Could La Grande, Sweet Home reprise their rivalry atop 4A wrestling standings again next month?

“It’s been that way for several years in a row now, Sweet Home and us, battling back and forth.”

Author:
René Ferrán
Publish date:
Jan 31, 2024 10:30 PM EST

La Grande and Sweet Home have finished 1-2 at the past four Class 4A state wrestling championships, with the Tigers winning OSAA titles in 2020, 2022 and 2023, and the Huskies earning the OWA title in the COVID-shortened 2021 season.

If last weekend’s 22nd edition of the Reser’s Tournament of Champions at Hillsboro’s Liberty High School is any indication, the two schools should battle yet again next month at Portland’s Veterans Memorial Coliseum to take home the blue trophy.

The Tigers edged Sweet Home for second place behind three-time reigning champion Newberg by 2½ points, putting seven wrestlers on the podium to the Huskies’ five placers.

“It’s been that way for several years in a row now, Sweet Home and us, battling back and forth,” said La Grande coach Klel Carson, whose team matched its best TOC finish. “It’s always good, always tough. I kind of expect it to be close and tough again.”

Of the Tigers’ seven medalists, Carson singled out senior Jaxson Leonard, who took fourth at 150 pounds. Leonard has had a star-crossed career, placing sixth at state as a sophomore after dislocating his knee in the consolation rounds, then missing most of his junior season because of injury.

Leonard also missed all of December but improved to 15-4 since returning at the Oregon Classic in mid-January.

“Jaxson had a great weekend,” Carson said. “He looked really tough and had some really good matches. He just looks really good.”

Sweet Home’s five medalists matched Thurston, Crater and Canby for third-most behind champion Newberg’s 11 placers and La Grande’s seven.

Crater (fourth), Dallas (fifth), Mountain View (seventh), Canby (ninth) and Thurston (10th) finished in the top 10, portending a tight battle to displace Redmond (which was not at Reser’s) atop the 5A team standings next month at the state championships.

In all, 22 of the 25 teams taking part last weekend had at least one wrestler make the podium, including first-time participants Silverton (three) and Illinois Valley (one).