The Crook County girls wrestling team poses with the 6A/5A first-place trophy. (Photo by Austin White)

5A boys

For the last three years, the Thurston boys wrestling team left the 5A OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union high school boys wrestling state tournament with a similar feeling.

The Colts finished second in the team race in 2023, 2024 and 2025, leaving a lingering taste that wasn’t so pleasant to remember.

And at first on Saturday inside Veterans Memorial Coliseum for the final day of the event, it looked as if district foe Crater was going to catch the Colts.

Instead, Thurston got a big upset from senior Bill Matheus at 150 pounds and did enough in the consolation rounds to hold off the Comets 291-283 and win the program’s first team state title since 2002 and second overall.

“Our goal has been to win titles, that’s why I moved,” Thurston head coach Mike Simons, who became the head coach at Thurston in 2003-2004 after being an assistant at Newberg, said. “Our boys have been grinding, this is our ninth OSAA trophy in a row, but they’ve all been the wrong color.”

Helping turn the color of that trophy blue was Matheus as the Colts looked to be in trouble after not winning as much as they hoped for in the consolation brackets and having a couple grapplers fall short in the finals.

Matheus was lined up against two-time defending state champion Aidan Godley, a junior out of Crater who was looking to tilt the tide to the Comets.

With Matheus trailing 7-2 in the third period, the Colt was able to get a takedown, a reversal and one more takedown to grab a 10-9 lead. He added one more point to make it 11-9 following an escape.

“During the match, I was trying to use my gas tank to my advantage,” Matheus said. “I was just trying to get to his legs as much as I could so I could take him down. It worked in my favor in the end, he was done and I won.”

Admittedly, Matheus said he got worked a couple times by Godley in previous dual matchups. But each time the senior was able to make little improvements until ultimately he pulled off the upset on the state’s biggest stage.

His win kept the winds from shifting toward the Comets and the Colts were able to close out the team victory.

“Right before my match, I was like, ‘Man, if I win this, it could win us the state title,’” Matheus said. “As much as it felt like a lot of burden on my shoulders, it felt like I wasn’t fatigued and I was going for the team, not just for myself.”

“That sealed the deal for us, Bill’s win,” Simons said. “We call him ‘Gas Tank Bill’ because the guy just goes, pedal to the metal.”

Thurston started the finals with sophomore Samuel Greenstreet at 106 where he took down Redmond freshman Tate Lawrence with a 12-9 decision.

The Colts got off on the right foot, but it was actually Crook County throwing a wrench into the Colts’ state plans.

Cowboys junior Casen Villastrigo, a 4A reigning champion, took out Thurston sophomore Lukas Salas-Sanchez, a 5A reigning champion, in the 113 final.

Meanwhile, Crater still had seven wrestlers in the finals and suddenly had an open door to make a run at the team title.

“We needed to win more on the backside and we didn’t, we lost a couple close ones and we thought it slipped away from us,” Simons said. “We ended up winning a couple we didn’t expect to win. … It just went our way today. Last year it didn’t, the year before it didn’t, the year before it didn’t.”

Thurston junior Michael Salas-Sanchez got the Colts back on track with a 5-3 decision over Crook County sophomore Alejandro Vargas at 120, earning the junior’s second state title.

Crater threw the next punch with junior Jeremiah Oliva winning a 12-8 decision over Thurston sophomore Tanner Brumble.

Their meeting was the fifth of the year between the two, and Brumble won the first two. However, Oliva thinks those couple of losses helped change the course of his season and to become a three-time state champion.

“When he beat me, it kind of opened my eyes a little bit and to form a gameplan,” Oliva said of the two losses to Brumble. “If I didn’t have that match, things could have been different. That’s the way it was supposed to be. I’m glad he did because it really motivated me more.”

Crook County evened things out by throwing a punch at Crater at 144 where Cowboys freshman Madden Sandoval was able to win a 5-0 decision over Comets senior Jaret Hickey, a returning state champion.

Then the match at 150 with Matheus came and changed the course of the team race.

Lebanon senior Seth Wynn was able to pick up a 9-0 major decision over Jaxon Godley, a senior from Crater, at 157 to make the mountain even higher for Crater to climb.

Crater senior Kutter Christensen kept it close by winning the title at 165 with a 4-1 decision over Eagle Point senior Gavin Pogue.

The Comets added two more individual titles starting at 190 with junior Ryland Walters pinning Thurston junior Emmit Distefano in 1 minute, 28 seconds, followed by senior Travis Ege taking down Bend senior Lukas Quade via pin at 285.

