Vikings pick up wins in final push before postseason

All four Bigfork sports teams were in action last week in the final push before postseason action begins this weekend. The Vikings picked up wins on the basketball court and the wrestling mat while the Valkyries also hit the court and took to the pool for the final swim meet before state.

VIKINGS WRESTLING

Bigfork’s wrestlers continued their hot streak this week, picking up four more dual wins as they head into the Divisional Tournament at Cut Bank this weekend.

Shelton Woll pinned all five of his opponents to lead the Vikings last week while Vaughn Pendlay was also undefeated and Eli Tidwell went 4-1, picking up all four wins by fall.

The Vikings were at Eureka Tuesday as they defeated the host Lions 43-13 as well as Whitefish 48-27.

Traic Fainter, Angus Anderson, Woll, Pendlay and Isaac Bjorge all picked up wins for the Vikings against the Lions while Tidwell, Woll, Pendlay and Bjorge took down their Whitefish opponents.

The Vikings found themselves in a much closer match at Plains Saturday as Bigfork edged Plains/Hot Springs 33-21 and also took down Mission/Charlo 48-12.

Donny Nelson put the Savage Horsemen ahead 6-0 when he opened the dual with a win over Fainter, but Anderson earned a 6-4 decision over Jacob Shultze to cut the Plains/Hot Springs lead to 6-3. A Bigfork forfeit in the 126-pound division and a 3-0 loss by Ryder Nollan left Vikings trailing 15-3, but it was all Bigfork after that as Eli Tidwell, Woll and Evan Tidwell each pinned their opponents to help the Vikings pull ahead for the win. Pendlay earned a 7-5 decision over Bert Detienne and Joseph Ferrier took down Jesse Uski 7-6.

It was all Bigfork against Mission/Charlo in the second dual as the Vikings picked up a 48-12 victory on wins by Fainter, Nollan, Eli Tidwell, Woll and Ferrier.

Action at the divisional meet in Cut Bank is set to begin Thursday.

Bigfork 43, Eureka 16

103 Traic Fainter (B) won by Fall 3.23 over Blake Lancaster (E)

113 Json Merringer (B) won by Forfeit

120 Angus Anderson (B) won by Major Decision 10-2 over Carson Conor (E)

126 Open (B) Open (BR)

132 Ryder Nollan (B) lost by decision 9-1 to Kyle Durden (E)

138 Eli Tidwell (B) lost by Fall 1:35 to Gunnar Smith (E)

145 Shelton Woll (B) won by Fall 4:52 over Caden Pecora (E)

152 Vaughn Pendlay (B) won by Fall 1:56 over Dominic Peltier (E)

160 Patrick Wallen (B) won by Forfeit

170 Joseph Farrier (B) won by Forfeit

182 Evan Tidwell (B) lost by decision 6-0 to Colyn Johnson (E)

205 Isaac Bjorge (B) won by Decision 3-2 over Johnny Fehr (E)

285 Fletcher Postalwait (B) lost by Decision 12-6 to Riley Hume (E)

Exhibition Match:

113 Json Merringer (E) lost by Fall 5:50 to Blake Lancaster

Bigfork 48, Whitefish 27

103 Traic Fainter (B) won by Forfeit

113 Json Merringer (B) lost by Fall :12 to Nathan Sproul (W)

120 Angus Anderson (B) won by Forfeit

126 Forfeit (B) to Angelo Castro (W)

132 Ryder Nollan (B) won by Forfeit

138 Eli Tidwell (B) won by Fall 1:29 over Carter Moran (W)

145 Shelton Woll (B) won by Fall 1:15 over Rylan McDaniel (W)

152 Vaughn Pendlay (B) won by Fall 1:49 over Jack Akey (W)

160 Patrick Wallen (B) lost by Fall 2:20 to Ryley Creasey (W)

170 Joseph Farrier (B) lost by Decision 7-2 to Cameron Ross (W)

182 Evan Tidwell (B) won by Forfeit

205 Isaac Bjorge (B) won by Fall 4:53 over Ashton Akey (W)

285 Forfeit to Brian Sweeny (W)

Exhibition Match:

