Roberts nabs third straight state title

Wrestler Shonn Roberts catapulted into Columbia Falls history last week, winning his third straight state Class A title.

Roberts beat Ethan Graves of Sidney 6-0 in the 126-pound weight class on Feb. 15 at the MetraPark arena in Billings.

Just a junior now, Roberts has the school record for falls at 33 and the best record in a single season at 39-0, eclipsing Caleb Schaeffer who went 38-0 in 2000. Roberts set the fall record last year.

Roberts recorded pins against every opponent except for Graves. No one in Columbia Falls wrestling history has three state titles.

“It was awesome,”coach Jessie Schaeffer said. “It’s fun to be in his corner, no question.”

Roberts took the win in stride.

‘There was a little bit of pressure,” he said. “But that comes with the sport.”

When he won he held up both hands to show double zeros — no one scored a point on him in the tourney.

As a team, Columbia Falls took third in the state meet. MatCat senior Bryan Shaffer placed second, as he was edged by Jase Stoke of Havre, who tallied a pin with 10 seconds left in the match.

The MatCats put nine wrestlers on the podium. Manny Guzman (98) took sixth, Winfield West (106) took fourth, Mason Fetters (113) took fourth, Haze Bell (132) took sixth, Zayne Brunz (145) took fifth, Cody Walters (160) took third and Spencer Ross (heavyweight) nabbed third.

“The kids were ready to step on the mats this weekend,” Schaeffer said.

The team racked up 172 points. Havre won the tournament with 294.5 points, and Sidney was second with 268.5 points.

The future looks bright for the Columbia Falls program — except for Brunz and Shaffer, all the MatCat wrestlers who placed at the state meet should return next year.

“We’re real excited about the next couple of years in the program,” Schaeffer said.