Shorthanded Chief crew goes 1-2 in opening week
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
LIBBY — Open weight classes took their toll on the Chiefs in their opening matches of the season this weekend as forfeits left Ronan in early holes in all three of their duals.
Ronan was giving up more than 20 points per dual as a lack of wrestlers forced the team to look for quick pins to make up the automatic point deficit.
“I thought that we wrestled all right this weekend,” Ronan coach Dustyn Azure said. “We just struggled with our weight management, and we had to leave some divisions open, and that cost us. We are a young team and these kids have never had to diet before. They’ll figure it out before long.”
The Chiefs came up short on the road Saturday as they fell to 1-2 early in the wrestling season. Ronan came away with a win in the key matchup of the dual as defending state champion Toby Cheff earned a 9-5 win over Kody Berget in the 189-pound division. Berget finished third behind Cheff at the state meet last season.
Colby Roberts also picked up a win for the Chiefs in the 189-pound division as he pinned Dewayne Alsbury at the 1:00 mark.
Cole McArthur was also a winner for Ronan, downing Libby’s Dilan Berget in the 160-pound division via a 6-1 decision.
Libby took the dual by a score of 48-15.
The Chiefs opened the season with a win at Columbia Falls Friday as they downed Whitefish 51-18 before falling to the host school later in the evening.
Six of the Chiefs' wins against Whitefish came via pins as Andrew Teigan, Quentin Denton, Jake Stenstrom, McArthur, Cheff and Roberts all pinned their opponents.
Tiegan made short work of Trystem Armstrong in the 119-pound division, pinning Armstrong just 26 seconds into the match. Roberts was almost as quick in his 215-pound match, pinning Jacob Forrest in 42 seconds. Denton was right behind, pinning Jarrid Selway in a 160-pound match in just 44 seconds. Cheff needed 1:02 to pin Robby Neff in the 189-pound division. Stenstrom pinned Zach Snethen in 1:42 in their 125-pound matchup and McArthur pinned Marcelo Theodoro in 1:57 in their 171-pound match. Ronny Cullis was also a winner for the Chiefs, defeating Andrew Timmons in the 152-pound division with a 9-6 decision.
Ronan came up just short against host Columbia Falls later in the day, falling to the Wildcats 45-31.
Tiegan, Denton, McArthur and Cheff all won via pin for the Chiefs while Dustin Goldsby and Roberts also won their matches.
Tiegan was able to pin Sal Baccaro in 5:01 in their 119-pound matchup. Denton pinned Jacob Burgess in 2:48 in a 160-pound match. McArthur pinned the Wildcats’ Marquis Isley in 1:24 in a 171-pound bout and Cheff pinned Josh Folsom in 1:47 in their 189-pound matchup. Goldsby won his 145-pound bout against Kohl Thompson via a 4-2 decision and Roberts won his 215-pound matchup against Jacob Babcock with a 9-1 major decision.
“I think we started to have confidence in our conditioning by the end of the weekend,” Azure said. “We were tired at the end of the third round, but not as tired as the other guys. We still have a lot of work to do, but that it not necessarily a bad thing.”
The Chiefs' season continues Thursday as they host Polson beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Summary
Libby 48, Ronan 15
125 - Brandon Dumont, R, dec. Skylar Higareda, 9-8. 130 - Mitch Haugen, L, pinned Andrew Tiegan, :50. 145 - Kyle Leir, L, dec. Shelby Grant, 10-3. 152 - Robin Kyes, L, pinned Ronny Cullis, 3:02. 160 - Cole McArthur, R, dec. Dilan Berget, 6-1. 171 - Austin Bailey, L, dec. Quentin Denton, 7-6. 189 - Toby Cheff, R, dec. Kody Berget, 9-5. Colby Roberts, R, pinned Dewayne Alsbury, 1:00.
Libby won by forfeit at 105, 119, 135, 140.
Ronan won by forfeit at Hwt.
Ronan 51, Whitefish 18
119 - Andrew Teigan, R, pinned Trystem Armstrong, :26; 125 - Jake Stenstrom, R, pinned Zach Snethen, 1:42; 152 - Ronny Cullis, R, dec. Andrew Timmons, 9-6; 160 - Quentin Denton, R, pinned Jarrid Selway, :44; 171 - Cole McArthur, R, pinned Marcelo Theodoro, 1:57; 189 - Toby Cheff, R, pinned Robby Neff, 1:02; 215 - Colby Roberts, R, pinned Jacob Forrest, :42; Hwt - Wolf Zinke, W, pinned Aaron Yazzie, 1:52.
Ronan won 130 and 145 by forfeit.
Whitefish won 98 and 135 by forfeit.
Columbia Falls 45, Ronan 31
119 - Andrew Tiegan, R, pinned Sal Baccaro, 5:01; 125 - Justin Whitman, CF, pinned Jake Stenstrom, 1:39; 130 - Adam Richardson, CF, dec. Brandon Dumont, 2-0; 145 - Dustin Goldsby, R, dec. Kohl Thompson, 4-2; 152 - Jason Williams, CF, pinned Ronny Cullis, 3:06; 160 - Quentin Denton, R, pinned Jacob Burgess, 2:48; 171 - Cole McArthur, R, pinned Marquis Isley, 1:24; 189 - Toby Cheff, R, pinned Josh Folsom, 1:47; 215 - Colby Roberts, R, maj. dec. Jacob Babcock, 9-1; Hwt - Cody Bartos, CF, pinned Aaron Yazzie, 5:31.
