The Malad Dragons wrestling team are back to back state champions! Malad finished their 2024/2025 season as both State Champions and Academic State Champions.  “To win both the state title and the academic title is incredibly impressive. Our wrestlers have been working hard on the mat but have also been prioritizing the things that are most important like their school work and families,” Coach Devin Morrison said.

Malad won the state tournament with 211.5 team points which is the highest score the team has ever scored at the state tournament. Three Dragons stood on top of the podium as individual state champions with 11 total medalists on the team.

Throughout the season Malad was favored to be the team champions in the 3A/2A/1A division at the state tournament but it was never going to be easy. Bear Lake moving up to the 4a division this year meant that district V was only allowed the top two placers at the district tournament where in previous years the top 3 qualified for state. The Dragon wrestlers were able to qualify 13 wrestlers for the state tournament with their dominating win at the district tournament in West Side. With Kellogg qualifying 17 wrestlers and Ririe also taking 13 the Dragons had their work cut out for them.

The state tournament is a double elimination tournament and after day one 12 of the 13 Malad wrestlers were still in the tournament. At the end of Friday’s sessions Malad was 1 point behind Ririe in the team scores.

Saturday morning 6 Dragons were competing in the semifinals while 6 were in the blood rounds. Losing in the blood rounds eliminates the wrestler from the tournament. All of the wrestlers had tough matches and wrestled hard. Only 1 Malad wrestler lost in the elimination round which left 11 wrestlers advancing to the medal rounds. “We needed everyone to wrestle hard and stay in the fight, which they did. Having 11 of 13 wrestlers medal at the state tournament shows what a solid team we brought, everyone of these kids contributed to the team win.”

It was back and forth in the team scores between Malad and Ririe all day Saturday, going into the championship matches both teams had 3 wrestlers competing in the finals and Malad was just ahead in the team points.

Jack Willie was the first Dragon to wrestle in the championship match. Jack is a junior with a record of 57-4 this season. Willie pinned his way through the tournament, winning his finals match against Johnny Stovern of Kellogg with a pin in just 54 seconds.  Jack scored 30 team points for the Dragons which is the most points an individual wrestler can score at the tournament.

Next up in the finals for the Dragons was sophomore Drake Morrison in the 150lb bracket. Morrison had a 58-2 record this season with his only two losses being to the 4A and 5A 150lb state champions. Morrison was named IHSAA athlete of the week Jan 20-26th. Wrestling against Kellogg wrestler Brady Vergobbi Morrison got to work and out scored his opponent 15-0 to win the state title by tech fall in the 2nd round of the match.

The 3rd and final Dragon competing for 1st place was Orrin Miller, a senior for MHS this season with a 32-2 record. Miller moved to Malad this year when his family needed to be closer to the hospital in Salt Lake. Orrin has been a great addition to the team with both his wrestling and leadership skills. Pinning his way through the tournament Miller was ready to take on New Plymouth’s Marcus Garcia in the championship match. Racking up 17-0 points before the 2nd round was even over Miller won his state title by tech fall.

“Three finalists and three champions is the best way to end the state tournament. Last year when we won the title we didn’t have any individual state champions and it was bitter sweet for those kids that were so close to the individual state title,” Morrison said.

Oakley Maddox, a sophomore with a 54-7 record faced off against James Hansen of Ririe in the 157lb semifinals. Maddox and Hansen were 1-1 through the season and the match was a highly anticipated rematch. The match was very evenly matched and both wrestlers gave their all on the mat, Hansen was able to get the win with a 9-4 decision.  After his loss in the semifinals Maddox was on a mission and dominated his next matches, winning his 3rd place match with a 55 second pin.

Seniors Gabe Hooste and Roper Higley both ended their high school wrestling careers with state medals. Hooste competed in the 175lb bracket and took 4th place while Higley earned a 6th place medal in the 150lb bracket.

Juniors Ayden Potter, Porter Mills and Rydon Montgomery are state placers and will be back next year to compete for the Dragons. In the very stacked 132lb bracket Malad’s Mills saw some tough competition. Mills upset the Kellogg wrestler in the quarterfinals and headed to the semifinals Saturday morning. Mills fought hard Saturday and was able to bring home the 6th place medal. Potter started the tournament off strong with a 12 second pin in his first match against Colton Volkel from Hansen. Potter earned the 5th place medal in the 113lb bracket. Montgomery competed in the 190lb bracket and faced some tough competition. Finishing the tournament with a 13-6 win over the Grangeville wrestler Montgomery won the 5th place medal.

Two freshman qualified for the state tournament this year and both were able to bring home 5th place medals. Jaxon Mills wrestled in the 98lb bracket and Wade Clark wrestled in the 120lb bracket. “To place at state as a freshman is huge, it helps these kids see their hard work payoff and gives them the motivation to set even bigger goals for themselves,” Morrison said.

This weekend at the state tournament the Malad Lady Dragons wrestling program had their first state medalist! Bella Smith battled hard and brought home the 5th place medal in her bracket. All three lady wrestlers, Aubrey Schulz, Cale Carter and Bella Smith won matches at the state tournament and competed extremely well. The Lady wrestlers program is growing and becoming more successful every season.

Saturday when the team scores were announced Malad celebrated their team state title. The Dragons finished 17.5 points ahead of 2nd place Ririe, 51 points ahead of 3rd place Kellogg and over 100 points ahead of 4th place Declo. 

Individual placers:

98lbs Jack Willie STATE
CHAMPION

150lbs Drake Morrison STATE CHAMPION

HWT Orrin Miller STATE
CHAMPION

157lbs Oakley Maddox 3rd

175lbs Gabe Hooste 4th

98lbs Jaxon Mills 5th

113lbs Ayden Potter 5th

120lbs Wade Clark 5th

190lbs Rydon Montgomery 5th

132lbs Porter Mills 6th

150lbs Roper Higley 6th

“There is nothing more we could have asked for from this team, they gave us everything they had and it paid off in the end,” Coach Morrison said.  “To say we are proud would be an understatement. The coaching staff we have in the wrestling program is full of people that are very knowledgeable but most importantly they love these kids and this community. Our coaches put in countless hours building a program that is successful from our very youngest wrestlers in the little league and club to our high school program. Our high school wrestlers have been with the team and coaches from the time they first stepped on the mat which for many of them was as a kindergartner just here to have fun and maybe learn a wrestling move or two. It is such a privilege to watch these wrestlers grow into young men that this entire community is proud of. Malad wrestlers represent their school and their home town with class and good sportsmanship and that is what we are most proud of, the good people they are as well as great wrestlers.”

A huge thank you goes out to the parents and the community that support this team. The success we have had couldn’t happen without everyone’s support and belief in our coaches and wrestlers.

Thank you to the men that give so much more than just their time to coach and mentor our team, Devin Morrison, Allen Edwards, Caleb Williams, Thomas Maddox, Jon Blaisdell, James Rindlisbaker and Clint Price.

The Dragons Little League wrestling season has begun and our newest Dragon wrestlers are getting ready to be the future of our program. Coaches Josh and Ryan Davis and Jon and Sherrie Blaisdell do a fantastic job with the little league program as well as with the USA wrestling club Brothers of Steel.