By Joe O’Leary, The Mountain Times
Every year as fall turns to winter, countless athletes around the Sandy area prepare to quickly transition from one sport to the next. Amongst the wide array of different sports multi-sport student athletes that compound together, perhaps no transition is harder than playing football in the fall and wrestling in the winter. These two sports each present unique physical demands, yet are very often paired together among male student athletes.
On Nov. 8, the Sandy High School football team enjoyed its first playoff win in 26 years: a 39-16 home win in the first round of the Columbia Cup tournament over McMinnville. Amidst the celebration, the team braced itself for a five hour road trip to face South Medford in the next round of the state’s 6A lower bracket.
“You know, hopefully it’ll be fun, there’s just not a lot of time. After this week, wrestling starts. I just got to be ready to go straight into it [when football ends]. That’s what I’ve always done,” Sandy senior tight end and wrestler Jared Scott said. For Scott and several of his football teammates who also wrestle, the prospect of football in the middle of November changes nothing at all.
“I’m going to be wrestling at 215 pounds – I’m 235 pounds right now. I’m going to be doing lots of cutting, not fun. It’s work, but I’m ready,” Scott said. Scott, who stands at 6-foot-4, has played a crucial role for the football team this year. The player typically acts as something of a sixth lineman for the Pioneer’s offense. Simultaneously, Scott starts at defensive end. At his towering size, Scott’s physical prowess and wrestling background make him a great “lineman by trade.” But the senior’s ability to move for his size definitely adds something to his game as a receiver at tight end.
“I like to think I’m quick for my size. I’m pretty athletic for how big I am. I’ve been wrestling and playing football my whole life. For wrestling, I’ve been at a club that’s very superior in the state of Oregon. So I’ve had great coaches by my side growing up,” Scott explained. Last year, Scott wrestled as a heavyweight, meaning a great deal of the wrestlers he faced were significantly larger than him. This time around, Scott will be wrestling down a bit, and the four months of football conditioning will likely do him a great service against naturally lighter and possibly more athletic competition.
“I’d like to win districts and place in the top five at state. We did that my sophomore year, it felt electric – I want to do that again,” Scott said. As fall turns to winter and Scott switches from manhandling opponents on the football field to competitions on the mat, the knowledge that this is the final year making this yearly transition is something he’s keenly aware of. This inescapable reality, however, has failed to throw Jared Scott off course.
“I’m going to miss it. Both sports, but especially wrestling. Just the weekend tournaments with the team. You know, staying in the hotels, hanging out, going to dinner. Those friendships are really something special. Obviously I love to compete too – it’s all business this year,” Scott said.