The Blaine County Journal News-Opinion - We've Got The County Covered

Blaine County will send three wrestlers to the All Class State wrestling tournament in Billings this weekend. The Chinook Sugarbeeters and Harlem Wildcats headed to Cut Bank this past

Saturday to take part in the Northern B/C divisional wrestling tournament in Cut Bank

Advancing for the Wildcats will be freshman John Hughes who finished fourth at 132 lbs. The Sugarbeeters will send junior JT Hauer a third place finisher at 152 lbs. and sophomore Favion Couturier, a third-place finisher at a 160 lbs.

Hauer began his tournament with a quarterfinal win over Blain Theilman of Simms by pinfall in 0:40. He then suffered a setback in his semifinal match, falling to Austin Vanek of Cut Bank. Hauer bounced back to win a consolation semifinal match against Trenton Lesmeister of Simms by pinfall (2:40)

Hauer then set his sights on a third/fourth place match against Colten Barsness of Cut Bank where he earned another win by pin, this time at 2:46.

Couturier has been back on the mat for just a few weeks but has made the podium each time out. At the Northern B/C Divisional he began with a win by pinfall (1:52 over Blake Jensen of Fairfield. In his semifinal match he was defeated by Orwn Mackey of Malta and found himself in the consolation bracket.

Couturier won his next match over Dillin Geyer of Fort Benton/Big Sandy by pin at the 2:04 mark to advance to the consolation final. In the third/fourth place match Favion pinned Hunter Decker of Simms in 2:48 to finish third.

Wildcat freshman John Hughes will head to the All-Class State Wrestling Tournament in his first year of high school wrestling after earning a fourth place finish at 132 pounds.

Hughes began the tournament with loss by pin to Tabris Correa of Shelby. Hughes responded very well defeating Shelby’s Evan Counts by pinfall at 1:52. He then pinned Blake Gunderson of Choteau in the consolation semifinal by pinfall (1:18) to advance to the third/fourth place match. Hughes would then be defeated by a tough 5-4 decision in a rematch with his first round opponent Tabris Correa.

Both teams got solid efforts from all who wrestled and won’t be making the trip to Billings. Senior Ross Reed added three wins in the 145 pound weight class to finish fifth for the Surgarbeeters. Chinook also picked up a pair of wins by pinfall from sophomore Garrett Pruttis at 138 lbs.

The Wildcats also had a pair of wrestlers win matches. Freshman Darrius Longknife won one match by pinfall and freshman Mikkel Rider picked up a win at 205 pounds.

The All-Class State Wrestling Tournament will take place this Friday and Saturday in Billings at the RimRock Auto Arena. First round matches and wrestle backs will take place Friday with placing matches taking center stage on Saturday.

Northern B/C Divisional - February 2nd

Chinook Sugarbeeters

113 Pounds - Rebecca Stroh - Quarterfinal - Lost to Caleb Simpson, Cut Bank) by fall 0:39. Cons. Round 1 - Received a bye. Cons. Semi - Lost to Jeffery Colesworthy, Conrad by fall 3:38. 5th Place Match - Received a bye.

120 Pounds - Drake Berreth - Champ. Round 1 - Received a bye. Quarterfinal - Lost to Jay Nicholson, Malta/ Whitewater by fall 3:22. Cons. Round 2 - Received a bye. Cons. Round 3 - Won by fall over Darrius Longknife, Harlem 2:11. Cons. Semi - Lost to Kierrin Rooney, Cut Bank by fall 1:33. 5th Place Match - Lost to Jay Nicholson (Malta / Whitewater) by fall 0:40.

126 Pounds - Ethan Liddle - Champ. Round 1 - Received a bye. Quarterfinal - Lost to Dalton Brown, Conrad by fall 3:04. Cons. Round 2 - Received a bye. Cons. Round 3 - Lost to Shane Soul (Malta / Whitewater) by fall 0:38.

