Butte High’s wrestling team hits the road early Saturday to compete in the Class AA Duals, set to begin at 10 a.m. at Great Falls High.
Butte High is inching closer to full team strength, but it’s been one step forward and one step back for the battered Bulldogs. Senior 189 pounder Blake Kraus is out for the season, leaving the space open for the weekend. Kraus injured his shoulder earlier in the season, and had just been cleared to compete again.
“We just got him back,” Butte coach Jim Bob Humphrey said. “He was practicing and he hurt it again. He gave it a shot, but it’s over.”
Butte High is also without sophomore 160-pound Lee Cannon, who is nursing a sore knee.
“We’re getting close to being healthy, but we have some work to do,” Humphrey said.
Butte High opens the one-day tourney against Helena High at 10 a.m. The Bengals downed Butte High 40-36 earlier this season, but Humphrey likes his team’s chances.
“I think we match up pretty well,” he said. “We’ll get up there and see what we can do.”
Additional team statistics may be found at http://varvee.com/team/view/93465
Butte High lineup for Class AA Duals
98 – Blake Bowen (2-9); 105 – Kelly Merrick (9-3); 112 – Kaden Queer (1-5); 119 – Ax Henningsen (8-7); 125 – Joey Blunt (9-3); 130 – Willy Shea (5-4); 135 – Levi Renz (10-3); 140 – Jarret Rowling (8-1); 145 – Tommy Challeen (14-2); 152 – Bryce Armstrong (5-2); 160 – Nick Challeen (2-9); 171 – Wyatt Merkel (0-1); 189 – open; 215 – Johnny Walker (1-3); 285 – Billy Robinson (4-9).
