toward Phoenix in the finals.”
The only major jinx of the meet was the loss of senior 152 pounder Eric Lambert.
Lambert was in a car accident last June and had suffered a leg injury. Saturday, Lambert broke the same leg.
“Eric finished the match and scored points for us,” Coach Thorpe said. “Mike Lummus learned about two hours before the finals that he would be filling in for Eric, stepped up and did a good job for us.”
Sweet Home jumped off to a solid start over Phoenix with falls by Chad Workman and Andrew Swanson.
The winning continued as senior Neal Workman beat Kevin Cowley 5-4 at 119 pounds. Cowley was seventh at last year’s state tournament.
125 pounder Mike Aerni soundly decisioned Ben Workman 9-3. Workman was ranked third going into the matchup.
K.C. Stokes scored Sweet Home’s next win at 135 pounds, hamming Gibson 17-1.
Senior Jon Dearborn may have had his best match of the season to date, pinning George Pierce in 5:47.
Pierce is the state’s number one ranked 3A 140 pounder.
145 pound Robert Carr decisioned Ricky Farrell 11-7 and David Helfrich decisioned Brian Murphy 3-2 at 171 pounds. Murphy was ranked number one as well.
Daniel Brewer at 215 and Rob Martin at heavyweight rounded out Husky wins.
“We had a good performance but it also helped to have so much fan support,” Coach Thorpe said. “There were a lot of Sweet Home fans who drove over the mountain to support us and that helps a lot.”
Some 18 Huskies made the trip for the two-day tournament.
“Every one of our wrestlers played a role in this,” Coach Thorpe said.
Several Huskies had excellent showings including senior Jordan Johnson in a 9-5 win over Creswell’s Joel Pence.
“Robert Carr is doing a lot of things right. He’s got a 3.86 gpa in the classroom. Like we tell the kids, to be a champion on the mat, you have to be a champion off the mat.”
Sophomore Rob Martin posted four pins at heavyweight.
“Our kids were very positive and were a class act both on and off the mats,” Coach Thorpe said. “We wrestled three times on Friday and twice Saturday. There’s a lot of waiting time in there.”
Back in the varsity lineup is 160 pounder Adam Knight, who was out due to an accident early in the season. Junior Adam Zurcher also cracked the varsity lineup last week and split matches with senior Chad Emmert at 130 pounds.
“Another guy who’s really coming on right now is Kyle Temple,” Coach Thorpe said. “He’s down to 135 pounds, which is where he belongs.”
Calendar: The Huskies travel to Stayton Thursday to face an improved Eagle lineup. Saturday Sweet Home travels to Bend for an eight-team individual tournament.
Oregon Classic at
Descutes County
Fairgrounds, Redmond
Sweet Home 72
Creswell 6
103: C. Workman dec. Creney 9-4; 112: Swanson won by forfeit; 119: N. Workman won by forfeit; 125: Johnson dec. Pence 9-5; 130: Zurcher pinned Honer in :55; 135: Temple pinned Curkpatrick in 1:01; 140: Dearborn pinned McKenzie in 3:13; 145: Carr pinned Gardener in 1:42; 152: Lambert was pinned by Locker in 1:18; 160: Knight pinned Speas in :39; 171: Helfrich pinned Bliss in :39; 189: Vassar pinned Lunde in :56; 215: Brewer pinned Goodwin in :28; 275: Martin won by forfeit.
Sweet Home 77
Ontario 0
103: C. Workman won by forfeit; 112: Swanson dec. Lagunas 4-2; 119: N. Workman pinned Hernandez in 5:20; 125: Aerni tech falled Sosa 20-1; 130: Emmert pinned Rivera in 3:36; 135: Stokes pinned Perez; 140: Dearborn pinned Ringo in 5:10; 145: Carr pinned Cowperthuait in :56; 152: Lambert dec. Smith 8-4; 160: Knight pinned Fields in 3:53; 171: Helfrich pinned King in 3:20; 189: Vassar pinned Write in 1:24; 215: Brewer pinned Dunton in 1:15; 275: Martin pinned Anthony in 1:30.
Sweet Home 52
Molalla 5
103: C. Workman pinned Beach in 1:53; 112: Swanson dec. McGrann 22-10; 119: N. Workman dec. Daily 8-2; 125: Aerni dec. Lantz 6-3; 130: Zurcher pinned Meredith in 1:24; 135: Stokes pinned Peters in 1:44; 140: Dearborn pinned Hayner in 1:51; 145: Carr was pinned by Roberts in 3:22; 152: Lambert was pinned by Roberts in 2:56; 160: Knight dec. Puhlman 5-4; 171: Helfrich dec. Walkup 12-3; 189: Vassar pinned McDonald in 1:23; 215: Brewer was dec. 14-8 by Kirk; 275: Martin was pinned by Nuffer in 2:36.
Sweet Home 32
Banks 26
103: C. Workman was dec. by Josh Williams 7-2; 112: Swanson dec. Becker 16-0; 119: N. Workman was dec. 6-0 by Abarro; 125: Aerni dec. Doych 8-6; 130: Emmert was dec. 3-0 by Herb; 135: Stokes pinned Marshall in :52; 140: Dearborn was dec. by Williams 10-8; 145: Carr dec. Lyerla 15-6; 152: Lambert was dec. 4-2 by Coussens; 160: Knight pinned Lazott in 1:51; 171: Helfrich dec. Ewing 13-3; 189: Vassar was dec. 16-0 by Ewing; 215: Brewer dec. Ball 11-0; 275: Martin was pinned by Lineham in 2:28.
Championship
Sweet Home 47
Phoenix 12
103: C. Workman pinned Anthony in 1:23; 112: Swanson pinned Jesse in 1:17; 119: N. Workman dec. Cowley 5-4; 125: Aerni dec. Workman 9-3; 130: Zurcher was dec. by Vote 7-2; 135: Stokes dec. Gibson 17-1; 140: Dearborn pinned Pierce in 5:47; 145: Carr dec. Farrell 11-7; 152: Lummus was dec. by King 5-2; 160: Knight was dec. by Accord 6-1; 171: Helfrich dec. Murphy 3-2; 189: Vassar was dec. by Brown 5-3; 215: Brewer won by forfeit; 275: Martin pinned Gray in 1:12.
In other Oregon Classic wrestling action:
Shane Vandehei
Junior High grappler Shane Vandehei was crowned champion in the 14-15 year old Cadet class, 98 pounds.
Vandehei lost his first match 6-0 to Ross Lampers of Everett, Wash.
He pinned Justin Beard of Oregon City, then took an overtime win over Mike Lomsdale, also of Everett, Wash.
In his fourth match, Vandehei decisioned Tyler Weathers of Crater 7-5.
Lomsdale and Weathers beat Lampers, which meant a first place for Vandehei.
Cindy Gourley
SHHS senior Cindy Gourley was crowned champion in the women’s 149 pound class.
Gourley pinned all three of her opponents for the title, including athletes from St. Helen’s, Madison High in Portland and Seattle, Wash.
Gourley was invited to join the women’s Oregon National Team that will compete in April in Michigan. Last year’s Oregon team included three All-Americans.