SPORTS

B-C Wrestling: Colstrip wins; Cheers, tears for Chinook

Grady Higgins
ghiggins@greatfallstribune.com

BILLINGS – The message was simple: This one’s for Jesse.

Less than one week after the tragic loss of Chinook’s Jesse Dannels in a car crash, the Sugarbeeter wrestling squad captured its second consecutive Class C state title at the All-Class State Wrestling Tournament at the Billings Metra, placing all five grapplers, including individual champions in Tate Niederegger at 138 and Ken Pruttis at 170.

The powerful Colstrip squad cruised to an overall B-C victory with 211.5 points, while the defending champion Choteau Bulldogs finished in third with three individual champions in Taner Stone, Steeler French and Chase DeBoo.

The Beeters finished fifth overall in the B-C standings with 100.

It was an understandably bittersweet moment for Niederegger, who repeated as an individual champion.

“With so many things going wrong,” the senior said. “Having this one moment where everything seems right…it’s amazing. If Jesse were here, he’d just be screaming for me and giving me a hug and congratulating me.

“We had a mission coming in here. We were doing it for Jesse, and we did it.”

Chinook head coach Perry Miller said he couldn’t be prouder of the resolve shown by his team in the wake of tragedy.

“I can’t say enough about these kids,” Miller said. “As a coaching staff, we’re there for them, but they’ve been incredible. They sucked it up and went where most people couldn’t imagine going. Not only coming here and wrestling but coming here after what happened.

“(Tate) is an incredible kid. Jesse wasn’t only Tater’s teammate, he was his best friend. I carried him off the mat and his tears weren’t of joy but of sorrow. He’s an amazing kid, they’re all amazing kids. The resiliency these kids have boggles the mind.”

Niederegger said seeing Pruttis also win was indescribable.

“I can’t put it into words. Seeing a teammate take a state title is amazing.”

Jake Norby earned a third-place finish with a 13-6 decision in the consolation finals for the Beeters, with his only loss coming to eventual champion Luke Weber of Forsyth, who completed a four-peat for his career on Saturday.

Kevin Young finished fourth at 205 for Chinook after falling to Colstrip’s Merlin Whitedirt in the consolation finals, and Derek Bell finished fifth.

The Choteau squad of head coach Steve French sent out two seniors in style en route to its third-place finish, with Steeler, son of Steve, and DeBoo repeating as state champions for the Bulldogs.

Junior Taner Stone also took a state championship for Choteau at 160, and senior Denver Krone finished third at heavyweight.

Steeler and DeBoo both put together dominating performances, with French making his way to the finals by way of first-round pin and two technical falls, and DeBoo, who won the B-C quick pin award, never went the distance in any of his four matches.

Steeler said the feeling of winning back-to-back titles is incredible, especially with his dad along for the ride.

“It feels amazing,” the 182 pounder said. “Not many people from our school have won multiple titles, so to go out with that is great.

“(Steve) is a great coach. He’s taught me more than anything. It’s great to have him as a coach.”

DeBoo was equally elated.

“It’s one of the best moments of my life,” DeBoo said. “It feels so good to go out on top. It’s what I’ve been working for all year.”

Glasgow sophomore Matt Reyling became the 63rd all-time individual champion for the Scotties, the program’s first since 2011, taking the 113-pound division for Jory Casterline’s squad.

“It feels really good to represent Glasgow,” Reyling said. “Ever since I was little, I’ve looked up to the great Glasgow wrestlers and I always wanted to be like them. It feels good.”