Four straight for Flathead

BILLINGS - Four straight.

The Flathead Braves won their fourth straight state wrestling championship Saturday night, rallying from a one-point first-day deficit.

Flathead finished the weekend with 339 points. Second place Billings Skyview had 315 points and Great Falls High was a distant third with 203. Bozeman and Billings Senior rounded out the top five with 162 and 145 points, respectively.

Glacier, behind finalist Larry Francis, fourth-place finisher Shane St. Onge and six other state placers, scored 124.5 for seventh place.

The Braves had three state champions, four second-place finishers and four third-place finishers. They also had one wrestler place fourth, one fifth and three place sixth.

Flathead's state champs are Shawn Lau (130), Ryan Thiel (152) and Bryce Stacy (160). Runners-up are Alejandro Calderon (119), Joaquin Calderon (125), Tanner Beaman (135), and Tyler Thomas (275).

"I'm just proud of the boys. They did a great job," smiled Flathead head coach Matt Owen.

"It's a little overwhelming right now, but I think tomorrow it will sink in," he said.

"(Four straight) is a huge accomplishment. This one is going to stick with them for a long time," he said.

"It's a surreal feeling. I don't know how to explain it," Stacy said after his 12-4 win over Joey Mancuso of Skyview.

"This is Flathead's fourth (title) and I've been a part of three. I can't say enough about the program. I've been along for the ride. I've been an observer.

"I came to this program and (Jeff) Thompson took me under his wing. Coach Owen, he had some big shoes to fill this year and he did it," Stacy said.

"I've got to make some big decisions about what I'm going to do next year. This could be my last match. It could not be.

"I love this team. We battled. We faced so much adversity this year. I can't say enough about our coaching staff and our team," he said.

Both Stacy and Lau are both two-time state champs, but the 2009 titles represent a bit of redemption.

Both were 2008 finalists, but neither won.

Lau's win over Skyview's Brice Gretch was especially satisfying - he lost 2-1 to Gretch in last year's championship.

"I didn't have any doubts. I knew it was my time, I was going to win. I just knew. I've been feeling it all day and I was just ready for it," he said.

"It felt good to beat him finally. I was able to get a chance to redeem myself," he said.

"Our team has gone through so much adversity this season," said first-time state champ Thiel.

"We've worked so hard and gone through so many changes. Our new coaching staff stepped it up and led the way," he said.

Flathead began the day one point behind Skyview.

But the wrestlebacks were the key, as Flathead went up 313 to 299 after the morning session, then stretched that cushion to 23 points in the consolation finals.

"It was close. Most of the time it was a one or two point swing," Owen said.

"Those kids that got knocked off a little bit early did a great job. That's where we really overtook them," he said.

"We knew the tournament was going to be won in the wrestlebacks, and all the kids who were in the wrestlebacks stepped up and did what they needed to do for our team," Thiel said.

"We owe it all to those kids in the consolations. They did an outstanding job today," Thiel said.

For himself, Thiel was basking in his first championship, a 7-4 decision over Glacier's Larry Francis.

"I have a lot of respect for (Francis). He's going to be a multiple time state champion. He's such a natural athlete and he's so strong," Thiel said.

"It's been a long 12-year road. This has been my goal since the beginning of wrestling and it's a great way to end my career. I'm so happy.

"I'm so tired, but I feel so good," he smiled.