Hinebauch dominates at 189

BILLINGS - The real name is called "the buck and wing," but after this weekend it will only be known as "The Hinebauch."

Chinook senior Eric Hinebauch rode his signature move to four consecutive pins and a 189-pound Class B-C state championship at last weekend's All-Class State Wrestling tournament.

In his longest match of the period, Hinebauch went late into the third period before registering his patented move over Superior's Logan Labbe at the 4:38 mark of the match.

"My arms were feeling numb out there," said an exhausted Hinebauch following the match. "I was getting pretty tired out there, but I knew he was too. I knew I could get him to his back."

With his pet move, Hinebauch must first go to his back, though. It's an awkward looking move to many wrestling purists, who can't fathom the idea of a wrestler voluntarily going to his back while locked in a tie-up with an opponent.

However, just as Hinebauch's shoulder touches the mat, he uses that momentum along with his opponents' momentum to basically throw them over his head.

"It takes a lot of energy and strength to throw a 189-pound man straight over your head," said head coach Perry Miller.

Miller taught the move to Hinebauch in sixth grade during freestyle wrestling, and he's been using it ever since.

"It just feels natural," Hinebauch said. "Once I get in that position, I know I can do the move."

What frustrates opponents and their coaches is that they know exactly what he is going to do, yet they still get caught in it.

"He does the move with authority," Miller said. "He's going to put the move on you whether you like it or not. It's a dangerous move, but Eric's confident enough in that he believes he should win every match by fall. And he gets pins as well as anybody."

The Hinebauch almost got him in trouble in the championship match as Labbe was able to counter it twice for a pair of two-point reversals and three-point near falls. Labbe led the match 9-5 early in the second period. But Hinebauch proved he was more than a one-move wrestler, scoring an escape and a pair of reversals to retake the lead.

Clinging to a 10-9 lead, Labbe got careless on a tie-up and Hinebauch was able to lock both of Labbe's arms and execute his move. It was the third time he had done the move, with Labbe escaping the first two times. But as always, the third time was the charm as Hinebauch was able to get a strong leg hold and force Labbe's shoulder to the mat.

"He made it a little more exciting than we anticipated," Miller joked.

Hinebauch was only one of two wrestlers to win every match by pin, which earned him the B-C quick pin award. After finishing third the past two years, the dominant run was especially sweet, considering he missed nearly half the season with a blood clot in his shoulder.

"I was a little out of shape when I came back," Hinebauch said. "But it only made me that much more fired up to get on the mat. It was horrible watching and not wrestling.

"After losing in the semifinals the last two years, I wasn't going to lose this year. I knew I could win all the matches by pin, but I didn't think it would happen."

As for Hinebauch's teammates, their efforts helped the Beeters to a 10th place finish with 68 total team points.

"I think our kids came in and gave 100 percent," Miller said. "We made some mistakes early in matches that forced us to scramble."

Hinebauch's younger brother, Evan, rallied from a quarterfinal loss to finish fifth at 160 pounds by scoring a pin over Bryan Greenwood of Cut Bank. While the Beeters didn't place anyone else they did have several wrestlers try and fight their way through wrestlebacks as Brandon Zarn (98), Kris Nicholson (112), Matt Finley (119), Kris Parsons (130), Jeremy Painter (145) and Troy Kuntz (HWT) won matches in the wrestlebacks.

"I never had a kid quit on me," Miller said. "Coach Tilleman and I couldn't be more pleased. Right now we have 130 kids in our school. That doesn't make us the smallest, but we're certainly not the biggest. Still, I'd put up my wrestling room with any room in the state.

"The kids have all worked so hard. And this group is a special group for me. It's been a tough year with not having my son Howie, Painter breaking his arm and losing another wrestler to injury. But Eric really sealed the deal for us this year with a great win."

