Havre High wrestlers return to dual action at Dillon Duals

For the first time in several weeks, the Havre High wrestling team will return to dual action when it travels to Dillon for the Dillon Duals tournament. The tournament will get under way Friday morning and continue through Saturday afternoon.

The Dillon tourney will be under a format similar to the Mining City Duals in Butte, which the Ponies compete in earlier this season. The tournament will feature 12 teams, including the host Beavers as well as Havre, Belgrade, Anaconda and several Idaho schools.

The Ponies will open the tournament Friday afternoon when they face Belgrade and then square off against Salmon, Idaho later in the day.

"I am not familiar with a lot of the Idaho schools right now," said HHS veteran head coach Scott Filius. "But because I was there for several years, I am sure that they will have some good teams. I think our dual with Belgrade will also be another tough battle because this is one of the best teams they have had since I have been at Havre. They seem to be getting stronger as the season goes on."

Havre has a solid dual record heading into this weekend with only two losses on its resume thus far. The Ponies are currently ranked seventh in the latest Class A wrestling power poll and are coming off a solid second-place finish at last weekend's Cut Bank Invitational. Filius points out that much of his team's success is credited to the quick development of a talented group of freshman and some experienced upper-classmen.

"We have got some freshmen in Clint Bradbury, Beau LaSalle, Billy Wagner and Matt Schnittgen who have really come on strong early for us and that has been big in scoring team points," Filius said. "And our veteran kids are performing right at where we expected them to be. I think we are sitting pretty good at this point in the season."

The Blue Pony lineup will remain almost the same as it was last weekend in Cut Bank. Bradbury, who is currently ranked second, will go at 98 pounds and Gray Chagnon will compete at 105. Beau LaSalle is currently ranked third at 112 pounds and Scott Sheppard is ranked fifth at 119. Jeff Hedges is ranked first at 125 pounds and is still undefeated this season, while the Ponies will have Michael Sutherland and Logan Reichelt at 130 and 135 pounds, respectively. Alex Leyba will go at 145 pounds for Havre and Cody Seely will wrestle at 152.

Brett Michels, who is currently ranked fifth, will be back at 160 pounds after missing a couple of weeks with an injury. Michels return means Guy Seely will move back to 171 pounds this week. Rick Houim should see action at 189 pounds and Bill Zuelke will be at 215. Schnittgen, who is ranked third, will be at 275.

Havre's dual with Belgrade is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Friday and the Ponies will take on Salmon at 4 p.m. All of the action will take place at Beaverhead County High School in Dillon.