Pony grapplers hyped for final home matches

As the shortened Havre High wrestling season nears its end, it's time for the Blue Ponies to honor their seniors. HHS will do so Saturday at the HHS gymnasium as they host Lewistown and Billings Central in a pair of dual meets.

The Ponies will also host Simms Friday night at the Havre Middle School. Laurel was also set to wrestle the Ponies Friday, but the Locomotives won't make the trip to Havre.

Still, regrdless of the opponents, it will be a special weekend for the Ponies.

The Ponies will have to rely on their senior wrestlers, Mick Chagnon and Hunter Velk, for leadership as they head into this busy weekend. However, HHS head coach Beau LaSalle also wants his seniors to stop and appreciate the little time they have left with the program.

"It goes by fast enough as it is, and sometimes we get caught up on what's going on, what we're doing on the daily," LaSalle said. "So just enjoy the moment of the last few weeks."

Chagnon has collected plenty of accolades throughout this career. He has won a state championship and is currently ranked the second-best wrestler in the 120-pound weight class in the state. As his career comes to an end, he wants to give it his all one last time for the Ponies.

"I'm definitely giving it my all this year. I'm not holding back on anything," Chagnon said. "I feel really good and I'm having fun this year since it's my last year, and I'm just working my hardest."

LaSalle credits Chagnon for being a steady addition to the Ponies' lineup.

"A kid like that in your lineup is a staple and you lean on him for his leadership of showing kids how to do it and what it takes. So he's meant a lot to our program," LaSalle said.

Velk looks forward to wrestling at HHS gymnasium one last time but wishes the season had not been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It's awesome to be home, to wrestle in front of the home fans for the last time, but it sucks because I wish I had another year," Velk said.

LaSalle acknowledged Velk's persistence throughout his career. Before his senior year, Velk had been in and out of the varsity lineup. It finally came together for his senior year as Velk fully became a part of the varsity lineup throughout the season.

"He's a kid that is an example of just staying after it," LaSalle said. "Just being able to stick with it and show up every day and work hard. That's a testament itself."

The Ponies have other notable wrestlers hitting the mats this weekend. Ranked third in both of their respective weight classes are Kale VanCampen at 160 and Orion Thivierge in the 170-pound class. HHS also has Riley Pleninger, who is ranked sixth at 138.

The most-anticipated matchup for the Blue Ponies this weekend will be against the second-ranked team in the state, Lewistown. The Ponies hope to get the better of the Eagles this time after they lost to them, 41-27, in a dual Jan. 16.

"Really looking forward to another dual with Lewistown," LaSalle said. "We got some individual matchups that I thought we should've won last time. So getting a chance to wrestle those guys before divisionals again would be good."

The Eagles will put some of Montana's best wrestlers on the mat against the Ponies. The Eagles have two wrestlers ranked first in their weight classes with Landon Farrar in the 182 weight class and Cooper Birdwell in the 132 class. Lewistown also has Keaton Potter, ranked second in the 170 class, and Dylan Morris, third in the heavyweight class, to rely on.

The Ponies will also face off with Billings Central Saturday in another tough Eastern A dual.

The Ponies are coming off a dual meet Tuesday night where they defeated Glasgow 33-25 and then lost to Cut Bank 35-27 at the HHS gymnasium.

HHS won six of their nine matches against Glasgow. Chagnon (126) won with a pin 39 seconds into his match and Kendall Pleninger (145) won with a pin 45 seconds in. Other winning results for the Ponies include Riley Pleninger (138) winning 16-0, VanCampen (160) winning 6-4, Thivierge (170) winning 14-6 and Randy Tommerup (182) winning 3-1.

The Ponies did not have as much success against Cut Bank. Changnon won with a pin 46 seconds for Havre's first match win of the dual. Back-to-back pins by Riley and Kendall Pleninger cut the Wolves' lead to 21-18. A pin by VanCampen and an 8-1 victory from Tommerup kept the Ponies in the dual but it was not enough to win.

As the Ponies near the end of their season, they not only will be looking for postseason success, but they also hope they grow as a team and make each other better.

"I just want the whole team to motivate each other towards the end here and everybody build each other up," Chagnon said.

Havre's busy weekend starts against Simms at 4:30 p.m. Friday at the Havre Middle School. The action then moves to the Blue Pony Corral Saturday, when Havre faces Lewistown at 11 a.m. and Central at 1 p.m.