PORTLAND — Crook County knew how lofty its team points record was heading into this weekend’s Class 4A wrestling state championships.

The Cowboys were well aware how that record of 405.5 points they set last season is virtually untouchable. But a year after setting that mark, Crook County has another state record in its sights.

Of the 20 wrestlers they brought to Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Friday, the two-time defending state champion Cowboys advanced 10 to today’s championship semifinals and racked up 141.5 points — 61 more than second-place Henley but a far cry from the 180 Crook County posted on the first day at state last season.

Still, with 10 wrestlers in penultimate matches, the Cowboys are determined to crown at least seven state winners — a feat never accomplished by a team at any classification in OSAA history.

“Just work toward your individual goal, and everything else will take care of itself,” said the Cowboys’ Trayton Libolt, a reigning state champ and the top seed in the semis at 126 pounds. “There are tons of kids on the team that want to be individual state champions. We can get the record for most state champions in one tournament, which is six. I think we can beat that.”

Collbran Meeker, the 152-pound top seed, is on a path to a third state title. A pair of victories today would secure that championship and make Meeker one of just two Crook County wrestlers ever to claim three state crowns.

“I actually try not to think about it,” Meeker said. “I just try to focus on my next match. As much as I want to (win a third title), I try to put it in the back of my head. I’ve done a good job so far. Hopefully, I can keep it up.”

Also for the Cowboys, reigning state champion Trevor Rasmussen, the No. 1 seed at 220 pounds, advanced to the semifinals, as did top seeds Brendan Harkey (160 pounds) and Gunnar Robirts (195). The other five semifinalists for Crook County — Terran Libolt at 113, Hayden Bates at 138, Cole Ovens at 145, Ryder Shinkle at 170 and Clark Woodward at 182 — are No. 2 seeds, giving the Cowboys a deep pool of strong wrestlers as they make a run at that record of six state champions at one tournament.

“What a legacy it would be to set two state records two consecutive years and win three state championships while they were here,” Crook County coach Jake Huffman said. “It would just be an honor for me to be a part of it. But more than anything, it’s something those kids can keep with them for the rest of their lives.”

Also in the 4A tourney, after falling in the first round at 120 pounds, Madras’ Bryce Vincent won two straight matches to stay alive in the consolation bracket. Sisters’ Mitch Gibney, wrestling at 195, lost in the quarterfinals but rebounded to pin Hidden Valley’s Chase Allen in 19 seconds in the consolation bracket.

But the spotlight is on Crook County, which continues to strive for even more state records, even if the Cowboys played down their quest.

“I think a lot of us are just focusing on our personal goals,” Meeker said. “Whatever they tell us we accomplished at the end of the tournament we’ll be happy with, because you can only do so much.”

Although, Meeker laughed, the Cowboys are aiming to do as much damage as they can.

Panthers, Lava Bears strong on first day

Both Bend and Redmond advanced a pair of wrestlers to the Class 5A semifinals, as Jordan Gentner (195) and David O’Connor (285) look to break a stretch of 14 years without the Lava Bears crowning a state champ.

“I think it would be really big for our program to have a state champion,” Bend coach Luke Larwin said. “We’re going to continue to improve as a program, regardless if we have a state champion this year or not. But it’s always a great thing to have somebody who can win.”

Redmond’s Jacob Brauchler recorded a tiebreaker win in the 285-pound quarterfinals and will be joined in the semis by Panthers teammate and 145-pound No. 1 seed Mitch Willett, who logged back-to-back falls on Friday.

“There’s a lot of drive. I’ve put in a lot of work the last couple weeks,” said Willett, a fourth-place finisher here last season. “That gave me a taste of what the state championships are really like. Not anybody can just win it. You’ve got to put in the work.”

Mountain View’s Caleb Duhn, the top seed at 106, makes a return trip to the semifinals and will aim for two more wins today to give the Cougars their first-ever state champ. Summit’s Grant Leiphart escaped with a 7-5 victory in a 145-pound quarterfinal matchup.

Through Friday’s matches, Dallas sits atop the 5A standings with 96.5 points, 3.5 points ahead of Hermiston, the 5A state champ seven of the past eight years. Redmond is seventh with 55 points, and Bend is tied for 10th with 37 points.

Familiar name highlights Hawks

More than 25 years have passed since La Pine’s last — and only — individual state wrestling champion was crowned. But at Memorial Coliseum, the Hawks are poised to snap that drought. That La Pine wrestler’s name might ring a bell: David Kerr, the No. 2 seed in the Class 3A 106-pound bracket, is the son of La Pine coach Dave Kerr, the lone Hawk ever to have won a state title.

The younger Kerr recorded back-to-back tech falls to reach the semifinals. And he is two victories away from bringing another individual state championship to La Pine, which is 10th in the 3A standings with 28 points, 54 points behind first-place Nyssa.

“It’s bittersweet,” said Dave Kerr, the first-year La Pine coach and a 1989 champion. “It’s been so long, but at the same time, I think there’s an opportunity for him, and I’m just here to support him. Regardless of what happens, I’ve always told him to give me your best. If he ends up winning a state title in the process, to me that’s just as good as giving me everything he has and comes off the mat losing. I’ve never asked anything more.”

Bulldogs aim for eighth

A strong opening day has Culver set up to make a run at its eighth Class 2A/1A state championship in nine years, as seven of the Bulldogs’ 15 wrestlers advanced to the semis.

“We’re surviving,” said Culver coach J.D. Alley. “I think there’s a couple matches that we’d like to have back, but that’s wrestling. You’re not going to put your whole team in the finals, I don’t care who you are. It’s about how you deal with adversity (in the consolation brackets), how your teammates rally around you and all those kinds of things.”

The Bulldogs, who with 40 points hold a 16-point lead on second-place Lowell, boast three reigning state champs in the semifinals, including Marco Retano at 126 pounds and two-time state winners Tucker Davis (138) and Clay McClure (160).

“It’s our last hurrah, but it’s the same stuff we’ve been doing all year,” McClure said. “We just see this as another tournament. For me personally, it’s big for me. I want to go out with a bang. I don’t want anyone to beat me. I don’t want anyone to score on me. Teamwise, it’s just another tournament, and we’ll do our best.”

— Reporter: 541-383-0307, glucas@bendbulletin.com.