MatCats battle in Polson, Missoula
The MatCats wrestling team faced some tough matchups last week as they wrestled at Polson Thursday and at the Jug Beck Rocky Mountain Classic in Missoula Friday and Saturday.
The MatCats fell to the Pirates in Polson Thursday, but the matchup was closer than the 48-24 final score would indicate as Columbia Falls was forced to forfeit four open weight classes. The Cats were 5-4 in the matches that were not forfeitted, including winning three via pin.
“We wrestled Polson well, we just had four or five open weight classes, so that skewed the final point total a bit,” head coach Jessie Schaeffer said. “We are competing better than we have been, we just have to take those final few steps.”
Sam Despain, Colten McPhee, Jakob Freeman, Taylor Gladeau and Thomas Peters all picked up wins for the Cats over the Pirates, with McPhee, Freeman and Gladeau winning via pin.
The MatCats were back in action the following day as they wrestled at the Jug Beck Rocky Mountain Classic in Missoula.
According to Schaeffer, the Cats wrestled well at the large tournament, but had a hard time closing out matches.
“We are making some headway. Unfortunately, we found some ways to lose matches this weekend that we could have won. We had several where we were in them, but were not able to close them out,” Schaeffer said. “It seemed like some were surprised to be in those matches in the end and we just need to find a way to hold on.”
The Cats finished 16th at the tournament as Washington’s Mead High School won the event with 201 points. Columbia Falls was fourth among Class A schools, behind Havre (4th), Frenchtown (5th) and Polson (9th).
McPhee had the top individual finish for the Cats, coming in second in the 182-pound division. McPhee opened the tourney by pinning Butte’s Kole McGrath in 3:14. McPhee won over Lake City’s Zane Monaghan via 7-3 decision in the quarterfinal, pinned Flathead’s Paxton Boyce in 3:51 in the semifinal and lost a 5-2 decision to Great Falls wrestler Elijah Davis in the final.
Gladeau was third in the 285-pound divison after pinning Butte’s Kyle Harding in 54 seconds in his opening match before being pinned by Lake City’s Owen Hughes in the quarterfinal. Gladeau battled back with four straight wins, three via pin, to take third.
The Cats will be in Belgrade this weekend for the Class A Duals.
For full wrestling results, read this article at www.hungryhorsenews.com.
Polson (POLS) 48.0 Columbia Falls (COFA) 24.0
145: Caleb Pierre (POLS) over Issac Balla (COFA) (Fall 4:41) 152:
Bridger Wenzel (POLS) over (COFA) (For.) 160: Sam Despain (COFA)
over Garrett Croft (POLS) (Dec 9-4) 170: Hunter Fritsch (POLS) over
Lucas Thacker (COFA) (Fall 0:51) 182: Colton McPhee (COFA) over Logan
Adler (POLS) (Fall 0:33) 205: Jakob Freeman (COFA) over Aaron O`Roake
(POLS) (Fall 1:28) 285: Taylor Gladeau (COFA) over Jasper Drake
(POLS) (Fall 1:20) 103: Gavin Knutson (POLS) over (COFA) (For.) 113:
Rene Pierre (POLS) over Orion Barta (COFA) (Fall 3:52) 120: Kedrick
Baker (POLS) over (COFA) (For.) 126: Maysn Cowell (POLS) over Jordan
Meadows (COFA) (Fall 3:01) 132: Thomas Peters (COFA) over Jarod
Farrier (POLS) (SV-1 9-7) 138: Dugan Davis (POLS) over (COFA)
(For.)
