Braves finish third

MISSOULA — Flathead’s domination of the Jug Beck Rocky Mountain Classic had to end eventually.

The Braves, winners of this event for the past four years and five of the last seven, lost the battle this time, but not without a fight, to University High School from Spokane and Havre.

University High totaled 238 1/2 points with Havre second at 189 and Flathead third with 179 1/2.

“I’m very pleased with that, especially coming in without a full lineup,” Flathead coach Matt Owen said.

“I really thought we could sneak in with second, but third is a really good result for us.

“This is a really big accomplishment for the guys,” Owen added.

“They are a little disappointed, but it’s good they’re a little disappointed. They want to win every tournament they are in.”

Ronan finished eighth (120), Glacier was 10th (111 1/2), Polson 11th (99), Libby 15th (81 1/2), Columbia Falls 24th (48) and Whitefish 29th (13).

 Flathead had one open weight (98) for this tournament, and Joaquin Calderon (125) did not wrestle because of a shoulder injury.

Calderon is 21-1 and AA’s top wrestler in his weight class.

Flathead, which had four individual champions the last two years, had just one on Saturday. Connor Thomas (285) decisioned Mitch Schnittgen of Havre 3-2 in overtime in the final. Schnittgen beat Thomas earlier in the year.

Thomas pinned Jacob Benson of Lake City High School (Idaho) in the semifinals in 1:38 to advance.

“Connor’s first Rocky title,” Owen said.

“He’s a great example of the kids who are stepping up. That’s pretty neat to get into your first (Rocky) and win it. I told him if he went out and executed perfectly and wrestled a real smart match that he would get it done.”

Connor’s brother Tyler won the Rocky heavyweight title last year.

Flathead’s Shawn Lau (140) injured his knee in the semifinals and injury defaulted out of the championship match. The senior finished second for the third time in this event.

“He (Lau) beat a really tough kid (Brandon Riehle of Fergus High of Spokane 5-4) in the semis,” Owen said.

“In one of the exchanges there, he twisted his knee. We’re pretty sure he just sprained it.”

 Owen said Flathead finished with nine placers.

“A majority of our team placed in this tournament, which is great,” he said.

Glacier had six placers, led by Alek Mitchell (98), who wound up third. Mitchell, the top AA wrestler in his weight class, lost in the semifinals 14-8 to Blaine Invernon of Bonners Ferry.

“He lost to the kid who is ranked No. 1 in Idaho,” Glacier coach Mark Fischer said.

“More importantly, he beat four AA kids on his way to that third place. He’s looking good at 98.”

Glacier was missing two wrestlers because of injury — Stormy Day (145) and Riley Pisk (152) — did not fill one weight class (130). The Wolfpack also had several more wrestlers banged up.

“I don’t feel we wrestled bad, not necessarily great either,” Fischer said.

“I just think it was a rough tournament for us, it seemed like.”

Glacier finished ninth at the Rocky last year.

Ronan and Polson both had two individual champions.

Polson’s Craig Feistner (98) won by pin in the finals, while Brock Picard (171) prevailed 5-2 in a decision over Kyle Sweedman of Libby.

It was Picard’s second-straight Rocky title at that weight class.

Ronan’s Cameron Neiss (130) and Toby Cheff (189) won tough decisions in the finals. Neiss won a Rocky title a year ago at 125.

Kelly Houle (215) of Columbia Falls settled for second, dropping a tough 3-2 decision to Jacob Trotter of Mead in the final.

 At Sentinel High School

Saturday

Quick Pin: Craig Feistner, Polson (5 pins 12:22)

Outstanding wrestler: Jordan Rogers, Mead

Team results – University High 238.5, Havre 189, Flathead 179.5, Mead 165, Coeur d’Alene 149, Great Falls High 148, Missoula Sentinel 133, Ronan 120, Central Valley 112, Glacier 111.5, Polson 99, Corvallis 95.5, Lewistown 86, Frenchtown 85.5, Libby 81.5, Bonners Ferry 81, Great Falls Russell 74, West Valley 73.5, Butte 68, Lake City 68, Ferris 60.5, Clarkston 55, Missoula Big Sky 48, Columbia Falls 48, Arlington 46, Missoula Hellgate 45, Hamilton 18, Superior 14, Whitefish 13.

