Enterprise wrestlers fare well at Oregon Classic

Published 7:07 pm Monday, January 16, 2023

REDMOND — The Enterprise wrestling team didn’t get the invite to the Oregon Classic until the middle of last week.

But once they got there, the Outlaws took full advantage of the opportunity.

Enterprise won four duals — two on each day — and ended up placing fifth in the 1A-2A classification at the Oregon Classic Friday and Saturday, Jan. 13 and 14.

“The kids performed really well,” head coach Court Fent said. “It was a really neat atmosphere to be in. That team dual-bracket style, some of these kids have never experienced. … I’ve never experienced (it). We did really well.”

Enterprise was hopeful at the start of the season to be a part of the Classic, but didn’t get an invite in the early stages of the year.

That changed Jan. 11 after a team was unable to participate and bowed out, opening the door for the Outlaws.

In a pool on the first day, Enterprise went 2-1 in three duals, defeating Oakland and Toledo by scores of 59-30 and 48-24, and dropping a dual to powerhouse Culver 73-6. In the dual against Oakland, the Outlaws dropped just one competed match, and they only had two on-mat losses against Toledo.

While the match against Culver was one-sided, there were good efforts, Fent said.

“Even though we only won one match against Culver, we had a couple of kids that were close to winning,” he said.

Gunnar McDowell locked in the lone win against Culver, one that highlighted a 3-0 day for the sophomore. James Royes, Gunner Sinclair, Noah Humiston, Tegan Evans, Ashtyn Irwin and Cody Fent all had two wins — some by forfeit — on the day.

Saturday, the Outlaws dropped their first dual to Illinois Valley, 46-29, but rebounded to defeat Lowell in a close 47-36 dual — one that could have turned with any result being different — and then defeated Colton in the fifth-place match, 48-30.

Enterprise lost just two competed matches in the dual against Lowell, but needed key victories to help offset forfeits. Royes, Shane Wenke, Evans and Fent all had crucial wins by fall, and Irwin notched a technical fall which set the stage for McDowell taking the final competed match by fall in the first round.

The Outlaws finished by going 5-1 on the mat — all their wins coming by fall — to edge Colton.

“I thought the kids collectively as a group were really wrestling at kind of an optimal level,” Court Fent said. “All of them wrestled super-tough. I think some of that comes with that style of the team dual, we’re all sitting right there, all engaged with what’s going on.”

McDowell actually finished undefeated on the weekend, winning all four matches he competed in by fall and finishing 6-0 with two forfeits factored in. Evans went 5-1, winning all three matches Saturday by fall.

Fent also commended Cody Fent and Lute Ramsden, the team’s two seniors, for competing where they could despite battling lingering injuries.

“Just the fact that those two got the opportunity to go to the Oregon Classic is something we’ve talked about for several years, and they got to compete. It was pretty special.”

The two losses on the weekend came to the teams in Culver and Illinois Valley that placed first and second in the classification.

“I think we’re right where we want to be. We gotta get a couple more kids healthy,” coach Fent said. “The kids are practicing hard. I feel the last half of the year is going to be a good showing for them.”

And near the midway point of the season, the outcome at the Classic shows Fent the team is in a good position when it comes to competing with the state’s best.

“We (saw) a lot of kids who are going to place at state, and I really feel that our kids are right there in the mix of stuff, for our 106-(pounder) all the way through our heavyweight, they can compete with any kid in the state,” he said. “The kids keep practicing hard. We’re going to finish really well at district and we’re going to have a good showing with some state participants.”