CHAMBERLAIN VS. PORTER REDUX
CHAMBERLAIN VS. PORTER REDUX
The very last match fans will see at the All-Star dual will pit Jason Chamberlain, a junior out of Springville HS against senior Sean Porter of Davis High School.
This is a highly anticipated rematch of two of the most decorated wrestlers in the history of Utah wrestling. The pair met earlier in the season with Chamberlain securing a 2-1 win in the finals of the Layton Invitational.
Porter is a three-time state champion who is coached by his father Alan Porter. Porter is a three-time state champion seeking a rare feat, especially in the large 5-A classification, of becoming a four-time state champion. Porter has won numerous top tournaments over his career including the Layton Invitational, Rocky Mountain Rumble and Richardson Memorial to name just a few. He also placed at the Junior Nationals in Pittsburgh last spring.
Porter has lost just once this year in the aforementioned match versus Chamberlain. He has relatively few losses in his career, most of them his freshman season. Porter put together a great state tournament as a freshman and beat the field, including some wrestlers that had beat him previously during the year, in really dominating fashion. It became evident that Porter was a rising star. He won the next year moving up from 125 to 130 and he was named as the Outstanding Lower Weight wrestler for the state tourney his sophomore year. Last year he added his third state title at 140 pounds basically cruising through the weight.
Porter also plays football and was named as All-Region as a free safety for the Darts. Porter is an excellent student, great team leader and class competitor.
Chamberlain is seeking his third state title and is a junior. Amateur Wrestling News deemed him as “Utah’s best wrestler” in its fall edition. Chamberlain has done absolutely nothing to give critics of this statement any ammunition. Chamberlain has won the Layton Invitational, went undefeated at the Wasatch Duals and recently won the Reno Tournament of Champions (Reno TOC). He went 5-0 at the Reno TOC and was never really challenged. He wrestled at 135 at Reno but is expected to wrestle 140 for the rest of the season in an effort to help Springville’s overall effort in a quest for a team title.
Chamberlain is a Cadet All-American placing third at Fargo this past summer and freestyle might actually be his best style of wrestling. He is coached by Justin Judkins, who is in his third year at Springville HS. Chamberlain has lost only three matches in his prep career, two as a freshman and once last year when he was upset in the first round at Reno. However, Chamberlain bounced back after that defeat and won an incredible nine matches in a row to place third even beating the wrestler from Foothill, CA that beat him initially.
As a freshman Chamberlain lost a couple of matches to some seasoned seniors, one of which was a defending state champion. However, Chamberlain avenged those losses and pinned very tough Caleb Isom of Box Elder in his championship match as a freshman. Besides his match with Porter at Layton nobody has really challenged Chamberlain inside the state of Utah. Like Porter he does very well in the classroom and is a good team leader and competes with class and dignity.
In their first meeting at Layton, Chamberlain won a 2-1 match as Porter took a very tactical and mostly defensive approach to the match. Porter tried to work the edges of the mat effectively in an attempt to get Chamberlain to “chase him” and step into his attacks.
The first round ended 0-0 and Chamberlain chose neutral. Porter was called for stalling early in the round. Porter made a good leg attack which Chamberlain countered effectively to score a takedown late in the second round. Chamberlain was able to ride out Porter the rest of the round to stay ahead 2-0. Porter chose down and escaped relatively early in the round to make the score 2-1. Porter kept true to his tactics but Chamberlain played it smart. Desperate for a takedown Porter made one last attempt and time ran out with Chamberlain almost securing a last takedown. It was a great match and I would anticipate another exciting match in the All-Star Classic.
PORTER’S KEYS TO VICTORY: I honestly think Porter will change his tactics a bit. He is a very smart wrestler who wants to control the tempo and the mat space. He does this very well, especially against his tougher competition. He has good stuff on top but never got a chance to show it as Chamberlain chose neutral. The complexion of the match may take a different turn if Porter can get on top and use his wide array of turns and tilts. I don’t think Chamberlain will be willing to chase him to the edge so I think Porter will have to go more “toe-to-toe” with Chamberlain in the middle of the mat. Porter must have the confidence that he has the “mojo” to take Chamberlain down.
CHAMBERLAIN’S KEYS TO VICTORY: Chamberlain should come into this match feeling confident. He beat Porter at Layton and won the Reno TOC. I’m not sure that he will change up much from his initial strategy he applied at Layton. Chamberlain will try to stay in the center of the mat. He may choose neutral if given the choice since he is completely confident in his abilities there. But at the same time, he may choose down and see if he can get that extra point. Chamberlain does have the ability to ride and ride well but he won’t force the issue. If Porter goes down, he will cut him loose if there is any sign of trouble and take his chances on his feet.
WHAT TO EXPECT AND PREECE’S BOLD PREDICTION: In the first match, though the match was close at 2-1 I never got the sense after the initial takedown by Chamberlain that he was in trouble. In fact, he was about to takedown Porter at the end of the match. However, if the score is within a point anything can happen. I expect much of this match will again be in the neutral position. I think about over five and half minutes of their first match was from this position. I do think Porter will be more aggressive and the match might have more action and be less tactical. This would be great for the fans! I think both of these wrestlers are studs. I’m very good at prognosticating in general with the one exception being the All-Star dual where I seem to be no better or worse than anyone else who follows the sport. I might doom one of these wrestlers simply by picking them. But this is what I see. Again, both are tough and skilled but I have to go with CHAMBERLAIN in another nail biter and relatively low scoring match (2-1, 3-2 something like that). Chamberlain looked very tough at Reno and seems to be getting better and better. Besides I’m a 4-A guy at heart and live in Utah County, the home of the mighty Red Devils!