If you were fortunate enough to be present at last weekend’s State Class B/C Dual Team Tournament in Townsend, you witnessed two bits of history.
First, there was Leo Anderson. In the first round of competition, Anderson notched his 138th career win, breaking the Jefferson High school record set by Robert Smartnick in 2012.
And then, the Panther team took down Cut Bank and Huntley Project, two of the top teams in the state, to take the team title for the first time ever.
There was little drama in the tournament’s first round, as Jefferson coasted past Elkhorn rival Broadwater, 51-18. Scoring points for the Panthers were Dylan Mikesell, Anderson, Dayton Brown, Cameron Mikesell, John Armstrong, Jace Oxarart, Brady Armstrong, Braeden Jones and Jeyden Sullivan.
In the second dual, Jefferson faced down-county rival Whitehall—and once again breezed to a 54-24 victory. Anderson, Brown, both Mikesells, both Armstrongs, Oxarart, Jones and Sullivan all scored, with Brown, Cameron Mikesell, Brady Armstrong and Jones winning by pin.
The Panthers dominated a very shorthanded White Sulphur Springs, winning 54-12. All told, Jefferson outscored its opponents 163-44 in the first day of competition—and the 3-0 record put the Panthers into the championship bracket.
The next day, Jefferson earned a 42-12 victory against Conrad, with wins by Anderson, both Mikesells, Brown, Colman Thornton, Oxarart, Brady Armstrong and Jones.
That put the Panthers into the semifinals against Cut Bank, the second-ranked team in the state. Jefferson has been ranked number four for most of the season, so this matchup had the potential to be very exciting. And so it was: The action went back and forth, with the Panthers narrowly defeating the Wolves 42-36. Anderson, Dylan Mikesell, Brown, both Armstrongs, Oxarart, and Jones scored points, all but Mikesell and Brown on pins.
Now, Jefferson was in the finals against perennial power and top-ranked Huntley Project. Huntley started off with three wins in the first four matches to establish a 15-6 lead. The Panthers came back with a five-win streak to pull ahead 33-15. The Red Devils won the next three to pull within three, 33-30. But Jefferson took the final match for a 39-30 win and the championship.
Both Mikesells, Brown, Thornton, John Armstrong, Oxarart and Sullivan all scored in the final dual. Also wrestling for Jefferson in extra matches were Leighton LaFromboise, Reed Zander and Kolbe Michaud.
It was a thrilling weekend, and it even overshadowed the Panthers’ dual victory at home on Jan. 20 over Florence High. Jefferson got on the scoreboard early and never lost a match, winning 54-12.
Securing points for the Panthers were Anderson at 113 pounds, Dylan Mikesell at 120 pounds, Brown at 126 pounds, Cameron Mikesell at 132 pounds, Thornton at 138 pounds, John Armstrong at 145 pounds, Oxarart at 152 pounds, Brady Armstrong at 170 pounds and Jones at 182 pounds. Florence’s only points were from forfeits due to Jefferson’s open weight classes. After the dual, Micah Hartman and Michaud wrestled in exhibition matches.
Coach Humphrey’s comments: “We brought home our first state dual team championship and did so by beating two higher-ranked teams. We finished second in this tournament 2018, but had never finished on top. January is a very busy month for us, and normally we would be showing the wear and tear of a very competitive schedule. However, we continue to improve each week and definitely are a team hungry for more.”
Anderson was selected as JHS Wrestler of the week. With three weeks left in the season, he’ll likely add to his school win record—and he’s just three pins away from the school career pin mark.
Jones had the quick pin of the week (and season), dispatching his opponent in 12 seconds during the Cut Bank dual.
The Panther wrestlers compete in a mixer at Townsend on Jan. 27. Their final regular-season action is Friday, Jan. 28, when they host Fairfield for Senior Night.
