By Bruce Sayler
For right now, James Holmes is the team – the whole Butte Central high school wrestling team.
He is doing all right.
Head coach Robin Moodry would like to see more Maroons on the mats and in the wrestling room to join Holmes, freshman son of assistant coach Andrew Holmes. Maybe, after Christmas, it could happen, but no promises have been made, so far.
Butte Central held a mixer Thursday in which wrestlers from Corvallis, East Helena, Havre and Lewistown provided most of the participation and almost all of the action. It went quickly in the Maroon Activities Center (MAC), but was enough for a look this young season.
Holmes went 1-1 for the evening, losing a one-point decision to Corvallis junior 132-pounder Ted Melott, then dominating Corvallis freshman 120-pounder Morgan Truth, 16-0 on a technical fall called at 4 minutes, 12 seconds.
“He’s a freshman, he’s learning, improving,” Moodry said. “There’s a lot of things to learn about the mental and to go with the physical of wrestling. Being a freshman, everything is new to him. Even though he has wrestled a lot (in club freestyle program), high school wrestling is a little different. The more you do, though, the more comfortable you become being on the mat.”
The 4-3 loss to Melott was a matter of exhausting catchup after Holmes gave up a takedown 1:40 into the bout. He escaped to trail 2-1 at the first break. Holmes started from the down position in the second period and tied the score with an escape, bringing on the third period tied 2-all with Melott. Melott turned a reversal from the down start and kept his own feet after Holmes escaped for a third time. The Corvallis wrestler wound up with a 4-3 win.
A different opponent, different level of experience, fewer pounds in size and a different style met Holmes in his second bout.
“(Holmes) learned a lot from the first match,” Moodry said. “This was James’ first time down at 126 pounds and the first kid he wrestled weighed 132. The second was 120. So, there was a difference there.”
Holmes used his advantage and gained a big lead early with a takedown and three-point near-fall. He tacked on another takedown and two more three-point near-falls in the second period for a 13-0 command. The buzzer sounded as Holmes was trying tip Truth’s shoulders to the mat for a near-fall. Early in the third, though, Holmes started from beneath and broke an escape, then a takedown to end the match.
“We need to work with him on set-ups and finishes,” Moodry said. “Finishing and scrambling is different in high school wrestling (from club wrestling). But, he’s staying aggressive and doing fine. He got 10 to 12 minutes of wrestling in.”
Holmes is 3-4 in his prep career.
The few onlookers in the MAC were treated to some good bouts and saw some strong entrants compete. Many were tuning up for meets this weekend in Butte (The Mining City Duals/Jim Street Classic) and in Whitehall.
Results follow:
Round One, Mat One
120 pounds – Sean Davis, Corvallis, pinned Colter Soloman, Havre, 1:15. 132 – Carson Harris, Havre, pinned Sonny Silverthorne, East Helena, 1:35. 138 – Kason Olson, Lewistown, tech. Fall over Jacob Kunz, Havre, 16-1. 145 – Andrew Kuhlmann, Lewistown, pinned Dakota Petersen, East Helena, :22. 152 – Nate Davis, Corvallis, pinned Colter DeYoung, East Helena, 1:48. 160 – Wyatt Elam, Lewistown, pinned Bodee Davis, Corvallis, 1:16. 170 – Peyton Hartford, Lewistown, pinned Cayde Olsen, Corvallis, 1:34. 182 – Pierce Caplette, Havre, pinned Jett Boyce, Lewistown, 4:45. 285 — Layne Power, East Helena, pinned Carson Lotan, Lewistown, 3:30. 132 – Ted Melott, Corvallis, dec. James Holmes, Butte Central, 4-3. 120 – Cash Corbally, East Helena, pinned Colter Soloman, Havre, 1:09.
Round Two, Mat One
126 – James Holmes, Butte Central, tech. Fall over Morgan Truth, Corvallis, 16-0 (4:12). 145 – Jason Davis, Corvallis, dec. Kason Olson, Lewistown, 5-2. 145 – Dakota Petersen, East Helena, pinned Lidia D’Hooge, Lewistown, 1:10. 145 – Deegan Martin, Corvallis, pinned Andrew Kuhlmann, Lewistown, :23. 160 – Riley Pleninger, Havre, pinned Bodee Davis, Corvallis, 1:22. 205 – Randy Tommerup, Havre, pinned Quinn Boogman, Lewistown, :36. 285 – Layne Power, East Helena, pinned Zale Thomas, Havre, 3:40. 132 – Ted Melott, Corvallis, pinned Sonny Silverthorne, East Helena, 3:51. 285 – Adam Shirley, East Helena, pinned Zale Thomas, Havre, 1:15.
Round One, Mat Two
126 – Damen McCord, Lewistown, tech. Fall over Morgan Truth, Corvallis, 20-3. 138 – Connor Jessop, Corvallis, pinned Jack Gillen, Havre, :50. 152 – Jason Davis, Corvallis, pinned Tristian Stygles, Havre, :37. 152 – Deegan Martin, Corvallis, pinned Caden Ferdinand, Lewistown, 1:02. 152 – Riley Pleninger, Havre, pinned Jonny Williams, Corvallis, 3:00. 152 – Dakota Petersen, East Helena, pinned Kate Maxwell, Lewistown, 1:28. 182 – Payton Jensen, Lewistown, pinned Carlos Estrada, East Helena, 2:17. 205 – Randy Tommerup, Havre, pinned Christian Wolfe, Lewistown, 1:20. 120 – Sean Davis, Corvallis, pinned Jake Simac, Lewistown, :57. 132 – Carson Harris, Havre, pinned Ted Melott, Corvallis, 3:01.
Round Two, Mat Two
138 – Connor Jessop, Corvallis, pinned Jacob Kunz, Havre, 2:45. Nate Davis, Corvallis, pinned Jack Gillen, Havre, 1:25. 145 — Colter DeYoung, East Helena, pinned Kyle Sannar, Lewistown, :42. 145 – Tristian Stygles, Havre, pinned Caden Ferdinand, East Helena, 1:50. 160 – Cayde Olsen, Corvallis, pinned Liam Gordon, Lewistown, :54. 182 – Kale VanCampen, Havre, pinned Jett Boyce, Lewistown, 2:34. 285 – Adam Shirley, East Helena, pinned Carson Lotan, Lewistown, :28. 120 – Cash Corbally, East Helena, pinned Jake Simac, Lewistown, :47. 160 – Wyatt Elam, Lewistown, pinned Jonny Williams, Corvallis, 1:09. 170 – Caden McCord, Lewistown, pinned Cayde Olsen, Corvallis, :58. 182 – Bodee Davis, Corvallis, pinned Payton Jensen, Lewistown, 2:37. 182 – Carlos Estrada, East Helena, pinned Liam Gordon, Lewistown, :24.
