Central’s Marlon Tuipulotu celebrates after defeating Churchill’s Blayne Burnett at the OSAA state wrestling tournament on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016, at Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Ore.
PORTLAND — There wasn’t much else Marlon Tuipulotu could have done to add to his reputation as one of the best athletes in the state.
But he did.
Central High School’s junior standout defeated Churchill senior Blayne Bennett by a 5-0 decision to win the OSAA Class 5A state championship at 285 pounds Saturday night at Memorial Coliseum.
“He’s a really good athlete, wrestler, but he’s even a better person,” Central coach Van Holstad said. “He treats everyone really nicely, well respected. He’s loved by his teacher and peers, little kids. He’s been help coaching our little kids a little bit, and going and helping those guys. Everybody loves him. It’s because he’s such a good person.”
But he was aggressive early against Bennett.
Midway through the first round he shot in on Bennett and quickly turned it into a combination where he had Bennett on his back for two near-fall points and a 4-0 lead.
“My coaches just said keep moving and I’m a little quicker than everyone else so that’s what I went out there and did, so I can thank them again.”
He scored a quick escape in the second round to advance his lead.
Tuipulotu, better known as one of the top high school defensive linemen in the nation, now adds the title of state champion to his already impressive athletic resume.
“It means a lot,” said Tuipulotu, also the 5A State Defensive Player of the Year. “I’m very humbled about it. I’m just blessed, thank God.”
Also for Central in the finals, senior Collin Swinehart placed second in the state for the second straight year.
He lost a 14-2 major decision to Crater sophomore Logan Meek in the 5A 145-pound state championship match.
Dallas came back from having its run of district championships ended at six a week ago to place fourth at the 5A state tournament. Hermiston won the state championship with 226.5 points.
“This time also is the first team I’ve had in a long time not to win a district title, and so to see them come back, they’ve had to win several matches in this state tournament that they had lost the prior week, so I’m pretty proud of them,” Dallas coach Tony Olliff said.
Dallas junior Tanner Earhart lost a 6-4 decision to Hermiston’s Valen Wyse in the 152-pound state championship match.
Earhart led 3-1 after an escape in the second period, but was taken down by Wyse late in the period to tie the match at 3. Late in the third period Wyse scored a takedown for the 6-4 win.
“Those guys are a great matchup,” Olliff said. “This is their second time they’ve wrestled each other, and it’s just like that every time they wrestle so we knew it was going to be tight.We knew that every little takedown was going to count, and pretty much came down to the last takedown wins. That’s how it is with a good match. Tanner brawled with him, I’m proud of his match, but that kid’s tough.”
Also placing for Dallas were Ean Woodruff (fourth at 138), Jeffy Dunagan (fourth at 170), Noah Sickles (fifth at 126), Cody Janssen (fifth at 152), Marcos Molina (fifth at 220) and Dawson Barcroft (sixth at 106).
In the 6A state meet, Sprague placed ninth with 82 points. Roseburg won the state champion with 295.
Scio’s Justin Parazoo celebrates with his coach after defeating Pleasant Hill’s Noah Casarez at the OSAA state wrestling tournament on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016, at Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Ore.
In the 4A meet, North Marion junior Lane Stigall added another state championship to his resume by Crook County’s Cole Owens by a 7-3 decision at 152 pounds.
Stigall scored an early takedown and kept the pressure on. He didn’t allow Owens to battle back in the match.
“He wrestled really well, he’s physical and aggressive and he just wrestled his match,” North Marion coach Jared Wilson said. “I think after he got his first take down you could really tell he was setting the tempo of the match and his opponent was getting frustrated. He was able to create angles and get to his attacks.”
North Marion placed fifth in the team race with 114.5 points. Cascade was eighth with 70 points.
In the 3A tournament, Scio senior Justin Parazoo repeated as state champion by pinning Noah Casarez of Pleasant Hill in 3:36.
The victory continues the legacy for the Parazoo family, as the championship was the fifth in the family since 1993.
“It was big, my coaches have worked so much with me (including) my brother and my dad,” Justin Parazoo said. “I’m so happy; I couldn’t be here without them.”
Parazoo pushed the pace in the first round and despite the match being deadlocked with no score in the second round he eventually began to wear Casarez down.
“I knew that the constant pressure that Justin was going to apply was eventually going to break the kid,” Scio coach Matt Parazoo said. “He’s not real vocal, but he leads by example. He has been dedicated 100 percent.”
Willamina’s Austin Howard celebrates with his coaches after defeating Vale’s Garrett DeVos at the OSAA state wrestling tournament on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016, at Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Ore.
Scio’s Austin Zeiher scored three points off an escape and reversal late in the third round to defeat Glide junior Ryland Parazoo by a 4-3 decision to win the 3A state championship at 145 pounds.
“I’m really proud of it (because) on paper I shouldn’t have won that semifinal match anyway,” said Zeiher, who upset two-time state champion Michael Reyes in the semifinals. “Winning it was really special.”
Scio placed fourth in Class 3A with 81 points.
Scio senior Dillon Robinson lost a 2-0 decision to Glide senior William Bood on a reversal in the second round in the 3A 195 pound championship match.
Willamina senior Austin Howard defeated Vale’s Garrett Devos by a 10-3 decision in the 170 pound state championship match.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Howard as he fell behind early in the match. Rather than force the issue he stuck to his game plan and battled back with a take down in the second round.
“Mostly I was just impressed with his maturity,” coach Ariah Fasana said. “He’s got a real calm demeanor and he was patient in this match and stuck to his fundamentals.”
Willamina placed fourth in Class 3A with 122 points.
Andrew Gonzalez lost a 7-2 decision to Nyssa’s Jose Candelas in the 182 pound state championship match for Dayton, which placed sixth with 94.5 points.