The Boise High wrestling team gathered around a rock to take photos Tuesday night.
With wide smiles and sweaty hands, the Braves removed the 300-pound granite rock from the Borah trophy case, then loaded it onto a pickup truck to travel the 4 or so miles to Boise High.
For the first time in the 10-year history of the Grapple for the Granite, the Braves got their hands on the rock.
“Everyone just really wanted it this year and we were tired of being the little guys,” Boise senior Andrew Rossow said. “… All four of my years here at Boise High we’ve never gotten close to taking (the rock) home, so this is an amazing feeling.”
The double-dual format for the Boise School District championship started in 2003. Capital and Borah share the lead for most wins with four apiece, while Timberline picked up its lone victory in 2004. Borah had won back-to-back championships before Boise wrested the rock away Tuesday night.
Boise opened with a 69-7 victory over Capital, while Borah rolled past Timberline 55-9 on the opposite mat. Boise then held off Borah 46-21 in the title match. Including forfeits, the Braves won 21-of-30 matches, including 12 by pin.
It’s turning out to be a banner season for Boise wrestling, which hasn’t won a postseason district championship since 1965 or a state title since 1964.
But because of current wrestlers such as Dorian Sapien (98 pounds), Rossow (120), Zack Campbell (132), Cory Candelaria (145), Brett Walton (160), Nick Popkey (170), Canyon Purcell (195) and Austin Sword (220), the Braves are thinking big this season.
Those eight wrestlers went undefeated Tuesday night.
“We feel awesome. Some of the guys really look forward to this more than any other tournament we’ve had all year,” Boise coach Bill Braseth said. “Honestly, we’ve been to some very competitive tournaments, but this Grapple for the Granite is something that has been a long time coming.”
Braseth previously coached the Braves from 1983 to 1998, and rejoined the program in 2008.
“Boise has always been looked down upon as the weak sister,” he said. “Anytime a team would come out and wrestle Boise, they were pretty sure they were going to win.”
This season, Boise has a dual record of 26-3 overall and 7-1 in the 5A Southern Idaho Conference. The Braves, who are the fourth-ranked 5A team in the state according to Idahowrestlingnews.com, also have won the Homedale Invitational and the Dick Fleischmann Classic. Ten of the team’s wrestlers are ranked in the top eight in the state.
“They fill every weight class and they’ve got some competitive kids,” Borah coach Bill West said.
The Braves have one conference dual remaining at Rocky Mountain at 5 p.m. Friday before the 5A District Three Tournament on Feb. 17-18 at Capital High. The state tournament is Feb. 24-25 at Holt Arena in Pocatello.
Second-ranked Centennial remains the favorite to claim the district title, but the Braves aren’t giving up on the possibility of winning the team’s first district championship since they won six straight from 1960 to 1965.
“We have a hunger. We want to change (the perception),” Braseth said. “The kids are buying into the program and they are working hard every day to make that change.”
