Document text
Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend February 3, 2006 Crater's Cody Clark, background, is the state�s No. 1-ranked wrestler in the 215-pound division heading into today�s district tournament. Comets loaded for another SOC title run No. 1-ranked Comets seek their 15th district crown in past 17 years By DON HUNT Mail Tribune Crater High wrestling coach Greg Haga wasn’t sure he had made the right decision by taking his team to Honolulu for a tournament over the Christmas holidays. Haga wanted his grapplers to incorporate work with fun, but it seemed at the time that maybe they encountered too much of the latter. They obtained their obligatory tans, body surfed on Waikiki and mingled with tourists and natives. In the gym, they reached the championship match of the 22-team tournament but then lost to Del Oro High of Loomis, Calif. Did the Comets lose their edge? Based on what’s happened since, the answer is a resounding no. Entering the Southern Oregon Conference district tournament that begins at 1 p.m. today at North Medford High, the Comets are rolling along like a finely-tuned, Ferrari on the interstate. Advertisement Since their voyage to paradise, they have posted a 35-29 dual-meet victory over Eagle Point, taken top honors at the Oregon Classic — the state’s unofficial dual meet state tournament — won their own Crater Classic and bagged the Reser’s Tournament of Champions in Hillsboro last weekend that featured eight of the state’s top 10 ranked teams. "Looking back now, I think the trip to Hawaii allowed us to catch our breath and relax a little bit," Haga says. "You worry about losing your edge but it helped us gain ours. I think we’re peaking at the right time." That’s troubling news for the rest of the SOC. The Comets will position five top-seeded, four second-seeded and three third-seeded competitors on the mat today as they seek their 15th district title in the past 17 years. With each team allowed to enter two wrestlers in the 14 weight divisions, the JV teams become nearly as valuable as the varsity squads. Haga is highly pleased with his second-liners, who finished just 1½ points behind Roseburg at the Reser’s tournament despite having 10 wrestlers on the mat compared to the Indians’ 14. Crater won the main tournament by 41 points over runner-up Hermiston with its varsity grapplers mixed in. "Our JV kids did a great job in Hillsboro," says Haga, whose Comets have claimed three straight state titles and six of the last eight. "Now I’d like to see our varsity guys crank it up another notch." Crater’s No. 1 seeds are Andrew Van Wey (112), Jake Vizzini (125), Jon Bernhardt (145), Cody Clark (215) and Charlie Alexander (275). Bernhardt, Clark and Alexander also boast No. 1 state rankings, and neither Clark nor Alexander has lost this season. "Crater’s the best team in the state, but we’re hoping to still be in the running Saturday," says Roseburg coach Steve Lander, whose Indians are the last team to beat the Comets at district (2004 and 2002). "All our guys have the same opportunity. It doesn’t really matter where you’re seeded, you’ve still got to wrestle your way through the bracket." Roseburg is rock-solid in the lighter weights, with Mitchell Lofstedt (103), Aaron Suggs (119) and Jake Spears (130) all carrying No. 1 seeds. John Forrester (189) is the Indians’ other top gun. Eagle Point, meanwhile, could make a push under second-year coach Kacey McNulty. No. 1 seeds Jake McCoy (152) and Chris Platt (171) lead the way for the Eagles, and No. 2 seeds Randy Pershall (125) and Josh Smith (189) are legitimate title threats. "We’re big underdogs, but we’re not conceding anything," says McNulty, whose Eagles won 12 of 15 dual matches this season and beat every team in the SOC except Crater. The most captivating weight class is 103, where six of the state’s top 12 ranked wrestlers roam, including the top-ranked Lofstedt, second-ranked Brock Gutches of Crater, fifth-ranked Tyler Lander of Roseburg, sixth-ranked Zack Kezer of Crater and ninth-ranked Spenser Doran of Eagle Point. "That bracket is like a mini state tournament," McNulty says. "Unfortunately, there’s going to be some good kids not make it to state." The Class 4A state tourney is Feb. 16-18 at the Oregon State Fairgrounds Pavilion in Salem. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail Comets loaded for another SOC title run ">[email protected] . SOC DISTRICT SEEDS 103 — 1, Mitchell Lofstedt, Roseburg; 2, Brock Gutches, Crater; 3, Tyler Lander, Roseburg; 4, Spenser Doran, Eagle Point. 112 — 1, Andrew Van Wey, Crater; 2, Kody Sells, Grants Pass; 3, Kerey Crinklaw, Roseburg; 4, Tyson Scott, North Medford. 119 — 1, Aaron Suggs, Roseburg; 2, Cody Knudsen, South Medford; 3, Mike Cowell, Grants Pass; 4, David James, Eagle Point. 125 — 1, Jake Vizzini, Crater; 2, Randy Pershall, Eagle Point; 3, Shawn Nance, Grants Pass; 4, Kevin Leonardo, Eagle Point. 130 — 1, Jake Spears, Roseburg; 2, Tyler Weathers, Crater; 3, Robert Richardson, Roseburg; 4, Matt Wilson, Eagle Point. 135 — 1, Jon Ulrey, North Medford; 2, Ryan Fauver, Grants Pass; 3, Robbie Mannenbach, Eagle Point; 4, Arin Zon, Crater. 140 — 1, Richard Alves, Grants Pass; 2, Darwin Durchanek, Roseburg; 3, Adam Lindgren, Crater; 4, Jon Brandsness, Klamath Union. 145 — 1, Jon Bernhardt, Crater; 2, Will Smith, Crater; 3, Travis Damourakis, North Medford; 4, Tyler Moug, Roseburg. 152 — 1, Jake McCoy, Eagle Point; 2, Tanner Marval, Grants Pass; 3, Dustin Bryson, Roseburg; 4, Marc Muzzioli, Crater. 160 — 1, Ryan Folsom, North Medford; 2, Kelsey Dobner, Grants Pass; 3, Brandon Price, Eagle Point; 4, Marcus Wyatt, Eagle Point. 171 — 1, Chris Platt, Eagle Point; 2, Nick Ryan, Crater; 3, Nick Shoesmith, Grants Pass; 4, Alex Parke, Crater. 189 — 1, John Forrester, Roseburg; 2, Josh Smith, Eagle Point; 3, Kyle Eding, Crater; 4, Nick Grabowski, Crater. 215 — 1, Cody Clark, Crater; 2, Jason Troxel, Roseburg; 3, Chris Robertson, Crater; 4, Brian Henrichs, South Medford. 275 — 1, Charlie Alexander, Crater; 2, Tim Endecott, North Medford; 3, Tyler Cam, Eagle Point; 4, Jesse Nork, Klamath Union. 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. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations Casinos Canada dvd-r Generic Viagra Myspace Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Student Loans Sudoku Online Advertisement s