Ponies Complete 3-peat

BILLINGS -- Nothing came easy for the Havre High wrestling team on day two of the All-Class state meet.But in the end, the Blue Ponies prevailed, winning a third straight Class A state title thanks to the hard work and perseverance that has long defined their program.

After a record-setting day on Friday at the Rimrock Auto Arena at the Metra Park in Billings, Havre looked like a shoe in to three-peat. Yet, the Sidney Eagles made an early charge that tightened the race for the Class A title before the Ponies pulled away with an 11-2 finish in the consolation rounds and by totaling five individual state champions. Havre wound up taking home the title with a record-breaking 297 points, compared to 268 for the Eagles. Columbia Falls was a distant third.

"This one was fun," HHS head coach Scott Filius said. "The kids worked their tails off. Sidney came back and made it interesting but the kids just kept working and that was the difference."

At one point, Sidney trimmed the Havre lead to three at 243-240 after the semifinals but after that, the Ponies put it into over drive. From that point on, Havre posted a 16-3 record. And when Jase Stokes notched a pin over Doug Rooney of Sidney in the 160-pound final, the championship was clinched.

In addition to Stokes, Grayson Brenna (132), Parker Filius (145), Jace Billy (205) and Travis Adams (heavyweight) all claimed individual crowns. Gunnar Aageson finished second at 145 after losing to Filius, while Ryan Stewart (103), Logan Pleninger (138), Dane Flammond (138) and Jordan Schroder (182) all got third.

Kody Pribyl (152) and Tyler Schaub (170) each finished fourth and Keegan Kennelly finished fifth at 120 pounds. John Chinadle, Dylan Stewart and Jazz Schroeder also contributed points along the way for HHS.

Not only was it Havre's third consecutive title, it was also the seventh in nine years for the Ponies, who continued their dominance of Class A wrestling.

For full coverage, please see Monday's edition of the Havre Daily News.