Ridgefield’s Newburn is small-school wrestler seeking county title

“It would definitely be awesome to have a Clark County championship,” Newburn said. “It’s not as big as winning state, but it’s definitely really cool.”

There are no school classifications at Clark County. Small-school athletes go up against big-school athletes. May the best wrestler in each weight class win. Winner take all. A year ago, though, not a single Class 2A or 1A wrestler won a county title in the boys tournament.

Newburn, a home-school student, hopes to win one for the small schools.

“Everybody knows who you are,” Newburn said. “With Ridgefield being a small town, everybody likes watching the guys win.”

Newburn has been wrestling since he was in the fourth grade. He had been looking forward to the Clark County tournament for a couple years before his debut last year, when he lost in the finals at 106 pounds. This year, he wrestles at 113.

One of the biggest draws to this tournament is familiarity. The brackets are filled with friends.

“I already know everyone from all the schools,” Newburn said. “I’ve either wrestled them before or gone to club with them. We’re all there to win. It’s a pretty good title to have, Clark County champion. That’s bragging rights if you have that.”

That is what makes this tournament special.

“Everybody is close-knit, so they all know how good of a tournament this is,” Newburn said.

Those in the wrestling community also know the talent that Newburn brings to the mat.

“I did good when I was little. Everybody could tell I knew what I was doing,” Newburn said. “But in the eighth grade, I really started to pick it up.”

He hopes to wrestle in college one day, and he said wrestling has helped him prepare for a number of things outside of athletics.

“It makes you a hard worker,” he said before relaying one of the sport’s mantras: “If you’ve wrestled before, everything else in life is easy.”

Those who want to excel at wrestling must commit to the sport.

Ridgefield coach Kim Simmons described Newburn as “mature for his age,” an athlete who does not need to be motivated by others. Besides wrestling for Ridgefield, Newburn also trains with the Southwest Washington Wrestling Club.

“He puts in nine practices in a seven-day week,” Simmons said.

Newburn does not lose often, but when he does, it fuels him. Second place at Clark County? Sixth at state? Not good enough for him.

“I felt I should have placed a little higher at state, so it made me work a lot harder in the offseason,” Newburn said.

While the results at Clark County do not have any postseason implications, Newburn said the event is kind of like the unofficial start to the run-up to Mat Classic.

“Clark County definitely gets you ready,” he said.

Trevor Newburn just hopes this is his year to have the county bragging rights. Then he can focus on the rest of the season.