MatCats should be solid this year
<p>MatCats Spencer Ross and Shonn Roberts practice moves during the first day of wrestling practice last week.</p>
The Columbia Falls wrestling team will look to pick up where it left off last season as it returns a host of wrestlers.
The MatCats won the Northwest Class A divisional title last season and took sixth at the state Class A tournament. This year’s squad will be anchored by two-time defending state champion Shonn Roberts, who won a state title in the 112-pound weight class as a sophomore.
The MatCats will also have returning divisional champ Bryan Shaffer and a host of other young talent, including Haze Bell, Spencer Ross and Colton Gove, as well as newcomer heavyweight Mike Locker.
They do have some tough losses, however. Wayde Motichka and Josiah Osborne both suffered injuries in football and won’t be able to wrestle. Osborne was a divisional champ at 130 pounds last season.
Coach Jessie Schaeffer is looking forward to the season, although he noted the loss of Osborne and Motichka will be tough to fill.
“We’re excited,” he said. “We have an awesome group of kids. They’re eager, hungry and ready to go.”
Roberts will likely wrestle in the 126-pound weight class this season.
“He’s put in a lot of work in the off season,” Schaeffer said.
In the conference, Schaeffer said he expects Frenchtown and Polson to be solid, but the MatCats goal this year is to place in the top three at the state Class A tournament.
“We can be a pretty solid team,” he said. “We’re better than last year.”
Fifty wrestlers showed up at the first day of practice, but the roster will be pared down to 40. This season will also see a change in weight classes.
The Montana High School Association has adopted the National Federation of State High School Association’s weight class system, which bumps up the weights in each class.
The new classes are, in pounds, 98, 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 145, 152, 160, 170, 182, 195, 220 and heavyweight (maximum 285 pounds).
MHSA retained the 98-pound class. It’s not part of the NHSA system. Also, there’s no minimum weight for the 98-pound class.
The MatCats will open their season on Friday at home against Whitefish starting at 7 p.m.