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2015 State Wrestling Preview: Chinook, Harlem taking strong teams to Billings

There was a time, not long ago, that the Chinook Sugarbeeters owned the Class C wrestling ranks. Since its inception, the Beeters had won five Class C trophies at the Class B-C state wrestling tournament.

However, it’s been two years since the Beeters last claimed the state championship trophy in Billings, and this weekend, they want it back.

A year ago, Chinook was edged by Belt for the Class C state championship, but as seven Sugarbeeters descend on the Rimrock Auto Arena at the Billings Metra for this weekend’s Class B-C state tournament, Chinook is likely the favorite to reclaim the Class C only trophy.

“I think our chances are very good,” Chinook head coach Perry Miller said. “We qualified seven, I saw that Cascade qualified six. Some other schools qualified less than that but I think we are sitting in the driver's seat.”

Cascade, another strong program in the Class C ranks, along with Belt, will give Chinook the biggest push, but the Beeters have plenty of firepower throughout their lineup. The Beeters are led by sophomore Tate Niederegger at 132 pounds. Niederegger has been ranked No. 1 all season long, has lost just twice, and is returning to Billings as a state runner-up at 120 pounds from a year ago. And though the road to his first state title won’t be easy, it would be a stunner if Niederegger doesn’t walk away with Chinook’s first individual state championship in a couple of years.

"Tate is a phenomenal young man," Miller said. "He is very talented and he is at the top of his game right now. Obviously, when you get to the tournament, everyone is 0-0 but Tate is ready and he's eager to get there and wrestle and those are two of the key ingredients right there."

But Niederegger isn’t alone in Chinook’s quest for Class C supremacy. The Beeters have two grapplers at 182 pounds in Jesse Dannels and Kenneth Pruttis, both of whom could make significant noise this weekend, while Kevin Young should do very well at 205 pounds, and Jake Norby, who is making his third straight state tournament, can get on the podium at 145 pounds. Derek Bell (160) and Colton Liddle (113) round out Chinook’s lineup for the state tournament.

“To be honest, Jake Norby is wrestling very well," Miller said. "Kenny (Pruttis) and Jesse (Daniels) met in the finals and they are wrestling well. Kevin Young has the ability to thrive and run the field as well. Derek Bell is wrestling extremely well. We like our first round matchups and are just looking forward to getting there and wrestling. Five of our seven guys are in the top two spots so they will face three or four seeds. Honestly, I am not good at projections, I just want to get there and get started."

While projecting how his Beeters will fare isn’t easy, it’s easy to see that Chinook is the favorite in the Class C ranks. The same won’t be said for Harlem in the Class B ranks this weekend. The Wildcats, who pushed four wrestlers into the 2014 finals a year ago, and finished sixth overall, qualified six grapplers for the state tournament — a state tournament that will be the last for longtime Harlem head coach Lyle Faulkinberry, who is retiring after this weekend.

And though Harlem won’t be able to hang with the likes of powerhouses Forsyth, Choteau and defending B champion Colstrip this weekend, they do have a great chance to win a second straight individual title.

Harlem is led by 160-pound senior Brendan Johnson. He reached the 145-pound title match a year ago, before losing to now MSU-Northern wrestler Brandon Weber. This season, Johnson has gone 35-5, is ranked No. 1 in the state, and if he can get by Choteau’s Trey Stone in the semifinals, he’ll do what Seth Adams did a year ago, win a coveted individual state championship for Harlem.

Joining Johnson on Harlem’s state tournament team is heavyweight Denton Cornell, who should also score good points for the Wildcats this weekend, as well as fellow heavyweight Reece Hutton. T’Jay Allen (138) and Challence Jackson (113) also return to state for the second straight year, while Gavin Horn (113) rounds out the Harlem lineup.

“Now all of the other tournaments do not matter,” Faulkinberry said. “It is this weekend that everyone remembers. You have to be mentally prepared for this one because anything, and I mean anything can happen.”

Chester/J-I and Big Sandy are also sending grapplers to Billings this weekend, though neither team will have the depth to keep up in the team competition. C/J-I qualified Brendan May at 103 pounds, Sam Deffinbaugh at 152 and Brett Henke at 182, while the Pioneers are sending Josh Solf at 145 and Jacob Schuster at 170.

Meanwhile, glory is certainly on the minds of both Chinook and Harlem wrestlers this weekend in Billings. Both teams have potential individual state champions on their roster, while the Sugarbeeters are on a quest to claim yet another Class C title.

And both longtime head coaches, Miller at Chinook, and Faulkinberry at Harlem, couldn’t be more excited for the 2015 state tournament to begin.

"We talk about going to the Metra along with our regular practice, we incorporate that in," Miller said. "Most of our guys have wrestled there, so they know what that's like. But we talk about the mat being the same size. We have seen all the guys we will face or have common opponents or have seen them wrestle. We are excited to get down there and get to it.

“It is a great event, with all of the teams from around the state being there, the lights, the crowd, the atmosphere it can be overwhelming,” Faulkinberry added. “I don’t think that there is another event like this one. It always amazes me every time I am there. We talk to our wrestlers about the event and try to prepare them for what they will partake in and some of them will still be in awe once they get there.  I have been coaching at every All-Class State Tournament since the beginning and it always blows me away.

"We were proud of our team,” he added. “They have worked hard to get to this point. We are excited to get to the Metra and see what happens. This is the moment where all of the hard work and some of lady luck pays off.”

The 2015 Class B-C state tournament begins Friday morning inside the Rimrock Auto Arena in Billings. The tournament runs through Saturday night.

 

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