I recently wrote a story about Glacier High School emerging as a contender for the Class AA wrestling title. The Wolfpack’s cross-town rival, the five-time defending state champion Braves, are again in the mix as well. Additionally, several other teams are vying for the Class AA crown, including Bozeman and Great Falls High. It’s a remarkably wide-open race for a class that has been dominated by three schools over the last three decades.
Butte, Flathead and Billings Skyview have combined to win 29 out of the last 31 Class AA championships. The only other teams to win since 1980 were Billings West in 1994 and Great Falls in 1999. Considering Class AA consists of Montana’s 14 largest schools coming from all of the state’s urban centers, the sustained supremacy of three individual programs is truly extraordinary.
Perhaps this is the year for a new school to break into the oligarchy. Maybe that team will be Glacier, or maybe Flathead will make it six straight. It’s certainly an intriguing storyline to keep an eye on as the season winds down. The Class AA tournament is held Feb. 11-12 at CM Russell High School in Great Falls.
Class AA Titles Since 1980:
Butte (17) – 1980-1992, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2003
Flathead (6) – 2004, 2006-2010
Billings Skyview (6) – 1993, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2005
Great Falls (1) – 1999
Billings West (1) – 1994