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Matches on the mat aren't the only competitions Sanders County wrestling teams have been facing this year. Wrestlers have been battling winter storms and quarantines as they have advanced through the season, overcoming it all as they face their next challenge - the divisional tournament.

Plains/Hot Springs and Thompson Falls/Noxon wrestlers will head east this weekend to compete in the Western B-C Divisional tournament at the Butte Civic Center.

The Thompson Falls wrestling team got a good look at some potential divisional foes as they held a home mixer last Thursday celebrating the Blue Hawk seniors, and then traveled to Whitefish on Friday for four duals.

"The mixer was good," said Coach Mike Thilmony. "Our kids wrestled well. We won what we expected and lost a couple of tough matches." The Hawks honored three seniors, including Thilmony's son Trae, Ryan Bucher and Shane Reishus. "Shane and Trae have grown up in the program since first grade. It's emotional for me to watch those two move on," Coach Thilmony said.

During the home mixer, David Schulze of Plains wrestled up a weight class to battle Trae Thilmony, who won the match 18-3. "David has a great shot at making some big noise in the division and state. He's a great wrestler," Coach Thilmony said. Plains Coach Shane Angle said Schulze used the match at 145 pounds to help gauge where he's at heading into the postseason. "Trae is an outstanding, solid wrestler," Angle said.

Also Thursday, Max Hannum wrestled Canyon Sargent of Mission. Coach Thilmony said those two wrestlers have gone back and forth, and Sargent came out on top this time. "I tip my hat to him. It was a real competitive match," the Blue Hawk coach said.

Angle said Spur Ryan stepped up at 160 pounds in the Thompson Falls mixer, pinning both Chance Bockman of Mission-Charlo and Ryan Bucher of Thompson Falls in the first period. "Spur showed up to win that night," Angle said. "He's peaked at all the right times." Ryan also pinned two opponents in Bigfork on Friday

The Blue Hawks went 3-1 in the Whitefish duals, beating East Helena 36-6, Eureka 35-29 and Browning 33-30. The Hawks fell to Columbia Falls 48-27. Thilmony said there were some tough matches and he was proud of how the team wrestled in the final competition before the postseason. "Overall I'm really happy with how we finished up. Ryan Bucher had a big weekend, going 3-1 on Friday. He's a great kid with a great work ethic."

The Blue Hawks this week are focused on a good week of practices. "You want to be peaking and wrestling at the best of our ability this time of year," Coach Thilmony said, adding that the two-day tournaments the Hawks competed in throughout the season help them prepare for a tough two-day divisional tournament. "COVID and sickness has been a tough thing to navigate. We've been tested throughout our schedule. I feel good about our team right now. Our guys are ready to go."

Plains had a busy last week of the regular season. After competing in Thompson Falls on Thursday, they traveled to Bigfork Friday for duals and then Mission on Saturday for a round robin tournament. Angle said the Mission Valley Championship was a good way for his team to get a look at more divisional competition. Ryan went 3-2 in Mission at 160 pounds. Angle noted that the sophomore didn't wrestle last year so is honing in his skills this year. "He's tough and eager to learn," the Savage Horsemen coach said.

The Savage Horsemen were battling sickness and injuries during their busy last week before the divisional tournament. Angle called Will James Courville a "silent horse going into divisional," noting that having Schulze as a wrestling partner in the practice room has helped Courville tremendously this season. Courville, a sophomore, was one match away from making it to state last year. Brady Schrenk also has been improving throughout the season. "He looks better every weekend," Angle said. Schrenk beat Codiak Killorn on Saturday, pinning the Mission-Charlo wrestler after losing to him in Thompson Falls earlier last week. "It was a good end to the regular season," Angle said of Schrenk's win.

At 103 pounds, Plains will have August Courville and Gavin Schrenk competing at divisional in Butte. "If they're on their game, they can really upset some people," Angle noted. John Waterbury was injured last week during a 126-pound match, but Angle is hoping to have him back for divisional this weekend. At 132, Drew Carey was battling sickness over the weekend, but Sky Van Der Gang, a first-year wrestler, took advantage of his mat time and got two pins in Mission. "Getting mat time is the biggest thing for him and he's improving throughout the season. He listens and soaks everything in like a sponge," Angle said.

Competing for the Blue Hawks at divisional will be Levi Wenz, Westin Brown, Trae Thilmony, Elijah Ratliff, Shane Reishus, Ryan Bucher and Max Hannum. Ratliff, Thilmony and Hannum are returning state placers, and Reishus has qualified for state the three previous years. "Those four can score some big points for us team-wise," Coach Thilmony said.

The Western B-C tournament will include 25 teams. "It will be a tough tournament. The guys know they have to wrestle well out of the gate in early matchups to get in the quarterfinals Friday night and the semis Saturday morning," Thilmony stated. He added that his team is excited to compete at the Butte Civic Center. "There's a lot of sports history in that facility."

Miriah Kardelis

Blue Hawk Elijah Ratliff was back on the mat Thursday and will compete in the divisional tournament this weekend.

Angle expects good things from his team in the postseason. "We have a tough division. It's more competitive. There's no more walkin in knowing you're going to make it to state. You have to wrestle to get there. That's what wrestling should be, with greater competition." The Plains-Hot Springs coach has given his team extra incentive for the divisional tournament, challenging each person to make it to state. If every wrestler does earn the trip to Billings, Angle said he will shave his head. "We have to be on our game and make it happen," Angle said.

Fans can watch the divisional wrestling matches Friday and Saturday on NFHS Network or Track Wrestling. The Blue Hawk and Savage Horsemen girls' teams will not wrestle at divisional, but will have an additional day of wrestling at the state meet in Billings February 10-12.