Warriors take gold at Darby

DARBY— Beating out 11 teams for the highest reward, the Arlee wrestling team finished in first place this past weekend at the Darby Invitational Tournament.

Finishing with 144 points, just ahead of second place Mission/Charlo, three individual Warriors also took the gold for their weights.

At 119 pounds, a Warrior vs. Warrior duel was decided when Arlee senior Jake Trujillo defeated his teammate, freshman Logan Lefler, in a 4-1 decision in the finals.

“Lefler also wrestled very well and beat some tough competition to make it to the final with Trujillo,” Arlee head coach Ken Hill said.  

In a dominant performance, sophomore Cole Rice downed Darby’s Dalton Roundy by a 8-0 decision in the championship after axing Darby and Corvallis wrestlers in route to the finals.

Arlee junior Jordan Lefler took some sweet revenge on Mission/Charlo wrestler Michael Beebe who beat him earlier in the week at a dual in St. Ignatius. Lefler won a close 10-8 decision final over Beebe, completing another chapter in the saga of competition between the two 135-pounders.  

Arlee Senior Trevor Rice captured a third place medal in the consolation championship with a well-fought 4-3 decision win over Kyle Lawson of Summit Prep.

Senior Tucker Lytle, junior Travis Dupuis and freshman Brady Potts all took fourth for their weights.

At Mission/Charlo on Thursday, the Warriors lost by the narrowest margin after the score remained a 39-39 tied at the end of wrestling. Sorting through the rule books, coaches determined that St. Ignatius won the dual by the sixth criteria of a tie-breaker because they had the most first take-downs during the dual.

Lytle pinned Mission/Charlo’s Dakota Matt in 3:20 at 145 pounds, freshman Clayton Trimble pinned Bulldog Josh Christiansen in 3:16 at 152 pounds and Potts won by a 4-3 decision over Travis Dumont at 171-pounds.

The Warriors wrestle at 10:30 a.m. in the Western B-C Divisional Tournament in St. Ignatius on Saturday.

They will compete as a team and the top four individual placers for each weight will qualify for the State Tournament next weekend in Billings.