Jefferson High’s wrestling squad headed north last weekend having suffered more than its share of casualties. Senior co-captain Kolbe Michaud, one of the top 285-pounders in the state, suffered a season- and career-ending knee injury. Other injuries have piled up, and a couple younger wrestlers have chosen to leave the team.
With many athletes sidelined, the Panthers competed in a mixer at Cascade, then finished 18th out of 32 schools at the Cut Bank tournament, a two-day event where Jefferson usually places among the top half.
The Panthers brought 14 wrestlers on this trip: Russell Douglas at 118 pounds, Maysa LaFromboise at 120, Sophia Ahkivgak at 125, Korbin Rintamaki at 126, Owen and Mason Mikesell at 132, Megan Anderson at 135, Cooper Mikesell at 144, Mike Richard at 152, Blake Nordlinder at 165, Dylan Stevens, Andrew Rodriguez and Madison Neely at 190, and Brady Armstrong at 215.
At Cascade, Jefferson collected wins from Douglas, LaFromboise, Anderson, Cooper Mikesell and Stevens. Armstrong didn’t have a match.
Then, it was on to Cut Bank, featuring 490 wrestlers from across the state. In Friday’s opening round, Douglas, Stevens, Neely and Armstrong won, and Douglas, Stevens and Armstrong advanced out of the second round. In the quarterfinals, where a win assured a spot on the podium, Stevens and Armstrong both won their matches.
In the consolation bracket, meanwhile, Ahkivgak, Mason and Owen Mikesell, Richard, Nordlinder and Rodriguez all were eliminated while Douglas, LaFromboise, Anderson, Cooper Mikesell and Neely claimed victory to advance. All told, Jefferson qualified seven wrestlers for the second day of competition; their 50.5 team points put them in 17th place.
The next morning, Douglas and Cooper Mikesell lost to exit the tournament. But LaFromboise, Anderson and Neeley all won to guarantee top-six finishes. In the 215-pound semifinals, Armstrong won by pin, while Stevens lost in the 190-pound semi. Armstrong dominated his opponent in the final to take the 215-pound crown.
In the consolation bracket, Neely won her semifinal. And in the placing matches that followed, LaFromboise, Anderson and Stevens finished sixth, while Neely finished fourth.
Coach’s comments: We wrestled hard and competed well against some very tough competition. With a younger team, our inexperience did show when the competition stiffened, but the wrestlers are stepping up to the challenge and gaining confidence each week.
Freshman Russell Douglas was selected by his coaches as wrestler of the week. Douglas was 4-2 on the weekend, and came within one match of placing in the top six. He fought hard and has shown vast improvement over last year.
Brady Armstrong had the quick pin of the week, dispatching his opponent in 19 seconds during the Cut Bank Tourney.
Jefferson will face another tough test when it competes at the Choteau Classic Tournament this Friday and Saturday, Jan. 17 and 18. This tournament will feature over 25 Class B and C schools.
