The Dragon wrestling team brought home the Magic Valley Tournament team champion trophy this weekend. Twelve of the fifteen Dragon wrestlers that competed in the tournament, medaled in the top four of their various brackets. Totaling 278.5 team points, Malad beat both Ririe and New Plymouth, two teams who look to be good contenders for the state title this year. The tournament featured 21 teams, ranging across the 2A, 3A and 4A divisions around Idaho. 

Friday, January 17, the Dragon wrestlers started their weekend off with a stellar day of wrestling, with all 15 wrestlers moving onto compete Saturday. Only 3 losses Friday had the Dragons leading the team points. 

Saturday morning the Malad wrestlers celebrated a number of great wins and suffered some tough losses. When the medal rounds began, four Dragons were fighting for 1st place and eight were in the 3rd/4th place matches. The championship matches highlighted some of the best wrestling Malad has to offer as the MHS wrestlers brought everything they had to the mats.

At 106lbs Jack Willie made quick work of his finals match, pinning the Challis wrestler in the first round.  Drake Morrison won the 150lb bracket with a tech (18-0) over his Ririe opponent in a similar intense fashion.  With an exciting upset, Oakley Maddox pinned the #1 ranked 157lb wrestler from Ririe in his finals match. The big win led Maddox to be awarded the Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament voted by the competing coaches of the tournament. 

Rydon Montgomery found himself in the championship match against the #1 ranked wrestler in the state at 190lbs.  Despite coming up short for the win, Montgomery wrestled with great skill and grit to bring home the 2nd place medal. 

Taking 3rd place were Ayden Potter at 113lbs, Gabe Hooste at 175lbs, Cam Bingham at 190lbs and Orrin Miller at 215lbs.  Earning medals for 4th place were Jaxon Mills at 98lbs, Wade Clark at 120lbs, Porter Mills at 132lbs and Roper Higley at 144lbs.

Head Coach Devin Morrison shared, “This tournament is an important one for us to see the match ups that will likely happen at state. Ririe and New Plymouth are tough teams with great wrestlers that will definitely give us good matches. Our boys wrestled tough and didn’t back down from the challenge. Individually they did well but they pulled it all together to be successful as a team.”

While varsity competed in Wendell the Dragon’s JV team traveled to the Tiger Brawl tournament in Aberdeen.  There were 16 teams competing from both Idaho and Utah. The MHS wrestlers competed well, four wrestlers placing in the top 6 of their bracket. 

Parker Price made it to the 132lb finals were he fought hard against the #1 seed. Parker brought home the 2nd place medal. At 98lbs Brady Oglesbee took 4th, Cael Seamons took 4th at 138lbs and Leif Allen placed 6th at 190lbs. 

“Our kids are working hard and learning a lot, every match they get better and better,” said Morrison.

Earlier in the week, Malad hosted the Ridgeline Riverhawks at home. The Dragons fought hard but ended the varsity dual against the Utah team losing 37-43. “We had some tough losses that we were not expecting, the matches we won weren’t able to make up for the points we lost in those,” Morrison commented.  He continued saying, “There is always work to do and this helps us know where to focus that work.” 

The Dragons have a busy week ahead of them as they they travel to South Fremont Wednesday, January 22.  The following day they will host duels with American Falls and Marsh Valley at home before the varsity is scheduled to compete in Kooskia in the Clear Water Valley tournament against the teams in Northern Idaho.