Pirates nip Lake City to win Owen Invite title

Since Polson High School wrestler Hunter Fritsch transferred from Oklahoma his sophomore year, he’s been labeled “that guy” the coaching staff and wrestler both know will be at the top of the podium someday in Billings.

Now that Fritsch is a senior, the coaching staff is ready to see his natural ability meet his maturity, and during the season-opening Owen Invitational hosted by Polson, that happened.

Fritsch was the main catalyst behind Polson’s claiming the Owen Invitational for themselves Saturday afternoon at Joe McDonald Gym at Salish Kootenai College in Pablo.

“We were lucky to get him back,” Pirates coach Kevin Owen said. “He wrestled for us when he was younger in our Little Guy Program, and we were able to get him back as a sophomore.”

Now that Fritsch is a senior, he is utilizing his natural ability to make leaps and bounds in his wrestling skills. The move resulted in Polson winning the Owen Invite as a team for the first time in nearly 18 years.

“I think Hunter was just getting focused,” Owen said. “He could be a little emotional from time to time, and sometimes he could be in the moment when he wrestled. This weekend, I saw a calmness when he wrestled. He wrestled with a purpose while being mindful of what he was doing on the mat.”

Fritsch pinned his way through the tournament, and according to Owen, the team wouldn’t have captured the tourney crown without his efforts.

“He pinned his way through the tournament,” Owen said.

Logan Adler, a 182-pound freshman wrestler and younger brother of Parker Adler, took second place.

“He is in the best position when he is on the top position,” Owen said. “He is just like Parker, and if he gets his opponents in a bad position, he usually puts them away.”

Owen said he pleased with his team’s first-place performance but knows there is a long way to go.

“I think you can take only so much away from early in the season,” Owen said. “That is a real positive, and it is something that we can build on. This is the first time in over 18 years that we’ve won this tournament.

Other Pirate wrestlers that excelled:

103: Pirates senior RJ Pierre has become a staple at the lower weight divisions for Polson over the years. Pierre brought back plenty of state-qualifying experience and showcased his talent in this week’s Owen Invite. “We hope he makes a run a little bit deeper this year,” Owen said. “He’ll be right in the mix.”

The other wrestler, at 103-pounds, is Gavin Knutson, who has already showcased his talent. “He has a lot of talent, and we saw a lot of good things out of him,” Owen said. “He is a little bit undersized, and we are working hard to put some weight on him. I think he is going to have a great season.”

113: Pirates’ Kedrick Baker is another wrestler that has been a part of the Polson wrestling machine for a long time. “He was right in the mix of all of his matches at the Owen Invite,” Owen said. “He still had the heart and determination after his early loss.”

120: Maysn Cowell — “Cowell grew and gained a significant amount of weight during the offseason,” Owen said. “We will see what his potential could be. He was right in the mix in all of his matches. He started at the 103-pound weight class, and sometimes it takes a while to transition in that weight class.”

152: Bridger Wenzel has been on the cusp of capturing a state championship title the last couple of seasons at MHSA in Billings. “Every time he wrestled that wrestler in Belgrade, he has got beaten,” Owen said. “Bridger will make some adjustments, and hopefully get anxious to face him and get the better of him by the end of the season.”

Mission/Charlo has four placers

Mission/Charlo Bulldog grapplers had four placers at the Owen Invitational.

Coach Lyle Cronk’s assessment of the season opener was, “All in all it was a great tournament and a lot of fun. We had plenty to be proud of and we also have plenty to improve on. Perfect for a season opener!”

The quartet of juniors who placed were runnerup Isaiah Allik (170), a pair of fourth place finishers in Walker Murphy (120) and Darwin Adams (145), while Miles Anderson (205) finished fifth. Cronk emphasized the “intensity Isaiah displayed throughout the tournament,” Murphy’s effort “fighting back through the consolation bracket” and how both Adams and Anderson “looked tough” as contributing factors on an encouraging start to their season.

Chiefs have two place winners

Ronan had a pair of medal winners at the Owen Invitational last weekend in Pablo.

Teamwise, the Chiefs finished in 18 th place, scoring 51.5 points.

