It's going to be a roller coaster ride.

Whoever is alert, ready and maybe a little lucky when the car starts an uphill trend this weekend could be in line for a Class A state wrestling trophy.

The Polson Pirates, Northwestern A divisional champions, hope it will be them.

But the power in Class A is likely in the Central division.

Belgrade and Havre have been running first and second all season long in the Class A coaches poll.

Belgrade has been the top-ranked team for much of the season, but the Blue Ponies outscored the Panthers 280 to 263 at last weekend's Central A Divisional.

That bumped Havre into first in the poll.

"Right now, I'd put Havre in the driver's seat," said Polson coach Bob Owen.

"They beat Belgrade pretty bad in those divisionals. Belgrade had beaten them in every competition they'd been in all year," Owen said.

Eastern A champion Laurel was ranked third in the final poll and Southwestern A champ Corvallis was fourth. Polson was fifth.

As for the Pirates?

"We want to contend for a trophy. It's not going to be easy. Right now Corvallis has a little more depth probably. But strange things happen when you get there. You get a little help from somebody and you can be right in it," the coach said.

Polson scored 232 points last weekend to claim the Northwestern A title. It had six divisional champions and qualified 17 wrestlers for state in Butte. Second place Columbia Falls had two champions and qualified 16. Libby will send 13 wrestlers, Ronan eight and Whitefish five.

"We had a pretty good week of practice. We've got a couple kids a little banged up, but I think we'll be all right. I think we're good to go," Owen said.

"Really looking forward to it. It's going to be nice not having to drive all the way to Billings."

Owen expects 145 to be one of the toughest weight classes.

Havre's Eli Hinebauch is in that class, as is Corvallis' Riley Nagel.

"That one should be a donnybrook," Owen said.

He feels pretty good about how the Pirates are set up in the first round, especially with the smaller wrestlers.

"We did real well with our little guys - 98, 105 and 112 - all the kids ranked above them are on the other side. That should give them a good chance.

"The other weights have tough semis, all of them ... but you've got to beat them somewhere," he said.

Class B

Eureka scored 135 1/2 points at last weekend's Western B-C divisional in Arlee. That was just one-half point behind third place Thompson Falls and only 18 1/2 points from first place Florence.

Eureka will send seven wrestlers to this weekend's state tournament in Hamilton.

The Lions have two champions - 112-pounder Nikko Bakkila and 171-pounder Taylor Vaughn - and one runner-up in 215-pounder Colin Gillard.

Third place finishers were Trent Vaughn (119) David Wilson (171) and Michael Wilson (189). Curtis McDuffie was fourth at 152.