BEAR RIVER HIGH – By Cari Doutre – February 3, 2021
For the last time in their high school wrestling careers, a group of seniors at Bear River High School said goodbye to their home mat during the team’s last home meet of the season - Senior Night.
Hosting Malad High School (Idaho) in a non-region dual meet on Tuesday, Feb. 2, the Bear River High boys’ wrestling team shared the mat with the first ever girls’ wrestling teams from Bear River and Malad – hosting back-to-back dual meets on one mat.
While the Lady Bears took a tough loss to the Lady Dragons to start the night off, the boys’ junior varsity and varsity teams fared better against Malad.
Going out in style, the varsity boys’ team collected nine pins total for wrestlers Rusty Smith (285), Braxton Christensen (220), Landon Cabral (170), Cael Wilcox (160), Josh Shaw (145), Brayden Morgan (132), Ty Hawkes (120), Trenton Ward (113) and Max Miller (106). Also earning a victory on the mat for the Bears was River Smith (152) with a 10-3 win.
So, who pinned their opponent the fastest for Bear River?
Cabral earns those bragging rights pinning Hunter Wray from Malad in 31 seconds - just two seconds faster than Ward pinned his opponent and seven seconds faster than Wilcox. In Malad's defense, their wrestlers took on both the junior varsity and varsity Bear River High matches in their weight division.
The Bear River High boys’ varsity team won the dual meet 57-18. The junior varsity team from Bear River won 48-33.
Click on the link below to re-watch all three dual meets courtesy of Bear River Live.
Tune into BRVNEWS.com’s weekly newscast, “Valley Headliners,” on Monday, Feb. 8, at 5:30 p.m. for video highlights of all three dual meets as well as interviews with Cabral, Ward, Miller and Jeff Smart, head coach of the Bear River High boys’ wrestling team.
BRVNEWS.com also caught up with Ty Nielsen, a junior at Bear River High who played the National Anthem on an electric guitar prior to the boys’ varsity meet. Watch his performance, captured by Bear River Live, during the Feb. 8, newscast at BRVNEWS.com
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Up next for the Bear River High boys’ wrestling team is a trip to Sky View High School on Wednesday, Feb. 3. This will be the Bears’ last Region 12 dual meet before they travel to Vernal for the Division B championship tournament Feb. 5-6, hosted by Uintah High School.
As of Feb. 2, the Bear River High boys’ wrestling team is ranked second in Division B and third overall in 4A, according to Utah High School Activities Association. Mountain Crest High School and Uintah High School are currently ranked first and second, respectively, in 4A.
The 4A state championship tournament will be held Feb. 20, at Snow College in Richfield. For the first time in Utah high school history, the newly sanctioned 4A girls’ state championship tournament will be held at the same time and at the same venue.
This year, to meet COVID-19 state guidelines, Utah high schools will not share Utah Valley University’s indoor facility this year – as they have traditionally done in the past with other schools in various classifications. It will also be a one-day event and cheerleaders will not be cheering at state wrestling tournaments this year.
In addition, after each Division tournament, UHSAA will issue a limited amount of ticket vouchers per wrestler in each school’s weight division. Masks are also required for all spectators inside the venue. Find more information in the attached flyer below or click HERE.
Photo coverage provided by Melanie Smith
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