Braves in a pinning mode on opening day

The Daily Inter Lake

BOZEMAN - For coach Jeff Thompson and his Flathead High School wrestling squad, this was about as good as it gets.

The Braves were unbeatable for the majority of opening-day action Friday at the Tom LeProwse Invitational.

"One of the best first days as a team that I can ever remember," Thompson said.

"The first two rounds, we pinned every one of our opponents."

That turned out to be 23 pins in a row.

That great start helped Flathead jump well ahead of the field. The Braves have piled up 163 points. C.M. Russell is second, 124 1/2, Butte is third, 107 1/2, and Great Falls High fourth, 105.

The only AA school not competing was Missoula Hellgate.

"Kinda like a state preview for us," Thompson said.

"The team came right out of the chutes, we were firing on all cyclinders," he continued.

"From the first round on, we've only lost four matches the entire first day."

That means Flathead will have 11 wrestlers in today's semifinal action, which begins at 9 a.m., and four more wrestlers are battling back in the wrestlebacks.

"Even in the losses, we were wrestling really tough," Thompson said.

Thompson said Bryce Stacy had the match of the day, decisioning the top-ranked AA wrestler at 145 pounds - Bozeman's Nick Lang.

"He wrestled great," Thompson said.

"He got an escape in the second period, he rode him out in the third period for the win."

Tom LeProwse Invitational

Friday at Bozeman

Team Totals

1. Flathead 163; 2. C.M. Russell 124 1/2; 3. Butte 107 1/2; 4. Great Falls 105; 5. Skyview 80; 6. Senior 75; 7. Powell, Wyo. 69 1/2; 8. Helena Capital 69; 9. Bozeman 66; 10. Big Sky 58 1/2 11. Sentinel 53; 12. Belgrade 50 1/2; 13. Anaconda 50; 14. Huntley Project 49; 15. West 48 1/2; 16. Helena 44; 17. Cody, Wyo. 41 1/2; 18. Dillon 37 1/2; 19. Laurel 33 1/2; 20. Whitehall 30; 21. Shepherd 27; 22. Livingston 14 1/2; 23. Billings Central 12; 24. Bozeman red 11; 25. Townsend 6; 26. Butte Central 5 1/2.

Championship

First round

119: Hanson (Ana) maj dec Ma. Carpenter (Boz) 13-5; Rodriguez (Pow) pinned McClennan (Bel) 3:24.

125: Ramsey (GFHS) pinned Newquist (Ana) :48; Edwards (M-Sent) dec. Scwerwine (Cody) 8-2; Dosland (White) pinned Oe (Shep) 4:40; Pulver (B-Sen) pinned Coffin (Boz-red) 3:15.

130: Carter (Pow) pinned Hansen (Butte) 3:56; Lyng (Shep) dec. Waldhauser (HP) 10-8; Zapata (Fla) pinned Robinson (Dil) 1:01; Mendenhall (GFHS) pinned Hartford (White) 3:06; Boettcher (H-High) pinned Jones (B-West) 4:28.

135: Albury (Big Sky) maj dec Carney (HP) 8-0; Kissell (Butte) pinned Berish (B-Sen) 5:42; Decker (Fla) pinned Phillips (Boz) 1:33.

140: Morse (Big Sky) pinned Eden (Pow) :53; Ostler (B-West) pinned McBride (White) 3:07; Connor (H-Cap) pinned Raffety (Dillon) 1:16; Tillery (Cody) maj dec Norris (GFHS) 24-12; Olsen (Lau) pinned Burgard (Boz-red) :41.

145: Frohlich (Bel-Cent) pinned Fowler (Lau) 1:04; D. Widdicombe (Big Sky) maj dec Felber (H-High) 16-5; Malia (Big Sky) pinned Houppert (M-Sent) 3:23.

152: Lussy (Ana) pinned DeCock (HP) 1:22; J. Schlender (Boz) pinned Anderson (Boz-red) 1:18; Volkmann (Big Sky) dec. Jansma (Lau) 7-5; Vezina (Dil) dec. Armstrong (Bel); Graham (CMR) tech fall Higgins (H-Cap) 17-2; Berry (Big Sky) pinned Kary (Pow) 4:53; Galland (GFHS) dec. Grosulak (Bel-Cent) 5-1.

