State wrestling: No champs, several placers for Flathead, Glacier

BILLINGS — The Flathead Braves and Glacier Wolfpack are bringing medals back to the Flathead Valley from the second day of the MHSA All-Class State Wrestling Tournament.

Both Class AA teams had four place winners. 

Freshmen Cody DeVall of Flathead and Justin Gibson of Glacier were in the semifinals of the championship bracket, but after losing their bouts, and another in the consolation bracket, the two 98-pounders were pitted against each other in a crosstown matchup for fifth place.

Gibson took an early lead, taking DeVall down in the first and riding him out to a 2-0 lead after the first period.

Both wrestlers started in the neutral position in the second, which saw DeVall throw Gibson in a head lock to earn three near-fall points. 

Leading 3-2 heading into the final period, DeVall elected the top position in hope of riding Gibson out. Gibson reversed DeVall to take the lead with less than a minute remaining.

DeVall maneuvered away from Gibson, who dropped down to DeVall’s two legs and held on for dear life. Although DeVall was facing Gibson, the referee did not award a one-point escape, declaring Gibson was still in control of DeVall.

“It feels good to place as a freshman,” Gibson said. 

“I wrestled well this weekend, I felt good out there.”

Flathead freshman Hunter Rush, who beat his teammate DeVall in the consolation semifinals, had a tough time with Garreth Erhardt of Billings Senior, losing 9-0 in the third-place match.

In the 126-pound bracket, Glacier junior Cody Decker lost 2-0 in the consolation semifinals to Dylan Duffalo of Missoula Sentinel.

Determined to finish higher than his sixth-place medal in last year’s tournament, Decker pinned Noah Manibusan of Helena High in 4:03 to place fifth.

“After I lost [in the second round], I knew what I had to do to place,” Decker said. “I had to go back and get my mind right and win the last match of the year.”

At 152 pounds, Flathead freshman Cameron Mantel was pinned by Tanner Brown of Billings West in the fifth-place match. His state tournament debut ended with a sixth-place finish that saw him clinch a medal with a pin in the consolation quarterfinals after trailing 10-0.

Glacier’s Tanner Stupack improved upon last year’s sixth-place finish by pinning Cody Henderson of Great Falls in the third period of the third-place match.

 Stupack, who lost his first match of the tournament, won his next five consolation matches to end his Glacier career with the third-place medal.

“I feel pretty good about it,” Stupack said with a smile. “My goal for the year was top three. Everyone wants a state title, but there’s only so many kids who can get it. Although it’s third, I’m happy.”

The Flathead Valley’s day ended in the 285-pound bracket of the consolation rounds. Glacier’s Zach Dennehy, now a two-time state-place winner, lost in the fifth place match to earn back-to-back sixth place medal in Billings. 

Flathead heavyweight Axel Bladholm ended his wrestling career as a Brave with a fourth-place finish.

“Twelve guys won matches for us here, freshmen through seniors. For us it’s definitely positive. We had a great day,” Flathead coach Rich Vasquez said.

Flathead finished 11th in the team standings with 77.5 points and Glacier remained in 10th place with 79.

Great Falls won the team state title with 353.5 points.