Enterprise wrestlers place second at district meet

Published 5:21 pm Monday, February 13, 2023

CULVER — Enterprise head wrestling coach Court Fent said he’s never paid much attention to the Outlaws’ team placings in tournaments.

He changed that view earlier this season during the Oregon Classic, and has been more mindful of what the whole team does on the scoreboard.

He has even more reason to now after the Outlaws took second at the 2A/1A Special District 3 tournament Friday and Saturday, Feb. 10 and 11, behind only tournament host and perennial state power Culver.

“I’ve never really been one to look at those team scores and worry about it,” Fent said. “We’ve never been able to look at those. … My perspective changed at (the) Oregon Classic. I realized we had a good crop of kids who can compete with other kids out there. Those 11 kids, they did, they competed hard, so I started paying attention to that even more.

“It was pretty fun. The kids really realized we had a good season. That was awesome to achieve.”

Lute Ramsden and Gunnar McDowell claimed district titles at 138 and 220 pounds, respectively, for the Outlaws, who ended up edging Elgin by a 164.5-161 margin for second place. Culver was well ahead for the team crown with 333.5 points.

Ramsden, who has fought injuries all season and missed some tournaments trying to stay healthy, shined during districts. He was tested only in the semifinals against Heppner’s Saul Lopez, surviving a couple of close calls to earn an 18-13 decision.

“He got caught three different times and just about got pinned,” Fent said. “He was able to turn the tides there and get a fairly commanding win. He took that into the finals and really manhandled that kid in the finals.”

In the final, Ramsden notched a first-round pin of Heppner’s Zach Brown.

McDowell scored two pins on his way to the final, where he edged Grant Union’s Rylan Cox by a slim 4-3 decision — one that proved crucial to helping the team secure second.

“Gunnar’s final match was probably the best one he had the entire year,” Fent said. … “We talk all the time about being a wrestler. In this particular match was, I think, the first time all year that he actually utilized the skillset and was a wrestler the entire three periods — and it was awesome.”

Tegan Evans reached the 145 final, getting two pins and a semifinal victory via a 5-1 decision over Union/Cove’s Sam Platz to reach the final, but there he lost to Culver’s Reeden Arsenault.

The three are the only ones guaranteed a berth to state, but the team is hoping to add as many as three more on the trip to Portland for the state tournament on Feb. 23-24.

James Royes at 106, Ashtyn Irwin at 160 and Trey Charlton at 285 all placed fourth in their respective weight classes, dropping third-place bouts that would have clinched each the third and final automatic bid from the district. Irwin had probably the most excruciating defeat at that level, dropping an overtime match to Crane’s Eli Maley, 10-8.

“It was an exciting match,” Fent said. “Obviously the other kid came out on top. Both kids were just gassed at the end.”

Each of the three districts are sending three wrestlers per weight class to state, while the 10th and final spot in each bracket will be given to one of the fourth-place finishers on a predetermined criteria.

Fent said the 10th and final wrestler at each weight should be determined by OSAA sometime Wednesday.

“We’re crossing our fingers Wednesday night that our kids are going to be able to get in,” he said. “They deserve lots of recognition.”

The Outlaws landed four additional fifth-place finishes from Gunner Sinclair at 113, Shane Wenke at 132, Pearce Schnetzky at 138 and Will Ogden at 195.

Joseph resultsJoseph, which placed 10th in the team standings at district with 44 points, saw Jayden McNall punch a ticket to state with a second-place finish at 120 pounds. McNall was granted a bye into the semifinals, and there pinned Culver’s Hudson Burgi to secure his state berth. He fell in the final by fall to another Culver wrestler, Cole Rahi.

“He gave it everything he had and wrestled like we knew he could,” Joseph head coach Tim Kiesecker said of McNall. “He definitely did well.”

Three other wrestlers placed in the top six for the Eagles, with Gavin Russell securing two wins by fall to place fifth at 170 — including in the fifth-place match over Xander Olman of Irrigon.

Both Dylan Rogers (132) and Jessup Orr (195) earned a victory on their way to sixth-place finishes in their respective weight classes.

Kiesecker said he was happy with the way his team performed over the weekend, especially given the relative youth of the Eagles who competed in Culver.

“I would say the competition was pretty tough in some of those weight classes. We hoped to get more (to state), but we are happy with the way they wrestled,” he said.

The coach added that the wrestlers who went to district stayed engaged throughout the whole tournament, even if they had been eliminated from competition. That experience will benefit them in the long run, he said.

“I would look up in the audience and notice these kids watching the finals. It does them so much good to be able to watch really good wrestling,” Kiesecker said. “They are even learning from it even when they are out of the tournament. You can tell they want to be there. They are paying attention. I’m pretty excited about our group.”