Scout Santos of Mountain View earns first TOC title by dethroning Newberg’s Gavin Rangel (Reser’s TOC 132 pounds)
As the final frenetic seconds ticked off the clock for the 132-pound final at Saturday’s Reser’s Tournament of Champions, Newberg’s Gavin Rangel and Mountain View’s Scout Santos were tangled in a cradle of arms and legs flailing, the crowd at Hillsboro’s Liberty High School roaring, coaches screaming for points to be scored.
Yet amidst the chaos, Santos wasn’t worried.
“I knew when I had that locked and my leg was over his shoulder, I thought I wasn’t going to get scored on,” the Cougars senior said after escaping with a 3-2 victory over Rangel, a 2022 TOC champion.
“I just had to keep scooting my shoulder so I wouldn’t get flat on my back. Keep the lock, and I knew I was going to win. It was just a matter of time.”
Scout Santos of Mountain View (photo by Taylor Balkom)
It certainly seemed like a matter of time before Santos took home a Reser’s TOC title. As a sophomore, he reached the 113 final before losing to Newberg’s Isaac Hampton. He missed last year’s TOC because of an injury — although he recovered in time to win the 5A state title at 120.
“This means a lot,” Santos said. “I’ve always wanted to win this tournament.”
