Jump to content
  • Articles

    Manage articles

    Feature Articles

    #MondayMatness with Steve Krah: Union City’s Daniels raises his game, heading to State Finals

    By STEVE KRAH
    stvkrh905@gmail.com
     
    Bradin Daniels became the first Union City Junior/City wrestler to qualify for the IHSAA State Finals in a dozen years when the junior won the 126-pound title at the 2024 Fort Wayne Semi-State.
     
    Before the Feb. 10 accomplishment, the last Indian to punch his ticket to the state tournament’s last stage was Kyle Walters at 160 in 2011-12, a season in which he want 40-4.
     
    As a Union City assistant coach, Walters has been in Daniels’ corner along with Indians head coach Kevin Lawrence.
     
    “He’s just a hard worker,” says Walters of Daniels. “He’s worked for it all season.”
     
    Away from the mat, Lawrence owns a construction company and Walters is a software engineer.
     
    Because of NBA All-Star Game activities, the site of the State Finals has been moved this year from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis to the Ford Center in Evansville.
     
    The first round is Friday, Feb. 16. There will be two sessions (152-285 and 106-144). First-round survivors compete Saturday, Feb. 17.
     
    Daniels heads to the Pocket City at 38-2 on the season.
     
    Union City is a Randolph County school with an enrollment around 250.
     
    “I did it for these guys over here,” says Daniels, who pointed to the UC faithful that came to cheer Saturday at Allen County Memorial Coliseum and saw him defeat NorthWood junior Will Hahn (pin in 2:42), Marion freshman Hixon Love (6-0 decision), Delta senior Neal Mosier (6-5 overtime decision) and Jay County senior Cody Rowles (8-4 decision). “I did it for my coaches. I did it for me. I did it for my family (including parents Devon and Samantha Daniels and brothers Gage and Blayne).
     
    “They all knew I had it in me. This year it changed.”
     
    Says Lawrence, “it was more the way he wrestled. He’s more patient now then he was before. He now knows that all he has to do is win a match. He doesn’t necessarily have to do it all in the first period.
     
    “He can wrestle a three-period match now and go six minutes.”
     
    Daniels said he became serious about wrestle in sixth grade.
     
    “I placed second at Middle School State and I was like ‘Wow!,’” says Daniels. “My freshman year I missed weight at sectional and last year I got in my head because I had to face the No. 1 seed.”
     
    Daniels gave himself a pep talk going into 2023-24.
     
    “I told myself there’s nothing stopping me this year,” says Daniels. “You’re going to go and win it whether you like it or not.”
     
    Gage and Blayne Daniels both wrestled for UC.
     
    “They’re over there rooting me on,” says Bradin. “They tell me that no matter what else is going on, just wrestle.”
     
    Other season highlights for the youngest Daniels boy include winning his second Tri-Eastern Conference championship (pinning Winchester junior Isaiah Spurlin in the finals) and placing first for the second straight Bill Kerbel Invitational at New Haven (beating Northfield freshman Elijah Gahl by 13-0 major decision for the crown).
     
    Daniels also earned his first Jay County Sectional title (besting Rowles 4-0 in the championship bout). He placed second at the Jay County Regional (losing to Rowles by fall in the finals) then won the Fort Wayne Semi-State.
     
    As a sophomore, Daniels was a sectional runner-up and came in fourth at regional and did not place at semi-state.
     
    Bradin came in third at the past two East Central Indiana Classic tournaments.
     
    “He’s always had the ability,” says Lawrence. “Little things here and there he was able to put together this year.
     
    “That’s been the difference.”
     
    The past two seasons, Daniels competed at 126. He began the current season at 132, but continued to lose weight and went back to 126.
     
    Union City’s Matt Taylor placed fourth at the State Finals in 1991.
     
    Besides Taylor in 1990 and Walters in 2012, other state qualifiers include Kyle Anderson in 2007, Zach Woodbury in 2004, Jim Garrett in 1992 and Rob Bousman in 1987.
     
     

    High School News

    2024 State Finals By the Numbers

    Overall
    Another year, another ranking breakdown for the state finals. As always Mike Reiser does a knock out job. He has consistently done a great job with our rankings even with locking them before the first whistle at sectional. This year's total of 193 ranked wrestlers is second only to last year's 200. Most of these wrestlers were in the state rankings at some point and are currently in the semi-state rankings. While ranking high school wrestling is not an easy job, Mike and the rest of the crew make it look easy. As we always say, the best part of the rankings is you get to prove them on the mat. Good luck to all the wrestlers in Evansville.
     
    As always our information center has brackets and will be updated multiple times with information throughout the week. Bookmark this page and check it often for updates.
    Click here for the Info Center with links to download the brackets
     
    Season by season ranked wrestlers advancing to state
    *Note Mike Reiser took over the rankings in 2012
    2024- 193
    2023- 200
    2022- 190
    2021- 186
    2020- 180
    2019- 175
    2018- 179
    2017- 169
    2016- 175
    2015- 172
    2014- 171
    2013- 171
    2012- 170
    2011- 157
    2010- 159
    2009- 143
     
    Wrestlers not in either the final state or semi-state rankings:
    106lbs Caleb Morrow (Indianapolis Lutheran)
    113lbs Bradyn Volz (Eastern Hancock)
    132lbs Dylan Fernandez (Lafayette Harrison)
    190lbs Nathan Shafer (New Castle)
    215lbs Aiden Beadles (South Putnam)
     
    106lbs
    Number of Ranked Wrestlers Qualifying: 14
     
    Unranked qualifiers:
    Caleb Morrow (Indianapolis Lutheran)
    Charlie Fleshman (Central Noble)
     
    First round match-ups of ranked wrestlers:
    #5 Peyton Schoettle (Roncalli) vs. #17 Joseph Hamilton (Center Grove)
    #9 Rex Moore (Manchester) vs. #13 Teigan Newell (Crown Point)
    #11 Alonzo Chantea (Plymouth) vs. #7 Julianna Ocampo (New Haven)
    #1 Jensen Boyd (Delta) vs. #25 Grant Holloway (Rochester)
    #14 Mason Goelz (Avon) vs. #10 Heather Crull (Northeastern)
    #15 John Bissmeyer (Indianapolis Cathedral) vs. #8 Talon Jessup (Columbus East)
     
    113lbs
    Number of Ranked Wrestlers Qualifying: 12
     
    Unranked qualifiers:
    Beck Doughty (Rensselaer Central)
    Bradyn Volz (Eastern Hancock)
    Karrington Cooper (New Haven)
    Sully Frazier (Zionsville)
     
    First round match-ups of ranked wrestlers:
    #3 Ayden Bollinger (Delta) vs. #19 Gavin Ash (Monrovia)
    #12 Nathan Reyes (Indianapolis Cathedral) vs. #13 Brady Harper (Penn)
    #8 Caleb Schaefer (Evansville Mater Dei) vs. #4 Jalen Sawyer-May (Kokomo)
    #16 Kaleb Salazar (Wawasee) vs. #2 Nathan Rioux (Avon)

    120lbs
    Number of Ranked Wrestlers Qualifying: 13
     
    Unranked qualifiers:
    Cameron Woods (Portage)
    Henry Faurote (Bellmont)
    Hunter Douglas (Norwell)
     
    First round match-ups of ranked wrestlers:
    #1 Gavin Jendreas (Crown Point) vs. #23 Tony Kessinger (Floyd Central)
    #5 Charlie LaRocca (Center Grove) vs. #18 Adrian Origel (North Newton)
    #15 Kaid Jackson (Delta) vs. #14 Jett McGuire (Greenfield-Central)
    #6 Tanner Tishner (Western) vs. #13 Richard Rogers (Franklin Central)
    #2 Seth Aubin (Hobart) vs. #7 Isaac Ash (Monrovia)
     
    126lbs
    Number of Ranked Wrestlers Qualifying: 14
     
    Unranked qualifiers:
    Bradin Daniels (Union City)
    Fynn Douglas (Floyd Central)
     
    First round match-ups of ranked wrestlers:
    #2 Landon Hawkins (Crown Point) vs. #5 Neal Mosier (Delta)
    #8 Gavin Bragg (Indianapolis Cathedral) vs. #4 Braylon Reynolds (Brownsburg)
    #3 Luke Rioux (Avon) vs. #9 Eli Broady (Mount Vernon (Fortville))
    #7 Layne Horn (Rochester) vs. #18 Cody Rowles (Jay County)
    #16 Drew Waldon (DeKalb) vs. #10 Matthew Maldonado (Merrillville)
    #1 Isaiah Schaefer (Evansville Mater Dei) vs. #14 Peter Nguyen (Guerin Catholic)
     
