MONTAGUE — Senior night at Montague saw most of the eight Wildcat seniors get on the mat, and several go out with a bang in their final high school home matches.
The Wildcats fell to Mason County Central 45-30, but defeated the Whitehall B team 59-23. Whitehall's B teamers also faced Fremont, falling 59-24.
Wildcat seniors Fletcher Thommen, Kaiden Jeffery, Isaac French, Michael Jones and Maverick Osborne each notched 2-0 records. Fellow seniors Ben Hayes and Emma Trevino also joined their parents for senior night recognition.
"They've been huge," Montague assistant coach Aaron Nold said of the Wildcat seniors honored. They've really given us their all these past four years, and have been real glue guys...It's been a lot of fun to have them."
The Wildcats fell behind big to MCC early on, 35-6, before coming back to pull within 39-30. With Osborne set to receive a forfeit win at 285 pounds, the 'Cats needed one more win at 215 to pull off the comeback, but were unable to get it.
Montague was able to take advantage of several forfeit wins against the shorthanded Viking B teamers to pick up a win in its second match of the night. Jones earned two pins on his 2-0 night, and each of the other four 2-0 wrestlers scored an on-mat win and a forfeit win.
The Wildcats have enjoyed a strong dual meet season, though with the postseason on the way, focus will soon be turning to the pursuit of a run at individual state. Nold said both Maddox boys, Gavyn and Chayse, are poised to make a run at state, as well as Jeffery. Several other seniors already have significant postseason experience, such as Thommen and Jones, and a repeat performance is expected.
"I expect them to make it there again this year, so hopefully they can get their names on the (all-state) board again," Nold said of the veterans.
On the girls' side, Nold is optimistic of a Ford Field run by Zaniya Meza, who he said has been wrestling well.
"She's really firing on all cylinders," Nold said. "She didn't get an opportunity (to wrestle) tonight, but she's doing really well."
Whitehall's B team had only seven athletes Wednesday, but assistant coach Jarrean Sargent loves the opportunities his younger wrestlers have to compete, noting that the Viking reserves always go up against varsity teams and not to JV tournaments.
"It's not like they get to take a day off and go wrestle somebody bad," Sargent said. "They wrestle everybody, from Kent City to Montague and Fremont, everybody. That's what I like to see."
Miley Manzo, who pinned two boys wrestlers, was the Vikings' lone two-time winner on the night. Kassie Sapp, the returning state runner-up, draws most of the attention among Viking girls, but Manzo, who won a GMAA title Saturday, is swiftly making a name for herself, along with up-and-comer Makenna Deshong.
"(I'm looking) for them to really start to take that stride to the next level," Sargent said of the Whitehall girls trio. "Obviously, Kassie's been there. Miley is working her way there and Makenna's working her way there. I just want to see them take that next step."
Sargent said he likes the attitude his wrestlers bring to the mat, despite never really knowing how many wrestlers the B team will have on hand for any given match.
"They show up ready to go every day," Sargent said. "That's what I like. They don't care if we send seven guys, five guys, or a full team, they're ready to go every time."
