Sisters Outlaws wrestling team competes in invitational

Outlaws wrestlers competed at the Perry Burlison Invitational at Cascade High School last weekend, in a one-day tournament that also featured JV and girls divisions.

“I really enjoy starting the season off with tough competition,” said Head Coach John Downs. “This type of tournament helps the team realize at what level they need to train at to compete. Come Monday’s practice, I am sure the whole team will be wanting to try harder and be better partners for each other. I am always impressed how they come back and don’t have a disappointed attitude about their performance, but instead want to work even harder and accept the harder drills and training.”

Cascade High had invited 29 teams to join in the three tournaments. The Outlaws took 11 wrestlers to the tournament; six wrestled varsity, five wrestled JV and one girl competed in the girls tournament.

Crescent Valley ran away with the varsity tournament with 298.5 points, and Crook County was not even a close second with 191.0 points. Rounding out the top five was Sweet Home with 155.5, Scappoose with 100.00 and Central High with 92.0.

Five of the six Outlaws varsity wrestlers were in a higher weight classes than they wanted to compete in. Downs explained:

“At the beginning of every wrestling season, most wrestlers start in a higher weight class than they plan to compete in because they need to follow their monitored weight loss plan (monitored by Oregon School Activities Association, OSAA). If a wrestler loses more weight than allowed in a week, then the coach must send a message to OSAA explaining why this happened.”

Sophomore varsity wrestler Wyatt Maffey had it the toughest. He was in a higher weight of 138 and competed in two difficult matches.

“I was very impressed on how hard he fought throughout his matches,” Downs said. “Wyatt went almost all three rounds in both matches but eventually lost, first versus a junior from Elmira and then against a Senior from North Marion.

Junior Chaz Patterson, at 145 pounds, did quite well in his two matches.

“He is the one on the team that does not quit,” Downs said. “He lost both tough matches, but went all three rounds with each opponent without getting pinned, fighting off his back multiple times.”

Senior Anthony Randoph wrestled at 152, weighing only 146.

“I am always impressed with Anthony,” Downs said. “He competed in three matches, winning his second match and fighting through his other two but eventually losing to his larger opponents.”

Senior Dillon King was at the 170-pound weight class and should have been at 160, but he weighed in at 160.6 at the beginning of the season.

“The 10-pound difference is tough to adjust to and Dillon had to work very hard in his two matches,” Downs reported. “Losing both matches only helped Dillon conclude that he needs to concentrate and stay down at 160 pounds.

Senior Ethan Martin was able to participate in his weight class of 195 as he did last year, and he had three exciting matches. He went two rounds in both of his losses and was able to pin his other opponent in the third round.

In the 285 weight class Senior Damien King, who weighs 260, competed well.

“Damien does look much better than last year already and it definitely showed against his larger opponents,” Downs said. “Damien’s second match was versus a very large wrestler who had to be six-feet-plus and pushing the 285-pound limit. Damien was able to go two rounds and even had his opponent on his back. Damien eventually lost this match but showed me and hopefully himself that no matter the size of his opponents, he should not be intimidated and just do his best.”

There were four Outlaws that wrestled in the JV tournament. At 145 pounds, junior Landon Nothiger wrestled in three matches earning a fifth-place with a pin in the placing rounds. At 170, sophomore Jared Miller tied with a seventh-place finish. At 285, sophomore Jacob Washington earned a fifth-place finish with a pin and at 220, freshman Henry Rard had a great JV tournament winning all three of his matches with pins and earning a first-place medal.

It was also a great day for the only girl on the team, Tyler “Daisy” Patterson.

She is a second-year wrestling sophomore for the Outlaws and wrestles at 125 pounds, but her weight-loss plan placed her in the 130-pound weight class in the girls tournament.

Patterson was able to fight her way to the championship finals among 13 wrestlers.

Her first match she won by fall in just under two minutes, and then her second match was a fight.

She wrestled against a girl that had just beat the No. 2-seeded girl, and in the end Patterson won 9 -7.

With this win she entered the championship match versus Jessy Hart of Sweet Home.

Hart was seeded first and was a tough opponent.

Hart was able to get the upper hand on her and pinned her in the first round.

With Patterson’s efforts this weekend she was able, as a team of one, to earn the Sisters girls team a 19th-place finish out of 29 girls teams that attended.