Justin May earned third place at 205 pounds, defeating Mahlon Clark of Lake City (Idaho) in a 7-1 decision.

Teammate Daniel Bishop won his final match, a 9-5 decision over Porter Howard of Lake City to take fifth-place honors at 152 pounds.

“The two kids who placed wrestled really well,” Ronan head coach Dylan Kramer said.

Ronan will have three additional wrestlers for the Mining City Duals in Butte this Friday and Saturday.

“It’s a pretty fun tournament to go to,” Kramer said, explaining that there will be pool matches first day and bracket competition Saturday. “We get a variety of competition.”

Thilmony champ for T-Falls/Noxon

Trae Thilmony, in his first high school competition, led Thompson Falls/Noxon by winning the 113-pound title at the Owen Invitational. Roman Sparks was fourth at 126 while Seth Alarcon placed fifth at 285 and Dakota Irvine was sixth at 182.

Team Scores

1 Polson 202.0

2 Lake City (Ida) 201.0

3 Frenchtown 157.0

4 Sentinel 129.5

5 Columbia Falls 111.0

6 Eureka 104.5

7 Belgrade 102.0

8 Libby 99.5

9 Florence 95.0

10 Mission/Charlo 89.5

11 Thompson Falls 89.0

12 Glacier 73.0

13 Corvallis 70.0

13 Hamilton 70.0

15 Clark Fork 68.0

16 Browning 62.0

17 Whitefish 58.0

18 Ronan 51.5

19 Stevensville 46.0

20 Hellgate 31.0

MEDAL MATCHES

103

1st Place Match

Landen Stewart, Frenchtown (4-0) Dec 4-3 over Rene Pierre, Polson (3-1).

3rd Place Match

Nathan Sproul, Whitefish (4-1) 7-2 dec over Gavin Knutson, Polson (3-2).

5th Place Match

Oliver Post, Florence (3-2) 1:02 fall over Gavin Bauman, Frenchtown (3-3).

113

1st Place Match

Trae Thilmony, Thompson Falls (4-0) 10-1 md. over Caden Hess, Lake City (3-1).

3rd Place Match

Bryson Danzinger, Sentinel (4-1) 4-0 dec. over Eli Warner, Frenchtown (3-2).

5th Place Match

Kedrick Baker, Polson (3-2) 3:09 fall over Matt Foley, Belgrade (3-3).

120

1st Place Match

Walker Dyer, Frenchtown (4-0) 7-2 dec. over Buddy Doolin, Libby (4-1).

3rd Place Match

Devin Sorrelle, Lake City (6-1) 6-5 dec. over Walker Murphy, Mission/Charlo (5-2).

5th Place Match

Maysn Cowell, Polson (3-2) 1:29 fall over Novik Thomas, Sentinel (2-3).

126

1st Place Match

Jake Bibler, Frenchtown (5-0) 5-1 dec. over Justin Kovalicky, Sentinel (3-1).

3rd Place Match

Dante Venema, Corvallis (4-1) 0:00 fall over Roman Sparks, Thompson Falls ( 4-2).

5th Place Match

Kyle Durden, Eureka (5-2) 10-0 md. over Dylan Schneider, Glacier (4-3).

132

1st Place Match

Nathan Schmidt, Eureka (5-0) 1:12 fall over Zack Morrison, Libby (3-1).

3rd Place Match

Jarod Farrier, Polson (4-1) 1:15 fall over Carter Brown, Corvallis (6-2).

5th Place Match

Ricky Thomas, Lake City (4-2) 12-2 md. over Wesley Buchannen, Superior (2-3).

138

1st Place Match

Michael Golden, Hamilton (4-0) 4-0 dec. over Dakota Flannery, Whitefish (4-1).

3rd Place Match

Reece Eckley, Sentinel (5-1) 3:58 fall over Triston Davis, Corvallis (3-2).

5th Place Match

Ayden Role, Columbia Falls (4-2) 1-0 dec over Jonny Chamberlain, Florence (3-3).

145

1st Place Match

Luke Joy, Sentinel (4-0) 3-0 dec. over Trey Thompson, Libby (3-1).