The four individual golds weren’t quite enough to catch Thurston, who can finally leave the VMC with the right colored trophy.

“I’ve been around wrestling my whole life – my dad was a hall of fame coach – I know probably thousands of people in the arena here and I think most of them wanted it more than I did,” Simons said reflecting on the emotions of the win. “I think we tried to do it the right way. We just worked hard and I think hard work paid off for us this year.”

More individual champs: Crook County junior Chase Hemphill was able to redeem a district loss to Mountain View senior Aiden Nelmes with a 2-1 decision at 132 to claim the Hemphill's first state crown. … Crescent Valley junior Colton Hankey was able to win a second state title with a 9-0 major decision over Redmond junior Kash Davis at 138. Hankey won last year at 126. … Bend junior Leif Larwin continues to dominate with his third state title in three years. This time it was a 10-0 major decision over Hillsboro junior Arturo Echeverria at 175. … Dallas sophomore Carson Langford moved up to 215 after winning state at 190 last year as a freshman, and he finished the job again in 2026. Langford took down West Albany sophomore Justice Edmiston 6-4 to go two-for-two in his young career at state.

Team scores: 1, Thurston 291; 2, Crater 283; 3, Crook County 187.5; 4, Redmond 119.5; 5, West Albany 103; 6, Eagle Point 102.5; 7, Hillsboro 99; 8, Canby 86; 9, Dallas 79; 10, Mountain View 66

6A boys

Newberg head coach Neil Russo said he’s felt every emotion one can probably feel inside Veterans Memorial Coliseum over the years.

However, he felt something new Saturday on the final day of the 6A OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union boys state wrestling tournament. His daughter went into labor, providing the news that Russo would be a grandpa for the second time soon.

Grandkid No. 2 was a good omen for title No. 4 under Russo and the program’s state leading 16th all time. The team win is also a third consecutive title and gives the Tigers five of the last six OSAA crowns.

Newberg finished with 245 points, outlasting another challenge from West Linn in second place with 187 points.

“I think there were a lot of doubts, not from within though,” Russo said. “Two years in a row now we’ve had a defending state champion sitting in the stands who was unable to go. This group, no excuses, next man up. We got on a little run this morning and I think they fed off each other.

“They love each other, they wrestle for each other and I think that’s the difference maker.”

The state champion forced to the stands in 2026 for the Tigers is junior Sawyer Keinonen, who did qualify but had to miss. He won the 126 state title last year.

Despite the setback coming in, the Tigers were rolling in the consolation brackets to start the day where they won 15 of its first 16 matches.

In the finals, it was senior Hezekiah Worthington keeping the good times rolling when he took down Sherwood junior Caden Burnett 8-1 in the 113 final, marking the senior’s second state crown.

“I was just feeling excited knowing that I’ve been here, I’ve wrestled him and I kind of know how we both wrestle each other,” Worthington said. “Him knowing what I’m going for, looking for the whole match (made title No. 2 tough).”

Worthington won at 106 last year as a junior, providing the spark then as well to get the Tigers to the top of the team standings.

Having Worthington, who is in a long line of Worthington’s to wrestle at Newberg, has been a reliable feeling all these years for Russo.

“Kiah’s been with me since before he remembers, he had two older brothers that wrestled for me and he’s a second generation Newberg wrestler,” Russo said. “He is the catalyst, he stirs the drink for us. It’s always nice to have that energy around us and it’s always positive.”

“I love getting everybody going,” Worthington said. “Letting everybody keep the pace and keep going at it.”

West Linn was able to take back some of that momentum in the finals when sophomore Darion Johnson picked up his second state title with a 19-3 tech fall over Roseburg junior Jack Olsen at 132.

Then it was Lions senior Ryder Sprague snagging an 8-4 decision over Newberg senior Kingston Meaders in the 138 final.

But then it was Newberg senior Gavin Rangel’s turn at 144. He was that wrestler last year that had to watch from the stands due to a shoulder injury, which he was still battling through this year.

Rangel hung tough though and eventually got a pin at 5:25 over Mountainside junior Ethan Stock to secure his second title after winning it all in 2024 as a sophomore.

“It’s two years that he hasn’t been on the mat, but he did everything the right way,” Russo said. “I couldn’t be happier for him to come full circle that way. He’s more excited about the team title though than he is his own title, I think that says something.”

Those two were the only individual champs of the tournament for the Tigers, but they did place a total of 10 wrestlers on the podium to secure the team crown.