    132lbs
    Number of Ranked Wrestlers Qualifying: 13
     
    Unranked qualifiers:
    Cole Stuffel (Yorktown)
    Dylan Fernandez (Lafayette Harrison)
    Hayden Fritz (West Central)
     
    First round match-ups of ranked wrestlers:
    #15 Jack Davis (Indianapolis Bishop Chatard) vs. #4 Eddie Goss (Center Grove)
    #13 Keith Parker (Ben Davis) vs. #20 Cole Vandygriff (New Palestine)
    #1 Jake Hockaday (Brownsburg) vs. #19 Isaac Kuhn (Hamilton Heights)
    #7 Carter Fielden (Garrett) vs. #8 Sonny Sessa (Crown Point)
    #2 Tylin Thrine (New Castle) vs. #10 Quinten Schoeff (Avon)
     
    138lbs
    Number of Ranked Wrestlers Qualifying: 12
     
    Unranked qualifiers:
    Blake Jones (Lawrence North)
    Jaylen Covington (Pendleton Heights)
    Josh England (LaPorte)
    Taiden Chambers (West Noble)
     
    First round match-ups of ranked wrestlers:
    #11 Chase Stephens (Tell City) vs. #10 Luke Reid (Valparaiso)
    #5 Wesley Smith (Plymouth) vs. #13 Justice Thornton (Columbus North)
    #25 Cam Dews (Elkhart) vs. #6 Gavyn Whitehead (New Castle)
    #1 Clinton Shepherd (Crown Point) vs. #14 William Vander Luitgaren (Center Grove)
     
    144lbs
    Number of Ranked Wrestlers Qualifying: 16
     
    Unranked qualifiers:
    None
     
    First round match-ups of ranked wrestlers:
    #6 Zar Walker (Mishawaka) vs. #25 Marlin Williams (Southmont)
    #23 Colton Bollenbacher (South Adams) vs. #2 Parker Reynolds (Brownsburg)
    #4 Christian Arberry (Warren Central) vs. #17 Avery Stanley (Rensselaer Central)
    #8 Branson Weaver (Owen Valley) vs. #10 Brody Hagewood (Prairie Heights)
    #1 Reese Courtney (Center Grove) vs. #18 Emilio Liscano (Oak Hill)
    #16 Bryce Doss (New Palestine) vs. #3 Jeffrey Huyvaert (New Prairie)
    #12 Marlone Kirksy (Merrillville) vs. #7 Dillon Graham (Indianapolis Cathedral)
    #5 Easton Doster (New Haven) vs. #24 Gabe Rose (Switzerland County)
     
    150lbs
    Number of Ranked Wrestlers Qualifying: 14
     
    Unranked qualifiers:
    Aidan Elkins (New Haven)
    Mason Adams (Western Boone)
     
    First round match-ups of ranked wrestlers:
    #21 Luke Teusch (Huntington North) vs. #10 Christopher Bohn (Munster)
    #8 Braden Getz (Roncalli) vs. #11 Alex Smith (Heritage Hills)
    #9 Kaptur Nowaczyk (Crown Point) vs. #19 Jayden Jett (Cowan)
    #5 Wesley Harper (Penn) vs. #12 Brock Hagewood (Prairie Heights)
    #6 Tyler Vanover (Evansville Mater Dei) vs. #16 Carson Fettig (Hamilton Heights)
    #20 Moses Stevenson (Franklin Central) vs. #2 Hunter May (Floyd Central)
     
    157lbs
    Number of Ranked Wrestlers Qualifying: 15
     
    Unranked qualifiers:
    Cael Hickok (Bloomington North
     
    First round match-ups of ranked wrestlers:
    #3 Mitchell Betz (Western) vs. #11 Michael Cain (Hamilton Heights)
    #7 Mason Day (Brownsburg) vs. #1 Beau Brabender (Mishawaka)
    #5 Anthony Cashman II (Warren Central) vs. #14 Kevon Russell (Fort Wayne Snider)
    #10 Griffin Van Tichelt (Crown Point) vs. #6 Silas Stits (Center Grove)
    #4 Silas Foster (Purdue Polytechnic) vs. #15 Teegan Clouse (West Noble)
    #8 Gavin Davis (Bellmont) vs. #12 Aidan Kincaide (Noblesville)
    #9 Asher Ratliff (Columbus North) vs. #19 Javon Frost (Delphi)
     
    165lbs
    Number of Ranked Wrestlers Qualifying: 14
     
    Unranked qualifiers:
    Emilio Tirado (Lake Central)
    Ethan Smith (Fort Wayne Snider)
     
    First round match-ups of ranked wrestlers:
    #15 Xavier Smith (Fishers) vs. #16 Jesse Derringer (Brownsburg)
    #14 Coy Bender (Terre Haute South) vs. #17 Zach Huckaby (Perry Meridian)
    #2 Waylon Cressell (Warren Central) vs. #8 Oliver Hallett (Indian Creek)
    #7 Isaac Sinks (Harrison (WL)) vs. #4 Kaeb Stebbins (Delta)
    #10 Levi Abbott (Cowan) vs. #6 Brant Beck (Rochester)
    #3 Evan Roudebush (Bloomington South) vs. #25 James Dozier (Roncalli)
     
    175lbs
    Number of Ranked Wrestlers Qualifying: 15
     
    Unranked qualifiers:
    Aidan White (Crown Point)
     
    First round match-ups of ranked wrestlers:
    #11 Kyle Harden (Indianapolis Cathedral) vs. #6 Braxton Russell (Delta)
    #1 Aidan Costello (Hobart) vs. #14 Noah Sumner (Martinsville)
    #8 Laish Detwiler (Goshen) vs. #16 Michael White (Lawrence North)
    #3 Brenton Russell (Warren Central) vs. #17 Ethan Farnell (Maconaquah)
    #18 Cooper McCloy (Terre Haute South) vs. #13 Zymarion Hollyfield (Penn)
    #7 Ethan Popp (Harrison (WL)) vs. #4 Noah Clouser (Center Grove)
    #2 Chase Leech (Garrett) vs. #19 Silas Frye (Greenfield-Central)
     
    190lbs
    Number of Ranked Wrestlers Qualifying: 13
     
    Unranked qualifiers:
    Keith Miller (Northwood)
    Nathan Shafer (New Castle)
    Trey Dunning (Mishawaka High School)
     
     
    First round match-ups of ranked wrestlers:
    #4 Vinny Freeman (Penn) vs. #3 Luke Penola (Zionsville)
    #20 Elias Cressell (Wabash) vs. #11 Collin Casad (Terre Haute South)
    #25 Colin Whetsel (New Palestine) vs. #16 Aleksandar Tatum (Hobart)
    #6 Noah Terry (Tell City) vs. #14 Eli Coolman (Leo)
    #23 Donovan Blair (Wawasee) vs. #2 Kaden McConnell (Center Grove)
     
    215lbs
    Number of Ranked Wrestlers Qualifying: 14
     
    Unranked qualifiers:
    Aiden Beadles (South Putnam)
    Preston Duffy (Manchester)
     
    First round match-ups of ranked wrestlers:
    #2 Cole Chicoine (McCutcheon) vs. #13 Wyatt Woodall (Southmont)
    #18 Travis Henke (Northridge) vs. #19 Parker Hart (Heritage Hills)
    #6 Brandon Johnson (Lawrence North) vs. #12 Jayden Bartoszek (Hanover Central)
    #1 Will Clark (Crown Point) vs. #9 Devin Kendrex (Mount Vernon (Fortville))
    #4 Julante Hinton (Fort Wayne Northrop) vs. #17 Landon Terry (Tell City)
    #8 Jackson Weingart (Indianapolis Cathedral) vs. #5 Alex Deming (Rochester)
     
    285lbs
    Number of Ranked Wrestlers Qualifying: 14
     
    Unranked qualifiers:
    Max Amberger (Batesville)
    Perris Green (Warren Central)
     
    First round match-ups of ranked wrestlers:#1 Paul Clark (Crown Point) vs. #22 James Hartleroad (DeKalb)
    #10 Juan Cruz (Bluffton) vs. #3 Aramis McNutt (Highland)
    #11 Justin Brown (Floyd Central) vs. #8 Hosia Smith (Indianapolis Cathedral)
    #7 Austin Hastings (Noblesville) vs. #18 Hayden Smith (Heritage Hills)
    #5 Anthony Popi (Plymouth) vs. #23 Ethan Dodson (Fort Wayne Snider)
    #20 Isaiah Coolman (Leo) vs. #2 Brady Beck (Rochester)

    High School News
    3499 3

    State Finals streaks on the line Saturday

    The state qualifier streaks are always fun to keep an eye on. This year we have a lot of teams with 10+ straight years of state experience that might have their streaks broken. While we expect most of these teams to continue their streaks they do have intriguing ticket round match-ups for their top wrestlers.
     
