Two Outlaws earn silver on the mat

Two Outlaws got silver medals for Christmas.

The Outlaws wrestling team took 11 wrestlers to the Adrian Irwin Wrestling Tournament at Mountain View High School December 21-22. Leading the team scores at the end was Mountain View High with 453.5 points, Burns High was second with 220.0 points, La Pine took third with 208 points, Nyssa High earned fourth with 193.5 and fifth was Ridgeview with 183.5. The Outlaws ended in ninth place with 94.5 points.

“The Outlaws had a great first day at the tournament, Head Coach John Downs told The Nugget. “Every Outlaw wrestler was considered varsity and wrestled in the varsity competition, even if we had two in a weight class. Everyone was able to earn their way to the second day of competition. This doesn’t happen very often when a team can accomplish having everyone still in the tournament on the second day. The team wrestled very hard and we had some great matches.”

The Outlaws had two wrestlers in the 138-pound weight class, sophomore Wyatt Maffey and junior Chaz Patterson. Wyatt did very well as a sophomore versus some tough varsity competitors, delivering two wins and two losses for the weekend, earning a tie for seventh place out of 16 wrestlers.

Patterson was only one match away from placing in the top eight but lost his third match in the consolation rounds.

The 160-pound weight class featured two Outlaws varsity wrestlers, sophomore Jared Miller and senior Dillon King.

“Dillon and Jared didn’t start strong, losing their first match, but then came back in the consolation rounds winning three straight matches each,” Downs said.

The Outlaws ran into tough competition just before the placing rounds and they both were unable to win those matches. Miller and King ended the weekend with a winning record of three wins and two loses.

Downs noted, “Senior Ethan Martin was our lone 195-pounder and he had competed in six matches this weekend and it really took a toll on his injured shoulder from the first day of competition. He ended the weekend going three-and-three and earning a sixth place.”

In the 285-pound weight class, sophomore Jacob Washington and senior Damien King had good matches. Washington went one and King wrestled five matches and took fifth place, ending the weekend with a 3-2 record.

Junior Landon Nothiger and senior Anthony Randolph wrestled at 145. Nothiger went .500 for the weekend with two wins and two losses. He was very close to earning a spot in the placing rounds.

“Anthony was our wrestler of the men’s tournament,” Downs said. “He was finally down to his new weight class at 145 pounds and it really showed. He won three straight matches with pins over his opponents, and this earned him a spot in the first-place final match where he met Wyatt Patzke from Lakeview. Patzke is currently undefeated with a record of 14-0 and he was able to catch Anthony and quickly take him to the ground and pin him. It was a tough loss for Anthony, but overall a great weekend. He was very proud to take home the silver medal from a weight class that had started with 19 competitors.”

In the girls tournament the Outlaws had Tyler “Daisy” Patterson competing at the 125-pound weight class.

“She won her first two matches with pins and then had to fight hard in the first-place match versus Vanessa Ruiz of Nyssa,” Downs reported. “Daisy went all three rounds, just losing by points at the end but she, too, had a great weekend and was able to earn a silver medal!”