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The Canby Cougar wrestling team came out on top in the brutally competitive Three Rivers League circuit last week, claiming the conference title for the first time in years.
Record-wise, the Cougs finished in a three-way tie with West Linn and Tualatin — but got the nod by virtue of having won more matches throughout the season.
For more photos from Canby’s final home wrestling meet, visit The Canby Current‘s Facebook page.
All year, the Canby Cougar wrestling squad has blasted past opponents thanks to a deeply talented set of wrestlers. Whether it be Ty Ewers, Matthew Young, or a host of other Cougs, if there’s one thing that head coach Jeremy Ensrud has always been able to count on, it’s depth.
So when the defending Three Rivers League champ Tualatin and another top 10 team, Tigard, came to town this past Tuesday and Thursday, it was no surprise to Ensrud or anyone else that Canby’s depth would be the deciding factor in dismantling two very talented teams.
Canby began the week by making quick work of the Timberwolves, taking down Tualatin 53-15 before besting Tigard 66-12 two days later.
After defeating 21 other teams the week prior at the Bill Geister Invitational — including five top-10 teams, the Cougars’ confidence is at an all-time high.
That confidence showed on Tuesday, where all but three Cougars won their match; six of Canby’s wins were by fall. In total, 10 Cougars were victorious against Tualatin.
The fastest pin of the day came from Colin Kennedy (285), who took down Tualatin’s Ryder Jones in a lightning-fast 30 seconds.
The other Cougs to win by fall were Matthew Young (106), Brady Froyd (113), Craig Williams (120), Ty Ewers (126) and Jackson Doman (170).
After dominating Tigard the following Thursday in a round where Canby won nine matches by fall, the Cougs — and their league opponents — will have a chance at a rematch when it really counts, as the 6A Three Rivers League district championships get underway Saturday at Oregon City High School.
For the regular season, freshman Matthew Young (106) finished with a record of 20-8, freshman Brady Froyd (113) finished 20-8 and sophomore Craig Williams (120) finished 22-6.
Senior Ty Ewers (126) had a masterful 2022 campaign, ending with a team-best record of 19-1. Juniors Landon Sprague and Ben Young, both in the 132 weight class, finished 14-6 and 17-5, respectively.
Junior Thomas Marquez (138) finished 12-6, senior Zach Netter (145) finished 14-5 and freshman James Keinonen (152) finished 15-9. Junior Ethan Ensrud (160) led the team in match wins with 23 against only four defeats.
Freshman Jackson Doman (170) finished with a record of 17-9 and senior Cash Montgomery (182) had a mark of 16-4. Freshman Maddox White and sophomore Kamren Zimmerman, both in the 195 class, finished 5-8 and 0-3, respectively.
For the heavyweights, senior Matthew Hagen (220) was 17-10 and senior Colin Kennedy (285) was 8-4.
In tournament results, the Cougars placed first in five events, including the prestigious Bill Geister Invitation in which they finished on top in a field of 22, and second in only one: the Colton Holly Invitational at Wilsonville.
The Cougs dominated much of the Three Rivers League field in which they competed for duals, besting Lake Oswego 69-5, Lakeridge 75-6 and Oregon City 59-16, and narrowly losing to West Linn, 39-36.
