Lights loaded for a run on the mat

The Montana State University-Northern wrestling team is about to get a brand new season underway. And while there will be some new faces on the mat for the powerful Lights this season, some things remain the same.

In particular, the Lights, who fought through an injury-plagued 2014-15 season to finish eighth at last spring NAIA national tournament, are under the leadership of veteran head coach Tyson Thivierge. And, they have a host of experienced wrestlers returning to lead a deep and talented MSU-N squad.

Northern starts the new season ranked No. 5 in the NAIA Coaches Poll.

"This team has the most depth we've had since I've been here," Thivierge said. "We have 30 guys in the room, and it's been really competitive so far. With the exception of two weight classes, we're going to be loaded with depth throughout our roster. We had the best recruiting class we've had since I've been here, and from the bottom, to the middle to the top of our lineup, we've got 1-2s at almost every weight. So this team has a lot of potential. And it's a really fun group to coach."

The Lights are indeed talented in many weight classes, but one thing is for sure, they are absolutely loaded once again in the upper weights, led by returning All-Americans Garrett DeMers and Toby Cheff.

DeMers, now a junior, was a runner up at 197 pounds a year ago, and he'll start the year ranked No. 1 in the NAIA. Cheff, who was the top heavyweight in the country for much of last season, returns for his senior season after finishing third at the national tourney a year ago.

"I think last year really motivated Garrett DeMers," Thivierge said. "He's come back a completely different wrestler than last spring. He's the epitome of a leader right now. He's verbal in the room, he's positive with all the young guys. His leadership has just been awesome. And obviously, Toby (Cheff) is the man at heavyweight. It's senior year and he expects big things from himself this season."

And while DeMers and Cheff are certainly Northern's big guns in the upper weights, they aren't alone. Willie Miller also returns, but will drop from 184 to 174. A broken jaw derailed his postseason. Still, the former Chinook star is expecting to have a huge season, just like his teammates in the upper weights.

"Willie lost a lot of weight after he broke his jaw and he just couldn't put it all back on," Thivierge said. "But he was 26-4 before he got hurt last year, and he'll be lethal for us this season."

At 165 and 184 pounds, the Lights will have a new look, especially at 165, where four-time All-American Ethan Hinebauch owned that spot for, seemingly, ever. This season, red-shirt freshman Andrew Bartel will step into the spot, while former Lewistown standout Jim Malone will also compete for time there. At 184, former Carroll College football and Choteau workhorse Jake French will likely get the nod, while former Sidney standout Dace Fisher, who played football for the Lights last season, will also compete for mat time there.

"Andrew (Bartel) is ready," Thivierge said. "He's a tough kid from Iowa. And he's very strong. At 184, everybody there is brand new. But it will be a fun one to watch. Jake French is a tough kid with a motor. He loves to attack. And as he gets healthy, he'll get better and better. But we have a lot of depth at that weight. So it's going to be interesting."

Depth is something the Lights definitely don't lack in the upper weights. At heavyweight, Thivierge also landed Taylor Kornoely, the 2015 NJCAA national heavyweight champion at North Idaho College. Kornoely is part of MSU-N's 2015 recruiting class that was ranked as one of the best non-NCAA Division I recruiting classes in all of collegiate wrestling.

"It's not every day you get a national champion like him," Thivierge said. "We've got a pretty good situation at heavyweight. Taylor's ready now, and we've got guys like Tyler Adams, Miguel Morales and William Ollinger waiting in the wings, too."

At 197 pounds, Stephen Hyatt, a Kotzebue, Alaska product, appears ready to emerge, while former Havre Blue pony Casey Schaub and Adam Hokenson also look to compete for roles in MSU-N's loaded upper weights, while another Kotzebue, Alaska native, Zach Haviland, will give the Lights more depth at 174.

But it isn't just the big guys who have Thivierge excited. The Lights have been dominant in the upper weights for years, but now Thivierge sees more balance in his lineup.

Senior Riley Miller will be back for the second half of the season at 125 pounds, while red-shirt senior Mhar Caballa is a star in the making at 125. Red-shirt freshmen Quintel Fuchs and Robert Pair only add to Northern's depth at 125.

At 133 pounds, the Lights will start a true freshman either way, but neither Blake Ivie or former Forsyth four-time state champion Matt Weber are wrestling like true freshmen right now.

"(133) is an interesting weight for us," Thivierge said. "We're going to have a freshman starting there. We'll most likely move Matt Weber up to 141, but for now, he and Ivie will both vie for that spot. Matt is a tough kid, with a great mentality. And Blake Ivie is a kid who is very much like Cameron Neiss was. Tall, lanky, tough and hard to score on."

At 141 pounds, MSU-N gets back senior Brenton Beard. He was injured for much of last season, and according to Thivierge, is now ready to roll.

"He's a senior now," Thivierge said of Beard. "He knows what to do. So, when we eventually move Matt up to 141, we're going to have two really talented kids at that weight."

Another Weber is locked in for the Lights at 149. Brandon Weber, a former three-time Class B-C state champion, red-shirted for MSU-N last season, and he'll join newcomer Drake Randall to give the Lights yet another loaded weight class.

"Brandon was here for half a year last year," Thivierge said. "And he's gotten much stronger in that time. He's a scrapper; he's got a great wrestling mentality. Brandon is going to be a nightmare matchup for people. Drake Randall is a kid from Lewiston, Idaho, that I've known all my life. He comes in here with the mentality of a second or third-year kid. He's tough as nails, and he's going to make that a very competitive weight class for us."

The Lights will also be competitive at 157 pounds, with the return of junior Tommy Cooper, a national qualifier a year ago. Cooper was a full-time starter for the Lights a season ago, but he'll have competition from the likes of Logan Foster, Austin Blaede and Brandon Gilham.

"Tommy looks really good right now," Thivierge said. "If he can find his consistency, he's going to go a long way this year."

And consistency throughout Northern's lineup will be the key to the Lights' success, both in tough duals like they will have against the likes of arch rivals UGF and Southern Oregon, as well as an exciting Feb. 12 dual against the famed Iowa Hawkeyes, as well as all the tough tournaments Northern will attend in the regular season, as well as the postseason next spring.

"I feel we're very balanced," Thivierge said. "We will be excellent in both duals and tournaments. Duals have always been lopsided for us, but this season, we've got the guys in the lower weights to change that."

While duals are exciting and always competitive, it's the last two tournaments of the year where Northern wants to be great. Thivierge's goal every year has been to get the Lights back to national championship contention, and while they did that in 2013 and 2014, he wants to see it come to fruition more often. And with the team he's putting on the mat this season, he feels like the sky is the limit for the Lights.

"This is as tight-knit a group as I've ever had," Thivierge said. "It's been so fun coaching them. They work their butts off every day. They want to get better, and they want to be great.

"And I think we're capable of a lot this season," he continued. "It's a deep team. We have 20 guys really vying for 12 spots come the postseason. So that's a pretty good problem to have as a coach. And we have a little of everything. We have experience, we have No. 1 guys, we have balance throughout our dual lineup, and we have a bunch of young guys who are willing to work hard and try and earn their keep. Winning in this program will always be important, and these guys want to win. They want to do great things. They want to go out and prove they can push the Grand Views and the Southern Oregon's, and they want to put trophies in the trophy case here. So we have a good thing going here right now."

The Lights open their season this Saturday at the Trapper Open in Powell, Wyoming. Northern's first home dual will take place Nov. 19 against Southern Oregon.