Ponies are Class A Dual champions

As the No. 1-ranked team in Class A wrestling, the Havre High wrestling team was expected nothing less than to be the best dual team in the division, too. And after five dominating duals and a team title, that is exactly what the Blue Ponies are.

The Central A Ponies spent the weekend on the road, competing in Lewistown at the annual Class A Duals. And while not every Class A team was in attendance, it was clear that the Ponies were the superior program, eventually knocking off Belgrade 55-25 in the championship dual.

All-in-all, the Ponies wrestled five duals over the two days.

Friday, HHS defeated three opponents in round-robin action. The Ponies defeated Hardin 66-21, Anaconda 65-18, and Miles City 82-6. The 3-0 romping of the competition put the Ponies in Saturday’s semifinals, where they also took down Laurel in impressive fashion, manhandling the Locomotives 75-10. The Ponies were near perfect on the weekend, individually and as a team. In five duals, the Ponies wrestled 75 matches and lost just 16 times.

HHS also only lost back-to-back matches on three occasions, making it extremely easy to dominate duals from start to finish over the two-day affair.

“We had a really good weekend. We doubled up Belgrade in the championship and I think that is always pretty good,” Havre High head coach Scott Filius said. “The kids wrestled really well all weekend, and we had a bunch of different kids step up. Jake Williams and Jase Stokes both had great weekends, and that was nice to see. But we also got a lot of matches for our junior varsity kids and I was pleased with everybody.”

Williams and Stokes haven’t been wrestling poorly this season, coach Filius just stated he has been waiting for them to settle into a groove of consistency. Both did that as both Stokes and Williams went 4-1 on the weekend. Both also finished off the weekend with wins. Against the Panthers, Stokes (152) earned a 14-3 major decision, while Williams won by falltin 5:18.

And after a great weekend, the majority of the HHS lineup finished up with wins over Belgrade in the championship dual.

Tate Munyan (98), Thomas Gruber (132), Gunnar Aageson (138), Jared Laux (160) and Dustin Odegard (182) all suffered losses in the finals, but still shined prior. Munyan finished the weekend 2-3 while Odegard finished 3-2, Gruber finished 4-1, Aageson finished 2-1, and Laux unfortunately finished 0-5, but gained a lot of experience. But also in the chipper, Keegan Kennelly (106), Logan Pleninger (113), Grayson Brenna (120), Dylan Stewart (126), Kody Pribyl (145), Tyler Adams (220) and Travis Adams (HWT) all came away with wins.

Kennelly earned a fall in 1:20, Brenna earned a fall in 1:19, Jace Billy earned a fall in 2:41, and Travis Adams earned a fall in just 29 seconds. Tyler Adams also earned a 3-2 decision, while Pleninger, Stewart and Pribyl all won by forfeit.

Kennelly, Pleninger, Brenna, Stewart, Billy and Tyler Adams also all finished the weekend with 5-0 records. Travis Adams and Pribyl both finished 4-1. Parker Filius also wrestled, but was in and out of the lineup to get Aageson some extra matches. Filius went 2-0.

The wins were important for the Ponies, but so was the chance to get kids extra work against competition the Ponies will see shortly at the state tournament.

“We got to see a lot of those kids that we will see at state and I was pleased with how our kids performed,” coach Filius said. “You always worry about things this time of year, about injury or whatever, but we are competing at a high level right now. I was really impressed with some of our kids.”

Tuesday the Ponies are back in action when they travel to Great Falls to dual the Class AA CMR Rustlers.

Class A Duals Championship

Havre 55, Belgrade 25

98: S Degen Belgrade p. T Munyan Havre: 1:38; 106: K Kennelly Havre p. B Rockwell Belgrade 1:20; 113: L Pleninger Havre by FF ; 120: G Brenna Havre p. S Noble Belgrade 1:19; 126: D Stewart Havre by FF ; 132: J Degen Belgrade Dec T Gruber Havre 7-6; 138: L Degen Belgrade major dec over G Aageson Havre 11-2; 145: K Pribyl Havre by FF ; 152: J Stokes Havre major dec over N Criner Belrade 14-3; 160: K Pickle Belgrade p. J Laux Havre 1:25; 170: J Williams Havre p. G Blewett Belgrade 5:18; 182: R Cunningham Belgrade p. D Odegard Havre 3:11; 195: J Billy Havre p. J Bryant Belgrade 2:41; 220: T Adams Havre dec B Blumenschein Belgrade 3-2; 285: T Adams Havre p. J Murillo Belgrade :29

