Step One: Pony grapplers head to Eastern A Divisional

The regular season has come to an end for the Havre High wrestling team, which now has its sights set on the postseason. With a combination of young and hungry grapplers to experienced, hardware-seeking veterans, the Blue Pony matmen have a lot of plans to end the season on a good note.

Havre's first stop in the postseason is the Eastern A Divisional Tournament in Lewistown Saturday. After some ups and downs in the regular season, the Ponies will have even more intense competition ahead of them. After all, the Eastern A is filled with rough and tumble teams ready to punch their ticket to the Class A State Tournament Feb. 14-15 in Billings.

Needless to say, the postseason will not be easy for Havre, but HHS head coach Beau LaSalle is ready to see his team give it their all against the rest of the Eastern A.

"The East is a tough division," LaSalle said. "In most weights, you've got quite a few ranked wrestlers coming from the east, so we get a preview of what state is going to be. It gives us a chance to see some of those guys that we haven't and get ourselves in a position to have a good week next week."

The Ponies have been putting in work throughout the regular season to prepare for the showdown in Lewistown, which has led many Havre matmen to be recognized by their competition and earn them a ranking among their respective weight classes.

In the 113-pound weight class, junior Mick Chagnon is ranked second among the state. Senior Cameron Pleninger is ranked third in the 126-pound weight class, while fellow senior Connor Harris is ranked first among the 152-pound weight-class and in the 160-pound weight-class, sophomore Orion Thivierge is ranked second in the state. Overall, the Blue Ponies are ranked sixth in Class A.

Havre's lineup for the Eastern A Divisional Tournament is also set, as the Ponies will try to qualify as many grapplers for state as possible.

Senior Joey Bender will be competing in the 103-pound weight-class, Chagnon will compete at 113, Riley Pleninger and Hunter Velk will be in the 120-pound weight-class, Dominick Perkins and Cameron Pleninger will be competing at 132, Kendall Pleninger is lined up in the 138-pound weight-class, Kale VanCampen is listed in the 145-pound weight-class, Randy Tommerup and Harris compete in the 152-pound weight-class, Wyatt Hanson and Thivierge will wrestle at 160, Brayden Stadell is listed in the 182-pound weight-class and Cole Adams will compete in the 285-pound weight class.

Havre has high hopes to do well in Lewistown Saturday, and LaSalle is aiming for that goal, too.

"I think for us it's getting everybody qualified for state," LaSalle said. "We want to get everybody to place in the top eight and then just get our guys placed as high as they can. The higher we place this weekend the better the odds are in that first round at state of having a little bit of an easier match and the better they set themselves up for Friday at state."

The Ponies will once again meet up with tough teams they have faced before this season, as well. Along with top-ranked Sidney, teh Eastern A is loaded with strong teams like Lewistown, Miles City, Glendive and Laurel, among others. Individually, Zander Dean of Sidney is dominating at 113, Cooper Birdwell from Lewistown has been consistent in the 126-pound weight-class, Livingston's Cade Gubler sits atop the 138, and Miles City's Tyler Harms has been a force in the 285-pound weight-class.

All the strong teams in the Eastern A will not go down so easily, and LaSalle knows that every team will be giving it their best.

"Just judging from the Class A Duals, it's kind of the most even that it's been in a long time as far as teams go," LaSalle said. "Other than Sidney. They're way out front. But, Lewistown, Laurel, Miles City all have good squads. Glendive's got some good kids in quite a few weights, so they're another team. It should be a good tournament."

The top eight wrestlers from eight weight will qualify for the state tournament, as will the top eight from each weight from this weekend's Western A.

The postseason kicks off for Havre Saturday in Lewistown for the Eastern A Divisional Tournament, where it aims to have the team punch their tickets to the Class A State Tournament in Billings Feb. 14-15.