Road to Billings: Ponies head to Central A

After nearly two months of competing on the mats across the state of Montana and even in Idaho, the Havre High wrestling team is finally getting to the meets that matter most. And it starts with the Blue Ponies getting set to defend their Central A Divisional championship at the divisional meet this weekend in Livingston.

The Ponies, who are the top-ranked team in Class A, as well as the two-time defending state champions, will begin their quest for a third straight state title this weekend, as the divisional meet is used to qualify individual wrestlers for state.

Havre will take 16 wrestlers to Livingston to compete against Central A rivals Belgrade, Lewistown, Livingston and Browning. The Ponies will be open in the 113-pound weight class but will have every other spot in the lineup filled and will double up in four weights classes.

While there are no teams that should threaten the Ponies in the race for the team championship, there will be some talented individuals who have the ability to challenge Havre wrestlers, particularly from Belgrade and Lewistown.

"There are some good kids from Lewistown and some good kids from Belgrade, I don't know of any from Livingston and there are a couple scrappy kids from Browning," HHS head coach Scott Filius said. "Our focus is going to be on doing as well as we can individually. We can lay seven or eight eggs and still find a way to win but we want to go out and lay zero eggs."

The Havre lineup will have a familiar feel this week, and as usual will feature a number of highly ranked wrestlers. At the top of the lineup, the Ponies will have Ryan Stewart at 103 pounds. HHS will be open at 113 pounds and will have both Dylan Stewart and top-ranked Keegan Kennelly at 120 pounds.

At 126 pounds will be Logan Pleninger and at 132 pounds will be No. 1 Grayson Brenna, who has lost just twice this season. Brenna also took home first-place at the Jug Beck Rocky Mountain Classic, which is one of the most prestigious tournaments in Montana, back on Jan. 17 in Missoula.

In addition to Brenna, the Ponies will also feature Jazz Schroeder at 132 pounds in one of the four weight classes in which Havre will double up. At 138 pounds, Havre will have Dane Flammond. At 145 pounds, the Ponies will have top-ranked Parker Filius as well as senior Gunner Aageson.

Kody Pribyl will fill the spot at 152 pounds, followed by Jase Stokes at 160 pounds, where he is the defending individual champion as well as Class A's top-ranked wrestler. The 171-pound class will be another weight class where the Ponies will have two individuals competing and they will be freshman Tyler Schaub and senior John Chinadle.

Jordan Schroeder, who has spent much of the year trying to get healthy after an injury cost him a good chunk of his junior and senior seasons, will man the 182-pound weight class for Havre. And rounding things out for the Ponies will be top-ranked Jace Billy at 205 pounds as well as No. 1 Travis Adams in the heavyweight class.

While the divisional meet is an important one for the Ponies in terms of qualifying wrestlers for state, it shouldn't be big a challenge for HHS teamwise, particularly after Havre has already conquered some of the most difficult fields in Montana, like the Jug Beck, where HHS walked away with the team title.

"I don't think the kids are really that pumped about it," Filius said. "I think they might be a little more so just because they know it gets us that much closer to where we want to be. But other than that, I don't think they are treating it any differently.

"The main focus is just making sure that we get all our kids through (to state)," he added. "And I would be shocked if that didn't happen. But it is also important to do well because the higher that you finish at divisionals, the easier match you get to open with at state, at least theoretically."

In order for an individual to qualify for the state wrestling meet, which will take place Feb. 13-14 in Billings at the Metra, they will need to finish in the top-four this week at divisionals. The 2015 Central A meet, which runs all day Saturday in Livingston, will also be the last of its kind. Next season, the Eastern A and Central A will combine for the Eastern Divisional tournament.