Flathead hammers Hellgate
Flathead’s Connor Thomas (top) makes a move on Missoula Hellgate’s Jacob Moderie in their heavyweight match Thursday evening in a Class AA Western Division home dual.
Quick, but painful.
After weeks of injury and illness, maybe the Flathead Braves had a little something to prove on Thursday night.
Maybe they just wanted to get home early.
Whichever, it took Flathead just 50 minutes to defeat visiting Missoula Hellgate 72-12 in a Western AA wrestling dual.
The Braves picked up forfeits at 119, 125, 130 and 189. Both teams had 105 open. After that, every match was a pin.
Hellgate got pins at 145 and 215, while the Braves owned every other weight class.
Flathead's fastest pin came courtesy of Connor Thomas at heavyweight - 43 seconds.
"Very good night of wrestling for us," said Flathead coach Matt Owen.
"(The Braves) definitely went out there with a purpose," he said.
"This was just a good night for us. We got back on track a bit," he added.
The coach added compliments to Easton Terry at 112 - he picked up his first varsity win.
The match of the night was at 145. Flathead's Steel Hahn pinned Brandon Olean in 4:47.
"Steel wrestled a tough kid. That was another big match for us," Owen said.
It was a pretty good tussle in the first period.
Olean got the first takedown, but Hahn got a reversal and led 5-4 after the first period.
"I think I could have wrestled better in the beginning," Hahn said.
"He was pretty tough on his feet," Hahn said of Olean. "I can usually take people down pretty easily, but not that kid," he said.
Hahn said he started wrestling a lot better in the second period.
Olean chose down to start that period.
"I started getting my points. I just did my best to ride him on top and keep him down. He's a really good scrambler," Hahn said.
By the time that period was done, Hahn had turned Olean twice and picked up three nearfall points both times.
Hahn was down to start the third - but not for long. It took just 48 seconds to turn Olean and pin him.
As for the team, "we've had some kids injured and some kids sick, but we will pull through by divisional," Owen said.
"We will do it. We've just got to get our team back."
Flathead 72, Hellgate 12
98: Gavyn Wilson, F, p. Kale Kelley, :57; 105: Double forfeit; 112: Easton Terry, F, p. Caden Lochart, 3:23; 119: Caleb Piasecki, F, won by forfeit; 125: Suny Cheff, F, won by forfeit; 130: Coty Piasecki, F, won by forfeit; 135: Jake Stueben, F, p. Ethan Cheff, 1:19; 140: Jacob Egley, F, p. Alex Teynor, 1:36; 145: Sam Whisonant, H, p. Brock Stellar, 3:36; 152: Jeremiah Gaiser, F, p. Eric Dewing, 5:19; 160: Steel Hahn, F, p. Brandon Olean, 4:47; 171: Larry Francis, F, p. Zach Bauer, 2:27; 189: Josh Erickson, F, won by forfeit; 215: Ben Mead, H, p. Mitchell Stivers, :36; 285: Connor Thomas, F, p. Jacob Moderie, :43.