160: Todd (Boz) pinned Beers (Bel) 1:16; Visser (Shep) pinned Heard (Butte-Cent) :47; Polkow (Skyview) pinned Molsa (Big Sky) 5:37; D.J. Renz (Butte) maj dec Upham (H-High) 12-4.

171: Clevidence (Bel) pinned Lohr (Town) 1:40; Fredericks (B-West) pinned Hill (Lau) 1:12; Banderob (Skyview) pinned Hoerr (Liv) :27; Dalton (H-Cap) dec. J.C. Widdicombe (Big Sky) 10-8.

189: Willis (Butte) dec. Garcia (Boz-red) 5-0; Hysted (GFHS) pinned Voss (Lau) :20; Sherley (H-Cap) pinned Riordan (H-High) 3:56; Jones (Pow) tech fall Cash (Bel) 21-4.

Second round

98: Meyers (Lau) pinned Larsen (Town) :32; Hinebauch (HP) pinned Webster (H-Cap) 1:37; Budeski (CMR) pinned Richardson (West) 1:01; S. Lau (Fla) pinned Smart (GFHS) :48; Bright (H-High) pinned Egan (LIV) 1:29; Miller (DIL) dec. Evans (M-Sent) 7-2.

105: Gretsch (Big Sky) pinned Schram (Bel) 2:40; Moyer (Big Sky) pinned Streadwick (White) 2:43; Wilson (Liv) tech fall Michaelson (Town) 4:50; West (CMR) tech fall Liebel (Butte) 4:54; Jenkins (Fla) pinned Marne (M-Sent) 1:34; Mason (H-Cap) dec. Ueland (Ana) 9-5.

112: Love (M-Sent) tech fall Ticknor (Pow) 20-2; Beaman (Fla) pinned French (B-Sen) 1:51; McLaughlin (Butte) pinned Bartoletti (Bu-Cent) 1:11; Olds (CMR) pinned Boyle (H-Cap) 1:53; Barta (B-Sky) pinned Maddio (H-High) 1:44; Neary (B-West) tech fall Walker (HP) 5:16; Guenther (Bel) dec Stock (Ana) 2-1; Demo (Boz) tech fall 17-1 Kruger (White) 17-1.

119: Hanson (Ana) pinned Conklin (Big Sky) 2:33; Padden (Lau) dec. Guyman (H-High) 8-7; Sprenkle (B-Sen) maj dec Schwarz (B-West) 16-4; M. Rohrback (CMR) dec. Kleinschmidt (H-Cap) 2-1; Richie (M-Sent) pinned Lovshin (Butte) 3:01; Goodell (Big Sky) dec. Stoddard (Dil) 7-1; Rogriguez (Pow) pinned McClellan (Bel) 3:50; Ham (Fla) pinned Wichman (GFHS) 1:25.

125: Hallfrisch (CMR) tech fall Tritz (Big Sky) 3:32; Laszloffy (Lau) dec. Ramsey (GFHS) 3-0; Bond (Big Sky) dec. Norris (Dil) 4-2; Donarski (Pow) pinned Edwards (M-Sent) 4:58; Hurt (H-Cap) pinned Bolch (HP) 1:14; Dosland (White) maj dec. McCaughey (Butte) 9-1; Pulver (B-Sen) dec Taranto (Boz) 2-1; Janes (Fla) pinned Fuss (H-High) 4:40.

130: Jones (Big Sky) pinned Fencher (B-Sen) 2:38; Mi. Carpenter (Boz) pinned Carter (Pow) 4:42; Hamilton (M-Sent) pinned Lyng (Shep) :38; Zapata (Fla) dec. Taylor (Bel) :38; Mendenhall (GFHS) pinned Tocher (Ana) 3:03; Fox (Lau) pinned Powell (Boz-red) 3:54; Boettcher (H-High) pinned Fonger (H-Cap) 3:58; Starkey (CMR) dec. Ramsey (Big Sky) 3-2.

135: Gregoire (GFHS) pinned Ritterbush (Liv) 1:21; Alsbury (Big Sky) pinned Ross (Cody) 1:10; McAdams (Bel) pinned Joppa (Butte Cent) 1:41; Gillett (Pow) pinned Spritzer (Town) 1:26; Kissell (Butte) dec. Wideman (White) 6-4; Kelly (Dillon) tech fall Cass (Lau) 16-1; Decker (Fla) pinned Logan-Maxson (Bil-Cent) :27; Elm (Big Sky) maj dec Kloberdanz (CMR) 14-0.

