OC picked to snap West Linn’s string

The Pioneers are young, but they’ve got the talent and the numbers to dethrone the Lions

By John Denny

The Oregon City News, Dec 4, 2007, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (1 Reader comment)

Oregon City High School wrestling veterans (front) Jake Morris and (back, from left) Tyler Winslow, Jared Carr and Nick Shafer.

John Lariviere / Clackamas Review

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OREGON CITY – This could be the year that Oregon City returns to the top in Three Rivers League wrestling.

The last time an Oregon City team won a district team title in the sport was in 1996.

West Linn has won 11 straight team titles since then. But the Lions appear vulnerable this year. They’ve got only five returning district place-winners from last year’s team that placed second at state.

Based on returning district place-winners, Oregon City, Clackamas and Milwaukie could all give the Lions a run for their money this season. Oregon City returns 12 district place-winners from last season; Milwaukie returns 11; Clackamas returns 10.

“Every year’s different and I think this year it’s going to be us on top,” said Oregon City team leader Jake Morris. “We only lost a few seniors [to graduation] and West Linn lost like 18-plus.”

“Just looking at their lineup from last year, Oregon City has got to be the clear favorite,” said Clackamas coach Jayson Wullbrandt.

“I think we’ve got a chance,” said Oregon City senior leader Jared Carr. “But we’re going to have to work hard and really go after it.”

Nearly every coach in the league gives Oregon City a slight edge as “favorite,” because the Pioneers have the biggest turnout of any team in the Three Rivers League, at just under 70 athletes.

The Pioneers return five state qualifiers, including two athletes who placed at state – junior Jake Morris and senior Jared Carr.

Morris, who won a state title at 135, is ready and loaded for bear as he returns to wrestle at 152 this season.

“I want to win state again and win district,” said Morris. “I want to duplicate last year – only with less losses.”

Morris says he’s worked out “seven days a week since the day after [last season’s] state tournament.”

Carr is looking to improve upon last season, when he placed sixth at state at heavyweight, after finishing third at district – behind Class 6A standouts Jimmy Haman of Milwaukie and Scott Shugert of Oregon City. Haman and Shugert went on to place first and third respectively at state. Both have graduated.

“I work as hard as I can every day,” said Carr. “I’d really like to improve on last year.”

Sophomore Cody Park, junior Tyler Winslow and senior Nick Shafer also return to the Pioneer lineup with state-meet experience.

Park, who was district runner-up at 112 as a freshman, has grown and beefed up a lot. He’ll wrestle at 140 or 145.

Winslow moves up to 112, after wrestling varsity two seasons at 103; Shafer returns to wrestle at 189, where he placed third behind Milwaukie graduate Mike Collazo and West Linn graduate Spencer Hanson a year ago.

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