Oregon
Oregon 4A wrestling: Champions, takeaways from district meets
The 4A wrestling district meets took place over the weekend, with the OSAA state championships scheduled for Feb. 26-27 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland.
Here’s a look at the champions and three takeaways from each of the four district meets. The top four finishers from each district advance to state.
—
Special District 1 (at Molalla)
Team champion: Tillamook (376.5 points)
Most automatic qualifiers: Tillamook (15), Molalla (11), Estacada (10)
Individual champions
106 Liam Pyle, jr., Tillamook
113 Braiden Grochowsky, sr., Estacada
120 Cole Stafford, fr., Molalla
126 Kipton Allen, soph., Tillamook
132 Leroy Mixon, jr., Estacada
138 Beau Sandberg, sr., Molalla
144 Beau Smith, jr., Astoria
150 Logan Riga, jr., Estacada
157 Brayden Cooley, jr., Seaside
165 Tyler Kenton, jr., Molalla
175 Turner Jackson, jr., Estacada
190 Charlie Becker, jr., Gladstone
215 Melesio Brito, soph., Astoria
285 Adrian Balli, sr., Astoria
3 notes
Tillamook earns eighth consecutive district title
The Cheesemakers romped to another championship, putting six wrestlers in the finals and advancing 15 to state to outscore runner-up Estacada by 105 points and set themselves up for a run at improving upon back-to-back sixth-place finishes at state. Pyle repeated as 106-pound champion, pinning teammate Javier Vazquez in 74 seconds in the final.
Three-time champions hope to make mark in two weeks
Two wrestlers won their third consecutive district titles, with Sandberg pinning Scappoose’s Lawson Komp 41 seconds into the second round and Cooley earning a 4-0 decision over Tillamook’s Dillon Bennet. Now, each looks to improve upon his 2025 state finish — Sandberg placed fifth at 132 and Cooley sixth at 150.
Estacada’s Grochowsky avenges loss in district final
Grochowsky won a district title as a freshman but lost 12-11 to Seaside’s Henry Rollins in the 113 final last year. This weekend, he got the better of Rollins when the Seagulls junior had to retire because of injury after the second round. Grochowsky’s teammate, Mixon, also won a second title, as did Astoria’s Balli.
—
Special District 2 (at Newport)
Team champion: Sweet Home (507 points)
Most qualifiers: Sweet Home (20), Cascade (14), Cottage Grove (7), Philomath (7)
Individual champions
106 Cody Sieminski, fr., Sweet Home
113 Keegan Jefferson, jr., Sweet Home
120 Riley Vaughan, jr., Sweet Home
126 Jesse Landtroop, jr., Sweet Home
132 Jeffery Conklin, jr., Cottage Grove
138 Henry Bankhead, jr., North Marion
144 Leonardo Michel, sr., Stayton
150 Riley Barrett, sr., Philomath
157 Porter Compton, sr., Philomath
165 Hans Kamm, jr., Cascade
175 Luke Rosa, sr., Sweet Home
190 Lake Mulberry, sr., Philomath
215 Matthew Hinkle, sr., Cascade
285 Lynkin Royer, sr., Sweet Home
3 notes
Sweet Home poised to reclaim state championship
A 12th consecutive district championship trophy is nice, but with 2025 champion Crook County now in 5A, the Huskies put themselves in fine position to reclaim the state title in two weeks — they won in 2017 and 2024 and have five runner-up finishes in the past decade. They owned the lower weights, winning every title from 106 to 126 pounds, and Jefferson, Vaughan, Landtroop and Rosa repeated as district champions.
Conklin ends six-year title drought for Cottage Grove
Conklin improved to 46-0 (improving his win streak to 48 after placing third at state as a sophomore) when two-time district champion Tytus Hardee of Sweet Home sustained an injury in the final. Cottage Grove had not had a district finalist since 2023, and Conklin became the program’s first champion since 2020, when Jacob Dunn, Drew Swenson and Cobie Simpson took home titles.
Philomath state champion shrugging off early-season injury
Barrett suffered an ankle injury at Philomath’s season-opening tournament and has been brought back gradually to prevent a recurrence as he tries to become the program’s first three-time state champion. He improved to 18-0 with a 14-0 major decision over Sweet Home’s James Hearick in the district final.