Jug Beck Rocky Mountain Classic Results for Columbia Falls
113
Champ. Round 1 - Orion Barta (Columbia Falls) 17-11 received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 - Easton Shupe (Great Falls High) 23-7 won by fall over Orion Barta (Columbia Falls) 17-11 (Fall 3:33)
Cons. Round 2 - Orion Barta (Columbia Falls) 17-11 won by tech fall over Nathaniel Yargo (Helena) 3-4 (TF-1.5 4:11 (15-0))
Cons. Round 3 - Orion Barta (Columbia Falls) 17-11 won by fall over Emma Karhu (Powell) 14-8 (Fall 2:27)
Cons. Round 4 - Rene Pierre (Polson) 24-9 won by fall over Orion Barta (Columbia Falls) 17-11 (Fall 2:24)
126
Champ. Round 1 - Brendan Barnes (Flathead) 28-8 won by decision over Jordan Meadows (Columbia Falls) 10-8 (Dec 9-7)
Cons. Round 1 - Jordan Meadows (Columbia Falls) 10-8 received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 - Jordan Meadows (Columbia Falls) 10-8 won by decision over Keyson Wallick (University High) 21-11 (Dec 6-5)
Cons. Round 3 - Ben Mitchell (Mead) 17-6 won by fall over Jordan Meadows (Columbia Falls) 10-8 (Fall 4:10)
132
Champ. Round 1 - Carter Brown (Corvallis) 25-6 won by fall over Thomas Peters (Columbia Falls) 15-7 (Fall 1:43)
Cons. Round 1 - Thomas Peters (Columbia Falls) 15-7 received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 - Zane Walchuk (Ronan) 12-6 won by tech fall over Thomas Peters (Columbia Falls) 15-7 (TF-1.5 5:00 (23-8))
145
Champ. Round 1 - Isaac Balla (Columbia Falls) 14-18 received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 - Luke Joy (Missoula Sentinel) 24-8 won by fall over Isaac Balla (Columbia Falls) 14-18 (Fall 1:38)
Cons. Round 2 - Isaac Balla (Columbia Falls) 14-18 won by fall over Ashton Grover (Fergus (Lewistown)) 0-2 (Fall 2:23)
Cons. Round 3 - Skylar Richardson (East Valley (Spokane)) 10-16 won by decision over Isaac Balla (Columbia Falls) 14-18 (Dec 9-7)
160
Champ. Round 1 - Sam Despain (Columbia Falls) 18-10 won by decision over Garrett Croft (Polson) 14-16 (Dec 6-3)
Champ. Round 2 - Carl Anderson (Butte) 26-9 won by fall over Sam Despain (Columbia Falls) 18-10 (Fall 1:21)
Cons. Round 2 - Sam Despain (Columbia Falls) 18-10 won by fall over William Sliger (Clarkston) 7-9 (Fall 0:15)
Cons. Round 3 - Sam Despain (Columbia Falls) 18-10 won by fall over Caden Gilmond (Glacier) 11-16 (Fall 4:19)
Cons. Round 4 - Duane Otto II (Fergus (Lewistown)) 5-2 won by injury default over Sam Despain (Columbia Falls) 18-10 (Inj. 1:35)
170
Champ. Round 1 - Lucas Thacker (Columbia Falls) 9-8 received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 - Tyson Krahe (Great Falls High) 17-12 won by fall over Lucas Thacker (Columbia Falls) 9-8 (Fall 5:09)
Cons. Round 2 - Lucas Thacker (Columbia Falls) 9-8 won by decision over Kaleb McKay (Helena) 3-18 (Dec 6-5)
Cons. Round 3 - Brandon Ober (Nampa) 11-14 won by decision over Lucas Thacker (Columbia Falls) 9-8 (Dec 3-1)
182
Champ. Round 1 - Colton McPhee (Columbia Falls) 31-3 received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 - Colton McPhee (Columbia Falls) 31-3 won by fall over Kole McGrath (Butte) 17-11 (Fall 3:14)