3rd Place Match

Hank Dunn, Eureka (5-1) tf-1.5 3:42 (17-1) over Darwin Adams, Mission/Charlo (3-2)

5th Place Match

Gabe Riley, Sentinel (5-2) 7-1 dec. over Jesse Horner, Sentinel (5-3).

152

1st Place Match

John Mears, Belgrade (4-0) 5-2 dec. over Bridger Wenzel, Polson (4-1).

3rd Place Match

Conall Powers, Sentinel (5-1) 6-1 dec. over Bridger Williams, Hamilton (4-2).

5th Place Match

Daniel Collins-Bishop, Ronan (6-2) 9-5 dec. over Porter Howard, Lake City (3-3).

160

1st Place Match

Avery Meinzen, Florence (4-0) 1:22 fall over Kyler Pancake, Stevensville (4-1).

3rd Place Match

Bridger Hall, Hellgate (4-1) 1:15 fall over Seth Nutting, Lake City (4-2).

5th Place Match

Noah Hurst, Hamilton (4-2) 11-4 dec. over Nate Cargill, Eureka (5-3).

170

1st Place Match

Hunter Fritsch, Polson (5-0) 4:52 fall over Isaiah Allik, Mission/Charlo (3-1).

3rd Place Match

Canyon Shope, Frenchtown (5-1) 0:48 fall over Elijah Mills, Lake City (4-2)

5th Place Match

Matthew Whitcomb, Lake City (5-2) 8-0 md. over James Fehr, Eureka (2-3).

182

1st Place Match

Colton McPhee, Columbia Falls (4-0) 0:49 fall over Logan Adler, Polson (3-1).

3rd Place Match

Trey Green, Superior (7-1) 1:28 fall over Kevin Aiken, Belgrade (5-2).

5th Place Match

Tate Jones, Frenchtown (3-2) 3-0 dec. over Dakota Irvine, Thompson Falls (2-3).

205

1st Place Match

Spencer Jones, Florence (4-0) 9-4 dec. over Jakob Freeman, Columbia Falls (3-1).

3rd Place Match

Justin Mays, Ronan (4-1), 7-1 dec. Mahlon Clark, Lake City (4-2).

5th Place Match

Miles Anderson, Mission/Charlo (3-2) 1:51 fall over Justice Moore, Polson (3-3).

285

1st Place Match

Owen Hughes, Lake City (4-0) 4-2 sv-1 over Wacey Zuback, Browning (3-1).

3rd Place Match

Justin Olson, Glacier (5-1) 1:27 fall over Jacob Lapinski, Superior (3-2).

5th Place Match

Seth Alarcon, Thompson Falls (5-2) 2:28 fall over Dylan Rollins, Sentinel (2-3).

Individuals abridged to Mission Valley area

103 – 2, RJ Pierre; 4, Gavin Knutson.

Rene “RJ” Pierre, Polson (3-1) – RJ Pierre, p. 0:36 Gavin Bauman, Ftn; RJ Pierre, p. 0:32 Thomas Putnam, Gla; RJ Pierre, p. 3:10 Gavin Knutson, Pol; (championship) Landen Stewart, Ftn, d. 4-3 RJ Pierre.

Gavin Knutson, Polson (3-2) – G.Knutson, p. 0:37 Mark Spencer, Corv; G.Knutson, p. 1:02 Logan Bratch, Ham; RJ Pierre, Pol, p. 3:10 G.Knutson; G.Knutson, p. 0:44 Gavin Bauman, Ftn; (4th place) Nathan Sproul, Wf, d. 7-2 G.Knutson.

Braedon Iliff, Polson (1-2) – Landen Stewart, Ftn, p. 0:23 B.Iliff; B.Iliff, p. 0:19 Mark Spencer, Corv; Gavin Bauman, Ftn, d. 11-8 B.Iliff.

113 – 5, Kedrick Baker

Kedrick Baker, Polson (3-2) – Trae Thilmony, TF, p. 3:35 K.Baker; K.Baker, md. 22-2 Hannah Hurst, Ham; K.Baker, dff. Barta/Croft; Bryson Danzinger, Sent, d. 5-2 K.Baker; (5th place) K.Baker p. 3:09 Matt Foley, Belg.

