Invernon first Badger frosh to take state title

BONNERS FERRY — For the first time in the history of the Bonners Ferry Badgers, a freshman has come away from the Idaho State 3A wrestling tournament a champion, one of two Badgers to accomplish the feat this year.

Blaine Invernon, fighting at 103-pounds, dropped Jacob Harmon, a freshman from Kimberly, with a technical fall at 1:41 to claim the honor after what coach Conrad Garner called a dominating performance.

Junior Trevor Hampton won a 9-1 decision over Shelley senior Chase Richins to claim the state title at 140-pounds.

Invernon, who went in as the top seed, first fought Ryker Merrill, Sugar Salem, opening his tourney performance with a 1:42 technical fall, then went on to drop Holt Bright, Kimberly, with a fall at 1:41. His next match pitted him against junior Tony Casteneda, Snake River, winning the bout on a 7-5 decision before facing Harmon.

“I expected to win since I have been wrestling for 10 years now,” Invernon said. “I knew it was going to take a lot of extra work though, and after I won, it didn’t sink in until I realized no other freshman had won first place before.”

“Blaine controlled every match and dominated every opponent,” Garner said. “He’s the first Badger freshman to take a state title. Adam Hall came close, but he lost in triple overtime.”

Hampton, seeded number two, dropped Chris Newell, Buhl with a technical fall at 2:36 in the opening bout, then went on to defeat Jesse Vogler, Snake River, on a 5-4 decision. Mitch Svedin, Weiser, fell to Hampton on a 6-0 decision to set up the championship bout.

“I had a lot of confidence going in,” he said. “I studied my opponent and prepared for him and wrestled my match. It feels good after placing second last year.”

“Trevor took the tournament one step at a time and got key points when he needed them,” Garner said. “In that final match, he was relentless.”

Junior Benny Watt, fighting at 135, who placed in every tournament fought this year, narrowly lost a championship, falling to Michael McDonald, Buhl, 6-5.

“He controlled everything until the final match, where he made one mistake and finished second,” Garner said. “It was a tremendous fight, and Benny was very aggressive against McDonald’s defensive style. He let him get behind him once, and it cost him the state title.”

Also faring well at the tourney, held February 26-27 at Holt Arena in Pocatello, were junior Dusty Kohler, who fell in his first match but came back to finish fourth, and Zack Heigel, fighting up a weight class at 171 in his first appearance at state, who finished sixth.