Sandpoint Hopes To Triple Its Take

After his team of two seasons ago became the first North Idaho A-1 team to capture a state wrestling championship, Sandpoint coach Dan Taylor hedged when asked if the Bulldogs would repeat.

He said a repeat would be difficult because Southern Idaho schools, which had owned the state tournament since its inception 37 years earlier, would be greatly motivated to retrieve the state championship.

Taylor used it to motivate his team. He preached to the Bulldogs this year that they’d have to work harder and longer than they did last season.

His team bought into the challenge. The result last week was another runaway victory.

With 13 of 15 state qualifiers returning, including three state champions and five placers, Sandpoint is almost a lock to win its third straight.

Taylor doesn’t disagree, either.

“There’s plenty more to come; we’ll be better next year,” Taylor said. “We lose just two seniors, and 13 kids got experience here.”

And there’s more talent coming through Taylor’s Top Dog youth program.

No sweat, right?

Sandpoint has won its titles by 67.5 and 49 points, but Taylor said it’s not as easy as it appears.

“If these teams knew how hard these kids work,” he said. “Sometimes it looks easy because of the point spread, but I can’t express it enough how hard these kids work.”

North Idaho well-represented

Sandpoint’s medal winners aside, 13 A-1 Panhandle wrestlers captured medals.

The Cinderella story involved Lewiston junior Billy Greene at 130 pounds.

He upset Sandpoint junior Trevor Walkington in the semifinals, then wrestled a mistake-free final against favored Meridian senior Dan Ault for a 3-2 decision.

Coeur d’Alene senior heavyweight Josh Curran, Lewiston senior Pat Clevenger (125), a four-time state placer, and Post Falls seniors Ben Frank (135) and Mike Booth (135) performed to form with runner-up finishes.

Curran, who’s being recruited by North Idaho College, ran into two-time state champion Tracy Vail of Minico.

The heavyweights spent more time waltzing than wrestling. But Curran deserves credit for allowing Vail one point by escape and one by stalling.

Intermountain pair shines

Intermountain League teams were, by and large, in over their heads in the A-2 tournament.

Still, Lakeland coach Mark Johnson considered his team a state contender early in the season before difficult times struck.

“We were in the title hunt coming into the season,” Johnson said. “I can’t be more proud of the team finishing sixth, especially with all the things we went through. We have nothing to be ashamed of. We wrestled pretty well.”

The IML’s two champions, Lakeland senior Kole Clauson (160) and Bonners Ferry junior Justin Pluid (171), competed in two of the most dramatic championship matches.

Heavily favored, Clauson came out flat against Sugar-Salem junior Shane Wasden. And Clauson almost didn’t wake up in time, trailing 8-3 late in the second period before scoring a takedown seconds before the final period.

Most of the estimated crowd of 2,500 had their eyes on the middle of three mats, where Clauson made a storybook comeback in the final period. He scored 10 points, capping it with a takedown and 3-point near fall in the final seconds.

It was an appropriate finish to the University of Wisconsin-bound Clauson’s stellar prep career. Clauson captured gold as a sophomore, then saw his season shortened last year when he turned himself in for violating the school’s athletic code.

Undefeated and unchallenged all season, Clauson figured he’d need just an average effort to win the final.

Wasden nearly made Clauson pay for underestimating him.

“I haven’t been down by a score like that (8-3) this year,” a physically and emotionally spent Clauson said afterward. “The last time I was behind by a score like that was at the state tournament my freshman year. I didn’t think I’d have to step up to another level tonight.”

What does the title mean to Clauson?

“Pride. Dignity. Self-respect,” he said.

Pluid, meanwhile, enjoyed a 5-1 lead in the first period before Snake River’s Kyle Gilbert packaged a takedown and near-fall together in the second period to take a 6-5 lead.

Pluid forced overtime with a late escape. It appeared Gilbert would get the first takedown in overtime, but Pluid used his agility to work out of trouble and turn the momentum into a winning move moments later.

Looking ahead

Here are some area underclassmen who’ll be considered serious contenders for state titles next year:

Sandpoint - sophomore Shawn Garner (112, state champ as freshman at 103) and junior Trevor Walkington (130).

Lakeland - sophomore Nathan Pascoe (145).

Bonners Ferry - junior Dennis Liermann (130) and junior heavyweight Kyle Watts.

Wallace - junior Michael LaBau (160), if the Miners field a team next year.

The school board will decide next month whether to cut the program. School officials are concerned that it costs more to offer wrestling to students than any other sport.