Waterbury takes championship

The Savage Horsemen brought home a champion from one of the toughest wrestling competitions of the season last weekend. John Waterbury won the 157-pound bracket at the Cut Bank Invitational, a two-day intense tournament. The Plains-Hot Springs team finished 13 out of 59 teams, securing 103.5 points.

Waterbury’s path to the top of the podium started with three technical falls in a row, 16-1, 18-1, 18-1. In the semifinal round, Waterbury pinned Huntley Project’s Ryder Bingen in the first period. That put him in the championship match with Turner Milender of Superior.

Waterbury was focused in the first period, getting 13 points as he tried to pin Milender, who got a reversal in the last 30 seconds. Milender would score most of his points in the second period, but Waterbury held on and kept his lead to secure the championship.

"Johnny did a great job at his first tournament back, and with it being such a brutal tournament it was nice to see not only him get to the podium but others," Coach Jesse Jermyn said.

David Chapman also made the podium for Plains-Hot Springs, finishing third at 190 pounds. Chapman pinned his first two opponents before falling in the second period of the semifinal round. In the consolation bracket, he pinned two opponents in a row before winning a match 18-2 to advance to the consolation finals, where he lost 7-2 to Fort Benton’s Layne Wallace.

In the 126-pound bracket, Savage Horsemen Isaiah Schulze finished in sixth place. Schulze and Owen Jermyn each pinned their first opponents, with Jermyn pinning James Corpron of Wolfpoint in the final seconds of the match. Schulze went on to beat Blue Hawk Carson Kenney by technical fall 16-0. Kenney had pinned his first opponent in the second period. Jermyn and Schulze lost their next matches, heading to the consolation bracket, where Jermyn picked up two wins by decision before meeting Schulze on the mat. Schulze would beat Jermyn and wrestle his way to the podium.

At 132 pounds, Andrew Waterbury of Hot Springs pinned his first opponent before losing in the second round and losing out in the consolation bracket. Gavin Schrenk was able to pick up two wins by technical fall in the consolation bracket, adding points to the team score.

Savage Horseman BillyRay Holotta pinned his first two opponents at the Cut Bank Invitational in the 138-pound bracket, and Cody West won his first two matches 10-7 and 12-1. Holotta also added a pin to his record in the consolation bracket. Remington Ryan had two touch matches in the bracket but was unable to get a win.

Beau Crabb of Plains lost his first match at 144, but had a fantastic showing in the wrestle backs, pinning four opponents in a row and just missing the podium at Cut Bank. Brock Ryan was also just one win away from the podium at 150 pounds. After pinning his first two opponents, Ryan lost and went to the consolation rounds, where he picked up another pin and points for the team.

Johnny Felix got one win by pin at 157 pounds for P-HS.

Corbin Ireland finished in fifth place for the Savage Horsemen girls. Ireland lost her first match but wrestled back to the podium with a win by decision 11-6 before she pinned Cascade’s Mady Faldzinksi in just under a minute. Tania Veremchuk finished the Cut Bank tournament with one win, a pin in 41 seconds in the 130-pound bracket.

"We are right where we want to be," Coach Jermyn said, "and will continue working on the normal goals of improving and getting ready for divisionals." The Savage Horsemen will host a mixer on Friday, Jan. 24. “We are excited to host a meet and have everyone wrestle in front of the hometown crowd," he said.

The Blue Hawk girls shined at the Cut Bank invitational, putting two wrestlers on the podium. Alayna Hockholater earned second place in the 145-pound bracket. The Thompson Falls wrestler pinned her first opponent in under a minute, then pinned Cascade’s Kyleigh Severtsen in 1 minute, 32 seconds to make it to the championship where she fell in the first period. Jaden Bewick wrestled strong at 110 pounds, finishing in sixth place. Bewick lost her first match, but then pinned an opponent before falling in the final match of the bracket. Lexi Volk-Ocacio picked up a win by pin in her first match at 105, while Veronica Vega and Matea Keefe wrestled hard for the Hawks but were unable to get a win in the tournament.

Blue Hawk eight grader picked up two wins for the team at 103 pounds, pinning one opponent in the first period and winning a second match by technical fall 23-7. Teammate Weston Block had a tough 110-pound bracket. While he was unable to secure a win, he held the lead into the third period in both matches at Cut Bank.

At 165 pounds, Liam Pallister started the tournament with two pins before losing in the quarterfinal round. Pallister was able to pick up another win by pin in the consolation bracket. Teammate Noa Stevens also picked up some wins at 165 pounds, pinning four opponents in a row after losing his first match, just missing the podium. Senior Jakob Molina wrestled hard in the bracket, getting good competition in Cut Bank.

Hawk Gabriel Hutton picked up one win by pin in the 190-pound bracket, as did Jacobe Wood at 285 pounds. Also competing for the Blue Hawk boys were Luke Bonds at 118 pounds, Nikolai Platner and Easton Helvey at 150 and Zarek Pallister at 215.