Wrestling squad shines at Bonneville Duals tourney

The Mountain Home Tiger wrestlers came home from the Bonneville Duals with a second-place trophy. Earlier in the week, the Tigers lost to Columbia but beat Jerome and Canyon Ridge.

Columbia 58, Mountain Home 27

The defending two-time state champion Columbia Wildcats appear to have reloaded for this year, rolling to a 58-27 win over the tigers last Tuesday in Lloyd Schiller Gymnasium in Mountain Home.

Taking 10 of the first 11 matches, seven by pins, the Wildcats clawed to a 58-6 lead before Mountain Home picked up two wins and two forfeits to make it a 58-27 final.

Jordan Pendleton and Solomon Chung-Hee both won by pins, with Pendleton in the 138-pounds weight class and Chung-Hee in the 285. Dallin Dearing won a tough 6-3 decision at 220 pounds, and Josh Deal and Pierce Mederios won by forfeit at 195 and 98 pounds.

Tanner Sessions lost a 13-2 major decision to three-time state champion Tristian Jorboe at 145 pounds. Seth Dolan (106), Jacob Lucas (113), David Welle (120), Levi Abrahamson (152), Charlie Shoemaker (160), Jacob Ryan (170), and Taylor Ogaard (182) all lost by pin. The Tigers forfeited at 126 and 132 pounds.

"We knew that Columbia was going to be tough, but we've got to get our guys to see them, so they know where they have to get themselves to," said Tigers coach Lynn Knudson after that match. "I didn't mess around this week, I told them that they were going to be tough -- not to make them scared -- because I didn't want them to be scared.

"I wanted them to know that they have to be ready, and I wanted them to compete," the coach added. "That's the big thing. If we can compete with them, we'll eventually catch up with them, and that's the name of the game."

Mountain Home 51, Jerome 24

Mountain Home won nine matches in downing the host Jerome Tigers, 51-24, at Jerome last Wednesday.

Picking up wins by pins were Pierce Mederios in the 98-pound eight class, Jacob Lucas (106), Jordan Pendleton (138), Tanner Sessions (145), Jacob Ryan (170), Taylor Ogaard (182), and Dallin Dearing (220). Josh Deal also won by forfeit at 195 pounds, and Zack Slack won a 3-2 decision at 126 pounds.

Four Tigers -- Kanoa Doronio (113), David Welle (120), Levi Abrahamson (152) and Solomon Chung-Hee (285) -- lost one-point decisions to Jerome. Charlie Shoemaker lost by pin, and Mountain Home forfeited at 132 pounds.

Mountain Home 45,

Canyon Ridge 33

The Tigers also picked up a dual win over Canyon Ridge at Jerome last Wednesday.

Mountain Home only won one more match than the River Hawks did, but seven of them were pins. Winning by pins were Pierce Mederios in the 98-pound weight class, Jacob Lucas (106), Jordan Pendleton (138), Charlie Shoemaker (160), Taylor Ogaard (182), Josh Deal (195) and Solomon Chung-Hee (285). Tanner Sessions won a 10-4 decision at 145 pounds.

Dropping decisions to the River Hawks were Kanoa Doronio (113), David Welle (120), and Jacob Ryan (170). Zack Slack (126), Levi Abrahamson (152), and Dallin Dearing (220) lost by pin. The Tigers also forfeited at 132 pounds.

"I felt we struggled wrestling to our potential," said Coach Knudson of his team's efforts against Jerome and Canyon Ridge. "We gave up way too many take-down and pins. We are a much better team than what we showed. the nest part was coming out of there with two wins. I hope we can fix it before going down and wrestling the Bonneville Duals in Idaho Falls."

The Tigers went to Bonneville High School in Idaho Falls over the weekend and went 7-1 and took second place in the tourney.

The Tigers defeated Minico, 64-21; beat Madison, 62-15; downed Rigby, 58-27; beat Skyline, 70-18; downed Blackfoot, 51-33; got past Pocatello, 42-36; beat Hillcrest, 75-6; and lost to Bonneville, who went undefeated in the tourney, 55-21.

Mountain Home had three wrestlers that went 8-0 during the two-day event. Pierce Mederios (98 pounds), Josh Deal (195) and Solomon Chung-Hee (285) all posted flawless records. Tanner Sessions (145) and Taylor Ogaard (182) both went 7-1; Jacob Lucas (106) and Dallin Dearing (220) both went 6-2; Kanoa Doronio (113), Jordan Pendleton (138), Levi Abrahamson (152), and Charlie Shoemaker (160) each went 5-3; Tyler Heath (132) and Jacob Ryan (170) both went 4-4.

David Welle, who broke his arm in his second match, finished the day at 0-2.

In related news, the Mountain Home Tigers junior varsity squad went to Twin Falls to the Bear Cat Junior Varsity Tourney, where they finished third in the team standings.

Hunter McCluskey (98 pounds) Seth Dolan (106), Brett Stempfley (170) and Jose Ortiz (285) all won their weight classes. Abrahan Salas (152), Daniel Cruz (160) and Jonathon Kaiser (285) all placed second in tier weight classes at the junior varsity Bearcat Tourney.