Blue Hawk grapplers are ready to rock and roll in Polson

The wrestling deck may be stacked in Thompson Falls’ favor this winter, and coach Ian Taylor is excited about this year’s Blue Hawk grappling team as a result.

“We are ready to get after it,” he said. “We have 19 kids out and a good bit of experience returning. We are thinking we could do pretty well as a team this year.”

Taylor’s optimism is based on some simple facts; he has five wrestlers returning with State B-C tournament experience, and has eight seniors total on the roster. And the Hawks appear as if they could fill most of the weight classes this year with that grand total of 19 grapplers out for the sport

Of the five that went to the State B-C last winter – Kaleb Frank at 113, Sam Ostwald at 138, Cody Garrison at 152, Jase Sorenson at 170 and Austin Cooper at 205 – Sorenson (second place) and Frank (fourth place) both earned medals in helping the Hawks score 44 points at the Metra in Billings.

Frank and Sorenson also were the Hawks’ only Western B-C individual divisional champs last winter.

Taylor said that Frank will probably wrestle at 120 this season, Sorenson will likely go at 182, and Irvine at 160. Garrison and Cooper should remain at their weights from last season.

Down the lineup card, Garrett Jones will probably wrestle at 103 or 113 pounds, and freshmen Roman Sparks, Nathan Ostwald and Lucas Anderson will go at 113, 126 and 132, respectively. Dakota Irvine will wrestle at 182, Austin McDaniel at 205 and Seth Allarcon at heavyweight.

The Hawks will open the season competing in the Polson Invitational Friday and Saturday. Taylor said the mat action will begin in Polson at 2 p.m. Friday and wrap up Saturday evening. Several Class A and a few AA schools, along with a several B-C squads generally compete in the Polson tourney any given season.

Whatever happens this season, Taylor said he has some committed grapplers in his wrestling room right now.

“Wrestling is a sport where you get out of it what you put into it,” he said, “and that means putting in some hard work to be successful. These guys, as a group, have been getting to school early and working out in the weight room every morning. They are really focused on doing well this season.”

As he was last year, Taylor will once again be assisted by Ryan Ostwald and Bob Thornhill n coaching the Hawks.