Every Tuesday at 6:50 p.m. during the high school year, we recognize an athlete or team with our TRIA Prep Salute.

Our TRIA Prep Salute for Tues. Jan. 30 is the Beissel brothers of Hastings wrestling.

It’s hard to top what the Hastings boys wrestling team pulled off last season. Some might think it was impossible. The Raiders won a state title in dramatic fashion, lead by two brothers that are ranked as two of the best in the state.

***Click the video box above to watch the 5-Eyewitness News feature from Alec Ausmus***

It was the equivalent of a buzzer beater in basketball. Hastings came from behind in the state title match last season and made history in the process.

“We flipped five matches, and as everybody saw we were down by 17 points going into the last three matches,” said Tim Haneberg, Hastings head wrestling coach.

The Raiders were down by 17 points to power-house St. Michael-Albertville and needed three straight pins to win by one point, and that’s exactly what happened. Hastings won its first team wrestling state title since 1996.

“A lot of people are saying it’s the biggest comeback in state history, and one of the biggest upsets in state history as well,” said Haneberg.

Hastings has had many generations of families wrestle in their program. Their one-two punch this season are the Beissel brothers, Blake and Trey. Their father Chad was a key member of the 1996 team title at Hastings.

“We’ve been dreaming about this since we were super young, in elementary we were dreaming about this,” Trey said.

Blake and Trey each won individual state title last season and both were well aware their dad was on the 1996 title team. The Raiders had reminders on the mat last season.

“Every tournament last year they made crew necks and it said 1996 state champions. Every single duel and tournament I wore that to remind us that’s what we wanted to do,” Blake said. “It was always our number one priority.”

Blake is a senior, Trey a sophomore, but they are similar in size and wrestle each other every single day. Trey has been the perfect motivator for Blake to be great.

“Growing up, Trey was always significantly better than I was, so always wanting to be like him, be as good as him,” said Blake. “Then something clicked with me, and I wanted to be great just like he is.”

Blake, a Gophers wrestling commit, is six pins away from breaking the Hastings school career record of 106. Blake and Trey are both ranked No. 1 in the state at 121 pounds and 127 pounds respectively.

“They are both once in a lifetime kids, once in a program kids,” said Haneberg. “It’s pretty interesting that we have two at the same time.”

The state wrestling tournament is February 29-March 2 at Xcel Energy Center.