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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 19, 2020)
SPORTS Wednesday, February 19, 2020 HerMIsTOnHeraLd.COM • A9 WOU lands Hermiston’s top 2 offensive linemen By ANNIE FOWLER sPOrTs edITOr Chase Bradshaw and Dustyn Coughlin are an imposing pair on the offen- sive line. The Hermiston duo will continue to work together after they signed to play football at Western Oregon University. Bradshaw and Coughlin signed their official letters of intent last week, but had their school signing Feb. 12 for family and friends. “They are going to a great school,” Hermiston football coach David Faae- teete said. “They will fit in. Western has a great group of kids. It will be fun to watch them compete against guys their size.” The Hermiston players are part of a recruiting class that WOU coach Arne Fer- guson called “the most com- plete class ever recruited at WOU” in a school news release. “Once again we were able to keep a lot of Ore- gon local players home, but also added some great ath- letes from surrounding areas that will be able to make an immediate impact,” Fergu- Staff photo by Annie Fowler Hermiston’s Chase Bradshaw (left) and Dustyn Coughlin signed their letters of intent last week to play football at Western Oregon University. They had their school signing on Wednesday. son said. “When you look at the overall scope of all the recruits that we were able to bring in, this is a great class.” The 6-foot-3, 275-pound Bradshaw, listed as a two- star recruit by 24/7 Sports, was a Mid-Columbia Con- ference first-team selection on the offensive line the past two years. While Bradshaw talked to a handful of schools, he said he felt most comfort- able at WOU. “I feel I have a really good connection with the coaches,” Bradshaw said. “We have a lot of the same goals. They were the first to invite me down. It’s some- where I want to be, and a football team I want to be a part of.” Bradshaw, who will receive a substantial schol- arship, credited his coaches and playing in the MCC in preparing him for the next level. “I don’t think I would have this opportunity if I didn’t have the coaches to get me ready,” he said. “From the football coaches to the weight training. The MCC is close competition to the college level. Better than in Oregon.” Coughlin agreed with his teammate. “My sophomore year, some of the (Oregon) teams we played didn’t have the talent that guys from Chi- awana or Pasco do,” Cough- lin said. “You are play- ing against good dudes with unreal talent. I would not have been prepared for college if we would have stayed in Oregon.” While it has been a dream of his to play college foot- ball, Bradshaw said he isn’t sure whether he will redshirt or play this fall. “I will go into camp and compete for a spot,” he said. “If I feel I’m not ready phys- ically, I will redshirt.” Coughlin (6-4, 285), who is preparing for this weekend’s regional wres- tling tournament, said it was good to get the signing out of the way. “It’s a big sigh of relief, knowing I gave it my all and I get to play the game I love,” he said. “A lot of kids don’t get this opportunity. I will play my heart out.” Coughlin and Bradshaw played a part in helping the Bulldogs average 200 yards passing and 80 yards rush- ing per game. “I owe that guy (Faae- teete) everything,” said Coughlin, who also was courted by several teams. “He’s here early every morning for weights. He has a family, but he does this Hermiston’s Cadenas, Coughlin win regional titles A quick study Hermiston will send 4 boys, 1 girl to state tournament By ANNIE FOWLER sPOrTs edITOr Staff photo by Ben Lonergan Hermiston High School wrestler Sam Cadenas poses for a portrait in the high school’s wrestling room Tuesday evening. Cadenas wins regional title, earns trip to state By ANNIE FOWLER sPOrTs edITOr There are so many things that Sam Cadenas still doesn’t know about wrestling, but there is one thing his opponents should remember — what he does know will have you on your back begging for mercy. The Hermiston soph- omore, who sports a 35-7 record after winning the 220-pound title Saturday at the 3A Region 4 tour- nament at Rogers High School in Spokane, is just in his second of wrestling. He showed up in the wrestling room last winter, raw but willing to learn. “We started with the basics,” Hermiston wres- tling coach Kyle Larson said. “We preach funda- mentals at all levels. He is such a good athlete and he learns fast. You show him something once, and he picks it up.” Cadenas, ranked No. 3 at 220 pounds in the latest 3A rankings, beat Yelm’s Cameron Dubose 5-2 in the reginal championship bout. It was a rematch he wanted after Dubose beat him by two points at the Gut Check tournament in January. “I WAS NOT EXPECTING THIS OF MYSELF,. THERE IS ALWAYS A LEARNING CURVE. I DON’T WORRY ABOUT MY OPPONENTS. I USE MY IN- STINCTS AND ATTACK WHEN THEY ARE WEAK.” Sam Cadenas “He is doing phenome- nal for being a second-year guy,” Larson said. “Sam is a great kid, very respectful and a leader on this team. Kids look up to him. Kids need to look up to Sam. He leads by example. He has brought a lot of positivity to the whole squad.” A whole new world Cadenas comes from a family of soccer players. His older brothers Pedro, 25, Cesar, 22, and Sinai, 18, all played at Hermiston High School. Cadenas also plays soc- cer (he’s a striker), but he expanded his athletic tal- ents to include football and wrestling. “The coaches said wres- tling is good for football, and that’s what I want to focus on in the