Newberg’s Trae Frederick last man standing to help Reser’s team title cause (152 pounds)

“I gave my all out there. Other than doing it for myself, I’m doing it for the team.”

By René Ferrán | Photos by Leon Neuschwander 

Upsets had laid waste to the 152-pound bracket over the first four rounds of the Reser’s Tournament of Champions this weekend at Hillsboro’s Liberty High School.

The Nos. 1 and 4 seeds went out in the quarterfinals. Then, third-seeded Newberg junior Trae Frederick took out No. 2 Braylin Ruchti of Thurston in the semifinals.

That left Frederick and No. 5 seed Ridge Kehr of La Grande the last wrestlers standing Saturday evening. 

In one of the key bouts in the placement round to determine the team championship, Frederick pulled out an 8-2 victory that helped Newberg win its third title in the past four editions of the 24-year-old tournament.

“I gave my all out there,” Frederick said. “Other than doing it for myself, I’m doing it for the team.”

Frederick wrestled in the shadows of four-time state champion Ayden Garver last season, losing to his Tigers teammate in the OSAA 145 state final at Sandy High School.

Now, he’s one of the Tigers’ best bets to win a state title in three weeks at Memorial Coliseum in Portland as they go for a fourth consecutive 6A championship (including their OWA title in the COVID-shortened 2021 season).

“I expect myself and want to push myself to have the same kind of output and standing three weeks from now,” Frederick said. “But when I was a three-seed, I can’t let any high horse or anything like that derail me.”

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