    Perry Meridian
    22 year streak, 5th longest active streak
    Semi-State Qualifiers
    106lbs NR/#5 Colin Clark
    113lbs #19/#6 Hruai Lian
    120lbs NR/NR RJ Taylor
    165lbs #11/#3 Zach Huckaby
    175lbs #13/#3 Seer Godwise
    190lbs #13/#3 Jaylen Young
    285lbs #17/#1 Jacob McClure

     
    Best Chance to Advance
    There are very few easy paths out of New Castle and it seems Perry Meridian received some tough draws. Hruai Lian comes in with a solid shot of continuing the streak. His biggest obstacle will be one loss freshman Bradyn Volz of Eastern Hancock. Two-time qualifier Zach Huckaby comes in at #11 in the state and will have to go through #22 Kade Rickard of Bishop Chatard.
     
    Tough road to Evansville
    The others in the field got about the worst possible draws. Collin Clark runs into undefeated Heather Crull at 106lbs. Returning state qualifier RJ Taylor could meet up with semi-state #1 Chace Yant. Seer Godwise runs into state placer Kyle Harden at 175lbs. Jaylen Young comes in at #3 in the semi-state, but has Noah Weaver in the ticket round. Lastly, the big guy Jacob McClure has a combination of Killian Miller and state placer Hosia Smith to punch his ticket.
     
    Bloomington South
    26 years, 5th longest active
    Semi-State Qualifiers
    106lbs NR/#10 Jaxsen Jean
    132lbs NR/NR Amrin Pratt
    144lbs #13/#4 Wyatt Cooksey
    165lbs #3/#1 Evan Roudebush
    175lbs NR/NR Tristian Hicks
     
    Best Chance to Advance
    Junior Evan Roudebush(pronounced ROWDY-bush) comes in as the 3rd ranked wrestler in the state, but will have to go through either #19 or #21 to make his way to Evansville for two straight weeks.
     
    Tough road to Evansville
    Little guy Jaxsen Jean will have to go through state ranked Eli Ogle and Talon Jessup to punch his ticket to Evansville. Amrin Pratt will have to go through #17 Kellan Carter in the first round. If he wins that he’ll likely see two-time state champ Jake Hockaday. Wyatt Cooksey has had a great sophomore year, but will likely see #1 Reese Courtney in the ticket round. Tristan Hicks will have to go through undefeated Sam Howard and #14 Noah Sumner if he is to punch his ticket to state.
     
    Adams Central
    25 years, 7th longest active
    Semi-State Qualifiers
    106lbs NR/#10 Myles Kaehr
    113lbs NR/NR Kale Beer
    132lbs NR/#5 Brason Schortgen
    138lbs #16/#5 Maverick Dubach
    150lbs NR/NR Max Byerly
    190lbs #16/#3 Trevor Currie
    215lbs NR/#6 Keegan Bluhm
    285lbs #13/#4 Zac Wurm
     
    Best Chance to Advance
    Maverick Dubach has wrestled well his sophomore year and ranked #18 in the state. He will be a slight underdog against #12 Linkin Carter of Eastside in the ticket round. Keegan Bluhm at 215lbs comes in with the best ranking in his quarter bracket at #6 in the semi-state. He will have #10 Matt Poiry and #7 Preston Duffy to go through. Heavyweight Zac Wurm will also come in with the best ranking. However, he has #9 in the semi-state Vincent Parke first round and #22 in the state James Hartleroad in the ticket round.
     
    Tough road to Evansville
    To start out for the Flying Jets Myles Kaehr will have two state ranked wrestlers in his quarter bracket including state qualifier Rex Moore. Kale Beer is in the same boat with state ranked Abrum Swathwood and Kaleb Salazar in his way to Evansville. Freshman Brason Shortgen has had a great year, but runs into state placer Carter Fielden in the first round. Max Byerly will have to go through either Aidan Elkins or Porter Kleeberg who are both semi-state ranked to advance. Trevor Currie won a tough regional and got put into a quarter bracket with two other state ranked wrestlers. The #15th ranked wrestler will get the winner of #9 Chad Washburn and #14 Eli Coolman in the ticket round.
     
    Carroll (Fort Wayne)
    17 years, 10th longest active
    Semi-State Qualifiers
    106lbs NR/NR Boston Blake
    165lbs NR/NR August Adams
     
    Best Chance to Advance
    With both wrestlers drawing state qualifiers in the first round the best chance to keep the streak alive is August Adams. Adams won a sectional title and was runner-up at regional. 
     
    Tough road to Evansville
    Little guy Boston Blake has undefeated and returning state qualifier Rex Moore first round. Adams will start his quest with Cowan state qualifier Levi Abbott. Neither is a good draw which is not good for the 17 year streak in Huntertown.
     
    Westfield
    13 years, 12th longest active
    Semi-State Qualifiers
    106lbs NR/NR Keegan Carson
    120lbs #11/#3 Porter Temples
    126lbs NR/NR Carter Niccum
    132lbs NR/NR Chase Camire
    138lbs NR/#10 Jake Saez
    150lbs NR/NR Graydon Staley
    157lbs NR/NR Eli Turner
    165lbs NR/NR Hunter Lancaster
     
    Best Chance to Advance
    Sophomore little guy Keegan Carson won a regional title and landed in a spot with only one opponent with a ranking in #4 semi-state Kendall Moe. Returning state qualifier Porter Temples is a slight ranking underdog at 120lbs, however he has a solid shot to make his way back to state.
     
    Tough road to Evansville
    Carter Niccum was a regional runner-up and runs into a tough Gavin Bragg in the ticket round. Chase Camire will likely have to go through state ranked Donald Bowie and Jack Davis to wrestle in Evansville. Junior Jake Saez is another one with two state ranked wrestlers in his quarter bracket. He has state placer Gavyn Whitehead and tough freshman Peyton Hornsby. Graydon Staley will have #16 Carson Fettig in the first round. Junior Eli Turner will have tough freshman Aidan Kincaide in his opening match. Hunter Lancaster will have #25 James Dozier in the opening round and undefeated Damien Dance possibly in the ticket round.
     
    Zionsville
    11 years, 16th longest active
    Semi-State Qualifiers
    113lbs NR/#7 Sully Frazier
    120lbs #20/#5 Tommy Frazier
    126lbs NR/NR Quinn Stauffacher
    132lbs NR/NR Jalin England
    144lbs #16/#9 Hank Phenicie
    157lbs #20/#7 Blake Wahl
    175lbs NR/#6 Jon Mangus
    190lbs #3/#1 Luke Penola
    215lbs NR/NR Kian Maclauchlan
    285lbs NR/NR Dace McNeil
     
    Best Chance to Advance
    Regional champ Sully Frazier opens with state ranked Keegan Dresllar of Southport. Tommy Frazier is in a good spot, but could meet semi-state ranked Cole Freese or Jack Richardson in the ticket round. Luke Penola brought back a state medal last year, but has a tough ticket round match with #10 Clay Guenin looming. It’s one of the bigger ticket round matches in the semi-state.
     
    Tough road to Evansville
    Quinn Stauffacher and Jalin England both come in with losing records and draw into tough quarter brackets with ranked wrestlers. Al Smith placer Hank Phenicie will have a tough match to start with #16 Bryce Doss. If he wins his reward will be #22 Oshea Phillips of Centerville. Senior Blake Wahl’s path to state is through state placer Anthony Cashman. Jon Mangus is ranked #6 in the semi-state, but has #16 in the state Michael White in the ticket round. Kain Maclauchlan will start the day with state placer Devin Kendrex. Heavyweight Dace McNeil will have Warren Central’s #7 in the semi-state Perris Green in his first match.
     
    Carmel
    11 years, 16th longest active
    Semi-State Qualifiers
    106lbs NR/#10 Carlo Federici
    113lbs NR/#8 Tamir Halevi
    132lbs NR/#8 Caleb Mattingly
    150lbs NR/NR Jackson Schmidt
    157lbs NR/#10 Jario Ojeda-Cortes
    285lbs NR/#4 Killian Miller
     
    Best Chance to Advance
    Caleb Mattingly comes in as a regional champ and ranked #22. He will have #10 in the semi-state Alex Plahitko to open up and then possibly #19 Isaac Kuhn.
     
