Sweet Home’s senior wrestlers put on a show Thursday, Jan. 31, in their final home match, blanking Cottage Grove 81-0 and then defeating an improving Stayton team 62-14.
“It was a good night,” Coach Steve Thorpe said. “I think it was a special night for the senior class as a whole.”
The seniors deposited their wrestling shoes on the corner of the mat as they left, which, Thorpe said, was symbolic of the Huskies’ approach to their sport.
“Those shoes they wear are specifically for that one arena,” he said. “The idea of training and working your hardest and leaving everything on the mat every time you step on – in taking their shoes off, they’re saying goodbye to Sweet Home wrestling.”
The match with Stayton included two JV matches, won by Bob Malloy and Quin Wise, that were a special concession by Stayton Coach Kyle Temple, Thorpe noted.
“This really goes to show the kind of person, the kind of coach, the kind of competitor Kyle Temple is,” he said. “I called him a couple of weeks ago and said, ‘I’m doubled up in a couple of weights and I have a couple of guys who deserve to be under the lights.’ I asked if we could have them wrestle instead of doing their JV matches during the JV segment, if they could wrestle exhibition matches. It benefited us all. It was neat to be able to do that.”
Thorpe said the Senior Night competition was special for everyone, not just the graduating wrestlers.
“This was important for the freshmen, not just the seniors,” he said. “They want to do their best for the senior. Everything is important now. Everything counts toward the seeding.”
Even though the Eagles only won three matches against Sweet Home Thursday, Thorpe said they’re team on the rise.
“Stayton is better,” he said. “Kyle Temple is going a good job with Stayton wrestling. I know the score doesn’t show it, but his team competed. You can see it in the technical falls they had. We have a very good team right now. They’re young.”
The Huskies now have a dual meet record of 37-4, which actually is 40-6 if one varsity tournament in which Sweet Home was represented entirely by JV wrestlers, is counted. They will put that record on the line in their final dual Feb. 7 at Cascade, the defending state 4A champion before going to the regional championship meet Feb. 15-16.
“I’m very, very happy with what they accomplished,” Thorpe said. “It was neat to have a senior night like that.”
Sweet Home 81, Cottage Grove 0
106 – Tyrel Miller (SH) won by forfeit; 113 – Tyler Schilling (SH) won by forfeit; 120 – Anthony Hardee (SH) won by forfeit; 126 – Dylan Elder (SH) pinned Ryan Hammons, (CG) 1:34. 132 – Colton Schilling (SH) pinned Michael Tharpe, (CG), 1:38; 138 – Brandon Keenon (SH) pinned Andres Ibarra, (CG) 1:42; 145 – Trever Olson (SH) won by forfeit; 152 – Brian Malloy (SH) won by forfeit; 160 – Tyler Cowger (SH) pinned Broc Beach (CG) 1:49. 170 – Nate Melcher (SH) pinned Kowen Walker (CG) :25; 182 – Ben Terry (SH) dec. Shane Stalder (CG) 3-2; 195 – Wade Paulus (SH) won by forfeit; 220 – David Skeen(SH) pinned Marcus Bailey (CG), 3:14. 285 – Zach Gill (SH) pinned Brett Cox (CG) 1:00.
Sweet Home 62, Stayton 14
106 – Tyrel Miller (SH) pinned Noah Scott (S) 1:40; 113 – Tyler Schilling (SH) TF Cooper Goguen (S) 16-1; 120 – Anthony Hardee (SH) pinned Jordan Redman (S) :53; 126 – Dylan Elder (SH) pinned Austin Coblentz (S) 1:46; 132 – Colton Schilling (SH) pinned Jaymz Baker (S) :26; 138 – Brandon Keenon (SH) pinned Ethan Large (S)2:22; 145 – Trever Olson (SH) maj. dec. Ryan Blythe (S) 16-2; 152 – Tyler Cowger (SH) pinned Dylan Kreiger (S) 3:12; 160 – Clay Wallen (S) maj. dec. Brian Malloy (SH) 10-2; 170 – Nate Melcher (SH) TF Jordan McOmber (S)15-0; 182 – Zakary Williams, (S) maj. dec. Ben Terry (SH) 13-3; 195 – Wade Paulus (SH) pinned Cale Byers (S) 0:48; 220 – Dylan Smith (S) pinned David Skeen (SH) 1:29; 285 – Zach Gill (SH) pinned Randy Smith (S) 0:45.