—
Special District 3 (at Hidden Valley)
Team champion: Marshfield (299 points)
Most qualifiers: Marshfield (14), Hidden Valley (9), North Bend (9), Mazama (9)
Individual champions
106 Rhoan Rambo, fr., Hidden Valley
113 Garron Castro, sr., Marshfield
120 Ryker Pruett, fr., North Bend
126 Acen Clark, soph., Henley
132 Nicholas Campbell, sr., North Bend
138 Nicco Kovacic, soph., Klamath Union
144 Jackson Swanson, sr., North Bend
150 Levi Padoshek, jr., Mazama
157 John Willett, sr., North Bend
165 Walter Collier, sr., Henley
175 Jyles Peterson, jr., Hidden Valley
190 Brent Kolkow, sr., Hidden Valley
215 Dylan Swanson, sr., North Bend
285 Mitchell Quist, sr., Hidden Valley
3 notes
Depth key to Marshfield’s second consecutive district title
A year ago, Marshfield won eight individual championships en route to its first team title since 2018. This year, the Pirates won only one weight class when Castro took home his third district crown with a third-period technical fall, but their depth (state qualifiers at 12 of 14 weight classes) was enough to stave off Hidden Valley (and the Mustangs’ four district titlists) by 39 points.
Returning champions square off in 285 final
The 285 final featured returning district champions Quist moving up from 215 to challenge Marshfield’s Skyler Folau. Quist, whose only loss this season came in the High Desert Classic final to Burns’ Joe Weil, defeated Folau for the second time this season with a 4-1 decision. It was a closer match than in mid-December, when Quist (third at state a year ago) won an 11-3 major decision in the North Bend Coast Classic quarterfinals.
North Bend’s Swanson, Henley’s Collier also repeat
Two other wrestlers repeated as district champions, with Swanson moving down from 150 (where a possible final against two-time state titlist Riley Barrett awaited) to beat Phoenix’s Caden Cunningham by second-period fall, and Collier moved up from 157 to 165 and earned a second-round pin over Mazama’s Isaac Stacey.
—
Special District 4 (at Madras)
Team champion: La Grande (396 points)
Most qualifiers: Pendleton (18), La Grande (16), Madras (9)
Individual champions
106 Darren Gulzow, jr., La Grande
113 Hank Roy, soph., Pendleton
120 Aiden Cox, fr., Pendleton
126 Deegan Nelson, soph., La Grande
132 Bragen Anderson, sr., La Grande
138 Colton Livingston, sr., La Grande
144 Bryler Anderson, soph., La Grande
150 Cole Roy, sr., Pendleton
157 Tommy Belding, sr., La Grande
165 Kainen Zimmerman, sr., Pendleton
175 Vance Nelson, sr., Pendleton
190 Aidan Perkins, sr., Pendleton
215 Dex Dunlap, jr., La Grande
285 Gage Valencia, sr., Ontario
3 notes
La Grande edges Pendleton for first district title since 2022
The departure of three-time reigning champion Crook County to 5A created a wide-open district tournament, where Pendleton enjoyed a 3-2 edge over La Grande in district finals matching the schools’ wrestlers and an 18-16 edge in state qualifiers but still saw the Tigers eke out a 1.5-point victory for their first title since 2022 — the year before the Cowboys dropped to 4A. Belding and Bragen Anderson each won a third district title to lead the charge, and Dunlap repeated as 215 champion.
Two No. 2 seeds help Buckaroos push for team title
The Buckaroos had six district champions, one fewer than La Grande, with Nelson needing just 31 seconds to pin Madras’ Colton Gillespie to earn his third individual crown. They also got wins at 120, where Cox earned a 5-3 decision over La Grande’s top seed Kallen Blakely, and 165, where Zimmerman posted a 14-5 major decision over top seed Noah Collins of La Grande.
Ontario heavyweight denies La Grande-Pendleton title sweep
Ontario will have only four wrestlers make the 375-mile trip from the eastern tip of the state to Memorial Coliseum, but one of them is Valencia, who was the only wrestler not from La Grande or Pendleton to win a title — he earned a second-period technical fall over La Grande’s Darryn Richardson to improve to 31-4.
—
For complete coverage of Oregon high school sports, visit OregonLive’s high school sports section throughout the year.
BLUE RIVER, Ore. (KATU) — The founder of a former disaster relief nonprofit is being sued for allegedly diverting nearly $837,000 in donations and grants for personal gain.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield filed the lawsuit Thursday against the founder and executive director of Cascade Relief Team (CRT), Marcus Brooks. In the complaint, Rayfield calls CRT “a sham.”