Individual weights

98 lbs

Finals – Craig Feistner, Pol, pinned Blaine Invernon, BF, 3:02.

Semifinals – Invernon, BF, dec. Alek Mitchell, Gla, 14-8; Feistner, Pol, pinned Chace Malone, Cor, 3:34.

Third-fourth – Mitchell, Gla, dec. Zak Harney, But, 2-1.

Fifth-sixth – Josh Smart, GFH, pinned Chace Malone, Cor, 3:44.

Seventh-eighth – Roger Ulrich, CV, m. dec. Justin Conklin, BS, 13-3.

105 lbs

Finals – Holden Gagner, Hgt, dec. Justin Smart, GFH, 9-2.

Semifinals – Gagner, Hgt, dec. Ryan Gabel, UHi, 3-2; Smart, GFH, pinned Conner Friend, Md, 5:19.

Third-fourth – Gabel, UHi, m. dec. Marcus Malone, Cor, 11-0.

Fifth-sixth – Zach Barber, Gla, pinned Friend, 2:37.

Seventh-eighth – Gilbert Bara, Hav, dec. AJ Konda, CdA, 10-9.

112 lbs

Finals – Jarod Maynes, CV, dec. Tyler Clark, UHi, 6-5.

Semifinals – Maynes, CV, m. dec. Duel Stadel, Hav, 12-0; Clark, UHi, m. dec. Caleb Piasecki, Fla, 8-0.

Third-fourth – Stadel, Hav, m. dec. Piasecki, Fla, 9-1.

Fifth-sixth – Brandon Edwards, Sent, dec. Sal Bacarro, CF, 5-1.

Seventh-eighth – Levi Gingerich, Cor, pinned Anthony Zimmer, GFH, 2:23.

119 lbs

Finals – Cole Mendenhall, GFH, dec. Tyler Stedman, Ftn, 6-0.

Semifinals – Mendenhall, GFH, dec. Cliff Evans, Sent, 11-4; Stedman, Ftn, dec. Marcus Banducci, LC, 11-4.

Third-fourth – Banducci, LC, m. dec. Brandon Matlock, UHi, 11-1.

Fifth-sixth – Cody Tally, Fla, won by default.

Seventh-eighth – Lucas Mantel, Gla, dec. James DuBose, Cor, 4-2.

125 lbs

Finals – Jeremy Golding, Md, pinned Bret Normandy, Hav, 3:45.

Semifinals – Normandy, Hav, dec. Brandon Byers, UHi, 9-5; Golding, Md, pinned Zach Westre, Ftn, :52.

Third-fourth – Josh Morin, GFH, dec. Sam Howard, CdA, 2-0.

Fifth-sixth – Byers, UHi, dec. Westre, Ftn, 3-2.

Seventh-eighth – Mike Roby, Lib, dec. Braden Davis, CV, 4-2.

130 lbs

Finals – Cameron Neiss, Ron, dec. Dylan Mendenhall, GFH, 1-0.

Semifinals – Neiss, Ron, dec. Tyler McLean, Md, 8-2; Mendenhall, GFH, dec. Quinn Gannon, WV, 7-2.

Third-fourth – Gannon, WV, dec. Kenny Staub, CdA, 5-4.

Fifth-sixth – McLean, Md, pinned Steel Hahn, Fla, 2:28.

Seventh-eighth – Mike Budeski, CMR, dec. Dillon Seely, Hav, 7-3.

135 lbs

Finals – Braden Mowry, CdA, dec. Cody West, CMR, 4-0.

Semifinals – Mowry, CdA, dec. Kevin Harder, UHi, 7-2; West, CMR, dec. Ben Watt, BF, 12-5.

Third-fourth – Harder, UHi, won by default.

Fifth-sixth – Kyle Leir, Lib, dec. Watt, BF, 3-0.

Seventh-eighth – Tyler Hendrickson, Gla, dec. Garrett Stephens, Sup, 6-5.

140 lbs

Finals – Ryan Martin, Lew, won by injury default over Shawn Lau, Fla.

Semifinals – Lau, Fla, dec. Brandon Riehle, Fer, 5-4; Martin, Lew, pinned Trevor Hampton, BF, 3:12.

