New adventures await Jackson Doman once he finishes his senior year at Canby.
Shortly after an early graduation in April, he will head off to Brazil for his two-year Mormon mission. Upon his return, he plans to get started on a college football career at Brigham Young, where he has committed as a tight end.
But as the 6-foot-5 Doman prepares to explore those new horizons, he is ending a chapter of his life this week in the OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union 5A wrestling championships at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Coming off a sterling junior season that included a 45-0 record and a state title at 215 pounds, the top-seeded Doman is in position for an encore. He improved his record to 44-0 on Friday, advancing to the 215 semifinals with two pins.
“It's most likely my last tournament,” Doman said. “I'm pretty sad, honestly. I've been wrestling ever since I can remember. I've been wrestling longer than I've been playing football. I'll miss it, but I won't miss the practices.”
Doman was hopeful of doing both football and wrestling in college, but the opportunity didn't present itself.
“I think I'm good enough that I could wrestle in college,” he said. “I didn't try to do anything to get recruited towards wrestling. But I wouldn't be opposed if a coach reached out to me to wrestle and play football.”
Doman appears to be on a collision course to face Silverton senior Brash Henderson – last year's heavyweight champion and the No. 2 seed – in the state final. In their only meeting this season, Doman gutted out a 2-1 win over Henderson at a tournament in Canby on Dec. 21. Henderson got an escape in the second round and Doman scored a reversal in the third round, hanging on for the win.
“I feel like we both went out and didn't really do anything,” Doman said of the match. “We were both kind of feeling it out, just seeing how the other person would wrestle. We both didn't wrestle our best, for sure. It was very boring. This time, I think it'll be different for both of us.”
Doman was hopeful to meet Henderson in the Reser's Tournament of Champions on Jan. 25, but Henderson was pinned by junior Walter Dahme of 6A Sherwood in the semifinals. Doman pinned Dahme in the final to repeat as Reser's champion.
The win over Henderson was Doman's most difficult match of the season. He caught Henderson with a cradle and needed all of his strength and energy to ride him out.
“Every other kid Jackson wrestles, he gets that cradle locked up and it's game over,” Canby coach Brandon Harms said. “Brash was able to fight it off and not get to the near-fall criteria. Jackson came off the mat afterwards and said his forearms were numb. We probably won't hold a cradle a whole round.”
Doman's cradle is a devastating weapon, however.
“There's not a position he can't get a cradle out of,” Harms said. “I'll be wrestling him and somehow end up cradled on my back. His flexibility, his knowledge of the sport, he's able to get that cradle when he's not necessarily in a conventional position to get there.”
Doman believes he is a more powerful wrestler this season. Last year, he weighed about 195. This year, after making a conscious effort to gain weight, he is in the 210-212 range, he said.
“I've gotten a little bit stronger, a little bit bigger, so I feel like that's one of my advantages,” Doman said. “And I've been working on overall quickness and speed, just with moves.”
Doman and Henderson is among seven reigning state champions to advance to the 5A semifinals. The others are Crater sophomore Jeremiah Oliva (120), Mountain View junior Aiden Nelmes (120), Crater senior Joey Hutchins (132), Crater sophomore Aidan Godley (144) and Bend sophomore Leif Larwin (175).
Crater, which won the last of its nine team titles in 2017, has 10 semifinalists. Heading into Saturday, the Comets have a meet-high 127 points, leading Thurston (113.5), Dallas (72.5), Redmond (71.5) and Canby (70.5).
“That's our goal,” Oliva said of the team title. “Crater has a legacy, and building back the reputation of Crater would be awesome. That would mean a lot to us.”
Oliva won both of his Friday matches by technical fall to improve his record to 39-1. He is unbeaten since dropping an 8-2 decision to junior Ryder Sprague of 6A West Linn in his second match of the season.
“It just shows that I'm all gas, no brakes,” Oliva said. “I'm just trying to prove a point that I'm one of the best in Oregon. I'm a lot better this year. Hard works pays off.”
Oliva said training against a wide variety of elite wrestlers in Crater's deep room has helped him meet the challenge of defending a state title.
“Everyone has a different feel,” he said. “It's pushed me to go harder because I know I have a target on my back.”
6A
West Linn and reigning champion Newberg – teams that held down the top two spots in the last two 6A tournaments – lead the standings heading into Saturday.
The Lions, who won their only team title in 2023, racked up 74.5 points to own a slight edge over the Tigers (72.5), ahead of third-place Grants Pass (55). West Linn and Newberg each qualified nine entries in the quarterfinals, followed by Roseburg and Sprague, with seven apiece.
