Outlaws wrestler wins Culver Invitational

Outlaws wrestler Ethan Martin climbed to the top of the podium in the 195-pound weight class at the Culver Invitational last weekend.

The Outlaws wrestled in the two-day, 16-team tournament at Culver High School. Culver had 26 wrestlers and won with 244.5 points, Crook County had 19 wrestlers and took second with 179 points. La Pine was third with 166 points, Pine Eagle was 4th with 124.5 and fifth was Joseph/Wallowa with 110.5. Sisters finished 12th with 57 points.

“The team loves tournaments because it is an individual effort, and with most tournaments you can have two wrestlers per weight class,” said Coach John Downs. “That way there isn’t someone sitting out not competing or having to wrestle in a JV match.”

Tyler “Daisy” Patterson competed in the girls varsity tournament, went one-and-two and earned herself a third-place finish in her weight category.

The Outlaws had 10 wrestlers competing in the boys varsity tournament. The Outlaws had two wrestlers in the 138-pound weight class, junior Chaz Patterson and sophomore Wyatt Maffey. Patterson and Maffey both lost their first matches and then they fought hard in the consolation rounds winning one match apiece before losing a second match and being knocked out of the tournament.

Junior Landon Nothiger competed in the 145-pound weight class. He also struggled to stay in the tournament, losing his first match and winning his second, but then losing his third.

At the 152-pound weight class, senior Anthony Randolph, again in a bigger weight class, wrestled very tough. It seemed to be a continuing pattern for the Outlaws again with Randolph losing his first match and having to fight in the consultation rounds, ultimately losing and being knocked out of the tournament.

The 160,170 and 285 weight classes didn’t fare any better. Dillon King at 160, Jared Miller at 170, and Jacob Washington at 285, all lost their first two matches and were out of the tournament.

Freshman Henry Rard wrestled strong at the 220-pound weight class but had to leave the tournament with a knee injury. According to his coach, he hopes to return to light practice next week.

In the bigger weight classes Sisters had some glimmer of hope left: senior Damien King at 285 and Ethan Martin at 195.

King was very impressive in the big-guy weight class.

In his first match he pinned his opponent in 2:29 and then did the same again in his second match, winning again with a pin in 2:19.

King then ran into the second-seeded wrestler from La Pine high school, Daniel Underwood.

Underwood won the match in 26 seconds.

This loss sent King to the consolation rounds where he was up against the third-seeded wrestler from Lowell, Andy Kintzely.

King fought hard but lost in the second round, but with King’s success in the earlier round he still had an opportunity for one more match in the placing rounds.

He had to face an earlier opponent that he had beaten, and again King was successful.

King won by pin in the third round earning himself fifth place out of 15 wrestlers in the big weight class.

Finally the Outlaws had senior Ethan Martin.

“Martin had a great weekend, winning the 195-pound weight class,” Downs said. “He is the second Outlaw to win a weight class at the Culver Tournament in my history of coaching.”

Martin had taken second at the tournament last year as a junior, and also with his qualifying for state last season he was able to be seeded first at the Culver

meet.

Martin won all of his matches with pins. In his first match he pinned his opponent in 16 seconds and then pinned his second opponent in 32 seconds. Then Martin had to face Crook County’s Aaron Bowen in the first-place final match. Martin and Bowen battled it out throughout almost all three rounds and in the last four seconds of the last round Martin was able to turn Bowen and get the pin and win the championship.