future,” Cadenas said. “Wrestling is good for soccer too. My stamina is good, which allows me to focus on the ball and what it takes to score.” Larson also believes football and wrestling go hand in hand. “It’s all about attitude,” Larson said. “You have to have a pretty pissed off atti- tude on the football field — they are trying to take your head off. You have that killer instinct, you recog- nize when someone is tired and you attack.” Once Cadenas started to get a feel for wrestling, he was hooked. “I really enjoy wrestling, I didn’t think I would,” he said. “My freshman year, I didn’t know what I was doing. Honestly, I thought this year would be another learning step like last year.” There are 35 guys who have lost to Cadenas who wish that were true. Cadenas cut through the Mid-Columbia Conference like a hot knife through butter, winning all eight of his matches. He pinned five opponents, had one deci- sion, one technical fall, and won his match against Walla Walla by forfeit. He won a title at the Farm City Invitational, was fifth at Gut Check, and he won the 3A District 8 wres- tling title. “I was a little worried,” Cadenas said of district. “The plan was to go in and win, but they said Tyler Dallas (Mt. Spokane) was good.” Dallas is good, but Cadenas beat him 11-4 for the district title. Last year, Cadenas com- peted at the 3A state tour- nament at 195 pounds. Because of adverse weather conditions, regional tour- naments were canceled, resulting in 32-man brack- ets at state. Cadenas finished 1-2 at state, but this year the expectations are higher. “We absolutely expect him to win at regionals,” Larson said. “No hoping or guessing. He is going to perform well. He has a leg attack, and no one can hold him down. He is so strong.” Cadenas continues to improve each week on the mat. He soaks in every- thing from his coaches, and implements the moves and techniques in his matches. He also benefits from working with former for us because he loves the sport. He has taught us to enjoy life and be respectful.” Coughlin, in his sec- ond year of wrestling, said the sport has helped him in football. “It has helped with my agility, my handwork and aggressiveness,” Cough- lin said. “You have to fight for every last second. Coach (Kyle) Larson motivates me.” Both players are excited to continue playing together. They spent the summer attending showcases and camps together, and they joined some of the best players in the nation Jan. 20 at the Blue-Grey All-Amer- ican Bowl at AT&T Sta- dium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. Both saw significant time on the offensive line for the Grey team (West), which won 37-30 in overtime. “I like the fact I get to play with my friend,” Coughlin said. “We know going into college that there will be competition for spots. There will be big dudes there — bigger than us — but Hermiston has prepared us.” Hermiston state champion and Oregon State Pac-12 champ Bob Coleman. “That is a huge bonus,” Cadenas said. “There are moves I didn’t know that he taught me. He also taught me how to get out of moves I don’t want to be in.” All in Wrestling quickly became a family affair for the Cadenases. His older brothers are a mainstay at his matches, his mom Olga makes sure he eats good meals (he is not a fan of vegetables), and his dad Marcial is learning the sport so he can help his son. “My brothers are always asking about the rules and why you can’t do certain things,” Cade- nas said. “Every sport we have played, our dad taught us. He has never wrestled in his life, but he is catching on and is offer- ing pointers.” Which Cadenas appre- ciates as he continues to learn and improve. “I was not expect- ing this of myself,” Cade- nas said of his success. “There is always a learning curve. I don’t worry about my opponents. I use my instincts and attack when they are weak.” Spoken like a true wrestler. Sam Cadenas and Dustyn Coughlin won regional titles, and Hermiston advanced four to state from Saturday’s 3A Region 4 Tournament at Rogers High School. Cadenas, just a sopho- more, won his first regional title, beating Cameron Dubose of Yelm 5-2. The match against Dubose was one Cadenas (35-7) wanted. Dubose beat Cadenas by two points at the Gut Check Tournament in January. Coughlin, who was third at the district tourna- ment, pinned all three of his regional opponents. He fin- ished with a first-round pin of Armani Tonuao of North Thurston in the champion- ship match. At 160, junior Trevor Wagner finished second, losing the title match 15-4 to Nolan Casey of Peninsula. Wagner had pinned his first two opponents before running into Casey. Sophomore Hunter Dyer punched his ticket to state with a fourth-place finish at 132 pounds. He was pinned in the third-place match by Mateo Escobar of Shadle Park in 2:09. Jon Lee (195) finished fifth and will make the trip as an alternate. The Bulldogs finished fourth in the team standings with 97 points. Mt. Spo- kane won the regional title with 220 points, followed by Yelm (165) and Kamiakin (101). “We have work to do as a team,” Hermiston coach Kyle Larson said. “We are happy with our four qualifi- ers, but our expectation is to send 28 to state and have 14 champions. We have work to do with our junior high and youth programs.” For the Hermiston girls, Macy Morgan (235) will head to state after finish- ing fourth at the Region 4 Tournament at Othello High School. Jazmin Deike (170) fin- ished fifth and will make the trip as an alternate. The state tournament for the boys and girls is Friday and Saturday at the Tacoma Dome.
