Blue Ponies poised to make more history

The Havre High wrestling team has already had a historic run over the last six seasons. Now, on a historic weekend, the Blue Ponies will try to make even more history.

Havre High has won or finished second at the Class A state wrestling tournament for six straight seasons, and the Ponies have won the last four state titles. But as much history as Havre wants to make this weekend at the Class A state tournament in Butte, longtime head coach Scott Filius said his team isn't looking at the next two days as anything more than to win one state championship.

"We haven't talked about a streak or making history or anything like that," Filius said. "Each year, the team is different, and this team just wants to win it for themselves. Every year we've won, it's been different and special in its own way and this team is no different. They want to win their own state championship.

And Filius added that this new Havre High team has not and does not feel the pressure of trying to win an unprecedented fifth straight team title this weekend at the Butte Civic Center, a venue which will hold a state wrestling tournament for the first time in over 20 years.

"This group doesn't feel any pressure at all as far as I can see," Filius said. "They are ready to go. They are as focused and relaxed a team I've ever had, and I think they are just ready to wrestle to the best of their abilities for the next two days."

Wrestling to the best of their abilities just might get HHS yet another state title. The Ponies came into the last weekend's Central A meet in Havre as the second-ranked team in the state, but they upended top-ranked Belgrade for the divisional championship and got 17 wrestlers through to this weekend's state meet. And while many prognosticators have pointed to Belgrade as the team to beat this season, especially since the Panthers nearly knocked off HHS at last year's state tourney, it's still the Ponies who are the team to beat, until someone actually does.

And with teams like Corvallis, Glendive, Miles City, Polson and Ronan all bringing deep teams, with top-notch wrestlers to Butte this weekend, team points will get spread around, giving Havre a chance to once again assert its dominance, if the Ponies can do what they seemingly always do at state.

"We haven't paid attention to what anyone else has really done this year," Filius said. "We know there are a lot of good kids out there and a lot of good teams. Obviously, we've seen Belgrade enough to know what they're capable of. But we've been focused on ourselves all season long and it's worked for us. And we're approaching this week the same way. We are just going to go into every match and try to wrestle to the best of our abilities and if we do that, all that other stuff will take care of itself."

The keys to Havre's past success at the state meet will be the same this weekend. The Ponies' big guns will need to get to the finals, while the younger wrestlers will be called upon to step up and place, and make sure they can score as many points in the wrestlebacks as possible. But Havre is bringing perhaps its youngest team to state in the last 10 years, with four freshman competing and seven grapplers who will be making their first trip to state.

Still, Filius said that he has the utmost confidence in his young group, especially after seeing what they did last weekend in Havre.

"I'm really excited about what our young kids did at divisional," Filius said. "They showed they can compete at the highest level when the pressure is really on. What our freshmen group did last weekend was really something I was pleased with, so I expect they will do the same this weekend.

"I think every year, we've had kids who step up and surprise us at state," he added. "And I expect that will happen again. And I know they are all going in there with the same goal, and they are ready."

Havre's young group includes freshmen Nate Kennelly (18-16) at 105 pounds, Thomas Gruber at 125 pounds, Jacob Williams at 152 pounds and Tyler Adams (31-12) at heavyweight. Other first-timers include Riley LaBuda at 140 pounds, Grant Pattison at 160, and Dustin Odegard at 215. That group has a chance to really help push the Ponies this weekend.

But the veterans will also have something to say about this weekend's outcome.

Senior Duell Stadel (34-0) will look to cap off a perfect season at 119 pounds and is trying for back-to-back state titles. Stadel won at 112 last year. His toughest competition will likely come from Belgrade's Bryce Weatherston, who he beat in the divisional final last weekend. Eli Hinebauch () has been to two straight state finals, but has come up short both times. He's a heavy favorite to win at 145 this weekend, but he's got plenty of competition in his way, including Lewistown rival Rex Martin, as well as Riley Nagel of Corvallis and Dilan Starkel of Dillon. And if the 145-pound class wasn't tough enough, HHS's Kameron Pribyl (35-6) is in this year's premier bracket. Pribyl has to be considered one of the favorites at 152, and has had an outstanding season. But his bracket includes two-time defending state champion Shane Cooley of Miles City, as well as top-ranked Brad Nordhal of Frenchtown and Corvallis' Quincy Jessop, all former state placers.

At 171 pounds, junior Casey Schaub (22-2) is also a two-time state placer, and despite missing a good portion of the season with injury, Schaub come into the weekend as the top-ranked wrestler at 171. Justin Ricker of Belgrade, who Schaub beat for the 171 divisional title will be his chief competition this weekend, but he also has standouts like Hamilton's Troy Capp and Ronan's Cole McCarthur to deal with. Havre should be strong in the upper weights with Jared Ruttkofsky at 189 pounds and Adams and Kolton Lodge at heavyweight. But it's senior Josh Salapich (215) who is gunning for a big weekend in Butte. Salapich has come on strong of late and will battle it out at 215 pounds with the likes of Dillon's Zeke Koslosky, Glendive's Trevor Conrad and Belgrade's Austin Reyher, who he pinned in the divisional final last weekend.

Back in the lower weights, the Ponies have a pair of strong contenders in sophomore Gilbert Bara (33-10) at 112 pounds and junior Dillon Seely (35-9) at 135, as well as junior Zack Smith (32-12) at 130 pounds. All three have state tournament experience and could make deep runs to the podium in Butte.

So as its stands, Havre has the depth many people thought the Ponies wouldn't have this weekend. They also have experience and have several legitimate state title contenders to go along with a host of talented newcomers. But a fifth straight title won't come easy with so many talented teams on the mat. And all Filius is looking for over the next two days will be for his 17 wrestlers to give their all, like they always do.

"It's going to be a close race team-wise," Filius said. "I don't think that will be a surprise to anyone. But we don't look at all that or worry about it. We go into each match focused on what we can control and that's wrestling up to our capabilities. If we do that, things will work out."

The 2011 Class A state tournament, which was moved to Butte due to the devastating tornado that struck the Billings Metra last summer, will get underway Friday morning at 10 a.m. at the Butte Civic Center. The tournament will conclude with the championship round at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Havre High

gunning for five in a row in Butte

Havre High first-round matches at the Class A State

Wrestling Tournament

105 – Nate Kennelly vs Taylor Martin, Polson; 112 – Gilbert Bara vs Kyle Tray, Whitefish; 119 – Duell Stadel vs Aaron Seefeldt, Libby; 135 – Thomas Gruber vs Mitch Haugen, Libby; 130 – Zack Smith vs Marty Etchemendy, Miles City; 135 – Dillon Seely vs Austin Cannon, Laurel; 140 – Riley LaBuda vs Tommy Cooper, Laurel; 145 – Eli Hinebauch vs Jesse Albrecht, Laurel; 152 – Jacob Williams vs George Smith, Billings Central; 160 – Grant Pattison vs Jesse Nelson, Dillon; 171 – Casey Schaub vs Zech Deras, Whitefish; 189 – Jared Ruttkofsky vs Taylor Scholler, Anaconda; 215 – Josh Salapich vs Jordan Zuratt, Frenchtown; 215 – Dustin Odegard vs Mike Wiegert, Anaconda; HWT – Tyler Adams vs Dan Morstein, Dillon; HWT – Kolton Lodge vs DeVante Wilson, Frenchtown.