Sheadyn Croft, Ronan (1-2) Caden Hess, Lake City, p. 5:55 Croft; Croft, md. 13-2 Jackson Carson, Wf; Orion Barta, CF, forf. Croft.

Brody Soderquist, Polson (1-2) – Bryson Danzinger, Sent, md. 14-0 B.Soderquist; B.Soderquist, p. 1:38 Lydia Rosbarsky, Hlgt; Matt Foley, Belg, p. 0:47 B.Soderquist.

Irish Cenicola, Polson (0-2) – Eli Warner, Ftwn, p. 1:58 Cenicola; Matt Foley, Belg, p. 0:39 Cenicola.

120 – 4, Walker Murphy; 5, Masyn Cowell.

Walker Murphy, Mission/Charlo (5-2) – Murphy md. 14-0 Carter Moran, Wf; Murphy p. 2:00 Jacob Hickman, Hlgt; Cowell d. 4-0 Murphy; Murphy, p. 1:26 Donavin Baker, Pol; Murphy, d. 5-4 Blanchard, Ftn; Murphy, d. 2-1 Thomas, Sent; Devin Sorrelle, Lake City, d. 6-5 Murphy.

Masyn Cowell, Polson (3-2) – Cowell p. 0:18 Chris Hall, Brn; Cowell d. 4-0 Murphy; Buddy Doolin, Lib, tf-1.55:51 (18-3); Devin Sorrelle, Lake City, p. 3:58 Cowell; (5th place) Cowell, p. 1:29 Thomas, Sent.

Donavin Baker, Polson (2-2) – Buddy Doolin, Lib, p. 1:21 Baker; Baker p. 0:34 Brian Phips, CF; Baker md. 13-1 Alexis Aurand, Wf; Walker Murphy, M/C, p. 1:26 Baker.

Kellen, Norman, Polson (1-2) – Brian Phips, CF, p. 1:29 Norman; Norman p. 0:39 Hogan, CF; Jackson Bakken, Sent p. 1:13 Baker.

126

Owen Brown, Ronan (2-2) – Brown, tf-1.5 4:00 (18-1) Nate Garner, Lake City; Dante Venema, Corv, d. 10-5 Brown; Brown, md. 12-3 Reishus, TF; Dylan Schneider, Gla, dq. Brown.

Tyren Stidham, Polson (1-2) – Stidham, p. 0:28 Nate Rowe, Belg; Kellen Robbins, Ste, p.0:54 Stidham;

Reishus, TF, p.2:41 Stidham.

132 – 3, Jarod Farrier.

Jarod Farrier, Poldon (4-1) – Farrier, d. 7-2 Jordan Meadows, CoF; Farrier p. 0:26 Lennix Veal, Sent; Nathan Schmidt, Eur, p. 3:04 Farrier; Farrier, d. 3-2 Ricky Thomas, Lake City; Farrier, p. 1:13 Carter Brown, Corv.

138

Cole Gilleard, Mission/Charlo (1-2) – Gilleard, p. 2:16 Tristen Rial, Stev; Triston Davis, Corv, p. 4:37 Gilleard; Jonny Chamberlain, Flor, d. 9-4 Gilleard.

Dugan Davis, Polson (1-2) – Blake Jolma, Sent, p. 0:27 Davis; Davis p. 1:02 Colter Lindsley, Belg; Davis Role, CF, p. 2:23 Davis.

145 – 4, Darwin Adams.

Darwin Adams, Mission/Charlo (3-2) – Adams p. 1:11 Caden Plasmier, Flor; Adams, p. 2:53, Gabe Riley, Sent; Trey Thompson, Lib, md. 14-2 Adams; Adams p. 0:53 Horner, Sent; Hank Dunn, Eur, tf.-1.5 3:42 (17-1) Adams.

Caleb Pierre, Polson (2-2) – C.Pierre p. 1:41 Jayden Nelson, CF; C.Pierre, p. 2:28 Aaron Wells, Brn; Trey Thompson, Lib, p. 3:22 C.Pierre; Kaleb Strickler, Lake City, md.10-2 C.Pierre.

