Although the Jefferson High Panther wrestling squad fell far short of hoped for results at the All-Class State Wrestling Meet in Billings over the weekend, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about next year, Coach Troy Humphrey said after the event. None of the JHS competitors qualified for the second day of the meet and the team was only able to amass six points, leaving them near the bottom of the thirty-eight team competition.
“Certainly the state tournament was a big disappointment after such a great divisional tourney,” said Coach Humphrey. “We were battling sickness and had some real poor draws in the brackets. “Fortunately, there were no seniors in the group, so the experience of competing in the Metra will be beneficial for next year. We’ll be back,” he vowed.
Nine JHS matmen had earned spots at the state tournament with their performances at the divisional in Anaconda the week before, the largest Panther contingent since 1998. That sent the team into the state meet week with high hopes. Humphrey said it was unfortunate that the week saw several Panther wrestlers battling sickness that carried over into the state tournament.
