Brave Brawlers hit their number at Western AA

by Daily Inter Lake
| February 4, 2023 11:55 PM

BUTTE — The Flathead Brave Brawlers hit their number, qualifying 20 wrestlers for State at the Western AA Divisional meet that concluded Saturday.

Five Brawlers are divisional champs: Sawyer Troupe at 205, Noah Poe-Hatten at 182, Anders Thompson at 170, Dane Lake at 138 and Diesel Thompson at 113.

“Flathead absolutely wrestled at a different level this weekend,” head coach Jeff Thompson said. “We showed up and went after the win in every match. This team is very special, putting 10 in the finals out of 13 weights, and winning five of those.

“This outstanding performance sets us up very well for state next week.”

Flathead scored 302 team points, to 254.5 for second-place Butte. Helena Capital was next at 236 and Glacier was fourth at 178, led by divisional champions Teegan Vasquez at 132 pounds and Kaleb Shine at 152.

Butte also qualified 20 wrestlers, including 10 top-four finishers, but had just one divisional winner: Mason Christian, who was state champion last year at 182, knocked off 2021 heavyweight champ Talon Marsh via 6-5 decision to take divisionals.

Glacier saw Vasquez, in line for his fourth straight State AA title, rack up two pins in a total of 1 minute, 47 seconds. He won his final via medical forfeit by Butte’s Kip Pumnea.

Shine won by sudden victory over Flathead’s Cade Troupe.

The Wolfpack qualified 13 wrestlers for state, including Aiden Sweat (fourth at 103), Seth Doolan (third 145) and Nikola Coles (third at 152)..

“For the boys, it was some highs, and some lows,” Glacier coach Ross Dankers said. “Putting five in the top 4 was good to see and puts those guys in a good spot. Teegan and Kaleb continue to accelerate and we are really excited for their opportunities.”

Flathead’s Dayton Naldrett edged Sweat 2-0 in the third-place match at 103. Besides Cade Troupe, Gabe Lake (160), William Barnes (120) and Logan Stansberry (145) took second.

Gunnar Thompson (170), Gannon Wisher (132) and Forest Howell (285) took third.

“Logan Stansberry got called for a controversial slam in the finals, but wrestled a great tournament,” Jeff Thompson said. “Cade Troupe lost an OT battle in the finals.

“Anders Thompson hit a beautiful hip toss for the pin at 170, and senior Noah Poe-Hatten is just on a different planet versus the competition.”

Sawyer Troupe, like Poe-Hatten, picked up three pins on the weekend. Meanwhile Thompson was pleased to see Conor LeDuc make state at 205, a fairly rare thing for a freshman to do at the upper weights. In all 17 Brawlers finished in the top four.

“We are just excited for state next weekend,” Thompson, who has guided Flathead to the last two State AA titles and nine overall, added. “We are ready. It’s not very often you get to coach a team like the 2023 Flathead Braves. Very special group of young men.”

Western AA Boys Divisional

Butte (Butte Civic Center)

Saturday

Team scores — Flathead 302, Butte 254.5, Helena Capital 236, Glacier 178, Helena 129, Missoula Big Sky/Loyola 113, Missoula Sentinel 109, Missoula Hellgate 27.

Individual results

103: Championship — Keegan Hunt (Butte) p. Tyrese LeProwse (Butte) 2:43. 3rd Place Match — Dayton Naldrett (Flathead) dec. Aiden Sweat (Glacier) 2-0. 5th Place Match — Mason Eblen (Capital) dec. David Krambule (Helena) 4-3. 7th Place Match — Max Martin (Hellgate) p. Brady Gehring (Helena) 4:28.

113: Championship — Diesel Thompson (Flathead) dec. Ryder McEwen (Butte) 9-2. 3rd Place Match — Zane Gehring (Helena) dec. Jayden Simmons (Capital) 4-1. 5th Place Match — Bryton Lenz (Sentinel) p. Joey Ward (Butte) 3:34. 7th Place Match — Tyler Jorgenson (Glacier) p. Will Collins (Helena) :58.

120: Championship — Cashton Spolar (Capital) dec. William Barnes (Flathead) 8-1. 3rd Place Match — Kade Wallace (Sentinel) p. Connor Lamping (Helena) :38. 5th Place Match — Asa Wood (Helena) p. Colter Espelin (Butte) 4:39. 7th Place Match — Davin Naldrett (Flathead) p. Ben Tierney (Butte) 1:52.

