Wrestling. Football. Championships.
For Glencoe seniors Camden Roofener and Brody Sahlfeld, along with junior Isaac Reynoso, these aspects — in addition to camaraderie, dedication, and relentless motivation — seem to intertwine effortlessly.
The impressive trio of grapplers from the Crimson Tide, who recently wrapped up a successful football season where they played pivotal roles in Glencoe’s Northwest Oregon Conference title win, have seamlessly continued their momentum into wrestling.
Just last week, at the Pacific Conference district wrestling tournament hosted at Liberty High School, Reynoso, Roofener, and Sahlfeld all clinched individual titles, marking their second consecutive district wrestling championship wins.
“It means a lot. We have a picture up in our athletic training office of the three of us after we won last year, and we really wanted to go out and repeat that,” Reynoso stated following his narrow 4-3 victory against Forest Grove’s Brandon Cook in the 175-pound district championship match. “We’ve been pushing each other all season, training in the weight room, going to practice, just doing everything we could to get to that level of getting another district championship under our belts.”
“It means a lot, coming back,” Sahlfeld remarked after securing a thrilling victory over Newberg’s Austin Phillips in the 285-pound district title match. “I won district last year, but it was even harder this year. The other competitors were tougher, so yeah, it means a lot.”
“It’s just special. It’s hard to describe,” Roofener shared after pinning Sherwood’s Andres Hernandez in the 190-pound district championship bout. “I’ve put in a lot of work to get here. Obviously, we’re not done, but it just feels good to achieve this again.”
The motivation to achieve this title again was palpable among the Glencoe trio.
“Yeah, you have that expectation now, and you have to hold yourself to it,” Roofener commented. “The whole tournament I was like, ‘You have to get that.’”
One significant factor that aided in obtaining yet another district wrestling title is their football experience.
“In my opinion, football and wrestling correlate with each other a lot,” Reynoso explained. “You have to be extremely aggressive in both sports, and the stamina from wrestling carries over to football in terms of running, aggression, tackling, and hitting. You just need to attack, hit and move. You need to be a beast in both sports.”
“Football really aids in wrestling,” Roofener added. “It keeps me fit and competitive. I didn’t start playing football until I was a freshman, and that really translated to wrestling, especially the blocking and tackling involved. They complement each other nicely.”
This past 2024 football season, during which Glencoe posted a commendable 7-3 record, all three of these district wrestling champions contributed significantly on the field.
Sahlfeld, who is set to play college football at Central Washington University, was honored as the NWOC Offensive Lineman of the Year, in addition to being named a first-team all-conference selection at offensive lineman and a second-team choice on the defensive line. He was also recognized as a Class 5A second-team all-state honoree on the offensive line.
“They definitely help each other,” Sahlfeld noted regarding the relationship between football and wrestling. “I’ve been wrestling since I was really young and started football my freshman year. My experience with tackling and body positioning has really benefited me.”
Roofener, who has received offers from George Fox University and Lewis & Clark College to play football, earned first-team all-NWOC honors both as a tight end and on the defensive line. He was recognized as a second-team all-state tight end and received honorable mention for his defensive line performance.
Reynoso garnered first-team all-NWOC accolades and received honorable mention as an all-state linebacker.
“They greatly enhance one another. I believe that if you play football, you should also wrestle, and vice versa,” Reynoso asserted, who also competes in hurdles for the Glencoe track and field team. “I was raised to be a three-sport athlete. This way, you’re well-rounded and active year-round.”
Ian Reynoso, Isaac’s father, is a firm believer in this philosophy as well.
At Glencoe High School, Ian Reynoso serves as the head football coach while also taking on the role of assistant wrestling coach. He is passionate about fostering multi-sport athletes, stating, “I think it’s a huge testament to developing multi-sport athletes. Football and wrestling are both extremely combative sports. You have to be physical, physically developed, muscular, strong, explosive. You have to be tough. You have to be willing to put yourself through stuff that a lot of people aren’t willing to do.”
Isaac Reynoso kicked off the district championship matches for Glencoe last Monday, facing off against Brandon Cook. After a scoreless opening round, he took control with a takedown that propelled him to a 3-0 advantage with just 34 seconds left in the second round.
Reynoso then extended his lead to 4-0 with another takedown before Cook managed to score a takedown of his own with only 12 seconds remaining. Reynoso successfully defended against Cook’s efforts for the remainder of the match, ultimately securing a 4-3 win.
Camden Roofener performed dominantly in his own 190-pound title match, executing three takedowns before achieving a fall just 57 seconds before the match concluded.
“Isaac winning motivated me,” Roofener shared. “Then, coming back and watching Brody was amazing.”
Brody Sahlfeld achieved the most thrilling victory among his teammates. In a nail-biting finish with Phillips, he was locked in a 1-1 tie as the final seconds of the third round ticked away. With just 16 seconds left, Sahlfeld executed a throw-down takedown and pinned Phillips eight seconds later to clinch the win.
“I just really had to focus and channel my last energy, because I was like, ‘This is a win-or-die moment,’” Sahlfeld reflected on those last moments. “I just had to get it.”
“Definitely, there was some pressure there. After I saw Camden win, I knew I had to get it done as well,” Sahlfeld added. “It definitely motivated me, because I wasn’t going to let them have that over me.”
When Sahlfeld secured his victory, confirming a perfect 3 for 3 record for Glencoe in the finals, the jubilant cheers from Isaac Reynoso and Roofener were undoubtedly the loudest.
“It means a lot. I’ve been with these two for a long time,” Reynoso expressed. “Our dads are all coaches, and we’ve been together wrestling since we’ve been in elementary school. We’ve been pushing each other, and to get this two times in a row with these amazing guys is a blessing.”
“We’re a pretty tight group,” Roofener noted. “We’ve been friends forever.”
“It’s very special,” Sahlfeld added. “We’ve been together through everything — sports and activities. It’s really tightened our bond a lot.”
Isaac Reynoso, Roofener, and Sahlfeld are all set to participate in the Class 6A state tournament, scheduled for February 28-March 1 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, alongside their prior state tournament experience.
Last season, Reynoso finished fifth in the 175-pound division, Roofener secured fourth at 190, and Sahlfeld took fifth at 285.
This year, they are all vying for higher honors.
“To my understanding, we’re all trying to win it,” Isaac Reynoso stated. “We’re all going for state championships this year, to do something that hasn’t been done at Glencoe in a long time.”
“I’m hoping to win state this year — that’s my goal,” Roofener shared.
“I’m ready to win state,” Sahlfeld declared. “It’s going to be a hard two weeks, and I’m going to have to push myself.”
Adding to the Glencoe contingent are other automatic state tournament qualifiers — Noel Wood, who placed third at 165, and Brock Sahlfeld, who also placed third at 285 — both athletes are part of the football roster at Glencoe.
It appears that the Glencoe football-wrestling connection is here to stay.
“I joined the wrestling staff because of (Crimson Tide head coach) Jason Harless,” Ian Reynoso explained. “My first year on the staff (2022-23 season), we had 22 freshman wrestlers on the team, and 21 were football players. I think seven or eight of our placers here tonight are football players. That’s super awesome to see. Our two 175s are football, our two 190s are football, our two heavyweights are football.
“It’s really fun to see these guys continue their success from football, and it’s going to happen spring, too, when they go on to their spring sports.”
