HHS grapplers look to mine gold in Butte

The trip to Butte in early December has become a tradition for the Havre High wrestling team. And it’s one that will continue this season the Blue Ponies will compete in the Butte Central Mixer and the Mining City Duals once again.

Havre will start its busy thee-day stretch of wrestling today when they compete in the Butte Central Mixer. Then, starting Friday, HHS will take part in the Mining City Duals, a two-day meet held in Butte. The Ponies will take on Missoula Hellgate at 10 a.m., Belgrade at 1:30 p.m., and Helena Capital at 5:30 p.m., all of the first to determine seeding for the tournament Saturday.

“Normally at this time of year, we are really focusing on conditioning,” HHS head coach Scott Filius said. “But actually, I am pretty pleased with our conditioning right now, so we are just looking to get more hard-nosed every time each and every week.”

While the varsity kids are the only ones who will get to compete Friday and Saturday, all of Havre’s wrestlers, if healthy, will take part in the Butte Central Mixer. The Ponies will compete with teams like Butte Central, Anaconda, Hamilton, Stevensville and others from the area.

“There aren’t any team scores or anything like that,” Filius said. “It’s just a chance to get off the bus and wrestle. They mix kids up and everybody should get at least two matches.”

Wrestling for Havre in the Butte Central mixer will be Ryan Stewart (113), Lane Paulson (120), Martin Wilkie (120), Logan Pleninger (132), Kody Pribyl (138), Jazz Schroeder (145), Kollin Nystrom (145) Parker Filius (152), Dane Flammomd (160), Taylor Gopher (160), Jared Laux (170), Walter White (170), Austin Ratliff (170), Jase Stokes (182), Tyler Schuab (205), as well as a group of heavyweights that features Travis Adams, Jared Sienkowski, John Berg and Brock Smith.

After taking part in the mixer, Havre will get to take part in the Mining City Duals, which is a meet that coach Filius called one of his favorites.

“We always get good matches,” Filius said. “The Mining City Duals is always a great tournament and the best part is that you advance as a team and you go back as a team. So there is a lot of growth that goes on this weekend, it’s probably my favorite tournament in terms of watching the kids improve.”

The tournament will feature every Class AA school as well as a number of top schools from Class A. Last season, the Ponies won their second consecutive Mining City championship, edging out Great Falls High for the victory.

If Havre is going to repeat, it will need a solid performance from a lineup that is down two spots as HHS will be open at 103 pounds and 126 pounds. Yet, the Ponies will Havre Stewart at 113, Wilkie at 120, Pleninger at 132, Pribyl at 138, Schroeder at 145, Parker Filius at 152, Flammond at 160, White at 170, Stokes at 182, Schaub at 205 and Adams at heavyweight.

Depending on how the Ponies do Friday, they will either be in the winner’s bracket or the loser’s bracket Saturday. From there it is a single-elimination tournament until a champion is crowned.

After winning the team title at the Havre Invitational, the Ponies should get a sterner test in Butte. The Butte Central Mixer is today, while the Mining City Duals begin Friday at 10 a.m. and will conclude Saturday.