A family thing on and off mat

Wrestling runs in the Huber family.

Whether it’s with Braydon, who recently signed a letter of intent to wrestle at Division II University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D.

Or it’s Brelane, who won the Cadet national freestyle national title last summer in Fargo, N.D.

As far as how it started ...

“My cousin (Brett Land, who wrestled at Oregon State) was really big into wrestling,” Brelane said. “Once Braydon got into it, I got into it a little more, so it became a family thing.”

They’ve even got a little brother — Bryson — who wrestles for the Real Life Ministries club team on the horizon.

“Bryson, I think he’s going to be the best wrestler out of all three of us,” Braydon said. “I wasn’t like him and have a dad and brother that knew a lot about wrestling, at least when I started out. And we can help him along the way now. He’s going to have my sister and I helping him along the way.”

As for how Brelane got started in wrestling ...

“I always went to Bryson’s practices and warmed up with him,” Brelane said. “I just started to fall in love with it.”

Even if it causes some anxiety before matches.

“I get nervous before each match for sure,” Brelane said. “I’ll pray with the team and take a deep breath and tell myself that if I wrestle my match, I can beat anyone.”

Same for Braydon.

“I used to get really nervous during tournaments,” Braydon said. “I’d get to the state finals, and wrestle really tough and then blow it out and not do very good in the finals because I’d get really nervous. But with my faith, it’s definitely helped that a lot. Wrestling was my God before. Now God is my God.”

And far as anxiety watching his sister Brelane wrestle ...

“I probably get more nervous for her than I get for my matches,” Braydon said. “I know my abilities, but I really don’t know hers. I’m not out on the mat for her, so I’m not really sure how she’s feeling. If it’s a big match, I get really nervous depending if she’s up or down. It really depends on the situation.”

Thus far this season, Brelane, a sophomore is 3-5 at 106 pounds. Braydon, a senior at 160 pounds, is 8-0.

Braydon has signed to continue his wrestling career next year at University of Mary.

“After I finished second at Reno Worlds, they emailed me and I went to the college on a visit,” Braydon said. “They had the same passion about the sport and that really hooked me on the school.”

Arizona State and Oregon State also showed interest in Braydon to join their programs.

“You’ve really got to take into account money and those kinds of things,” Braydon said. “It’s not just about wrestling, but you’ve also got to find something after wrestling is over. I think I want to become a teacher and coach wrestling. I want to be a part of this sport for as long as I can.”

As for the immediate future, both Braydon and Brelane will look to send Post Falls to its third Tri-State Invitational title in the last four years. Tri-State runs Friday and Saturday at North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene starting at 9 a.m. both days.

Braydon was third as a freshman, fifth as a sophomore and fourth as a junior. Brelane came up one match short of the placing rounds in her first Tri-State in 2016.

“It was a good experience,” Brelane said. “I was really nervous being only a freshman and one of the only girls there. I really enjoyed the experience.”

As for this weekend ...

“Hopefully I’m going to place this year,” Brelane said. “If I can put all my heart out on the mat, and just wrestle, I should be just fine.”

“It would be better for us to mend well as a team,” Braydon said. “In the past, we’ve looked at it individually and trying to get our own individual stuff done. It’s going to take everyone supporting each other to get it done this weekend and get a team title.”

“I think just like everyone else, we need them to wrestle to their full potential,” Post Falls coach Pete Reardon said. “I think both are capable of placing at this tournament and Braydon is very capable of getting to the finals and winning it, which he’s never done before. Brelane has a great chance to place as well. Where in the top eight, I don’t know. She’s got the ability to get to the finals, but I really don’t know. It’s tough for her facing boys and that’s a struggle. It’s hard for them to battle that, but she does a great job and fights that. I think they’ve both got a great shot.”

“I just want to wrestle my match,” Brelane said. “I don’t want to wrestle scared and let nerves control my match or the outcome of my match.”

Now, as for which one of them is a better wrestler?

“My brother is, no question,” Brelane said.

“I don’t know who’s better,” Braydon said. “I’ve never placed at Fargo, which is the biggest high school tournament, and she won it. In all the years of doing what I do, if we’re going off paper, she’s definitely a better wrestler.”

One thing is for certain.

Their support for each other remains undefeated. No matter what the final score might say.