132 Ryder Nollan (B) lost by Decision 8-4 to Angela Castro (W)

152 Shelton Woll (B) won by Fall 1:50 over Vallen Lewis-Ingerson (W)

Bigfork 33, Plains/Hot Springs 21

113 Traic Fainter (B) lost by Fall 3:39 to Donny Nelson (P)

120 Angus Anderson (B) won by Decision 6-4 over Jacob Shultze (P)

126 Peter Cary (P) won by forfeit

132 Ryder Nollan (B) lost by 3-0 decision to David Shultze (P)

138 Eli Tidwell (B) won by Fall 1:48 over Will James Courville (P)

145 Shelton Woll (B) won by Fall 1:16 over Brody Black (P)

152 Vaughn Pendlay (B) won by 7-5 Decision over Bert Detienne (P)

160 Patrick Wallen (B) won by forfeit

170 Joseph Ferrer (B) won by 7-6 Decision over Jesse Uski (P)

182 Evan Tidwell (B) won by Fall 1:03 over William Dyson (P)

285 Denny Black (P) won by forfeit

Bigfork 48, Mission/Charlo 12

103 Traic Fainter (B) won by Fall 0:11 over Kody Dillard (M/C)

113 Json Merringer (B) won by forfeit

120 Angus Anderson (B) won by forfeit

132 Ryder Nollan (B) won by Fall 1:12 over Isaiah Fields (M/C)

138 Eli Tidwell (B) won by Fall 0:52 over Codiak Killorn (M/C)

145 Shelton Woll (B) won by Fall 3:40 over Charlie Adams (M/C)

152 Patrick Wallen (B) lost Fall 3:40 to Canyon Sargent (M/C)

160 Vaughn Pendlay (B) won by forfeit

170 Joseph Ferrier (B) won by Fall 0:46 over Chance Bockman (M/C)

182 Evan Tidwell (B) lost by Fall 3:09 to George Ranney (M/C)

VIKINGS BASKETBALL

The Vikings finished up the regular season with a win at Anaconda Saturday as Bigfork downed the Copperheads 67-48.

Bigfork trailed 18-16 after one quarter of play, but the second quarter was the difference in the game as the Vikings used a 22-7 run to grab a 38-25 halftime advantage. The Vikings continued to pull away in the second half to earn the win.

Bigfork shot just under 50 percent from the field in the win, including 9 for 18 from three-point range, while holding the Copperheads to 37 percent shooting.

Isak Epperly and Walker Fisher both knocked down three long-range shots for the Vikings in the win as Epperly filled the stat sheet with 17 points, 12 rebounds, three assist, three steals and two blocks. Fisher finished with 15 points and three steals while Dane Henson added 15 points and eight rebounds. Also scoring for the Vikings were Cormac Benn with nine points, Bryce Gilliard was seven and Levi Taylor with four.

The Vikings will open the Westen B Divisional Tournament at 3 p.m. in Eureka March 4 as they face the winner of the Anaconda vs Arlee play-in game.

VALKYRIES SWIMMING

The Valkyries swimmers got their final tune up before the state meet this week as they swam in the Great Falls meet. Entering the large meet virtually from the Mission Valley Aquatic Center in Polson, the Valkyries earned a ninth-place finish.

Shelby Thompson had a strong meet for the Valkyries, earning third in the 50 freestyle and sixth in the 100 breaststroke while Sydney Slawter was third in the 100 backstroke and 20th in the 50 freestyle.

Sophi Logue was seventh in the 200 freestyle for the Valkyries and also earned 12th in the 50 freestyle.

The team will have the week off before competing in the state meet at the Mission Valley Aquatic Center in Polson March 6.

VALKYRIES BASKETBALL

Injuries to key players hurt the Valkyries last week as they dropped a pair of road games to Loyola and Anaconda.

The Valkyries were without starters Emma Berreth, Scout Nadeau and Audrey Buenz Tuesday as they fell at Loyola, 72-38.

Callie Gambala stepped up with 22 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Bigfork effort while Madison Chappuis added five points, eight rebounds and three assists. Callie Martinz finished with four points, Alexis Saari had three, Jessa Newton scored two and Quinn Nissan and Zoey Albert scored one point each.

Bigfork was again without Berreth Saturday as the Valkyries fell at Anaconda, 69-30.

No Bigfork player reached double digits as Chappuis led the way with eight points while Martinz had six, Gambala and Saari each scored five and Nadeau, Buenz and Anika Eanson each had two points.

The Valkyries will open play at the Western B Divisional Tournament in Eureka March 3 as they face Loyola at 3 p.m.