P-HS wrestlers ready to challenge for divisional honors
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February 1, 2018
PLAINS SENIOR Austin Stafford, pictured during the Ted Kato Invitational in Thompson Falls last month, is set to wrestle at 145 pounds in Saturday's Western B-C divisional tournament in Superior. Stafford was ranked No. 6 in the state at his weight in the most recent Montana Class B-C power poll.
In order to become a champion, wrestlers need to step out of their comfort zones and challenge themselves every so often.
Hoping to become a State B-C champion in these next few crucial weeks of the season, Plains-Hot Springs senior Daniel Uli stepped out of his comfort zone and stepped up a weight class to get a tougher match last week.
Ranked No. 2 in Montana B-C wrestling at 126 pounds, Uli took on the No. 3 132-pounder in Eureka's Hank Dunn in the Eureka mixer last Tuesday. Uli was right in that match most of the way, but lost by a deceptive score of 5-0 when forced to sell out and go for a big move at the end, giving up three late points.
"Daniel wanted to wrestle Dunn to see how he matched up," P-HS coach Jeff Kujala said. "And he wrestled him very well, was right in the match the whole way."
Using Uli as their example, it is now time for the entire P-HS team to step up as the Western B-C divisional tournament will be wrestled in Superior Saturday.
With defending Western B-C and State B-C team champion Eureka and Thompson Falls favored to battle it out for first place in the team race, grapplers from all schools in the division will be looking for a top four finish in each of the 13 weight classes to earn individual berths in the State B-C meet in Billings Feb. 9-10.
"Those look like the teams to beat," Kujala said. "Eureka has most of the weights filled and have stout kids across the board. Thompson Falls also looks real strong and appears to have the numbers to make a championship run."
Not that Kujala is discounting his team's chances at success.
"All our kids have been wrestling well and we are looking forward to seeing what we can do in Superior," he said. "It should be an interesting tournament."
Ranked No. 9 in the most recent Class B team power poll, the Savage Horsemen will enter the post season with four wrestlers ranked in the top six of their B-C weight classes.
In addition to Uli being ranked No. 2 at 126 pounds, Josiah Vanderwall is No. 4 at 132, Conrad Vanderwall is No. 4 at 120 and Austin Stafford checks in at No. 6 at 145.
Kujala said Peter Carey will compete at 113 pounds for P-HS in Superior, Kenzie Angle will go at 132, Jesse Uski and Bert DeTienne will wrestle at 138, Robert Mathers at 152, Luke Lile at 160 and Seth Yoder at 285.
Kujala said his mat troops are slightly banged up but in good spirits.
"We have a few little dings, the kinds of things you expect at this point in the season, and some kids have been battling the cold and flu," he said. "But we are ready to wrestle and see where the season goes from here."
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