Michael Pierre, Polson (0-2) – Cole McCollum, Gla, md. 14-1 M.Pierre; Chance Kittson, Brn, p. 2:49 M.Pierre.

Shayden Friedlander, Mission/Charlo (0-2) – Smokey Stoker, Ftn, p. 0:41 Friedlander; Jesse Horner, Sent, p. 1:25 Friedlander.

152 – 2, Bridger Wenzel; 5, Daniel Collins-Bishop

Bridger Wenzel, Polson (4-1) – Wenzel, p. 0:34 Brennan RunningCrane, Brn; Wenzel p. 1:51 Wyatt Garver, Eur; Wenzel p. 1:36 Thomas Anderson, Sup; Wenzel, md. 11-1 Bridger Williams, Hlgt; (championship) John Mears, Belg, d. 5-2 Wenzel.

Daniel Collins-Bishop, Ronan (6-2) – Collins-Bishop, p. 2:17 Lawrence Birdrattler, Brn; Porter Howard, Lake City, p. 5:52 Collins-Bishop; Collins-Bishop, d. 9-2 Knowles, Sent; Collins-Bishop, md. 10-2 Kyler Francis, Sup; Powers, Sent, p. 1:20 Collins-Bishop; (5th place) Collins-Bishop, d. 9-5 Howard, Lake City.

Jeff Devlin, Polson (2-2) – Devlin p. 1:22 Jeff Nealey, Unatt; Devlin p. 2:46 Gregory Winegart, Flor; John Mears, Belg, p. 0:20 Devlin; Tucker Masters, Lib, p. 1:37 Devlin.

Isaac DuMontier, Mission/Charlo (1-2) – DuMontier p. 1:54 Issac Balla, CF; John Mears, Belg, p. 2:48 DuMontier; Brennan RunningCrane, Brn, p. 2:44 DuMontier.

Kayden Carter, Mission/Charlo (0-2) – Cody Crace, Lib, p. 1:41 Carter; tucker Masters, Lib, p. 1:04 Carter.

Jonah DuCharme, Polson (0-2) – Bridger Williams, Hlgt, p. 0:29 DuCharme; Lawrence Birdrattler, Brn, p. 0:27 DuCharme.

Sean Calley, Polson (0-2) – Kyler Francis, Sup, p. 1:52 Calley; Tucker Masters, Lib, p. 0:43 Calley.

160 – Garrett Croft one match away from placing

Garrett Croft, Polson (4-2) – Croft, p. 1:00 Zane Nordwick, Lib; Avery Meinzen, Flor, p. 1.23 Croft; Croft p. 1:39 Ben Holtzen, Corv; Croft, p. 0:34 Janes, Stev; Croft forf. Hawk, Sent; Nate Cargill, Eur, p. 3:58 Croft.

Sam Whealon, Polson (0-2) – Kyler Pancake, Stev, p. 1:44; Whealon; Zane Nordwick, Lib, md. 11-2 Whealon.

170 – 1, Hunter Fritsch; 2, Isaiah Allik.

Hunter Fritsch, Polson (5-0) – Fritsch p. 0:44 Zach Cather, Flor; Fritsch p. 1:19 Nate Holzer, Sent; Fritsch p. 0:41 John Tinnell, Lib; Fritsch p. 3:56 Canyon Shope, Ftn; (championship) Fritsch p. 4:52 Isaiah Allik, M/C.

Isaiah Allik, Mission/Charlo (3-1) – Allik p. 0:48 Jarius Smith, Pol; Allik tf-1.5 5:55 (21-6) Matt Whitcomb, LakeCity; Allik d. 8-7 James Fehr, Eur; (championship) Hunter Fritsch, Pol, p. 4:52 Allik.

Jarius Smith, Polson (1-2) – Isaiah Allik, M/C, p. 0:48 J.Smith; J.Smith, p. 1:22 Christian Smith, Ron; Sam Despain, CF, p. 0:50 J.Smith.

Christian Smith, Ronan (0-2) – Canyon Shope, Ftn, p. 0:28 C.Smith; Jarius Smith, Pol, p. 1:22 C.Smith.

