Hawks punch their ticket to dual team wrestling finals

OREGON – A strong start gave Oregon a huge cushion. And when Newman fought back to get within striking distance, Briggs Sellers provided the final exclamation point.

The senior won his heavyweight bout to put the Hawks over the top for a 39-30 win over the Comets at Tuesday’s 1A Oregon Dual Team Sectional.

“That fast start was everything. It’s so tough to win a dual if you don’t start off hot like we did,” Sellers said. “Thankfully our little guys got it going for us and we got an awesome win.”

The “little guys” Sellers was referring to were his teammates at 113, 120, 126, 138, 144 and 150 pounds, all of whom won by pin to put the Hawks ahead 36-3 halfway through the dual.

Josiah Perez and Isaiah Perez led off with pins at 113 and 120, then Preston LaBay kept the momentum rolling with a stunning come-from-behind win at 126, winning by in in 5:32 after trailing 9-3 going into the third period.

“I was just thinking that I had to get this kid [Zhyler Hansen]. I lost to him at sectionals this year in individual, so I was kind of looking for some revenge,” LaBay said. “I just kept fighting, didn’t worry about if I got in a bad spot, just tried to forget and go for that next move.

“I’m incredibly proud of the team. Our little guys went out there and got after it, and I’m glad they set the tone. That got us super fired up.”

Newman got a 4-2 decision from Landon Blanton at 132 pounds, but Oregon got first-period pins from Jackson Messenger (138), Levi Benton (144) and Jayden Berry (150).

“They got us up big and at that point, we just kind of rode that wave,” Oregon coach Justin Lahman said. “LaBay was looking forward to this as a senior, a captain, one of our big leaders. That one just totally sparked the rest of that dual.”

The Comets’ comeback started with Briar Ivey’s pin in 1:47 at 157 pounds; he took a 5-0 lead with a takedown and back points just 8 seconds into the bout.

“I was just going to come out and wrestle hard, come out flying and try to get the pin for what I knew was maybe my last match. I thought I’d end it on some fireworks, just let it all out there,” Ivey said. “It was fun to get one more win, especially in this place; the energy’s really good, and the crowd was wild tonight.”

Timothy Plote followed with a 16-5 major decision at 165, then Daniel Kelly recorded a 19-3 technical fall at 175.

“It was fun to wrestle one more time, especially ending up with a win personally; at [individual] state, I lost, so that wasn’t the best feeling,” Kelly said. “I thought we wrestled pretty tough. Some matches didn’t go our way, but that happens sometimes. Still, it was a fun season.”

A pair of comebacks kept the Comets alive. Matthew Clemen rallied from an 8-4 deficit early in the third period for a 10-9 win at 190, notching his second third-period takedown with 47 seconds left to pull out the win.

At 215, Jacob Newberry trailed 10-3 heading into the third period before scoring three takedowns in the final 1:37 – the last one with just 4 seconds remaining – to send the bout to overtime. He then recorded a final takedown just 10 seconds into the extra period for a 15-12 victory, bringing the Comets within 36-24 with two bouts remaining.

But then Sellers stepped up and put the dual to rest. Needing only to avoid being pinned for the Hawks to win the dual, the senior went out and did it one better.

The heavyweight bout was tied 0-0 after one period and 4-4 after the second. Sellers chose the down position to start the third and was let up to take a 5-4 lead, then got a takedown just 16 seconds later for an 8-4 lead. He rode out the rest of the time, setting off a raucous celebration for the Hawks.

“I had to get a takedown, I had to up the intensity, I had to push the pace. I did my job and got the ‘W,’” Sellers said. “The whole rush of emotions from all the hard work this whole team put in finally paying off was amazing. Senior year, I get to go down to team state, that’s pretty special.”

“That’s another senior in a big spot for us,” Lahman said. “It came down to Briggs, and he just needed to not give up the pin – and he said, ‘No, I’m going to go take it and finish it.’”

Oregon will take on Tolono Unity in the Class 1A Dual Team State quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Friday at Grossinger Motors in Bloomington.

The trip to the state finals is the first for the Hawks since 2008.

“This is the first time in 17 years, so the first time for me just being in the program in general and then as the head coach. It’s great that little guys are getting to see it, our numbers are growing, junior high’s wrestling really well, and so you just get that exposure,” Lahman said. “The stands were packed, both sides, and it was an awesome atmosphere. Now it just kind of keeps snowballing. That’s the goal is to get down there, get it going, and everybody wants to be a part of that. They want to have fun, fans going crazy, spotlights on the mat, just the perfect atmosphere.”

That feat did not go unnoticed by Sellers.

“That means everything to us. That was our goal the first day of practice walking in. People had us ranked in the 20s at the start of the season, and we knew what we were capable of and we put in the work and we got the job done – but we’re not finished yet,” Sellers said.

And now the Hawks have their sights set on Tolono Unity.

“Tolono is a winnable dual. We’ve got to wrestle a little bit better, not give up some of those matches late and battle for six minutes. They had a state champ at 138, a runner-up at 144; they have some studs, but they also have some holes. Just like us, we’ve got to get our bonus points and just not give them up,” Lahman said.

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Oregon's Briggs Sellers reacts after winning his match against Newman's Matthew Murray at the 1A team sectional held Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025 in the Blackhawk Center in Oregon. (Earleen Hinton)