Oregon
Oregon 3A wrestling state championships preview: Quartet vying to join 4-timer club
The Oregon 3A high school wrestling state championships take place Thursday and Friday at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland. Here’s a look at what to expect.
Thursday, Noon-9 p.m.: Round 1 and Quarterfinals
Friday, 2:45 p.m.: Semifinals
Friday, 7 p.m.: Parade of Champions and Finals
106 Brandon Henderson, Fr., Harrisburg
113 Braxton Henager, So., Harrisburg
120 Riley Flack, Sr., La Pine
126 Kale Cornell, Sr., Burns
132 Canon Winn, Sr., Burns
138 Devon Kerr, Sr., La Pine
144 Landyn Philpott, Sr., La Pine
150 Cannon Kemper, So., Burns
157 Kamran Ness, Sr., Santiam Christian
165 Camaron Houston, Sr., Coquille
175 Brody Buzzard, Jr., Harrisburg
190 Easton Kemper, Sr., Burns
215 Joe Weil, Jr., Burns
285 Kaison Smith, Sr., Warrenton
120 Andrei Donayri, So., Harrisburg
1, Burns 15. 2, (tie) Harrisburg and Willamina 12. 4, Banks 11. 5, Nyssa 10. 6, Santiam Christian 9. 7, (tie) Pleasant Hill, Sutherlin and Warrenton 8.
Burns, Willamina figure to challenge defending champion Harrisburg
Harrisburg returns to Memorial Coliseum hungry to defend the state championship the Eagles won for the first time last year.
They’ll have to stave off Burns, which was a distant second last year — the Hilanders’ third consecutive runner-up finish after their 2020 championship — and Willamina, which finished second at 2A/1A last year before moving back to 3A this season.
The Hilanders have five top seeds among their meet-high 15 qualifiers, while the Eagles have three and Willamina none.
Four remain alive to complete four-time state championship quest
Five 3A wrestlers entered the season harboring hopes of joining the group of 51 who have won four state championships over the previous 77 tournaments.
One — Harrisburg senior Luke Cheek — unfortunately suffered an injury during the season that kept him from competing at district. The other four — Cornell, Kerr, Philpott and Easton Kemper — are four rounds from completing the feat.
Of the quartet, Kerr might face the biggest challenge. A potential semifinal could match him with Banks senior Benjamin Dinan, who placed fourth at 126 last year. In the final, awaiting him could be No. 2 seed Trayson Truesdell of Harrisburg, who placed third at 132 as a freshman last year, or No. 3 Kisor Savage of Willamina, a 2A/1A state runner-up at 120 in 2024.
The No. 2 seed opposite Cornell in the bracket is Banks sophomore Tobijah Mauck, who took fifth at 120 last year. Philpott could face No. 3 Boone Marquess of Pleasant Hill (sixth at 150 last year) or No. 2 James Turner of Banks in the final.
Kemper could meet Willamina junior Bodhi Baller (fourth at 2A/1A 175) in the quarterfinals, with Vale junior Wyatt Cox (fifth at 165 but unseeded) and No. 2 seed Ryan Gaskin of North Valley squaring off in Round 1 on the opposite side of the bracket.
Two returning champions face daunting road to potential 120 final
Last year’s state champions at 106 and 113 pounds moved up to 120 this season and landed on opposite sides of the bracket.
Flack earned the No. 1 seed by virtue of his longer track record at state — he placed fourth as a sophomore — but should he and Donayri work their way through the bracket, it will be their first meeting.
It won’t be easy. Donayri has three returning placers in half of the draw, including No. 3 seed Peyton Wafer of Douglas (sixth at 120), and Flack faces a potential quarterfinal with Harrisburg junior John Henderson (fourth at 106).
To get live updates on your phone — as well as follow your favorite teams and top games — you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App | Download Android App
Oregon
Auburn signs former Oregon State QB Tristan Ti’a
Auburn’s quarterback room gained another piece out of the transfer portal on Sunday, and is now up to four scholarship players.
The latest signee is Oregon State transfer Tristan Ti’a, a source confirmed to AL.com. He comes to Auburn after spending one season with the Beavers, and will likely fill the backup quarterback role at Auburn behind Byrum Brown.
Ti’a was a backup during his freshman season at Oregon State, playing in three games. In that time, he completed 37 of his 53 passes for 385 yards with three passing touchdowns and two interceptions.
He’s the third and likely final transfer quarterback to sign with Auburn since the portal opened on Jan. 2, joining Brown and former USF third-string quarterback Locklan Hewlett. Incoming freshman Rhys Brush will also be in the quarterback room next season.
With Ti’a signing, Auburn is now up to 22 incoming transfers. The portal will remain open until Jan. 16. Keep up with all of Auburn’s incoming and outgoing transfers here.
