Kobe Sanders (top) uses his Santiam Christian opponent’s ankle to force him to the mat during the Jefferson league dual meet. PETE NELSON
It was a busy week for Bulldog wrestlers – and overall, a successful one.
At a league dual hosted by Jefferson on Jan. 18, Kobe Sanders – in his first week with the team, after not wrestling for a couple of years – won at 152 pounds against Santiam Christian and Jefferson, going 5-0 on the week. ”He did great,” said Creswell Head Coach Wayne Roberts. ”He had just two practices, total – but that muscle memory is coming back to him.”
Blake Nelson won at 285 against Santiam Christian and at 220 against Jefferson; Logan Johnson won at 145 against Jefferson.
Creswell girls competed in the Lady Falcon Invitational at Elmira on Jan. 19. Alexia Vinje went 3-0 to medal in her 123-to-127-pound pool. ”I’m very proud of her,” Roberts said. ”She’s definitely stepping into that role as girls’ team captain.”
Raven Rimer was 2-1 at 118-123 pounds; Carley Wilkerson was 1-2 at 117-122; and Hannah Bettis was winless at 113-119.
”Overall, the girls wrestled very well,” Roberts said.
On Saturday, Jan. 20, the Bulldogs competed in the Sutherlin Wrestling Classic, placing eighth of 15 teams in the varsity division with just five wrestlers, and second in the novice division with six wrestlers.
Wrestling varsity, Logan Johnson took third at 145 pounds to claim his first-ever medal and Alex Metteer took third at 113.
Johnson ”beat a lot of tough, top wrestlers in the state,” Roberts noted, citing wins over Alec Avery of Monroe, who placed at state last year, by major decision; David Cox, formerly of Glide, now of Cottage Grove, in sudden-victory overtime; and an 8-4 win over his Roseburg opponent in the third-place match.
”I’m so proud and excited for him,” Roberts said. ”All of a sudden everything seems to have really clicked for him. If he keeps wrestling like this he should finish out strong this year and I think he could place well in state.”
Metteer’s one loss came to Kyleigh Lopez of North Medford. ”She’s a phenomenal wrestler,” Roberts said. ”She’s the state champ for the girls, and honestly she could probably make a run for it against the boys.”
Jeramiya Yates was 1-2 at 182; Christian Tucker was 0-2 at 138 and Rogelio Legorreta was 0-2 at 182.
”Christian and Rogelio are both new wrestlers but have been doing well, so I had high hopes they’d be okay, but I probably should’ve had them wrestle novice,” Roberts said.
Wrestling novice, Sanders placed first at 148-162 pounds, Giovonni Vazquez placed first at 117-127, Miguel Lopez placed second at 104-113, Rimer placed second at 119-128, Bettis placed third at 115-119 and Wilkerson was winless at 115-119.