State Wrestling 2017: Area grapplers chasing B-C glory in Billings

When it comes to high school wrestling in Montana, there is nothing like the All-Class state wrestling meet.

And this week, at the Rimrock Auto Arena at the Metra in Billings, the best wrestlers in the state, including many from along the Hi-Line will be there to take part. The festivities will get underway at 10 a.m. Friday with the Parade of Athletes. The first matches will start later that morning at 10:20.

While many local teams will participate at the Class B-C level of the All-Class state tournament, no Hi-Line team outside of Havre has had more success recently at the tournament than Chinook, which enters at the two-time defending Class C state champion. The Beeters crowned two champions and placed five wrestlers a season ago as they honored the tragic death of their teammate Jesse Dannels, who passed away just days before the tournament.

Yet the Sugarbeeters return just one wrestler from last year's state championship team and that is Tate Niederegger, who is attempting to become a three-time champion in the 145-pound weight class.

Niederegger just missed having a chance at being a four-time champion this season, but his hopes were dashed with a second-place finish during his freshman year. Yet three-time champions are still pretty rare, and if he gets there, it will the senior's fourth consecutive trip to finals night.

Joining Niederegger for Chinook will be J.T. Hauer, who will wrestle at 132 pounds. And with just two wrestlers any hope of a repeat seems far fetched. The Beeters will also be led again by long-time head coach Perry Miller.

While Chinook will have just two wrestlers competing, Harlem, which will also wrestle among the B-C teams but is in the Class B competition, has five. The overall total may not be eye-popping, but some of the talent makes up for it.

Gavin Horn comes in fresh off a divisional championship last week at 113 pounds in the Northern B-C for the Wildcats, but he's not the only contender, Reece Hutton, who wrestles at 205 pounds, is another and is coming off a second-place showing at divisionals. The others that will be in action for Harlem are Zach Jackson, (103), Alex Kirkdale (113) and Curtis Humphreys at 285.

The Fort Benton Longhorns are another team that will be represented at the Class C level and like Chinook, they will have two wrestlers in action in Connor Schnabel and Landon Taylor. Both have winning records on the year.

There will be plenty of chances for individual success at the state meet for all the local teams involved, but with an overall lack of depth for Chinook, Harlem and Fort Benton, it's hard to see either team making a serious run at a trophy, although the Beeters have the best chance thanks to Niederegger and all the points he is sure to rack up.

The action at the All-Class state tournament starts Friday in Billings inside the Rimrock Auto Arena and concludes Saturday afternoon.