Blue Ponies win yet another Cut Bank mat title

Some things in life are just inevitable, things like death, taxes and the Havre High wrestling team winning the Cut Bank Invitational.

While the Blue Ponies had to work a little harder than they have for some of their previous titles in Cut Bank, Havre captured its 17th consecutive team title at the two-day tournament after tallying 179 points compared to 150 for second-place Cut Bank and 138.5 for third-place Malta. A number of local teams also scored points as Chinook had 34, Chester-Joplin-Inverness had 28, Fort Benton had 23 and Harlem had 14.

“I thought we wrestled pretty well,” HHS head coach Beau LaSalle said. “Our older guys keep doing the things they are supposed to do and our young guys keep developing. It was a good tournament, and we saw some good competition.”

On the way to winning the tournament once again, the Ponies got individual titles from Martin Wilkie, who maintained his unbeaten record his season with another tournament victory in the 145-pound weight class. Wilkie knocked off Callan Mears of Malta in the final. Another individual champion for the Ponies was junior Connor Harris, who took home first place at 152 pounds after dispatching Wyatt Brusven of Shelby in the finals.

Joining Wilkie and Harris in the winner’s circle in the tournament finals was Cameron Pleninger, who nabbed the top spot at 120 pounds with a win over of Archer Throckmorton of Great Falls High. There were two other finalists for Havre and one was 103-pounder Mick Chagnon who was defeated by Krayle Stormer of Circle, forcing him to settle for second. The other was Lane Paulson, who got second at 138 pounds after going down to Trey Taylor also of Circle.

In all, Havre placed seven different wrestlers in Cut Bank after having five reach the finals. Austin Ratliff, a senior who wrestled at 205 pounds, took third, beating Bryan Ballard of Choteau in the consolation final gave Havre its sixth top-three finish. Orion Thivierge also finished sixth at 145 pounds.

“I was happy to see us get five into the finals, but I thought we could have had more,” LaSalle said. “Austin Ratliff lost a match in the first round but he did a really good job of coming back and getting third. Sometimes, you have to come back and do that after a loss. I also thought that we didn’t wrestle our best across the board in the finals but we found ways to win.”

Other local wrestlers who found the podium in Cut Bank were Reubin Swenson of CJI, who reached the finals in the heavyweight division before settling for second place. Connor Schnabel of Fort Benton also notched a sixth-place finish at 138 pounds for the Longhorns.

The Ponies will be back on the mat Tuesday in Glasgow, to take on a solid squad from the ranks of Class B in the Scotties. That will get underway at 6 p.m. Havre will then travel to the prestigious Jug Beck Rocky Mountain Classic this weekend in Missoula. That will start Friday and be completed Saturday.

“The Rocky Mountain is one of the best tournaments in the state,” LaSalle said. “It’s always a fun one and one that we really look forward to.”

Cut Bank Booster Invitational

Team scores: Havre 179, Cut Bank 150, Malta 138.5, Circle 129.5, Eureka 123, Great Falls JV 113, Poplar 109, Lewistown 103, Browning 102, THompson Falls 98,.5, Jefferson 92, Valier 78, Fairfield 69, Simms 68.5, Shelby 66, Whitefish 64, Choteau 63, Great Falls CMR JV 46, Conrad 41, Chinook 34, Chester-Joplin-Inverness 28, Wolf Point 26, Fort Benton 23, Three Forks 17, Lethbridge Collegiate Institute 16, Harlem 14, Belt 8.

Individual order of finish

103: Krayle Stormer, Cir; Mick Chagnon, Hav; Miguel Ramos, Fai; Leo Anderson, Jef; Nathan Sproul, Whi; Dominick Davis, Jef.

113: Trae Thilmony, TF; Roger Mycke, Con; Tugg Taylor, Cir; Jase Frederick, Pop; Jeffery Colesworthy, Con; Bryston Bartelson, Cir.

120: Cameron Pleninger, Hav; Archer Throckmorton, GF JV; Roman Sparks, TF; Harold Miller, Shel; Cody St. Clair, Jef; Isaiah Dormady, GF JV.

126: Cooper Birdwell, Lew; Matt Connelly, Val; Kyle Durden, Eur; Jarrett Lemaster, CMR JV; Tyler Skinner, GF, JV; Matt Larson, CB.

132: Kolter Schipman, Mal; Nathan Schmidt, Eur; Ty Curry, Val; Cole Becker, Cir; Garrett Pruittis, Chi; Patyon Theissen, GF JV.

138: Trey Taylor, Cir; Lane Paulson, Hav; Hunter Reum, Pop; Pete Henderson; Cho; Hank Dunn, Eur; Connor Schnabel, FB.

145: Martin Wilkie, Hav; Callan Mears, Mal; Andrew Andersen, CB; Chance Kittson, Bro; Chance Muller, Eur; Orion Thivierge, Hav.

152: Connor Harris, Hav; Wyatt Brusven, She; Austin Vanek, CB; Nate Cargill, Eur; Tyler Larson, She; Treyvn Nave, Lew.

160: Duane Otto II, lew; Ryan Kipp, Bro; Kobe Whitefor,d B; Robert Bertelsen, Whi; Oren Mackey, Mal; William Turcotte, WP.

170: JR Seewald, CB; James Fehr, Eur; Dillon Anderson, Fai; Keaton Potter, Lew; Ryan Running Crane, Bro; Quentin Greer, GF JV.

182: Orion MacDonald, Simms; Drake Schake, Jef; Jacob Berger, Pop; Tommy Cambell, Bro; Dakota Irvine, TF; Rylen Fisher, GF JV.

205: Brett Monroe, Val; Andres Lopez, Mal; Austin Ratliff, Hav; Bryan Ballard, Cho; Tyson Sutherland, Pop; Kain Schwartz Dorhety, CMR JV.

275: Wacey Zuback, Bro; Reubin Swenson, CJI; Luke Lawless, Mal; Seth Alarcon, TF; Thomas Troy , Fai; Trey Pribbernow, Pop.