Battle royale expected for title

For Class A wrestlers in western Montana, the divisional tournament has been an event in flux the last couple of seasons.

Two years ago, the Western A divisional featured eight teams.

Last year, there were nine.

The 2005 event, today in Polson, has been trimmed down to a more manageable five schools and is now called the Northwestern A divisional.

"I like this format," said Polson coach Bob Owen.

"Four divisions (in Class A) now instead of three. Each division will send four kids (to state in each weight class)."

Because the Western A divisional was the largest in previous years, it sent five wrestlers in most weight classes and six in a couple more.

"It puts a little more pressure on everybody," said Columbia Falls coach Wes Knutson.

"Before if you slipped up a little bit, you could still go (to state). You could come back and get fifth, some weight classes sixth. You don't have the option anymore."

Just because four teams have been eliminated from the divisional, don't look for the quality of competition to diminish.

Four of the teams in Northwestern A are ranked in the top 10 - Libby is third, Polson fourth, Whitefish sixth and Columbia Falls ninth.

Ronan is not ranked.

The other three Class A divisions can't match that.

"It always seems like we have the toughest division," said Owen.

Libby and Polson appear to be the two favorites, but Columbia Falls and Whitefish will present stiff challenges.

Libby has won this event the last two years and three of the last four.

"I think it will be a pretty good donnybrook between them and us," said Owen.

"We lost to them twice; both were pretty tight."

The Loggers have fashioned another outstanding season on the mats, going 13-2 in duals. The losses were to Class AA Flathead and Columbia Falls.

The last four seasons, Libby is 60-9 in duals. That includes a 17-1 mark one year ago.

"We should be a tougher tournament team than a dual team," said Libby coach Jay Graham. "In years back, we were a better team in duals than this year."

Although Libby features a solid lineup, it has several outstanding individuals in the upper weights.

Travis Hjort is the top ranked wrestler in Class A at 215 pounds. Jake Graham, the coach's son, is No. 2 at 189.

Hjort and Seth Cummings, 135, are returning divisional champions.

Kyle Ames, 119, was a divisional champ two years ago.

Steve Bertelsen, 145, and Jake Spencer, 171, were divisional runners-up last year while Jake Graham finished third.

Polson has three divisional champs back in Kevin Owen, 171, Logan Kugler, 160, and Kaine Zetterberg, 130.

Owen will be going for his fourth divisional title. He has previously won at 135, 140 and 160.

If Owen succeeds, he will be just the second Pirate to have won four. Ryan Johnson was the first to do it (1995-98).

Owen, who has also won the Rocky four times, is still searching for his first Class A state championship, however.

He currently has a record of 36-1 and holds the PHS career win record at 134. He has lost only 10 matches.

Zetterberg, a two-time divisional winner, was a runner-up last year. He leads the team in pins with 19.

Polson finished fifth at divisionals a year ago and qualified only eight for state. Despite being shorthanded, the Pirates took second at state.

"The least I qualified in a long, long time," said coach Owen.

"I'm hopeful we can get 13-14 kids in there (this year). That's probably a little optimistic, but I think that's a possibility."

Aric Tarr, a two-time state champ, is the lone returning divisional champ for the Wildcats. He will wrestle at 119.

Tarr, who was unbeaten his sophomore and junior seasons (61-0), enters this event with a mark of 26-3.

Overall, Tarr, a senior, is 100-13.

Cory Pete, also at 119, was third at the divisionals last winter along with Keyvin Walter, 130, Dalvin Averill, 135, Ryan Buck, 145, Nik Caron, 189, and heavyweight Tommy Church.

Church leads the team in pins with 18.

"We're hoping to be right in the thick of it along with everyone else," said Knutson.

"Libby has been looking very strong down the stretch."

Columbia Falls won a divisional title in 2000.

Whitefish has two returning divisional champions in Danny Neff, 112, and Kevin Kaltschmidt, 119.

Last year Whitefish came into the divisional as the fifth seed, and wound up taking second place. It was the highest finish ever for the Bulldogs at that event.

"I'm excited," said Whitefish coach Pat Cheff for this year's divisional.

"It's go time."

Cheff said the team has wrestled banged-up the last few weeks, "but we're ready to go (now)," he said.

Wrestling begins at 11 a.m. today. The consolation finals are set for 5 p.m. with the championship finals an hour later.

Northwestern A Divisional

Today at Polson, 11 a.m. start

Lineups

Columbia Falls

98 - Clayton Patterson, fr., 9-14; 105 - Cody Kolodejchuk, fr., 15-7; 112 - open; 119 - Aric Tarr, sr., 26-3; and Cory Pete, jr., 14-7; 125 - Michael Hader, fr., 13-3; and Bo Hader, so., 5-5; 130 - Keyvin Walter, sr., 10-7; and Derek Pepperling, fr., 0-0; 135 - Dalvin Averill, jr., 20-10; 140 - Bobby Opp, jr., 17-9; 145 - Ryan Buck, sr., 19-7; 152 - Brighton Hollis, sr., 5-15; 160 - Calvin Williams, sr., 7-7; 171 - Matt Sauter, fr., 0-2; 189 - Nik Caron, sr., 12-6; 189 - Jesse Woodward, fr., 5-13; 215 - A.J. Taylor, fr., 2-14; Hwt - Tommy Church, sr., 21-8.

