HRV boys wrestling: It’s all Eagles at Rick Sanders Invite

HRV had three champions, including two in weight classes where the Eagles also finished second. That included at 150 pounds where Froylan Jr. Mendez beat teammate Abelardo Gomes-Gordian for the title with a 16-5 major decision. At 126 pounds, Connor Farlow pinned teammate Copeland Louis in the first round of the championship match. The Eagles’ other champion was at 144 pounds, where Leyton Adams won by fall over Alexander Ho of Parkrose in the second round. Adams and Farlow won four matches for HRV, scoring 27.5 team points apiece, and Mendez won three (24.5 points).

Hood River’s other placers (top four finishers) were all third-place efforts, where the Eagles battled back after suffering losses.

At 285 pounds, Omar Sedano-Perales won by fall over Edson Belizaire of Edmonds-Woodway (WA). Sedano-Perales lost his quarterfinal match to eventual champion Lutalo Quinn of Hudson’s Bay, but the HRV wrestler won fourth successive consolation matches — all by fall — to capture third place and score 22 team points.

Jacob Smith and Gabriel Vargas had similar routes. At 157 pounds, Smith lost a close 6-4 decision in the quarterfinals but won his four consolation matches (three by fall) to also score 22 team points and place third. Vargas lost in the quarterfinals to Tigard’s Joshua Sprague (the eventual winner), but he won four matches (three pins and a major decision) to place third at 132 pounds.

Hood River’s other third-place finishers were Drew Lukas at 120 pounds (4-1 record); Jesus Ortega-Lara (4-1) at 138; and Samuel Blosser (6-1) at 175. Blosser finished 6-1 at the tourney, recording five wins by fall. Lukas’ lone loss was to eventual champion Shae Morrison of Ida B Wells in the quarterfinals. The 138-pound champion, Nico Farinola of Portland’s Lincoln, was the lone wrestler to beat Ortega-Lara. Farinola was third in the 2024 Class 6A state tourney at 132 pounds.

Also winning at least one match for HRV were Octavio Calin (132 pounds); Camp Parker (2-2 at 132); Joshua McLaughlin (3-2 at 138); Issac Marshall (1-2 at 157); Jack McLaughlin (1-2 at 165); Owen Waits (1-2 at 175); Gabrial Inman (1-2 at 190); and Aiden Marquez (2-2 at 285).