Test: Big weekend for Blue Pony grapplers

Ever since the Christmas break, the Havre High wrestling team has been looking to square off against some high-end competition, outside of themselves at least. And after competing in just one meet in the last month, the Blue Ponies are finally going to get the opportunity they have been waiting for.

The Ponies, who are coming off a 13th consecutive title at the Cut Bank Invitational last weekend, will not only face some difficult competition this week, they will see the best that the state of Montana has to offer. First, the Ponies, who are the defending Class A state champs, will travel to Great Falls to take on Class AA state champion Great Falls High in a head-to-head dual. The first match is set for tonight at 5:30.

Following their dual against the Bison, the Ponies will then compete in the annual Jug Beck Rocky Mountain Classic, an invitational tournament in Missoula that features not only the top teams from Montana, but some from Idaho and Washington as well. The meet will begin Friday and continue through Saturday.

"We have been spending a lot of time in the (wrestling) room against each other," HHS head coach Scott Filius said. "We did get some matches last week and that was good, but we really need a grind."

While the Ponies are definitely looking forward to competing in the prestigious Jug Beck after finishing second in the meet a year ago, they might be even more anxious to get back on the mat against the Bison, who came to Havre and took first place in the Havre Invitational to start the season Dec. 6.

"We match up well with them (Bison)," Filius said. "We will have some of our good kids going against some of their good kids. They are great competition. They are the best team in the state, so it's the perfect dual for us at this time of year.

"The nice part about wrestling them is they are just physical," He added. "So you have to either come out of your shell or you are going to take a whipping."

Havre will be taking its usual lineup to Great Falls. A lineup that includes three individual state champions in Parker Filius at 145 pounds, Jace Billy at 205 pounds and Jase Stokes at 160 pounds. All three wrestlers are also currently ranked No. 1 in their respective weight classes.

The rest of the Pony lineup will feature Ryan Stewart at 103 pounds, Dylan Stewart at 120 pounds, Logan Pleninger at 126 pounds, Grayson Brenna at 132 pounds, Dane Flammond at 138 pounds, Kody Pribyl at 152 pounds, Tyler Schaub at 170 pounds, John Chinadle at 182 pounds and Travis Adams in the heavyweight division. Adams and Brenna join Billy, Stokes and Filius as top-ranked wrestlers that will compete in Great Falls. Havre will have an open spot at 113 pounds.

After going head-to-head against the Bison, Havre will travel to Missoula for the Jug Beck. Keegan Kennelly, who won Havre's only individual title at the meet last season, will not be in action but the Ponies will still have more than enough talent on hand to compete for the team title.

Yet, winning the team competition will be easier said than done, especially with all the Class AA schools, outside of Billings, expected to attend, along with the Western A, which features the third-ranked team from Class A in Columbia Falls.

That means that the top-ranked Ponies will have their work cut out for them this weekend and with the state meet now less than a month away, there is no better way to prepare than by getting battle tested against the toughest wrestling field in Montana.

"It's tougher than our state tournament," Filius said. "You bring in those Spokane schools and the Idaho schools, as well as the Western A, Western B-C and most of the good AA teams and it's tougher than our state tournament. But that's why you go."

The action starts between Havre and Great Falls tonight at 5:30 at the Swarthout Fieldhouse in Great Falls. The Ponies will then compete at the Jug Beck Rocky Mountain Classic Friday and Saturday in Missoula.