    Tough road to Evansville
    Carlo Federici has had a good freshman year, but will run into #1 in the semi-state Peyton Schoettle in the ticket round. Tamir Halevi was a state qualifier in 2022 and looking for another trip. He will however run into two state ranked wrestlers in Connor Bayliss and Nathan Reyes to make a return trip. Jackson Schmidt will have to go through tough sophomore #20 Moses Stevenson to punch a ticket. Another Greyhound with two state ranked wrestlers in his quarter-bracket is Jario Ojeda-Cortes. He will have to go though #11 Michael Cain and #25 Kaleb Wilburn. To keep the same theme, Killian Miller has #14 Jacob McClure to open up his day and if he wins that likely gets #8 Hosia Smith.
     
    Columbia City 
    10 years, 22nd longest active
    Semi-State Qualifiers
    106lbs NR/#5 Ian Berry
    285lbs NR/#9 Vincent Parke
     
    Best Chance to Advance
    Vincent Parke comes in with a lot of experience battling the top big guys in the area. His draw however did him no favors.
     
    Tough road to Evansville
    Ian Berry has put together a fine freshman year, but after losing to NE8 rival Julianna Ocampo at regional he has to go through #1 Jensen Boyd to punch his ticket. After a regional runner-up finish Parke fell into a quarter bracket with state qualifier Zac Wurm and Fargo champ James Hartleroad who are both state ranked.
     

    High School News
    5185 7 9

    2024 Evansville Semi-State Preview

    TRIPLE_B EVANSVILLE SEMI-STATE SPECTACULAR PREVIEW!!!!!!
     
    This year Trips will hit turn the big 4-4 on Saturday, Mrs 3B will be in attendance for her first SS ever, will this be the greatest Evansville SS of all time?? Dirty brackets, blood round matches that feel like your cutting fresh onions, and all around excitement will fill The FORD Saturday February 10th. 
     
    Evansville is THE BEST Semi-State in the land!! 224 wrestlers will be battling for 56 Golden tickets to Indy…..errrr…. Back to Evansville!!! Out of those 224, 138 are Semi-State ranked and 98, I Said 98 (!!!!!!) are ranked in the IndianaMat State Rankings!! Lawwwwwdy have Mercy!!!! This might be the big one Elizabeth!!!! 
     
    Here’s some quotes from my rankers…. Just in case you needed more convincing of the bloodbath that is Evansville:
     
    “The land encompassing Evansville was formally relinquished by the Delaware Indians in 1805 to General William Henry Harrison, then the governor of the Indiana Territory, and the namesake of Evansville’s Harrison High School.  On Saturday should anyone surrender a late takedown, escape or back points, they will find themselves relinquishing a spot on the podium.  Faltering in the first couple of rounds will likely mean a one-way ticket to palookaville.”
     
    “There is going to be some blood shed this weekend. Dirty South has some match-ups that just plain SAY'S Wrestle back are NEEDED!!!! Damn Travesty! EVSS has 8 Brackets with 3 Top 25 Ranked wrestlers & the other Semi-States combined only have 9..
    So yes, if you make it out of the South 
    "You are a BAD Dude" pain and simple!!  Go Dirty South”
     
    “Some of these were tough. I HATE these freakin' draws man! Evansville gets screwed. Crown Point looks amazing with their 'easy' draws. BB and CG get picked apart down in the toughest semi state.”
     
    In other words…… WE BUILT DIFFERENT!!!!!!



     
    House keeping items - 
     
    Here is the link for the Indianamat Semi-State Hub - 
     
    https://indianamat.com/index.php?/articles.html/high-school-news/2024-semi-state-information-center-r1358/
     
    From our former inside man Markio - Ford Arena info:
     
    NEW DOOR ENTRY PROCESS FOR WRESTLERS SEE UNDERLINED INFO BELOW

     
    Parking and general information about the arena can be found at www.thefordcenter.com Wrestlers can enter the arena at 7:30am for weigh-ins. Wrestlers and coaches will enter at the rear double doors on 6th Street near the corner of 6th Street and Bob Jones Way.  You will pick up your credentials here. The only coolers allowed are for wrestlers and must enter at the check in table through the rear wrestlers entrance door. NO OUTSIDE FOOD OR DRINK for anyone else is allowed inside unfortunately. Not my rules, just standard building policy.  Public doors open at 8:00am CST. Enter on Main Street through the main lobby. We will look to create a separate door/entrance for those that already have tickets. $12 dollars for all session ticket, $10 for finals only.  There is NO onsite parking. Please do not have any team vehicles attempt to park in the loading dock or attached outer lot. These are reserved spots. There is no public Wi-Fi.  Please do not jump over the dasher walls to access the floor. They try to control access to the floor, so you need to enter from the lower level hallway under section 103. You wouldn't jump the wall at Gainbridge would you? lol The hospitality room for officials, etc. will be in the Corner Club. Enter from the main lobby and hang a right at the lower level hallway. If you are going to set up a camera please do not have the cord running across the aisle. You will be made to unplug any cords running across an aisle. We will have full concessions available throughout the day. Coffee and hot chocolate are also available all day as well. (get the bbq pork nachos, huge and awesome) There is no smoking on or in the Ford Center property, this includes e-cigarettes. Brackets will be updated throughout the day and posted on several of the 170 or so TVs located all over the arena. The brackets end up kind of small, but hey, they are everywhere and pretty cool. Lastly,if you are a wrestler that loses please don't kick,throw,or punch Ford Center property. We had a kid break off a door handle last year.Sent the bill to the school.   
    How does this work - The exclusive Evansville Championship Selection Committee (ECSC) spent 2 days in hard deliberations over their Ford Fab 4 picks. Each member selected their ballot, points were accumulated, and from there the picks started falling into place.
     
    Article features: 
     
    The Charles Barkley “Turrible”  Draws - ticket round matches that shouldn’t be happening in the ticket round!
     
    The Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerkers - Best first round matches!
     
    The Built Ford Tough Locks - Any weight class where the pick for champion was unanimous, makes it a Ford Tough Lock. This year we have, what may be a record, 10, yes 10 FORD TOUGH LOCKS!
     
    Ford Fab 4 - After the picks were gathered, points distributed, and the dust settled, we’ll have the Ford Fab 4.
     
    Rankings will be featured like such (State Rank/SS Rank)
     
    A big shout out to Navy80, BigToe19, DuckTails (Wooohoo!), Hook&Half and The DONNIE BAKER for their contributions. I will add some commentary throughout from our great pickers.
     
    What if I didn’t agree with the ECSC or I thought they made a terrible error? Then have no fear - The TripleB Guarantee will help you sort out the madness. 

     
    106: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 8/10
     
    (19/7) David Alstadt crumbled this bracket up last week at Regionals and tossed it in the can. We have several great opening matches and the ticket round matches should all be competitive and great for the fans. 8 State ranked wrestlers will be competing for the 4 spots. This weight class has it all! The winner of Malone/Byrd will be the favorite, no offense Wildcat nation, and really after what we saw last weekend this weight could be wide open. Alstadt/Goelz/Jessup/Ogle/Malone/Byrd could all win or can lose in the ticket round. I’m not sure we’ve seen 106 so up for grabs in a long time!
     
    Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - There’s not alot on paper here. Let’s go with 2 great programs and 2 SS ranked wrestlers - Bloomington South’s (SS10) Jaxsen Jean and Brownsburg’s (12/5) Eli Ogle. Jean ranked 10th in the SS and Ogle is ranked 5th, both coaches know how to get their kids ready.
     
    Charles Barkley Turrible Draws - We aren’t gonna wait long for blood rounds… soooo HERE….WE….GO…. Monrovia has been known for putting out quality kids and Freshman Royce Malone will look to continue the hammers the Bulldogs. Washington Senior Brady Byrd ran off 42 straight wins…. Until getting upset last week at Regionals by Mater Dei’s David Alstadt. This now sets up a turrrrible draw… as (6/3) Malone will take on (4/2) Byrd. A Frosh vs a Senior… LETSSS GOOOOOO
     
    Don’t sleep on…. Switzerland County has been building a reputation in the southeast part of the state for a few years. Sophomore Ethan Rose is making his second trip to the FORD, can he become the first Pacer to punch their ticket to state? He does have a favorable draw by avoiding all the top ranked guys!
     
    The Hook&Half DL:  “Brownsburg’s Eli Ogle will pull off two—count ‘em—two upsets en route to the semis, where he will meet the winner of EMD’s David Atlstadt and Avon’s Mason Goelz.  It’s a crying shame; in opposite brackets you could be looking at a finals match between the Oriole and the Wildcat.”
     