Libby

98 - Logan Ricke, 5-13; 105 - Loran Nelson, 11-15; 112 - Trevor Kelly, 3-16; 119 - Kyle Ames, 15-5; and Porter Nelson, 6-7; 125 - Matt Roberts, 16-13; 130 - Boomer Peek, 25-9; and Derek Carpenter, 6-3; 135 - Seth Cummings, 23-6; and Andrew Elliott, 4-3; 140 - Tim Spencer, 10-8; and Hunter Gragert, 6-12; 145 - Steve Bertelsen, 20-12; 152 - Nils Unger, 28-8; 160 - Reece Gassett, 8-15; 171 - Jake Spencer, 24-5; 189 - Jake Graham, 31-5; 215 - Travis Hjort, 21-5; and Hwt - Tyler Goff, 17-12.

Whitefish

98 - Phillip Murphy, fr., 6-19; 105 - Cody Morris, fr., 5-9; 112 - Danny Neff, so., 11-3; 119 - Kevin Kaltschmidt, so., 19-10; 125 - open; 130 - Matt Starr, fr., 15-14; 135 - Pete Starr, sr., 19-12; 140 - Cody Mikesell, jr., 17-8; 145 - Brad Watterud, jr., 26-8; 152 - David Lautaret, sr., 16-8; and Brad Kuntz, jr., 14-11; 160 - Matt Krause, jr., 8-4; 171 - Tim Lehner, jr., 21-10; 189 - Matt Mangold, sr., 18-10; 215 - Kyle Burns, jr., 7-15; Hwt - Troy Parker, jr., 17-6.

Class A

Coaches Poll

Team

1. Sidney. 2. Havre. 3. Libby. 4. Polson. 5. Anaconda. 6. Whitefish. 7. Frenchtown. 8. Hardin. 9. Columbia Falls. 10. Dillon.

Individual

98 - 1. Josah Stedman, Frenchtown. 2. Shane Ludwick, Polson. 3. Chad Ranes, Havre. 4. Seth Clark, Ronan. 5. Keith Anderson, Anaconda. 6. Aaron Ladd, Glendive.

105 - 1. Jesse Obergfell, Sidney. 2. Dustin Hanson, Anaconda. 3. Logan Torgison, Polson. 4. Beau Nordahl, Frenchtown. 5. Billy Wagner, Havre. 6. Cody Kolodejchuk, Columbia Falls.

112 - 1. Brandon Uffelman, Hardin. 2. Kevin Fischer, Anaconda. 3. Matt Cellmer, Laurel. 4. Conlin Benson, Polson. 5. Lance Kuylen, Sidney. 6. Chris Bick, Frenchtown.

119 - 1. Brandon Stedman, Frenchtown. 2. Aric Tarr, Columbia Falls. 3. Joe Carlson, Glendive. 4. Kyle Ames, Libby. 5. Nate Harada, Havre. 6. Stephen Fiestner, Polson.

125 - 1. Ryan Hecker, Sidney. 2. Josh Henderson, Frenchtown. 3. Colby Wolfenden, Polson. 4. Beau LaSalle, Havre. 5. Jeryd Richman, Anaconda. 6. Michael Hader, Columbia Falls.

130 - 1. Byron Kuylen, Sidney. 2. Kaine Zetterberg, Polson. 3. Marcus Lussy, Anaconda. 4. Boomer Peek, Libby. 5. Sol Dubose, Corvallis. 6. Keyvin Walter, Columbia Falls.

135 - 1. Mike Hipple, Havre. 2. Craig Dunn, Sidney. 3. Seth Cummings, Libby. 4. Tyler Tennant, Glendive. 5. Leo Pluhar, Miles City. 6. Tucker Vizina, Dillon.

140 - 1. Doug Copeland, Sidney. 2. Cody Mikesell, Whitefish. 3. Mike Lewis, Hamilton. 4. Bobby Opp, Columbia Falls. 5. Dustin Lemon, Lewistown. 6. Kevin Miller, Dillon.

145 - 1. Dustin Scotten, Lewistown. 2. Brad Watterud, Whitefish. 3. Matt Dow, Glendive. 4. Derek Fritz, Sidney. 5. Brock Anderson, Hamilton. 6. Steve Bertelsen, Libby.

152 - 1. Jeff Brokaw, Hardin. 2. David Lautaret, Whitefish. 3. Dan Collins, Sidney. 4. Colter Pierce, Dillon. 5. Dallas Thompson, Havre. 6. Nils Unger, Libby.

160 - 1. Evan Hinebaugh, Havre. 2. Gresh Melby, Sidney. 3. Logan Kugler, Polson. 4. Caleb Cousins, Corvallis. 5. Gordy Jessop, Corvallis. 6. Ben White, Ronan.

171 - 1. Kevin Owen, Polson. 2. James Muhlbeier, Hardin. 3. Jake Spencer, Libby. 4. Tim Lehner, Whitefish. 5. Nick Weller, Frenchtown. 6. Cody Seeley, Havre.

189 - 1. Chad Seeley, Havre. 2. Jake Graham, Libby. 3. Matt Mangold, Whitefish. 4. Nik Caron, Columbia Falls. 5. Matt Belon, Anaconda. 6. Josh Ryan, Glendive.

215 - 1. Travis Hjort, Libby. 2. Garrett Koppes, Hamilton. 3. Mike Weidow, Corvallis. 4. Trevor Getchell, Sidney. 5. Bill Zuelke, Havre. 6. Dan Brown, Ronan.

Hwt - 1. Matt Schnittgen, Havre. 2. Troy Parker, Whitefish. 3. Chris Latray, Anaconda. 4. Dustin Merritt, Sidney. 5. Tommy Church, Columbia Falls. 6. Blake Cranmore, Corvallis.