STATE HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING: A slap for the state championship

NAMPA — Post Falls senior Jose Laguna is really, really starting to love the bright lights of the Ford Idaho Center.

Not only did he notch a key win over Meridian’s Hudson Rogers in the finals of the Rollie Lane Invitational in Nampa, he might have saved his best for last on Saturday night.

Faced with the Oregon State-bound Rogers again, Laguna got focused in a hurry thanks to Trojan assistant coach Luke Roberts.

“We’ve got a pre-match ritual where he gives me a high five and a face slap,” Laguna said. “It just kind of wakes me up because I get a little sleepy before matches.”

Laguna, who closed the season on a 32-match win streak, beat Rogers 6-1 in the 182-pound state 5A championship match, his first state title.

“I feel like when everything is on the line, I’m better under pressure,” said Laguna, who is undecided on his future plans. “It’s the same for everyone else on the team. We work for what we get. I’ve been training and putting in the time all season for this. It feels good and I feel accomplished. It’s nice to end the season with a win and finally earn the title.”

Laguna placed fourth at state last year, and fifth as a sophomore.

Fellow senior Trevor Miller, who has committed to walk on to the football team at Idaho, concluded his high school career with a pin of Cash Weeks of Middleton in 2 minutes, 54 seconds in the 220-pound final. Miller won all four matches by pin for his first state title.

“I knew I could dominate each kid in the bracket,” said Miller, who placed third at state last year, and fifth as a sophomore. “I just knew I had to leave it all out there on the mat.”

With the three-day tournament, Miller wrestled twice on Thursday, once on Friday and again Saturday.

“It was a lot of waiting and building up energy and excitement to compete,” Miller said. “Everything just builds for that moment. I’m definitely a competitor and like to shine when the spotlight is on me.”

Sophomore Rider Seguine notched his second straight title, winning by pin over Vincent Contreras of Nampa in 2:38.

“I just tried to stay on my feet and one thing kind of led to another,” said Seguine, who won at 98 pounds as a freshman. “It was really a rush of emotions afterward and I was really happy that it worked out in my favor.”

Meridian, with five individual champions, won the 5A team title with 280.5 points. Post Falls, seeking its first title since 2020 and sixth overall, finished second with 261.5.

Post Falls had two runner-up finishers — Tyson Barnhart (132) and Gentry Smith (195).

Also placing for Post Falls were freshman Logan Loazia (fourth at 106), sophomore Trey Smith (third at 145), sophomore Seth Martin (third at 152), senior John Rudebaugh (third at 160), senior Zack Campbell (sixth at 126), sophomore Tanner Piper (fifth at 138) and senior Malcolm Duthie (fifth at 220).

“I’m really proud of our team,” said Post Falls coach Pete Reardon, whose team has won five titles in his 14 years at the school. “They wrestled their hearts out. We’re really proud of how they fought today. We were close, but just didn’t have enough firepower. Sometimes things unfold the way you want and sometimes, they don’t. But we’re proud of their effort.”

It was the third straight title for Meridian, and seventh overall.

“They just had a really good day today,” Reardon said.

Lake City senior Zach Macdonald, a state champion last year, was fourth at 113, and sophomore Garrett Leonard was fifth at 182.

Freshman Rocco White (sixth at 98) and senior Dax Larsen (fourth at 138) led Coeur d’Alene to a 13th-place finish.

In the girls tournament, once Coeur d’Alene senior Alyssa Randles caught Mountain View’s Sophie Sarver, it was only a matter of time before a fourth straight title was in her grasp.

“It was a kind of slow start and Alyssa kind of had to chase her around for a bit,” said Coeur d’Alene coach Jeff Moffat, in his 22nd season. “Alyssa got in a couple of shots and just did her thing and dominated the match, which was good to see. She’s just so tough. She was prepared and knew what we were going to get from her.”

Randles won by pin in the 126 pound final in 4:33.

“It was a little frustrating at first,” said Randles, who joins Gunner Giulio as the only four-time state champions in Coeur d’Alene school history. “I just tried to figure out a different way to wrestle. I knew we needed a pin for the team points, so I was just trying to find a way there.”