126: Championship — Hunter Rahn (Capital) p. Aiden Downing (Flathead) 4:32. 3rd Place Match — Grady Winston (Butte) p. Cohen Sassano (Capital) :46. 5th Place Match — Darren Fuller (Sentinel) dec Jaeger Hansen (Butte) 9-7. 7th Place Match — Dilan Courtney (Big Sky) major dec. Cory Tappen (Flathead) 11-2

132: Championship — Teegan Vasquez (Glacier) medical forfeit over Kip Pumnea (Butte). 3rd Place Match — Gannon Wisher (Flathead) major dec. Reid Whitlock (Butte) 8-0. 5th Place Match — Cash Corbally (Capital) p. Grady Caton (Hellgate) :39. 7th Place Match — Dawson Petersen (Capital) p. Colin Mehrens (Helena) :52.

138: Championship — Dane Lake (Flathead) major dec. Bryton Hardesty (Butte) 12-0. 3rd Place Match — Evan Hafliger (Sentinel) dec. JT Gehring (Helena) 9-5. 5th Place Match — Gabe Mobley (Big Sky) major dec. Connor Johnson (Glacier) 13-5. 7th Place Match — Boston Lay (Capital) major dec. Jaxon Wolff (Glacier) 10-2.

145: Championship — Ian Mehrens (Helena) inj. default over Logan Stansberry (Flathead) 2:52. 3rd Place Match — Seth Doolan (Glacier) dec. Tanner Davis (Big Sky) 9-4. 5th Place Match — Will Stepan (Butte) forf. over Karson Pumnea (Butte). 7th Place Match — Korbin Baldwin (Glacier) dec. Luke Widman (Sentinel) 6-1.

152: Championship — Kaleb Shine (Glacier) won in sudden victory Cade Troupe (Flathead). 3rd Place Match — Nikola Coles (Glacier) medical forf. over Lakoda Wieczorek (Flathead). 5th Place Match — Joey Sandberg (Big Sky) p. Dane Butler (Capital) 2:47. 7th Place Match — Derek Averyt (Butte) p. Peyton Severson (Capital) 3:39.

160: Championship — Israel Moreno (Big Sky) p. Gabe Lake (Flathead) 5:49. 3rd Place Match — Cole Graham (Capital) p. Tynan Krause (Flathead) 1:30. 5th Place Match — Mark Ahner (Glacier) p. Trey Hansen (Butte) 3:42. 7th Place Match — Nate Dill (Big Sky) p. Hayden Hecker (Capital) 2:44.

171: Championship — Anders Thompson (Flathead) p. Conner Kovick (Capital) 3:05. 3rd Place Match — Gunnar Thompson (Flathead) inj. default over Trevor Tucker (Missoula Sentinel). 5th Place Match — Jake Bailey (Butte) won in sudden victory Aiden Chamberlain (Glacier). 7th Place Match — Sam Harkins (Helena) p. Landon Bryon (Big Sky) :37.

182: Championship — Noah Poe-Hatten (Flathead) p. Dylan Graham (Capital) 3:32. 3rd Place Match — Xander Winter (Flathead) dec. Alexander Beck (Sentinel) 5-2. 5th Place Match — Matteo Bugni (Capital) p. Noah Horn (Glacier) :44. 7th Place Match — Charles Fox (Helena) p. Colin Keough (Glacier) 1:35.

205: Championship — Sawyer Troupe (Flathead) p. Cohen Grunhuvd (Butte) 2:52. 3rd Place Match — Tuff Adams (Capital) p. Kale Schonsberg (Butte) 2:30. 5th Place Match — Conor Leduc (Flathead) p. Terran Brose (Big Sky) 3:55. 7th Place Match — Sam Schiltz (Helena) p. Tylor Upham (Sentinel) :14.

285: Championship — Mason Christian (Butte) dec. Talon Marsh (Capital) 6-5. 3rd Place Match — Kade Schleeman (Butte) p. Forest Howell (Flathead) 3:45. 5th Place Match — Paul Mousel (Capital) p. Brayden Wallace (Sentinel) 3:24. 7th Place Match — Jayden Friesen (Hellgate) p. Chuck Gehl (Big Sky) 4:22.