Bobcat wrestlers hang at tough Jug Beck tourney

In the final analysis, Jug Beck pinned Old Man Winter in the waning moments of the third period.

And a pair of local wrestlers were in on the victory as wrestlers from throughout the region gathered and put a choke hold on nature’s fury during the Jug Beck Rocky Mountain classic wrestling invitational this past Friday and Saturday at Missoula’s Sentinel High.

Despite blizzard-like conditions outside due to the region’s first major winter storm, 158 wrestlers from 20 different schools gathered in the Spartan gym. When it was all said and done, Mead High School, a traditional Spokane wrestling powerhouse, put together a dominating team performance on their way to the Jug Beck team title.

Mead piled up 262 points, well ahead of second place Ronan (190), to capture the team championship.

Only one Mineral/Sanders County team made it to the Missoula event, Superior, which was also the only Class B/C team in the competition that included several top level programs from Montana, Idaho and Washington.

The Bobcats, who took just five wrestlers to the prestigious meet, finished twelfth among the 20 teams with 26 points, which was four points better than Missoula Hellgate, a Montana Class AA school.

Heavyweight Jaxson Green was the top finisher for the Bobcats, placing third in the category with a win by pin over Austin Brush of nearby Frenchtown (Class A) at the 1:22 mark of their third place match.

The win boosted Green to 17-5 on the year, while Brush fell to 20-8, to pick up the bulk of Superior’s team points.

Fellow Bobcat Lucas Kovalsky brought home the seventh place medal at 152 pounds with a tough 9-6 decision over Caden Dutra of Lake City, Idaho (Coeur d’Alene). The win pushed Kovalsky’s season record to 22-7, while Dutra dropped to 11-7.

Three other Superior wrestlers participated in the tournament but did not finish in the top eight. Also representing Superior were: Sam Doughty, 145 pounds; Jaden Hughes, 205 pounds; and Chase Woodson, 182 pounds.

Several Cats were unable to attend the tournament for various reasons, including promising 160-pound freshman Turner Milender, who was battling the “crud” illness that has been sweeping through Western Montana.

The event was named in honor of Montana wrestling legend and long-time Sentinel High coach, Jug Beck.

The two other schools in Sanders and Mineral Counties who field wrestling teams, Plains/Hot Springs and Thompson Falls, were scheduled to compete in the Choteau Invitational tournament this past weekend, but both withdrew from the event due to the heavy snow and sub-zero temperatures that swept through the area last week.

Next up for local wrestlers is the Ted Kato Invitational this Saturday (Jan 20) at Thompson Falls.