Earning a win in 10 seconds or less

Blink and you could miss it.

In a dominating season for the Flathead wrestling team, one of the first matches of the year was something coach Jeff Thompson had never seen before.

He’d seen a lot in his first stint as Flathead’s coach, leading the most dominant stretch of wrestling in the school’s history, including four state championships and watching as 12 Braves won at least one individual state title.

Then on opening weekend at the Capital City Duals in Helena, Braves junior Payton Hume earned a pin in six seconds.

Six seconds.

“What Payton has is, he’s such an explosive wrestler,” Thompson said.

“He’s so dangerous and he loves (to) right away, he comes out of the gate. It’s like a sprint for him. It is so much fun to watch and fun to coach. He is right away looking for a pin and it kind of catches an opponent off guard.”

To put that pin into context, the fastest pin in the history of the 152-pound weight class in Montana is five seconds. There are few wrestlers at any weight that are able to secure a fall in less than 10 seconds, let alone nearly half that time.

And that was just the beginning.

Since that match, Hume has recorded two more pins in less than 10 seconds. Hume earned a 10-second pin in consolation second round at Pacific Northwest Classic in Spokane and followed that pin with a nine-second fall in the consolation semifinals one match later. A few days after that, back at home in a dual against Missoula Hellgate, Hume earned a pin in 16 seconds.

“He’s just a junior that’s even more exciting,” Thompson said.

“It’s kind of (become) a goal for him each and every match. We’re not going to take that away from him. It’s fun for the fans and it’s really helped him pin some guys that would have been a tough match for him.”

For Hume, there hasn’t been a secret to the results he’s been getting this year.

Just old-fashioned effort.

“I just go out with intensity,” Hume said.

“Right off the bat, I do my best shot, the one I’ve been working since I was in fourth grade. I’ve been working it and this year it’s working pretty well for me.

“Sometimes I go out and I don’t know who the kid is, I think to myself that this kid is the best kid I’m going to wrestle this year. Like every other kid. Sometimes I get the quick pin not really meaning to, it just happens.”

Because of Hume’s efforts, Flathead has worked its way into championship form this season.

The Braves, looking to secure their first state title since 2010, are ranked as the top team in Class AA and have 10 of 13 wrestlers ranked in the top five.

Hume, the second-ranked wrestler in Class AA at 152 pounds, is poised to be one of the favorites to compete for a title in Billings next month.

But, while he’s there, watch closely. It might not take long for something big to happen.