Rocky Mountain Classic better than ever

Havre joins mat field, which includes C-Falls, Libby, Polson, Ronan, Flathead

The Daily Inter Lake

Bigger and tougher than ever before.

That's how longtime Polson wrestling coach Bob Owen describes the 2007 Jug Beck Rocky Mountain Classic, set to begin today at Missoula Sentinel High School.

The first round begins at 11:30 a.m. Championship matches are scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday.

There are 24 teams this year, up from 19 in years past.

"Havre entered it this year. That adds a whole new dimension," Owen said.

The defending champion Flathead Braves are looking forward to the competition, according to head coach Jeff Thompson.

"We're at our peak point in our season, so our goal is to wrestle our hearts out. I expect some great things from this team," Thompson said.

"We're very, very solid. We're together and we are very proud of these young men," Thompson said.

Havre isn't the only tough team on the list, Thompson pointed out.

Idaho's Coeur d'Alene High and Washington's University High from Spokane will also both attend. Local teams who will be there include Columbia Falls, Libby and Ronan.

"We expect the best. We expect a lot of guys on that podium Saturday," Thompson said.

Current Braves who placed a year ago are Brian Ham, third, TC Decker, second, Ryan Thiel, fifth, Tyler Wells, third, and Luke Fischer, fourth.

Both Thompson and Owen agree that 119 may be the toughest weight class.

"It's going to be a dogfight," according to Thompson.

That was the case at the mid-December Tri-State tournament at North Idaho College, Thompson said.

There were 12 state placers at that weight at that tournament, he said.

"All 12 of those guys are back."

Included in that group are Flathead's Ham and Brian Owen of University High, a national champion two years ago - and the 2006-07 Tri-State champ.

In addition to Ham, the Brave coaches feel good about the chances of freshman Shawn Lau.

Lau, (24-2) "has just dominated the state of Montana at 98 pounds," Thompson said.

Two other new additions for Flathead are Tyler Thomas at heavyweight and Mark Svenson at 215.

The Pirates love this tournament, Owen said. They've won it a couple of times.

"These bigger tournaments are better suited for us than duals, because we have some real quality kids. We've always been really competitive in that thing. We go into competition like that, it's tougher than our state tournament is, actually," he said.

Plus, they enjoy the underdog aspect, the coach said.

Owen is expecting Pirates' Ted Morigeau and Bryce Picard to contend at their weights and "Logan Torgison should be right in the hunt."