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Dearmon endears himself to Crater's younger wrestlers By Kris Henry When Chris Dearmon was a freshman wrestler at Crater High, the welcome mat wasn't exactly placed at his feet. To be a wrestler for the Comets is akin to high school royalty in many ways, and Dearmon's indoctrination left him wondering whether it was all worth it. All the brow-beating and endless whippings administered in the wrestling room took its toll on the up-and-comer. None of the actions were vicious in nature, mind you, it was all just a matter of adhering to the time-honored tradition of seniority and all its privileges. But instead of turning tail and running, Dearmon stuck his chin out and took his lumps, vowing that things would be different when it came time for his day in the sun. Given the chance to establish the attitude in the wrestling room as a senior this season, the No. 1-ranked heavyweight did just that. Faced with a turnout that included about 75 percent underclassmen, Dearmon threw his arms around the newcomers and has spent the season as their biggest supporter. "He's a really good team guy," says Crater coach Greg Haga, who has seen all types in his 14 years at the school. "He's just a great guy to have around because with the kind of kid he is, other kids want to come out and be involved." Given the green light, several underclassmen have flourished for the young Comets this season. Freshmen Bryson Gutches (103), Chase Maloney (130) and Ron Lee (152) each earned a trip to the state tournament, along with sophomores Cody Ponder (119), Kyle Marci (135) and Taylor Wilkerson (275). No one is more proud of their accomplishments than Dearmon. "It's a good feeling when you see a lot of the younger guys do well," says Dearmon, who enters today's action 37-1 this season. "They've all stepped up and we really needed that this year." Dearmon says some of the upperclassmen have even fed off the enthusiasm provided by the youngsters, and considers that a bonus heading into the state tournament. "The younger guys are ready and want to get after it," he says. "The older guys are hungry because it's the last chance for some of us, but the younger guys seem just as hungry to make their mark." WITH SUCH A BALANCED state tournament, no team expected to come out of the bracketing process with the perfect draw. Given that type of system, it then becomes a matter of perspective. "When you qualify 13 to state, especially when five get that No. 3 spot, you're going to get some bad draws," says Haga. "But even our kids that maybe have tough matchups in their first match or so, maybe on the back side they have a good matchup." Gutches faces the No. 1 seed in his first match today for Crater in Thurston's Matt Gardner, while Eagle Point's Stephen Price has the No. 5 seed in Canby's Lucas Hambleton and Maloney opens with the No. 2 seed in Forest Grove's Taylor Graham, a two-time state runner-up. Both Price and Maloney, who will compete at 130, enter the tournament with the deck stacked against the newcomers anyway. "That's a weight that has seven seeded wrestlers so there really isn't a place to hide anyway," says Eagle Point coach Brad McBee. If Crater's Josh King wins his first match today, his reward will most likely be No. 1 seed - and three-time state placer - Ryan Snegirev of Oregon City. In another unfortunate opening matchup, South Medford's Ben Vandagrift faces No. 4 seed Travis Gardner of Parkrose today. Wrestlers are seeded by prior performance at the state tournament, and not by state ranking. THE CONSOLATION BRACKET offers as much intrigue as those remaining on the front side. It's where hopes for an individual title go to die and steps toward a team title are born. "You have to have a short memory," Haga says of falling from the championship bracket. "You have to forget your last match and go on to the next like it never happened. Some kids are good at that and some kids aren't." Making a run through the consolation rounds may be the most challenging, but the team rewards are undeniable. "The difference between bringing home a trophy is decided in the consolation rounds," says McBee. The Eagle Point coach says that bodes well for his team. "We haven't really had the champions or superstars this year," he says, "so our guys are used to running through the back side. That may be to our advantage. With some of these other teams, their guys aren't used to being on that end of the bracket." Reach reporter Kris Henry at 776-4488, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.