Dogies log early mat time at Tiger Invitational — Harrington, Crabtree earn podium finishes as Newcastle opens season

The Newcastle Dogies opened their boys wrestling season Saturday by getting a full day of competitive mat time at the Tiger Invitational in Lusk, using the tournament as an early measuring stick against a mix of programs from northeast Wyoming and the Black Hills.

For a young roster with multiple freshmen in the lineup, the meet delivered exactly what early-season tournaments are meant to provide: live matches, lessons under pressure and a chance to identify growth areas heading into December.

Newcastle finished 10th in the team standings with 35 points.

“This week we started a little slow, but that is why we come to this tournament,” Coach Teigen Marchant said.

Two Dogies broke through for top-three finishes at the varsity level, led by sophomore TJ Harrington at 157 pounds and junior Dane Crabtree at 165.

Harrington battled back through the consolation bracket to place third. After dropping a semifinal bout by fall, he rebounded with a technical fall win over teammate Nolan Gregory before closing his day with a 9–6 decision in the third-place match against Benjamin Miller of Saratoga. Harrington finished the tournament 2–1 and accounted for 9.5 team points.

Crabtree turned in one of the team’s strongest overall performances, finishing 4–1 on the day and placing third at 165. After an opening-round loss, he rattled off four straight wins, including three falls and a technical fall, before pinning Wright’s Will Thomson in the third-place match. Crabtree scored 16.5 team points and showed the ability to control matches late in the day.

Several other Dogies picked up valuable varsity experience. Troy Christensen earned a fall in consolation action at 138, while Cayson Phillips notched a first-round pin at 144 before facing a tough path through the semifinals. Ashton Wertz also recorded a fall at 285 during his run through the consolation bracket.

“We got the dust knocked off, and had a few wrestlers leaving with third place honors. I’m very excited to see how the year pans out for my younger team,” Marchant said.

At the junior varsity level, Michael Coombs reached the championship match at 126, finishing second after a semifinal decision win and a loss by fall in the finals. The JV group gained critical early exposure against varsity-caliber depth from larger programs.

Newcastle will continue building toward midseason form when the Dogies travel to Buffalo on Thursday, Dec. 18, for a dual against Buffalo High School.

Upton places third

Upton turned in a strong showing at the Lusk’s Tiger Invitational, finishing third in the team standings with 83.5 points and placing wrestlers in the finals across multiple weight classes.

The Bobcats were led by a pair of champions in Landon Norman at 138 pounds and Trey Schneider at 144. Norman went 4–0 on the day, winning all four of his matches by bonus points, including a technical fall in the championship bout. Schneider was equally dominant at 144, finishing 3–0 with two technical falls and a pin to claim the title.

Sam Bowen added a runner-up finish at 157, advancing to the finals before falling by pin in the championship match. At the lower weights, Gavin Dollick placed fourth at 120 and Colt Jackson also finished fourth at 126, with both wrestlers battling back through the consolation bracket after semifinal losses.

Upton also picked up points at 165 from Connor Helwig, who finished 1–2 and contributed to the team total as the Bobcats put together one of the top overall performances of the tournament.

Tiger Invitational Results — Newcastle

Varsity

132: Bridger Hill, 0–2

138: Luke Sadness, 0–2

138: Troy Christensen, 1–2

144: Cayson Phillips, 1–2

144: Adam Butler, 0–2

157: TJ Harrington, 3rd place (2–1)

157: Nolan Gregory, 1–2

165: Dane Crabtree, 3rd place (4–1)

165: Owen Evenson, 0–2

175: Gustavo Munoz, 0–2

285: Ashton Wertz, 1–2

Junior Varsity

106: Asic Dawson, 0–2

126: Michael Coombs, 2nd place (1–1)

157: Austin Wertz, 0–2