    Ford Fab 4 - Royce Malone Monrovia, Mason Goelz Avon, Talon Jessup Columbus East, Joey Hamilton Center Grove
     
    113: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 6/9
     
    The 4 quarter brackets at 113 couldn’t look anymore different. 2 brackets feature locks in returning state champ (1/1) Revin Dickman from Brownsburg and his counterpart Avon’s (2/2) Nate Rioux. The other 2 feature first round matches that could determine the 3rd place match. Which we’ll cover below. The big story: can the Castle Regional crash the Mooresville Party?
     
    Also: Despite having a returning state champ, we do not have our first LOCK (Momma2Dickmans don’t try to fight me in the hotel lobby again). Can Rioux get one on Dickman? They’ve wrestled 1,000,453 times… and both are in the same room in the offseason at Contenders, if anyone knows Revin, it’s Nate. Could Saturday be the day?
     
    Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - Now business is about to pick up!! 2 Fab Frosh from down South looks to end the season of 2 Juniors from the Mooresville Regional. In our first match up (10/3) Jr. Brennan Leonard from Martinsville gets Mater Dei’s (8/4) Freshman Caleb Schaefer. Schaefer is ranked higher in the state, Leonard is ranked higher in the semi-state. What a match!!
     
    Our other first round match of state ranked wrestlers features Freshman (24/7) Wyatt Ulrey of Boonville taking on Junior (19/5) Gavin Ash of Monrovia. Will this be our first Mooresville 4 over a 1? It probably won’t be our last. 
     
    Can the Castle Regional Freshman send home the Mooresville Juniors?  
     
    Charles Barkley Turrible Draw - See Leonard/Schaefer above. Two top 10 state ranked wrestlers going at it in the first round is absurd. These two should be wrestling next Friday at the Ford!!!
     
    Don’t sleep on…. The “Other Guys”. After winning those first round matches will the victors look past Eli Collier from Owen Valley and Tom Nguyen from New Albany? Let me tell you, if they do, their day will end pretty quick!
     
    Also a shoutout to my man Ethan “Eazy E” Pittman, Madison Freshman and Regional Champ. I don’t know who that kid’s youth coach was,but if I was a young wrestler in Southern Indiana, I’d find that guy….. Oh yeah, I’m THAT GUY!
     
    Ford Fab 4 -  Revin Dickman Brownsburg, Nate Rioux Avon, Caleb Schaefer Evansville Mater Dei, Gavin Ash Monrovia
     
    120: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 8/11
     
    Let’s pour more gas on this fire!! All 4 quarter final matchups will feature 8 state ranked wrestlers with 2 of those matches pitting top 10 ranked wrestlers against each other!!!  120 also features one of the worst Turrible Draws of all time. This weight class is so loaded, we have 2 top ten ticket round matches!
     
    Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - A pair of super sophomores will be battling it out early. Heritage Hills Berke Eisenhauer brings a stunning 41-4 record into this match and will be battling it out with Edgewood’s John Orman. Both of these lads are battle tested and the winner gets…. Returning state champ Charlie LaRocca. But I digress, enjoy this match as it’s a warm up for the quarters!
     
    Charles Barkley Turrible Draw - Ohhhhh boy…. When Brownsburg’s Preston Haines lost in Regionals last week, every single regional started buzzing, we all knew what was gonna happen. A Haines/Hendeson ticket round match. We will get a state ranked top 4 match, in the ticket round. This just isn’t fair. Henderson got the big pinfall dub at State duals over Haines. Can Hendo do it again-o?  This match is so big it overshadows the other top 10 matchup of Walter Hagerdorn from Tell City and Isaac Ash of Monrovia. 
     
    Don’t sleep on…. Floyd Central Freshman Tony Kessinger. Dude is mean and built different. He will draw a familiar foe in Corydon’s Jayden Owsley in the quarter finals. Two of Isaac Knable’s Invicta grapplers going at it with a trip to state on the line.
     
    Ford Fab 4: Charlie LaRocca Center Grove, Ty Henderson Evansville Mater Dei, Isaac Ash Monrovia, Tony Kessinger Floyd Central
     
    126: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 7/10
     
    126 has it all, but the word is disparity as we got our first unranked quarter bracket, 2 big state ranked ticket round matches and our first of 8 First Ford Tough Locks!! I love the unranked quarterbrackets, sheer chaos and every kid wrestling like crazy. What makes this semi-state great is brackets like 126. 
     
    Isaiah Schaefer also looks to join his pops as an IHSAA state champion with being our first FORD Tough Lock!
     
    Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - 2 state ranked wrestlers will be going at it with in the opening round. Returning state qualifier and #6 ranked Dominic Brown will meet up with Terre Haute South’s 19th ranked Nathan Bryan. Terre Haute has been on a tear the last few years and Brown is in that tough Center Grove room. This match should deliver!
     
    Charles Barkley Turrible Draw - Speaking of Dom Brown, if he’s successful against Bryan, it will set up another top state ranked match up in the quarters as #1 ranked Isiah Schaefer will be waiting. Here’s what I know - Schaefer is a two time state medalists and has that Schaefer dog in him. Brown is in a room full of medalists and hammers. Schaefer had a quick fall at team state and that can’t sit well w/ Brown. 
     
    Switzerland County’s Peyton Richards brings in a stunning 84-1 career record into Sem–State, as a sophomore! His one loss was last year to Eddie Goss in the ticket round. This year the Pacer has Avon’s Luke Rioux. Rioux, a former state medalists, lost a tough 5-4 to eventual state runner up Jackson Heaston. It’s #11 vs #3 and maybe not a turrrrible draw, but a match for sure to watch!
     
     
    Don’t sleep on…. The bottom quarter bracket, someone is gonna “sneak” thru, the early favorite is Floyd Central’s Fynn Douglas. But Heritage Hills has a one loss Freshman in Eli Hedges that could also get through. The only SS ranked wrestler in this bracket is a “Mooresville 4” in Greenwood’s Keegan Murray. And Jeff is like Charlie Puth… .they are… headlock….away!
     
    Ford Tough Lock: Isaiah Schaefer Evansville Mater Dei
     
    Ford Fab 4: Isaiah Schaefer Evansville Mater Dei, Braylon Reynolds Brownsburg, Luke Rioux Avon, Fynn Douglas Floyd Central
     
    132: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 7/10
     
    Mooresville is known for bringing absolute studs to Evansville. 2 terms have been coined because of the strength of the Mooresville Regional - The Mooresville Sweep and The Mooresville 4. We might see both here as Mooresville looks to sweep the top 4 spots and possibly our first Mooresville 4th place finisher sends a regional champ packing!
     
    132 also features our next LOCK but we will keep that a secret for now! SUSPENSEFUL!!
     
    Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerkers -  An interesting quarter-bracket where a “Mooresville 4” is favored to win, but when you really look at it anybody can! Mt Vernon Sophomore Jayden Stillwagoner brings a regional championship and 32-4 record from the always tough Castle Regional while Keith Parker brings a state ranking of 13th and is a top 4 SS ranked wrestler. In the other match up. SS #12 Keegan Jochim of Franklin will take on (23/8) Hunter Banet of Floyd Central. Who’s one of those 4 losses STillwagoner has to? Hunter Banet!!
     
    Charles Barkley Turrible Draws - There are no real “Turrible Draws” if we go by criteria. We do have 2 seniors w/ phenomenal records that look to be victims of the dreaded Mooresville Regional. Terre Haute South’s Josiah Dedeaux (16/5) will go at it with Avon’s (10/3) Quentin Schoeff. Josiah has put together a great body of work. Schoeff is an Oriole from Avon and the young Oriole has had a great season. What happens when these two meet up is anyone’s guess!  The other Senior is Scottsburg’s Kellan Carter. A truly great story of toughness and grit, after missing his Junior season the Warrior from Scottsburg has put in work. He wrestled over 70 matches in the off season and has grinded non-stop. Last weekend at regionals he was upended by Columbus North Freshman (coughTripleBtrainedcough) Cohen Long. The bracket god weren’t kind w/ Carter drawing 2x state champ and Oklahoma Sooner commit Jake Hockaday in the ticket round!
     
    Don’t sleep on…. It’s a turrible draw, but gotta give love to Former RoughNeck and one of TripleB OG’s - Cohen Long. The Columbus North Freshman grabbed him a regional title last weekend and will get (2/4) Eddie Goss in the ticket round!
     