Final team scores

Conrad 197.5, Cut Bank 122, Choteau 111, Huntley Project 102.5, Arlee 92.5, Shepherd 88, St. Ignatius 79.5, Columbus 79.5, Superior 78, Chinook 74, Baker 71.5, Poplar 69, Cascade 62, Thompson Falls 58, Malta 56, Boulder 55, Townsend 54, Florence-Carlton 53, Simms 52.5, Glasgow 50.5, Whitehall 48, Deer Lodge 40, Plains 37.5, Fort Benton 33, Eureka 20, Valier 19, Harlem 13, Fairfield, 12, Big Sandy 10, Shelby 9, Broadus 6, Chester 5, Darby 4, Forsyth 3.

Fifth place

98 - C. Green, HRM, d. T. Thompson, DLG, 6-0.

105 - A. Leishman, STI, d. J. Santos, ARL, 8-4.

112 - D. Ferrin, FRF, d. T. Colburn, MAL, 3-0.

119 - C. Johnson, CON, md. D. Starman, FTB, 13-3.

125 - S. Lyons, TFS, d. J. Jones, CON, 3-0.

130 - B. Hunter, BAK, p. A. Fletcher, BOU, 4:26.

135 - J. Enochs, SMS, d. D. Winkowitsch, CBH, 9-7.

140 - R. Mosher, CHO, d. T. Kujala, PLA, 6-4.

145 - H. Fitzgerald, CBH, d. A. Nylund, CHO, 5-2.

152 - Bosley, STI, d. T. French, MAL, 7-3.

160 - Ev. Hinebauch, CHK, p. B. Greenwood, CBH, 0:43.

171 - S. Armstrong, CHO, d. S. Sims, MAL, 3-2.

189 - B. Hinebauch, HPH, p. R. George, GLA, 2:28.

215 - T. Clement, BOU, p. J. Murch, GLA, 1:13.

Hwt. - D. Schuler, FTB, p. A. Martin, HPH, 1:37.

Third place

98 - R. Lyng, SHP, p. K. Brown, PLA, 1:39.

105 - J. Schlosser, CON, d. D. Fryberger, SMS, 2-0.

112 - T. Nelson, WHL, d. K. Middlemist, STI, 7-2.

119 - L. Rauser, TSD, d. B. Lunak, CBH, 7-2.

125 - S. Whitney, DLG, d. B. McGillivray, SUP, 4-3.

130 - C. McKinsey, HPH, d. T. McGillivray, SUP, 2-1.

135 - J. Miller, COL, d. M. Crossland, CAS, 7-5.

140 - T. Hoerner, EUR, d. S. Sorge, SHP, 3-0.

145 - B. Bolstad, BOU, p. D. Murr, CON, 3:00.

152 - D. McChesney, FLC, p. T. May, CAS, 4:26.

160 - R. Willson, SHP, p. K. Randle, TFS, 1:52.

171 - A. Calvi, CBH, d. C. Zemple, STI, 8-5.

189 - D. Larson, CBH, d. K. Buck, CHO, 5-3.

215 - S. Buell, COL, p. J. McWilliams, BAK, 2:18.

Hwt. - Alexander, SUP, p. B. Kinyon, CON, 4:27.

Championships

98 - E. Black, CBH, p. A. Trudeau, STI, 5:53.

105 - Z. Near, WHL, p. N. Walston, COL, 2:21.

112 - T. Zempel, CON, p. M. Ayers, POP, 0:31.

119 - D. Trujillo, ARL, d. T. Troutman, HPH, 11-4.

125 - T. Gilfeather, SHP, d. M. French, MAL, 8-4.

130 - S. Griffiths, SMS, d. R. Johnson, CON, 6-0.

135 - C. Lockyer, CON, md. D. Madel, CHO, 17-3.

140 - T. Zempel, CON, md. J. Trafelet, VAL, 15-5.

145 - N. Hopstad, GLA, md. J. Walston, COL, 11-2.

152 - J. Gentilini, BAK, p. P. Betcher, CHO, 1:42.

160 - R. Smith, ARL, d. C. Gorder, POP, 12-5.

171 - C. Dimas, POP, d. B. DeCock, HPH, 8-1.

189 - E. Hinebauch, CHK, p. L. Labbe, SUP, 4:38.

215 - T. Radach, CON, d. P. Jenkins, FLC, 11-9.

Hwt. - R. Stutzman, CAS, p. A. Hutchings, TSD, 3:58.