Trio of Bulldogs place first at Bonners Ferry Invite
(Photo by DYLAN GREENE) Sandpoint freshman Jacob Albany (right) defeats a Lake City opponent by sudden victory during a dual last Wednesday at Les Rogers Court. Albany took first at 98 pounds at the Bonners Ferry Invite on Saturday.
BONNERS FERRY — Tag is back.
After suffering a season-ending knee injury in September during football season, junior Tag Benefield competed on the varsity level for Sandpoint wrestling for the first time this season Saturday at the Bonners Ferry Invite.
Given the long recovery process, one would expect Benefield to be a bit rusty but he was far from that. Benefield took home the tournament title at 220 pounds by pinning all three of his opponents in 1:15 or less.
Quite the season debut and one that head coach Jake Stark wasn’t expecting earlier in the week.
“He was going to wrestle in the JV tournament,” Stark said, “that’s kind of what our plan was and he came up to me on Friday and said ‘coach I want to wrestle at Bonners,’ and I said, ‘OK let’s do it.’”
Benefield’s return is a welcomed addition to a Bulldogs squad that is gearing up for districts on Saturday, Feb. 22. Benefield made it to state last year and Stark expects him to win the district title at his weight class this season and contend for a state title.
Benefield was eager to get back on the mat after having to watch his teammates battle all season while he was forced to sit on the bench.
“He looks for that good competition even though I don’t think that he’s 100 percent yet,” Stark said about Benefield, “but his mental attitude is in the right spot and he’s hungry to get down to districts and state and see what he can do.”
Benefield was one of three Bulldogs to secure titles in Bonners Ferry. Freshman Jacob Albany captured first at 98 pounds with a pin of Priest River’s Hayden Sorbel in the championship match and senior Heather Wallace won the girls title with a 14-5 decision victory in the first place bout.
Sandpoint had seven other wrestlers place at the invite and finished fifth out of the seven teams at the event.
Senior Brady Nelsen nearly captured the title at 145 pounds, but was pinned in the first place match by Bonners Ferry’s Manuel Naccarato to take home second.
Isaiah Caralis (152) and Christian Troumbley-Karkoski (160B — overflow bracket) each placed third and Kayelin Otterson (106), Tanner Dickson (113), Darrian Resso (138) and Greg Belgarde (182) all took fourth in their respective weight class.
“I think everybody’s performing where they should be at this time of the year,” Stark said. “Everyone’s wrestling their best right now for the most part.”
Before the Bulldogs compete at districts, Sandpoint heads to Moscow for its final dual of the season 6 p.m. Thursday.
Stark is preparing his team for the long bus ride down to battle their league foe and expects the Bears to have revenge on their minds after losing to the Bulldogs 56-21 in Sandpoint last year.
Moscow’s kind of an underestimated team because they only brought six guys to North Idaho Rumble, but I know they’re going to be better than that,” Stark said. “They’re not showing all their cards.
I know that they’re going to remember that butt-whooping we gave them last year so its going to be a good dual. They’re going to bring it. It’s at their place, their senior night so we got to go down there with the right attitude and compete with them.”
Sandpoint results from the Bonners Ferry Invite (Bulldogs in bold)
Girls: First place match — Wallace d. Stovern, 11-4. 98: First place match — Albany p. Sorbel, 3:53. 106: Third place match — Heely p. Otterson, 0:49. 113: Third place match — Sotin p. Dickson, 3:32. 120: Cons. Round 1 — Stepro md. Birkhimer, 9-0. 126: Cons. Semi — Lohr p. Eldridge, 3:26. 132: Cons. Round 3 — Eby p. Wilson, 0:41. 138: Third place match — Maas d. Resso, 9-3. 145: Cons. Round 3 — Howell p. Hinds, 3:49, Cons. Round 2 — Zimmerman p. Newsom, 2:07, First place match — Naccarato p. Nelsen, 1:50. 152: Third place match — Caralis p. Lockridge, 3:50, Cons. Round 3 — Sentenay d. McKinnon, 5-0. 160: Cons. Semi — Wright md. Becker, 11-1. 160B (overflow): Cons. Semi — Troumbley-Karkoski d. Smith, 7-4, Third place match — Troumbley-Karkoski p. Poisel, 3:41. 170: Cons. Round — Richter p. Boose, 0:56. 182: Third place match — Hoffman d. Belgarde, 9-3. 220: Cons. Round 3 — Kneer p. Laybourne, 1:11, First place match — Benefield p. Lambson, 1:15. 285: Cons. Semi — Robbie p. Mavity, 1:50.