Brave Brawlers back on top

The Flathead Brave Brawlers got back to the top of the State AA wrestling heap, and it took about two dozen of them to make it happen on their home mats.

“Total team effort,” veteran head coach Jeff Thompson said of the school’s third title in five seasons and ninth overall. “Twenty-two of our 23 wrestlers scored points. It took a family.

“We had two semifinal matches we pulled off in the final seconds, with Ethan Freund and Asher Kemppainen. That’s just exciting. It shows our guys are hungry.”

Freund, a 126-pound sophomore who spent last season in Kelso, Washington, was the Brawlers’ lone individual champion. Like his semifinal match (a late takedown decided it), the final was tense: He and Billings West’s Jesse Aarness traded stalling points in the third period, which ended 3-3.

In overtime Freund scored the takedown to win.

That put Flathead at 247 points; Billings Senior ended up second at 239.5. In reality the team race was decided the match before Freund’s. Glacier’s standout 120-pounder, Teegan Vasquez, downed Senior’s Jalen Vladic 8-0 for his second state title.

Also helping was Chase Youso, a junior who suffered an upset loss in Friday’s 170 quarterfinals to Great Falls C.M. Russell’s Gabriel Price. As Saturday wore on, Senior began making big points in the wrestlebacks to narrow Flathead’s once sizable lead to 1.5.

Youso, meanwhile, made his way through the blood rounds to the third-fourth match — and there was Price again. This time the Brawler got the win in 3 minutes, 25 seconds, ending a match he led just 2-0.

“It was a little better match this time,” Youso said. “It was coming close. I lucked out and was able to secure the pin. Winning that match was a big relief I think for the team, and for me.”

Senior had two wrestlers in the finals and Flathead had four. Kemppainen — he had a reversal in the final 20 seconds of his semifinal to win 6-5 — lost to Missoula Big Sky’s Izzy Moreno at 132; Noah Poe-Hatten lost to three-time champion Hunter Meinzen of Big Sky at 160; and Fin Nadeau (152) was runner-up for a third straight year, this time to Drake Rhodes of Billings West.

“Three different times,” Thompson said of Nadeau. “You have to look at the positive: So many wrestlers would love to be in his position, to be a three-time state finalist. He’s lost to some horses every year, too. He’ll keep working hard, keep grinding and hopefully next year will be his year.”

This was supposed to be Ryan Nelson’s year. Another Washington transfer who finished second in Class 1A in Washington a year ago, Nelson nearly missed this state tournament after an appendectomy. He managed two Friday wins and then fell quickly in Saturday’s 182 semifinal. Nelson defaulted from there.

“He was in a lot of pain,” Thompson said. “He was in the hospital for almost 10 days. Had an IV in his arm until Tuesday night. He drilled a little bit Wednesday and Thursday and… he has the heart of a lion to come and compete in state.”

Nelson managed nine team points — a couple more than Flathead’s margin of victory. Youso, after his loss, stuck around and scored 20 for his team.

Freund felt Flathead’s wrestling room prepared him well for what he faced this weekend.

“Every day is a grind,” he said. “It’s a state tournament every day, when you go live. My partner every day (Kemppainen) just took second. We go hard; no excuses. That’s how we get better.”

“You can’t run, you can’t hide,” Thompson added. “There’s just tough workout partners you have to battle with every day.”

Just three seniors dot the Flathead roster, which sets the Brawlers up nicely for next year. Two of them placed: Nelson and Gaige Winter were both sixth.

Gabe Lake beat teammate Cade Troupe for third at 145; Youso was also third; Anders Thompson was fourth at 138 and Cade Gardner was fourth at 120; Logan Stansberry was sixth at 120.

In case you missed it, Flathead completed a sweep Saturday. The Bravettes won the first-ever state girls’ wrestling championship a few weeks back.

“Kind of historic,” Thompson said.

Besides Vasquez and Meinzen, repeat champions were Senior’s Thomas Klepps at 170, Bozeman’s Avery Allen at 145; West’s Jesse Aarness at 126; Great Falls’ Ethan Deroche at 285 and Noah Kovick of Capital at 205.