Third-fourth – Hampton, BF, dec. Riehle, Fer, 5-1.

Fifth-sixth – Kyle Moyer, BS, dec. Riley Nagel, Cor, 1-0.

Seventh-eighth – Tyson Gruber, Hav, dec. Cody Elliot, Lib, 15-8.

145 lbs

Finals – Eli Hinebauch, Hav, dec. Rex Martin, Lew, 4-0.

Semifinals – Hinebauch, Hav, pinned Devan Silva, WV, 4:32; Martin, Lew, dec. Jake Dallaserra, But, 8-4.

Third-fourth – Dallaserra, But, dec. Silva, WV, 3-1.

Fifth-sixth – Brad Nordahl, Ftn, dec. Isaiah Grey, BF, 5-3.

Seventh-eighth – Ben Snow, Md, dec. Jeremiah Gaiser, Fla, 8-2.

152 lbs

Finals – Ryan Zumwalt, UHi, dec. Kent Pattison, Hav, 9-4.

Semifinals – Zumwalt, UHi, pinned Zach Deist, Fla, 3:34; Pattison, Hav, dec. Micky Cheff, Ron, 9-7.

Third-fourth – Cheff, Ron, pinned Garrett Demers, CdA, 4:20.

Fifth-sixth – Mitch Rohrback, CMR, dec. Deist, Fla, 6-5.

Seventh-eighth – Nick Nordwick, Hgt, dec. Brock Beeler, Clk, 7-6.

160 lbs

Finals – Jordan Rogers, Md, dec. Jake Mason, UHi, 10-4.

Semifinals – Mason, UHi, m. dec. Johnny Peregrina, CdA, 9-1; Rogers, Md, dec. Connor Malone, Lew, 4-3.

Third-fourth – Malone, Lew, dec. Caleb Allen-Schmid, Fla, 9-6.

Fifth-sixth – Peregrina, CdA, won by default.

Seventh-eighth – Cole McArthur, Ron, dec. Josh Hamilton, Sent, 2-1.

171 lbs

Finals – Brock Picard, Pol, dec. Kyle Sweedeman, Lib, 5-2.

Semifinals – Picard, Pol, dec. Tanen Doty, Sent, 9-2; Sweedman, Lib, pinned Casey Schaub, Hav, 1:07.

Third-fourth – Kevin Moore, CdA, dec. Jacob Fry, UHi, 6-1.

Fifth-sixth – Doty, Sent, won by default.

Seventh-eighth – Zane Patatscil, CMR, won by default.

189 lbs

Finals – Toby Cheff, Ron, dec. Jace Prideaux, Sent, 4-0.

Semifinals – Prideaux, Sent, pinned Kody Berget, Lib, 2:39; Cheff, Ron, pinned Dustin Johnson, UHi, 4:35.

Third-fourth – Johnson, UHi, dec. Trevor Beaman, Fla, 6-2.

Fifth-sixth – Russell Stinson, Fer, dec. Berget, Lib, 7-2.

Seventh-eighth – Caleb Davis, CdA, dec. Boyce Ballard, Gla, 7-1

215 lbs

Finals – Jacob Trotter, Md, dec. Kelly Houle, CF, 3-2.

Semifinals – Trotter, Md, dec. Nick King, Clk, 9-4; Houle, CF, dec. Jake Laden, UHi, 2-1.

Third-fourth – Laden, UHi, dec. Bentley Alsup, Sent, 6-1.

Fifth-sixth – Brennan Fisher, Ftn, dec. King, Clk, 4-2.

Seventh-eighth – Josiah Clairmont, Pol, dec. Thomas Morgan, WV, 10-6.

Heavyweight

Finals – Connor Thomas, Fla, dec. Mitch Schnittgen, Hav, 3-2 (ot).

Semifinals – Schnittgen, Hav, dec. Devin Norland, Clk, 8-3; Thomas, Fla, pinned Jacob Benson, LC, 1:36.

Third-fourth – Norland, Clk, pinned Benson, LC, :35.

Fifth-sixth – Alex Hachman, WV, won by default.

Seventh-eighth – Joel Horn, Gla, pinned Jeff Markette, 3:49.