PORTLAND — There’s nothing like winning a state championship.
A well-traveled wrestler, Philomath High’s Riley Barrett has competed at venues around the country to test his skills against top competitors in the top tournaments. Heck, last summer, he even ventured halfway around the world as part of a cultural exchange wrestling program.
Gallery: PHS wrestling at state championships (Feb. 28, 2025)
A collection of photos from Philomath High’s appearance in the Class 4A Wrestling State Championships on Friday.
State wrestling: Philomath’s Mulberry earns state title
PORTLAND — As the clock expired in Lake Mulberry’s 190-pound championship match Friday night at the Class 4A championships, the Philomath High junior couldn’t help but let out a couple of loud “yeahs” during his moment of triumph. Mulberry’s rise to the top of the sport in his weight classification this season comes just three…
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PORTLAND — Over the past two seasons to cap his freshman and sophomore campaigns, Philomath High’s Porter Compton ended each of his appearances at the state wrestling tournament on a high note by winning third-place matches on 5-4 and 9-6 decisions. Qualifying again this season, Compton was among those in contention for the 4A title…
Those club team experiences certainly have their place in his overall development on the mat. But the feeling of winning a state championship in his home state of Oregon does not compare to anything else.
And now he’s done it twice.
“I could be on the world level in Japan or out of state, but I mean, there’s something about a state tournament,” Barrett said, a junior. “It’s just really close to home and in my heart.”
The top-seeded Barrett defeated Pendleton junior and No. 2 seed Vance Nelson in the 150-pound championship match Friday at Veterans Memorial Coliseum on a 14-0 major decision for his second straight title. He’s just the second wrestler to win back-to-back individual championships with the Warriors — Kevin Sterba pulled it off clear back in 1982-83.
“It feels amazing to be a part of school history like that and help build the program and everyone around us,” Barrett said, who was happy to see teammates Lake Mulberry, Porter Compton and River Sandstrom do so well in the tournament. “We’re all friends outside of wrestling and we all hang out. It’s just a bond and we continue to better each other and ourselves.”
Barrett said that standing atop the medal stand at a state tournament is a wrestler’s basic primary objective.
“It’s just the baseline goal to be the best version of yourself,” Barrett said. “Everyone thinks, “I want to be a state champion, I want to do this, I want to do that.’ But it all comes down to the state championship level, especially if you want to wrestle at the next level.”
Veteran coach Troy Woosley has seen a lot of wrestlers come through the PHS program. Barrett obviously is a special athlete in the overall picture.
“Just a true definition of a warrior,” Woosley said. “He just continues to have the mental toughness that not too many people have.”
As reported in coverage of the regional tournament, Barrett suffered an ankle injury during the Reser’s Tournament of Champions.
“It’s by far the worst pain I’ve ever experienced,” Barrett said. “I went to the doctor and they said I was out for the season — no doubt about it.”
Obviously, that turned out to not be the case. Barrett’s support system was in place for a final decision to be made about whether or not he would attempt to wrestle at the regional tournament and pursue his goal of winning another state title.
“I believed in my abilities and I had my support system around me — my mom, my dad, my coaches, the athletic trainer,” Barrett said. “I mean, they were behind me, they were pushing me but the ultimate decision was mine. I felt I had enough left in the tank to get on top of the podium once again.”
Barrett and Nelson also met in last year’s state tournament with a matchup in the semifinals. Barrett won that one on a 16-0 technical fall and went on to take the state title with an 8-3 decision over Sweet Home’s Jacob Landtroop in finals.
“He’s one of those guys that you can’t ever count out,” Barrett said about Nelson. “When he was down in the quarterfinals, he was four or five points down and he came back and threw the kid.”
Barrett knew he just needed to not fall into that sort of trap to give Nelson an opportunity.
“You’re trying to keep a level head and not do something crazy to where it affects the outcome,” Barrett said. “Just keep on moving around, circling and wrestling just the way I do against everyone else.”
Barrett took control early with 11 points in the first period. The two battled even through the second period and well into the third before Barrett finished with a takedown.
Establishing the advantage in the first period was a key for Barrett.
“You know, with my ankle problems … with the brace on and all that, I really had to get to the stuff that I know best in the first and second rounds,” Barrett said. “Then in the third round, I could not coast — I don’t want to say that — but just kind of stay level-headed … I don’t have to do much, you know, it’s up to him to try to win.”
The ankle injury has forced Barrett to change up his style on the mat.
“He wrestled a little bit differently because of it but he looked a lot better on his feet than I thought he would,” Woosley said. “I’m tickled to death that he toughed it out and it was never in doubt, really. I mean, he was in control in all of his matches.”
Barrett came into Day 2 with two easy victories in the first two rounds — pins in 19 and 54 seconds, respectively. In the semifinals, Barrett went the distance but was in control with a 14-2 major decision over Cascade senior Brody Copple. Barrett rolled out to an 8-0 lead in the first period and was up 13-1 through the second against Copple, who entered as the No. 5 seed.
With another state championship medal in his growing collection, Barrett can now step away, rest and heal.
“We’re going to go back to the doctor, probably on Monday, and just see where we’re at,” Barrett said, adding that surgery appears to be a likely outcome.
“I’m going to be out a little bit,” said Barrett, who won’t compete this spring at the Reno Worlds, a tough one to sit out with its reputation as one of the most competitive wrestling events with top athletes from across the country and beyond. “It’s just one of those things.”