Wolverines earn fifth in 35th Weiser Invitational

Weiser wrestling saw some great competition this week with a dual against SRV competitor, the Fruitland Grizzlies and then at home hosting 16 other teams at the 35th Annual Weiser Invitational.  

 Weiser went to Fruitland on Wednesday to battle the Grizzlies who have expanded their skills in the past few years. It was quite the spectacle with the lights off and the spotlight showing the ring for the matches. 

 Weiser had a rough go with some athletes out due to injury or sickness but did their best to go against Fruitland. Weiser ended up on the short side losing the dual 62-12. 

 There were some bright moments during the night including Weston Black winning his match by fall in 3:25 at the 126 weight class. Luke Sarich lateral dropped his opponent in the last five seconds of his match to win by decision and Kaleb Grove also won his match by decision. 

 Although the other matches didn’t turn out in Weiser’s favor, the men’s wrestling team got a chance to wrestle and showed their commitment to their team.  There were also a few exhibition matches so the ladies and some JV wrestlers were able to get some practice in as well.

 Next, the Wolverine wrestling squad hosted the 35th annual Weiser Invitational in the Tom Falash Memorial Gym. This tournament is a challenge to put on with all of the preparation from the athletes, the concessions, the mat help and referees, and even the hospitality room. There are many moving pieces to this tournament and many people involved who have been contributing their help for years. It is a well-oiled tournament.  

 Seventeen teams collided for the two day event and included a lot of SRV competition from different districts and even some larger 5A teams. Weiser finished with 140.5 points and a fifth place finish overall in the competition. Weiser competed with 19 wrestlers total.  

 Eight Weiser wresters placed in the tournament.   

 Finishing in sixth place was Cole Ingle at the 132 weight class and wrestled six matches earning 11 team points. Fourth place winners included Wyatt Black, a freshman at 98 pounds, who scored 14 team points in four matches wrestled and his older brother Weston Black at 126 pounds scoring 16 teams points in five matches. Also finishing in fourth place was Stockton Young at the 152 pound weight class. Young scored 16 team points in five matches. At third place was Charlie Nevarez at the 120 pound weight class, wrestling five matches and giving his team 16.5 points and Luke Sarich at 152 pounds wrestling five matches. 

 Weiser had two big finishers at first place this year at the invitational and it didn’t surprise many because of their consistency so far this season.  

 Senior, Kaleb Grove wrestled at the 220 weight class, wrestled three matches including a win against SRV competitor, Homedale, and brought his team 25 points with his wins.  Kaleb went on to wrestle two larger squads beating wrestlers from Ridgevue and Mountain View to take his first place victory.  

 Kash Cobb also took first place for the Weiser Wolverines during four matches at the tournament. In Cobb fashion, he won by fall three times including two matches where he won by fall in just 58 seconds and 24 seconds. Cobb also had to compete against his childhood best friend from Vale, Ore.  Knowing your opponent was an understatement since these two have been wrestling together for the better part of their lives.  Cobb won the championship in a 7-4 decision.

 The girls went to the Jaybird tournament at Columbia High School. The ladies got a lot of matches in and had some great learning experiences. Aliyah Alhilla was the shining star for the ladies with a third place finish at 152 pounds and gave her team 23 points. Alhilla wrestled six matches for her third place finish.  

 Weiser Wolverines are tasked with finishing up some SRV competition this week travelling to McCall on Wednesday and then to Parma to face both Parma and Payette on Friday. They will take the weekend to rest and then host District competition on Feb. 17 in Weiser.

 Cheer on your Wolverines!