State Wrestling 2014: George Ferguson Column: No complaining: State wrestling is too fun

I swear I don’t like to lie. I actually try not to. But I have to confess, around this time last year, I actually told one.

I wrote in my pre-state wrestling tournament column about how I wasn’t going to Billings and about how it was likely a one-time deal. I was wrong and I guess you could chalk it up as at least a little white lie.

Now, wrestling fans, don’t worry, the Havre Daily News will once again be on the scene at the Billings Metra from the National Anthem Friday morning until the last match of the tournament Saturday night. We pride ourselves on our high school wrestling coverage, and once against we’ll do it right.

But, for the second straight state tournament, I won’t be on the floor of the Rimrock Auto Arena. No, that privilege will once again go to veteran sports writer and ace photographer Daniel Horton.

Now, in last year’s column, I got a little whiny about not making the trip to Billings. But just like I won’t make any predictions about whether or not I’ll be going back, as I’ve learned my lesson there, I promise I won’t whine about not going this year in the next few paragraphs.

Instead, I’ll just let you all know about the things you’ll probably see, and things I hope happen this weekend in Billings, in what I consider the greatest high school sporting event in Montana.

I hope fans get to see three extremely exciting team races. Sure, the Havre Blue Ponies are primed for a repeat state championship, but as someone who’s covered the sport for a long time now, you just don’t count out the Sidney Eagles in Billings. Havre is a juggernaut, Havre is the heavy favorite, but make no mistake, Sidney won’t just step aside this weekend in Billings, just the like the Blue Ponies haven’t during the Eagles’ dominant runs in the past.

I also think you’ll see a closer-than-expected race in the AA meet as well. Like Havre, Great Falls High, under head coach Steve Komac, has been an absolute beast this season. But Billings Skyview is deep enough and will have a monster fan base, and the Falcons will push the Bison.

I think, in both the AA and A races things will be closer than most fans might have expected back in December. But it will be pretty cool to see the Bison and Blue Ponies at the top of the podium again this season, especially given how much history and how many connections there are between the two programs.

As for the B-C race, I think you’ll see Chinook get its Class C title back, while Harlem will push to be in the upper tier of the final B-C standings.

Individually, I’m hoping to see a big contingent of Hi-Line kids in the Parade of Champions at 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon. I’m hoping to see plenty of Blue Pony blue, and some Harlem maroon and Chinook orange in the finals. With how talented wrestling has gotten in our area, there’s a high probability for a strong Hi-Line contingent in the finals.

Of course, I also want to see as many Havre kids win state championships as possible, but what we’re all looking forward to is seeing if HHS freshman Parker Filius can take the first step toward being Havre’s first four-time state champion in decades. Filius has been everything we thought he’d be and more. He’s had a great season, and he’s gotten better each and every week. But winning a state title as a freshman, at his weight isn’t an easy proposition, and it will be a lot of fun to watch him go for that feat this weekend.

Well, Daniel will have a lot of fun watching it anyway.

No, as always, the all-class state tournament will be a lot of fun. It’s very hard to predict what will happen, but it’s not really going out on a limb to say it will be exciting and it will be fun. That’s a given.

The state tournament is a great event, it’s unique and it’s special. In fact, in Montana, there’s nothing else like it, maybe with the exception of the annual Cat-Griz football game.

So, even from Havre, and Saturday night when I’m covering basketball in Rocky Boy, I plan on enjoying this weekend. Instead of whining about not going, I’m going to just be glued to computers and my phone and Twitter as the results pour in.

Instead of whining and fretting over not being there, I’m going to enjoy one of the best sporting events around from afar. I’m going to enjoy it, just like the thousands and thousands of Montanan’s who will be in Billings this weekend.

It’s state wrestling week, and whining isn’t an option anymore.