Semifinals

Havre 75, Laurel 10

98: A Gontarek Laurel major dec over T Munyan Havre 12-2; 106: K Kennelly Havre by FF ; 113: L Plennigher Havre p. J Shovar Laurel 1:08; 120: G Brenna Havre dec C Carter Laurel 11-9 OT; 126: D Stewart Havre p. C Ludwig Laurel 1:22; 132: T Gruber Havre p. RJ Gill Laurel 2:46; 138: P Filius Havre p. B McBurney Laurel 1:00; 145: K Pribyl Havre p. T Bransetter Laurel :20; 152: J Stokes Havre p. J Prellar Laurel 3:18; 160: K Cannon Laurel p. J Laux Havre 3:11; 170: J Williams Havre p. J Jares Laurel :43; 182: D Odegard Havre p. K Howe Laurel :48; 195: J Billy Havre by FF ; 220: T Adams Havre by FF ; 285: T Adams Havre p. B Connolly Laurel :48

Havre 66, Hardin 21

98 Eric LaFontain (Hardin) p. Tate Munyon (Havre), 2:12; 106 Keegan Kennelly (Havre) by forfeit; 113 L. Pleninger (Havre) p. P. Risingsun (Hardin), 1:04; 120 G Brenna (Havre) won by forfiet; 126 D. Stewart (Havre) p. C Metcalf (Hardin), 4:29; 132 T Gruber (Havre) won by forfiet; 138 G Aggison (Havre) p. G Ramirez (Hardin), 4:45; 145 K Pribyl (Havre) p. P Tayne (Hardin), 5:222; 152 S Purcell (Hardin) defeated J Stokes (Havre) 9-5; 160 T Delp (Hardin) p. J Lauex (Havre), 1:09; 170 J Williams (Havre) p. C Fredricks (Hardin), 2:33; 182 C Murdock (Hardin) p. D Odegard (Havre), 3:22; 195 J Billy (Havre) p. X Scott (Hardin), :24; 220 T Adams (Havre) p. L Rides Horse (Hardin), :53; HWT T Adams (Havre) p. R Becker (Hardin), 3:12

Havre 65, Anaconda 18

98: T Munyon Havre: by forfeit ; 106: K Kennelly Havre p. C Meyer Anaconda 4:24; 113: L Pleninger Havre p. T Smollach Anaconda :57; 120: G Brenna Havre major d. over B Bisca 15-5; 126: D Stewart Havre p. S Ueland Anaconda :32; 132: T Gruber Havre p. D Vaughan Anaconda 1:27; 138: P Filius Havre p. B Thompson Anaconda 2:51; 145: B Armstrong Anaconda d. K Pribyl Havre 9-2; 152: J Stokes Havre p. M Maurimac Anaconda 5:47; 160: JJ Zenahlik Anaconda p. J Lauek Havre 3:37; 170: E Reich Anaconda d. J Williams Havre 4-0; 182: D Odegard Havre p. G Molina Anaconda 1:20; 195: J Billy Havre p. S Tweedy Anaconda 1:20; 220: T Adams Havre by forfeit; 285: B Wigert Anaconda p. T Adams Havre 3:48

Havre 82, Miles City 6

98: T Munyan Havre by forfeit; 103: K Kennelly Havre p. E Schaff MC :26; 113: L Plenninger Havre p. P Nesethon MC :33; 120: G Brenna Havre technical fall over B Blunahagen MC 16-1; 126: D Stewart Havre p. H Meged MC :22; 132: T Gruber Havre p. T Watts MC 3:06; 138: G Aageson Havre by forfeit; 145: K Prybil Havre p. W Smith MC :24; 152: J Stakes Havre p. S Salcido MC 1:39; 160: J Sundgren MC p. J Laux Havre 1:59; 170: J Williams Havre by forfeit; 182: D Odegard Havre by forfeit; 195: J Billy Havre by forfeit; 220: T Adams Havre p. C Dickman MC :32; 285: T Adams Havre p. A Bradford MC: :14.