Ryan Griffin gets his revenge: Oregon wrestling 152/135 small-school roundup
By René Ferrán | Photos by Leon Neuschwander
A year ago, Illinois Valley’s Ryan Griffin lost to Culver’s Kellin Abbas in the 145-pound final at the OSAA 2A/1A wrestling state championships.
That loss gnawed at Griffin for 12 months — until Friday night when the two met again, this time in the 152 final at Portland’s Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
“I wanted to see him win his earlier matches,” Griffin said. “Because I knew if he didn’t, I would never get the chance to get back, and I would have to live with that he was better than me.”
Not only was there personal pride at stake, but the 2A/1A team title would come down to the result of the match.
Griffin took a 2-1 lead to the final round, and Abbas chose the bottom position. If he could escape, overtime loomed.
Except, Griffin said, “I knew he wasn’t turning me. He couldn’t last year. No one has been able to all year.”
And sure enough, Griffin kept Abbas down the full two minutes, avenging his previous defeat, wrapping up an undefeated 25-0 season, matching his practice partner Ryon Martinho’s title won at the previous weight class — and most important, clinching his school’s first state title in any sport.
“Honestly, the most motivation to win that match was the fact that I had to get a state title with my partner before I left,” Griffin said. “This means the world to me. We deserve this. We all put in the hard work.”
4A: Crook County sophomore Gavin Sandoval won his first state title by pinning La Grande junior Ridge Kehr with 24 seconds left in the second period. Sandoval placed fourth at the 5A state meet as a freshman.
3A: Burns senior Hunter Kemper capped his career by winning a second title, recording a technical fall of Sisters senior Ben Cooper.
4A/3A/2A/1A Girls: Gervais junior Sariah Zepeda returned after a two-year hiatus from the sport to win the 135-pound title with a 4-1 decision against Ontario junior Hannah Hernandez. Zepeda is the younger sister of former state champion Alexis Zepeda, who also is the highest placing girl at an OSAA boys state meet.
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