With streak looming, heat will be on wrestlers in Billings

There's just a little bit of pressure on this year's wrestling team to take home the state title this weekend in Billings.

After all, the 2010  seniors have a chance to do something that has never been done in school history.

And that's saying something for this program.

The Glasgow wrestling team has won 11 team titles and 57 individual titles have been won by 41 different wrestlers over the last 50 years.
Yet through all of the years of success there has never been a group that has won four consecutive state titles.

That's where this group comes in. The seniors, which consist of Tyrel Shumway, Parker Miller, Zeb Shawver, Gavin Holstein, Simon Helland and Aaron Hartsock, now hold the burden of carrying on a legacy that is revered by 50 years worth of champions.

No pressure, right?

Maybe. Even they've admitted they don't want to be think about what would happen if they win because that would bring thoughts of what would happen if they lose.

But pressure is something this group can handle.

That was clearly evident at the beginning of the season when the Scotties lost Hartsock for the season to injury. With Hartsock out, the team lost a ton of points at each match and a sure favorite to put the Scotties over the edge.
What the team didn't lose is swagger. They still won every event up until the last weekend of the season, sending a message that even though they may have been hurt by a loss to the team, it was just a flesh wound.

The pride around the program is tremendous as former champions continually come back and help mentor high schoolers through their time in the program. The Scotty aura is so widespread that many people believe Glasgow goes up a few points as they walk into the arena, just purely out of reputation and respect.

Never was it more evident how much the streak meant to the team than last week when the Scotties had to recover from their first Class B-C loss in four years. Having lost to Huntley Project by 15 points while down two wrestlers, the team worked hard during a normally light week before Divisionals to ensure they would get back on top of the rankings heading in to the State Tournament.

It worked, and with 11 wrestlers headed to Billings, including all of the seniors, the Scotties will be well prepared for State.

Shumway and Miller are favorites to win their division and Shawver is expected to be in contention for the championship at 119 pounds. Holstein and Helland aren't expected to win, with top seeds and multiple-time state champions in their way, but the two are expected to bring in points for the Scotties to edge them closer to the trophy.

With a talented bunch of underclassmen also expected to bring home some hardware the Scotties have lined themselves up nicely to bring back another title.

Hopes are high, and there will be busloads of Scotty fans draped in white for Saturday's championship rounds.  In the stands will be family, friends and tons of wrestling alumni, many of which have helped build the program to where it is, all rooting on the Scotties to end the year where they finished the last three.

So maybe there's a little bit of pressure. But nothing this group can't take.