Hopes are high as the Jefferson High wrestling program comes off a stellar performance at the divisional tournament in Columbus and prepares to send fourteen grapplers to the state tournament in Billings this weekend.
Grabbing the school’s first divisional championship since 1998, the squad also boasts three individual divisional champions, four second place finishers, the quick pin artist of the divisional tourney, the winner of the outstanding wrestler divisional award, fourteen All-Conference honorees, and the largest squad any Class B school will be sending to the state competition.
“I am really proud of the way the team stepped up to the challenge and reached our goal of winning the division championship,” said Coach Troy Humphrey. “Every wrestler won a match and contributed to the team. We scored more points than any Class B team in all the divisions and the fourteen wrestlers qualified for state is the most of any of the Class B schools.”
Taking individual titles in Columbus were Cody St. Clair, Jacob Travis and Nate Brunett. Brett Hale, Derek Nygaard, Nick Workman and Nathan Rasch each finished in second place in their weight classes.
Other Panther wrestlers headed to state are Dominick Davis, Emma Brown, Michael Mitchell, Eric Lufkin, Asher Oliver, Drake Schake and Dakota Dorn. Christian Davis and Eli Hauptman narrowly missed a trip to state, finishing fifth and sixth, respectively.
For many of the Panthers headed to state, the tournament will be the culmination of years of building.
As a freshman in 2015, Jacob Travis was one of two JHS wrestlers who qualified for the state competition. In his sophomore year he took third at state and earned an all-time JHS season pin record, part of a squad of five Panthers at the big tourney.
Nate Brunett earned his first tournament berth as a sophomore in 2016, part of that same five wrestler squad, taking the divisional championship and finishing fourth at state to earn All-State honors. He followed that with a repeat divisional title in 2017, meaning his divisional title this year was a three-peat. By 2017, the JHS contingent at state had grown to nine.
Nathan Rasch has also climbed the ranks and experienced past state tourneys. He competed at Billings in 2016 and 2017. Nick Workman has likewise had two trips to the state tourney in 2016 and 2017.
St. Clair, Nygaard, Hale, Schake and Oliver also made the trip to Billings last year.
All of the Panthers will be looking to improve on their performances from 2017, when a disappointing result gave the team plenty of impetus to do better this year.
Now with the large contingent of fourteen JHS team members headed to the top competition, the Panthers have plenty of justification for optimism.
“I am super proud of this team and have had a blast coaching them this year,” said Coach Humphrey.
The Montana State All-Class High School Wrestling Tournament starts Friday at the Billings Metra and runs through Saturday.