After the win, Alyssa jumped into the arms of her coach, and father, Mike, who is also the school’s principal. Alyssa won her first two titles at a girls-only invitational before a one-classification girls tournament was sanctioned by the Idaho High School Activities Association in 2022.

“There was a lot of emotion that came out with it being my final high school match,” Alyssa Randles said. “I didn’t feel sad it was my last match, but was thankful to have my dad in my corner.”

As for four titles, Alyssa Randles is looking at the big picture.

“It’s exciting to know that all girls will have the chance to do the same thing in the future,” Alyssa Randles said. “I’m just thankful for having this opportunity.”

Also in the girls tournament, Coeur d’Alene junior Cara Brown (152) and Post Falls senior Abigale Piper (145) finished runner-up.

Lake City junior Madi Cook was third at 132, Coeur d’Alene freshman Brooklyn Anderson fifth at 152 and Sandpoint junior Grace Balch fifth at 235.

4A: Sandpoint sophomore Jorden Tyler was the top local finisher, taking third at 195 pounds for the Bulldogs, who finished 11th.

Junior Shane Sherrill (fifth at 138), sophomore Ashlei Hawkins (sixth at 126) and senior Calvin Hinds (fifth at 182) also placed for Sandpoint.

“We had a great tournament and a great year,” said Sandpoint coach Doug Fry, who replaced Jake Stark at the beginning of the season. “I feel really blessed to have been the coach this year. Every tournament, there was never a letdown. The team always came out and exceeded my expectations.”

Lakeland sophomore Jaren Knopp was sixth at 106.

Minico, with 262.5 points, won its second straight title.

3A: Freshman Wyatt Carey was third at 98 pounds for Timberlake, which finished 11th with 77 points.

Sophomore Paul Sundstrom (fourth at 113), senior Stryker Huston (fourth at 120) and junior Luke Schell (fourth at 182) also placed for Timberlake.

Junior Brandon Williams (third at 113) and senior Marcus Regehr (fifth at 160) led Bonners Ferry to a 12th place finish with 63 points.

South Fremont won its fourth straight state title with a tournament record 309.5 points.

2A: Priest River senior Matyus McLain (220) and Kellogg junior Jaeger Hall (132) won titles in their respective weight classes. Both Priest River and Kellogg dropped to the 2A classification last fall.

McLain, who has committed to play football at Idaho, beat Hunter Williams of New Plymouth by injury default. Hall beat Tri-Valley’s Jace Waggoner by a 7-4 decision.

Freshman Chase Scribner (third at 106), sophomore Ricky Haralson (sixth at 120), junior Kolter Wood (third at 126), senior Jayce Garcia (sixth at 160) placed for Kellogg.

New Plymouth won its second team title in three years, edging defending champion Ririe 190-178 after the Pilgrims won in 2021.

BOYS

5A

TEAM SCORES — 1, Meridian 280.5. 2, Post Falls 261.5. 3, Nampa 241.5. 4, Mountain View 126. 5, Highland 111. 6, Thunder Ridge 103.5. 7, Madison 102. 8, Middleton 100.5. 9, Eagle 93. 10, Kuna 68. 11, Boise 57. 12, Lewiston 52. 13, Coeur d’Alene 47. 14, Capital 46. 15, Borah 42.5. 16, Rocky Mountain 34. 17, Owyhee 32. 18, Centennial 31. 19, Lake City 27.5. 20, Timberline 8. 21, Rigby 3.

LOCAL RESULTS

CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET

CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES

106 — Rider Seguine, Post Falls (38-4), p. Vincent Contreras, Nampa (38-5), 2:38.

132 — Carson Exferd, Nampa (43-7), d. Tyson Barnhart, Post Falls (36-10), 7-1.

170 — Jose Laguna, Post Falls (36-1), d. Hudson Rogers, Meridian (46-6), 6-1.

195 — Carson Gooley, Meridian (44-6), d. Gentry Smith, Post Falls (38-3), 3-1.

220 — Trevor Miller, Post Falls (44-2), p. Cash Weeks, Middleton (33-5), 2:54.

THIRD-FOURTH PLACE

106 — Gabriel Arnold, Meridian (27-11), p. Logan Loaiza, Post Falls (22-14), 1:26.

113 — Ashton Ramos, Capital (38-11), d. Zach Macdonald, Lake City (33-7), 7-4.