Culver tied Newberg for the most OSAA team titles in state history the night before in the 2A/1A race, prompting a text from Bulldogs head coach JD Alley to Russo.

Russo wasn’t able to respond due to the crazy 24 hours he’s had, but he didn’t need to as the grapplers on the mat did all the talking required.

“We’re a family and everybody has just been going off of everybody’s wins,” Worthington said. “We’re all going off each other’s intensity and getting it done.”

More individual champs: Oregon City junior Anthony Diaz broke through for his first state title with a pin at 5:11 over Grants Pass junior Patrick Murphy. … Clackamas junior Caleb Enoch captured an elusive state title after taking second at state as a freshman and third as sophomore. He defeated Cleveland junior Eli Borrayo 10-5 in the 120 final. … Forest Grove junior Archy De La Rosa is now a two-time champion after defeating Tualatin senior Elian Debien with a 21-5 tech fall in the 126 final. … Mountainside sophomore Isaac Conner won a battle of reigning champions at 150 by taking down North Medford senior Hesston Likens with a 20-4 tech fall. Conner won as a freshman last year at 138. … Sheldon senior Mason Stucky became the Irish’s first state champion since 2013 with a stunning pin of top seeded Jefferson PDX senior Titus Rodela at 2:13 in the 157 final. … Westview senior Giovanni Silva closed his career with a title by defeating West Linn senior Maclain Culp 7-3 at 165. … North Salem junior Maximus Rodriguez pinned South Medford junior Brody Foss at 3:55 to win the state title at 175. … South Medford got it right back though with senior Corbyn Schumack winning at 190 thanks to an 8-2 decision over Glencoe senior Isaac Reynoso. … Forest Grove senior Brandon Cook never looked back in a 15-0 tech fall over McDaniel senior Lucas McCall-Petke in the 215 final. … South Medford senior Isandre De La Torre leaves high school with two state titles after taking down Sunset senior Anthony Semchuk 5-2 in the 285 final.

Team scores: 1, Newberg 245; 2, West Linn 187; 3, Forest Grove 131.5; 4, Mountainside 116; 5, North Salem 111.5; 6, South Medford 105; 7, Roseburg 101; 8, Grants Pass 93.5; 9, Glencoe 92; 10, Century 88

6A/5A girls

The depth of Crook County girls wrestling won out Saturday inside the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, giving the Cowgirls the 6A/5A OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union girls wrestling state title.

With seven of their 11 wrestlers placing, Crook County had just enough to beat out Dallas in second with 140 points compared to 130.

For first-year head coach Sam Schmitz, who’s a wrestler from Newberg and an assistant on the Crook County wrestling team last year, it was a beautiful sight to see his tough love to the girls result in the finish that they wanted.

“I think it just shows the resilience of our kids,” Schmitz said. “Even when it wasn’t going great, they were still just fighting and battling and trying to stand behind each other and keep moving forward. It’s pretty cool and pretty fun to be a part of for sure.”

The Cowgirls placed two wrestlers into the finals, those being the sisters Lauren and Taylor Echeverria.

Up first was the freshman Lauren Echeverria at 110 where she entered with a perfect 47-0 record. And she made sure she was leaving that way as well.

Lauren Echeverria dominated the match, winning via an 18-1 tech fall over Lebanon junior Mary Jane Duty.

For Lauren to step right into high school wrestling and not only win a state title, but go unbeaten, is a credit to the wrestling community of Crook County in Schmitz’s mind.

“It’s just a testament to our town and the club programs we have and the coaches she’s had moving through the ranks,” Schmitz said. “We get to reap the benefits, we just kind of stand there and say, ‘Go ahead.’ It’s all the coaches before us that have put a lot of time and effort into it and she’s put a lot of time and effort into it.

“She’s a kid who shows up, goes to high school practice – which a lot of our kids do – then will stick around and do club practice afterwards.”

Schmitz moved to Prineville after some college coaching stops in the midwest and didn’t know a ton about the layout of the land.

He could see Lauren’s potential quickly, but it was a trip to Reno, Nevada in December where Schmitz saw that the freshman could take this all the way.

“We go to Reno and she wins the tournament and I’m like, ‘OK, this girl is the real deal,’ because that’s a tough tournament,” Schmitz said. “But it was Reno also that I learned a lot of our girls are special and our coaches special. That was the culminating tournament of us realizing that we can do this.”

