By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

SCIO, Ore.–  For a freshman, with nine matches to his name going into the 3A Special District 2 Finals against Harrisburg’s freshman  John Hendersom and his 44-plus matches this season, the Lions Andres ”Jaiver’ Mendoza didn’t show any fear.  For what it was worth, he looked like an experienced wrestler with a year or two of High School experience under his belt as he jumped out to a 6-2 lead on Hendersom in the second round.

Mendoza even anchored down when he needed to with Hendersom making it all too close for the Jefferson grappler in an already tight bout, drawing the match to 6-4 in the third round before Mendoza picked up an escape point to close out the first of hopefully many district titles in his High School career Saturday at Scio High School.

“It was a hard match. It was a crazy match…just knowing if I hold him off, I’ll get first,” Mendoza said. “For me, this is just an accomplishment knowing that I put in a lot of work and it paid off.  This (season) is going the way I wanted it to go.”

Joining Mendoza is sophomore Gryffen Hamar, who finished District Runner-Up at 138 pounds, falling to William Walton from Elmira in the first round via pin.  And though the ending of the District Meet didn’t go the way he wanted, the final defeat will definitely serve as good motivation for the sophomore going back into practice going into the State Meet on February 23 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland.

“I hate losing.  That’s all.  I want to be one of the best and if something gets in my way I don’t get discouraged, I do whatever I can to get either around it or through it and break it down.  I’m not the kind of person that gives up easily, that doesn’t discourage me, it motivates me,” Hamar said.

Martin Cortez   and Hunter Mersch finished third and fourth at 120 pounds.  Gage Frost and Ryan Davis finished fourth at 160 and 182 pounds respectively.  Calvin Grantom  was fifth at 145 pounds as Jefferson finished sixth as a team at the District Meet with 133.5 points.  

Photos By Jeremy McDonald