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E AST O REGONIAN SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2022 FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EOSPORTS | FACEBOOK.COM/EOSPORTS Hermiston has eyes on wrestling title Bulldogs have top-ranked wrestlers in Cadenas and Larson By ANNIE FOWLER East Oregonian HERMISTON — When Hermiston’s Sam Cade- nas and teammate Dominic Echeverria went out onto the mat for the district champi- onship match at 285 pounds, they played a friendly game of rock-paper-scissors before Cadenas pinned his teammate in 46 seconds. Cadenas’ opponents at the Washington Interscho- lastic Activities Association Region 4 Regional Tourna- ment on Saturday, Feb. 12, in Hermiston might want to opt for a few games of rock-pa- per-scissors than take the mat against the top-ranked Cade- nas, who is 28-3 on the season with 22 pins. “He’s not really one to let the rankings get in his head,” Hermiston coach Kyle Larson said of Cadenas. “He takes it one match at a time, stays focused and does what he’s supposed to do. He’s no nonsense.” The Region 4 tournament will begin at 10 a.m. All tick- ets must be purchased online. The tournament will include the four Mid-Co- lumbia Conference 3A schools, seven schools from the Greater Spokane League and seven schools from Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian Hermiston senior Sam Cadenas, top, shushes freshman teammate Dominic Escheverria in the 285-pound fi rst place match Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, at the Mid-Columbia Conference 3A District wrestling tournament in Hermiston. Cadenas won by a pin in 46 seconds. HERMISTON’S REGIONAL WRESTLERS 106 — Carlos Cervantes; Isiah Havins. 113 — Eddie Cervantes; Pedro Pacheco. 120 — Aiden Favorite. 126 — Jaysen Rodriguez; Jeshaiah Garza. 132 — Daniel Garza; Isaac Ruiz. the KingCo. The top five competi- tors from each weight class will advance to Mat Clas- sic XXXIII Feb. 18-19 at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington. Hermiston counts itself as a team to contend for the regional team title. The Bull- dogs won the district title with 138 — Hunter Dyer; Trevor Kirkpatrick. 152 — Tama Tuia. 160 — Ben Larson; Zane Estes. 170 — Javier Garcia; Joe Gutierrez. 182 — Jaxson Gribskov; Javier Echeverria. 195 — Logan Royer. 220 — Jesse Vassey. 285 — Sam Cadenas; Dominic Echeverria. 414.5 points, with Southridge second with 212. “District was a testa- ment to our language all year,” Larson said. We are always talking about bonus points. If you are facing a two-time state champion, we are talking about not getting pinned. We are look- ing to get the bonus points, getting pins.” The Bulldogs will have 22 wrestlers sprinkled through- out the regional brackets, including nine district cham- pions. Each bracket has 16 wrestlers. “Across the board, we have guys in every weight class except 145,” Larson said. “This is what we have been battling for all year. I wouldn’t trade any of my 22 for anyone else. We are going to war. We have some young guys in the bottom who are starting to come through. We are count- ing on them and we believe in them.” Even though his team steamrolled its way through district, Larson knows the GSL and KingCo are formi- dable opponents. “The GSL is sending some phenomenal teams. Four of the top five teams will be here. Mead is ranked No. 1, we are No. 2, U-Hi is No. 3 and Mt. Spokane is No. 4. They are trying to win region- als like we are. Mead is tough, we have some work to do to beat those guys.” Along with Cadenas, the Bulldogs have solid wrestlers throughout the lineup. Aiden Favorite won the district title at 120 pounds, as did Eddie Cervantes (113), Jaysen Rodriguez (126), Daniel Garza (132), Hunter Dyer (138), Ben Larson (160), Jaxson Gribskov (182) and Jesse Vassey (220). Rodriguez, just a fresh- man, is 27-6 this season, and has impressed Larson. “Jaysen has been phenom- enal all year,” Larson said. Larson, who is just a soph- omore, is ranked No. 1 in his weight class. He is 29-5 this season with 11 pins. “Ben is doing awesome,” Coach Larson said. “He is a workhorse. He isn’t fl ashy or fancy. He sticks to the funda- mentals. He is going to get you tired, and he is going to wrestle you tough in the third period.” B1 ON THE SLATE Schedule subject to change SATURDAY, FEB. 12 Prep girls basketball Condon at Echo, 2 p.m. Pilot Rock at Heppner, 4 p.m. Weston-McEwen at Enterprise, 4 p.m. Griswold at Joseph, 4 p.m. Stanfi eld at Grant Union, 4 p.m. Prep boys basketball MCC/GSL District 8 Tournament: Hermiston at GSL No. 2, TBD Condon at Echo, 3:30 p.m. Pilot Rock at Heppner, 5:30 p.m. Weston-McEwen at Enterprise, 5:30 p.m. Griswold at Joseph, 5:30 p.m. Stanfi eld at Grant Union, 5:30 p.m. Prep boys wrestling Pendleton at Intermountain Conference District Championships, Crook County, 9 a.m. La Grande, McLoughlin at 4A Special District 4 Championships, Sisters, 10 a.m. WIAA Region 4 Regional Tournament at Hermiston, 10 