140: T.J. Renz ( Butte) dec. Morse (Big Sky) 7-3; Ostler (B-West) maj dec Cox (Butte-Cen) 15-4; Flood (CMR) pinned Lee (Bil-Cent) 3:01; Delong (Ana) maj dec Connor (H-Cap) 12-4; Thiel (Fla) pinned O'Connor (Boz) 1:50; Tillery (Cody) pinned Proffitt (Skyview) 3:42; Douglas (Shep) pinned Wyatt (B-Sen) 5:07; Ewen (HP) pinned Olsen (Lau) 3:08.

145: Lang (Boz) dec. Ramsen (H-Cap) 10-4; Stacy (Fla) pinned Frohlich (Bil-Cent) 1:55; D. Widdicombe (Big Sky) pinned Clement (Bel) 3:18; Bailey (CMR) pinned Salie (Ana) 3:21; Ringler (Cody) maj dec T. Kissell (Butte) 13-5; Flaberer (Pow) dec. Jesson (Liv) 9-4; Pacheco (B-Sen) pinned Malia (Big Sky) 3:41; B. Vinson (GFHS) pinned Stieger (HP) 2:50.

152: Haynes (Butte) pinned Smith (Senior) 4:09; Lussy (Ana) pinned Knutson (H-High) 1:02; Whisonant (Cody) maj dec Schlender (Boz) 13-2; Wells (Fla) pinned Volkmann (Big Sky) 1:55; Vezina (Dillon) dec. Prideaux (M-Sent) 10-4; Graham (CMR) tech fall Romey (Liv) 4:50; Kobold (B-West) maj dec Berry (Big Sky) 9-1; Galland (GFHS) pinned Howser (White) 1:34.

160: Todd (Boz) pinned Rask (H-Cap) 1:47; Visser (Shep) pinned Lord (M-Sent) 3:39; Peters (Cody) dec. Hansley (Ana) 3-1; D. Lau (Fla) pinned Henrichs (HP) 2:36; Shilhanek (Senior) pinned McSpadden (Boz-red) :34; Polkow (Skyview) dec. Webster (B-West) 7-4; D.J. Renz (Butte) pinned Boerschig (Liv) 1:36; Jacobs (Pow) dec. Wichman (GFHS) 9-8.

171: T. Vinson (GFHS) pinned Whitaker (Pow) 2:14; Wendland (Boz) dec. Clevidence (Bel) 7-6; Bartholomew (Boz-red) pinned Blume (Ana) 1:08; Chelini (H-High) dec. Fredericks (B-West) 6-1; Baltazar (Butte) pinned Bakas (CMR) 2:41; Banderob (Skyview) pinned Hart (Senior) 1:40; Bordner (M-Sent) pinned Schulz (Cody) 3:31; Fischer (Fla) pinned Dalton (H-Cap) 1:16.

189: J. Rohrback (CMR) pinned Callahan (Boz) :19; Wilkinson (Senior) dec. Willis (Butte) 8-6; Harding (HP) pinned McMillan (Cody) :53; Hysted (GFHS) maj dec Reed (Big Sky) 14-4; Sherley (H-Cap) pinned Scholler (Ana) :19; Watkins (Fla) pinned Haan (B-West) 4:49; Ashcraft (White) dec. Nation (Shep) 7-4; Jones (Pow) maj dec Molen (Skyview) 10-2.

215: Fetherston (H-High) pinned Frickel (Lau) :34; Fenner (CMR) pinned Four Bear (B-West) 3:17; Smith (H-Cap) pinned Hunter (Cody) 4:41; Deffinbaugh (GFHS) pinned May (Boz-red) 2:20; Smith (B-Sen) pinned Richmond (Dillon) 3:31; Waverek (Fla) pinned Dillon (White) 2:57; Bloom (HP) pinned Sternhagen (Boz) :50.

HWT: Haas (Butte) pinned Draper (HP) 1:35; Leonard (H-High) pinned Loftus (Big Sky) 5:22; Kolknik (H-Cap) pinned Merrill (B-West) :52; Simonson (Fla) pinned Daines (Bil-Cent) 2:43; Best (Senior) pinned Parkinson (Lau) 3:36; Weyer (White) pinned Paull (Ana) 1:06; Bomgardner (GFHS) pinned Stanisich (Dil) 1:15; Voorhees (CMR) pinned Bush (Pow) :51.

