WRESTLING: Braves thinking big entering AA divisional

The divergent paths of Kalispell’s two wrestling programs will converge at the Western AA divisional tournament Saturday at Missoula Sentinel.

The event will qualify and seed wrestlers for the state tournament, Feb. 12-13 in Billings, and while Glacier enters with an eye on gaining experience for the future, Flathead believes it’s in the running for a state championship right now.

“I’m pretty excited about where we’re at,” Flathead coach Rich Vasquez said. “I think we’ll get a chance to see where our number twos are at, and if we’ve got them where they need to be I think we’ll be in a fight.”

The Braves were ranked fourth in the latest Class AA poll, but Vasquez believes that tournament rules allowing teams to enter two wrestlers in each weight class — something teams cannot do in dual matches — gives Flathead an edge.

“I’ve always felt that we’re deeper than anybody,” he said. “We’ve done a good job as a coaching staff and as a school of bringing in guys to compete. We’re young but I’m expecting them to come out and perform.”

Depth aside, the top end of the Braves’ expected divisional lineup is solid in its own right, featuring four top-six state finishers from a year ago, most notably defending 113-pound state champion Trae Vasquez. Only a sophomore, Vasquez is undefeated this year (21-0) wrestling primarily at 120 pounds, and he will line up there for the divisional and state tournaments.

Vasquez, the son of Flathead’s head coach, is trying to become the Braves’ first back-to-back state champion since Shawn Lau won the final two of his three state titles in 2009 and 2010.

The top-ranked wrestler at 120, Vasquez is not the only Braves sophomore ranked No. 1 in the state. One of his offseason training partners, Payton Hume, is atop the 138-pound rankings and has gone a sparkling 20-2 this year.

“Payton is one of those guys that’s spent a lot of time on the mat,” coach Vasquez said.

“He’s wrestled with elite guys his whole life, so there’s not a lot that needs to be said there.

“I think he’s ready to go prove himself.”

Matt Gash-Gilder at 170 missed much of the early part of the season with an illness, but is back at full strength and another title contender. The junior is currently ranked sixth with an 11-1 record, and is only now rounding into form having hit the mat for the first time on Jan. 2.

Other Braves contenders include Hunter Rush at 103, Tucker Nadeau at 160, Logan Wilson at 182 and Payton Boyce at 205. Wilson ranks third in the state in the most recent polls, while Rush,

Nadeau and Boyce all check in fourth. Nadeau has 18 wins against Class AA competition, with Boyce and Rush each owning 17 victories.

At Glacier, the Wolfpack has endured a trying season and is looking forward to giving a young team valuable experience.

Thirteen of the 20 Glacier wrestlers slated to compete Saturday are either freshmen or sophomores.

“It will be good for them to see that it takes the same things to win during the season as it does during the seeding tournament,” Glacier coach Ross Dankers said.

“Sometimes a young kid will build it up so much they’ll almost outthink it. We’re going to take advantage of every match and learn everything we can during every period.”

The Wolfpack are not only a young team, they’re also dealing with a host of injuries to their top grapplers. Justin Gibson, who was ranked fourth at 126 pounds as of Jan. 29, is unlikely to compete after breaking his elbow in practice in mid-January.

Sam Barber and Justin Toavs each suffered concussions earlier this season, and neither is part of the Pack lineup.

Glacier does have a pair of experienced seniors aiming to improve on their finishes at the divisional tournament from a year ago.

Heavyweight Eli Horn was third in 2015 and fellow senior Donavon Macura will wrestle at 160 coming off a fifth-place finish.

Kyle Mulcahy, just a sophomore, finished eighth a season ago and will wrestle at 120 this time around.

Caden Willis (103) and Ashton Thompson (205) have been the Wolfpack’s most successful freshmen, with eight and six wins against Class AA competition, respectively, and senior Tyler Eierdam (138) has come on late in the season.

The Western AA divisional will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday in Missoula. The top eight wrestlers in each weight class will advance to the state tournament.

Western AA

divisional seeding tournament

At Missoula Sentinel

Saturday

School competing — Flathead, Glacier, Helena High, Helena Capital, Missoula Big Sky/Loyola, Missoula Sentinel, Missoula Hellgate

Flathead Lineup

(Records vs. AA)

103 – Junior – Hunter Rush (17-3)

103 – Freshman – Dominic Battello (2-3)

113 – Junior – Cody DeVall (8-8)

113 – Sophomore – Bryce Shaffer (8-6)

120 – Sophomore – Trae Vasquez (21-0)

120 – Freshman – Bo Meyer (4-3)

126 – Freshman – Jaden MacNeil (1-4)

126 – Freshman – Braden Comer (0-2)

132 – Sophomore – Kenyon Fretwell (5-8)

132 – Senior – Miles Terry (0-0)

138 – Sophomore – Payton Hume (20-2)

138 – Freshman – Finn Sullivan (0-0)

145 – Freshman – Caleb Sherrill (1-9)

145 – Sophomore – Joseph Battello (0-0)

152 – Senior – Nate Sommers (4-8)

152 – Sophomore – Taylor Morton (3-8)

160 – Sophomore – Tucker Nadeau (18-5)

160 – Freshman – Dechlan Sparrow (0-0)

170 – Junior – Matt Gash-Gilder (11-1)

170 – Senior – Anthony Wright (11-4)

182 – Senior – Logan Wilson (12-2)

182 – Sophomore – Hunter Wellcome (1-3)

205 – Senior – Payton Boyce (17-4)

205 – Sophomore – Alex Paull (0-0)

285 – Senior – Cody Howe (8-8)

285 – Sophomore – Michael Lee (5-3)

Glacier Lineup

(Records vs. AA)

103 – Freshman – Caden Willis (8-10)

113 – Sophomore – Lane Wilson (3-12)

120 – Sophomore – Kyle Mulcahy (5-8)

126 – Junior – Justin Gibson (8-3)

126 – Freshman – Jake Smith (1-4)

132 – Freshman – Reuger Baier (0-9)

132 – Sophomore – Trey Mitchell (0-0)

138 – Senior – Tyler Eierdam (7-7)

138 – Senior – Austin Cheney (1-7)

145 – Sophomore – Brandon Jordan (0-0)

152 – Junior – Brandon Olsen (0-5)

152 – Sophomore – Sam Mann (0-3)

160 – Senior – Donavon Macura (7-10)

160 – Sophomore – Andrew Glynn (0-6)

170 – Freshman – Ney-J Johns (0-9)

170 – Freshman – Mason Torrez (0-0)

182 – Freshman – Tre Krause (0-1)

205 – Freshman – Ashton Thompson (6-10)

285 – Senior – Eli Horn (12-9)

285 – Senior – Andrew Klamecki (0-0)