Hofenbredl ends middle school wrestling career on high note

Tribal member Matthew Hofenbredl, a LaCreole (Dallas) Middle School eighth-grader and wrestler with the Dallas Mat Club, has concluded another wrestling season as first in the state in the 95-pound weight class of the Oregon Wrestling Association, said his father, Tribal member Leland Hofenbredl.

The finals took place in March.

Toward the end of March, during spring break, Matthew and his father traveled to Illinois to wrestle on the Oregon National team. He won "a couple of matches," said Leland, but suffered with a broken hand that happened "fooling around" the day before they left.

"I had his hand wrapped up for these matches," Leland said.

 "Both Oregon teams finished in Gold Division, the top division," said Leland. "This was Matthew's third trip to nationals," for sixth, seventh and eighth grades.

"He's the only kid so far to do that."

They came home for a week, and then headed south to Nevada for the Reno World Tournament, where Matthew made it to the semi-finals in the 89-pound bracket.

"He was fourth overall, out of 39 kids," said Leland.

By then, the hand was all healed, and the experience, Matthew said, was "good."

He'll continue to wrestle, he said, next year at Dallas High School.