LHS falls in dual, takes 2nd at tourney

Working through the offseason –

including reps in the weight room – Libby senior Devin Williams

wanted to make his final season a memorable one.

Williams, who wrestles at 135 pounds,

has experienced success early this season. Last week, he took a 7-5

decision over his Bonners Ferry opponent before winning the

championship bout on Saturday at the Superior Invitational.

“Devin’s been coming on all year,” LHS

co-coach Mort Curtiss said. “He made a few mistakes out there but

he’s athletic enough to overcome them and not get into trouble.

He’s been a pleasant surprise.”

Williams came close to winning his

match by pin on Thursday against Bonners Ferry’s Parker Davis. But

along with takedown points, the three-point nearfall boosted his

lead to 5-0. Davis made things interesting in the final period but

Williams persevered for the two-point decision.

Williams wrestled down at 130 during

Saturday’s tournament and pinned Arlee’s Cameron Dominick in the

finale’s second period.

As a team, Libby finished second at

Superior behind Frenchtown and ahead of several other schools –

most of them Class B-C.

“The boys did real well over the

weekend,” Curtiss said. “Frenchtown, they’re a well-coached team.

They always manage to put together a good team.”

Mitch Haugen, Kyle Leir and Dylan

Berget also won individual titles at Superior. Haugen remained

unbeaten this season with a pin over Frenchtown’s Brennan Armstrong

at 125. Leir took a 12-3 decision over Frenchtown’s Ty Hedrick at

140. And Berget pulled out a 12-10 decision over Thompson Falls’

Shawn Sacchi at 160.

“He ground it out and won it,” Curtiss

said about Berget’s close match in the finals. “He’s one of the

harder workers in the room. He works every day in the offseason and

he’s doing everything he can to be a better wrestler.”

Robin Kyes and Austin Bailey placed

third in the tournament. In the consolation finals, Kyes decisioned

Arlee’s Leif Rova at 152 while Bailey pinned Arlee’s Clayton

Trimble at 171.

Bonners Ferry, considered to be one of

the top teams in Idaho, took a 41-33 dual victory over the

Greenchain on Thursday.

Out of the five matches on the mat that

Libby won, four came via pins. Isaac King pinned Josh Tucker in

3:19 at 105 pounds. Haugen pinned Reid Boorman in 2:27 at 130.

Berget pinned Quinn Cummings in 5:15 at 160. And Gunnar Moe took

care of Numa Aitken in 5:27 at heavyweight. The other victory was

Williams’s 7-5 decision at 135 and Libby also won a match by

forfeit.

Libby will send Haugen, Williams, Leir

and Berget to the Tri-State Tournament on Friday and Saturday at

Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The rest of the team heads to the Buzz Lucey

Tournament on Saturday at Eureka. LHS heads to Columbia Falls for a

dual this coming Tuesday.