Badgers stand in 3rd place
NAMPA, Idaho – Adam Hall still believes his team is in the hunt for the State 3A wrestling title.
Even though the cruel reality that challenging for a state title boils down to a numbers game. And Weiser, the defending state champ, has more numbers going into today’s championship finals and placing matches than Hall’s Bonners Ferry Badgers at the Idaho Center.
So for the very sake of one-half a team point – and a school record that will be explained in a moment – Hall cut loose his opponent in the semifinals twice to ultimately win by pin instead of a technical fall.
The junior, who hasn’t lost since the state final of his freshman year, pinned Bishara Bisharat of Marsh Valley at 5:29 when he could have waltzed off the mat in the second period by virtue of a technical fall.
But Hall had to admit his other motive Friday evening. He needs one more pin to break the school record for pins in a single season. He’s won 32 of his 39 matches by fall this year.
Hall will be efficiently motivated in the final when he takes on Ryan Miller of Priest River in an all-Intermountain League showdown at 145 pounds. Miller did everything he could do to avoid being pinned by Hall in the district final last week as Hall scored a 14-2 major decision. Hall has easily beaten Miller three times this season.
“He did a good job at district,” Hall said tipping his hat to Miller. “He accomplished his goal of not getting pinned. I’m just going to go out there and outwork him. He will still try to not get pinned.”
Miller advanced to the finals by pinning Helaman Bingham of Gooding in 3:01.
Weiser leads the 3A pack as it seeks a repeat with 144 1/2 points. Snake River is next at 127 1/2 and Bonners Ferry is four back in third. The Badgers won their first state trophy in school history last year when they finished second.
Hall will be joined in the finals by teammates David Hayes (130) and Travis Stolley (160). Hayes won by injury default and Stolley handled Alex Serrano of Filer 7-2.
A third IML wrestler will go for gold this afternoon. Jerad Madsen of Kellogg hopes to complete his comeback from a broken ankle at 112. He had no problem topping Josh Gifford of Fruitland 10-3.
St. Maries’ semifinalists Kyle Payne (119) and Adam Benda (130) saw their pursuit of state titles squelched.
Payne fell for a second time this season to Tyson Curry of American Falls. Curry prevailed 12-3. Race Bowman of Snake River needed just 30 seconds to pin Benda.
Upstart Isaac Meyers of Priest River also advanced to the semis, but Bryce Svedin of Weiser pinned the Spartan in 2:56.
4A
Not long ago, North Idaho 4A teams were serious challengers in the state tourney. They haven’t completely slid off the map, but they’ve lost considerable ground.
Just two 4A wrestlers from the Panhandle won semifinals matches. Sophomore Joey Fio of Sandpoint won by a 16-1 technical fall over Kyle Hickerson of Mountain Home at 119. Junior Brandon Palaniuk of Lakeland, a state champ a year ago in 3A, advanced to the finals with a 6-3 victory over Travis Temple of Kuna.
Fio has won the majority of his matches over opponents who have refused to tangle with him. Most of the time his opponents have tried stalling tactics.
So Fio lavished praise on Hickerson.
“He gave me the most fight of most of the kids I’ve wrestled this year,” Fio said. “I admire that. He’s one of the toughest kids I’ve wrestled.”
Palaniuk didn’t know what to expect at the start of the year when Lakeland moved to 4A. He moved up two weights so he wouldn’t have to go head-to-head with Fio. Temple was ranked ahead of Palaniuk all season, but Palaniuk got the better seed at state.
“All the hard work in the room pays off,” Palaniuk said. “Nothing is greater than a state championship. Moving up to 4A made me work even harder. I want it that much more.”
A handful of other Panhandle wrestlers fell short in the semifinals.
Alex Vickers of Skyview pinned Post Falls freshman Danny Booth at 103 in 5:17; Justin Gardner of Bonneville scored a 12-2 major decision over Bobby Kuber of Post Falls at 135; Wes Cooper of Minico pinned Mike Kuber of Post Falls at 171 in 5:33; and Ryan Vail of Caldwell pinned Sheldon Cramer of Sandpoint at 215 in 1:03.
The Kuber brothers were both state runners-up last year.
Skyview of Nampa leads the chase for the team title with 158 1/2 points. Bonneville is next with 106 1/2 . Sandpoint, as high as second at one point during consolation matches, slipped to eighth with 74 1/2 , well off the pace for a team trophy.
2A
Wallace senior Jake Will gets a shot at state title today.
Will topped Bo Fisher of Garden Valley 10-5 at 135. Will takes on Jared Leuzinger of Challis, a 7-6 winner of Shane Poxleitner of Prairie.
Will outlasted Poxleitner 21-15 in the district final last week.