BILLINGS — Totally out of gas, Huntley Project’s Baylor Burton needed a minute — several minutes, actually — to catch his breath.
Burton had just outlasted Poplar’s Navarjo Escarcega 6-5 in overtime of their tense 138-pound championship match Saturday at First Interstate Arena at MetraPark, a bout in which he scored a three-point takedown with just seconds left in the third period to force a tiebreaker.
Hence the need to collect himself.
“I just knew I had to get it,” Burton eventually said in response to winning his third consecutive crown. “I just tried to keep calm and not rush myself into anything.”
Burton’s win was a symbol of a weekend in which Huntley Project could do no wrong. The Red Devils had 14 placers and 277.5 points (both classification records) to win their fourth consecutive Class B wrestling title at the state tournament.
Project outpaced second-place Glasgow, which scored 154.5 points, and third-place Eureka, which totaled 110.5.
Circle, with 86 points, took home the Class C team trophy, surpassing defending champion Forsyth (56 points) and Cascade (45).
Results: 2025 Class B-C boys state wrestling - Day 3
Along with Burton, three other Red Devils won individual B-C titles: Ethan Reynolds scored a 13-0 major decision over Conrad’s Riley McLeod at 110 pounds, Grady Schmidt pinned Wolf Point’s Jesse Reed in 1:24 at 150, and Hayden Ramaeker got an 11-0 major decision over Conrad’s Chris Graham at 175 in a battle of wrestlers going for repeat championships.
But that only scratched the surface, as all but one Project wrestler made the podium to help the team rack up a staggering point total. Coach Tim Kaczmarek noted that Saturday’s early consolation rounds exceeded his expectations.
“It’s awesome,” Kaczmarek said. “Kudos to our seniors. It’s a great feat for them all four years. We've had great leaders doing things the right way and setting an example for our younger kids.”
Circle’s title run was backstopped by freshman Anson Taylor, who won the 103-pound crown with a pin in 3:15 over Glasgow’s Jack Morehouse.
Ryan Wiggins aided Forsyth’s cause with a 17-2 technical fall over Glasgow’s Cody Kuka at 118.
Outside of Project’s Burton and Ramaeker, several wrestlers completed repeat title quests.
Choteau’s Asher Clayton won his second Montana state crown (and his third overall) with a win in a marquee 132-pound battle with Huntley Project’s Blake Ramaeker. Clayton, who previously won a title in Palmer, Alaska, scored a 9-1 major decision over Ramaeker to again reach the top of the podium.
Blake Ramaeker won a championship last season as an eighth-grader.
Photos: Champions crowned at 2025 state wrestling tournaments
Khye Gamas of Glasgow captured a repeat championship at 157 pounds with a 15-5 major decision over John Waterbury of Plains-Hot Springs, and Jefferson’s Brady Armstrong got back on top for the second straight year with a pin in 1:50 over Deer Lodge’s Kaiden Dolan at 215.
“It means a lot,” Gamas said after receiving a big hug from his mom. “It’s something I was really excited for. It took a lot of work ... working in the offseason. It’s amazing. I feel great about it.
Armstrong won Class B-C’s Quick Pin Award, collecting four falls in a total of 3:36.
Meanwhile, Eureka’s Timothy Schmidt won a 7-1 decision over Conrad’s Blaine VanDyke in their 126-pound final. Schmidt reached the top of the podium for the second time in three years.
History was made Saturday for Red Lodge, which saw Nolan Evenson claim the school’s first individual title with a 2-1 overtime win over reigning champ Kohner Schipman of Malta in their 144-pound final.
At 165 pounds, Cut Bank’s Alex Wahl won the title with a 4-2 decision over Huntley Project’s Tucker Kaczmarek. At 190, Michael King of Glasgow pinned Kenan Labrie of Malta to capture a championship, while Eureka’s Wes Banks scored a pin in 4:41 against Wolf Point’s Michael Bell to win the heavyweight crown.
