Tribal members win two state wrestling titles

By Dean Rhodes

Smoke Signals editor

PORTLAND -- Grand Ronde Tribal members won two state wrestling titles on Saturday, Feb. 28, at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland.

Dallas High School senior Matt Hofenbredl avenged his loss last year to Christian Marquez of Hood River Valley by beating him for the 132-pound title during the Class 5A finals.

Hofenbredl captured his third state title, having won in 2012 and 2013. He became only the second Dallas High wrestler to win three state titles.

In 2014, Hofenbredl finished second to Marquez in the 126-pound competition, losing the match in overtime. This year, he beat Marquez with a dominant 7-1 decision.

Hofenbredl scored a second-round escape and takedown to take a 3-0 lead to start the third period. In the final round, he shot in on the legs of Marquez in the first 10 seconds to secure a takedown before he secured the victory with a takedown in the final seconds.

Hofenbredl finished his senior year wrestling for Dallas High with a 37-2 record.

In addition, junior Michael Reyes of Willamina High School won the Class 3A wrestling title at 126 pounds by defeating senior Elijah Conlon of Riverside High School for the second year in a row.

Reyes won last year’s state title at 120 pounds when he pinned Conlon. This year, he won a 14-2 major decision.

To begin the second period, Reyes started down and quickly reversed Conlon. He added two near fall points en route to the overwhelming win.

“I knew he was getting tired. He was wrestling sloppy,” Reyes said.  “I thought I had energy throughout the match. I think that broke him.”

Reyes finished the year with a 34-5 record.

Sadly, just as Hofenbredl was being announced as the winner, his mother sprinted in from the stands and on to the mat toward him. After a short conversation, the two then ran up toward Section 67 where a medical emergency was occurring.

Hofenbredl never made it to the awards podium to accept his championship as the entire Dallas High contingent quickly gathered their things and ran outside to its bus.

Hofenbredl’s 70-year-old grandfather, Larry of Grand Ronde, had collapsed and medical personnel were unable to revive him. He suffered a fatal heart attack.

“Grandpa Hofenbredl was a loyal supporter and contributor to the Dallas wrestling program from the roots to the tips,” said Dallas High wrestling coach Tony Olliff. “A lot of coaches got to coach and wrestlers got to travel because of his contributions. We would have preferred Matt’s third state title to be a 100-percent happy event for us, but we have no way of knowing if it might have been a 100-percent happy event for Grandpa Hofenbredl.”

Matt Hofenbredl later tweeted, “I can’t thank everyone enough who has been here for me and helped me.”

Includes information from The Oregonian, Yamhill County News-Register, Polk County Itemizer-Observer and Salem Statesman-Journal.