Third round

98: Rowling (Butte) pinned Meyers (Lau) 1:54; Budeski (CMR) dec. Hinebauch (HP) 8-4; S. Lau (Fla) pinned Bright (H-High) :44; Lucas (Bel) pinned Miller (Dil) 1:42.

105: Gretsch (Big Sky) dec. Snyder (HP) 12-7; Wilson (Liv) dec. Moyer (Big Sky) 11-4; West (CMR) pinned Utter (Pow) 2:57; Jenkins (Fla) pinned Mason (H-Cap) 1:30.

112: Love (M-Sent) maj dec Beaman (Fla) 13-3; McLaughlin (Butte) pinned Olds (CMR) 3:39; Barta (Big Sky) pinned Neary (B-West) 1:25; Demo (Boz) pinned Guenther (Bel) 1:58.

119: Hanson (Ana) dec. Padden (Lau) 4-1; M. Rohrback (CMR) dec. Sprenkle (B-Sen) 5-3; Richie (M-Sent) pinned Goddell 5:28; Ham (Fla) pinned Rodriguez (Pow) 1:59.

125: Hallfrisch (CMR) maj dec. Laszloffy (Lau) 13-4; Donarski (Pow) maj dec. Bond (Big Sky) 10-1; Hurt (H-Cap) tech fall Dosland (White) 3:58; Pulver (B-Sen) dec. Janes (Fla) 3-1.

130: Jones (Big Sky) pinned Mi. Carpenter (Boz) 5:33; Zapata (Fla) dec. Hamilton (M-Sent) 5-0; Mendenhall (GFHS) dec. Fox (Lau) 7-0; Starkey (CMR) tech fall Boettcher (H-High) 16-1.

135: Gregoire (GFHS) pinned Alsbury (Big Sky) 3:25; Gillett (Pow) pinned McAdams (Bel) 1:02; Kissell (Butte) pinned Kelly (Dillon) 1:00; Decker (Fla) dec. Elm (Big Sky) 6-3.

140: T.J. Renz (Butte) pinned Ostler (B-West) :47; Delong (Ana) pinned Flood (CMR) 2:39; Thiel (Fla) dec. Tillery (Cody) 7-4; Ewen (HP) dec. Douglas (Shep) 6-0.

145: Stacy (Fla) dec. Lang (Boz) 1-0; D. Widdicombe (Big Sky) dec. Bailey (CMR) 10-5; Ringler (Cody) dec. Flaberer (Pow) 7-5; B. Vinson (GFHS) pinned Pacheco (B-Sen) 3:06.

152: Haynes (Butte) tech fall Lussy (Ana) 20-3; Wells (Fla) pinned Whisonant (Cody) :48; Vezina (Dillon) dec. Graham (CMR) 3-1; Galland (GFHS) dec. Kobold (B-West) 8-4.

160: Todd (Boz) pinned Visser (Shep) :56; D. Lau (Fla) maj dec Peters (Cody) 17-3; Shilhanek (Senior) pinned Polkow (Skyview) :55; Jacobs (Pow) dec. D.J. Renz (Butte) 15-8.

171: T. Vinson (GFHS) maj dec Wendland (Boz) 13-1; Chelini (H-High) dec. Bartholomew (Boz-red) 8-1; Baltazar (Butte) pinned Banderob (Skyview) 3:22; Fischer (Fla) pinned Bordner (M-Sent) 1:36.

189: J. Rohrback (CMR) pinned Wilkinson (Senior) 2:53; Harding (HP) pinned Hysted (GFHS) 3:23; Sherley (H-Cap) maj dec Watkins (Fla) 4:49; Ashcraft (White) dec. Jones (Pow) 7-6.

215: Fetherston (H-High) maj dec Gottelich (Big Sky) 16-5; Fenner (CMR) dec. Smith (H-Cap) 4-2; Deffinbaugh (GFHS) pinned Smith (Senior) 1:15; Bloom (HP) pinned Weverek (Fla) 1:09.

HWT: Haas (Butte) pinned Leonard (H-High) :31; Simonson (Fla) pinned Kolnik (H-Cap) 3:14; Best (Senior) pinned Weyer (White) 1:35; Voorhees (CMR) dec. Bomgardner GFHS) 3-1.