State Wrestling 2018: SEEKING NUMBER SIX

When the Havre High wrestling team arrives in Billings this weekend for the All-Class State Tournament, there will be a lot of familiarity. One thing, however, that won't be familiar for the Blue Ponies is the role of underdogs.

It might seem strange for the five-time defending Class A state champions to come into the state tournament as an underdog, but after a dominant regular season for Sidney, the Eagles will come in as the favorite, and when the action gets underway Friday at 10 a.m., inside the Rimrock Auto Arena at the Metra, they will be the team with the target on their backs.

"They (Eagles) are a really solid team," HHS head coach Scott Filius said of Sidney. "I didn't expect us to get beat the way that we did in divisionals, but I was happy with our kids. They did get a few extra matches at the beginning and had some kids place higher than we did, so that helped with their margin."

Filius is referring to the Eastern A Divisional, which was held last weekend in Belgrade. The Ponies came into the tournament as the two-time defending champions, but finished second behind Sidney by a total of 84 points. In all, the Eagles crowned three champions and qualified 17 for state. Havre still had eight finalists, but just two individual champions at divisionals. HHS also qualified 14 for state. Yet, in terms of being an underdog, Filius said it wasn't something he or his team has thought about.

"You want your kids to do as well as they can," Filius said. "Whether you are the lead dog or the second dog. You want to do as well as you can with all of your kids and that's how we are approaching it."

While the Ponies aren't as strong or as deep as they have been in the past, Havre still has a bunch of wrestlers capable of reaching the podium, starting with Martin Wilkie, Tyler Schaub and Quinn Reno, who are all former individual state champions. Wilkie will be looking to win his third consecutive championship and will attempt to do so in the 145-pound weight class.

Schaub, who was unable to compete at state in 2017, won an individual state title in his last appearance in 2016 and will be a favorite to reach the top of the podium again this time around. He enters the tournament as the top-ranked wrestler at 205 pounds and has been basically all season.

"We get Tyler Schaub back," Filius said. "He was a state champion two years ago and wasn't able to wrestle last year. I would expect big things from him."

Reno, who won at 103 pounds last season, will be wrestling at 120 pounds and will have to contend with a tough bracket, as well as his teammate Ryan Stewart, who is also in the 120-pound weight class.

Stewart is one of three Havre seniors who will be competing this weekend. So far, Stewart has built an impressive state tournament resume. He has been part of three state championship teams and has also reached the podium three times. But this time, he has just one goal in mind: winning a state championship.

"It's kind of now or never," Stewart said. "If I don't get it this time, I will never be able to say I was a state champion. I want to leave it all out there on the mat. I want to be throwing elbows all tournament and leaving no room for mistakes, then when it's all said and done, I can't regret my senior state tournament."

Of course, there is always pressure at the state tournament, but in his last shot at winning a state championship, Stewart said he didn't feel any extra weight on his shoulders.

"I don't think there is anymore pressure than last year," Stewart said. "I look at the state tournament as I do every year, the pinnacle of the season. It is a little tougher knowing it's my last year, but I am just going out there to wrestle and I am really ready to go."

Stewart defeated Reno in the semifinals last week, before finishing runner-up at the Eastern A, so both should be in contention again at state. However, Stewart is far from the only Havre wrestler gunning for a first individual championship. Lane Paulson, who was a runner-up at state last season, will try again to get over the hump at 138 pounds, while Connor Harris and Mason Dionne, two sophomores that finished third at state a season ago, also have high expectations. Harris will wrestle at 152 pounds, while Dionne will go at 170.

Joining Dionne in the 170-pound class will be senior Jazz Schroeder, who will attempt to reach the podium for the first time in his career. Another who has a shot to finish in the top six is Marc Ramirez. The 126-pounder overcame an injury to gut out a sixth-place showing at divisionals and after coming up one win short of the podium a year ago in Billings, he is plenty motivated to take another run at it. Austin Ratliff, who like Ramirez came up one win short of the top six in 2017, looks like a strong bet to place after finishing third at divisionals.

Another contender in Havre's loaded sophomore class is Cameron Pleninger, who was second at the Eastern A and at state in 2017, losing to Reno in the 103-pound championship. He and freshman Dylan Young will be part of the bracket at 113 pounds.

Young is one of two Havre freshmen who will make their state-tournament debut. The other is 103-pound wrestler Mick Chagnon. Chagnon has been highly ranked all season long and is fresh off a runner-up finish at divisionals. He might not be the favorite to win at 103 pounds, but with a win over the top-ranked wrestler at his weight, he shouldn't be counted out either.

"I think we have a pile of guys that are going to do well this weekend," Filius said. "We have four guys who were in the finals last year and I predict big things for all of them. We had a couple more guys that were in for third and fourth, so I would expect those guys to do well also."

In terms of the team competition, Sidney isn't the only team Havre has to worry about. Lewistown was a close third at the Eastern A and with multiple individuals having a chance to win individual titles, the Eagles aren't a team that can be overlooked. Neither can Frenchtown, the Western A champion or Polson, another team that could contend for a trophy.

However, while many see Sidney as the favorite going into this weekend, Havre has won five state championships in a row for a reason and the Ponies aren't going to give it up without a fight. In fact, they seem to be relishing the role of underdog.

"It's kind of nice," Stewart said. "We are used to carrying that number-one ranking and having all the pressure on us to be the best all the time. So being No. 2 is almost kind of an advantage because we don't have to deal with the pressure of having to go out there and be the best. Instead, it's 'let's go out there and beat the best.' And with the guys that we have, we could score more bonus points than Sidney and possibly shorten that gap down or maybe even beat them. We can at least get closer than it was (at divisionals). I think our guys and their guys are kind of even with how many are going to place, so it's kind of a blessing and a curse to be ranked No. 2 right now."

While the Ponies were beaten handily by Sidney at the divisional tournament, winning a state championship is an entirely different animal. Stewart said the Ponies believe they can place about as many as Sidney. Then, it will come down to who can place higher and who can get more bonus points, via pins, technical falls and major decisions. When it's all said and done, the winner there will likely walk away with a state championship.

"Our team, we know how to get bonus points and how important they are," Stewart said. "We have thought and talked about it. With the guys that we have, we all know what it means and how to score bonus points. We have been through the Mining City (duals), where bonus points are really important, we just have to go out there and actually execute it."

Havre's quest for a sixth consecutive Class A state championship will begin Friday at 10 a.m. The finals will take place Saturday afternoon inside the Rimrock Auto Arena at the Metra.