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Five things to watch for this season in local high school westling

Over the past few years, the Hi-Line has seen some historic and exciting wrestling. From history-making individuals to dynastic teams, the Hi-Line has had plenty of compelling storylines.

Now that the 2017-18 high school wrestling season is right around the corner, it seems like a perfect time to look ahead to what will come next. So here are five things to watch this wrestling season.

Can the Blue Ponies keep it going?

Last season, the Havre High wrestling team won its fifth consecutive Class A state championship. With Parker Filius and Jase Stokes both ending their careers as four-time state champions, becoming the first Pony wrestlers to do it in the process, that 2017 state tournament proved memorable for HHS. The question now is can the Ponies keep the streak alive?

While the Ponies lose three state champions to graduation in Filius, Stokes and Dane Flammond, the cupboard is far from bare for long-time head coach Scott Filius. Even with all the losses, Havre still has four finalists back from last year's team. Junior Martin Wilkie is a two-time champion and will be looking for his third. Quinn Reno joins him as a returning champ after winning at 103 pounds last season. To win his title, Reno beat Cameron Pleninger at 103 pounds, and at 120 pounds, Lane Paulson also reached the finals.

Sophomore Connor Harris and senior Ryan Stewart, who both notched top-four finishes, should be state title contenders this season, along with Mason Dionne, who was also third at 152 pounds. Former state champion Tyler Schaub has been dealing with injuries, but could potentially be another contributor. Winning a sixth straight championship won't be easy, but Havre certainly has the firepower to make a run at it.

Will Chinook rebuild or reload?

Just like Havre, Chinook has been a power in Class C wrestling. The Beeters streak of team state championships ended last season, but the Sugarbeeters still almost made the podium, finishing with 18.5 points, just two short of third-place Valier.

The Beeters will have to move on from Tate Niederegger, who won two state championships, sandwiched between second and third place finishes his freshman and senior seasons. JT Hauer was the only other Chinook wrestler to make it to state last season, but with some other potential returners such as Colton Liddle, Ross Reed, Garrett Lowham, Kurtis Hamilton, J.J. Colby and Reubin Swenson, we will have to wait and see what the Beeters are capable of. But with legendary head coach Perry Miller in charge, pretty much anything is possible, and it won't be a shock to see them back on rise soon enough.

Can Wilkie and Reno stay on track to be the next four-timers?

Parker Filius and Stokes both made history last season for Havre, as they each became the first four-time champions in school history. However, it might not be long before another Pony wrestler or two joins them.

Right now, the Ponies have two wrestlers who have hopes of someday being a four-time champion. One is junior Martin Wilkie, who will be looking for his third straight title this winter. The other is Reno, a sophomore, who will look to get halfway toward the historic mark. Wilkie lost just once last season, while Reno dropped just five matches. Both saw little resistance on their way to individual titles.

Will Harlem wrestling get back on the podium?

Last season, Harlem had four wrestlers go to the Class B/C state tournament and the Wildcats wound up scoring 14 points. Yet, none of their wrestlers found the podium. Both Reece Hutton and Curtis Humphreys won matches at state last year, but didn't couldn't crack the top six.

Hutton, at 205 pounds, is gone to graduation, so Humphreys, a heavyweight who won 17 matches a season ago, might be the Wildcats' best hope. Zach Johnson, at 103 pounds, and Gavin Horn, at 113, are two others who made state a season ago and should be a threat to get back and do some damage.

Who will challenge the Ponies in 2018?

When February rolls around and Havre heads to Billings to defend its state title, it's worth speculating on which teams are most capable of dethroning HHS this winter?

While it's always hard to predict what will happen in sports, especially at the high school level, Frenchtown, the sixth-place finisher in 2017, looks like a strong contender. The Broncs return two state champions in Jake Bibler, a 25-0 champion at 113 pounds, as well as Riley Gurr, who was 22-0 and won at 132 pounds. Walker Dier also notched a third-place finish. On top of that, Frenchtown has five other returners who qualified for state last season, so the Broncs' mix of depth and high-end talent could be enough to make a run at Havre's crown.

Another potential contender might be Polson. The Pirates also had a solid finish in 2017, winding up fifth and just 16 points away from getting a trophy. Polson has three wrestlers back who finished in the top four a season ago, as well as five others who qualified for state coming back. Havre should still be the favorite, but for the first time in a few seasons, there will be some intrigue surrounding the Class A state championship.

 

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