Medford wrestlers churn out a little history at 6A state championships
Published 9:43 pm Sunday, March 2, 2025
South Medford senior Bridger Foss, right, puts the pressure on Glencoe's Isaac Reynoso in the 175-pound finals at the Class 6A boys wrestling state championships in Portland. (Angie Walters / for the Rogue Valley Times)
South Medford junior Isa De La Torre, left, fights to break free from Nelson's Dominic Macon in the 285-pound finals at the Class 6A boys wrestling state championships Saturday in Portland. (Kim Samitore / for the Rogue Valley Times)
North Medford junior Heston Likens, left, celebrates his win over Westview's Giovanni Silva in the 150-pound finals at the Class 6A boys wrestling state championships Saturday in Portland. (Angie Walters / for the Rogue Valley Times)
South Medford senior Bridger Foss, top, controls Glencoe's Isaac Reynoso in the 175-pound finals at the Class 6A boys wrestling state championships in Portland. (Angie Walters / for the Rogue Valley Times)
South Medford head coach James Schumack, left, congratulates Isa De La Torre after his championship win at 285 pounds Saturday at the Class 6A boys wrestling state championships in Portland. (Kim Samitore / for the Rogue Valley Times)
North Medford junior Heston Likens, top, works an arm bar against South Salem's Bridger Haider in the 150-pound quarterfinals Saturday at the Class 6A boys wrestling state championships in Portland. (Angie Walters / for the Rogue Valley Times)
South Medford senior Bridger Foss, top, flattens out Glencoe's Isaac Reynoso in the 175-pound finals at the Class 6A boys wrestling state championships in Portland. (Kim Samitore / for the Rogue Valley Times)
Foss, De La Torre become first South Medford duo to win state crowns in same year; North Medford’s Likens snaps title drought
South Medford made school history with two state champions and North Medford snapped a lengthy title drought to pave the way for a fantastic finish Saturday at the Class 6A boys wrestling state championships in Portland.
It was also the first year since the city split in 1986 that Medford generated champions from each of its large-class schools in the same state tournament.
South Medford senior Bridger Foss wrapped up a stellar career for the Panthers with his second straight state championship at 175 pounds, while junior 285-pounder Isa De La Torre sent shockwaves through Veterans Memorial Coliseum with a huge upset in his first trip to the finals.
Prior to each of those matches, North Medford junior Heston Likens (150) registered his school’s first championship effort since Wyatt Westfall went back-to-back at 170 pounds in 2015 and 2016.
Medford also produced a pair of third-place winners in Panthers junior Corbyn Schumack (190) and Black Tornado senior Joseph Borraggine (126).
“Three titles coming back to Medford, it’s just incredible,” said South Medford head coach James Schumack. “Likens is the nicest kid in the world and, I mean, Bridger, Isa, Corbyn, a lot of these guys up here, these are great, great kids and so deserving of things like this. They’re just as good of people as they are as wrestlers.”
The Panthers finished seventh in the team standings after totaling 123.5 points, and North Medford was 15th overall with 59.5 points. Newberg won the 6A team title with 229.5 points, followed by West Linn (202.5), Roseburg (145.5) and Sprague (134.5).
Grants Pass finished ninth (101) behind a first-place showing by Owen Hull at 165 pounds.
South Medford head coach James Schumack, left, congratulates Isa De La Torre after his championship win at 285 pounds Saturday at the Class 6A boys wrestling state championships in Portland. (Kim Samitore / for the Rogue Valley Times)
Foss and De La Torre were the first dual finalists for South Medford since 1989, when Les Gutches won a championship at 171 and heavyweight Mark MacDonald finished as state runner-up.
For Foss, Saturday marked his third straight trip to the state finals, and he displayed all the skill and confidence needed to come out on top in a 10-0 major decision over Glencoe’s Isaac Reynoso.
“Reynoso’s really a pretty fierce competitor and Bridger wrestled him in the semis last year,” said Schumack. “He’s a really flexible guy so I think there’s a little bit of caution — because he can squirm himself into some advantageous positions — but Bridger got after him and got some nice takedowns and started out with some good little flurries.”
“He started putting points on the board and kept it rolling as always,” he added. “I mean, the kid is a hammer on top, and he can just grind and wear down and really break a guy’s spirit.”
Foss went 46-0 last season to earn the Panthers’ first state title since Ian Taylor won at 215 in 2000, a feat he nearly accomplished as a sophomore before a last-second takedown cost him in the finals.
“We could have wrestled that match differently,” said Schumack, “and the last couple years Bridger’s had a different kind of fire. He really gets after it in the matches and builds a nice comfortable cushion, and rides them out. He breaks these kids.”