138 — Gabriel Brown, Capital (38-10), d. Dax Larsen, Coeur d’Alene (35-9), 7-2.

145 — Trey Smith, Post Falls (35-14), d. Kody Rich, Kuna (29-7), 7-3.

152 — Seth Martin, Post Falls (46-9), p. Jean-Luc Guerra, Mountain View (38-9), 2:02.

160 — John Rudebaugh, Post Falls (39-12), d. Cole Nelson, Madison (33-15), 8-2.

FIFTH-SIXTH PLACE

98 — Greyson Peterson, Madison (31-17), p. Rocco White, Coeur d’Alene (23-13), 2:06.

126 — Nate Galloway, Rocky Mountain (28-14), d. Zack Campbell, Post Falls (25-21), 3-1.

138 — Tanner Piper, Post Falls (22-13), p. Payson Solomon, Highland (32-16), 4;39.

182 — Garrett Leonard, Lake City (38-11), d. Colton George, Highland (23-8), 5-4.

220 — Malcolm Duthie, Post Falls (29-12), d. Kaeden Lincoln, Borah (25-11), 5-3.

CONSOLATION BRACKET

Semifinals

98 — Dylan Frothinger, Eagle, d. Rocco White, Coeur d’Alene, 3-0.

106 — Logan Loaiza, Post Falls, d. Chase Jensen, Rocky Mountain, 4-2.

113 — Zach Macdonald, Lake City, d. Isaac Scott, Thunder Ridge, 10-5.

126 — Simon Alberto Luna, Nampa, d. Zack Campbell, Post Falls, 8-3.

138 — Dax Larsen, Coeur d’Alene, p. Tanner Piper, Post Falls, :59.

145 — Trey Smith, Post Falls, d. Joseph Mozes Jimenez, Nampa, 9-3.

152 — Seth Martin, Post Falls, d. Ehler Say, Boise, 6-3.

160 — John Rudebaugh, Post Falls, p. Ehler Htoo, Boise, 1:33.

182 — Jacob King, Mountain View, d. Garrett Leonard, Lake City, 6-5.

220 — Eli Anderton, Highland, d. Malcolm Duthie, Post Falls, 7-2.

4A

TEAM SCORES — 1, Minico 262.5. 2, Caldwell 207.5. 3, Bishop Kelly 176. 4, Blackfoot 139.5. 5, Mountain Home 118. 6, Bonneville 111. 7, Jerome 91.5. 8, Century 82. 9, Canyon Ridge 78.5. 10, Shelley 78. 11, Sandpoint 77. 12, Twin Falls 66. 13, Skyline 54. 14 (tie), Columbia, Idaho Falls 43. 16, Ridgevue 38. 17, Preston 37. 18, Moscow 35. 19, Lakeland 33. 20, Vallivue 26.5. 21 (tie), Emmett, Pocatello 19. 23, Burley 15.5. 24, Skyview 13. 25, Hillcrest 12. 26, Wood River 0.

LOCAL RESULTS

CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET

CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES

No local matches.

THIRD-FOURTH PLACE

195 — Jorden Tyler, Sandpoint (41-11), p. Wesley Hodges, Mountain View (38-21), 3:29.

FIFTH-SIXTH PLACE

106 — Johnny Behm, Shelley (34-17), d. Jaren Knopp, Lakeland (32-14), 5-3.

126 — Brayden Cosens, Blackfoot (23-13), p. Ashlei Hawkins, Sandpoint (36-18), 2:50.

138 — Shane Sherrill, Sandpoint (24-2), p. Tavin Rigby, Preston (48-8), 3:11.

182 — Calvin Hinds, Sandpoint (32-13), md. Do Sawn Lian, Canyon Ridge (20-12), 18-9.

CONSOLATION BRACKET

Semifinals

106 — Gabe Pyne, Century, d. Jaren Knopp, Lakeland, 9-2.

126 — Clark Petersen, Shelley, md. Ashlei Hawkins, Sandpoint, 11-1.

138 — Cole Barendregt, Minico, d. Shane Sherrill, Sandpoint, 8-4.

182 — James Noorlander, Twin Falls, tf. Calvin Hinds, Sandoint, 18-2.

