Two win divisional mat crowns
<p>The Greenchain rolls up the mat for the last time Saturday following the Northwestern Class A Divisional Championship with Zach Crace, left, Braydan Thom, Reed Christensen, Dylan Parrish and Garret Chapel.</p>
<p>Skyler Higareda, left, vs. C-Falls' Haze Bell at 132.</p>
<p>Zach Crace defeats Frenchtown's Jonathon Blanchard at 138.</p>
<p>Northwestern Class A Divisional Champion Zach Crace defeats Frenchtown's Jonathon Blanchard at 138.</p>
<p>Divisionals with Garret Chapel at 170 over Polson's Tel Motichka.</p>
<p>Garret Chapel Northwestern Class A Divisional Champion at 170 over Polson's Tel Motichka.</p>
<p>ryan Shaffer, left, Matthew Sampson, Braydan Thom, Dylan Parrish and Tristan Steinwand.</p>
<p>Garret Chapel over Polson's Tel Motichka at 170.</p>
A total of six Greenchain grapplers qualified for the state tournament during the Northwestern A Divisional tournament in Libby on Saturday.
Junior 170-pounder Garret Chapel opened the championship rounds with a highly-anticipated rematch with Polson senior Tel Motichka. After dropping the first period 4-1, Chapel earned a 6-4 lead in a second period interrupted by a two-minute stoppage for blood during which both coaches talked with their wrestlers.
After stuffing several shot attempts by Motichka, Chapel held off his opponent in the final seconds.
When the buzzer sounded, Chapel instantly turned to his coaches, including his father Joshua Chapel, and clapped his hands in celebration.
“Garret keyed on that match for a while,” Greenchain Coach Kelly Morford said. “He executed well.”
Later in the championship rounds, senior Skyler Higareda met Columbia Falls’ Haze Bell for the 132-pound title. Higareda pushed the pace, but was unable to pierce Bell’s defense. Wrestling with great effort in the third period, Higareda came up just short, falling 3-1.
“Skyler was dealing with a shoulder injury, but he gritted his teeth and got the two-seed,” Morford said. “He wanted the title, but considering his situation, he is in good shape.”
Following his teammate, Greenchain 138-pounder Zach Crace met Frenchtown sophomore Jonathon Blanchard. Crace made quick work of his opponent, pinning Blanchard in 1:24. A junior, Crace has now won three consecutive divisional championships.
“Zach is in an elite group,” Morford said. “He is a man on a mission. That’s a tough weight class.”
Also advancing to the state tournament in Billings for the Greenchain were 120-pound junior Dylan Roby and 152-pound freshmen Braydan Thom and Dylan Parrish. Thom and Parrish finished third and fourth, respectively. Roby finished fourth.
“I’m proud of the guys who won it, but also the younger guys going to state,” Morford said.
Team scores — 1. Columbia Falls 237.5; 2. Frenchtown 182; 3. Polson 141; 4. Libby 86.5; 5. Whitefish 74.
Place-winners
98 — 1. Caleb Bagnell, FRT; 2. Manny Guzman, CF.
106 — 1. Cody Warner, FRT; 2. Winfield West, CF; 3. Thunder Morales, Pol; 4. Dillon Thorsteinson, WF.
113 — 1. Mason Fetters, CF; 2. Jaron Morgan, Pol; 3. James Buckley, WF; 4. Cody Hedeen, Pol.
120 — 1. Kaleb Gravelin, CF; 2. Jaben Wenzel, POL; 3. Preston Downard, FT; 4. Dylan Roby, LIB.
126 — 1. Shonn Roberts, CF; 2. Carlos Quinones, POL; 3. Tyler Ishler, FT; 4. Skylar Knutson, POL.
132 — 1. Haze Bell, CF; 2. Skyler Higareda, LIB; 3. Bryce Williams, FT; 4. Wyatt Green, CF.
138 — 1. Zach Crace, LIB; 2. Jonathon Blanchard, FT; 3. Colton Grove, CF; 4. Chase Ramberg, CF.
145 — 1. Cody Lemons, FT; 2. Zayne Brunz, CF; 3. Judah Prestegaard, WF; 4. Storm Kemppainen, CF.
152 — 1. Bryan Shaffer, CF; 2. Matthew Sampson, WF; 3. Brayden Thom, LIB; 4. Dylan Parrish, LIB
160 — 1. Cody Walters, CF; 2. Tyler King, FT; 3. Marcus Jackson, WF.
170 — 1. Garret Chapel, LIB; 2. Tel Motichka, POL; 3. Doug Womack, FT; 4. Jason Williams, CF
182 — 1. Tele Seemann, POL; 2. Ike Schwieker, CF; 3. Cole Allen, FT; 4. Travis Catina, WF.
195 — 1. Mike Corrigan, Pol; 2. Nathan Bennett, FT; 3. Matt Carr, WF; 4. Andrew Burgess, CF.
220 — 1. Rand Pritzkau, FT; 2. Isaiah Williams, POL; 3. Mickey Denison, CF.
285 — 1. Spencer Ross, CF; 2. Steven Quimby, WF.