Missoula Big Sky started off Tuesday night’s dual at Flathead by winning the first four matches and tallied eight total pins en route to a 61-21 win over the Braves. 

The night began in the 145-pound weight class where Big Sky sophomore Braxten Wilcox used plenty of leg riding combinations to wrap up a 9-0 major decision over Flathead sophomore Cody Wood.

The match at 152 pitted a freshmen versus senior as Flathead underclassman Cameron Mantel grappled with Kade Branson. Branson scored a takedown early in the first and rode Mantel out for the rest of the period. 

In the second, Mantel caught Branson in a toss and nearly won by fall until Branson scrambled to an escape. Branson tallied a two-point near-fall of his own before losing control of Mantel who escaped with 1.7 seconds left in the period to make it a 7-5 match. 

Branson was cautioned for a third time in the final period,  which awarded Mantel a point, but his leg riding couldn’t be countered and he rode Mantel out to a 7-6 decision. 

After two Big Sky pins and a 19-0 lead in the dual, Flathead scored it’s first victory of the night in dramatic fashion at 182 pounds.

Sophomore Payton Boyce escaped with just over a minute left in the third period to tie his match against Big Sky senior Robell Bassett, 4-4. The two grappled and circled the rest of the period sending the match into overtime. 

A minute had passed in the extra period before Boyce secured a deep single-leg shot on Bassett and executed a short dump with 29 seconds left for a 6-4 decision and Flathead’s first dual points of the night.

“Payton stepped up. He’s wrestling pretty dang good for us and keeps improving. He’s an exciting kid to watch,” Flathead coach Rich Vasquez said. 

“He’s one of those sophomores we have in our lineup that just keeps coming and coming.”

Big Sky took the next two matches at 195 and 220 by fall, expanding their lead to 31-3.

The 285-pound weight class featured two heavy-weights who have spent time near the top of the class AA rankings this season. 

Early in the first period, Flathead senior Axel Bladholm had counterpart Colter Miller in a front headlock. Trying a gator roll, Bladholm exposed his back to the mat, expecting to roll through and gain control. Miller caught him on his back, however, and the referee started counting near-fall points and looked to slap the mat for a pin for Miller. 

Bladholm continued to fight from his back after his failed takedown, and to the surprise of the Flathead fans, he rolled out of Miller’s hold and reversed it, scoring near-fall points of his own. 

Braves fans erupted when the ref slapped the mat at 1:41 in the first period in favor of Bladholm.

Unfortunately, the victory was short-lived.

The next seven matches never made it into the third period as Big Sky won by pin at 113, 126, 132 and 138. Flathead won by forfeit at 98 and 120.

“I was pretty happy with the guys, overall. The guys compete hard and fight hard and that’s all I can ask for at this point, so I’m liking where we’re at,” Vasquez said of his team’s performance. 

The Braves will host Helena Capital at 5 p.m. and Helena High 7 p.m. on Saturday as season winds down and the state tournament nears. 

Missoula Big Sky 61,  Flathead 21

98 — Cody DeVall (F) win by forfeit; 106 — Jon Conklin (B) win by forfeit; 113 — Wyatt Gordon (B) pin Michael Schmeusser, 2:30; 120 — Dyan Guzman (F) win by forfeit; 126 — K.J. Swanson (B) pin Miles Terry, 1:31; 132 — Josh Brunner (B) pin Easton Terry, 3:58; 138 — Logan McGreevey (B) pin Daniel DeVall, 1:18; 145 — Braxten Wilcox (B) maj. dec. Cody Wood, 9-0; 152 — Kade Branson (B) dec Cameron Mantel, 7-6; 160 — Jason Riekena (B) pin Anthony Wright, 3:17; 170 — Luke Entzel (B) pin Logan Wilson, 1:57; 182 — Payton Bryce (F) dec. Robell Bassett, 6-4 OT; 195 — Connor Gordon (B) pin Cody Howe, 3:41; 220 — Tyler Brewer (B) pin Riley Leigh, 1:39; 285 — Axel Bladholm (F) pin Colter Miller, 1:41