Oregon (OSAA) 3A wrestling state championships preview: Can host La Pine hold off long list of title challengers?

The 3A Oregon high school wrestling state championships take place Saturday in La Pine. Here's a look at what to expect.

The 3A Oregon high school wrestling state championships take place Saturday in La Pine. Here's a look at what to expect. 

Top seeds (returning champions in italics)

106 Luke Cheek, Fr., Harrisburg

113 Kale Cornell, Fr., Burns

120 Landyn Philpott, Fr., La Pine

126 Curtis Talmade, Jr., Harrisburg

132 Devon Kerr, Fr., La Pine

138 Dylan Mann, Sr., La Pine

145 Tony Cisneros, Sr., Dayton

152 Hunter Kemper, Jr., Burns

160 Michael Fox, Sr., Willamina/Falls City

170 Sprye Nelson, Sr., Willamina/Falls City

182 David Bowlin, Sr., Dayton

195 Caj Simmons, Sr., South Umpqua

220 Trent Olsen, Sr., Sutherlin

285 Maddox Griggs, Jr., Sutherlin

Other returning champions

106 Tyson Flack, Jr., La Pine

145 Kevin Peasley, Sr., Burns

Most state qualifiers

1, La Pine 15. 2, Harrisburg 14. 3, Warrenton 10. 4, Burns 9. 5, Rainier 8. 6, (tie) Dayton, Nyssa, and Willamina/Falls City 7. 9, (tie) South Umpqua and Yamhill-Carlton 6.

What to watch

Can La Pine hold off long list of title challengers?

Burns won the last OSAA state championship contested in 2020, but La Pine reclaimed the title it lost to the Hilanders with a commanding performance at the OWA state meet in June. 

The Hawks get to wrestle on their home mats this weekend and have the most qualifiers in the field, but they’ll face a stiff challenge from a Harrisburg team looking to win its first state title. La Pine has three top seeds, with Harrisburg and Burns each boasting two.

Dayton, a runner-up four times since its last title in 1997, 2018 champion Willamina/Falls City, Rainier and district champion Warrenton all beat up on each other at the District 2 meet, meaning none racked up the huge number of qualifiers likely necessary to compete for the title. However, all should be in the mix to take home a team trophy.

Upset 2021 state champs look for revenge this weekend

Two state champions at June’s OWA state meet look to avenge district final losses that left them as No. 3 seeds this weekend at state. 

Flack lost a 7-3 decision to Burns freshman Canon Winn in the 106 final last weekend. Winn ended up the No. 2 seed in the bracket behind Cheek, who is 40-4 entering the weekend, meaning the Winn-Flack rematch would occur in the semifinals.

Also slated to meet in the semifinals are Peasley and Irrigon senior Jacob Ayala, the No. 2 seed who won in sudden-victory overtime in the district final. Both are seeded behind another defending state champion in Cisneros, who enters the state meet unbeaten (24-0) after breezing through three matches at the District 2 championships.

3 unbeatens hope to cap season with state titles

Two other top seeds look to join Cisneros in completing undefeated seasons this weekend.

Simmons, who helped lead the South Umpqua football team to the state final in the fall, travels to La Pine this weekend sporting a 20-0 record. He finished second to Harrisburg’s Chandler Strauss (now graduated) at the state meet in June.

Olson has followed a third-place state finish in June by going 33-0 through his brief appearance at the District 3 meet — he had two byes and a forfeit before pinning Harrisburg’s Cooper Clark in the first round of the district final.