Wrestling: Bulldogs repeat as champions

Hermiston must be slipping.

The Oregon wrestling power won its second consecutive Inland Empire Classic wrestling tournament Saturday at Central Valley, sure. They outscored second-place University by 23 1/2 points, winning two individual titles and scoring a meet-high 177 points.

But that effort pales in comparison to the way the Bulldogs ran roughshod over the field a year ago, scoring 220 1/2 points to win by 53 while taking home four individual titles and three more second-place finishes.

Hermiston sent five wrestlers into championship matches but came away with just two titles. Ben Jorgensen won at 112 pounds, pinning two-time tournament finalist Derrick Booth of Post Falls midway through the third period, and Randy Larson won at 171, pinning Justin Allen of Coeur d’Alene with 30 seconds left in the match.

U-Hi dropped a 35-29 decision at Mead Thursday in a Greater Spokane League dual meet, but the Titans managed to come from behind in the final round to sneak past the Panthers for second place, 157 1/2-155.

U-Hi got championship efforts out of seniors Anthony Rivera at 119 and Brian Owen at 125.

Rivera won at 119 for the second straight year, pinning CdA’s Sam Howard in the second round.

A former state champion and three-time state finalist, Owen was named Wrestler of the Tournament for winning his third individual Inland Empire title in four years. The senior scored a major decision over Phillip Smith of Mead in the 125-pound final.

“This year I feel good – I have a couple nagging injuries but nothing major at all,” Owen said. “Last year I was moving up in weight, which is always hard. This year I’ve grown into 125 pounds.”

Mead coach Phil McLean was pleased with the way his Panthers competed coming off an emotional win over University.

“That’s was such an emotional week,” he said. “I was pleased with the way they put that all behind them and came here and competed. I just wish we had done better in the finals.”

The Panthers had six wrestlers reach the finals, but each was denied the win.

Host CV placed fifth but came away with three individual champions: Tyler Simmet at 135, Jordan Choate at 145 and Jake Neumann at 189.

Simmet scored a 5-2 decision over Dylan Olsen of Hermiston in his title match.

Simmet, the grandson of CV football and assistant wrestling coach Rick Giampietri, said he was happy to win the tournament but tried to treat it like just another event.

“It’s special to win this tournament because it’s ours,” he said. “But it would be much more exciting to do well next week at Tri-State.

“Next week I’m going to drop down and wrestle at 130.”

Choate needed to hold off a hard-charging Danny Booth of Post Falls in the 145-pound title match. Choate held a 6-2 lead early in the third period but was taken down twice and gave up a point for stalling in the closing seconds of his 8-7 win.

Neumann took Hermiston’s Curtis Berger to his back and pinned him with 4 seconds left in the first period of his 189 final.

“Jake and I did everything together this summer,” Simmet said. “All the freestyle wrestling, all the work in the weight room. For me, the weight room is nothing new – not with my grandfather being a football coach. But for both of us I think it’s all coming together this season. The experience, the strength – it’s all working.”

“The DesRoches brothers of Riverside all claimed titles at the Othello Tournament. Freshman Nick DesRoches (152 pounds) was named Outstanding Wrestler after beating three seniors. Two-time defending champion Ryan DesRoches (171) also won, recording two first-round pins. Jacob DesRoches had two pins at 160 on his way to a title.