Sweet Home’s high school wrestlers chalked up another milestone for the season Saturday by taking home the 4A division championship at the Oregon Classic Tournament in Redmond.
The Huskies, ranked 15th going into the tournament, finished atop a field of 20 teams, including the top teams in the state.
“The Classic is like the dual meet state championship,” said Coach Steve Thorpe.
The win was the fourth Classic title the Huskies have won, the last time in 2002. Sweet Home placed third the last two years after also winning in 1999 and 2001.
This year the Classic was run in pools, the first time it’s been done that way. Sweet Home started Friday in a pool with Illinois Valley, Baker City, Cottage Grove and Yamhill-Carlton, which didn’t show due to weather and road conditions.
In the first round, the Huskies outscored Baker City 57-18, got a bye in the second round due to Yamhill-Carlton’s no-show, and then beat Illinois Valley, the second-ranked team in the state, 39-27.
Resuming pool action Saturday, the Huskies beat Cottage Grove, ranked eighth in the state, 59-12.
Having won its pool, Sweet Home then faced the second-place team from Pool Three, Scappoose, which lost to Cascade, which took on Illinois Valley.
The Huskies dispatched Scappoose 58-14 to advance to the semifinals against Tillamook, the top-ranked 4A team in the state. Sweet Home beat Tillamook 35-29 to advance to the finals, where it again faced Illinois Valley, which had moved up the other side of the bracket.
In that final dual, the Huskies took the title by a whisker, 36-35.
“This is very exciting,” Thorpe said. “This team is made up of a bunch of kids that just work hard. What they lack in ability they make up for with heart. Our team is really starting to come together.
“I heard someone say once that wrestling a sport where you don’t have to count on anyone but yourself,” Thorpe said. “I couldn’t disagree more.”
Thorpe said he was particularly pleased with the performances of several wrestlers, Jack Perry at 119, Levi Weikel at 135, Brandon Lawson at 160 and Rob Helfrich at 189. He said he was also encouraged by progress he’s seen from freshman Ethan Rowe, who, he said, “got better as the tournament went on.”
Rowe lost 3-2 to senior Lance Tausaga of Illinois Valley in their 215-pound match during the teams’ first dual. In the championship dual, Rowe pinned Tausaga.
Perry pinned all six of his opponents to run the table, while Weikel won his first four by falls before losing his final two matches on points. Lawson also went 4-2, while Helfrich lost one match, to top-ranked Ryland Geiger of Scappoose.
“What you get from Robby Helfrich and a guy like Brandon Lawson is incredible leadership and work ethic,” Thorpe said. “And the younger guys are starting to follow their example.”
Freshman Taylor Tagle also ran the table after getting a forfeit in his opening match. Heavyweight Matt Parker and 112-pounder Danny Johnson both finished with one loss, Parker’s coming at the hands of number one-ranked Bubba Owens of Tillamook and Johnson losing to Dustin Woosley, also of Tillamook and also the top-ranked 4A wrestler in the state.
Though delighted with the victory, Thorpe cautioned that his team needs to be looking ahead to district and state tournaments in early February.
“This is a very good accomplishment but it is not the ultimate goal we are working towards,” he said. “Now is when we really start focusing in on our goals as a team and as individuals towards district and state.”
Huskies at Oregon Classic
Sweet Home 57 Baker 18
103-Taylor Tagle S receives fft; 112-Danny Johnson S pinned Parker Warner B; 119-Jack Perry S pinned Trevor Tomasini B; 125-Andrew Gettle B pinned Brock Crocker S
130-Grant Marcum B pinned Joe McCaslin S; 135-Levi Weikel S pinned Quincy Warner B; 140-Leif Erickson S pinned Nick Magill B; 145-Nick Pitts S dec Micah Johnson B 9-2; 152-Sawyer Anderson S pinned Jake Shuckle B; 160-Brandon Lawson S dec Seth Klassen B 9-6; 171-Andrew Knight S pinned Paul Slater B; 189-Rob Helfrich S dec Jon Henry B 5-3; 215-Ted Shaw B pinned Ethan Rowe S; 285-Matt Parker S receives fft.
