Wrestling fans finally about to get their fix

The Montana State University-Northern wrestling team has already provided Havre with some great moments on the mat this year.

But this weekend, the high school grapplers will join the party.

Friday marks the first official day of competition for the high school winter sports season, and Havre will be the hotbed for wrestling's opening weekend. Like always, Havre High will play host to the season-opening Havre Invitational, which starts Friday and runs through Saturday afternoon at the HHS gymnasium.

The Havre Invite is always a competitive jumping off point for the Havre Blue Ponies, who are the three-time defending Class A state champions. But the tournament is also a chance to see a lot of wrestling in a short amount of time.

And like the past two years, the Havre Invite will feature two of the best wrestling programs in all of Montana — Havre High and two-time defending Class C champion Chinook. The two local powerhouse programs don't get to go head-to-head that often during the season, so this weekend's Havre Invite is a can't miss for fans of wrestling on the Hi-Line. The Havre Invite will also feature plenty of good teams from the are and in the Central A, and is always a great start to the season.

And as exciting as the Havre Invite is, the Lights won't be left out of the action this weekend either. Great Falls will be the sight of some great collegiate action this weekend. The No. 10 Lights will be in Great Falls for a pair of duals against NAIA contenders Jamestown College and McKendree College on Friday, while the Electric City will also play host to the Battle of the Rockies Open on Saturday. Saturday's tournament, hosted by the University of Great Falls, will not only feature the Argos and Lights, but several other quality NAIA programs from around the country.

All of the action takes place at the McLaughlin Center Friday and Saturday.