Tfalls wrestling under way
The Thompson Falls Bluehawks kicked off their 2010 wrestling season at the Polson Invitational on Saturday.
Kalispell Flathead proved why they are the five-time defending Classs AA state champions by cruising to a 203.5 point first-place finish. Kalispell Glacier came in second with 152 pionts and Missoula Sentinel was third with 149.5. Class A Corvallis notched 135.5 points and fourth place while Polson’ 105.5 was good enough for fifth.
Thompson Falls finished with 38.5 points.
“We really didn’t lose to a poor wrestler. Every kid we lost to ended up placing,” head coach Colby Cine said. “We ended up in a bad spot in the bracket and got the toughest kids that we could have got probably. I’m not real disappointed that way, but it’s frustrating to watch.”
Cine said he tries not to read too much into tournament results from the Polson tournament every year because his wrestlers probably won’t compete against any of these athletes for the rest of the year since they’re not in the same division.
The results from that tournament don’t tell me much of where we are against our division, but they do show me that we have a lot of work to do still,” Cine said. “The Polson tournament is tougher a lot of times than what the state tournament is for classes B and C.”
Cine explained his philosophy the only two tournaments that really matter each season are divisionals and state and by placing his team in a competitive field early in the season, although the scores may not be pretty, will be better for them in the long run.
Cine’s approach appears to be working, as his team finished first place in the division last season and has several decorated wrestlers returning to the mix this year.
If the Blue Hawks are to repeat their success, however, they will have to make up for their recent losses due to injury and attrition.
In graduating seniors Richard Lyons and Robby White Thompson Falls lost two of it’s finest wrestlers. Lyons, a two-time divisional champion, and White, finished third last year at divisionals will leave gaping holes in the Blue Hawk line-up.
Ricky Romero, Jake Nygaard, Dalton Nelson, and Erik Hilety sat out with injuries while Tyler Garrison has missed time due to illness.
“We lost a lot of kids from that team, but we gained some older kids this year,” Cine said of his team which includes twelve seniors. “We had a lot of kids who came out who had wrestled when they were younger, but haven’t wrestled in high school.”
Of those returning to the sport after time away, Cine highlighted Nick Adler, Lucca Reiter and Andrew Cox as wrestlers he expects to make major contributions this year.
Cine is also looking for freshman Wayde Gaskin and Shawn Sacchi to turn some heads.
“He’s been a good leader through practices and he’s one I expect a lot out of at 160 pounds,” Cine said of Sacchi. “He works really hard in practices and he’s had good seasons, he’ll go for the 100 win mark this year for his career.”
The Blue Hawks will take the mat again on Thursday Dec. 9 in Mission.
“It’ll just be good to get some matches against division kids and see where we stand instead of the double A schools,” Cine said.
“The team has a lot of potential. We will get a lot better,” he added. “When it comes down to divisionals I think we’ll be right up there.”