    Ford Tough Lock: Jake Hockaday Brownsburg
     
    Ford Fab 4 - Jake Hockaday Brownsburg, Eddie Goss Center Grove, Quinten Schoeff Avon, Keith Parker Ben Davis
     
    138: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 9/11
     
    We have another LOCK at 138 but after Brady Ison, this weight class will be fun. After proving the doubters (myself included) wrong, no one is questioning Brady this year! A Syra/Thornton ticket round match had the rankers at odds. Tons of possible sleepers litter this bracket. Some state ranked first round matches. Don’t miss 138 on Saturday!
     
    Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker -  Let’s look at state ranked match ups in the first round. The first one is Columbus East’s (22/7) Kaleb Kirkpatrick taking on (16/12) Camden Baumann from Evansville Mater Dei. It’s OTR’s rankings vs TripleB’s rankings as Kirkpatrick is ranked higher in the semi-state but Baumann is higher in the state rankings. Grrrrrrr!!! 
     
    The other state ranked draw is Floyd Central Junior (23/8) Vince Kessinger taking on (15/4) Seth Syra of Avon. Syra has all eyes on a rematch with Justice Thornton but if he’s caught dreaming of Justice…. Vinny take out his knees!!! Heeeeyyyy!!!
     
    Charles Barkley Turrible Draw - Speaking of the Syra/Thornton rematch. This was a ticket rounder a year ago and it was a banger!! Thornton won a late reversal and fought off a last second takedown attempt by Syra. Syra got redemption at IHPO with a pinfall victory. Syra is 2-1 in head to heads, can Justice prevail this time?!?!!?
     
    Don’t sleep on….Landon Horning - Evansville Memorial, with all eyes on the team race and William Vander Luitgaren getting all the love from the rankers, can Horning spoil the Sophomores run in the ticket round? This is a battle built for Ancient Greece, the Tiger vs the Trojan!!! 
     
    Ford Tough Lock: Brady Ison Brownsburg
     
    Ford Fab 4 - Brady Ison Brownsburg, Justice Thornton Columbus North, Chase Stephens Tell City, William Vander Luitgaren Center Grove 
     
    144: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 7/11
     
    We are on LOCKdown as we have another LOCK, Reese Courtney will look to hold COURT on 144! The rankers actually all liked the same 4 but just in some different orders. Almost a chalk weight for the crew. Parker Reynolds will look to overcome his ticket round upset last year and he continues to show his resolve after off season health issues (look up the article on IndianaMat!). Can Branson Weaver crash this party?? Find out Saturday!
     
    Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - A rematch from the Hoosier Hills Conference finals highlights the opening matches at 144. Columbus East Caleb Cooper (19/7) has won just about everything this year - Columbus Invite, HHC, Sectionals, and Regionals. The Olympian grappler will have to get by a game Webster (SS10) to keep his run going. This match was 4-2 back in January. The Bulldog Senior will not want his season to end with another loss to Cooper!
     
    Charles Barkley Turrible Draws - Bloomington South’s Wyatt Cooksey (13/4) has been chasing Branson Weaver of Owen Valley all post season. He’s yet to cook up the recipe to knock him off and that has left him w/ turrible draw of returning state runner-up and #1 ranked Reese Courtney of Center Grove! Yet another ticket round match of top 4 ranked SS guys.
     
    Don’t sleep on…. This weight class was hard, lots of good kids. Last year I cursed Gabe Rose w/ the TripleB Guarantee so I’ll stay away from that. I’ve gotten several texts about this freshman from Gibson Southern. However, I’m going to go w/ one of the favorites; Owen Valleys Branson Weaver. With the #1 and #2 wrestlers in the state, Weaver will get overlooked. He is a returning SQ and has the tools to WEAVE together an impressive day Saturday. Everyone says 144 is the most wide open weight at state and I think we might also see that trickle down to Semi-State also!
     
    FORD Tough Lock: Reese Courtney Center Grove
     
    Ford Fab 4 - Reese Courtney Center Grove, Parker Reynolds Brownsburg, Branson Weaver Owen Valley, Deacon Dressler Gibson Southern
     
    150: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 8/10
     
    Nothing much going on at 150, just the top 3 ranked wrestlers in the state and one of them will not be advancing to the IHSAA state finals next weekend! I said 126 featured one of the worst Turrible draws ever, but now it’s #2… How in the world.. Nevermind we will get into it later. We have a lock… that’s not a returning state runner up… 150 is bananas… b-a-n-a-n-a-s…BANANAS!!! 
     
    Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - I’ll take Nate “Dogg” Anderson (25/8) vs Griffin “The Col” Sanders (22/6). This match features 2 seniors, with 9 total losses and this bracket really is wide open. The winner puts themselves into the blood round and one more step closer to that golden ticket!
     
    Charles Barkley Turrible Draw - Floyd’s Hunter May is one of the most decorated wrestlers in the state; 3 time state medalist, returning SS champ, Returning state runner up, returning FORD Tough LOCK. You’d think he’d be another Lock, but no fast my friend, the voters are split!! Some like (3/3) Brownsburg’s Tommy Gibbs! That’s not a typo, we have the #2 and #3 ranked wrestlers in the state going at it for a chance to just get into the top 4 at Semi-State. But NOOOOOOOO we don’t need no wrestlebacks! SMDH!!!
     
    Don’t sleep on….The winner of Anderson/Griffin will get Heritage Hills Junior Alex Smith. Smith was in an open bracket last year and took a trip to Greco City, the trip became a nightmare for this Patriot. Look for Smith to get the winner of Anderson/Griffin and not take any exits on his way to the semis!
     
    The Hook&Half DL: “I like North’s Cale Bonenberger.  I hate his draw against CG’s Wyatt Krejsa.  Krejsa wrestles like you kicked his dog.  Equally, Floyd Central fans hate Hunter May’s ticket round draw against Brownsburg Sophomore Tommy Gibbs.  Gibbs is going to let it fly and claim the “V”.”
     
    FORD Tough Lock: Wyatt Kresja Center Grove
     
    Ford Fab 4 - Wyatt Kresja Center Grove, Tommy Gibbs Brownsburg, Tyler Vanover Evansville Mater Dei, Alex Smith Heritage Hills
     
    TRIBLEB GUARANTEE - Not sure why there’s a lack of respect for Hunter May, but he won’t go down without a fight! Donnie Baker and ducktails told me to bet the boat and call Randy because we ain’t coming in Monday! Da Knobs will be rocking and rolling lead by Hunter May and the rest of his state qualifiers teammates!!
     
    157:  State ranked/Semi State ranked = 7/10
     
    157 features our first Turrible draw in the first round! Also not a Lock after a few weights of nailing them down. Also the Jeff Regional (for once) and the Mooresville Regional will look to shut out the other 2 regionals here. Silas Stits was as close as one can be to being a LOCK but one ranker was feeling upsets in his bones at 157!
     
    Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker/Charles Barkley Turrible Draws - Let’s just kill 2 birds w/ one stone. We got a first round match featuring our #3 and #4 ranked SS wrestlers. How does this happened\?!?!?! Well it’s old news now, The Mooresville Regional, that’s how this happened. Columbus North’s (9/3)  Asher Ratliff took home a regional championship last weekend and his reward is Martinsville’s (16/4) Evan Hamblin. This match was an 8-6 victory for Ratliff in the regular season. It looks like Hamblin is/was dealing w/ some type of injury. Let’s hope he’s ready to go Saturday!
     
    Don’t sleep on…. Indian Creek Freshman Elijah Guyer is the popular pick in his quarter bracket but don’t sleep on Bloomington North’s Cael Hickok. He brings a sectional and regional championship and also is flying under the radar being unranked. The FORD Center might be full of Cougars Saturday, but will Hickok be the luckiest one there?
     
    Ford Fab 4 - Silas Stits Center Grove, Mason Day Brownsburg, Asher Ratliff Columbus North, Elijah Guyer Indian Creek
     
    165: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 8/10
     
    After a slight opening, we are back on LOCKDOWN! Hey doesn’t it seem like Bloomington South always has “that guy”? This year that guy is Evan Roudebush and he’s the prohibitive favorite at 165. Be on the lookout for a great semi-final match where Indian Creek’s Oliver Hallett will go toe to toe with Roudebush. That match should be great! Hallet just has to survive a TURRIBLE draw in the quarters to get there!
     
    Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerkers - 2 matches in the 165lb bracket will get the party started for his weight class. Just wait a second on the pulled pork nachos… you got matches to watch!. 
     
    I’ve heard this alot this year “I really like _____” and these names all fit in that sentence: (21/6) Matthew Pegram from Evansville North, (19/8) David Oyebode from Decatur Central, (12/3) Gage Eckels from Ben Davis, and (23/7) Spencer Turner of Evansville Mater Dei. So imagine my happiness when I saw them all pitted together Saturday in the opening round!!! Letssss GOOOOOOO!!!
     