Older sister in junior Taylor Echeverria didn’t quite have the same happy ending at 140 where the reigning state champ was beat by Forest Grove senior Renae Cook.

Cook, a two-time runnerup with a third place finish as well, won the match 6-2 to finally break through to individual gold.

Still, the Cowgirls got plenty of points in the consolation rounds where Chevelle Boynton was able to take fifth at 100, Emerie Cox took fourth at 115, Maylee Yancey took fifth at 120, Hazell Harris took fourth at 135 and Jolisa Martinez took sixth at 235.

“I laugh about it but it makes me want to cry almost because I’m hard on them and I push them and you just hope they’re ready for things to be tough out here on this floor,” Schmitz said. “I think it shows the depth that the girls are ready to fight. Even if they’re not Lauren or Taylor where they’re in the finals, they’re just clawing and fighting for the next best thing.”

Speaking of the next best thing, Canby junior Emilia Ensrud had one of the biggest upsets of the night in the 6A/5A girls 120 final.

North Medford senior Skyler Hall was the opponent and was looking to become a four-time state champion, the first in Black Tornado history and the first girl to win four OSAA-sanctioned crowns.

Down 3-1 in the third period, Ensrud was able to get a takedown and eventually turned it into a pin at 5:34 to deny Hall of the four-time glory.

“I might as well go for it, it’s the final match of state,” Ensrud said of that match-changing takedown. “Just gotta stay calm in your matches and anything can happen.”

Ensrud hadn’t wrestled Hall before and didn’t spend too much time studying to tape to learn about the three-time champion.

Instead, the Canby Cougar stuck to her own plan in order to shock the crowd.

“Surprisingly, I really wasn’t nervous,” Ensrud said. “I’ve placed third the past two years so I figured, ‘Well, I’m better than that so I might as well go for it.’”

Ida B. Wells senior Zorina Johnson was able to break into the three-timers club as well by winning the 135 title with an 18-1 tech fall over Mountain View senior Alana Troullier.

Johnson appeared to injure her leg during the semifinals, but still was able to dispatch Ridgeview junior Kaelyn Folsom with a 19-2 tech fall before having to be carried off the mat by a Wells coach.

A few hours later at the final, Johnson showed no signs of struggle as she became the school’s first three-time champion on the mat.

“I called my brother and he told me a saying, ‘Believers, we walk in the rain, we don’t run,’” Johnson said. “It just calmed my mind down knowing that I don’t have to worry about the external what’s happening, it’s all about the inside. I just prayed about it and trusted in God and he brought me here.”

More individual champs: North Salem junior Aileen Paniagua won her first state title with a 14-2 major decision over Dallas junior Marissa McGinnis at 100. … Lincoln sophomore Sofia Patterson completed her upset run with a 1-0 decision over Gresham junior Jeredith Fahnbulleh in the 105 final. Patterson is the first Cardinals wrestler to win an individual title since 1971. … McNary junior Marlina Martinez took down top-seeded Paisley Conway, a Newberg junior, with a 9-0 major decision. … Redmond senior Mia Pedersen closed her career with a second state title after defeating Bend-area foe Joey Dean, a senior out of Caldera. Pedersen won via a pin at 3:27 in the 125 final. … Victoria Byrne kept the central Oregon vibes going as the Mountain View freshman took down Barlow sophomore Taylor Ward 2-1 for the state title at 130. … Crater sophomore Audrey Robinson is two-for-two now in state titles thanks to a pin at 1:19 over Lake Oswego freshman Natalie Anderson in the 145 final. … Dallas sophomore Khadijah Tabib dominated the 155 final and closed it with a pin at 4:33 over McNary senior McKenna Unger. … Jefferson PDX junior Dominic Rodela closed her first year of high school wrestling with a state title by beating Thurston junior Allison Cummings 11-6 in the 170 final. Rodela wrestled club the past two years before joining the Democrats program and became the first Demo to win at state since 2017. … West Salem sophomore Sophia Zuniga took down Southridge freshman Giselle Nimon-Toki 14-5 in the 190 final to claim Zuniga’s first state title. … Madelynn Littlejohn closed the night at 235 as the North Salem sophomore defeated Aloha sophomore Eliza Henderson with a pin at 1:00.

Team scores: 1, Crook County 140; 2, Dallas 130; 3, McNary 86; 4, North Salem 85; 5, Crater 68.5; 6, Thurston 65; 7, Grants Pass 62.5; 8, Redmond 56.5; 9, Mountain View 49; 10, Century 46