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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend February 5, 2006 Crater�s Brock Gutches grapples with Roseburg�s Mitchell Lofstedt in the 103-pound division at the SOC district wrestling tournament. Mail Tribune / Andrew Mariman Crater clamps down for another crown Comets claim seven individual titles en route to their 15th district championship in the last 17 years By DON HUNT Mail Tribune CENTRAL POINT — A television reporter asked Crater High wrestler Cody Clark if he and his teammates still got a big thrill from winning district and state tournaments. Clark smiled, then said, "Well, yeah. This is what it’s all about." The Crater wrestling machine cranked out its 15th Southern Oregon Conference district title in 17 years Saturday at North Medford High and will shoot for its fourth straight state title Feb. 16- 18 at the Oregon State Fairgrounds Pavilion in Salem. The top-ranked Comets crowned seven individual champions Saturday while amassing 377 points. Roseburg nosed out Eagle Point for second place, 292-291½ , while Grants Pass finished a distant fourth with 229. Rounding out the field were North Medford (143), South Medford (75.5) and Klamath Union (68). Advertisement Clark, a senior who secured a 13-5 victory over teammate Chris Robertson in the 215-pound title match, said completing a four-peat at the state meet would separate this year’s senior class into a category all its own. "The seniors have never lost up there," Clark said. "It would really be special to win four in a row. "It’s been a lot of work winning the last three, but I think we’ve got another one in us." The Comets certainly possessed the winning touch Saturday. Taking home district titles in addition to Clark were Brock Gutches (103), Andrew Van Wey (112), Jake Vizzini (125), Adam Lindgren (140), Jon Bernhardt (145), Cody Clark (215) and Charlie Alexander (275). Tyler Weathers (130), Nick Ryan (171) and Robertson (215) had runner-up showings, while Will Smith grabbed third place. The top three finishers in each weight division qualify for the state meet; 11 Comets punched their tickets to Salem. "Our kids in the championship finals did a great job," said Crater coach Greg Haga after his team won seven of nine in that round. "We lost out on some opportunities in the consolation rounds, but the 11 we’re taking (to state) are tough kids." The heavyweights were the first to take the mat in the finals, and Alexander wasted no time kick-starting the Comets. The state’s No. 1-ranked big man pulled away from a close match in the opening two rounds to post a 9-4 win over No. 2-ranked Tim Endecott of North Medford. Freshman Gutches and senior Van Wey then pulled out close matches. Gutches, second ranked at 103, upset top-ranked Mitchell Lofstedt of Roseburg, 7-3, while Van Wey churned out a 3-1 win over freshman Kody Sells of Grants Pass. Gutches suffered a 6-5 loss to Lofstedt in the title match of the Coast Classic in December when he gave up a last-second reversal. But Saturday, Gutches scored an escape and takedown in the third period to salt away the win. "I wrestled a lot smarter this time," said Gutches, a younger brother of former three-time state champion Bryson Gutches and a cousin of former NCAA champion and Olympian Les Gutches. "Last time, he was able to control my hands and arms, but tonight I kept them in." Gutches ran his record to 37-1 with the victory. Van Wey, meanwhile, registered a third-period reversal over Sells and made it, along with a late escape, stand up for the win. "It happened quick," Van Wey said of the reversal, "and from there, I knew I could whip him from the top. I just had to keep the heat on him and move side to side, like our coaches teach." Vizzini and Lindgren also notched impressive wins. Vizzini beat Eagle Point standout Randy Pershall, 8-3, while Lindgren avenged a regular-season setback to Grants Pass’ Richard Alves, 4- 2. "He (Alves) got me with an ankle pick and pinned me the last time we wrestled," said Lindgren, who entered district as the No. 3 seed at 140. "Tonight, I didn’t give up anything stupid. I stayed in good position." Eagle Point and Roseburg waged a close battle for second place in the team standings. It wasn’t decided until the 189-pound finals match between the Eagles’ Josh Smith and the Indians’ John Forrester. The two fought to a 5-5 tie through three periods before Forrester countered a takedown attempt by Smith in overtime to post a 7-5 win. "I just overpowered him, I guess," said Forrester, who was so fatigued after the match that he knelt down on one knee and both hands. "It could have gone either way." North Medford crowned a pair of champions — Jon Ulrey (135) and Ryan Folsom (160). Ulrey pinned Eagle Point’s Robbie Mannenbach in the finals, and Folsom cruised to a 15-6 win over the Eagles’ Brandon Price. Chris Platt (171) collected Eagle Point’s only title, while Tanner Marval (152) did likewise for Grants Pass. Eagle Point qualified nine for the state meet, Roseburg advanced eight and Grants Pass seven. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail Crater clamps down for another crown ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. 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