Oregon
Oregon outside linebacker Blake Purchase to enter transfer portal
Oregon is losing a second edge defender to transfer.
Blake Purchase will enter the transfer portal, he announced via X. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
“I want to start by thanking God for this journey and everything that has come with it,” Purchase told DenverSportsMedia.com. “Thank you to my family for the continued love and support they have given me. I’m forever grateful for these past three seasons at the University of Oregon. The lessons l’ve learned here will stay with me for a lifetime. Thank you to all the coaches who poured into me and helped me grow as both a person and a player. And to my teammates – the bonds we built are forever. You are my brothers for life.”
The 6-foot-3, 245-pound Purchase had 32 tackles (4.5 for loss) with two sacks, one interception and one pass breakup this season. His 352 snaps on defense ranked 14th for UO this season.
Purchase had two tackles while redshirting last season and five tackles as a true freshman in 2023.
A four-star recruit out of Cherry Creek (Colorado) High School, Purchase was the No. 294 overall prospect and No. 34 edge defender in the class of 2023 in the 247Sports Composite.
Purchase will be the sixteenth scholarship player to transfer from UO this offseason, joining defensive backs Jahlil Florence, Dakoda Fields, Solomon Davis, Sione Laulea, Kingston Lopa and Daylen Austin, receivers Justius Lowe and Kyler Kasper, quarterbacks Austin Novosad and Luke Moga, offensive lineman Lipe Moala and running backs Jay Harris, Makhi Hughes and Jayden Limar. Oregon has 79 projected scholarship players in 2026.
Oregon
Oregon State men slip up down stretch of competitive matchup with Portland
Despite a strong start and competitive effort for much of the night, Oregon State men’s basketball fell apart down the stretch of a 82-76 loss to University of Portland on Saturday night at Chiles Center.
A corner three-pointer by Mikah Ballew buried the Beavers (9-10, 2-4 WCC), putting Portland up 78-70 with just 1:10 remaining.
The Pilots (9-10, 2-4 WCC) had four players in double figures: Cameron Williams with 23, Jermaine Webb Balsinger and Joel Foxwell with 18 apiece, and Ballew with 16.
The Beavers were led by Olavi Suutela with 19 points and Johan Munch with 14. Dez White, Josiah Lake II and Yaak Yaak each had 10, and OSU out-shot the Pilots — 47% to 43% — but untimely turnovers and missed shots hurt them in the second half.
OSU came out hot, taking a 18-8 lead early in the first half including 12 points from Suutela. It got up to 24-15 before the Pilots mounted a response.
Turnovers and miscommunication by the Beavers on offense led to a 8-0 run by Portland. OSU clung to its lead for a while, but Portland took its first at 31-30 late in the first half.
The Pilots carried a 39-38 lead into the break.
Coming out of the half, after some back and forth, the Beavers went on an 11-1 run — fueled by the scoring and defensive effort of Suutela, and inside play of Noah Amenhauser — to take a 54-45 advantage at the 13:11 mark.
Turnovers reared their ugly head once again for the Beavers, though, and a pair of jumpers by Joel Foxwell cut the OSU lead down to 56-53.
Portland retook the lead, 57-56, with 10 minutes remaining. With an increased energy on both ends of the floor and OSU missing open shots, the Pilots led 66-63 with six minutes remaining and never relinquished it.
Portland’s defense smothered OSU in the halfcourt, and Wayne Tinkle’s side couldn’t find an easy basket, settling often for one-on-one opportunities rather than consistent and meaningful ball movement. Portland led, 71-68, with 3:19 to go.
Trailing by nine, Lake II hit a three-pointer to cut it to six with five seconds left. Too little, too late for the Beavers as they slipped back below .500.
Next game: Oregon State (9-10, 2-4 WCC) vs. LMU (11-7, 2-3 WCC)
- When: Wednesday, Jan. 14
- Time: 7:00 pm PT
- Where: Gill Coliseum, Corvallis
- Stream: ESPN+
-
Detroit, MI1 week ago2 hospitalized after shooting on Lodge Freeway in Detroit
-
Technology6 days agoPower bank feature creep is out of control
-
Dallas, TX3 days agoAnti-ICE protest outside Dallas City Hall follows deadly shooting in Minneapolis
-
Delaware3 days agoMERR responds to dead humpback whale washed up near Bethany Beach
-
Dallas, TX7 days agoDefensive coordinator candidates who could improve Cowboys’ brutal secondary in 2026
-
Iowa6 days agoPat McAfee praises Audi Crooks, plays hype song for Iowa State star
-
Montana2 days agoService door of Crans-Montana bar where 40 died in fire was locked from inside, owner says
-
Health1 week agoViral New Year reset routine is helping people adopt healthier habits