Braves going for five at Rocky
With four top ranked wrestlers and the team solidly holding down the No. 1 position in the latest Class AA coaches poll, things are looking pretty spiffy for the Flathead Braves heading into this weekend’s Jug Beck Rocky Mountain Classic in Missoula.
The Braves are four-time defending champions of this event and have won it five times in the last six years.
Havre, the top ranked team in Class A, will again be a factor. The Blue Ponies were runners-up to the Braves in 2008 and 2007.
“U High (Spokane, Wash.) will be there again,” Flathead coach Matt Owen said.
“They just beat us last weekend. I feel we have a good shot (at them) if we’re on.”
And right now, the Braves are on.
“Hopefully we can build on last week’s performance,” Owen said.
“I thought we had a great one. We’re just excited about the weekend ”
For many of the wrestlers, this will be the fifth tournament of the season. Flathead placed second last week at the Pacific Northwest Classic in Spokane, while Glacier was in Nampa, Idaho, for the Rollie Lane Invitational.
“These tournaments are a lot tougher than the state tournament,” Glacier coach Mark Fischer said.
“If you can place (at Rocky or the Lane), it’s a real good confidence builder.”
Glacier, third ranked in AA, hopes to improve on last year’s ninth place showing at Rocky.
Ronan, ranked No. 3 in A, placed in the top 10 last year at Rocky.
The two-day event at Missoula Sentinel will attract another talented field with more than 25 teams competing from three states. Wrestling starts today at 11:30 a.m. and Saturday at 9:30 a.m. The finals are tentatively set for 4:30 p.m.
Glacier enters this event with a revamped lineup. Stormy Day (145) is out with a bruised knee, while Riley Pisk (152) is done for the season. He suffered a knee injury last week in Idaho.
“A bunch of other kids have some injuries they are dealing with,” Fischer said.
“We’re just a little banged up this week.”
Still, Fischer is optimistic.
“We have some great kids that are going to fill in for us,” he said.
“I still feel pretty good about where we are going to be.”
Fischer said the Wolfpack made an impressive splash to start the season and has progressed on schedule.
Alex Mitchell (105) is Glacier’s lone ranked No. 1 wrestler in AA. He is
10-6 on the season.
Flathead’s Shawn Lau will be looking to cap his illustrious mat career with an individual title at Rocky. The senior has been a runner-up twice, at 98 pounds in 2007 and 112 pounds in 2008, and a year ago placed third at 125.
Lau is the top ranked individual at 140 pounds in AA and owns the second best record on the Braves varsity roster at 19-2.
“That’s something I can identify with,” Owen said of runner-up finishes at Rocky. Owen had two while wrestling for Polson.
“He’s definitely hungry. I know this one is a big one for him since he’s never won this. He should be right in the mix at 140.”
Flathead senior Joaquin Calderon (125) has the team’s best record at 21-10. He’s top ranked in AA along with teammates Connor Thomas (heavyweight), who is 16-3, and Caleb Piasecki (112), who is 16-5. Thomas and Piasecki are both juniors.
NOTES: Flathead’s Larry Francis, the top-ranked wrestler in AA at 171 pounds, is currently ineligible because of school district residency issues. Francis finished second at the Rocky Mountain Classic last year wrestling for Glacier. Ronan’s Cameron Neiss (125) and Polson’s Brock Picard (171) are defending Rocky champs. Neiss and Picard are also currently ranked No. 1 in A.
Flathead Lineup
98 — open; 105 — Jake Kinkle, so., 11-7; 112 — Caleb Piasecki, jr., 16-5; 119 — Cody Tally, jr., 15-6; 125 — Joaquin Calderon, sr., 21-1; 130 — Steel Hahn, jr., 14-6; 135 — Coty Piasecki, fr., 1-4; 140 — Shawn Lau, sr., 19-2; 145 — Jeremiah Gaiser, jr., 16-8; 152 — Zach Deist, sr., 14-6; 160 — Caleb Allen-Schmid, sr., 16-7; 171 — Alex Rudolph, jr., 0-2; 189 — Trevor Beaman, sr., 11-8; 215 — Travis Ozegovich, jr., 9-12; Hwt — Connor Thomas, jr., 16-3.
Glacier Lineup
98 — Alek Mitchell, fr., 10-6; 105 — Zach Barber, 5-5; 112 — Grant Tafoya, fr., 11-9; 119 — Lucas Mantel, fr., 13-10; 125 — open; 130 — Cooper Sipe, so., 15-6; 135 — Tyler Hendrickson, sr., 13-8; 140 — Shane St. Onge, so., 22-7; 145 — Braden Bagley, 3-2; 152 — Lucas Cummings, 7-5; 160 — Travis Woodland, sr., 9-12; 171 — Logan Clay, sr., 13-10; 189 — Boyce Ballard, jr., 13-10; 215 — Randy Martin, 11-4; Hwt — Joel Horn, no record.