    Charles Barkley Turrible Draw - We got another top 4 ticket round match… Jeeze Louise!!! Indian Creek Sophmore (8/2) Oliver Hallet will wrestle the winner of Eckels/Turner. While TripleB never counts one of his WildCats out, lets just assume Eckels wins. This match will be great. Eckels is a senior and a returning qualifier, does this Giant have one more Giant match in him? Or can Hallet bring the Giant down to size?
     
    Don’t sleep on…. Can Spencer Turner pull some Mater Magic at the Ford and beat two top ranked SS kids?
     
    FORD Tough Lock: Evan Roudebush Bloomington South
     
    Ford Fab 4 - Evan Roudebush Bloomington South, Jesser Derringer Brownsburg, Coy Bender Terre Haute South, Oliver Hallett Indian Creek

     
    175: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 6/8
     
    Hey…. did you know that once upon a time Noah Clouser and Bray Emerine were teammates and workout partners? It’s true!!! Is that not a way to set up a potential finals match?? Two old workout partners going at it for a semi-state title on the line?!?!? Probably due to their familiarity and closeness, we don’t have a lock at 175! Will there be a “Mooresville 4” strike also at 175??
     
    Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - This first round match up features contest between two wrestlers that’s flown under the radar. Columbus North’s Keller Despain has been in and out of the line up all season with injuries and Brownsburg’s Griffin Cambpell has also had some injuries keep him sidelined. These two seniors will be going at it to try to keep their careers alive!
     
    Charles Barkley Turrible Draws - The Mooresville Regional Strikes Again!!! This time we will get (9/3) Freshman Phenom Sam Howard of Boonville (51 matches?!?!?) and (14/4) Noah Sumner of Martinsville. Their combined record is 84-5!! TUUUURRRRRIIIBBBLLLEEE
     
    Don’t sleep on…. Columbus East loves pulling seniors out of nowhere and sending them to the big show. This year that could be Tyler Lake. Lake won Regionals last week, giving him the best path to a semi-final appearance. McCloy is the heavy favorite and already owns a pinfall win over Lake. Will McCloy be focused on a potential semi-final match up with Noah Clouser? If so he might drown in the Lake!
     
    Ford Fab 4 - Bray Emerine Floyd Central, Noah Clouser Center Grove, Sam Howard Boonville, Cooper McCloy Terre Haute South
     
    190:  State ranked/Semi State ranked = 6/10
     
    If there’s one thing this Semi-State delivers, it’s exciting ticket round matches and Turrrible draws. 190 will keep that coming with Goldsberry/McConnell. I won’t spoil anymore, but this match will highlight 190. Also a potential Terry/Henry rematch. Those guys tore down Jeffersonville earlier in the year!
     
    Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - 2 more seniors going at it in the first round and the winner will be the favorite in the quarters. Pike Senior (SS7) Kameron Biven will take on Terre Haute South’s (11/5) Collin Casad. On paper The Brave looks like the favorite but Biven is battle tested and has had some close matches with some high ranked wrestlers. The other first match between state ranked wrestlers is (6/3) Noah Terry vs. (18/6) Braxton Lewis of Cascade. Terry and Gunner Henry are a potential semi-final match and had absolute barn burner (won 8-7 by Henry) back in December. IF Terry is looking past Lewis, we all know Cascade has that magic at Evansville and can certainly drop some upset L’s on people.
     
    Charles Barkley Turrible Draws - McConnell/Goldsberry…. Mannnnnnnnn……are you serious right now? Kaden McConnel is the returning state runner up and is currently ranked 2nd to his nemesis from The Burg, Gunner Henry. Jett Goldsberry is a returning SQ and is currently ranked (8/4). These two hammers will meet in the ticket round to determine who advances to the IHSAA State Championships. 
     
    Don’t sleep on…. The aforementioned Kameron Biven
     
    Ford Fab 4 - Gunner Henry Brownsburg, Kaden McConnell Brownsburg, Noah Terry Tell City, Collin Casad Terre Haute South
     
    215:   State ranked/Semi State ranked = 5/9
     
    Another bracket of unranked wrestlers, a Turrible draw and a LOCK all highlight 215! Caden Brewer’s High School story has been one of upsets and redemption, His freshman year he won a sectional and regional and got put out at Semi-State, last year he won sectionals, regionals, semi-state and got knocked out the opening round of state. This year the Bulldog from Brownsburg looks to take that next step as he hopes to climb on the podium in his Junior year, he is the LOCK at 215! From a lock…. To a wide open bracket, which we will discuss below. 215 will be a great weight class come Saturday!
     
    Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - We have a quarter bracket w/ zero ranked state wrestlers and only one ranked SS wrestler. Keep your eyes on Kellen Fellure (a 3B guarantee), Noah Owens, Aiden Beadles, and Brant Oakley. This bracket is up for grabs. There were disagreements everywhere as TripleB descented from the pickers! 
     
    Charles Barkley Turrible Draws - We also have a bracket where 2 top 4 SS guys will go at it for a spot in the state finals. Junior from Tell City (17/4) Landon Terry will hope to follow in his brother’s footsteps, but first must get through (14/3) Spencer Watson from Tri-West. Despite being the favorite in both rankings, Watson finds himself as the underdog in this match up!
     
    Don’t sleep on…. Heritage Hills Parker Hart, he has a win over Terry early in the season and has been in several close matches. He does have a loss to his potential ticket round opponent, Tyson Ruhe, but still the Patriot knows what it takes to win!
     
    FORD Tough Lock: Caden Brewer Brownsburg
     
    Ford Fab 4 - Caden Brewer Brownsburg, Landon Terry Tell City, Tyson Ruhe Jasper, Austin Beadles South Putnam
     
    TRIPLE B GUARANTEE: The Blue Cactus in Franklin Indiana will be throwing a wild party of all you can eat Chili Cheese Burritos when Franklin Community Freshman Kellen Fellure punches that ticket!!! We can’t have state in Evansville w/o a Tonte Suit on Friday!!!
     
    285: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 6/9
     
    One of the rare, maybe only weights where there were no official curtain jerkers as it’s all ranked vs unranked individuals. Also no Turrible Draws, none of that means this weight class won’t be fun. While it does have our last lock, Center Grove’s Nate Johnson, and all 4 picks were unanimous, not chalk, I’d be shocked if they all held up. The big quarterfinal match will feature returning state qualifier Ben Land taking on Avon Senior Oluwagbenga Orisadare. Another match up where the favored wrestler wasn’t picked to advance as the pickers like (16/5) Orisadare to beat (13/4) Land. 
     
    Don’t sleep on…. Big Ben Land, dude is a throwing machine and never stops wrestling. In his earlier season 16-5 loss to (11/3) Justin Brown from Floyd, Land just kept coming and coming and giving up points to try to score points. He’s not a boring wrestler at all!
     
    FORD Tough Lock: Nate Johnson Center Grove
     
    Ford Fab 4 - Nate Johnson Center Grove, Justin Brown Floyd Central, Oluwagbenga Orisadare Avon, Hayden Smith Heritage Hills
     
    Man we made it…….let’s end w my favorite - food recommendations
     
    Hilltop Inn - Fried Brain sandwiches. Brains aren’t your thing? Turonis is a local pizza place that’s dynamite. Like German? Gerst Haus is phenomenal. Want to head out for some adult beverages? Go to Franklin St, Gerst Haus is there and a number of other watering holes and great restaurants. I’m never up early enough for Breakfast so I have no clue. I hear the nachos at the Ford are great and worth the $. And a tradition on the way home used to be Stoll’s Country Diner (RIP). 
     
    We’ll end w/ this unreleased track…. I love the Ford!
     
    An homage to the best Wrestling Semi-State in the Indiana! 
     
    We got winners
    We got losers
    Dippers and boozers
    We got WildCats
    We got Bulldogs
    We got angry fathers
    And the moms all dressed up in their glitter
    Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, I love the FORD
    We got Trojans
    We got Olympians
    Broken-hearted wrestlers and seniors
    And we got state placers
    We got fighters
    Early-pinners and over-timers
    And the old timers in letter jackets talk about their battle scars
    Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, I love the FORD
    I love THE FORD
    It's my kind of place
    Just walkin' through the front door
    Puts a big smile on my face
    It’s actually pretty far
    Come as you are
    Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, I love the FORD
     
    See everybody Saturday!!! 

    Feature Articles
    1724 2

    Lake Central’s Mason Jones Drives Into Potential State Finals Run with Renewed Confidence

    By Anna Kayser
     
    One year after losing in the quarterfinals and wrestling his way back to fifth place at 106 pounds at the IHSAA State Finals, Lake Central senior Mason Jones is looking to leave it all on the mat.
     
