By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

OREGON CITY, Ore.–  Dominance was the main force Friday night at Clackamas Community College as they opened up league play versus Southwestern Oregon Community College with a 31-9 team victory.

“We were pretty good out there, we try to blank our opponent,” said Haszell West.  “We forfeited the 165 weight class, but we like to go out there and win every match (and) don’t let our opponents get any points.”

“All week we’ve been training hard, Coach said himself we had a great week and that showed today,” added Michael Knoblauch.

Late in the third period of the 125-pound bout between the Cougars DeVaugh Sapien and the Lakers David Peterson, it was tied at one apiece.

The match needed one big takedown or a two-, or four-count to give a wrestler on either team an significant advantage and it came by way of Sapien.

With 33.6 seconds left, Sapien got a two-point takedown for a 3-1 advantage.  Behind some excellent defense, Sapien kept Peterson to an escape point for the 3-2 decision.

That Clackamas momentum continued into the 133 when Knoblauch used a 8-0 advantage to a 16-1, second-round technical fall against Southwestern Oregon’s Beau Shatto.

“I was feeling a little sluggish, I had a little bit of a weight cut,” said Knoblauch. “I think I just did everything I needed to do to win.”

ins by Zech Bresser (141), Tyler Wicken (Forfeit win at 149) had the Cougs up five matches to none on the Lakers.

During the Davidson match, he jumped out to a 4-0 lead into the second round.  But fatigued caught up to him as Leroy Santos crawled back and cut it to 5-3 in the second frame.

“He just cut a little too much weight, he did too much running, his legs didn’t want to work anymore,” said Clackamas Community College Head Coach Josh Rhoden.  “He came out  fired up, he got a great takedown rode the guy out.

“As you saw the match rode progressed, he got worried  about ‘How’s my conditioning, can I get through this match’ versus ‘I got to keep winning, I got to keep pushing, I got to get this match finished’.”

But Davidson would hang on to win 9-5 with a third period push.

The next two matches went to Southwestern, one by forfeit and by decision, but West got his team back on track with his 14-3 Major Decision.

“I wrestled alright,” said West.  “I always look to get better, there’s a lot of things I could’ve done better.  (You’re) never going to have a perfect match but I wrestled pretty good.”

John Morin (197) and Brandon Johnson (285) polished off for 7-4 and 11-1 match wins as Clackamas turns their focus to Highline College Saturday.

The plan for the Cougars tomorrow is to check their weight, rest and come back to work tomorrow.

“We won’t come back for the facility until about one (in the afternoon),” said Rhoden.  “See how everyone is doing and then get onto the bus and Mad-dogging it and get after it.”

PHOTO GALLERY (PICTURES BY JEREMY MCDONALD)

Jeremy McDonald is a professional sports journalist in the Salem/Portland area and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalist in Oregon with B.S. degrees from Southern Oregon University in Journalism (2011) and Health/PE (2013).  Got a story idea? Email him at jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com or on Twitter at @J_McDonald81!

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