Page 65 - Flathead Beacon // 2.5.14

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SPORTS
FEBRUARY 5, 2014 | 65

GRAPPLING WITH
GREATNESS

Continued from back page

Not satisied with the

successful status quo,

Shonn Roberts took it

up a notch this season.

Thirteen pounds

to be exact.

The Columbia Falls junior, a two-
time Class A state champion, bumped
up two weight classes, from 112 pounds

to the highly contentious 125-pound di-
vision. At 5-foot-9, Roberts might have
seemed a little undersized for the ambi-
tious move.
But that would have been an incor-
rect assessment.
Entering the inal weeks of the sea-

son, Roberts is undefeated and one of
the great grapplers in Montana, if not
pound-for-pound the best.
At the 37th annual Jug Beck Rocky
Mountain Classic in Missoula three
weeks ago, Roberts took down a pair
of Class AA state champions and won
by major decision over a highly tout- ABOVE: Columbia Falls’ Bryan Shafer works
against Polson’s Ryan Burland last week.
ed wrestler from Spokane to claim the
trophy, his irst at the massive regional LEFT: Columbia Falls wrestlers warm up before
meet. He inished fourth last year at 112 the match against Polson.
pounds and second in 2012 at 98 pounds.
“He’s starting to get more coni- GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
dence, and the more conidence he gets
the scarier he gets,” Columbia Falls head
coach Jessie Schaefer said.

At 33-0, Roberts will try to cap an-
other remarkable season by leading the
talented Columbia Falls Mat Cats to with 233.5 points. Sidney was second
divisional, and state, glory. The squad, with 207 and Belgrade placed third with
ranked fourth as a team in Class A, 172.5.
capped the regular season with a pair of In Class AA, Glacier and Flathead are
dual victories at home last week. Rob- faced with a few talented teams ahead of

erts, ranked irst in the state, sealed them. The defending state champions,
the Mat Cats’ victory over ifth-ranked Great Falls, are loaded again this year
Frenchtown with a pin, leading Colum- and the squad lexed its muscles at the
bia Falls to a 43-36 win. After that, down Jug Beck meet, piling up 249.5 points to
went Polson, 53-23.
win easily. Bozeman inished ifth over-
The Mat Cats will try to qualify as At the Jug Beck meet, the team in- Havre will be a force to reckon with all, second among Class AA teams, with
many members as possible for state at ished 12th overall and third among Class at state, boasting a talented group with 153 points, followed by Missoula Big Sky,
the Northwestern A divisional meet A teams, gathering 106 points. Havre, 12 members ranked in the top six, in- 146, and Missoula Sentinel, 143. Great

in Libby on Feb. 8. Class B squads will the defending Class A champion and cluding top-ranked and Jug Beck champ Falls C.M. Russell placed 13th overall
grapple at the Western B-C divisional top-ranked team again this season, in- Keegan Kennelly (106), Jace Billy (195) with 95 points and Helena Capital tal-
in Ronan and competitors in Western ished second overall behind Great Falls and Tyler Adams (220). Sidney is ranked lied 87. Glacier inished with 84 points,
AA will vie for positioning at the seeding with 185. Belgrade, last year’s third place second as a team, followed by Belgrade. good enough for 16th, and Flathead
tournament in Helena, both on Feb. 8.
team at state, edged Columbia Falls by Libby was ranked eighth with three earned 60.5, placing 19th.
The state wrestling meet, featuring four points.
members in the top six: Zach Crase was Justin Gibson, at 98 pounds, led the
all classes, is Feb. 14-15 at the Billings Led by No. 1 Roberts, 11 Mat Cats fourth at 132; Skylar Higareda was ifth Wolfpack with a third-place inish at

MetraPark.
are ranked in the top six in Class A as at 138 and Garret Chapel was fourth at Jug Beck. Heavyweight Zach Dennehy
“The kids have been doing well for of last week’s coaches’ poll. Mason Fet- 170.
placed fourth.
us this year,” Schaefer said. “It’s the ul- ters is third at 113 pounds; Zane Brunz Polson had seven wrestlers ranked: Flathead’s Axel Bladholm, a heavy-
timate goal to come out of our division- is third at 145; Bryan Shafer is third at Thunder Morales was second at 106; Ja- weight, earned third for the Braves and
al tournament with the best seeds and 152; Colton Grove is fourth at 138; Cody ron Morgan was ifth at 113; Carlos Qui- Cody DeVall placed fourth at 98.
then there’s the big goal, the state tour- Walters is fourth at 160; Spencer Ross is nones was third at 126; Jared Young was Great Falls won the team title last
nament. We would like to bring home fourth at heavyweight; Kaleb Gravelin is ifth at 145; Tel Motichka was third at year with 263.5 points. Billings Skyview
some hardware this year.”
ifth at 120; Wyatt Green is sixth at 132; 170; Tele Seeman was ifth at 182 and Isa- was runner-up with 246.5 and Missoula

Columbia Falls is looking to improve Jason Williams is ifth at 170; and Man- iah Williams was ifth at heavyweight.
Sentinel earned third, 192.5.
on last year’s sixth-place inish at state.
ny Guzman is sixth at 98 pounds.
Havre won the state title last year
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