Add 12 state placers to several more with state tournament experience and the Flathead Brave Brawlers just might have the makings of another state wrestling title.

It would be three straight if the Brawlers pull it off; they start their season off, along with crosstown rival Glacier, at the Butte’s Mining City Duals Friday.

“We just have some dudes who know how to wrestle,” said coach Jeff Thompson, who has guided Flathead to nine state championships. “Everyone in our room is gunning to be a state champion or state placer.”

Senior’s Noah Poe-Hatten (182) and Gabe Lake (160) finished second at the State AA meet in February, and so did junior Anders Thompson (170).

Two more seniors, Forest Howell (Hwt) and Cade Troupe (152), took fifth and sixth.

Juniors Davin Naldrett (third, 120), Raenan Allumbaugh (fifth, 132), Sawyer Troupe (fifth, 205), and Logan Stansberry (sixth, 145) all return, as do sophomores Diesel Thompson (113, sixth) and Aiden Downing (126, fourth).

The Brawlers also added Koda Wieczorek, a junior transfer out of Utah. He joins eight more grapplers with promise this season: senior Tynan Krause, juniors Gunnar Thompson, Colton Kuka, Xander Winter and Will Barnes; sophomores Dane Lake and Gannon Wisher; and freshman Dayton Naldrett.

“This will be a fun group to watch this season, and they will put on a show on the mat, with a little flash to their grinding style of wrestling,” Thompson said. “We will be finding the toughest competition, to wrestle the best. If that means moving up a weight class, our kids are up for the challenge.

“The team’s motto is, ‘Shooting for 3.’”

Glacier

The Wolfpack’s ranks include three-place winners from state including, of course, three-time state champion Teagan Vasquez, who now wrestles at 138 pounds.

Junior Garrett Bosch, coming off a sixth-place finish at state, is back at 113; fellow junior Aiden Krause (205) also placed sixth at state in February. The Pack took ninth out of 16 teams.

Several more wrestlers that advanced to state return. That includes seniors Colton Vergeront at heavyweight, Seth Dollan at 145, Connor Johnson at 132 and Joshua Melton at 126.

Coach Ross Dankers is excited about the potential of Melton, and also Kaleb Shine, a junior who was runner up at 16U 157 pounds at the Western States Championships Greco in June.

Another junior he’s excited about is TJ Gannon at 182, and Sam Nease is in the mix at 170. Sophomore Cody Vergeront (170) made state last season; so did fellow sophomore Korbin Baldwin (145)

“We have three returning place winners and only graduated one senior,” Dankers said. “We should be a well-balanced team, top to bottom.”