Vikings take 4th
NAMPA, Idaho – The Coeur d’Alene High wrestling team’s pursuit of a 5A state trophy came down to its last match Saturday afternoon.
Appropriately, senior Jesse Nielsen, a state runner-up a year ago, secured the fourth-place team trophy to go with an individual state championship before an estimated crowd of 5,000 at the Idaho Center.
Nielsen held off Highland junior Justin Allen 7-6 at 160 pounds, and the four team points vaulted the Vikings (144.5 points) into fourth place. Coeur d’Alene beat Caldwell by a point.
“It’s the best win I’ve ever had,” said Nielsen, who finished 45-1 overall. His loss came in the finals at Tri-State.
“That’s the closest match he’s had besides the one he lost,” Coeur d’Alene coach Jeff Moffat said. “That kid was real athletic. Jesse kept his composure and wore him out. He never made any mistakes and that’s how he wrestles.”
The match was tied 5-5 going into the final period. Nielsen scored a reversal with 1 minute, 13 seconds to go. He rode Allen until about 10 seconds remained, when Allen escaped.
Nielsen was aware of how much time remained.
“I knew I could fight him off for 10 seconds and not be taken down,” Nielsen said.
CdA had two state champs and five other placers.
Vikings sophomore Braden Mowry got the title he thought he should have had the chance to win last year. Braden knocked off returning state champ Holden Packard of Mountain View 10-5 at 125.
Mowry was 25-0 last year when his season ended abruptly because of a neck injury. Then he had to miss the first month of the season this year after knee surgery.
“I didn’t think this day would come,” Mowry said. “It’s even hard for me right now to comprehend that I actually made it here and won it. I’ve been dreaming about it for so long. I was dreaming about it all last year and then I didn’t get to come.”
Three other North Idaho wrestlers captured state titles – freshman Casey George of Lewiston (103), teammate Tracey Huffman (125) and Post Falls senior Ryan Booth (152).
Lewiston had five other state placers and finished third with 160 points, 2.5 out of second.
George, who finished 44-1, dominated all season, and it was no different at state. He pinned Martin Meza of Caldwell in 1:33.
George’s loss was at Tri-State.
“He was absolutely dominant at every level,” Lewiston coach Dan Maurer said. “What I told him as he walked off the mat was ‘What makes that so awesome is you didn’t raise your hand up in the air, you didn’t pump your chest, you didn’t pump your fist up in the air. You were a good sport and you deserved to win.’ He has high, high, high potential, obviously.”
Huffman, a junior, became a two-time state champ after winning last year at 112. He scored a 10-4 decision over Jordan Cox of Idaho Falls.
“There’s a lot more pressure on the second one (state title) than there is on the first,” Huffman said.
Booth became the first wrestler to win a state title in a family that has been feeding wrestlers through Post Falls for nearly three decades.
He did so emphatically. Booth, wrestling with a determined passion, posted an 18-2 technical fall over Mark Hobson of Lewiston.
It was sweet redemption for Booth, who went to state last year as a No. 2 seed only to leave disappointed with no state medal.
“Dream come true,” Booth said. “I’ve been dreaming about this for more than four years. This means more to me than anything right now.”
Post Falls coach Dennis Amende sensed Booth was going to make his large family happy.
“I’m tickled for Ryan and I’m tickled for the entire Booth family,” Amende said. “He dominated the kid. The key is he did what Ryan does. He doesn’t concern himself with what somebody else does. The guy who wins is the guy who does his stuff the best. That’s what Ryan did.”
Seth Wright of PF (119) lost a 14-3 major decision to Dillon Gentry of Meridian in the final at 119.
Mountain View, with three individual state champs, captured the team title with 221.5 points.