Canby Herald Online

Wrestling preview: For all of the glory

Canby sends 10 wrestlers to this week’s state tournament with high hopes, big potential

• By: Alex Tam  
• Published: 2/23/2010 10:08:52 PM

Photo By: Alex TamWrestling: AJ Ballard
Canby High School senior AJ Ballard wil vie for his first state title, and the program’s first since 2001 this week at the state tournament.

It’s been nine years since the Canby wrestling program has seen an individual state champion reign on the state’s biggest stage.

This season, the Cougars will look to break that streak beginning Thursday at the three-day OSAA Class 6A state tournament at the Memorial Coliseum.

Canby will be led by its two Pacific Conference district champions with senior James Roberts and junior AJ Ballard.

Roberts is ranked No. 1 in the state at 130 pounds, and is seeded No. 1 heading into the state tournament. He will await the winner of a pigtail match between North Medford sophomore Kohl Damon and Sprague sophomore Brennan Ridling.

Ballard is ranked No. 4 in the state at 135, and is seeded No. 6 at the state tournament. He will await the winner of a pigtail match between Aloha freshman Johnny Krahel and Sandy freshman Kyle Bateman.

Roberts and Ballard will undoubtedly provide the Cougars with their biggest shot at earning the coveted state championship.

“We’ve talked about it,” Ballard said. “We talk about it on the weekends about how great it’d be if we finally got that opportunity.”

Canby has not had an individual state champion since 2001 when Ian Gadberry won the 119-pound state title in an undefeated season, and Garret Miyake won the 130-pound state title.

“I’m pretty determined,” Ballard said. “I think me and James should be the first to reclaim it because we’ve been practice partners since we were in sixth grade so I think we deserve to push other to get it.”

Ballard won his first district championship on Feb. 13 when he defeated Tualatin senior Dillon Carbajal by 2-1 decision.

“It felt great finally getting the district title,” he said. “I came close the last few years and came up short, but it felt good to actually get it. I think this year, I’ve been going more with (coach Jeremy) Ensrud and I’m finally hitting my peak and getting better, and finding ways to win in close matches unlike last year.”

Roberts won his second straight district title when he beat Tualatin junior Trey Marquez by 15-3 major decision.

Canby has 10 state-qualifiers entered into the tournament, including juniors Gordon Iverson (160 pounds) and Brandon Harms (152) who will make their second appearance at state.

The Cougars’ six first-time state qualifiers are junior Brandon Romaine (119), junior Andrew Romaine (125), freshman Keith Nichols (130), sophomore Stephen Doman (140), sophomore Beau Vandervort (215) and senior Weston Foner (171).

Foner, a senior, earned his berth to state after taking third at the district tournament, beating Newberg sophomore Wyatt Mahoney by fall in 5 minutes, 45 seconds.

It’s been an impressive feat for Foner who just started wrestling last season.

“I felt pretty good beating guys who have been wrestling their whole lives and this is only my second year,” Foner said.

Foner said he has surpassed all of his expectations by reaching state with his goal now to simply wrestle his best.

“I know there’s going to be some tough competition,” he said. “I’ve been going to All-Phase (club wrestling practice) a little bit, and this week, I’m working on my moves and stuff and better techniques.”

Unlike other conferences that held their district tournaments this past weekend, the Pacific Conference hosted theirs two weeks before state, which has allowed their wrestlers to rest up and recover from a long season.

“I think it’s good so we can polish up and get a little break because if we had state the week after, we’d only have two days to practice and get ready for state,” Ballard said. “So I think it’s just good to polish up for a week.”

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