195 — Jordan Tyler, Sandpoint, p. George Valenzuela, Skyline, 1:47.

3A

TEAM SCORES — 1, South Fremont 309.5. 2, Fruitland 241. 3, Buhl 223. 4, American Falls 184. 5, Snake River 183. 6, Weiser 143.5. 7, Sugar-Salem 119.5. 8, Marsh Valley 107.5. 9, Teton 98.5. 10, McCall-Donnelly 86. 11, Timberlake 77. 12, Bonners Ferry 63. 13, Gooding 58. 14, Payette 53. 15, Homedale 43.5. 16, Kimberly 17. 17, Parma 8. 18, Filer 4.

LOCAL RESULTS

CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET

CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES

No local matches.

THIRD-FOURTH PLACE

98 — Wyatt Carey, Timberlake (33-7), p. Braden Griffith, Fruitland (35-16), 1:00.

113 — Brandon Williams, Bonners Ferry (33-11), d. Paul Sundstrom, Timberlake (18-9), 8-6.

120 — Koy Orr, Buhl (47-8), d. Stryker Huston, Timberlake (29-10), 7-0.

182 — Adam Rushton, McCall-Donnelly (22-7), md. Luke Schell, Timberlake (19-12), 10-1.

FIFTH-SIXTH PLACE

160 — Marcus Regehr, Bonners Ferry (29-4), p. Willie Sudderth, Weiser (38-17), 2:13.

CONSOLATION BRACKET

Semifinals

98 — Wyatt Carey, Timberlake, p. Jonathan Todd, American Falls, :19.

113 — Paul Sundstrom, Timberlake, d. Charlie Nevarez, Weiser, 7-0; Brandon Williams, Bonners Ferry, p. Zan Parker, Buhl, 2:55.

120 — Stryker Huston, Timberlake, d. Jace Leavitt, Snake River, 6-2.

160 — Dillon Gneiting, South Fremont, p. Marcus Regehr, Bonners Ferry, 1:34.

182 — Luke Schell, Timberlake, d. Traven Bauer, South Fremont, 7-6.

2A

TEAM SCORES — 1, New Plymouth 190. 2, Ririe 178. 3, West Side 140. 4, Malad 138. 5 (tie), Aberdeen, Kellogg 101. 7, Melba 97. 8, Grace 87.5. 9, North Fremont 83.5. 10, Bear Lake 83. 11, Priest River 81. 12, Clearwater Valley 69. 13, Firth 60. 14, Tri-Valley 59. 15, West Jefferson 55. 16, Glenns Ferry 48.5. 17 (tie), Declo, Soda Springs 46.5. 19, Potlatch 30.5. 20, St. Maries 28. 21, Orofino 27. 22 (tie), Challis, Kamiah 22. 24, Salmon 21. 25, Nezperce 20. 26, Oakley 18. 27, Wendell 17. 28, Nampa Christian 14. 29, Grangeville 9. 30, Valley 7. 31 (tie), Hansen, Highland (Craigmont), Wallace 3. 35, Raft River 2. 36 (tie), Greenleaf Friends, Hagerman, Kootenai, Lapwai, Leadore, Murtaugh, North Gem 0.

LOCAL RESULTS

CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET

CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES

132 — Jaeger Hall, Kellogg (44-7), d. Jace Waggoner, Tri-Valley (48-6), 7-4.

138 — Jacob Shaw, New Plymouth (47-10), p. Caeden McLaimtaig, Priest River (46-19), 2:47.

220 — Matyus McLain, Priest River (45-9), d. Hunter Williams, New Plymouth (20-1), by injury default.

THIRD-FOURTH PLACE

106 — Chase Scribner, Kellogg (37-10), d. Tayven Kunz, Ririe (44-13), 8-6.

113 — Tommy Angell, Malad (37-17), d. Hayden Sorbel, Priest River (17-9), 6-3.

126 — Kolter Wood, Kellogg (47-6), d. Eston Beck, Aberdeen (27-12), 6-3.

FIFTH-SIXTH PLACE

120 — Carson Hill, North Fremont (37-17), p. Ricky Haralson, Kellogg (34-12), 2:54.

160 — Carter Huntsman, Ririe (26-8), p. Jayce Garcia, Kellogg (38-10), 3:19.

