Bulldogs Chasing Idaho Falls

The past three years, the Sandpoint High wrestling team had the State A-1 Tournament championship secured the night before the finals.

It isn’t going to happen this year, although that’s not to say Sandpoint won’t become the first A-1 team to win a fourth consecutive crown.

Idaho Falls sent a loud message to Sandpoint during opening-round matches Thursday in Idaho State University’s Holt Arena. A fourth championship won’t come easy.

The Tigers of Idaho Falls didn’t have to attend the evening consolation round because they didn’t lose a first-round match.

Their 15 wrestlers moved into this morning’s quarterfinals. The Tigers posted 50 points in the first round, chalking up a 21-point lead on runner-up Sandpoint.

“We’re just going to wrestle the best we can and Saturday night we’ll know if it’s enough,” said 15-year Idaho Falls coach Cliff Laughlin.

Sandpoint lost five of 14. The lone upset came at 171 pounds where second-seeded Joe Tuinstra fell to Matt Sorenson of Bonneville 18-16 in a dramatic overtime match.

“It was all right,” Sandpoint coach Dan Taylor said of the opening round. “It’s going to be a tight tournament. It’s going to be real exciting.”

Sandpoint’s points will pile up eventually. Of the nine quarterfinalists, seven could win state titles.

Stunned Bulldog

Sandpoint senior Pat Larson won by pin. No surprise. He planted his opponent, Danny Van Sickle of Highland, in 1:04 at 152 pounds. No surprise.

The surprise was Larson almost got flattened first. As much as 5 minutes after the match, Larson’s adrenaline was still pumping after the scare.

“I got out of position,” said Larson, who had a deer-in-the-headlights stare when it happened. “He put me on my back, that’s what worried me.”

But as Larson is wont to do, he recovered quickly.

Surf for results

Modern technology visited the state wrestling tournaments Thursday. And those who can’t attend can still follow the results.

Finding a spot on the information highway on the World Wide Web are the round-by-round individual results and team points for each classification.

If you want to see how your favorite school’s athletes are faring, point your browser to www.nstep.net/wrestling.

Trophy bound?

Lakeland sat in seventh place among A-2 teams with 15.5 points after the first round. The Hawks, who rank ahead of all other Intermountain League teams, trail defending champion Sugar-Salem (38.5).

Priest River is a point behind Lakeland and in 10th.

Lakeland moved four of 10 wrestlers into the quarterfinals.

They were the four Coach Mark Johnson expected to advance - the Pascoe brothers - Travis (145) and Nathan (171) - Brad Haney (130) and Sean Barnhart (152).

Several Hawks will have to help in the consolation rounds if Lakeland’s hope for a trophy is realized.

“We brought them all down to score points,” Johnson said.

Trojans triumph

Post Falls got off to a hot start in the A-1 tourney, advancing five of eight wrestlers.

Defending 103 champ Al Mack scored a pin over Mike Spiedel of Capital in 3:56. Heavyweight Matt Smith put a nice finishing touch on the opening round by pinning Cody Gerrad of Burley in 1:29.

This ‘n that

Lake City and Coeur d’Alene had a poor first round as six of their combined seven entrants lost.

Coeur d’Alene senior Nick Primmer scored the single win, topping Jason Gordon of Blackfoot in impressive fashion, 9-2.

Priest River’s Quinton Holbrook, the second seed at 135, Jake Stark (140) and Lucas Blaine (119) scored dominating victories.

Holbrook put up a 17-1 technical fall over Josh Marsters of Middleton; Stark stunned Seth Wheeler of Snake River 14-1; and Blaine pinned Buhl’s Chad Brown in 3:19.

Quarterfinal matches begin this morning at 8 a.m. for the A-1 division, followed an hour later by A-2. Following two consolation rounds, the semifinals will be held beginning at 6:30 p.m.

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