182 – 2, Logan Adler.

Logan Adler, Polson (3-1) – L.Adler p. 1:49 Jordan Knapton, CF; L.Adler p. 0:39 Ryan RunningCrane, Brn; L.Adler p. 1:21 Dakota Irvine, TF; (championship) Colton McPhee, CF, p. 0:49 L.Adler.

Jeb Moderie, Polson (1-2) – Dakota Irvine, TF, p. 1:25 Moderie; Moderie p. 0:21 Ham, Hlgt; Webster, Ron, p. 3:30 Moderie.

Sean Calahan, Polson (0-2) – Charlie BullCalf, Brn, p. 1:08 Calahan; Aiken, Belg, p. 0:16 Calahan.

Jamison Webster, Ronan (1-2) – Dylan Hicks, Fltd d. 4-2 Webster; Webster p. 3:30 Moderie; Zane Monaghan, Lake City (ID) p. 0:53 Webster.

205 – 3, Justin Mays; 5, Miles Anderson; 6, Justice Moore.

Justin Mays, Ronan (4-1) – Mays p. 1:39 Dominic Babcock, Eur; Mays p. 1:58 Mason Jacobsen, Belg; Jacob Freeman, CF, d. 5-4 Mays; Mays p. 1:18 Justice Moore; (3rd place) Mays d. 7-1 Mahlon Clark, Lake City (ID).

Justice Moore, Polson (3-3) – J.Moore p. 1:35 Sebastian Driver, Stev; Spencer Jones, Flor, p. 1:18 J.Moore; J.Moore d. 4-2 Catagen Wheat, Ham; J.Moore p. 2:50 O’Roake, Pol; Justin Mays, Ron, p. 1:18 J.Moore; (5th place) Miles Anderson, M/C, p. 1:51 Moore.

Miles Anderson, Mission/Charlo (3-2) – Anderson p. 0:50 Terry Wersonick, Ron; Anderson, p. 0:49 Kaden Blixt, Pol; Spencer Jones, Flor, 0:52 p. Anderson; Clark p. 2:57 Anderson; (5th place) Anderson p. 1:51 Justice Moore, Pol.

Aaron O’Roake, Polson (2-2) – Mason Jacobsen, Belg, p. 2:40 O’Roake; O’Roake p. 1:15 Babcock, Eur; O’Roake, Pol, p. 0:43 Kaden Blixt; Justice Moore p. 2:50 O’Roake.

Persephone Sandoval, Ronan (1-2) – Spencer Jones, Flor, p. 0:44 Sandoval; Sandoval p. 2:58 Sebastian Driver, Stev; Clark p. 1:13 Sandoval.

Terry Wersonick, Ronan (0-2) – Miles Anderson p. 0:50 Wersonick; Jacobsen, Belg p. 1:09 Wersonick.

Kaden Blixt, Polson (0-2) – Miles Anderson, M/C p. 0:49 Blixt; Aaron O’Roake, Pol, p. 0:43 Blixt.

285

Ethan Christopher, Ronan (1-2) – Christopher, p. 1:21 Zayne Konkol, Belg; Owen Hughes, Lake City (ID) p. 3:38 Christopher; Seth Alarcan, TF, p. 0:45 Christopher.

Mason Smith, Polson (0-2) – Ramsey Knowles, Sent, p. 0:44 M.Smith; O’Maste Foster, Flor, d. 7-2 M. Smith.

Larz Sorrell, Ronan (0-2) – Jacob Lapinski, Sup, p. 1:05 Sorrell; Seth Alarcan, TF, d. 11-7 Sorrell.

Jasper Drake, Polson (0-2) – Dylan Rollins, Sent, p. 1:15 Drake; O’Maste Foster, Flor, inj.def. Drake.

unabridged results can be viewed online with < trackwrestling.com >. An alternative presentaton of Polson Pirate placers can be view at the high school website.

Acronym Key: p.(pin), d. decision), f (forfeit), md. (major decision), tf. (technical fall), sv. (sudden victory), pl (place)

— John Heglie and Joe Sova contributed to this article.