CONSOLATION BRACKET

Semifinals

106 — Chase Scribner, Kellogg, d. Jace Potter, Malad, 9-4.

113 — Hayden Sorbel, Priest River, d. Brylee Ganske, Salmon, 5-4.

120 — Jeremiah Perry, New Plymouth, d. Ricky Haralson, Kellogg, 6-0.

126 — Kolter Wood, Kellogg, p. Zach Mills, Malad, 4:03.

160 — Ethan Toribau, Oakley, d. Jayce Garcia, Kellogg, 9-4.

GIRLS

TEAM SCORES — 1, Eagle 126. 2, Mountain Home 71. 3, Coeur d’Alene 64. 4, Columbia 59. 5, Bonners Ferry 58. 6, Meridian 55. 7, Rocky Mountain 53. 8, American Falls 52. 9, Boise 48. 10, Canyon Ridge 44. 11, Grace 42. 12, Filer 39. 13 (tie), Emmett, Marsh Valley 38. 15, Thunder Ridge 36.5. 16, Lewiston 36.5. 17, Caldwell 34. 18 (tie), Bonneville, Payette 32. 20 (tie), Buhl, Kuna 30. 22, Rigby 29. 23 (tie), Moscow, Ririe 28. 25, Capital 27. 26, Skyline 26. 27, Potlatch 25. 28, Lake City 23. 29 (tie), Mountain View, Post Falls 22. 31, Burley 21. 32 (tie), Garden Valley, Salmon 20. 34, Sandpoint 19. 35 (tie), Century, Highland (Craigmont), Owyhee, Preston 18. 39 (tie), Borah, Weiser 16. 41, Hillcrest 15. 42 (tie), Middleton, Pocatello 14. 44, West Jefferson 13. 45, New Plymouth 12.5. 46 (tie), McCall-Donnelly, Minico 11. 49 (tie), Fruitland, Kellogg, Lakeland, Nampa, St. Maries 7. 54 (tie), Malad, Twin Falls 6. 56 (tie), Snake River, Timberline, West Side 5. 59 (tie), Leadore, Vallivue 4. 61 (tie), Bear Lake, Blackfoot, Challis, Glenns Ferry, Gooding, Idaho Falls, South Fremont, Timberlake 3. 69, Priest River 2. 70 (tie), Centennial, Tri-Valley 1. 72 (tie), Homedale, Madison, Soda Springs, Teton, Wendell 0.

LOCAL RESULTS

CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET

CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES

107 — Nevaeh Therrien, Bonners Ferry (25-5), p. Livia Briggs, Meridian (25-4), 5:03.

126 — Alyssa Randles, Coeur d’Alene (35-4), p. Sophie Sarver, Mountain View (32-5), 4:33.

145 — Mia Furman, Rocky Mountain (39-1), p. Abigale Piper, Post Falls (32-4), 2:57.

152 — Ornella Kero, Boise (34-5), d. Cara Brown, Coeur d’Alene (29-9), 4-2.

THIRD-FOURTH PLACE

132 — Madi Cook, Lake City (38-7), p. Gianna Coburn, Emmett (35-10), 4:51.

165 — Riana Walter, Canyon Ridge (40-9), d. Savannah Rickter, Bonners Ferry (26-4), by injury default.

FIFTH-SIXTH PLACE

145 — Brooklyn Anderson, Coeur d’Alene (28-12), d. Maria Sifuentes, Columbia (18-9), 5-4.

152 — Liliana Montufar, Rigby (27-14), d. Lindsey Onstott, Bonners Ferry (19-17), 14-7.

235 — Grace Balch, Sandpoint (8-2), p. Kihnamy Walter, Canyon Ridge (27-12), 4:32.

CONSOLATION BRACKET

Semifinals

132 — Madi Cook, Lake City, md. Josie Newby, Grace, 18-7.

145 — Hayley McNeal, Potlatch, p. Brooklyn Anderson, Coeur d’Alene, 3:42.

152 — Hallie Campbell, Columbia, p. Lindsey Onstott, Bonners Ferry, 2:07.

165 — Savannah Rickter, Bonners Ferry, p. Emma Schneider, Capital, 4:33.

235 — Emry Woods, Eagle, p. Grace Balch, Sandpoint, 1:49.