Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 28, 2015)
THE C L A C K A M A S P R IN T | JA N , 2 8 / 2015 | V O L , 48 ISSUE 10 7 Top ranked Cougars fall for first time Story and photo by Katie Archer CCC wrestler Chris Garcia, bottom, faces off with Southern Oregon Universitys Tanner Canaday on Saturday, Jan. 24, in an inter-association exhibition. he agony o f defeat This week brings a new lesson for the Cougars as they pick up their first two losses of the season. Prior to Saturdays dual against second-ranked N orth Idaho College and NAIA, sec ond-ranked Southern Oregon University, the num ber one ranked Cougars were 13-0. Clackamas wrestlers faced off with two teams Sat urday, Jan. 24, for a dual held in the Randall Gym. The dual came down to a dramatic sudden death finish in the heavy weight match. Clackamas Com m u nity College’s John Morin, nationally ranked sixth, bat tled N orth Idaho’s Taylor Komoely, nationally ranked first M orin h ad to win his m atch for CCC to win the d u al Cougar country was loud and their excitement was felt by Morin. “I was jacked pum ped with everyone yelling,” said M orin. Just like the excitem ent Cougar fans’ disbelief hung in the air w hen CCC received its first loss. L>own by two, the dual m eet came down to me,” said Morin. “I was disappointed w hen I lost” There wasn’t tim e for the Cougars to think about the loss, as the Southern Oregon dual was approaching quiddy. “It was a hard transition especially after that dose one,” said head coach Josh Rhoden. After losing his first match, 7-4, in the N orth Ida ho dual, Robbie Rizzolino bounced back and destroyed Southern Oregon’s Frantis Llorente 15-0 in the 141 weight match. Rizzolino, ranked fifth nationally, said, “I felt m ore warm ed up in the second match. Felt okay in the first match. Recouped for the second m atch to finish strong.” The 174-weight m atch brought an interesting twist to the dram a unfolding in Randall Hall. Both CCC’s Dylan Reel and Southern Oregon’s Brock Gutches are ranked No. 1 in their respective as sociations. Reel and Gutches also knew each other from wres tling activities last summer. “I have a great deal of respect for him,” said ReeL Gutches walked away with the w in and a scratch, which the two guys joked about after the d u al M inor split second mistakes were the difference in the match, and Reel knows he is able to identify those mistakes. Regardless of a tough weekend, the Cougars still have their confidence and heads held high. “Keep improving when it matters most, at the end of the year/ Rizzolino said. “Hopefully, we’ll finish strong and be ready for nationals.” Two starters were out due to injuries and resting for the end of the year. This did give the Cougars u n wanted forfeits during the dual. Coach Rhoden said, “Still just practicing for Febru ary and the National Championships.” N orth Idaho will likely be an opponent seen at Regionals and Nationals. M orin said, i get closer and closer every tim e I wrestle. Next tim e should be better/ O n Thursday, Jan. 29, the Cougars will be at War ner Pacific in Portland at 7 p.m. The Cougars will pre pare and attack the West Region Championships in Coeur dAlene, Idaho, on Feb. 13 and the NJCAA Na- " tional Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, on Feb. 27 and 28. W ith the dual behind them, Reel said, “I want to thank our guys for really fighting in adversity. It says a lot about our team.”