Foss, who finished 39-1 this season, scored three straight falls before an 8-0 major decision over West Linn’s Lucas Gray in the semifinals. Securing a win in the finals — in any fashion — was all that mattered in the end.
“There were probably a couple opportunities where he maybe could have turned him,” said Schumack, “but I don’t think we needed to force anything. Winning a 10-0 match in the state finals is plenty good enough.”
In fact, De La Torre proved that a one-point advantage is all that you need to take your spot atop a state podium when he eked out a 3-2 decision over reigning state champion Dominic Macon of Nelson.
The 5-foot-11, 255-pound De La Torre placed third at 215 pounds last year and faced a tall task in Macon, who has signed to play on the defensive line at the University of Washington and is listed at 6-3 and 315 pounds for football.
“It was really like slaying a giant,” Schumack said with a laugh. “Isa got out there and I think he took the right approach, really pulling, working, driving and making that big guy work. I think (Macon) kind of has his way with a lot of kids, but Isa is pretty resilient.”
“You could see there’s times where maybe another competitor would have quit,” added the coach, “but Isa kept building his base, kept working and kept grinding.”
Neither wrestler scored a takedown in the match, with every point coming by virtue of two escapes by De La Torre, a reversal by Macon and a stalling call against the Nelson wrestler.
The deciding point didn’t come without its dramatics, with De La Torre breaking the hold of Macon at the edge of the mat with about 13 seconds remaining.
“They went over to the edge of the mat and Isa was moving and moving and got separation right on the edge,” said Schumack.
Due to the close nature of the release, the two mat referees met in conference to discuss whether the go-ahead escape point should be awarded — a wrestler is still considered inbounds if any part of his body is still touching the inner part of the ring — before agreeing on the call.
“I think the whole arena was watching that match, because it kind of went silent while everybody was watching and observing what the call was going to be,” said Schumack. “I don’t know if it was 15 or 20 seconds, but it felt like an eternity while they’re over there discussing whether or not they’re going to give them this one point in a tied match with 13 seconds left. They finally hold up the one, and the whole arena went crazy.”
De La Torre was able to hold off Macon from there for his first state championship.
“It was incredible to win a state title, and taking down a guy that had been undefeated for the last two years was one heck of a way to do it,” said Schumack.
As the only other state placer for South Medford, Corbyn Schumack shook off nausea to battle back from a quarterfinal loss with four straight wins Saturday — two by fall in under 45 seconds, an 11-1 major decision that ended the run of senior teammate Caleb Dalke and a 6-4 decision over Glencoe’s James Rolla Camden Roofener in the third-place final.
“It’s just a great experience to see a wrestler do that and fight back and take third,” said coach Schumack, “and then a different feeling as a father to watch your son do that. You’re hopeful that they can get out there and they can grind their way back and do that, but not many people can.”
North Medford junior Heston Likens, left, celebrates his win over Westview’s Giovanni Silva in the 150-pound finals at the Class 6A boys wrestling state championships Saturday in Portland. (Angie Walters / for the Rogue Valley Times)
North Medford head coach Tony Champion noted privately Friday night that he felt good about Likens’ chances at a state championship, despite his spot as a No. 6 seed.
Likens started the day with an 8-0 major decision over South Salem’s Bridger Haider in the quarterfinals, then took down second-seeded sophomore Grayson Fabrycki of Sherwood by a 12-3 major decision in the semifinals.
In the finals against No. 1 seed Giovanni Silva of Westview, Likens was more than equal to the challenge by the junior Wildcat, who previously scored two first-period pins and two technical fall victories.
“It was an unbelievable match,” said Champion. “(Silva’s) kind of an awkward wrestler, but Heston kept it close. It was a 5-4 match going into the third round, and Heston just kept the pressure on him, and he got the fall.”
Likens’ pin came in 5:24, and set in motion a euphoric celebration.
“That was a big win,” said Champion. “We really wanted to get a boys state champ this year, so that’s a big deal for us. It’s the first one in many, many years.”
If that wasn’t enough emotion for North Medford on the day, Borraggine pulled off an impressive feat at 126 after essentially losing his first match of the tournament and churning out six consecutive wins to place third.
Borraggine capped his run with a pin in 3:11 over Newberg’s Kingston Meadors in the third-place final.
“Joe Borraggine really put on a show today,” said Champion. “To come back to take third, that was a real big one for us, and a lot of emotion there.”
Reach sports editor Kris Henry at khenry@rv-times.com or 458-488-2035
