Senior Gradin Fairbanks, junior JJ Lewis and sophomores Riley Barrett, Porter Compton and Lake Mulberry all won first-place medals and along with six other placewinners helped Philomath’s boys to a wrestling victory Saturday at the annual Santiam Christian Screamin’ Eagle.
In the girls’ portion of the tournament, senior Ellie Morton won a first-place medal.
Philomath’s boys took the team title by 39.5 points over Columbia River, a school out of Vancouver, Washington. Philomath’s five individual winners accounted for 137.5 points — better than the third-place team’s total.
Fairbanks had one of the day’s most-thrilling wins for the Warriors on his way to first place at 165 pounds. After defeating two opponents on first-period pins, Fairbanks matched up with North Marion’s Antonio Guarnieri in the semifinals and posted an 11-9 decision. In the championship bout, Fairbanks controlled his Columbia River opponent in a 15-3 major decision.
Lewis won three of his four matches at 175 pounds on pins, including a win in 3:22 over Logan Kirsch of Regis in the championship match. In the quarterfinals, his opponent from Colton went the distance but Lewis won a 9-3 decision.
Compton had a major decision and two third-period pins to win the 138 weight division. In the finals, he defeated Scio’s Connor McCarty in 5:19.
Barrett’s unbeaten season remained intact with his latest four victories. Barrett went unchallenged all day at 150 with three first-period pins — two in under a minute — and a technical fall over a Santiam Christian opponent in the championship match.
Mulberry had a close call in a 3-2 decision in the 215 quarterfinals but he followed up with a first-period pin in the semis and an 8-1 decision in the championship match over Carson Jones of Columbia River.
PHS junior River Sandstrom and sophomore Lukas Hernandez both had runner-up performances. Sandstrom had a pin and major decision to reach the finals at 113 but he had to endure a tough 5-4 loss in his final match against Henry Bankhead of North Marion. Hernandez had three straight pins to reach the 126 finale but lost via technical fall against Colton Hankey of Crescent Valley.
Freshman Odin Compton and junior Ari Hammond both had third-place finishes in their weight divisions. Compton, wrestling at 120, defeated a Columbia River opponent in his final match on a 5-3 decision. Hammond pinned a Santiam Christian wrestler in the third-place match at 144.
Freshman Wyatt Barrett took fifth at 132 with his final match being a pin in 1:59 over a Scio opponent. Sophomore Derick Kohn overcame a loss in the quarterfinals and battled back through consolations with three straight wins for fifth at 190. Kohn pinned a Dayton foe in 1:55 in his last match.
Morton’s two victories in the girls tournament both came on pins at 110 pounds. Morton pinned a Crescent Valley girl in 1:03 and followed with a pin in 1:12 over an Oakland opponent.
Senior Acacia Gonzalez won two of three matches at 125 for second place. In a round-robin format, the wins were on pins over opponents from Crescent Valley and Regis. The loss came to a Columbia River wrestler.
Philomath’s next competition on the schedule is coming up Saturday, Jan. 27 at the Tod Surmon Classic at South Albany.
