Simply, The Rivalry

When it comes to college wrestling rivalries, in Montana, there’s only one game in town. It’s the Montana State University-Northern Lights and University of Providence Argos, and that’s it.

So any time the Lights and Argos meet on the mat, it’s big. It’s big in a number of ways and tonight, inside the Armory Gymnasium, the two bitter rivals will hook up for their first feud of the 2018-19 season. Third-ranked Northern meets fourth-ranked Providence tonight, with the first match set for 7.

“This dual, it doesn’t matter what the rankings are, or who’s doing what, or any of that,” Northern head coach Tyson Thivierge said. “It brings out the best in both programs. We bring out the best in each other. It’s unique and it’s special.”

No question, the Lights and Argos have a great thing going because they’re the only two programs in the Treasure State, a state filled with deep and traditional wrestling roots and because of that, both Thivierge, and longtime UP head coach Caleb Schaeffer recruit a lot of the same wrestlers, so bragging rights in the series can certainly help stem the tide of potential Montana recruits. Tonight’s dual will feature as many as 15 grapplers from Montana between the Lights and Argos.

“Caleb and I have similar coaching styles, similar personalities as coaches,” Thivierge said. “So we do go after a lot of the same kids in recruiting. So this dual does carry some weight when it comes to recruiting. There are a lot of other things that go into a kid’s decision on where he wants to go to school, but no doubt, this dual is a part of it.”

Annually, the dual between the Lights and Argos also carries a lot of weight in the NAIA and Cascade Conference rankings. Tonight’s latest salvo in the fiery series between Northern and UP is as big as it gets when it comes to those rankings. Northern and UP are currently Top 5 NAIA teams and arguably the two teams with the best chance to win the Cascade Conference title in February.

On an individual level, the dual will also feature some of the very best wrestlers in the country, and in several matches, they’ll likely be going head-to-head. In all, the Lights and Argos have a combined 16 wrestlers who currently hold individual national rankings, and that will set up some huge matches tonight.

Those huge matches include a 157-pound bout between Brandon Weber, ranked No. 2 and UP’s Casey Dobson, ranked third. The two have been going at each other for years now, and tonight is a renewal of that rivalry. The 174-pound match should be a big one as well. UP’s Adrien Lyons-Lopez is ranked second, while Northern has Chris Nile ranked fourth. Chase Short, ranked 18th, will also weigh in at 174 for the Lights tonight. Another big match will come at 197 pounds, with Northern’s second-ranked Isaac Bartel taking on 8th-ranked John Hensley, Those two have also developed quite the rivalry in the last year. Bartel was also named Cascade Conference Wrestler of the Week this week.

But when it comes to the Lights and Argos, every match is big. Northern has Nick Kunz ranked ninth at 125 pounds and Landon Bailey ranked 15th at 133, while top-ranked Matt Weber will battle UP’s Chris Mesa, ranked ninth. Another interesting match could come at 149 pounds, while MSU-N newcomer Tony Evans faces sixth-ranked Shonn Roberts of UP. Evans isn’t ranked yet, but he will be when the newest NAIA poll is released.

Another rivalry match will be at 184 pounds as Northern’s Steeler French, ranked 12th, takes on UP’s Randy Keesler, ranked No. 5 in the NAIA, while Northern’s Jase Stokes gets his first taste of the rivalry when he takes on UP’s Matt Hopkins, ranked No. 7 at heavyweight.

Yes, every match is big, and while Thivierge has always tried to look at the dual as another chance for his Lights to wrestle and get better, there’s no denying how much things get ratcheted up.

“I have always tried to kind of get the hype out of the way and get the guys to approach this dual as another opportunity to wrestle an elite opponent and to get better,” Thivierge said. “You want to try and not get too caught up in the rivalry side of it. But, it is a big deal, because they’re (Argos) really good and we feel like we’re very good, as well. So this is a dual where two really good teams, two of the best are going at it, and anytime you get that on the mat, it’s big.”

Big is an understatement. Whether it’s in the Armory or in Great Falls, when the Lights and Argos meet, there’s a feeling, an excitement and an energy that’s unlike any other dual in NAIA wrestling. There are always big crowds and plenty of fireworks. There’s great wrestlers on both sides, and most of all there’s tradition, in a state that has a historic wrestling tradition.

And all that is true of tonight’s dual, and with both teams ranked so high, with both teams having lofty goals this season, tonight’s meeting between Northern and UP could be one of the biggest duals yet, in a long-standing rivalry that has had so many memorable matches already.

“We’re approaching this dual with the mind-set that, if we want to be a national championship team, this is the type of dual we need dominate,” Thivierge said. “If we want to achieve the goals we have this season, this is a dual we need to go out and dominate matches. Providence is a really good team, and if we want to be the caliber of team that we’re trying to be, then we need to go out and dominate in every match.

“The other thing is, this is our last chance to show our fans what kind of team we are until January 24,” Thivierge continued. “So we need to go out and put our best foot forward and see how we do.”

Tonight’s dual between the Lights and Argos starts at 7 in the Armory Gymnasium. Northern and UP will meet again Feb. 6 in Great Falls.