Entering last weekend’s 6A wrestling championships at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Lake Oswego junior Lusiano Lopez was the No. 8 seed in the boys’ 215-pound bracket.
By the numbers, Lopez wasn’t even favored to make it beyond the Saturday morning quarterfinal round, and the Laker took that personally.
“They gave me a bad seed. I got the number-one kid in my second match,” Lopez said. “So I just felt like I had an even bigger chip on my shoulder and I just wanted to go out there and take it.”
By the time the junior finished ripping apart the same bracket that slighted him, it was unarguable that he was the top 215-pounder in the 6A classification.
Lopez defeated top-seeded Isandre De La Torre of South Medford en route to the title, as well as fourth-seeded Matthew Tammad of Sandy and third-seeded Carter Bennett of Forest Grove.
And not only did Lopez defeat the three higher-seeded wrestlers, he dominated them, recording decisions of 17-10 and 8-1 over De La Torre and Tammad, respectively, before taking a 17-6 major decision win over Bennett in the final.
“I feel good. All the hard work I put in, all those 4 a.m. workouts, it all paid off,” Lopez said. “But I’m not finished. I want my next title, and I want nationals.”
After Lopez’s final match, the Three Rivers League and newly appointed state champion was greeted by a number of proud members of his inner circle.
And while the junior was one of just two wrestlers representing Lake Oswego at the state meet, he served as a powerful beacon for the Lakers on Saturday night.
Ultimately, Lake Oswego finished 27th in the team standings with 27 points, all contributed by Lopez.
“We’re coming back and we’re just gonna keep working,” Lopez said.
The junior’s championship match against Bennett was largely uneventful, as Lopez jumped out in front with three takedowns in the first round before holding on for a 17-6 major decision.
The real battle came in the quarterfinals against top-seeded De La Torre, as Lopez wrestled a tremendous two-way match, holding the South Medford wrestler without a single takedown while recording seven of his own.
While he entered the third period leading just 8-5, Lopez recorded three of those takedowns in the final round to secure a major upset win.
Still, the junior knew the title wasn’t won in the quarterfinals.
“I knew it was gonna be a hard tournament all the way through,” Lopez said. “But I wasn’t scared of anybody. I fear no one.”
As a result, the Laker continued to dominate, dispatching Tammad with two takedowns in the first two periods before controlling from start to finish against Bennett.
On Saturday, Lopez certainly looked more like a No. 1 seed than a No. 8 seed.
“I knew all my work would pay off, so I wasn’t nervous when I walked in,” Lopez said. “It’s just another tournament in my mind, and I just wanted it.”
Now, with another year of wrestling for Lake Oswego still to come, Lopez looks ahead to defending his title with a head full of steam.
Next season, the Laker won’t be coming as such a surprise.
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