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Prep Notebook Comets make big splash in rankings By GREG STILES The Crater Comets are reaping the benefits of back-to-back Class 4A state wrestling championships. Not only can the Comets get an invite to virtually any tournament they'd like to enter, but they've also got the attention of the folks who put together national rankings. Bob Preusse, who compiles rankings for American Wrestling News and USA Today, has ranked the Comets No. 2 in his preseason Top 40. St. Edward of Ohio, a perennial national power, is No. 1. The rankings were released last Wednesday. The Newberg Tigers, whom the Comets edged for the 1999 title, are ranked No. 33. Crater finished 24th in Preusse's final rankings last season and returns 12 regulars. Preusse points out that three state championships in the 1990s have boosted the Comets into national prominence. "To most of the nation, No. 2-ranked Crater will be a mystery," writes Preusse. "But the school in Central Point has already won three state titles in the 1990s ... putting eight in the finals and crowning five champs -- three of whom return this season. "Loaded is an understatement, and Oregon is one of the best wrestling states, though not as well known as some others." Crater coach Greg Haga told Preusse that tradition has helped the Comets. "A key to our success is that we are now getting second-generation wrestlers from our strong program that began in the 1970s," notes Haga. "We are a close-knit family. Our style is like Iowa, in your face for six minutes." Three Crater grapplers: Morgan Hawkins (119), Justin Godley (135) and Shane Webster (152) are ranked in Dr. Bill Bettis' preseason rankings in Oregon. Six Comets are among the top-three in their classes. LAST OF THE SPECIES -- The Southern Oregon Conference is down to one team after two rounds of the Class 4A state football playoffs. With North Medford falling by the wayside, Grants Pass is the lone survivor from the SOC that has produced eight state champions and seven runners-up since 1985. "I don't have any doubt that we had a little easier draw," says Grants Pass coach Tom Blanchard, whose team rallied for a 15-12 win over South Albany Friday night. Roseburg had all the elements of a state champion, North had superior skill position personnel. But after two rounds of playoffs, there's Grants Pass with a 3 p.m. Saturday date against Intermountain Conference champion Mountain View at Autzen Stadium. "The other three SOC teams were pretty good and I'm a little surprised they're all gone," Blanchard says. "But upsets happen." Grants Pass finds itself in the quarterfinals for the first time since 1993 when it advanced to the semifinals. "It doesn't matter who we played to get here, what happened in the regular season means nothing," says Blanchard. "We're one of eight remaining teams. We haven't been practicing on Thanksgiving for many years and we're looking forward to the opportunity. We might not be as strong as some of the others, but anything can happen. If the kids start thinking they're pretty good, why can't it be us?" Grants Pass faced two other IMC teams during the regular season, defeating Crook County 31-0 to start the season, but losing to Bend, 17-3, on Oct. 22. Mountain View defeated Bend, 21-6. "We went into the Bend game feeling pretty sorry for ourselves," Blanchard says. "We certainly felt down, because we had lost a couple of boys to suspensions and (linebacker) Matt Majors had injured his knee." The fill-ins from the junior varsity matured in the heat of battle. "They were JV kids, but now they are varsity kids and starting to play like it," Blanchard says. PARING DOWN THE LIST -- Seven of the nine districts have teams in the football quarterfinals. Only the Portland Interscholastic League, which hasn't had a quarterfinalist since 1988, and Three Rivers League have disappeared from the bracket. The Intermountain Conference is the only league with more than one team remaining. No IMC team has won a state championship since Crook County in 1984. The last time the IMC had two teams in the quarterfinals was in 1994 when eventual finalists Marshfield and Glencoe eliminated Pendleton and Redmond. No. 3 Marshfield, No. 4 Tigard, Mountain View and Sprague are the only remaining league champions. LETTER OF INTENT -- North Medford senior Nick Niemeyer has signed a letter of intent to run cross country for Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. Niemeyer placed 14th in the Southern Oregon Conference district meet last month. "We feel lucky to get him," Warriors coach Mike Collins says. "He may have been overlooked by some coaches (because he didn't qualify for the state meet). I know there were a few other schools interested in having him run for them." (Greg Stiles is a Mail Tribune sports writer. He can be reached at 776-4483 or [email protected] ) Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, OR U.S.A.