138 Pounds - Garrett Pruttis - Received a bye. Quarterfinal - Lost to Blake Gunderson (Choteau) by decision 9-6. Cons. Round 2 - Received a bye. Cons. Round 3 - Won by fall over Cael Giles (Fairfield) 4:40. Cons. Semi - Lost to Tabris Correa (Shelby) by fall 0:53. 5th Place Match - Won by fall over Blake Gunderson (Choteau) 4:49.

145 Pounds - Ross Reed - Champ. Round 1 - Won by fall over Raice Strand (Cut Bank) 2:31. Quarterfinal - Won by major decision over Miguel Perez (Fairfield) 13-4.Semifinal - Lost to Andrew Andersen (Cut Bank) by fall 1:41. Cons. Semi - Lost to Cameron Brusven (Shelby) in sudden victory - 1 4-2. 5th Place Match - Won by major decision over Bridger Gouchenour (Conrad) 13-0.

152 Pounds - JT Hauer - Quarterfinal - Won by fall over Blaine Theilman (Simms) 0:40. Semifinal - Lost to Austin Vanek (Cut Bank) by fall 1:51. Cons. Semi - Won by fall over Trenton Lesmeister (Simms) 2:40. 3rd Place Match - Won by fall over Colten Barsness (Cut Bank) 2:46.

160 Pounds - Favion Courturier - Quarterfinal - Won by fall over Blake Jensen (Fairfield) 1:52. Semifinal - Lost to Oren Mackey (Malta / Whitewater) by fall 2:30. Cons. Semi - Won by fall over Dillin Geyer (Fort Benton/Big Sandy) 2:04. 3rd Place Match - Won by fall over Hunter Decker (Simms) 2:48.

Harlem Wildcats

120 Pounds - Zach Jackson - Champ. Round 1 - Received a bye. Quarterfinal - Lost to Harold Miller (Shelby) by fall 0:28. Cons. Round 2 - Lost to Darrius Longknife (Harlem) by fall 1:19.

120 Pounds - Darrius Longknife - Champ. Round 1 - Lost to Chase Evans (Shelby) by fall 3:34. Cons. Round 1 - Received a bye. Cons. Round 2 - Won by fall over Zach Jackson (Harlem) 1:19. Cons. Round 3 - Lost to Drake Berreth (Chinook) by fall 2:11.

132 Pounds - Champ. Round 1 - Received a bye. Quarterfinal - Lost to Tabris Correa (Shelby) by fall 2:37. Cons. Round 2 - Received a bye. Cons. Round 3 - Won by fall over Evan McCants (Shelby) 1:52. Cons. Semi - Won by fall over Blake Gunderson (Choteau) 1:18. 3rd Place Match - Lost to Tabris Correa by decision 5-4.

138 Pounds - Josh Horn - Champ. Round 1 - Received a bye. Quarterfinal - Lost to Pete Henderson (Choteau) by fall. Cons. Round 2 - Received a bye . Cons. Round 3 - Lost to Kaide Kindler (Choteau) by decision 9-3.

182 Pounds - Moses Smith - Quarterfinal, lost to Carter Morgan (Choteau) by fall 2:56. Cons. Round 1 - Received a bye. Cons. Semi - Lost to Hayden Axtman (Fort Benton/Big Sandy) by decision 6-2. 5th Place Match - Lost to Jacob Major (Choteau) by decision 3-2.

205 Pounds - Mikkel Rider - Champ. Round 1 - Lost to Brett Monroe (Valier) by fall 0:57. Cons. Round 1 - Received a bye. Cons. Round 2 - Won by fall over Jaden Keeling (Malta/ Whitewater) 0:51. Cons. Round 3 - Lost to Dillon Sullivan (Cut Bank) by fall 2:50.

285 Pounds - Jeremiah Mount - Quarterfinal - Lost to Luke Lawless (Malta/ Whitewater) by fall 0:48. Cons. Round 1 - Received a bye. Cons. Semi - Lost to Thomas Troy (Fairfield) by fall 2:29. 5th Place Match - Lost to Wes Omsberg (Cut Bank) by fall 2:02.