Sports
Berney hopes third time will be the charm
North Idaho blocks path to regional title
By Rob Conner
Of The Print
Norm Berney’s wrestling
team is good enough to win
this week’s regional cham
pionships in Rexberg, ID.
After all, they finished
the dual meet season with a
10-3 record. They also placed
first, second and third in tour
nament competition. Further
more, they just cracked the
top 20 in the national rankings
at number 17. There is one
small problem, however.
Namely, John Owens’
North Idaho Cardinals.
The Cardinals have
wholluped Clackamas in their
two previous meetings 31-13
and 34-10, and are currently
ranked fifth in the national
polls. So much for a cake-walk
at regionals.
It is no secret that
Berney’s squad has its work
cut out. The Cougar mentor
must have big matches from
John Wachsmith, Randy
Barkhurst, Blaine Schutzler,
and Dave Duncan, all of
whom are seeded second,
behind Cardinals.
“If we are going to win
the regionals, we have to have
those four matches. That’s the
whole point,” Berney said.
The only sure money for
Clackamas seems to be on the
big fellas, Scott Ames and Bob
Young. Ames, at 29-4 on the
season, is the top seed in the
190-pound class, while Young,
17-4, at heavyweight will be
atop his class.
Ames and Young are the
only Cougars who have not
lost to their North Idaho
counterparts in the two
previous meetings.
“They (North Idaho) are
pretty strong,” Berney said.
“They have state champions
available in every weight.
We’ve got kids that can place
just as high at nationals,
though.”
Berney knows it is going
to take a team effort to knock
off North Idaho and win the
regional title. “Our whole
team is going to have to get
together as a unit. You’ve got
CARDINAL IN CONTROL—Randy Barkhurst can’t escape North Idaho foe.
to place at every weight,” he
said.
Clackamas tuned up for
the regional tournament last
weekend at Simon Fraser
University. The Cougs turned
back Eastern Washington
THE UPPER HAND—Blaine Schutzler renders North Idaho foe helpless.
University 30-15 and the
Canadian junior national team
40-12. Simon Fraser, ranked
seventh in the NAIA polls,
was too tough for the young
Clackamas team, 26-17.
“I felt that we could take
all three if things worked out.
We had a couple of let
downs,” Berney said. “Simon
Fraser rotated their team, so
they were a little stronger. We
just wrestled average.”
In the loss to the Simon
Fraser, freshmen
John
Wachsmith was the lone
Cougar to record a fall, as he
dropped Kevin Chace at 5:20.
Bob Young also posted a big
win 20-0 over Ron Lepper.
Berney was more pleased
with his team’s performances
against EWU and the junior
nationals. “I was satisfied
with this weekend,” he said.
One bright spot for
Clackamas in its match with
EWU was the performance of
Lyle Dodd, in the 142-pound
class. Dodd picked up a fall at
the 5:22 mark over Darren
Bowerman. Dodd made
weight for the first time this
season and figures to be in
strumental in Clackamas’ bid
for the regional title. “He did
a real good job, he’s a
sleeper,” Berney said.
Dave Duncan also picked
up a fall, his coming at the
1:28 mark over Mike Ogle.
The Cougars had a
relatively easy time with the
British Columbia junior na
tional team, Wachsmith,
Barkhurst, Duncan, and Ames
all collected falls. Bob Young
also posted a big 25-0 win over
Brian Stanley.
Berney knows it will take
still more in order to beat
North Idaho. “Every match I
watched we could have done
better in,” he said.
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Wednesday, February 15, 1984
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