Sophomore Weston Block earned a medal for the second time, placing fifth this time at 118 pounds to lead the Thompson Falls Blue Hawks at the State B-C portion of the Montana All-Class tournament at the Metra in Billings last week.

Also competing for the Hawks at Billings were freshmen Ethan Traver, making his second appearance in a State B-C meet already, this time at 118 after having qualified at 103 pounds as an eighth grader, and Zarek Pallister, who made his initial State B-C last week at 215 pounds.

The new and improved Montana All-Class tourney is now up to three days in length after girls wrestling impacted the proceedings increasing the tourney’s length to three days several years back, and it now begins on Wednesday.

Coaches Nate and Ashley Block accompanied their grapplers to the Metra and guided them through the latest, greatest wrestling show in Montana last week.

“It was a great tournament with lots of great wrestling and lots of upsets as there usually are,” Nate said Sunday. “And I think we are hungrier for it now than we were going in. The kids got a good taste of this meet and what it takes to succeed at this level, and they want to earn their ways back there.”

Weston Block had visions of climbing higher on the podium after pinning Forsyth’s Marcioroski in just 41 seconds of his first round match but was pinned, in turn by J. Morehouse of Glasgow, in 4:26 of the quarterfinals. Morehouse went on to claim the 118 pound title last week.

In the wrestle-backs Block won two matches by pin, in 28 seconds and 2:05 respectively, but fell by 12-4 decision in the conso semis and settled for a spot in the fifth-sixth place match, which he won by pin in only 25 seconds over K. Smith of Cascade.

The 2026 State B-C marks the third time Weston has made it to this level. As an eighth grader, Weston won second place at the Western B-C and advanced on to state where he did not place at 103 pounds. As a freshman last year, Block brought home the sixth place medal at 118 pounds.

Traver and Pallister look to have their best mat days ahead of them.

“Ethan drew a tough kid in the first round but wrestled very well,” coach Block said. "This experience will only help him in the long run.”

Block had a simple wish for Pallister, who surprisingly won his way into the State B-C in spite of being sick at the Western B-C divisional meet the week before in Butte. Pallister wrestled hard in Billings but was eliminated from contention Friday.

“We wanted his wrestling IQ to increase, for him to sit back, watch what was going on and learn from it,” Block said. "And Zarek did that, he learned a lot, was working on stuff off to the side anytime he could get somebody to help him.”

Coach Block said now that the high school season has concluded he plans on taking his wrestlers to several events during the off-season, including to the Montana AAU meet, also in Billings a few weeks from now.