Middle schoolers shine in Malta Mixer

Malta’s middle school wrestlers put on quite the show at Malta’s Old Gym last Thursday night, with many grapplers earning praise from the stands above that evening.

“We’re trying to get guys a lot of mat time,” Malta Middle School Wrestling Head Coach Nick Oxarart said. “These guys are working hard and getting a little better each match. They just need more matches and that’s what we are trying to get them. Just three to four matches against equal ability opponents.”

Fifth grader Spencer Gibbs was among the first winners of the evening, though he almost found himself getting pinned by a cradle during the match. He chalked his escape to experience.

“I stuck my two legs together and kicked,” Gibbs said. “Then I rolled out of it.”

Gibbs has been enjoying his first year as a middle school wrestler.

“I’ve been wrestling for seven or eight years,” he said.

He was asked how AAU wrestling differed from middle school wrestling.

“There’s not much of a difference other than you get to ride on a bus,” Gibbs said noting that he enjoyed middle school events better. “I guess I get to be around my older friends, when in AAU most of them don’t do it.”

Fifth grader Ty Jones is another younger wrestler who represented Malta well grabbing a third round win against an opponent from Harlem.

“I just had him in a head and arm then I settled down and I pinned him,” Jones said.

He also wrestled in AAU wrestling.

“In AAU, you don’t get to ride a bus and in junior high you do,” Jones said.

But Jones did enjoy AAU more.

“I love AAU because there are more meets and it’s harder,” Jones said.

Seventh Grader Cordel Salsbery defeated a Havre opponent, his first opponent of the day.

“(Middle School Wrestling) is just fun,” Salsbery said. “I get to hang out with my friends and hopefully beat people.”

Salsbery was happy to see the local crowd at the event.

“It’s just amazing,” he said. “It’s cool to see everyone up here watching.”

Salsbery may have a year and a half to go, but he is already looking forward to high school wrestling.

Sixth grader Oren Mackey had an impressive outing, defeating Havre’s Bryce Paulson who he’s had success against before.

“I just had to keep moving,” Mackey said.

Mackey is in his second year of wrestling in middle school, but he doesn’t feel any different than he did last year.

“It feels the same,” he said.

He used to wrestle in AAU but this is the first year he did not participate.

“It’s more fun in junior high because you get to be with your team and ride the bus,” Mackey said. “You drink Mountain Dew, play games and eat stuff.”

One could only imagine the cuisine the team inhales during road trips.

“Two 2 quarts of Mountain Dew and a couple bags of jerky,” Mackey said noting that his favorite was Jack Link’s Teriyaki Jerky.”

In nearly each interview the kids mentioned the bus trips, so in order to find out more about these bus trips, it was only fitting to ask Coach Oxarart, what goes on during these trips.

“A lot of comradery and a lot of goofing off, I think,” Oxarart said with a smile. “They have a lot of fun. They like hanging around each other, which is good. That makes it fun.”

Coach Oxarart also being the high school football coach of the Malta Mustangs, sees a lot of future players on the middle school wrestling team.

“Every single one of these guys is a potential football player,” Coach Oxarart said. “That’s why I love wrestling.”

Sixth grader Cash Salsbery could do pretty well as a Mustang in the near future.

“This year has been pretty good,” Salsbery said. “I’ve only lost a few matches.”

Salsbery, a seasoned wrestler knew what he had to do to win that day.

“I think just get a good takedown, work a half in or an arm bar, put him on his back and flatten him,” Salsbery said.

Colt French comes from a legacy of wrestlers that include Wayne, Michael and Tyler French who are his older cousins.

“I just have to get better, practice more and hopefully keep that in the family,” French said after winning a match against a wrestler from Harlem.

His opponent was one of the many female wrestlers at the event.

“Sometimes girls can be stronger than you think,” Salsbery said before admitting that he has lost by pin fall to a girl wrestler. “I think it’s great because they are doing what they want to do. If they are willing to go through the consequences of wrestling, that’s fine with me.”

Eighth grader Callan Mears also picked up a win last Friday against an opponent that outweighed him by about 15 pounds.

Mears was underneath his foe for a lot of the match, but he fought back and won the match.

“I just fought as hard as I could,” Mears said. “I just had to move at the right time.”

In his last year of middle school, Mears will likely wrestle with his brother Ceaton, who was a state performer this past season.

Callan admitted that Ceaton always wins their matchups. He also admitted he will miss middle school wrestling because of the age grouping.

“In high school you can wrestle seniors as a freshman,” he said.

Having an older brother on the team will help Callan in the future. He did say that Ceaton has taught him a couple of tricks but mostly defensive moves.

“I’ve learned how to stay out of the moves where you get thrown,” Callan said.