Pirates, Chiefs divisional bound
Jasper Drake — 285-pound class
Jarod Farrier — 132-pound class
RJ Pierre — 113-pound class
Hunter Fritsch — 170-pound class
Bridger Wenzel — 152-pound class
Polson’s Caleb Pierre pins his Ronan opponent in last Thursday’s dual at Polson High School. (Bob Gunderson photos/Lake County Leader)
Justin Mays of Ronan wins his match by fall over Pirate wrestler Aaron O’Roake in the 205-pound weight class at Polson High School last Thursday night.
If a team is on “top of its game,” it would be the Polson High School wrestling team.
The Pirates have been on a roll lately, and are primed to qualify a large number of wrestlers for the state tourney with top-eight finishers in their weight class at the Western A Divisional at Butte Central on Saturday.
All the Class A teams from west of the Continental Divide, plus Browning, will be in Butte to compete for team and individual medals.
Polson, as well as the Ronan Chiefs and other teams, are allowed to place as many as 17 grapplers in the brackets — their “starters” in each of the 13 weight classes and four “extras” who will be in the brackets.
The Pirates of Polson pinned a Senior Night loss on Glacier on Tuesday, Jan. 22 — doubling the Wolfpack, 48-24. Winners by fall were RJ Pierre (113), Kedrick Baker (120), Jarod Farrier (132), Bridger Wenzel (152), Hunter Fritsch (170) and Jasper Drake (285).
“They’re a much-improved team,” Polson head coach Matt Owen said of Glacier. “It’s nice to come with a victory. The kids wrestled pretty hard. Even in the matches they (the Wolfpack) won there were scrappy.”
Owen spoke about being aggressive on the mats.
“We preach that when we get on top we want to take advantage of that position,” he said.
Last Thursday, the Pirates hosted Ronan for a dual, won by Polson, 60-15. Winners in their matches were RJ Pierre, Kellen Norman (120), Farrier, Dugan Davis (138), Caleb Pierre (145), Bridger Wenzel (152), Garrett Croft (160), Hunter Fritsch (170), Logan Adler (182) and Jasper Drake (285).
Trapper McAllister (126), Justin Mays (205) and Trevor Bartel (103) wrestled to wins for Ronan, head coached by Dylan Kramer.
POLSON POSTED a perfect 3-0 dual mark at the Whitefish Memorial Wrestling Invitational last Friday. The Pirates defeated Eureka 50-20, Libby/Troy 48-24 and Whitefish 57-19.
“I felt we came out a little flat in those first two duals, but I thought we looked good against Whitefish,” Owen said.
Going 3-0 were RJ Pierre, Wenzel and Fritsch. In the dual against Whitefish, Drake won by fall in just 27 seconds over Brian Sweeney.
RONAN TOOK ON Mission/Charlo last Saturday in Ronan, and the Bulldogs claimed a 46-22 win.
Bartlett and McAllister wrestled to wins, and Ronan took two forfeits.
Kramer said Bartel is recently back in action after ineligibility, and McAllister avenged a loss from earlier in the season.
Ronan should take 11 wrestlers to Butte. The Chiefs’ basic lineup: 103, Bartel; 126, McAllister; 132, Julian Strait; 145, Manny Rowan; 160, Christian Smith; 170, Jamison Webster; 182, Jesse Little Boy; 205, Mays; and 285, Larz Sorrell.
The Ronan “extras” should be senior lady Persethone Sandoval, and sophomore Terry Wersonick.
Mays will be a favorite for a gold medal at the divisional. Kramer believes McAllister and Sorrell should each garner a medal, along with several other Chiefs.
EXTRAS FOR Polson will be Braedon Iliff at 103, Norman at 120; Tyren Stidham at 126 and Kaleb Unger at 160.