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More than he dreamt |
For Sam Schmitz, wrestling in high school came
after being cut from the school's basketball team |
By B. Scott Anderson, Newberg
Graphic sports editor
E-mail Scott at banderson@eaglenewspapers.com
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Upon entering high school, Sam Schmitz had
dreams.
Hoop dreams.
In middle school, Schmitz, who is vying for a state title in the
135-pound division of the Class 4A state tournament this weekend,
was a wrestler. He even won a district title. But things changed
upon his entrance into Newberg High School.
“I had wrestled for a long time and I wanted to try something
else,” Schmitz said. “I was a little burned out.”
That something else was basketball. He tried out for the boys team, but
was cut.
“I didn’t expect it,” Schmitz said. “It wasn’t like I had never been
around basketball. I wasn’t bad ... I don’t know.”
Faced with the prospect of not participating in a winter sport,
Schmitz returned to the sport he left behind in middle school. After
all, wrestling is physically demanding, arguably more so than any
other sport. Donning the headgear and singlet again didn’t exactly
excite Schmitz. He wasn’t sure he wanted to continue wrestling. The
only thing Schmitz knew for sure was that he wasn’t going to have
any fun.
“I think, honestly, that he knew it was hard and the only
legitimate out he had was to make the basketball team,” Newberg
coach Neil Russo said. “It was the only thing I couldn’t argue with
him about.”
Now, nobody can argue with Schmitz about wrestling. As the state’s
top-ranked 135-pounder, his wrestling resume is extensive. As a
freshman, he made Newberg’s starting lineup at 125 pounds. His first
matches came at Newberg’s own Earl Gillis Tournament, one of the top
dual meet tournaments in the state. Russo said he was apprehensive
about putting a freshman on the mat.
“I think he got beat up pretty good then,” Russo said. “He might
have won a match by rolling someone through and pinned him from his
own back. I know he got pinned that day. But you could see from
right there that he was athletic and that he had some skill.”
As Schmitz gradually improved, he qualified for the state
tournament, surprising himself.
“I think the only person that thought I was going to go was
(Russo),” he said. “I didn’t think I was, at that point in my
wrestling career, that I should be in the state tournament.”
At the tournament, Schmitz was eliminated in two matches. The
losses inspired him.
“I told myself that I’m going to do whatever I can so next year I
don’t do the same thing,” he said.
Schmitz committed to wrestling in the off-season. He wrestled all
summer, practicing in the sweltering Caffall Center. He also
competed in tournaments in Colorado and Montana. The hard work paid
off his sophomore year. Schmitz finished seventh at the state
tournament
“That kind of woke me up a little bit,” he said. “It meant that I
could do it. I just wanted to do better next year.”
Schmitz did that. A year later, he placed fourth in 130-pound
division — one of the toughest weight classes of the tournament. He
did so on a severely sprained ankle. Prior to the state tournament,
he was unable to practice for two weeks.
“It was tough on me,” Schmitz said. “For me to do that surprised
me, but also again, it was just like, ‘Wow. I can do it.’”
With a whopping eight seeded wrestlers in the weight class, most
people agreed that it was the toughest weight class in the
tournament, Russo said. Schmitz, the No. 8 seed, knocked off top
seed Justin Carter of Pendleton in the semifinals before eventually
finishing fourth.
“He’s a better athlete on one leg than most people he wrestles are
on two legs,” Russo said. “The things he added is some experience,
some technique and some strength to his wrestling. He has worked
hard in the weight room for the last four years and it’s paying
off.”
This season, Schmitz has dominated the competition. He has defeated
Redmond’s Austin Enoch, a wrestler who placed second at 135 last
season. Undefeated in Pac-9 Conference competition, Schmitz won the
district title with a 10-2 victory over Silverton’s Josh Dehererra.
At the state tournament, he’s the No. 2 seed, but doesn’t feel any
pressure to perform.
“You come into the state tournament with that kind of pressure on
you, it’s a lot to deal with, but I don’t think I have anything to
prove,” he said. “I think people know I can wrestle, but every time
I step out there I’ve just got to do what I’ve got to do.”
Capping off his high school career without a state title won’t be a
disappointment for Schmitz. He said he’s just glad to be there since
the majority of high school wrestlers never get the chance to hear
their name called in front of thousands at the state tournament.
“I’ve had a lot of success and I’ve learned a lot from the Newberg
program that I’ll take with me for the rest of my life,” he said. “A
state title is just a cherry on top. If I win, I win. If I don’t,
I’ll live.”
Schmitz hasn’t always possessed that kind of maturity. He went
through growing pains. Russo said he remembers when Schmitz’s
frustration would boil over and he throw “fits.” Russo said that
happened because Schmitz is so deeply competitive.
“He wants to win every drill that we have in the room,” Russo said.
“Sometimes he doesn’t react to not winning very well. He’s gotten
better at it out on the mat, he’s gotten better at it in the
(practice) room, but it’s something he needs to get better at.”
Schmitz realizes that his maturity level has improved in the last
four years because of wrestling.
“Wrestling makes a man out of you,” he said. “You have to fend for
yourself out there. Wrestling just teaches you how to do a lot of
you things.”
And that’s no dream.
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From
Feb. 19, 2005, Newberg Graphic
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