PAGE A14, KEIZERTIMES, JANUARY 12, 2018
Celtics top Forest Grove, fall to Sprague
By DEREK WILEY
Of the Keizertimes
Forfeiting three weight
classes, McNary was no
match for reigning district
champion and state runner-
up Sprague on Thursday, Jan.
4.
But head coach Jason Ebbs
believes a better Celtic squad
is on the horizon.
“I can tell you right now
there’s a better McNary
coming down the road here,”
Ebbs said. “We’ll have our
weights fi lled up. We’ll have
some good talent. Our kids
are going to get better. This
is all going to go the right di-
rection.”
The Celtics won their fi rst
two matches against Sprague.
At 285 pounds, Alex Harri-
son earned a 4-3 victory over
Austin Schreefer.
Grady Burrows (106) then
pinned Aaron Joklur in the
fi rst period.
But with the exception
of McNary junior Enrique
Vincent (126), who pinned
Colby Hemmert in the sec-
ond period, it was all Sprague
from there.
The Olympians fi nished
with seven pins to defeat Mc-
Nary 61-15.
Brayden Ebbs was out
with a concussion.
“We always aim to beat
Sprague,” coach Ebbs said.
“They’re a good program
and they’re good kids. We’re
never ever going to walk
KEIZERTIMES/Derek Wiley
McNary junior Enrique Vincent pinned Sprague wrestler Colby
Hemmert in the second period on Thursday, Jan. 4.
away from that match. That’s
one of our highlights of the
year and we’ll use that as test-
ing water, hopefully come
back in about three weeks at
the district tournament and
change the results of some of
those matches and continue
to battle.
“It’s kind of a love-hate
relationship with them. You
get better at wrestling push-
ing yourself among the tough
people and for years now
Sprague doesn’t like us but
we make them work hard
and we don’t like Sprague
but they make us work hard.
There’s nothing wrong with
that.”
McNary
opened
the
three-team dual against For-
est Grove, winning 45-33.
Harrison, a senior but
fi rst-year wrestler, won by a
6-1 decision.
Ebbs
had
previously
coached Harrison in football
and asked him if he wanted
to give wrestling a try.
“At fi rst I didn’t know
what I was doing but I could
pick up things really quickly,”
Harrison said.
“There’s always that one
senior that comes out and
sees the light, loves the sport,
loves the team,” Ebbs said.
CLASSIC,
continued from Page 13
File
McNary senior Brayden Ebbs placed third at the Sierra Nevada
Classic in Reno.
At 126 pounds, McNary
junior Enrique Vincent ad-
vanced to the semifi nals,
where he was pinned late in
the second period by Rhett
Miner of Lehi, Utah.
After losing a 4-2 decision
in the consolation bracket,
Vincent then pinned Alex
Jimenez of Escalon, Calif. to
place fi fth.
Blake Norton (220) and
Alex Harrison (285) were
both one match away from
KEIZERTIMES/Derek Wiley
McNary senior Alex Harrison opened the Celtics match against Sprague with a 4-3 victory over
Austin Schreefer.
“We wish we could have
fi gured it out earlier but I’ll
never regret it. We enjoy him.
We’re tremendously proud of
him. He’s quickly come from
a guy that’s learning to a guy
we’re depending on.”
Vincent, Jerry Martinez
(132), Gilbert Parra (138),
Noah Grunberg (145) and
Blake Norton (220) all won
by pin fall against Forest
Grove. The Celtics also won
two matches by forfeit.
“They’re well coached and
they work hard and they’re
good kids,” Ebbs said of For-
est Grove. “That’s a dual we
like to win but they defi nitely
always present a few technical
items that make us go up to
the room and prepare for the
district tournament. It helps
our kids get better.”
placing. Norton reached the
quarterfi nals and fi nished the
tournament 3-2. Harrison
went 4-2.
At 106 pounds, McNary
freshman Grady Burrows won
his fi rst two matches before
losing his next two to fi nish
the tournament 2-2.
“I felt really good about
how our kids responded in
regards to focus and competi-
tion and making the most of
that opportunity,” coach Ebbs
said. “We had a good time.
Almost everybody won some
matches.”
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