Outlaws wrestlers cancel match due to infection

Seven of the Outlaws wrestlers got staph infections last week, and Coach Gene O'Brien decided against bringing his remaining four wrestlers to La Pine on Thursday, February 11.

"We think our wrestlers most likely got it from La Pine and they said they got it from Burns but nobody told us they had it," said O'Brien. "They never notified us or anyone else they had a skin issue."

O'Brien stated confidently that the staph infection did not come from the Sisters wrestlers and noted that they disinfect the mats every day when they are through with their practice.

When O'Brien was notified that several of his wrestlers had infections, he decided to halt everything and regroup. The Outlaws missed their match on Thursday but will all be able to attend districts on Friday and Saturday, February 19-20.

O'Brien stated that the four wrestlers who did not get infections practiced the rest of the week; he expected the entire squad to be back for practice this week.

Skin infections are a common problem in grappling sports, from wrestling to mixed martial arts, due to scrapes and abrasions coming into contact with bacteria on mats. Such infections can be serious.

In other wrestling news, the Sisters Middle School team participated in the Jefferson County Tournament, grappling with Jefferson County, Pilot Butte, Culver, Crook County, Obsidian, Cascade and The Dallas. SMS took 15 wrestlers, who recorded 13 wins and 17 losses. Each wrestler was able to get two matches, and five went undefeated: Alec Gannon, Hunter Rychener, Dyut Fetrow, Shane Cormalis and Kyler Bell.