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From the first time Martin Wilkie put on a Blue Pony wrestling singlet, you could tell there was something special about him, and this weekend, at the All-Class state wrestling tournament, he will get one last chance to show just how special he is.

And if all goes to plan, Wilkie will make history inside the Rimrock Auto Arena at the Metra as he needs to just four more wins to become the 33rd four-time state champion in the history of the Montana High School Association.

"I am ready," Wilkie said. "I have been looking forward to it for a while now."

If Wilkie is successful, he will also find himself on par with Parker Filius and Jase Stokes, two of the greatest wrestlers in Blue Pony history and the only previous four-time champions Havre has ever had.

"He's as good as anyone that we have had," HHS head coach Beau LaSalle said. "We have our two four-timers, (Stokes and Filius) and he is right there with them. His technique is phenomenal. All of those guys had a little something different to them. Stokes was a gamer, when it was time to show up, he always did. Parker was just hard-nosed, his technique was perfect and he never let up. Martin has all that stuff and he's also a little more athletic. They are all great athletes, he just has a little more to him and he rates right there with the best Havre has ever had."

Of course, to clinch his spot on the Mount Rushmore of Havre High wrestling, Wilkie will first need to take care of business this weekend and even though lots of eyes will be watching him Friday and Saturday in the Metra, in Wilkie's mind, each match is just another match.

"It's just another tournament," Wilkie said. "I am just going to go out and wrestle like I always do. I just have to get ready to go for six minutes every match and take it one match at a time. It's no different than any other tournament that we compete at."

While Wilkie is as comfortable as anyone in the Metra now, when he first reached the big stage that is state wrestling, even he was a little awestruck.

"It took me by surprise a little bit," Wilkie said. "I was surprised to see how many people come out, but just when you look up and see everyone, it's eye-opening."

If Wilkie had any nerves during that first state tournament back in 2016, it sure didn't seem like it. He opened his state wrestling career with a 28-second pin. He would get three pins in that first tournament, including one over eventual state champion Caleb Birdwell. At the time, Birdwell was a sophomore and in the 120-pound final, Wilkie pinned his shoulders to the mat in just 3:15.

However, the two met one week earlier in the Eastern A Divisional final and in that match, Wilkie demonstrated for the first time his ability to stay cool under pressure.

"It's amazing to watch him," LaSalle said, "because he is just so comfortable. He is such a student of the sport that he just gets better and better at a different position. I saw it when he was a freshman against Birdwell (divisionals). He was down by two on top with about 20 seconds left and he picks him up and turns him for the win."

However, LaSalle said, that kind of thing isn't just reserved for Montana. In fact, LaSalle said he has seen Wilkie perform similarly in the crunch, even in some national tournaments.

"It was impressive how on the national stage he could do it," LaSalle said. "He found himself in some tight matches and he found a way to get a turn or a takedown. It's just on that big stage, in that big moment, he is comfortable."

Wilkie's ability to perform on the big stage at Havre High has been self-evident.

From his first divisional championship win over Birdwell to his first state championship over the same wrestler, Wilkie has repeatedly shined at the Metra. During his sophomore season, Wilkie again registered three pins in four matches on his way to a second championship. In the semifinals, he defeated Bridger Wenzel of Polson 6-0, a state runner-up in 2018, then pinned Clay Fisher of Butte Central in just 2:48. His three pins that weekend came in an average of 1:45.

"To me, Martin is as technically sound as any wrestler I have ever seen," long-time Havre High assistant Cliff Springer said. "I remember coaching him back in middle school and thinking some of the stuff he did wasn't right, but he just took and developed all that stuff and it's been fun to watch him grow. He's a sponge just like Parker (Filius) was."

While Wilkie was spectacular as a freshman, he got to be even better during his sophomore season and lost just one match on his way to the state title win over Fisher. As a junior, Wilkie continued to destroy the competition. He brought a 45-1 record into the state tournament and pinned his first three opponents in a combined 3:34 before winning an 8-2 decision over Ben Stortz of Glendive in the 145-pound final.

"He's so comfortable," Springer said. "When you watch him, he is so comfortable with where he's at, with his position. It's hard to get him beat. If you think you are in a good spot, he's got a way out of it and that's the best thing about him."

Springer, like LaSalle, also wrestled at Havre High, and also agreed that when it comes to the greats in Blue Pony history, Wilkie is on par with anyone.

"There is something about (Wilkie), Stokes and Parker," Springer said. "They just didn't beat the Class A guys, they beat everybody. That's another level and that's why you see guys like that going to Purdue (Filius) and Minnesota (Wilkie).

After three dominating seasons to start his Havre High career, Wilkie also started to make a name for himself on the national level and before his senior season even began, Wilkie committed to wrestle at the University of Minnesota, joining his former teammate Parker Filius, who wrestles at Purdue, in the Big Ten conference.

"I have to give Parker and Scott (Filius) a lot of credit," Wilkie said. "They taught me a lot and really showed me how to prepare. Parker really showed how to take care of your business."

It was hard to imagine Wilkie performing at an even higher level this season, but that's exactly what he's done and with four more wins, he can wrap up not only his fourth individual state championship but also his first undefeated season, as he will bring an impressive 42-0 mark into the Metra. Along the way, he has also captured some notable tournament championships, such as winning the Rocky Mountain Classic and taking home the Most Outstanding Wrestler award at the tournament for the second straight year.

Beyond that, Wilkie captured the only tournament title that had previously eluded him at Havre High and that was at the Tri-State wrestling tournament in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. In quite possibly the deepest field in the Northwest, Wilkie controlled each and every match and didn't even surrender a point on his way to the individual championship.

"I think that just speaks to his work ethic," LaSalle said. "He just has a tremendous ability to improve and not get complacent."

Complacency is one thing that isn't part of Wilkie's DNA. However, an unquenchable drive to succeed is and that, along with an innate ability to deliver when the lights shine brightest, has him just four wins away for quite possibly the most elite club in Montana high school sports.