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PRIMT: Sports
Wednesday,January 29,2014
Cougars control action on the mat
Top: Clackamas’ 141pounds freshman Robbie Rizzolino scrambles for control and position while attempting to avoid a pin. His opponent Matt Gay o f Southwestern Oregon won the match viadeci-
sion with dominant control and elusive techniques which included a one-handed cartwheel evade.
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L jt H
Bottom left and right: Clackamas’184 pounds freshman Adrian Salas shows his wrestling prowess and strength overcoming Southwestern Oregon s Kolbjom Skaflestad..
I
David Beasley
Sports Editor
T h e No, 4 ranked Cougar wres
tling team continued to represent the
fighting spirit o f Clackamas last
Friday. They took out No. 23 ranked
Southwestern Oregon Lakers.
The match announcer, Aaron
Hall, introduced the wrestlers with
crowd-pleasing, fight-style face
offs. It was good foreshadowing
o f die impressive battles that took
place. The Cougars showed how
hard work and determination pay
off. They set a good example for all
Clackamas students with their work
ethic and performance.
“In wrestling, . you’re never
done,” said Hall. “You’re working
on your weaknesses and strengths
a lo t”
The 125-pound division was
a forfeit for Clackamas, and
Southwestern Oregon’s Matthew
Nguyen was awarded the win. The
score started out 0-6 in favor o f the
Lakers.
The first match was CCC’s very
talented C.J. Palmer versus Lucas
Garza at 133 pounds, With a bit o f
a feeling-out process, Palmer finally
caught the elusive Garza. Palmer
held him with all four limbs up,
winning via pin.
“He was really defensive, he
didn’t want to wrestle,” said Palmer.
“I had to lose four pounds before
the m eet I was tired from running.
It’s hard cutting weight right before
a match.” -
The team score was tied after the
first match 6-6. Next, at 14Lpounds
was CCC’s Robbie Rizzolino
against Matt Gay. As Rizzolino tena
ciously attempted to catch Gay, Gay
executed a spectacular one-handed
cartwheel evade. Gay gained the
advantage and used excellent con
trol. Gay won by decision. The
score was then 6-9 Lakers lead.
At 149 pounds, Kenny Martin
faced the Lakers’ Aaron Villain.
Martin won the competitive match
7-4 and tied the meet 9-9. The
Lakers had to forfeit foe 157 pounds
match, so foe Cougars took foe
lead 15-9. For foe 165 pounds divi
sion, Shane Sheppard o f Clackamas
wrestled Andrew Orr.
A few seconds into foe match foe
referee halted foe action for blood
oh the mat.
1 “There’s blood everywhere,” he
declared.
It was Orr’s nose. At foe restart
fiom standing position Orr took a
two-point takedown and got a pin.
Orr won. The score was tied, again,
15-15. Moving up foe weight divi
sions, at 174 pounds, Tyler White
was set to wrestle Mikey Ayala o f
Southwestern Oregon. White had
a very good takedown and near
fall, accruing five points, and relent
lessly tried to get Ayala’s arm out
fiom underneath to get a pin. Ayala
defended foe pin, but White won.
Clackamas took foe lead again,
18-15.
Next up was 184 pounds Cougar
powerhouse Adrian Salas versus
Kolbjom Skaflestad.
Skaflestad almost had a two-
point takedown but Salas rolled at
foe last second. The referee palled
it as off foe m a t The Lakers’ coach
was very upset with foe call. Salas
executed a powerful two-point
takedown and got two more points
controlling foe action and then two
more. Salas got an impressive pin
winning foe match.
For foe 197 pounds division,
Ihoughama Odigizuwa accepted
foe win for Clackamas, putting foe
score at 24-15 as foe Lakers’ forfeit
Last, but certainly not least
was CCC’s imposing 285 pounds
Brandon Johnson against Teran
Reedy.
Johnson had a strong two-point
takedown and grabbed another three
points before almost pinning Reedy.
Johnson earned another three points
for a dominant score o f 8-0. He
got another two-point takedown for
10- 0 and one point for stalling was
awarded to Johnson against Reedy,
11- 0. Then one point was awarded
to Reedy against Johnson for stall
ing, 11-1. Johnson executed one o f
foe night’s most spectacular tech
niques with a takedown slam right
at foe buzzer. Johnson won 14-1.
“The slam was great,” said
announcer H all.' “It was fantastic,
foe crowd loves those techniques. It
gets foe crowd into i t ”
- Johnson’s win put foe final meet
score at 34-15. Clackamas won, as
expected, in dominating fashion.
The following morning, Saturday,
Jan, 25, foe team traveled to Forest
Grove for foe Boxer Open tourna
m ent
Johnson was satisfied with his
team’s performance Friday night.
He knew he had to stay consistent
in his own game as well to succeed
in foe championships this season,
he said.
“There’s been ups and downs,”
said Johnson. “Trying to have more
ups right now, just trying to push
through being tired, trying to get
in shape this season. Third round
is usually when I start getting tired.
You can lead foe whole match arid
lose it all at foe end.”
■ Palmer had confidence in his
team for foe remainder o f foe season
and saw foe possibility o f champi
onship glory.
“The biggest challenge will be
getting mentally prepared,” said
Palmer. “I think everyone should
be ready.”
The Cougars’ last home meet
will be against Pacific University on
Jan. 30 at 7:30 p.m. Then on Feb. 15
they will head to Rock Creek, Wyo.,
forregionals.