Papermakers tame the Tigers

True grit on the wrestling mat helped the Camas Papermakers tame the Battle Ground Tigers 45-21 Wednesday, in a league match at Camas High School.

Freshman Jack Latimer got his Camas teammates fired up by rallying from six points down to tie the score going into the last round. He countered a takedown and locked in a near fall to win his match 12-9.

“He got us out of our chairs,” said teammate Dylan Ingram. “He definitely deserved it.”

Sophomore Brody Lukens delivered an encore for the Papermakers. He fought off of his back to tie the score, then took his opponent down and secured a 7-4 victory.

“We came in as the underdogs, but everybody wrestled really tough,” said Dominic Delgado. “It was just awesome seeing everybody wrestling really hard. All of our hard work in practice is paying off.”

Camas sophomore Quentin Adams and his opponent from Battle Ground wrestled to a 4-4 tie after the first two rounds. Adams was allowed to escape at the start of the final round to go up 5-4. He got taken down, turned it around and held on for a 7-6 victory.

“What won those matches for us was toughness,” said Camas head coach Cory VomBaur. “I don’t know what else to say other than they showed grit.”

Delgado and Sam Malychewski earned 7-2 victories for the Papermakers. Ingram and Jonathan Taylor pinned their opponents. Brendan Bramford, Triston Groth and Rylan Thompson won by forfeit.

“We really stepped up this week. A lot of us were able to put together good matches,” Ingram said. “Coach always says, ‘no matter how tough they are, we just got to be tougher.'”

Ingram won one of the biggest tournaments in his high school career at the Rose City Championships Dec. 11 and 12, in Portland, Oregon. And it wasn’t just for a medal. It was for a championship belt.

“I’m getting it framed,” Ingram said. “I thought it would be plastic, but it’s metal and leather. It’s the real deal. It’s pretty sweet.”

After pinning his first three opponents in the 32-man bracket, Ingram gained a 17-0 technical fall against Ricky Tilbury, of Aloha, Oregon, in the semifinals. Ingram then beat Wyatt Silvas, of Nampa, Idaho, 5-2 for the 220-pound championship.

“I’ve learned it’s not how you wrestle that one match, it’s how you prepare yourself in the days before,” Ingram said. “It’s just a great confidence booster. I’m ready to shoot for higher goals than I ever thought.”

Lacy Dunlop, Delany Dunn, Samantha Flannelly and Faith Hartman earned championship medals from the Pat Alexander girls wrestling tournament Saturday, at Tumwater High School. Thompson and Tanner Craig took second place in the boys tournament.

The Papermakers take a break from wrestling this week for the holidays. Ingram looks forward to the Pacific Coast Championships Jan. 1 and 2, at Mountain View High School.

“We’ve got a lot to prove on the mat, every day and every week,” Ingram said.

“I think this program is going to go far because of these coaches and the intensity,” Delgado added. “When people see the Camas name, we want them to say ‘that’s a great wrestling program.'”