Flathead's Fab Five

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Seniors Ham, Decker, Lau, Wells, Fischer have led wrestling team to a national

Good citizens, great athletes - and willing to work their butts off.

That's how Flathead coaches describe the five seniors who lead the Brave wrestling team.

That's a pretty deadly combination …. for the competition.

But it's worked wonders for Flathead.

Behind the leadership of Brian Ham, T.C. Decker, Tyler Wells, Luke Fischer and David Lau, Flathead has risen to a No. 14 national ranking and has won all six tournaments it has entered this year.

The wins include the first Mining City Duals championship in school history, the prestigious Tri-State Tournament and the Pat Weede Duals in Gillette, Wyo.

Flathead tacked on another victory last weekend, scoring 277.5 points to three-peat at the 31st Rocky Mountain Classic in Missoula. That's the second-highest team total in the history of the tournament.

The Tri-State victory was probably the most prestigious win.

"That got Montana recognized on the mat. We represented our sport well there," Ham said.

"These kids … as a coach you're proud to say these are your athletes," said Flathead head coach Jeff Thompson.

"These five have just been the core of our varsity for the last five years. Super group of seniors. They literally are everything we billed them to be four or five years ago," agreed Flathead assistant coach Jeff Anderson.

"I feel like they're part of our family. We've seen these guys grow up since fourth grade.

"They're not really vocal leaders. They lead by example, by work ethic, by attitude and by actions," Thompson added.

"They're all five good athletes, but a lot of good athletes in today's world don't work as hard because they have the talent. These guys love to lift weights, they're good runners," Thompson said.

"Lifting, running and wrestling, they love all three of those things. They do it together. They push each other and they hold each other accountable," he added.

"It's humbling being around these guys who work twice as hard as you do," Ham said.

"I know (Tyler) Wells has pushed me this year," Decker agreed.

What careers they've all had.

Not only have they been a part of two Class AA state championships, they have all placed individually at least twice and were all in the Class AA state finals last year. They all are being heavily recruited by colleges.

All five have been at least part-time starters since their freshman year. Four are currently ranked No. 1 in their Class AA weight class, four participate in at least one other sport and they all have GPAs of 3.0 or better.

 Brian Ham: Ham won the Tri-State Tournament during December. He also placed ninth in Greco-Roman during last summer's Junior Nationals at 130 pounds. His high school record is 130-13. He played soccer this fall, is a member of the Flathead track team, Business Professionals of America, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and The Flathead Valley Trap Club.

 David Lau: Lau was USAW Kids National Champion as an eighth grader. He was named second-team all-state as a football player this fall and is also a member of the track team.

 Tyler Wells: Wells placed third at Tri-State. As a sophomore, he beat a USA Wrestling Magazine Pre-season All-American on the Flathead team to make varsity. He also did well last year at the USAW Western Duals for Team Montana.

 T.C. Decker: Decker was the first freshman state champion at Flathead. He is a two-time state finalist and a Tri-State runner-up. USA Wrestling Magazine has recognized

 Luke Fischer: Fischer is a two-time all-state soccer player and was runner-up Gatorade Player of the Year for Montana.

No wonder Thompson and his assistants were smiling when they first laid eyes on these guys.

"We were excited for this group," he said.

"They just seemed to be heads and tails above their age group and they've stuck together," Anderson said.

"We knew they were guys who could make a difference for our program. They're guys you can build a team around. They raise the standard, the intensity and the momentum for our entire team," Anderson added.

It's not without sacrifice.

But they take on that load willingly, even proudly. The pride is evident when each speaks of the difficulty … the twice-a-day workouts, the dieting, the holiday season.

"This takes hard work, dedication. You give yourself to the sport," Fischer said.

"We basically wrestle all year for the three months we have now," Decker agreed.

"It builds character, teaches you to be a hard worker," Lau said.

"The work ethic comes through to life," Ham said. "It builds you as a person. Being around these guys makes me a better person," he said.

The part they enjoy the most is the lone wolf part of the sport.

"There's no one to blame," Decker said.

"No one to save the day and no one to point a finger at. You win or lose the match for yourself," Wells said.

But in the end?

Fischer said it best.

"Getting your hand raised is the best feeling."