Plains host four teams for Friday mixer

The Plains-Hot Springs Savage Horsemen had a prosperous night at their wrestling mixer at Plains Friday night with 11 victories and only four losses.

The Plains-Hot Springs team was joined by wrestlers from Arlee, Whitefish, Darby, and Powell County (Deer Lodge) for three rounds of matches, including just over a dozen girls, though Plains-Hot Springs has no girls on its team this year. It was also "Senior Night" for the Plains grapplers, who were presented to the crowd with their parents before the match. Seniors included: Drew Carey, Brenden Vanderwall, Gabe Rasmussen, Devin Barnes, and Will Tatum, who didn't wrestle that night.

Savage Horseman John Waterbury, a junior from Hot Springs, had the fastest pin for the night when he defeated Powell County's Levi Wands in the 152-pound weight class in 14 seconds. It was his fastest pin of the season, according to Jesse Jermyn, the Plains-Hot Springs head coach, who said Waterbury has 22 victories and only two losses this season. On Thursday, he also pinned Arlee Warrior Grady O'Connor in 44 seconds.

"Our kids wrestled extremely well. They showed up to wrestle," said Jermyn. He said it was a great night and a very successful meet. Of the Savage Horsemen's 11 triumphs, 10 were wins by pins, said Jermyn.

David Chapman, one of three Hot Springs grapplers, had the second fastest pin for the Savage Horsemen when he trounced Warrior Jeryn Belcourt in the 182-pound weight class in 26 seconds. Chapman normally competes in the 170-pound weight class, but with no opponents in his class, he went against a wrestler in the higher one. Chapman, a junior, is only in his second year of wrestling. He chalked up a 19-second pin against a Thompson Falls wrestler earlier in the season. Of Chapman's 15 wins this season, 10 were pins, said Kalli Tuma, one of the team's student managers.

There were no points or placements for the mixer, but it allows the wrestlers to get into more matches when not all teams have all their weight classes full, said Jermyn. Joe Sol, a former Thompson Falls High School wrestler, was one of two referees officiating the meet. Sol wrestled all four years as a Blue Hawk and competed at the state level twice.

The matches began with an immediate win when Gavin Schrenk beat Brody Smith of Arlee 11-9 in the 126-pound weight class. Cody West, competing in the same class, followed Schrenk and was leading 10-1 when he pinned Darby Tiger Mark Sandoval in 2:19.

Savage Horseman Drew Carey hurt his knee in practice earlier in the week, but that didn't stop him from crushing Whitefish Bulldog Carter Olson in 32 seconds in the 138-pound weight class. The senior has 23 wins this season, including 14 pins. Carey has wrestled all four high school years and he was also in the Little Guy Wrestling Program for five years before high school.

"They looked really good, lots of hustle," said Savage Horseman assistant coach Rocky Wagoner, who wrestled at Plains High School all four years and competed at state for three of them. "They worked hard all week and it's showing tonight," said Wagoner.

Senior Gabe "Manchild" Rasmussen, competing in the 182-pound weight class, lost his first match against Arlee Warrior Jeryn Belcourt. Rasmussen was leading 5-2 and had good position when the Warrior suddenly turned his deficit into a pin. But Rasmussen's second match was a different story. Rasmussen knew he was getting too low against Warrior Bridger Smith, who had him in a headlock, but once Rasmussen got loose, he saw an opening and put his opponent in a half nelson. He then rolled him over and pinned Smith in 1:15. Rasmussen started wrestling in eighth grade and this year has racked up 11 wins, including seven pins.

Sophomore Beau Crabb, wrestling in the 138-pound class, claimed a 36-second pin victory over Darby Tiger Liam Lucas. He also won his second match with a 1:26 pin over Bridger Slotner of Deer Lodge.

Competing in the 170-pound class, Brenden Vanderwall, a senior, pinned Drew Knoll of Arlee in 55 seconds. Devin Barnes, a senior, beat August Feliu of Whitefish in a 1:59 pin in the 160-pound class. Freshman Andrew Waterbury, wrestling in the 132-pound class, lost his two matches, but Jermyn said he put up a good fight against good opponents. "He ended up losing but did great up to that point," said Jermyn, who added that it's "a humbling night seeing the talent we'll lose at the end of this season."

The Savage Horsemen will participate in the Thompson Falls mixer on Thursday, Jan. 25, at 6 p.m. and at the Mission Tournament on Saturday, Jan. 27.