Whitman 2nd, Baccaro 3rd at state

Columbia Falls wrestler Justin Whitman took second at the state A wrestling tournament last week in the 125-pound weight class. Teammate Sal Baccaro took third at 119. The rest of the team failed to place.

“It was one of our off weekends,” said coach Jessie Schaeffer. “There were numerous matches we were one or two points ahead or two or three points behind,” that the boys just couldn’t finish.

“As a young team we couldn’t get past it ... The score didn’t show how well those young men wrestled.”

The MatCats qualified six freshmen for the tourney. Still, Scaheffer was happy for Whitman and Baccaro.

Whitman, a junior, pinned Alex McAdam of Browning to open the tourney. He then beat Jordan Stevens of Sidney, 9-5 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals he dropped James DuBose of Corvallis 6-2 to advance to the championship round.

But in the final, Laurel’s Kolter Kukes out-wrestled Whitman, winning by major decision, 8-0.

As a team, Laurel went on to win the tournament. The Cats took 14th.

“In the last match he came out a little flat, a little nervous,” Schaeffer said. Even so, the weight class was wide open. Last year’s past champion, Cody Ishler, failed to even place, Schaeffer noted.

“Justin put in a great effort getting to the finals,” he said.

Baccaro opened the tourney with a pin over Zach Girard of Dillon and then beat Travis Kaufman of Glendive 9-4, but in the semifinals he lost to Duell Stadel of Havre, 11-3. Stadel would win the championship and Baccaro battled back for third place, pinning Kaufman, who he had faced earlier.

“He wrestled as well as he could,” Schaeffer said. Stadel is a three-time state champion.

Schaeffer said Baccaro’s been a great leader on the team.

The senior would drive around every morning in his Suburban and pick up younger athletes so they could practice before school. He’s really helped the program grow into what it is today.

“He’s been a huge part of its development,” Schaeffer said.