Whitehall Boasts Several State Ranked Wrestlers

The Whitehall Trojan Wrestling Team placed sixth at the Montana State Wrestling Tournament, held over the weekend in Billings.

The "Trojan-Trained" athletes have two state finalists and two with fifth-place finishes. Seniors Miles Hoerauf and Leo Scafani both earned second place in their respective weight classes. Senior Dane Hoover and junior Isaac Skogen placed fifth in their brackets.

In the field of 42 teams, the top 10 were Huntley Project (201), Three Forks (154.5), Lincoln Co. (122), Jefferson (101), Cut Bank (95), Whitehall (90), Superior (73), Anaconda (72), Conrad (63), and Colstrip (62). Joining Skogen, Hoover, Hoerauf, and Scafani for the two-day event were Harrison junior Ivar Radcliffe, sophomore Cody Fuller, junior Wesley Biggers, senior Kyle Denny, and sophomore Ethan Wock, along with managers senior Addison Sullivan and junior Annie Pettersen.

Each of the wrestlers won matches and contributed to the overall score. Skogen (113 lbs.) started the tournament with a match against Colstrip. After leading the match, a poorly calculated move put Isaac on his back and he lost the match. In double elimination brackets, this put Isaac in the consolation bracket and required more matches to get back to placing. He battled back with pins over opponents from Big Fork, and Conrad (a wrestler who had beaten him last week at Divisionals). He followed this up with a 10-0 major decision over Huntley Project. Next, he lost a hard-fought 0-2 battle against Lincoln Co. (again an improvement over last week). This put Isaac into the fifth and sixth place match against the same Colstrip wrestler who had beaten him Friday. This time Skogen was flawless and earned a third-period pin and the fifth-place medal.

Fuller (132 lbs.) also started the tournament with a match against Colstrip. He lost this match, but followed it up with a 9-7 win over Lincoln Co. Cody next had a solid win with a pin over Plains. He finished the tournament with a loss to the eventual third-place finisher from Plains.

Radcliffe (132 lbs.) first wrestled an opponent from Wolf Point. After losing this match, Radcliffe had a dominant pin against Darby. His final match was a loss to Plains.

Hoover (138 lbs.) started strong with a hard-fought 4-2 win over Huntley Project. He then lost to a second Huntley wrestler. Hoover came back with a pin over Jefferson. This put him one match away from placing. His opponent from Columbus was in the same situation. Energy levels and effort were high in this competitive battle. In the end, it was Hoover's hand that was raised with a 3-2 victory. He lost the consolation semifinal match which pitted him against a familiar opponent from Fairfield. Though they were 1-1 in the previous meeting, Hoover took charge of the match earning a second-period pin and the fifth-place medal.

Biggers (145 lbs.) fell to Chinook in the first round then earned a pin over Lincoln Co. in the second. His last match was a fall to Three Forks.

Denny (160 lbs.) started the day with a pin over Glasgow. He had more trouble with Circle, losing a close 6-10 match. Denny responded with a pin over Plains. In the consolation quarterfinals, Denny's Colstrip opponent was able to get a last-second reversal to overtake him 9-10. Even with his bad cold, he was able to muster up enough energy to put forth some great wrestling.

Hoerauf (170 lbs.) wrestled strong throughout the tournament. He dominated his first two matches with first-period pins over Conrad and Columbus. This placed him in the semifinals against the top-seeded wrestler in the state from Huntley Project. Having lost to this wrestler in the past, Hoerauf had focused his training on this rematch. It was the match to watch. After six minutes of back-and-forth competition, Hoerauf showed his speed, technique, and strength to gain the upper hand and win a 6-4 victory. This placed him in the state finals, a goal of every wrestler at the beginning of the season. Again, it was against a familiar opponent, a rematch of the Divisionals championship against Thompson Falls. Last week Hoerauf was able to come out on top. This week he was not so fortunate and earned the second-place medal.

In his first state experience, Wock (182 lbs.) wrestled well. He lost his first match to Fort Benton. He then earned a 9-0 major decision over Plains. Wock finished his tournament with a loss to Conrad.

Scafani (205 lbs.) started his journey with a pin over Big Fork. He then won his quarterfinal match with an 8-0 major decision over Jefferson. His semifinal match was a familiar contestant from Cascade. Scafani had lost to this wrestler earlier this year. It was time for paybacks. He did not let his opponent get any footing and balanced out any of his opponent's scores with scores of his own. The regulation time ended in a 4-4 tie, and even those watching were exhausted. The match went into overtime, and by the end of the third overtime period, Scafani had earned the point to secure the victory. This put him in the championship match. His competitor had won over 50 matches this year and was hoping to notch one more. Scafani had different plans. After another epic battle, he came up short 2-3 to earn the second-place medal.

The team has appreciated the support from their parents, the school, and the community. It was so good to see many community members, alumni, friends, and family at the Metra. Thank you for coming and helping us in our efforts.