Junior Downing makes Redmond crowd happy by beating top seed for state championship: Oregon (OSAA) wrestling 145-pounds roundup
By René Ferrán
The first of two hometown champions barely made it off the mat before becoming engulfed by teammates, family, friends and other members of the Redmond wrestling family.
Finally, Junior Downing emerged from the crowd, if only for a moment.
“It’s unbelievable having my friends come down and support the team and myself,” Downing said after knocking off 145-pound top seed Ethan Dunigan of Central 7-5 at Saturday’s Class 5A state wrestling meet at Ridgeview High School. “This is something special that the (Memorial) Coliseum couldn’t offer.”
Dunigan, who lost in the final to Chance Lamer of Crescent Valley in June, scored a reversal with 53 seconds left to give himself a chance of forcing overtime — or even winning the match — if he could turn Downing.
Instead, the Panthers senior drew strength from the partisan crowd that roared even louder as the seconds ticked off.
“I had to take on the role of team leader this year,” Downing said. “I look up to all those guys, and they look up to me, so I was happy I could win for them and show what Redmond is all about.”
4A: La Grande senior Braden Carson capped his career by winning his third consecutive title, ending unseeded Baker/Powder Valley senior Gavin Stone’s romp through the bottom half of the draw with a 10-0 major decision. Carson went 39-1 this season and 126-14 for his career. Stone knocked off the Nos. 7, 2 and 3 seeds in succession en route to making the final.
3A: Dayton senior Tony Cisneros wrapped up an undefeated season by pinning Burns senior Kevin Peasley with 26 seconds remaining in a final that pitted returning state champions. Cisneros moved up from 138; Peasley had beaten another Dayton wrestler (Jim Larsen) in June’s 145 final.
2A/1A: Culver junior Kellin Abbas lived up to his No. 1 seed, defeating Illinois Valley’s Ryan Griffin 4-2 in the final.
