Returning experience and an exciting new beginning are the hallmarks of this year’s Plains-Hot Springs wrestling program.

The new beginning involves the first group of competitors in the newly sanctioned Montana Girls Wrestling competitions, for which Plains has four wrestlers and high hopes.

On the boys side of the mats, the Horsemen return three wrestlers who qualified for the State B Tournament last year, Bert Detienne, Mason Elliott and Brady Schrenk.

In addition to that top level experience, Plains has four senior returnees, giving them a leadership and experience level they hope will translate into a very competitive group for 2021.

They also have a solid coaching staff assembled to help produce the results they seek.

“I have a good coaching staff to work with that covers a wide range of wrestling capability,” head coach Shane Angle said. “I am excited to be working with them”.

Angle said the returning qualifiers on the boys side create the experience and leadership advantage he is hoping will translate into a strong wrestling season.

“We have three returning state qualifiers and some experienced seniors who will be some solid competitors,” Angle added. “We also have some very good underclassmen coming up through the ranks as well.”

Angle said his expectations are buoyed by a good turnout this year.

“The season will probably be challenging as we move forth, but we are thick in numbers and have a good majority of the weight classifications covered”.

Getting the newly formed girls wrestling program going is also off to a promising start, Angle said.

“We have a good number to start with for the first year of the girls wrestling program,” he said. “The enthusiasm is high in the wrestling room for the first all-girls state competition.”

Girls wrestling coach Keaton Bannout, who will also work with the boys team, will have two wrestlers back from last year’s group that competed with the boys, including sophomore Lilly MacDonald and junior Taylor Angle. They will be joined by senior Mykenzie Blood and freshman Olivia Easter.

As is the case with the boys team, hopes are high for the inaugural girls season.

“We have our goals high and plan on making some waves along the way,” Angle said.

As is common among high school coaches throughout the area, keeping the kids healthy is a primary concern heading into the still active Covid situation.

“The struggle is real with keeping wrestlers healthy and out of quarantine,” Angle said. “My outlook for the year, and I speak for the rest of my coaching staff, is to make everything as good as we possibly can for the team with the current world we are living in today”.

The Horsemen and Trotters wrestlers open their season Jan. 15 at Arlee. Their first home match is scheduled for Jan. 23 at the Hot Springs Duels.