Hawk wrestlers ready for action

How does Thompson Falls wrestling coach Mike Thilmony see the 2020-2021 Montana high school season going down for his Blue Hawk grapplers.

"We are excited," Thilmony said. "We have a good core of kids coming back to build around and have some promising freshmen that are going to surprise some people. We are thinking we have quite a few kids that could end up on the medal stand at the divisional and state tournaments and are ready to go."

Given the fact that the start of the winter seasons was pushed back due to COVID-19, high school sports teams were not allowed to begin practice until December 7 and actual competition will not begin until January, Thilmony said practices have not been as intense as they normally are this time of season.

"This is not a normal season, and we kept things pretty light in the room the first week," he said. "We have lots of time to get ready, and are trying to use that time the best we can."

The Hawks will open the season hosting a Western B-C quadrangular dual match with Cut Bank, Simms and Mission January 2 at TFHS. Cut Bank and Simms are now new Western B-C division rivals for Thompson Falls, see other story for more.

The Hawks' leaders this season will be junior Trae Thilmony, seniors Dane Chojnacky, Shane Reishus and Josh Baldwin, and sophomore Elijah Ratliff.

Trae Thilmony, the coach's oldest son, made his dad and school very proud by claiming the State B-C title at 120 pounds last year after winning third at 113 his freshman season, claiming divisional championships in his weight class both seasons.

Chojnacky (170), Reishus (138) and Ratliff (132) all earned medals at the Western B-C divisional tournament and gained valuable State B-C tourney experience last winter. Baldwin gained valuable experience last year competing at 160 pounds in his first season of wrestling.

Reishus and Baldwin are the only two Noxon student/athletes on the Blue Hawk wrestling roster this season.

Freshmen Nathan Cottingham, Diego Long, Walker Morefield and Max Hannum, sophomore Weston Brown and junior Owen Furnsturm round out the current Blue Hawk wrestling roster.

Cottingham and Long will wrestle in the 113-120 pound range, Morefield is checking in at about 138, Hannum will go at 152 or 160, Brown at 126 or 132, and Furnstrum is weighing in at 145.

Coach Thilmony says Trae Thilmony is wrestling a little above his fighting weight right now after bulking up and playing All-State middle linebacker for the Thompson Falls football team, which advanced to the quarterfinals of the State 8-Man playoffs, but that he expects him to go at 126 or 132 pounds later on.

Ratliff may move up from 132 pounds, where he won third in the Western B-C, and Reishus looks like he may also move up from 138, where he placed third last year.

Fresh off an All-Conference football season of his own, Chojnacky will likely compete at 182 pounds this season after wrestling at and winning third in the Western B-C at 170 in the 2020 divisional tournament.

In another late development former head coach Ian Taylor has been hired to be the assistant coach for Thompson Falls after a two-year hiatus. Taylor replaces Jace Miller, who recently stepped down.

"It's good to have Ian back with us," coach Thilmony said. "He knows our kids, he knows the other kids from around the state and he is very knowledgeable about the sport – we look forward to having him in our corner again."