The Philomath High boys wrestling program has its sights set on another exceptional season with seven returning state qualifiers — four of those who won medals — and enough skill elsewhere in the lineup to contend for a top-10 finish at the 4A tournament come February.
“We have a lot of experience back, just not a lot of depth,” longtime coach Troy Woosley said early this week before practice. “Tournaments should be really fun, really fun. Even though we’re going to lose a couple of weights in the lower, we’ve got seven or eight kids that will be tough to beat so we’ll be all right.”
Returning state champion Riley Barrett, who is fresh off an all-star wrestling tour over the summer in Japan, headlines a fairly stacked lineup for the Warriors. Barrett, now a junior, worked an 8-3 decision over Sweet Home’s Jacob Landtroop for the 150-pound title last season in the 4A finals.
Two other juniors, Porter Compton and Lake Mulberry, are also coming off seasons that ended with medals at state. Compton was third at 144 and Mulberry placed fifth at 215. Senior JJ Lewis won a medal as well with his sixth-place showing at 175.
Woosley said of Compton, “He’s just one of those kids that’s right there and will be right there again depending on where everyone else goes.” He anticipates Lewis wrestling at the same weight.
Juniors Lukas Hernandez and Liam Bennett along with sophomore Wyatt Barrett are the team’s other three returning state qualifiers. Woosley said Hernandez “is looking to break into the state placings” while Barrett “got a taste of it and will be a force.” As for Bennett, he was the big surprise out of last year’s district tournament by qualifying for state after spending most of the season competing in junior varsity tournaments and he’ll be back for more this time around.
Two other wrestlers that could very easily be standing on the medal stand a lot this coming season are seniors River Sandstrom and Brady Russell.
Sandstrom had a setback at districts last season and failed to make it to state even though he was generally among the top six in his weight class. Said Woosley, “He’s solid and we’re still not sure exactly where he’s going to go but he’ll be a lightweight. He wrestled a little in the offseason and he’ll be tough to beat.”
Russell ended up not competing at districts but is another capable wrestler.
“We unfortunately lost him with about two weeks left in the season but he was right there to be able to place and at least go to state,” Woosley said.
Another wrestler to watch will be sophomore Odin Compton, who Woosley expects to excel at one of the lower weights.
The coach said his athletes were in pretty good shape coming into preseason workouts.
“We started open mats a month and a half before the season started,” he said. “And there was a group of three of them — Porter, Riley and River — they went to Missouri back in October for tournaments. A lot of them wrestle year round and it just makes the room that much better.”
Overall, Woosley has 25 wrestlers on the roster heading into the season.
“The numbers are not great but all right,” Woosley said. “The only thing we’re lacking is a couple of small guys so we’ll be good but we won’t be great in duals. But we should do really well in tournaments.”
Woosley and his assistants will have decisions to make when it comes to who wrestles where in competitions.
“We’re going to be light on the lower end. We’ve got six guys at 138 right now — that’s a fourth of the team,” Woosley said. “They’re all on a weight plan and so some kids look at the mat and lose weight and some don’t at all so I think in a couple of weeks it’ll start fanning itself out.”
The team will get its first taste of competition Saturday with its annual appearance at the Perry Burlison Tournament at Cascade High School. Three varsity wrestlers will be unable to compete — one with an injury and two others with other commitments.
The tournament is just the first in a rigorous lineup for the Warriors.
“We upgraded our schedule,” Woosley said. “It’s the toughest schedule we’ve ever had.”
The Grants Pass Winter Kickoff (Dec. 20-21), Northwest Duals at West Albany (Dec. 27-28), Oregon Wrestling Classic (Jan. 17-18) and the Reser’s Tournament of Champions at Sherwood (Jan. 24-25) represent a few of the highlights.
Wrestling teams need to apply and gain acceptance to compete in the Reser’s tournament.
“That tournament is tougher than the 4A state championships,” Woosley said. “It’s the best of the best — there will be state champions wrestling each other.”
The Northwest Duals are back on the schedule after a year off. That competition challenges teams with five duals on Day 1 and then five more on Day 2.
PHS will host the Warrior Classic on Dec. 13. The action is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.
“We’ve got 10 schools and we’re looking forward to that one because we get to leave the mats in the gym with the next day being the kids tournament — that’s our fundraiser,” Woosley said.
The Warriors have two other home appearances this season — Jan. 9 for the Benton County Championships and Feb. 22 for the Special District 2 Tournament.
Returning as assistant coaches this season are Blake Woosley, James Kohn, Alex McNeil, Isaiah Blackburn and David Griffith.
Girls wrestling
The PHS girls wrestling team features three freshmen — Jazmin Headrick, Addison Liddell and Sarah Robertson.
Robertson, the daughter of a Philomath Mat Club coach, has a background in the sport.
“She’s wrestled for two or three years, maybe four,” Woosley said. “She’s shown great promise and is at a good weight for her, very athletic, played soccer and some other things.”
Headrick joined the program after transferring into the district from another Mid-Valley school and spent a year in the Mat Club. Liddell, who comes to Philomath from Alaska, has some wrestling and martial arts in her background.
A fourth wrestler could be joining the team later.
“I am trying something new this year — they’re not wrestling even our own boys in practice,” Woosley said. “We’ve got a good group of three that are about the same weight so we’re going to attempt to do that this year.”
The girls wrestling team will be coached by committee.