Lions senior Oscar Doces, a two-time state champion, said his team needs contributions deep into the consolation rounds to overcome Newberg, which is going for a state-record 15th team title.
“Our JV guys, we expect a lot out of them,” Doces said. “They have to over-perform to get this team title. We've been talking about that. My sophomore year, the team was a little bit better, but our team is pretty good this year. I really believe in our team to get the win.”
Doces recorded a win and technical fall Friday to improve his record to 27-4. The champion at 126 as a sophomore and 138 as a junior, he is the only 6A wrestler going for a third title.
“You've just got to enjoy it that people come out hard after that first whistle,” Doces said. “This year I'm just trying to enjoy it and take it in. I'm a lot better this year. I had some setbacks this year – it's more personal – and I'm just trying to get back from that.”
Five other wrestlers kept their repeat title bids alive by advancing to the quarterfinals: Roseburg junior Drew Dawson (113), Newberg senior Gus Amerson (157), South Medford senior Bridger Foss (175), Lake Oswego senior Lusiano Lopez (215) and Nelson senior Dominic Macon (285).
Tualatin senior Logan Sunnell, the reigning champion and top seed at 190, lost in the first round by injury default to Forest Grove senior Preston Vandehey, who advanced to the quarterfinals.
Grants Pass senior Owen Hull, who won the title at 138 as a sophomore but missed the second half of his junior season after having knee surgery, moved on to the quarterfinals at 165, where he is the No. 1 seed.
“I'm just kind of grateful to be wrestling,” Hull said. “I'm enjoying it. It's my senior year and I'm just kind of letting it fly. My goal was to be a three-time state champion, but that obviously got taken away. It was kind of a bummer.”
Hull is 36-1 this season, his only loss coming against an Idaho wrestler. He said his knee is feeling “strong.”
“I'm wrestling well right now. I feel good,” Hull said. “It's kind of my redemption tour. A title would be great. That's what I'm going for. What's why I'm here.”
6A/5A girls
Dallas senior Polly Olliff and North Medford junior Skyler Hall stayed on course to become three-time state champions. Olliff, the No. 1 seed at 115, improved her record to 52-1 with two wins. Hall, the No. 2 seed at 105, also won twice to hike her mark to 25-3.
Nine champions from last year earned their way into the semifinals in Olliff, Hall, McKay senior Sarahi Chavez (100), Mountainside senior Layla Morris (125), North Medford senior Sadie Hall (130), Wells junior Zorina Johnson (130), Forest Grove senior Kennedy Blanton (140), Cleveland senior Isabel Herring (155) and Thurston junior Izabella Castlebery (190).
Top-seeded Liberty senior Bianca Miranda, who won the title at 235 last year, lost 2-1 in the quarterfinals to David Douglas sophomore Brooklyn Jackson, the No. 8 seed.
Olliff believes she has corrected her course after a disappointing 6-3 loss on Jan. 11 to Corvallis senior Jennifer Russell, the same wrestler who handed Olliff her only defeat last season.
“It showed me what I need to work on, and it showed me kind of their game plan,” Olliff said. “It helped me develop better as a wrestler. I learn more when I lose. In that match, I was so nervous and I got in my head, that I did not wrestle well at all.”
Olliff has beaten Russell three times this season – twice before the loss and 9-0 in the district tournament. Olliff said she was “better prepared” at district.
“I was calm, I was focused, and I was ready to redeem myself,” Olliff said.
Olliff and Russell could meet again in the state final. The fifth-seeded Russell recorded two pins Friday to earn a spot in the opposite semifinal against the No. 2 seed, Canby sophomore Emilia Ensrud.
“I know that she will be in the finals,” Olliff said of Russell.
North Medford's Hall sisters – Skyler and Sadie – moved closer to duplicating their titles, but might have to go through undefeated opponents in the finals to do it. Skyler is seeded second to Newberg sophomore Paisley Conway (28-0). Sadie is on the opposite side of the bracket from Wells' Johnson (27-0), the No. 2 seed.
Mountainside's Morris improved her record to 50-0 with two easy wins. After winning the title at 115 last year, she continues to dominate despite moving up two weight classes.
“I feel good about my progress,” Morris said. “A lot of it is mental. Mentally, I'm able to give an extra inch. It gives me the ability to push extra.”
Morris has not been seriously threatened this season.
“I think everyone has a fair chance, but I'm here to take what's mine,” Morris said. “I'm not worried about it. It feels like a lot of people are out to get me, want to beat me. But I want to be in the bracket with all the tough girls. I don't care.”
Dallas (57.5), Redmond (55) and reigning champion Thurston (52.5) top the standings heading into Saturday. Dallas and Redmond have the most semifinalists with five and four, respectively.
jerryu@osaa.org
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