Flathead's mat team amazing

On the mats in Billings last week, the dynasty that has become Flathead High School wrestling put an emphatic exclamation point on a perfect season.

In cruising to the Class AA wrestling championship, the Flathead wrestlers left no doubt who rules Montana prep wrestling. And Flathead's supremacy gives rise to the conjecture that the 2008 team is one of the best, if not the best, team in state history.

On the strength of 19 state place-winners (including five individual champions and five second-place finishers), Flathead racked up 410 points to smash by 62.5 points the previous record held by the 2007 Flathead state champs.

The state title capped a superlative season in which Flathead was undefeated (and often unchallenged) in dual meets and topped every tournament it entered in three states.

They made it look easy - but it really wasn't.

The wrestlers' success was the result of tremendous sacrifice and determination required of such a demanding sport, where hard, brutal work is compounded by the challenges of dieting and weight control.

Kudos to both coaches and wrestlers for making mat history.

Now the triumphant Flathead wrestlers can bask in their stunning accomplishments (and finally enjoy regular eating now that weight restrictions are done for the season).