Pins have played an important role in Guy Melby’s highly successful run as head wrestling coach at Sidney High School in Montana.
“We talk about getting six points all the time,” said Melby, who has coached the Eagles to 11 state championships, including titles the last two years. “Every day we talk to the guys about scoring the first points and the last points (of the match). And we’re always looking for pins.”
Melby’s Eagles obviously paid heed on Friday as they shot away to a 55-point lead in their bid for a repeat championship at the Bismarck Rotary Club wrestling tournament at the Event Center.
None of Sidney’s designated 13 scoring entrants lost in the first two rounds of the tournament, and they piled up 17 pins along the way. All told, they won 21 matches by fall on the day.
So the Eagles head into today’s 1 p.m. wrestleback round with a 243.5 to 188.5 advantage on second-place Bismarck. Six teams reached the 100-point plateau on the first day. Rapid City, S.D., Stevens was third with 169.5 points, trailed by Watertown, S.D., (155); Minot (140), and Century (114.5).
Melby wants to engage in no conversation concerning insurmountable leads.
“Nobody remembers what you did the first day if you don’t get it done the second day,” he noted. “We’ve got to be better tomorrow than we were today.”
The Eagles have plenty of gunpowder left in the cannon. Kaiden Cline (120), Jordan Darby (126), Aden Graves (145), Dylan Lutz (160), Riley Waters (182), Jett Jones (195) and Brodey Skogen (220) will wrestle for the Eagles in today’s finals, which are scheduled for 3 p.m.
In addition, the other six Eagle scoring wrestlers are alive in the wrestlebacks.
Bismarck, Sidney’s closest competitor, has five finalists, but only for remaining in the consolation bracket.
The Demon finalists are L.J. Araujo (106), Christian Tanefeu (113), Wilfried Tanefeu (120), Brock Fettig (152) and Gage Roaldson (170).
Other finalists include Reece Barnhardt (126) of St. Mary’s, Clay Radenz of Century (138), Will Kleinknecht of Mandan (152), Garrett Jangula (170) of Napoleon-Gackle-Streeter, and Connor Stordalen of Century (285).
That said, Melby sees no room for letup.
“We’ll have to come out and wrestle like its 0-0 tomorrow,” he said.
<h4>Team Scores
1. Sidney (Mont.) 243.5. 2. Bismarck 188.5. 3. Rapid City (S.D.) Stevens 169.5. 4. Watertown (S.D.) 155. 5. Minot 140. 6. Century 114.5. 7. Dickinson 98. 8. Valley City 78. 9. West Fargo 75. 10. Mandan 74.5.
11. Grand Forks Central 72. 12. (tie) Aberdeen (S.D.) Central and Devils Lake, 67.5. 14. Carrington 61.5. 15. St. Mary’s 60. 16. Legacy 59. 17. Napoleon-Gackle-Streeter 56.5. 18. Rapid City (S.D.) Central 55. 19. Fargo North 52. 20. Moorhead (Minn.) 50.
21. Jamestown 45. 22. Fargo Davies 42. 23. Wahpeton 41. 24. Turtle Mountain 37. 25. West Fargo Sheyenne 34. 26. (tie) Grand Forks Red River and Williston 24. 28. Fargo South 23. 29. Watford City 16. 30. Beulah-Hazen 10.
<h1>Individual Results
<h4>Semifinals
106 pounds: Jack Schoenhard, RCS, def. Koye Grebel, VC, major dec. 11-2. L.J. Araujo, Bis, def. Owen Lonski, Sid, 8-3.
113: Brenden Salfrank, Abe, def. Neal Bohrer, Cen, tech. fallm, 17-2. Christian Tanefu, Bis, def. Zander Dean, Sid, major dec., 11-0.
120: Wilfried Tanefu, Bis, def. Kaden DeCoteau, Cen, major dec., 14-4. Kaiden Cline, Sid, def. Houston Crimmins, Dic, 5-2.
126: Reece Barnhardt, SM, def. Darien Malone, RCS, tech. fall, 17-2. Jordan Darby, Sid, def. Brant Fisk, DL, 13-8.
