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PORTLAND – Steve Lander didn't have time to soak in what was happening.
The Roseburg coach went from one corner of the championship mat at the OSAA 6A state tournament to the other, mentoring his eight finalists. Four won, four lost, each result sending the Roseburg's coaches on a two-hour emotional roller coaster at Memorial Coliseum.
In the end, the fact that eight Indians were in the finals meant that they could only build on their massive lead in the team standings.
Roseburg won its third state title in four years Saturday, scoring a whopping 298.5 points, more than 130 ahead of runner-up Newberg.
“We've got a lot of great kids on this team who wrestled well this weekend,” said Lander, who was named the 6A coach of the year by his peers. “I feel pretty blessed.”
Wrestlers who were the lone bright spots during last season's disappointing second-place finish again contributed, and the wrestlers who could only watch last year had redemption.
Dan Faas defended his state title by beating freshman teammate Reed Van Anrooy 6-3 at 119 pounds, and Dylan Fors again won at 160 pounds. Only this year, Dylan was able to watch his twin brother Devan – one of six injured Indians a year ago – also win a state title.
“It feels way better this year,” said Dylan Fors, who defeated Jose Cruz of Grants Pass 6-2, “ Last year, it was tough because I still had the sense of self accomplishment but it was so disappointing to finish second as a team.”
Seth Thomas, who failed to make weight at the state meet a year ago, tore through the 145-pound bracket, getting two pins, two technical falls and a major decision en route to his second state title. Thomas beat Sprague's Yulerick Sorensen by technical fall in 4:59 in the finals.
“Last year, it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do was watch and not be able to wrestle,” Thomas said. “Getting second just put the cherry on top. It was a lot of bad luck and you need a lot of luck to win a state title. A lot of things have to go your way, and they did for us this weekend.”
Even with last year in mind, Thomas said Roseburg didn't go about this year's tournament any differently than the previous three.
“We all went out there to win and do the best that we could,” he said. “It definitely feels good to be back on top.”
Faas trailed Van Anrooy 3-1 in the third period, but used a hip toss for a tying takedown and got three near-fall points that proved to be the difference.”
“Me and Reed are two of our best conditioned wrestlers on the team,” Faas said. “It's the third time we've wrestled this season and they've all come down to the third period. I put in a burst in the split second he was taking a breath and that's when I got him.”
The closest thing to a disappointment for Roseburg was the 125-pound final, where Drew Van Anrooy thought he had a match-winning takedown of Newberg's Tommy Siciliano at the buzzer. But officials then ruled that his takedown came after time expired and Siciliano escaped with a 3-2 win, his fourth consecutive state title.
“I thought we had a takedown, he signaled takedown but we didn't get it quickly enough,” Lander said. “It was the correct thing.”
West Salem's Blake Borsberry got revenge on Roseburg's Sam Mecham in the 135-pound final, getting a 4-3 win. Mecham won 6-3 over Borsberry last season.
Another West Salem wrestler, Corey Ellison, beat Roseburg's Jay Tovey 10-2 at 152 pounds. Tovey defeated teammate and No. 1 seed Dylan Westwang in the semifinals on Friday night to advance to the finals.
Westwang rebounded by pinning West Linn's Donald Paulson in the third-fourth final.
Josh Weaver took third at 171 pounds, beating Sprague's Jordan Giza, 4-0. Chayse Jackson (130) and Tyler Brookbank (160) each finished fifth and Hector Mandera (140) was seventh.
“We're pretty invested in these kids, so when they lose you get pretty emotional,” Lander said. “You have to check your emotion and move on to the next match.”
The Roseburg coach went from one corner of the championship mat at the OSAA 6A state tournament to the other, mentoring his eight finalists. Four won, four lost, each result sending the Roseburg's coaches on a two-hour emotional roller coaster at Memorial Coliseum.
In the end, the fact that eight Indians were in the finals meant that they could only build on their massive lead in the team standings.
Roseburg won its third state title in four years Saturday, scoring a whopping 298.5 points, more than 130 ahead of runner-up Newberg.
“We've got a lot of great kids on this team who wrestled well this weekend,” said Lander, who was named the 6A coach of the year by his peers. “I feel pretty blessed.”
Wrestlers who were the lone bright spots during last season's disappointing second-place finish again contributed, and the wrestlers who could only watch last year had redemption.
Dan Faas defended his state title by beating freshman teammate Reed Van Anrooy 6-3 at 119 pounds, and Dylan Fors again won at 160 pounds. Only this year, Dylan was able to watch his twin brother Devan – one of six injured Indians a year ago – also win a state title.
“It feels way better this year,” said Dylan Fors, who defeated Jose Cruz of Grants Pass 6-2, “ Last year, it was tough because I still had the sense of self accomplishment but it was so disappointing to finish second as a team.”
Seth Thomas, who failed to make weight at the state meet a year ago, tore through the 145-pound bracket, getting two pins, two technical falls and a major decision en route to his second state title. Thomas beat Sprague's Yulerick Sorensen by technical fall in 4:59 in the finals.
“Last year, it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do was watch and not be able to wrestle,” Thomas said. “Getting second just put the cherry on top. It was a lot of bad luck and you need a lot of luck to win a state title. A lot of things have to go your way, and they did for us this weekend.”
Even with last year in mind, Thomas said Roseburg didn't go about this year's tournament any differently than the previous three.
“We all went out there to win and do the best that we could,” he said. “It definitely feels good to be back on top.”
Faas trailed Van Anrooy 3-1 in the third period, but used a hip toss for a tying takedown and got three near-fall points that proved to be the difference.”
“Me and Reed are two of our best conditioned wrestlers on the team,” Faas said. “It's the third time we've wrestled this season and they've all come down to the third period. I put in a burst in the split second he was taking a breath and that's when I got him.”
The closest thing to a disappointment for Roseburg was the 125-pound final, where Drew Van Anrooy thought he had a match-winning takedown of Newberg's Tommy Siciliano at the buzzer. But officials then ruled that his takedown came after time expired and Siciliano escaped with a 3-2 win, his fourth consecutive state title.
“I thought we had a takedown, he signaled takedown but we didn't get it quickly enough,” Lander said. “It was the correct thing.”
West Salem's Blake Borsberry got revenge on Roseburg's Sam Mecham in the 135-pound final, getting a 4-3 win. Mecham won 6-3 over Borsberry last season.
Another West Salem wrestler, Corey Ellison, beat Roseburg's Jay Tovey 10-2 at 152 pounds. Tovey defeated teammate and No. 1 seed Dylan Westwang in the semifinals on Friday night to advance to the finals.
Westwang rebounded by pinning West Linn's Donald Paulson in the third-fourth final.
Josh Weaver took third at 171 pounds, beating Sprague's Jordan Giza, 4-0. Chayse Jackson (130) and Tyler Brookbank (160) each finished fifth and Hector Mandera (140) was seventh.
“We're pretty invested in these kids, so when they lose you get pretty emotional,” Lander said. “You have to check your emotion and move on to the next match.”
