Sentinel sinks Flathead
<p>Flathead's Dyan Guzman takes down Missoula Sentinel's Alex Simon during the 126-pound match of the dual at Flathead Wednesday. In his final match at home Guzman pinned Simon in the second period. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
<p>Flathead's Anthony Wright grapples with Sentinel's Bryar Newbary during the 160-pound match at Flathead on Wednesday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
A day after trouncing Missoula Hellgate 65-6 on Senior Night, the Flathead Braves wrestling team had one more home dual — a makeup meet against Missoula Sentinel.
Although the Spartans, the No. 2-ranked team in Class AA, defeated the Braves 45-15, it didn’t keep senior Dyan Guzman from wearing a smile on his face after a triumphant second-period pin of Sentinel’s Alex Simon.
Guzman is ranked No. 4 at 126 and the senior showed he is ready for a run at the state tournament in February.
He scored three double-leg takedowns and racked up a 10-2 lead before his deep half nelson earned a fall.
“I’ve never wrestled him before, but I’ve seen him wrestle so I kind of knew what he was going to do for the most part,” Guzman said.
“It was cool going out with a bang like that. I haven’t been cutting weight this season, and it’s been, overall, my best season. I’m not cutting weight. I feel great. I have a good mind and attitude. I don’t think I need to improve on anything. I think I’m ready (for state).”
Out of the Braves three victories, two were pins. Guzman and freshman Trae Vasquez each earned six points for Flathead.
Vasquez’s fall was the quickest of the night, pinning Isaac Renfro in just 27 seconds. Vasquez, ranked No. 2 at 113, improved upon his 45 second pin of Renfro at the Class AA Duals in Great Falls on Saturday.
The final Brave victory was a close 6-3 decision by Matt Gash-Gilder at 170. Gash-Gilder never surrendered a takedown to Sentinel’s Gabe Peppenger and twice locked up a cradle, but couldn’t sustain it long enough to earn near-fall points.
“His motion looked great, he kept his feet going and he just believed in his technique,” Braves head coach Rich Vasquez said of Gash-Gilder’s performance.
“He knows what he likes to do. He just stuck with the program. You got to love when he just keeps coming. He didn’t seem to care what the score was he was just there to wrestle, and you’re going to wrestle well when you do that.
My big focus for tonight was making sure the guys fought. This was a good measuring stick for us. We’re wrestling really well right now. Now it’s a matter of keeping their heads up, staying focused and believing in what they’re doing.”
Flathead has two more duals before the divisional tournament at Glacier High School on February 7. The Braves travel to Helena on Saturday for their final matches of the regular season. They’ll take on Helena Capital at 5 p.m. before grappling with Helena High at 7.
Missoula Sentinel def. Flathead 45-15
103 — Cameron Hegel, MS, dec. Hunter Rush, F, 7-3; 113 — Trae Vasquez, F, pinned Isaac Renfro, MS, :27; 120 — Jake Hegel, MS, pinned Cody Moats, F, 1:06; 126 — Dyan Guzman, F, pinned Alex Simon, MS, 3:39; 132 — Jace Kovalicky, MS, maj. dec. Payton Hume, F, 12-2; 138 — Dylan Duffalo, MS, forfeit; 145 — Chandler Paulson, MS, pinned Daniel DeVall, F, 3:53; 152 — Chance Stack, MS, maj. dec. Tucker Nadeau 13-2; 160 — Bryar Newbary, MS, dec. Anthony Wright, F, 5-1; 170 — Matt Gash-Gilder, F, dec. Gabe Peppenger, MS, 6-3; 182 — Cy Steele, MS, dec. Logan Wilson, F, 4-3; 205 — Colin Hammock, MS, pinned Payton Boyce, F, 1:45; 285 — Jake Rebish, MS, maj. dec. Riley Leigh, F, 10-1.
Tuesday’s Late Results
Flathead 65,
Missoula Hellgate 6
Not a single Flathead Brave wrestler lost on Tuesday’s home dual against Missoula Hellgate — a 65-6 victory on Senior Night.
The Knights only points came off a forfeit, and the Braves recorded five pins from Dyan Guzman (126), Payton Hume (132), Tucker Nadeau (152), Logan Wilson (182) and Riley Leigh (285).
Matt Gash-Gilder (170) won by technical fall, Anthony Wright (160) won a narrow 3-2 decision and Daniel DeVall (145) won 8-2.
Flathead def. Missoula Hellgate 65-6
103 — Hunter Rush, F, forfeit; 113 — Bryce Schaffer, F, forfeit; 120 — Trae Vasquez, F, forfeit; 126 — Dyan Guzman, F, pinned Asa Hoerner (NTA); 132 — Payton Hume, F, pinned Jacke Lewis (NTA); 138 — Shawn Olson, MHG, forfeit; 145 — Daniel DeVall, F, dec. Derek Baker 8-1; 152 — Tucker Nadeau, F, pinned Kody Keenan (NTA); 160 — Anthony Wright, F, dec. Brady Needles, 3-2; 170 — Matt Gash-Gilder, tech fall. Reese Robinson; 182 — Logan Wilson, F, pinned (NTA); 205 — Payton Boyce, F, forfeit; 285 — Riley Leigh, F, pinned Schatz, (NTA).