4A: It’s a 4-peat for South Fremont’s Boden Banta and another team trophy for American Falls
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POCATELLO – Add Boden Banta to the list of four-time state champions.
The South Fremont senior not only joins the exclusive club, he joins former Cougars Hunter and Sawyer Hobbs, who both accomplished the feat.
Banta secured an 11-0 major decision over Homedale’s Braelyn Arredondo in the 126-pound 4A final and finished his senior season 60-2.
“It’s special,” Banta said. “Not many people do it. All the hard work paid off.”
Banta said he set the goal of a 4-peat back in junior high.
“I looked up to Sawyer and Hunter ever since I was little,” Banta added.
Saturday’s match was all Banta as he took a 3-0 lead into the second round and broke it open with a couple of takedowns.
South Fremont finished fifth in the 4A team race, but American Falls, which finished third last season, added a second-place trophy with 229 points, trailing only powerhouse Fruitland, which finished with 294.5 points. Snake River was third with 169 points.
American Falls crowned three champions as Mason Aiken repeated, as did Nathan Gugelman II. Blaise Turner won the 190-pound title.
It was the third-straight title for Gugelman, who defeated Coye Coffman of Fruitland 9-1 to finish the season 46-0.
Gugelman, a junior, had defeated Coffman twice during the season, but wanted to get the major decision and earn more team points with the Beavers chasing Fruitland in the team race.
“I knew that I could trust my offense,” Gugelman said of the rematch. “It’s been a fun season … I love it.”
Aiken, a senior, also took control of his match against Tyson Cobb of Weiser and rolled to a 14-4 major decision. He finished the season 66-3 to win his second state title.
Marsh Valley sophomore Kole Younger also won his second state title with a pin over Timberlake’s Wyatt Carey at 106.
Younger was at Grace last season, but didn’t miss a beat with the Eagles, finishing the season 42-5.
That elusive 4-peat is a goal, Younger noted.
“There’s definitely pressure there, but I try to do what I work on in practice,” he said. “Keep things simple. The simpler the better.”
South Fremont’s Greyson Packer may be the top freshman in Idaho, finishing 60-0 with a 10-0 major decision over Trevor Paynter of Homedale in the 113 final.
The Cougars added another title as McGregor Miller won a 4-2 decision over Quinn Hood of Fruitland in the 215 final.
It was an impressive showing by District 5 and 6 in 4A, with 12 wrestlers advancing to Saturday’s 4A finals and finishing runners-up, including freshman Gus Packer of Snake River at 98 pounds, Max Banta of Sugar-Salem at 120, Jace Leavitt of Snake River at 132, Wade Williams of American Falls at 138 and Kace Fullmer of Teton at 165.
98
1st Place – Jakobe Valle of Homedale
2nd Place – Gus Packer of Snake River
3rd Place – Ryker Layne of Homedale
4th Place – Colton D`Avanzo of Timberlake
5th Place – Zane Fabrizius of American Falls
6th Place – Tason Banta of Sugar-Salem
106
1st Place – Kole Younger of Marsh Valley
2nd Place – Wyatt Carey of Timberlake
3rd Place – Porter Swan of Homedale
4th Place – Braden Griffith of Fruitland
5th Place – Chance Povey of American Falls
6th Place – Ross McPherson of Bear Lake
113
1st Place – Greysen Packer of South Fremont
2nd Place – Trevor Paynter of Homedale
3rd Place – Hunter Solomon of Marsh Valley
4th Place – Carson Peebles of South Fremont
5th Place – Gage Reynolds of Snake River
6th Place – Ridge Adams of Teton
120
1st Place – Marcus Aleman of Fruitland
2nd Place – Max Banta of Sugar-Salem
3rd Place – Alex Rosales of American Falls
4th Place – Blake Koyle of Gooding
5th Place – Kai Christiansen of American Falls
6th Place – Colt Thompson of Snake River
126
1st Place – Boden Banta of South Fremont
2nd Place – Braelyn Arredondo of Homedale
3rd Place – Kelton Reynolds of Snake River
4th Place – Seth Lish of Marsh Valley
5th Place – Paul Sundstrom of Timberlake
6th Place – Jed Townsend of Marsh Valley
132
1st Place – Koy Orr of Filer
2nd Place – Jace Leavitt of Snake River
3rd Place – Cole Ingle of Weiser
4th Place – Evan Simms of American Falls
5th Place – Jeremiah Perry of Fruitland
6th Place – Jason Fleming of Sugar-Salem
138
1st Place – Raidyn Pugsley of Buhl
2nd Place – Wade Williams of American Falls
3rd Place – Brian Bensen of Snake River
4th Place – Kysen MacKenzie of Fruitland
5th Place – Ezra Gillette of Gooding
6th Place – Klete Cook of Weiser
144
1st Place – Mason Aiken of American Falls
2nd Place – Tyson Cobb of Weiser
3rd Place – Clancy Harris of Marsh Valley
4th Place – Logan Marshall of Snake River
5th Place – Jett Atchley of Teton
6th Place – Jake Swann of Fruitland
150
1st Place – Nathan Gugelman II of American Falls
2nd Place – Coye Coffman of Fruitland
3rd Place – Koen Barendregt of Kimberly
4th Place – Micaiah Nelson of South Fremont
5th Place – Chris Schmidt of Timberlake
6th Place – Dillan Lerwill of Sugar-Salem
157
1st Place – Kaden MacKenzie of Fruitland
2nd Place – Fabi Pierce of Buhl
3rd Place – Clancey Howell of Snake River
4th Place – Stockton Young of Weiser
5th Place – Titus Dillow of American Falls
6th Place – KJ Parsons of Fruitland
165
1st Place – Luke Sarich of Weiser
2nd Place – Kace Fullmer of Teton
3rd Place – Nathaniel Martinez of Fruitland
4th Place – Gunner Johnson of Marsh Valley
5th Place – Fabian Avalos` of American Falls
6th Place – Joseph Torr of Timberlake
175
1st Place – Kash Cobb of Weiser
2nd Place – Lucas Williams of Kimberly
3rd Place – Jonathan Hansen of Timberlake
4th Place – Will Phillips of Fruitland
5th Place – John Spilotros of McCall-Donnelly
6th Place – Kelton Ricks of South Fremont
190
1st Place – Blaise Turner of American Falls
2nd Place – Ryder Sheen of Buhl
3rd Place – Raymond Florez of Fruitland
4th Place – Gabe Scott of Gooding
5th Place – Kimball Tonks of Sugar-Salem
6th Place – Weston Staley of South Fremont
215
1st Place – McGregor Miller of South Fremont
2nd Place – Quinn Hood of Fruitland
3rd Place – Caleb Carpenter of Buhl
4th Place – Sam Mahler of Fruitland
5th Place – Talon Heinley of Payette
6th Place – Briley Arnett of Timberlake
285
1st Place – Gabe Finley of Buhl
2nd Place – Taylor Dodd of Bonners Ferry
3rd Place – Levi Morales of Fruitland
4th Place – Lynden Stone of Snake River
5th Place – Kaiden Peck of Weiser
6th Place – Salvador Ortiz of American Falls
TEAMS
Top 10
1. Fruitland, 294.5
2. American Falls, 229.0
3. Snake River, 169.0
4. Weiser, 165.0
5. South Fremont, 160.5
6. Buh, 149.0
7, Homedale, 134.0
8. Marsh Valley, 122.0
9. Timberlake, 117.0
10. Sugar-Salem, 89.0
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