Bonners Ferry has best shot

Adam Hall turned 18 years old Monday. But the Bonners Ferry High wrestling phenom postponed his party.

Hall wants to have a party Saturday evening, somewhere near Pocatello.

There’s no time to think about himself right now. Hall, a senior, is all about the Badgers and their hopes of a State 3A championship when the four state meets begin three-day runs today at Idaho State University’s Holt Arena.

“I want to celebrate Saturday night,” Hall said.

The perfect birthday present? The school’s first state championship.

Bonners Ferry, which claimed its first state trophy two years ago when it captured second, followed up with a runner-up finish last year.

“It’s getting kind of old,” Hall said of the bridesmaid position. “I’ve won state championships, but I want a team title. And I want it for Conrad (Garner, BF’s coach).”

The 152-pound Hall, 40-0 this year and 157-4 overall, takes a 117-match winning streak to state where he will be seeking a third consecutive state title. He finished second as a freshman.

If odds were calculated, the Badgers and American Falls would probably be co-favorites with two-time state champ Weiser just a shoulder behind. BF has two No. 1 seeds (Hall and junior David Hayes at 140), two twos and three threes to AF’s three ones, two twos and one three. Weiser has three ones and one two.

“We’re sitting good,” Garner said. “I just have to keep my kids focused on their match at the present and don’t look past it. They have to prepare like that’s the last match of their season and give it their all.”

If AF and Weiser have an advantage, it would be in qualifiers. Weiser pushed 17 to state, AF 16 and BF 10 – nine of whom were district champs.

Garner and Hall are emphasizing quality wins at state.

“We don’t have a lot of room for error,” Garner said.

“The tournament will be decided in the medal rounds and the bonus points,” Hall said. “We need major decisions, technical falls or pins. If you wrestle to be conservative, you’ll either get beat or not perform well. You’ve got to go to dominate, and that’s what we’ve done all season.”

BF and AF have some history this year. The Badgers topped AF 41-36 in a dual at Kellogg the night before the George Wild Tournament. AF bounced back to edge BF 177-174 for the tourney title.

Garner said the Badgers lost a potential 10 more points at the Kellogg tourney when senior Ben Turner (215) had to skip an opening-round match to take a college entrance exam. So he had to forfeit his first match, but came back to place third.

BF, AF and Weiser aren’t seeded to go head to head in many weights, Garner said.

“All three teams need help from other teams,” Garner said.

Hall took a look at the state brackets Monday and penciled out how he thought the rounds would play out.

“I figured every one of our kids can win a first-round match,” Hall said.

Former Lakeland coach Jim Whiteman once put together a formula that figured a team must have about seven to nine placers to challenge for a state title.

Garner and Hall believe the Badgers could push about eight into the semifinals, which guarantees a wrestler a medal.

“We’ve worked too hard, we’re in too good of shape and we’re coached too well not to do well,” Hall said.

5A: Lewiston qualified quantity and quality, and the Bengals should challenge for a top-four finish.

Coeur d’Alene, third last year, doesn’t have the numbers to make another run at a trophy. But the Vikings have two second seeds in senior Greg Lee (103) and junior Isaak Lawlor (125).

4A: At the start of the year, Sandpoint coach Mike Randles thought his team would challenge for a state title. But that was before he lost four potential state placers out of his lineup.

Three (Nic Uhnak, Taylor Morris and Tyler Cramer) were lost to non-wrestling injuries while the other, a state placer last year, dropped out of school.

“In one way or another we’ve still managed to stay together and stay in the hunt for something,” Randles said. “That’s what is remarkable about the season. It’s both frustrating and flattering.”

Sandpoint and Lakeland, which won its first 4A Region I title last Saturday, will challenge for trophies. Sandpoint has one No. 1 seed (Joey Fio at 125), two seconds, two thirds and two fourths while Lakeland has two seconds, one third and one fourth.

“We’re taking down a good group and I can’t ask for anything more than that,” Lakeland coach Rob Edelblute said.