Quarterfinal - Colton McPhee (Columbia Falls) 31-3 won by decision over Zane Monaghan (Lake City) 20-8 (Dec 7-3)
Semifinal - Colton McPhee (Columbia Falls) 31-3 won by fall over Paxton Boyce (Flathead) 16-14 (Fall 3:51)
1st Place Match - Elijiah Davis (Great Falls High) 27-5 won by decision over Colton McPhee (Columbia Falls) 31-3 (Dec 5-2)
205
Champ. Round 1 - Jakob Freeman (Columbia Falls) 26-6 won by decision over Kaden Westlake (Bozeman) 2-2 (Dec 7-0)
Champ. Round 2 - Jakob Freeman (Columbia Falls) 26-6 won by fall over Layne Cooney (Missoula Hellgate) 0-2 (Fall 0:32)
Quarterfinal - Zane McCormick (Helena Capital) 13-5 won by decision over Jakob Freeman (Columbia Falls) 26-6 (Dec 7-6)
Cons. Round 4 - Colby Martin (Glacier) 22-8 won by decision over Jakob Freeman (Columbia Falls) 26-6 (Dec 10-4)
285
Champ. Round 1 - Taylor Gladeau (Columbia Falls) 17-1 received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 - Taylor Gladeau (Columbia Falls) 17-1 won by fall over Kyle Harding (Butte) 7-13 (Fall 0:54)
Quarterfinal - Owen Hughes (Lake City) 18-9 won by fall over Taylor Gladeau (Columbia Falls) 17-1 (Fall 3:05)
Cons. Round 4 - Taylor Gladeau (Columbia Falls) 17-1 won by fall over Michael Gulden (Helena) 9-9 (Fall 1:17)
Cons. Round 5 - Taylor Gladeau (Columbia Falls) 17-1 won by fall over Camyrn Vergeront (Glacier) 12-5 (Fall 0:31)
Cons. Semi - Taylor Gladeau (Columbia Falls) 17-1 won by decision over Cody Miller (Frenchtown) 24-6 (Dec 7-2)
3rd Place Match - Taylor Gladeau (Columbia Falls) 17-1 won by fall over Brian Karunaratne (Ferris) 18-11 (Fall 0:40)
John Fisher Results for Columbia Falls
132
Quarterfinal - Roberto Carrillo (Nampa) won by decision over Thomas Peters (Columbia Falls) (Dec 11-5)
Cons. Semi - Thomas Peters (Columbia Falls) won by fall over Tim Dicker (Flathead (Kalispell)) (Fall 1:32)
5th Place Match - Thomas Peters (Columbia Falls) won by fall over Jaron Pummill (Missoula Sentinel) (Fall 2:33)
145
Quarterfinal - Tristen Hauerwes (Missoula Big Sky / Loyola Sacred Heart) won by fall over Issac Balla (Columbia Falls) (Fall 2:09)
Cons. Semi - Issac Balla (Columbia Falls) received a bye () (Bye)
5th Place Match - Jeff Devlin (Polson) won by forfeit over Issac Balla (Columbia Falls) (FF)
170A
Quarterfinal - Lucas Thacker (Columbia Falls) won by fall over Jacob Bartow (Helena Capital) (Fall 0:30)
Semifinal - Lucas Thacker (Columbia Falls) won by decision over Bryce Tellinghusen (University) (Dec 9-4)
1st Place Match - Ryan Running Crane (Browning) won by forfeit over Lucas Thacker (Columbia Falls) (FF)
170B
Quarterfinal - Allec Knapton (Columbia Falls) won by fall over Jake Houlihan (Frenchtown) (Fall 4:53)
Semifinal - Quintin Greer (Great Falls) won by decision over Allec Knapton (Columbia Falls) (Dec 3-2)
3rd Place Match - Elijah Mills (Lake City) won by forfeit over Allec Knapton (Columbia Falls) (FF)
170C
Quarterfinal - Dominique Carrillo (East Valley) won by decision over Dj Laycock (Columbia Falls) (Dec 4-0)
Cons. Semi - Joey Robinson (Missoula Big Sky / Loyola Sacred Heart) won by decision over Dj Laycock (Columbia Falls) (Dec 4-3)
7th Place Match - Jamison Webster (Ronan) won by forfeit over Dj Laycock (Columbia Falls) (FF)