Mountrail County Promoter - Columnists

I Love State Tournament Time
Winter sports postseasons are underway. The cheer team had their winter competition a few weeks ago. Girls’ basketball started their region tournaments on Monday. Boys’ basketball region tournaments start on March 9. Last weekend was State Wrestling.
As predicted, Mother Nature decided to make travel to Fargo interesting. I spent Monday and Tuesday of last week worried about the drive. Originally, my plans were to leave on Wednesday morning. Most of that decision was based on the fact that our papers don’t get delivered from the printing plant until late on Tuesday evening. There are a couple of things I need to do, including a postal report and legal affidavits, which require me to have the paper in hand.
Our plant manager called me about 2:30 on Tuesday to tell me that Tia was delivering the papers instead of Don and she had already left the plant. My brain starting spinning again, this time as I tried to decide if I wanted to leave around 4:30 and at least make it to Bismarck. I found a hotel room and started packing my suitcase. Papers were in the office just before 3:30, so Dale and I came up and did the things that we usually do later on Tuesday evening and for me on Wednesday morning.
We got home and I started loading up the car. I was just putting my suitcase in the car when it started to sleet. I debated for a few minutes, and then decided I was going to try it. I drove out to the highway and it was a little iffy, but I drove out of it fairly soon and I was off.
Unfortunately, I ran into the heavy rain around Underwood and drove through that all the way to Bismarck. But, it was just rain and the roads were fine. Not that I didn’t second guess that every time I saw a DOT vehicle headed north with the deicing equipment going.
I got checked into the hotel and then went over to Buffalo Wild Wings for some late supper. After I got back to the hotel, I settled in for the night. Waking up in the morning, everything was covered in ice, including my car. I started it and let it run for awhile to melt it off and didn’t leave Bismarck until about noon. I wanted to give the roads time to clear.
That didn’t seem to help much. From Bismarck to Jamestown, the roads were horrid with packed snow and ice, especially in the driving lane. The wind was wreaking havoc, creating near zero visibility at times. None of that was made easier by the semis and pickups that felt it was okay to still keep going down the road at their chosen rate of speed. Not me. I was going to drive whatever the car in front of me was doing and wanted little to nothing to do with the passing lane.
Fortunately, it got better around Jamestown. Roads were just wet at the time and I was finally able to make good time on the road. Unfortunately, the people who chose to leave on Wednesday morning weren’t as lucky. By the time they got there, the snow had settled back in and the roads were icy.

I made it to the Fargodome early on Thursday morning and settled in for a full day of pictures. The atmosphere is electric as you walk in the door. You can feel the intensity in the wrestlers, coaches and fans. With both Class A and B boys, and girls wrestlers combined this year still in both classes, there are so many more wrestlers and mats. There are fans from across the state packing the stands. It is just different from any other wrestling tournament.
I made my way to the floor and found our coaches. They pointed out our fans who for the first time that I can remember, at least in a very long time, were front and center alongside the Class B and girls wrestling mats.
I continued wandering and found some of my old friends around the mats. I’ve been covering state wrestling for so long, I think I know at least half of the coaches and a good share of the event staff at the Fargodome.
Thursday is a long day. It starts with the first round of wrestling, which was pretty tough for our Blue Jays. That is followed by quarterfinals and then the first round of wrestlebacks. If you have lost in the first round, that round of wrestlebacks is critical. It is your only way to advance to wrestling on Friday. This is a tough round to watch, as so many wrestlers see their dreams of placing fade away. By the time we were done with this round, Stanley had just four wrestlers left in the mix. Cohen Bell wrestled Thursday night in semifinals and took care of business. The other three were waiting for the first round on Friday.
Friday’s first round isn’t called the blood round for nothing. Lose there and again your tournament hopes are over. Louden Haugen and Levi Uran came out of that round and headed on to make their way through the placing rounds. I tend to forget how fast those rounds go as the number of wrestlers in each weight class continues to drop. The afternoon finally makes its way to the placing rounds and I was really proud of both Levi and Louden as they placed above their seed in the tournament.
After the hall of fame inductions, the atmosphere shifts again. It is time for finals. For the past three years, I had sat at finals and held my breath throughout Cohen’s matches and then felt my own pain for him when he finished second. There is nothing wrong with second. There are wrestlers across the state that would give anything to even be in that position to be in the top two wrestlers in their weight class. I was proud of Cohen for making it that far. I just really wanted him to be able to call himself a state champ.
This year, it felt a little different. Maybe that’s because Wade Skaar was wearing a suit coat. That never happens. He, too, decided to switch it up a little. I watched match after match, waiting for Cohen’s weight class to hit the mat.
As a fan, I am always amazed to see how many current and former coaches show up along the mat to watch their wrestlers. It was no different as Cohen made his way to the mat. His teammates were there to cheer him on. There were also plenty of other coaches and wrestlers who stood to the side ready for the match to start.
Cohen was facing a wrestler he had lost to twice this year, once in overtime and once late on points. He took to the mat ready to take care of business. A couple of calls had left the score with Cohen up 4 to 3 as the clock wound down. We all were ready to celebrate, but the refs made one last call that sent the match to overtime. It was only fitting. Cohen knows how that feels to go to overtime and he was prepared. The clock had barely started when he made his move, scored the three points and the match was over.
Cohen’s reaction was priceless. The tears on the faces of everyone around the mat said it all. We were all so proud of him and to have another Stanley wrestler finally take home the title.
Ironically, the last time was in 2003 with Gabe Davidson. I remember that match like it was yesterday for many different reasons.
Interestingly enough, I spent time with Gabe during the tournament. He coaches in Northern Cass now and both his son and daughter were wrestling in the state tournament and placed. His brother, Cole, also was there. He coaches now at West Fargo and his two sons were wrestling in the tournament.
It is a true story. Old wrestlers never go away. They are in the stands cheering on the next generation. They are on the sidelines coaching. They are helping out running tournaments around the state. Wrestlers are a different breed. They turn into family and they cheer each other on along the way.
Driving home on Saturday, at least the roads were better. I listened to my audio book and still basked in the joy of the tournament. I stopped in Bismarck and had lunch with Amanda and the kids, and then headed home.
I spent Sunday going through hundreds of pictures to settle on the ones to use this week. I sent a few pictures to Crosby of wrestlers from Williams County. I still have one to send to Gabe of his daughter jumping into his arms after winning her placing match.
Monday was crazy at the office, but once again we got it all done for another week. Thanks to Christina and Jada, my desk was buried too deeply on Sunday. I got through it and we got through it. Now we just wait for the next tournament to come around!