After a January that tested their limits, both physically and mentally, the Jefferson High wrestlers are ready to head to the divisional tournament in Anaconda this Saturday.
Since the New Year, the squad members found themselves in competition two and often three times a week, frequently on long, overnight trips. That, plus various maladies, took a toll, so it was with relief that the group found itself closer to home this past week. A mixer in Whitehall January 24 and another mixer in Townsend Thursday rounded out the regular season for the Panthers.
With renewed team strength, the JHS boys hit the mats with fourteen wrestlers suited up at Whitehall, where the Panthers and Trojans were joined by the Deer Lodge Wardens. In the first round, Derek Nygaard at 145 pounds, Noah Anspach at 170 and Nick Workman at 205 got off to a great start, pinning their opponents. Round two found Cody St. Clair at 120 and Drake Schake at 182 each taking a pin while Workman won a closely contested bout 5-3.
In the third and final round, Jefferson won three out of four matches, with Nate Brunett at 160, Brett Hale at 170, and Asher Oliver at 182 each coming away with a pin for the Panthers. Other Panther wrestlers at the mixer included Michael Mitchell, Jayzic Beaupre, Eli Hauptman, Jeremias Auch, Dakota Dorn and Nathan Rasch.
Thursday’s mixer in Townsend brought five teams to compete: Townsend, JHS, Deer Lodge, Highwood and Lone Peak. Facing their final regular-season contests, the Panthers entered a dozen wrestlers. Jefferson got off to what Coach Troy Humphrey described as “a bit of sluggish start” when only three Panthers – Brunett, Oliver and Workman – secured a pin. The Panthers fared much better in the second round as six team members stapled their opponents. Winning by pin were Mitchell, St. Clair, Nygaard and Rasch plus Brunett and Workman with their second pins of the evening. Workman wrapped up a perfect performance for the night when he pinned his opponent in a third match, capturing three pins in an equal number of matches
“It was great to put a bunch of wrestlers out on the mat again after wrestling short-handed these past two weeks,” said Coach Humphrey. “We competed really well, and not having to travel so far this week was a nice break.” Calling January a tough month, Humphrey said, “We were showing the wear and tear as we headed down the home stretch towards the post season.” The strong showings at Whitehall and Townsend should serve the team well and revitalize them for the post season, said the coach.
Although not every wrestler won a match, “each Jefferson wrestler put up a great effort on the week,” he said. Cody St. Clair has been selected by his coaches as the JHS Panther Wrestler of the Week. He posted two pins for the week, but the true victory of his week came as he wrestled a couple of much bigger opponents and showed a lot of competitiveness by putting both of them on their backs, making for some very exciting matches, said the coach.
Brett Hale had the JHS Panther Quick Pin of the Week, dispatching his opponent in 37 seconds during the Whitehall mixer. In Anaconda Saturday, wrestlers will need to place in the top four of their weight class to qualify for the state tournament a week later. The February 10 and 11 state tourney will be held at the Billings Metra.