Sweet Home 39 Illinois Valley 27
103-Tagle S dec Culver IV 6-5; 112-Johnson S pinned Duran IV; 119-Perry S pinned Anderson IV; 125-Crocker S dec Fisher IV 6-5; 130-Winter IV pinned McCaslin S; 135-Weikel S dec Jacob Miller IV 15-11; 140-Erickson S pinned Parker IV; 145-Jerrad Miller IV dec Pitts S 4-0; 152-Adam Miller IV pinned Anderson S; 160-Swift IV pinned Lawson S; 171-Tony Miller IV pinned Knight S; 189-Helfrich S pinned Pope IV; 215-Tausaga IV dec Rowe S 3-2; 285-Parker S pinned Parsons IV.
Sweet Home 59 Cottage Grove 12
103-Tagle S pinned Marhenke CG; 112-Johnson S pinned Eskstine CG; 119-Smith S pinned Wisely CG; 125-Perry S pinned Simons CG; 130-McCaslin S pinned Trevor Sustaire CG; 135-Weikel S pinned Tanner Sustaire CG; 140-Stanley CG pinned Erickson S; 145-Pitts S pinned Bates CG; 152-Herzog CG dec Anderson S 6-5; 160-Lawson S dec Harsh CG 8-1; 171-Muth CG dec Knight S 5-4; 189-Helfrich S dec Thompson CG 12-6; 215-Rowe S pinned Crocker-Soliz CG; 285-Parker S pinned Leach CG.
Quarter-Finals
Sweet Home 58 Scappoose 14
103-Tagle SH md Smith S 10-2; 112-Johnson SH pinned Elder S; 119-Perry SH pinned Klum S; 125-Honl S md Crocker SH 16-5; 130-Manscam SH fft
135-Weikel SH pinned Pentecost S; 140-Erickson SH dec Bradley S 6-4; 145-Pitts SH fft; 152-Goodnight S pinned Anderson SH; 160-Lawson SH pinned Aguilera S; 171-Knight SW pinned Miller S; 189-Geiger S md Helfrich SH 12-0; 215-Rowe SH pinned Kachley S; 285-Parker SH dec Martinez S 5-0.
Semi-Finals
Sweet Home 36 Tillamook 29
103-Tagle SH pinned Spratt T; 112-Woosley T dec Johnson SH 10-5; 119-Perry SH pinned Smith T; 125-Jordan T pinned Crocker SH; 130-Martin T pinned Hanscam SH; 135-Garcia T md Weikel SH 15-7; 140-Erickson SH dec Graves T 5-2; 145-Pitts SH dec Mickelson T 2-0; 152-Anderson SH pinned Noble T ; 160-Lawson SH dec Arron Barichio T 9-6; 171-Knight SH pinned Coon T; 189-Helfrich SH dec Jacobs T; 215-Adam Barichio T pinned Rowe SH; 285-Owens T md Parker SH 11-2.
Finals
Sweet Home 36 Illinois Valley 35
103-Tagle SH dec Culver IV 5-3; 112-Johnson SH dec Duran IV 6-1; 119-Perry SH pinned Anderson IV; 125-Crocker SH pinned Vantassel IV; 130-Winter IV pinned McCaslin SH; 135-Miller IV dec Weikel SH 11-8; 140-Parker IV pinned Erickson SH; 145-Miller IV md Pitts SH 12-2; 152-Miller IV pinned Anderson SH; 160-Swift IV md Knight SH 10-0; 171-Miller IV pinned Lawson SH; 189-Helfrich SH pinned Pope IV; 215-Rowe SH pinned Tausaga IV; 285-Parker SH pinned Fisher IV.