Brooks is accused of stealing donations and government grants meant for disaster relief following wildfires and flooding in 2020, and using it for personal expenses including casino visits, travel, vehicles, and more.
CRT was founded in 2020 and was hired for cleanup and relief services following the Labor Day Wildfires that burned over 1 million acres across Oregon.
In Blue River, an unincorporated community in the McKenzie River Valley, the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire destroyed nearly 800 homes and burned more than 173,000 acres.
I am angry that my community was taken advantage of
Just months after the fire, long-time Blue River resident Melanie Stanley said CRT stepped in and promised help to the community.
“For us, it was…like a savior at that point,” Stanley said.
Stanley was the manager for the Blue River Resource Center and worked for Brooks to help facilitate recovery efforts. She said CRT operations slowly became questionable.
“None of us knew the level at which all of this stuff that finally came out was at,” Stanley said. “We knew that there was some stuff that had started to look hinky or feel hinky, or there was just some lack of communication that was happening. There were some other things that were happening, and so we just all were kind of guarded.”
In fall of 2023 the nonprofit was reported to have run out of money, and Brooks allegedly fired staff without disclosing the organization’s financial conditions and did not notify donors or beneficiaries. Stanley was one of those people fired.
The state now claims the funds that were meant to go towards communities like Blue River, never made it out of Brooks’ hands, including donations given by Blue River neighbors.
“I am angry that my community was taken advantage of, and I am angry that they now have to worry about trusting when something else happens, because we know something else is going to happen,” Stanley said. “We hope to God it’s never anything as big or as bad as what has happened, but you know, we also have learned that groups like Locals Helping Locals…they are our foundation, and they are because they’re us.”
The state is seeking to recover the money, permanently bar Brooks from serving in a leadership role at a charitable organization and dissolve the nonprofit.
Stanley said Brooks’ actions have tainted reputations.
“We as a community and as the people from the community who helped kind of put all of these things together, we did what was asked of us,” Stanley said. “We did help clean things, and we did help get things to provide, you know, more progress and get things moving forward, and we did good work, and so I just really hope that this is not overshadowed.”
According to Stanley, Blue River’s recovery now stands at 50%.
“We will be very picky from here on out about who and what groups gets let in to help with anything,” Stanley said. “And sadly, it may be to our detriment, but he did more damage now, as far as reputations go, and for that I’m angry. I’m very angry.”
The Oregon Ducks have been progressing through the class of 2027 with hopes of landing some of their top target’s commitment on both the offense and the defense.
With many names left on the board, the Ducks have started to receive some great news, including some news from someone they have been targeting since they offered back in January of 2025.
Darius Johnson Releases His Top Four Schools
One of the Ducks top targets’ in the 2027 class at the cornerback position is Darius Johnson. Johnson recently released his top schools with Hayes Fawcett, as he is entering a crucial part of his recruitment. The four schools he has listed at the top include the California Golden Bears, Michigan Wolverines, UCLA Bruins, and the Oregon Ducks.
Johnson is one of the better cornerbacks in the country. He currently ranks as the nation’s No. 178 prospect in the country, No. 20 player at the position, and the No. 14 player in the state of California, according to Rivals. Landing his commitment would be major for any of the schools, as he is someone who could see the field early due to his size, and his growing ability to lockdown a side of the field all by himself.
More About Darius Johnson
Johnson currently measures in at 6-1 and 155 pounds, and will be someone who continues to add weight through his high school program, and will eventually have the chance to really improve his frame when he gets to college. As of now, each of the four schools has a solid chance to win its recruiting battle, but there seems to be a clear leader at this moment.
The leader for the Ducks target seems to be the Michigan Wolverines, who have the only scheduled official visit at this moment. It seems likely that the talented prospect will schedule his other official visits sooner rather than later now that he has officially cut down his list. If the Ducks want to land his commitment, they will need to get him on an official visit because they are likely trailing at this point.
What If He Committed to Oregon Today?
If he were to commit to the Ducks today, he would be the ninth commitment for the Ducks in the class of 2027. He would also be the third cornerback commit for the Ducks in the class of 2027, which is a position they have been recruiting heavily. The cornerbacks the Ducks have at this moment are four-star Ai’King Hall from the state of Alabama and four-star Josiah Molden from the state of Oregon.
Some of their other commits at this moment include four-star EDGE Rashad Streets, four-star defensive linemen Zane Rowe, and four-star EDGE Cameron Pritchett. This class is shaping up to be another top-five class if the pieces continue to fall into place for Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his staff.
Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
Oregon tight end Jamari Johnson, after an impressive 2025 season with the Ducks, now becomes the leader at his position following the departure of star Kenyon Sadiq to the NFL.
With an Oregon offense set to return several top stars and bring in two talents at the tight end position, Johnson looks to not only improve as a leader but build off his impressive 2025 season, in which he recorded 32 receptions for 510 yards and three touchdowns.
Here’s everything Johnson had to say during his media appearance following Oregon’s scrimmage on Saturday, with the spring game on the horizon.
Everything Tight End Jamari Johnson Said After Spring Scrimmage
What He Learned From Playing With Tight End Kenyon Sadiq:
“So many, but one is training. Everybody in this facility harps on it, and it’s just a standard here. It’s like him from last year, that man strained his guts out almost every play. I just feel like I got to do the exact same thing or even more to uphold the standard.”
Stepping Up At Tight End:
“It just changed because obviously Kenyon leaving somebody has to step up and be a leader in the room, and me being one of the older guys, it just happens to be me. I just accepted that role, and I actually kind of like it, getting these young guys going, getting them in the playbook and getting them used to college football.”
Participating Again In Spring Practice:
“It feels good coming back. Feels like I have something to prove for me personally, I feel like I haven’t really done anything in college football. I feel like this year is that year for me to show everybody what I’m about.”
On Tight Ends Kendre Harrison and Andrew Olesh:
“Both good dudes, they both got that dog in them. Andrew, he came from Penn State. He’s been coming along well, getting in the playbook. Kendre, he’s a big, tall guy, getting in the playbook too. They’ve been getting after it, man. It’s been good taking them under my wing. Hopefully, we just get going this year.”
Goals and Expectations Ahead of Spring Game:
“I’ll say one expectation that we really try to harp on in the room is just going 100 percent. That’s with your effort, that’s with knowing the plays and just giving it your all. A goal is just to get in that endzone. That’s one of the goals for the tight end room right there.”
Why He Returned to Oregon:
“Like I said earlier, to me, I felt like I haven’t really done anything in college football. That was one of the reasons, and another is I wouldn’t say I’m not ready for the NFL, but like that’s pretty much what I’m getting at, is just like I have a lot of stuff to work on that’s within footwork and hand placement, block in the run game, and route details. Getting to the right depth and just touching up everything I can so when I get to the NFL, there’s none of those problems, it’s just the big problems I have to fix.”
How Reps Helped Him Improve:
“It really helped me. Last year, we ran a lot of twelve personnel at the end of the season because we had a couple of injuries, but that really helped me. This year, I feel like I’m coming in rolling off the ground. It’s just so much more fluent, and those reps really helped me with the playbook. Playbook is way easier now, and I’m getting a good feel for it.”
His Leadership Traits:
“I like to get the guys going. I have a real voice on the field, and if y’all hear me on the field, I get the guys going. I wouldn’t say I’m a vocal leader, but I lead by example. Vocal leader, probably something I need to work on.”
On New Offensive Coordinator Drew Mehringer:
“It’s been different. They’re two different people, coach (Will) Stein and coach Drew. My guy’s getting us going. I’m excited for this season.”
Supporting Dakorien Moore At Track Meet:
“Yesterday, that touched my heart, man. Just all of us going out there, and it wasn’t even just for Dakorien. It was really for Oregon. It was just more for Dakorien because we see him every day. That really touched my heart, and the connection is just unbelievable. I don’t think many people are doing that for their teammates.”
Quarterback Dante Moore’s Growth:
“That guy has his head on his shoulders at all times. He’s been growing consistently, but it’s a couple of different things. I probably can’t name them right now, but he’s been having his head on his shoulders. He’s just been on the climb.”
Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
-
Illinois27 seconds agoMultiple people shot in Centralia, Illinois: REPORT
-
Indiana6 minutes agoIndiana mother charged with neglect after baby’s co-sleeping death
-
Iowa12 minutes agoFormer Iowa State star, All-American Audi Crooks announces transfer destination
-
Kansas19 minutes agoTyler Reddick needs OT at Kansas to claim fifth win of NASCAR season
-
Kentucky24 minutes agoVanderbilt baseball’s series win vs Kentucky revelatory
-
Louisiana30 minutes agoLouisiana shooter Shamar Elkins made chilling remarks about ‘demons’ weeks before killing his 7 kids and their cousin
-
Maine37 minutes agoA remote Maine town is ready to close its 5-student school
-
Maryland43 minutes agoMaryland Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for April 19, 2026