a.m. Heppner at Pine Eagle, 10 a.m. Prep Swimming Pendleton at Intermountain Conference District Championships, Hood River, 9 a.m. College men’s basketball Blue Mountain at North Idaho, 4 p.m. Northwest at Eastern Oregon, 5 p.m. College women’s basketball Blue Mountain at North Idaho, 2 p.m. Northwest at Eastern Oregon, 3 p.m. College track and fi eld Eastern Oregon at Whitworth Invitational, 8 a.m. College baseball Eastern Oregon at Pacifi c (2), noon College softball Eastern Oregon at Willamette, 2 p.m. College women’s lacrosse Eastern Oregon at Whitworth, noon SUNDAY, FEB. 13 College baseball Eastern Oregon at Pacifi c (2), noon College softball Eastern Oregon at Willamette (2), 11 a.m. TUESDAY, FEB. 15 Prep boys basketball Pendleton at Crook County, 6:30 p.m. Prep girls basketball Crook County at Pendleton, 6:30 p.m. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 16 College men’s basketball Treasure Valley at Blue Mountain, 7:30 p.m. College women’s basketball Treasure Valley at Blue Mountain, 5:30 p.m. VISIT US ON THE WEB AT: 4A tourney moves to Coos Bay area OSAA boss talked with Pendleton offi cials before making decision By JOHN GUNTHER OSAAtoday COOS BAY — The Coos Bay area will be pull- ing double duty next month, hosting a pair of basketball state championship tourna- ments. In addition to the 3A tour- nament jointly hosted by Marshfi eld and North Bend high schools each winter, the two schools also will host the 4A event a week later. The Oregon School Activ- ities Association executive board voted to have the Bay Area host the latter event at its meeting Monday, Feb. 7, after Forest Grove High School requested not to be home for the event this year. The school plans to go back to hosting it next year. “I think it’s great,” said North Bend Athletic Direc- tor Mike Forrester, who committed to the event along with Marshfield Athletic Director Greg Mulkey. “If it’s good for our community, then it’s a good deal.” The 3A tour nament, which fi rst came to the Bay Area a little more than a decade ago, has been a shot in the arm for the South Coast economy each winter, as well as an event to bring the host schools and commu- nity together. When it became clear Forest Grove might not be The most valuable and respected source of local news, advertising and information for our communities. eomediagroup.com able to host the 4A event, OSAA Executive Direc- tor Peter Weber contacted Mulkey about the possibility of the Bay Area playing host. “My first reaction was, absolutely, why wouldn’t we want to do it?” Mulkey said, echoing Forrester’s thoughts. “It’s great for the commu- nity.” He noted it also will be a big challenge, putting on the two events in back-to-back weeks. “It’s a daunting task,” Mulkey said. But it’s one he feels the community is up for, given its track record hosting the 3A event. “That’s what’s so great about our tournament,” Mulkey said. “Because of our community’s support and our reputation for putting on the (3A) tourna- ment — that’s why he called us.” Weber said he also talked with offi cials in Pendleton, which hosts the 2A tourna- ment each year. “Those are sites with the infrastructure built in to run these three-day tourna- ments,” Weber said, noting each uses two facilities. In Pendleton’s case it’s Pend- leton High School and the Pendleton Convention Center. One thing that tipped things in the Bay Area’s favor was that many of the schools that might be partic- ipating are geographically closer to Coos Bay than Pendleton, being in or near the Willamette Valley or southern Oregon. One of those schools, obviously, is Marshfield, which won the 4A Showcase event last June on its home fl oor in the Pirate Palace. Weber said he under- stands how some people might be concerned about Marshfi eld getting to host and play in the event. “Obviously, it’s not an ideal situation,” he said. “We’ve had it come up in a few other circumstances.” Those include Liberty hosting and participating in the state volleyball tour- nament and Central Catho- lic being able to play in the championship football game at Hillsboro Stadium, where it also plays its home games. “It’s not ideal, but at the end of the day, the board focused on being able to put the tournament on,” Weber said, again referring to being able to provide a positive experience for the student-athletes. That’s something the Bay Area has shined at with the 3A event, and Mulkey is hoping to provide the same features for the 4A tourna- ment, including each team having a greeter to help during the event and also a community member who will provide a meal for the team during the tournament. Also in the plans, just like the 3A event, is a dinner for the coaches and separate meal for all the players on the eve of the tournament, followed by a three-point shootout at North Bend High School. Sweeeet Sally: Time goes so fast and I don't want to waste a second without being with you. Happy Valentine's Day Sweetheart I Love You JHD www.EastOregonian.com