Of the 12 Redmond High wrestlers headed to this weekend’s Class 5A state championships in Portland, only half of them have been there before.

But those making their first trip look at the banners around Redmond’s wrestling room and want to make some history of their own.

Redmond heads to Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum Friday and Saturday red hot after winning the Special District 4 title at Hermiston. Defending state champion Hermiston had won its district 10 consecutive years prior.

“That’s something we can build on the next couple weeks,” coach Kris Davis said. “It’s important to have confidence. I think our kids are wrestling at a pretty high level.”

The wrestlers were jubilant when they defeated Hermiston, which was in a different district the last time Redmond won a district title in 2013.

“Everybody came down from the bleachers,” said sophomore Landon Robinson. “It was such a good moment.”

Robinson is among the newcomers going to Portland. He qualified by finishing second at district in the 106-pound weight class, losing in the final against Ryan Zeller of Hood River Valley.

Robinson hopes his performance will springboard him to the top four at state. He recently moved to Redmond from Florence, but wrestled for Davis when he was younger.

“I think we can win state if everyone performs well,” Robinson said. “We’ve been working hard lately, and everybody’s been doing well, so I think it’s definitely possible.”

Jacob Curry, a 120-pound sophomore, heads into his first state meet with a district title, defeating teammate Jack McEathron in the final. He hopes to make the final at state.

Curry said he thought he would make it to Portland in 2016, but was upset by a wrestler he had beaten before.

“I feel like it’s going to take some grit,” he said.

Stayton Howard will make his first state appearance as a senior after reaching the district final at 195 pounds, where he lost to teammate Bunker Parrish. He feels confident after defeating the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds at the district tournament.

He also likes how the team is wrestling, giving the Panthers a good chance to top 2016’s sixth-place finish.

“Seeing as how we beat a team that hadn’t lost their district in 10 years and being state champs so many years, I think we have a chance of placing top 3 at state,” Howard said.

Junior John Crivellone wants to perform well again after finishing third at 182 pounds at the district meet.

“I know 182’s got some tough guys at state, but I think we’ll do pretty well,” he said.

Curry said the wrestlers who have state experience, including two-time champion Mitchell Willett and Mario Nonato, who placed third in his weight class last season, have been helpful in preparation.

“Just don’t be nervous,” Curry said of the advice they offer. “They said just wrestle and have fun; don’t crack under pressure.”

Robinson does not plan to crack.

“I’ve been to national tournaments, and I’ve watched state since I was a little kid,” he said. “I’m not really nervous; I know what it’s going to be like. I just want to go out there and compete.”

The wrestlers should be ready, whether they’ve competed at state or not, Davis said.

“A lot of these kids have seen these kids at different tournaments,” he said. “They know what the competition is, they know how they stack up. It’s just a matter of execution.”

— Reporter: 541-548-2186, gfolsom@redmondspokesman.com