February 9, 2011
The
Portland Observer Black History Month
Page 11
Local Athlete Excels at Clackamas
Earns full ride
scholarship to
Oregon State
C liff P fenning
T he P ortland O bserver
by
Tarrence Williams is finally ready
to wrestle in Corvallis. It only took a
couple years and some regular
whoopings by his college coach to
get him motivated enough to com­
pete for a nationally-ranked NCAA
Div. I program.
When Williams graduated from
Jefferson High School in north Port­
land, he earned marks as been a three­
time state finalist, and a state cham­
pion at 135 pounds as a junior. But he
left as a football player, which he
played in fall and was an all-state
selection. He wrestled largely because
his father, Damon, coached the sport
at the youth level.
The O regon State B eavers,
Tarrence Williams says, would have
taken him into its wrestling program,
but he didn' t feel ready for the Pac-10
or being a wrestler full-time, so his
Portland wrestling club coach Roy
says he started to see his name pop
up as a top prospect among college
recruits - in wrestling, not football.
“I really liked that,” he says. “I
liked that it focused on me. I started
to realize that I ’ m really an individual
as an athlete, and not so much of a
team player who has to rely on other
guys for success.”
Rhoden, 30, who wrestled at Crook
County High School, took Williams
to tournaments and clinics around
the state, and the two practiced
against one another.
Rhoden, usually won.
“I beat him 8-0 one time,” says
Rhoden, who is roughly the same
size as Williams. “That really stuck
Tarrence Williams excels on the Clackamas Community College
wrestling team. The Jefferson High School graduate is headed to with him and you could see that he
wanted to improve so that didn’t
Oregon State with a full-ride scholarship.
happen again.
Pittman directed him to Clackamas ited number of scholarships, so we
“I can still beat him, but he can
Community College, where coach . figured we’d start there.”
beat me, too.”
Josh Rhoden gladly took him in.
It turned into a good move.
As a freshman, Williams finished
Rhoden gave him a scholarship,
During his freshman year at the won the West Region champion­
too, enough to pay for books.
Oregon City school, Williams began ship and finished fifth at the na­
“We could see he had a lot of developing into the wrestler his po­ tional meet. By then, he had con­
potential, but we weren’t really sure tential had shown. The Internet and vinced Rhoden he should have a
what he was going to do here, how Rhoden, he says, helped redirect his full scholarship.
committed he was going to be,” passion from football to wrestling.
In fall, Williams signed a letter of
Rhoden says. “We have a very lim­
As a senior at Jefferson, Williams intent to wrestle at Oregon State,
which he chose over Oklahoma
State. He’s been ranked No. 1 at 171
pounds for most of the season, and
is 23-2 following a win Thursday.
"It's like a light went on,” Rhoden
says, “especially after he signed
with Oregon State.”
"Tarrence is one of those guys
we watched when he was in high
school," OSU coach Jim Zalesky
said in a press release after Williams
signed his letter of intent. "He's
done well at Clackamas and is in a
weight class we need. We feel that
he can come in and contribute right
away."
Oregon State has been ranked
15th or higher all season.
With a slew of nationally-ranked
wrestlers in their lineup, Clackamas
is ranked No. 1 as it prepares for the
West Region tournament, Saturday,
Feb. 12. Lakeridge grad Tyre 11 For­
tune, who is also headed for Oregon
State, is ranked No. 1 at 285 pounds.
The national meet is Feb. 25-26 in
Spokane.
Williams says he’s excited about
the upcoming tournaments and his
future at OSU, where he plans to
study biology.
We honor Black History month and the
many accomplishments of
African Americans.
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"H
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