Four Mat Cats place at Rocky Mountain Classic in Missoula

Kelly Houle, Sal Baccaro, Justin Whitman and Travis Pete were place winners for Columbia Falls at the Jug Beck Rocky Mountain Classic wrestling tournament last weekend in Missoula. Houle (189 pounds) placed third, and Baccaro (98), Whitman (105) and Pete (125) were eighth.

The Mat Cats were outscored by Polson 42-30 in a Northwestern A Conference wrestling dual last Thursday in Polson.

Houle, a CFHS junior, took a perfect season record into the toughest competition of the season. Houle won a 14-6 major decision over a Mead (Spokane) wrestler in the quarterfinals, but he was shut out by Zach Wichman of Great Falls High 8-0 in the semifinals — the Mat Cat’s first loss of the season.

In the match for third place, Houle earned a 3-2 decision over Marcus Schiele of Ronan. Houle is 29-1 on the season and still unbeaten against Class A competition.

Baccaro pinned Nick Cropp of Hamilton in 4:55 to earn seventh place. In another match for seventh and eighth places, Whitman lost to Brandon Matock of University (Spokane) 5-3. Pete dropped a 1-0 decision to Jacob Young of Polson and also finished eighth.

“Travis had his best effort with that Young kid,” CFHS head coach Jessie Schaeffer said. “He had a heckuva tournament.”

Unseeded Pete earned wins over Mike Budeskii of CM Russell, the sixth seed, to get to the placing round. Earlier, Pete defeated Mason Chatterly of Superior, the eighth seed.

Houle, Baccaro, Whitman and Pete were the only four of the 10 Mat Cats in the Classic who scored points for the team. Everyone else was out in two matches, getting no wrestle-back wins.

“It’s important for them to pick up points for the team, especially when they have the potential,” Schaeffer said.

In the Big Sky Invitational last weekend, a junior varsity tournament in Missoula, Kodie Kenfield finished in first place, going 3-1. John Wood (3-1) was second, and Shawn Whitman (3-1) and

Adam Richardson (3-1) were both third. Freshman Jacob Babcock, at 215 pounds, picked up his first two high school wins, according to Schaeffer.

PICKING UP wins by fall for the Mat Cats in the dual against Polson were Baccaro over Dakotah Jensen, 1:47; Woody (160) over Zax Martin, 1:35; Will Joubert (171) over Jose Quinonnes, 1:55; and Houle (215) over Josiah Clairmont, 3:05. Winning by decision were Justin Whitman (105) over Jesse Alfiero 11-4, and Russell Plevel (145) over Chris Cote 6-5.

In the most exciting action of the evening, Randy Kelley of Polson won a 4-3 triple-overtime decision over Mat Cat Shawn Whitman (135). It was a controversial match, according to

Schaeffer, as Whitman should have been given an escape and takedown rather than just a reversal in the second OT.

Schaeffer said Woody, Joubert and Plevel each had an outstanding match, but the Mat Cats had letdowns in a couple of weight classes.

The Mat Cats host Polson and Whitefish on Saturday.