For the second time in as many years, a trio of Cache Valley high school boys wrestling programs were among the top performers at the Tiger Brawl, an annual bracketed tournament that is contested in Aberdeen, Idaho.
Sky View, Preston and West Side all finished among the top six teams at last Saturday’s 18-team tournament, just like all three did a year ago. This time it was the Bobcats who led the charge among local programs as they placed third with 100 points. The Indians racked up 87 points, which was good enough for fifth place, and they were immediately followed by the Pirates (83 points).
Sky View and Preston advanced four wrestlers apiece to the championship round, while West Side had a pair of finalists. All three teams had five or six athletes that placed in the top four in their respective weight class.
The Bobcats were led by Collin Miller (132-pound weight class) and Parley Thacker, who both earned the right to stand on the top spot of the podium. Miller also won this tournament a year ago and, ironically enough, he squared off against West Side’s Joey Hansen in the finals both time. Miller pinned Hansen last year and defeated him by technical fall this time around. Thacker (145) dispatched of Cole Willie, a returning 2A state placer from Malad, by a 7-2 scoreline in the championship round.
Sky View’s other two finalists were Hans Herrmann (160) and Preston Smith (285). Herrmann went the distance with West Side star Colten Gunderson in a 10-2 loss in the finals, while Smith lost by fall to Firth’s Wyatt Nelson in the finals. Sky View’s other medalists were Josh Miller and Camron Carling, who placed fourth at 120 and 138, respectively.
Additionally, a pair of Bobcats finished first in their respective consolation bracket — only the top eight competitors from Friday’s round robin action got to compete in Saturday’s A brackets — in Bryce Brindza (138) and Xander Stokes (160).
Preston, which finished second at this tourney a year ago, was led by finalists Peyton Keller (120), Tavin Rigby (138), Parker Bodily (170) and Micah Serr (182). Keller, a freshman, pinned a returning 2A placer from Malad to secure his spot in the finals, while Rigby earned a 6-2 triumph over defending 2A finalist Austin Machen of Ririe in the semis. Rigby squared off against another returning state finalist in the championship round, where he lost a competitive 8-5 match.
Serr made quick work of his first six opponents at the two-day event, but was upset in pinning fashion in the finals by a returning state placer from Bear Lake. That was the junior’s first loss of the season as he is now 37-1.
Preston had a fifth medalist in heavyweight Brandon Lindhardt, whose bounced back from his loss to Nelson of Firth with back-to-back wins — the second in the third-place bout.
As for the Pirates, Gunderson pinned everyone he faced in the tourney with the exception of Herrmann. Hansen was West Side’s other finalist.
The Pirates had a trio of consolation finalists in Gavin Peterson (3rd at 106), Stellar Tew (3rd, 126) and Ben Jensen (4th, 220). The Pirates fared very well in consolation brackets as they crowned four champions in Tayson Royer (132), McKay Mumford (132), Jack Olson (138), Terrell Gunderson (145).
Those in charge of the tournament tabulated separate team scores for Friday’s round robin action and Preston accumulated the most points with 55, followed by Sky View (50) and Malad (48). Ririe held off Malad by one point, 128-127, to reign supreme in Saturday’s action.
Keller, Rigby, Bodily and Serr teamed up to go 16-0 for Preston on Day 1. Rigby and Serr both stuck all four of their opponents in the first round.
Sky View had six undefeated wrestlers on Day 1 in Collin Miller, Carling, Thacker, Herrmann, Smith and Tye Phoeut (285). Miller, Carling and Thacker all went 4-0, with Miller dispatching of all his foes by fall or technical fall (once), and Thacker by fall or major decision (once).
Six Pirates never tasted defeated on Day 1 in Colter Barzee (98), Peterson, Tew, Hansen, Jed Hurren (138), Gunderson and Jensen. Barzee ended up getting injured Saturday. Tew and Hansen won four matches apiece Friday, while Peterson, Hurren and Gunderson prevailed three times each.
TIGER GRIZZ
Ridgeline was the only other local boys program in action last weekend. The Riverhawks traveled to Idaho Falls for the Tiger Grizz Invitational, which is arguably the second-most prestigious tournament in the Gem State behind the Rollie Lane Invitational.
The Riverhawks finished 17th with 59 points. There were 34 teams that scored points and it was a thriller for first place as Minico edged South Fremont by 1.5 points, 253.5-252.
A pair of Riverhawks made it to the placement rounds in consolation champion Owen Munk (160) and Sam Welker, who was sixth at 145. Munk went 5-1, with his lone setback taking place against a returning 3A state runner-up from Teton. However, Munk beat a pair of returning state runner-ups at the tourney in Weber’s Tanner Giatras and South Fremont’s Dillon Gneiting. The senior dominated Giatras — an opponent he lost to earlier this month at the Richardson Memorial — by major decision, and outpointed Gneiting, 9-5, for third place.
Welker came through with a big win by pin over South Fremont’s Tuffy Briggs, who was a 3A state runner-up last season. Briggs did get a rematch against Welker and beat him by two points for fifth place. Welker went 4-3 at the tourney.
Hollus Risher (220) was victorious in three matches for the Riverhawks, who were unlucky when standout heavyweight Caysen Dana was injured in his second bout and did not return.
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