Bennetts siblings have special relationship on wrestling mat

From the side of the mat, both Bennetts siblings can often be spotted hollering in support of one another as they wrestle for the Bulldogs.

Sam and Henry Bennetts are a brother and sister duo who are shaking up the competition this year in both boys and girls Montana Class A wrestling. Sam, a freshman at Whitefish High School, and Henry, a junior, grew up wrestling together but being on the high school team together is a unique experience.

Henry says he likes being able to see a different side of his sister, a side that is competitive on the mat but fun to be around on bus trips and team events. Sam is happy to watch her brother wrestle again and be there to celebrate with him after matches.

“It’s fun getting to see a different side of your sibling than what you see at home... I mean I get that sassy side too when I’m trying to give her suggestions though,” Henry said with a laugh.

What they are getting to experience is truly being teammates, as well as siblings, on a close-knit team.

Both have had notable success as well this season. Sam is the only female wrestler on the Whitefish girls team. Though she enjoys being a part of the team, being the only girl on the mat during practice is not without its challenges.

She can sometimes feel pushed around by the guys and some things are just different as a female athlete, her teammates can’t relate to that. But at the same time, she enjoys hanging out with her team and can feel their support on tournament days.

“I get it, they want to push me harder, but everyone has their limits and I can get frustrated,” Sam said. “The bright side is we have an amazing team. We treat each other like family, we just do everything together.”

This is the first year that Whitefish High School made girls wrestling an official sport and it’s made a difference for Sam. She enjoys getting to wrestle other girls instead of only boys and loves seeing the sport grow with more girls participating across the state.

“I’m super stoked now that we actually have an official girls team so it’s not like I’m always wrestling boys...” Sam said, explaining that the muscle, stability and other factors make wrestling boys versus girls fundamentally different. “It’s so much better, we have so many more girls in the state wrestling now. I just like seeing more girls get out there and wrestle.”

She hopes the girls team at Whitefish continues to grow, starting with her friend and longtime wrestling partner who is out this year due to a knee injury, but will hopefully join next season.

“I’m excited for her to get back in the room next year so I actually have a partner that understands everything else that the boys don’t,” she said.

Sam’s risen to the challenge of being the only girl on the team though and has won the majority of her matches this season. At the Western A Divisional, she placed fourth and will wrestle in the state tournament as a freshman. Her goal is to place in her weight class.

For Henry, he’s experienced success in all three years of his high school career so far. He qualified for state the last two seasons and at the Western A Divsional last weekend placed fifth to again have the opportunity to wrestle in the state tournament. His goal is to place in the top six and gain All-State honors.

Henry had a successful regular season too, often placing in tournaments. He says the success he’s having stems from the older guys showing him the way his freshman year.

“It started with the guys that were above me. They were showing me how things work..” he recalled.

Now Henry is a captain of the team as a junior and leads by example with the hard work he puts in during practice.

BULLDOG HEAD coach Danny Neff says he’s known the Bennetts siblings for many years and watched them grow up. They are the quintessential brother-sister duo who go back and forth between love for one another and usual sibling fighting. But at the end of the day, they always support each other.

“Everyone knows the brother-sister love outside of the room, but when it transitions to wrestling and the sport that those two love, their dedication, their commitment and their participation in one another getting better is what they really strive for,” Neff said.

He added that it's exciting this season to see them work so closely with one another and share the same interests.

“(Henry) really shows that compassionate big brother side of things when it comes to helping Sam and she’s very absorbent of that information. It’s really nice to see,” Neff added.

As they often watch each other’s matches, they can pinpoint what the other person’s strengths are. Sam says her brother is leg dominant while wrestling and gains power from that. Henry says his sister is best at wrestling neutral, meaning she’s good on her feet and takes great shots on her opponents.

Being on the high school wrestling team together is a new experience for them, but they have wrestled together their whole lives. The siblings say their father wrestled and then began coaching when they were little. He’s been their coach throughout many years on the mat and still is there to give advice from the sidelines.

“It’s always helpful to have a parent that understands the sport and can help you out. He knows how to talk to you about it,” Sam said.

That foundation in wrestling had prepared them for the success they’re finding on the mat as Bulldogs. Both have been wrestling since age 4 or 5 and enjoy the sport for many reasons but the constant challenge to work on their mindset is near the top.

“It truly does test your mindset and how far you’re willing to push yourself,” Henry said.

Both play other sports as well — Sam also plays volleyball and softball and Henry plays football and rugby. Wrestling is the sport Sam puts her most focus into, but Henry says it’s hard to choose a favorite because he dedicates much of himself to each one.

But in the winter, it's all wrestling and both are looking forward to making their mark at state.

“I’m just proud of myself for getting this far because it’s my freshman year…” Sam said. “And seeing my brother succeed this far in his high school wrestling career is a really good feeling to watch, just seeing him happy on the mat after a match.”