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Prep Wrestling: Oregon powerhouse plucks ex-Titans Doyle, Tausch

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Colt Doyle and Andrew Tausch helped the Poway High wrestling team put together one of its best seasons in school history in 2015. Now the duo hopes to bring a national championship to Clackamas Community College in Oregon.

Doyle and Tausch both received scholarships to wrestle for the powerhouse Cougars, which have won back-to-back national dual meet championships, back-to-back region championships and last season finished runner-up in the National Junior College Athletic Association national championships.

“It is kind of weird that we are going from the No. 2 high school in the state to being the No. 2 college in the nation,” said Tausch, who took sixth at the CIF State Wrestling Championships last season.

The two Poway products are part of a stellar recruiting class for the Cougars.

“Our team, alumni and fans are all really excited about the additions we have made over the past several months including a very big commitment here recently by Colt,” Clackamas coach Josh Roden said, according to a release. “We look forward to a very exciting year of wrestling and pushing hard to stay among the elite in wrestling at the junior college level.”

Clackamas Community College is about 30 minutes outside of Portland. It is a big difference in weather compared to San Diego, as the rain falls often in that area of Oregon. But Doyle said he is not worried about it.

“I don’t think adjusting to the weather and life out there will be too hard,” he said. “I am there for a couple of things: education and wrestling. Those are the two main things I am concerned about.”

Doyle is coming off one of the best two-year runs ever put together by a Titan wrestler. He went 46-0 last season, capturing his second straight state title at 160 pounds. He is just the third wrestler in Poway history to win two state titles. Doyle also set the school record for consecutive wins with 51.

He chose Clackamas Community College over Iowa Central Community College.

“It was definitely a big decision,” Doyle said. “In Iowa I might have gotten more exposure to Division I schools possibly and you are around Iowa and Iowa State and big-time wrestling. But it just seems like Clackamas is a better fit. It was not an easy decision.”

Doyle is aiming to become a national champion while at Clackamas. The end goal is to transfer to a Division I college and become an All-American.

“I think I will be there for two years and then transfer out to a Division I program and continue to pursue wrestling,” he said. “That is the main thing, to go Division I and have a chance to become an All-American.”

Meanwhile, Tausch will likely redshirt his first year due to an injury. He had to have Tommy John surgery on his elbow after injuring it during the state dual meet championships about a month after the CIF State Wrestling Championships.

“I am out for another six weeks or so,” Tausch said. “So I am redshirting and then my sophomore year I really want to be an All-American or win nationals. And I want the team to be national champs both years. Then I really want to go to Iowa and wrestle for coach (Tom Brands).

Doyle and Tausch will be living together in an apartment across the street from campus. Both agreed that having each other there will help them adjust to college wrestling.

“I am definitely glad he is going,” Doyle said. “It will definitely be easier adjusting with somebody I am comfortable with and worked out with the last couple of years. We know how to push each other and what works for each other.”

Said Tausch: “It is definitely going to make everything a lot better having Colt there. We have gone through a lot together already and we are going to be going through the same thing we have been the last four years.”

Doyle and Tausch will be leaving for Oregon on Aug. 27.

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