Wolfpack stick mat loss on Big Sky

Another note for the Glacier Wolfpack record book - first home wrestling dual victory.

That occurred Thursday night when the Wolfpack downed Western AA Missoula Big Sky 46-21.

The upper weights got the dual off to a big start for the Wolfpack.

"I thought our three upper weights - all three of them started us off with a win. That's pretty unusual (for freshmen). They just got everybody fired up," said Glacier head coach Mark Fischer.

The dual started at 189 - freshman Boyce Ballard pinned Big Sky senior Kellan Standley. Freshman Kazmir Spilis followed Ballard with a 2-1 overtime decision over senior Dan Orr and freshman heavyweight Joel Horn finished off Big Sky's Sam Dameron in 41 seconds.

That added up to a 15-0 lead and the rest of the Wolfpack took it from there, winning seven of the next 11 matches to stretch the lead to as much as 46-6.

Those seven wins included two pins - Stormy Day at 125 and and Lucas Cummings at 140 - and a major decision by Tyler Hendrickson at 135.

"We are a team of momentum. We have a few sparks on our team," Fischer said..

"Our kids were going after it. We're starting to catch kids when they're making mistakes. We're starting to turn some corners," he said.

"I just went out expecting to win, like you always should do," Ballard said.

"But I didn't underestimate (Standley). I just went out and did my stuff," he said.

Sophomore 145-pounder Tanner Woodland was another winner for Glacier.

Woodland was ill with the flu earlier in the week, but bounced back to claim a 7-1 decision over Big Sky sophomore Keenan Moreau.

"I just went out there and gave it all I had. There's a lot of things I could have done better," he said.

Woodland scored a reversal and a takedown in the second period and led 4-1 going to the third.

That's when he turned it up even more, scoring three points on a nearfall.

"I wouldn't have won without my coaches. All the credit goes to them. They push us all week about how important that third period is. Tonight, most of us put it together," he said.

"We're right at the point where we are just starting to peak," Fischer said.

"I look at our coaching staff - they've done such a great job. I think these guys really deserve a lot of credit. They are just so into it," he added.

"We found out what the toughest teams are like last week (Glacier dualed Western AA leaders Flathead and Missoula Sentinel)," he said.

"Now we've got to find where the middle of the pack is," he said.

The Wolfpack will take the first step in finding that out when it plays host Saturday to Helena High and Helena Capital. Start times are 5 p.m. for Helena High and 7 p.m. for Capital.

"We're going to have to come out with the same intensity. We need to keep catching guys while they're making mistakes," Fischer said.

98: Double forfeit; 105: Dante Swallow (BS) won by forfeit; 112: Sam Overton (G) won by forfeit; 119: Derek Mitcher (G) dec. Cody Moore, 13-7; 125: Stormy Day (G) pinned Jeremy Conklin, :58; 130: Jordan Nelson (G) dec. Geoff Keough, 10-7; 135: Tyler Hendrickson (G)maj. dec. Tyler Trowbridge, 10-2; 140: Lucas Cummings (G) pinned Casey McMillon, 1:11; 145: Tanner Woodland (G) dec. Keenen Moreau, 7-1; 152: Zach Lowney (BS) dec. Clayton Hamilton, 9-4; 160: Nick McMillon (BS) pinned Chance Stupak, 4:31; 171: Kody Reed (BS) pinned Britt Block, 3:30; 189: Boyce Ballard (G) pinned Kellan Standley, 3:25; 215: Kazmir Spilis (G) dec. Dan Orr, 2-1; Hwt: Joel Horn (G) pinned Sam Dameron, :41.