132: Kelby Armstrong, Min, def. Kaden Renner, Bis, 10-8. Ty Althoff, Water, pinned Jacob Thomas, FS, :34.
138: Clay Radenz, Cen, def. Preston Fettig, Bis, 10-4. Declan Malone, RCS, def. Kadyn Kraye, RCC, 3-0.
145: Troy Berg, Dic, def. Trevon McClaanahan, Min, 3-2. Aden Graves, Sid, def. T.J. Morrison, RCC, 7-2.
152: Brock Fettig, Bis, def. Noah Braun, Jam, 6-4, OT. Will Kleinknecht, Man, def. Brayden Burrus, RCC, major dec., 12-4.
160: Cooper Voorhees, RCS, pinned Tate Hoggarth, Car, 2:08. Dylan Lutz, Sid, def. Parker Larson, VC, 4-3.
170: Garrett Jangula, NGS, pinned Sam Stroup, Water, 1:19. Gage Roaldson, Bis, def. Wyatt Jungclaus, RCC, 7-0.
182: Riley Waters, Sid, def. Isaiah Huus, Bis, 14-8. Jayden Hartford, Water, def. Tanner Jarrett, Dic, 6-5.
195: Jett Jones, Sid, def. Dillon Stoebner, Abe, major dec., 8-0. Jacob Carmichael, Min, pinned Beau Retzlaff, Car, 5:21.
220: Josh Krump, Wah, def. Lincoln Stahl, Water, 5-1. Brodey Skogen, Sid, def. Truman Werremeyer, FD, 5-3, OT.
285: Brody Defoe, GFC, pinned Jack Kuntz, DL, 3:11. Konnor Stordalen, Cen, def. Connor Bockomy, Abe, 4-1.
<h4>Championship Matches
106 pounds: Jack Schoenhard, RCS, soph., 23-2, vs. L.J. Araujo, Bis, 8th grade, 13-2.
113: Brenden Salfrank, Abe, sr., 20-0, vs. Christian Tanefeu, Bis, jr., 25-3.
120: Wilfried Tanefeu, Bis, jr., 26-1, vs. Kaiden Cline, Sid, sr., 22-4.
126: Reece Barnhardt, SM, jr., 29-1, vs. Jordan Darby, Sid, jr., 27-2.
132: Kelby Armstrong, Min, sr., 12-2, vs. Ty Althoff, Water, sr., 18-0.
138: Clay Radenz, Cen, jr., 29-3, vs. Declan Malone, RCS, sr., 15-4.
145: Troy Berg, Dic, soph., 24-3, vs. Aden Graves, Sid, soph., 26-3.
152: Brock Fettig, Bis, soph., 26-4, vs. Will Kleinknecht, Man, sr., 30-7.
160: Cooper Voorhees, RCS, sr., 27-0, vs. Dylan Lutz, Sid, jr., 23-0.
170: Garrett Jangula, NGS, sr., 10-0, vs. Gage Roaldson, Bis, sr., 25-3.
182: Riley Waters, Sid, jr., 23-0, vs. Jayden Hartford, Water, sr., 15-2.
195: Jett Jones, Sid, sr., 25-0, vs. Jacob Carmichael, Min, sr., 21-5.
220: Josh Krump, Wah, jr., 22-3, vs. Brodey Skogen, Sid, jr., 23-6.
285: Brody Defoe, GFC, sr., 19-1, vs. Connor Bockomy, Abe, sr., 6-7.
NOTES: Eight unbeaten wrestlers will be competing in today’s championship matches. … Cooper Voorhees of Rapid City Stevens, 27-0, will face Dylan Lutz of Sidney, 23-0, in the 160-pound final. … All three returning champions have reached the championship round. They are Brenden Salfrank of Aberdeen at 113, Reece Barnhardt of St. Mary’s at 126 and Garrett Jangula of Napoleon-Gackle-Streeter at 170. … Salfrank and Jangula are among the tournament’s unbeatens. … Cael Larson of Rapid City Central and Drew Steidler of St. Mary’s won last Rotary titles last winter as underclassmen, but were not entered this year. Larson won at 113 and Steidler was the champion at 132.