    Throughout his high school career, he hasn’t taken too many losses. Eleven as a sophomore, two a year ago – the second coming in that pivotal quarterfinal match that would inevitably propel him into his final high school campaign – and none thus far as he gears up for semi-state this coming weekend.
     
    If you’re counting along, that means Mason Jones has racked up a lot of wins through three years as a varsity wrestler for Lake Central. There was just more to learn in the losses.
     
    “I feel like I took away from just my overall season last year that there was always more I could do, more I could work towards especially when I came up short,” Jones said. “Last year at state, it felt like everything stopped and that it was all over. I had to take some time, sit down and remember that it wasn’t over, there was still more to go.”
     
    Jones now enters his final run at a state title ranked No. 1 in his semi-state 106 pounds and No. 2 in the state, trailing only Delta freshman Jensen Boyd. The rankings are one aspect that has helped him build that strong mental foundation.
     
    “I’d say it is a bit of a confidence boost, seeing that after all this time – all the work that I’ve put in to get to where I am now – I’m getting a bit of recognition,” Jones said.
     
    Looking back on last year’s state run, his mental game is strides ahead of where it was last February. Following his quarterfinals loss, his coaches expressed the importance of confidence and staying true to his wrestling style even under the bright lights.
     
    After getting his first state finals experience under his belt last year, he now steps into an opportunity this year with a more collected demeanor.
     
    “His mental game wasn’t 100 percent there yet [last year], but the biggest difference this year is the confidence,” Lake Central head coach Luke Triveline said. “He’s putting in work in the offseason, he put in the work in the offseason, he’s doing his conditioning, he’s got good practice partners, obviously our team is doing well. And he’s really putting in the effort to mentally believe in himself and put him in a position to make a state title run.
     
    That confidence is just a sliver of his mental game, something that was torn down after that loss in the quarterfinals and something he’s built back up to become one of the best wrestlers in the state.
     
    “My dad is always telling me, ‘On any given day, anybody can win and anybody can lose. You have to go out there and give it 100 percent every time you step onto the mat’” Jones said. “I go out there knowing that I just have to outwork whoever I’m wrestling, otherwise there’s no guarantee that I get my hand raised.”
     
    There’s a balance between being humble and not taking a season record or ranking for good, and Jones works hard to keep that balance in check.
     
    “We just try to keep them humble, keep them hungry and keep them working to do what a state champion does,” Triveline said. “There’s only one state champ in each weight class, so you’ve got to be able to do more and push yourself more than you think you’re even capable of.”
     
    Now, Jones is focusing on giving all he can to finish out his high school career on his terms, leaving everything he has on the mat as opposed to walking away thinking he could have given more.
     

    Gorilla Radio
    309

    IndianaMat Gorilla Radio Episode 173- Evansville Semi-State Preview

    Mike and Joe are joined by TripleB to go over one of the top four semi-states!

    Feature Articles
    1527 3

    #WrestlingWednesday with Jeremy Hines: Thornton ready for another trip to state

    By JEREMY HINES
    Thehines7@gmail.com
     
    Columbus North junior Justice Thornton is a patient person. In his view, patience is a key to success.
     
    Thornton uses his patience when competing against his family in his favorite board game, Monopoly. He learns what his opponents are trying to do, then he figures out a way to counter their strategy. He’s got a pretty good success rate against his older brother and his two sisters.
     
    But Thornton is not just patient on family game night. He uses the same approach on the wrestling mat where he is a three-time Conference Indiana champion as well as three time sectional and regional champion.
     
    “Monopoly is a game about thinking,” Thornton said. “You have to figure out how you’re going to play. It really correlates to wrestling. In wrestling, you have to figure out what your opponent does and you have to use that against them.”
     
    According to Columbus North coach Matt Joyce, Thornton uses his smarts to be successful on the mat.
     
    “He is extremely competitive, in a good way,” Joyce said. “He really enjoys wrestling. He’s a really smart wrestler. He knows where he can wrestle well. He’s really broadened his technique too as he’s gotten older.”
     
    Thornton agrees.
     
    “There are some wrestlers that are really fast and athletic,” he said. “There are some guys that are just absolute powerhouses. I like to think my strength is in my technique. I’m not the fastest or the strongest, but I win with technique.
     
    Justice qualified for state last year. He did not advance past the Friday night round. This year he’s hoping to change that. He has his sights set on standing on top of the podium.
     
    Last season Justice was wrestling in semistate against Brady Ison. It was a close match. Ison went for a front headlock and it ended up causing Justice to black out for 30 seconds. He then had to injury default to fourth place.
     
    “We had to take Justice to the hospital to get checked out,” Joyce said. “He was OK, but that set him up for a tough Friday night, drawing a No. 1 semistate champ in the first round. This year he’s going out there and trying to take care of business.”
     
    Thornton is one of nine Columbus North wrestlers competing in the Evansville semistate Saturday. Thornton, Cohen Long and Asher Ratliff all enter the competition as regional champions. Thornton is currently 31-1 on the year at 138 pounds. Long, a freshman, is 28-8 at 132 and Ratliff, a sophomore, is ranked No. 9 at 157 with a 35-2 record.
     
    “Asher is the starting quarterback for the football team and just broke the school’s single season take-down record,” Joyce said.
     
    Nolan Riley, Josiah Green, Luke Spurgeon, Evan Saevre, Keller DeSpain and Jose Ramirez will also be competing at the semistate for Columbus North.
     
    Last season Thornton was the lone Bulldog to advance to state.
     
    “I really hope I have some teammates with me this year,” Thornton said. “Asher has a decent draw for semistate. Cohen wrestles a kid he lost to earlier in the season but we’re going to help him prepare for that. Luke is someone I practice with a lot. I hope some of these guys have a great day Saturday.”
     
    As for his own goal, Thornton isn’t satisfied with just making it to state.
     
    “My goal is to win the ticket round on Saturday,” he said. “Then I want to go into that championship match. It will be close, but hopefully I can get my hand raised there. Then I’ll go ahead and win on Friday night of the state finals and then on Saturday I want to be the one standing on top of the podium when it’s all over.”

    Gorilla Radio
    352

    HS Wrestling Weekly Season 5 Episode 13

    Rex Brewer and Dane Fuelling look back at the area regionals and look ahead to SemiState, and are also joined this week by guests: Jimmy Linn of New Haven, Cody LeCount of Delta, Andy King of Oak Hill, and Sam Riesen of East Noble

    Gorilla Radio
    357

    IndianaMat Gorilla Radio Episode 172- Fort Wayne Semi-State Preview

    Mike and Joe are joined by Dane Fuelling to talk about the Fort Wayne Semi-State and all the great matches in da Wayne.

    High School News
    1507 1 3

    #MondayMatness with Steve Krah: DeKalb’s Waldon heading back to Fort Wayne Semi-State with focus

    By STEVE KRAH
    stvkrh905@gmail.com
     
    Drew Waldon stepped onto the mat at the 2023 IHSAA State Finals as a 113-pound sophomore.
     
    Now a 126-pound DeKalb High School junior, Waldon will be again be aiming for the state meet — this time Feb. 16-17 at the Ford Center in Evansville instead of Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis — when he represents the Barons on Saturday, Feb. 10 at the Fort Wayne Semi-State at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.
     
    Waldon’s first-round foe in the 16-man bracket is Norwell junior Jason Prough. It takes two victories at semi-state to place in the top four and qualify for the State Finals.
     
    “I’m just trying to stay focused and disciplined,” says Waldon of his pre-semi-state practice week.
     
    Waldon (28-4 in 2023-24 with two losses coming against Ohio foes in the Defiance Border War event on Dec. 28-29) is coming off a second straight Goshen Regional title on Feb. 3. This time around, he topped Wawasee sophomore Cameron Senter 4-2 in the finals. Up 2-1 going into the final period, Waldon allowed an escape then scored two points in the third period.
     
    Before that, Waldon reigned at the West Noble Sectional on Jan. 27, pinning Prairie Heights junior Boston Baas in 5:40 for the title.
     
    Waldon placed third in the Northeast Eight Conference meet at Huntington North on Jan. 20. He lost 2-1 to eventual NE8 champion and Leo freshman Nolan Butcher in the semifinals and later came back to best Columbia City senior Dale Cassidy for third.
     
    “That loss was a surprise, but it’s good to learn from these mistakes now,” says DeKalb head coach Justin Wight of his comments at the time. “We make adjustments and come back for (IHSAA) tourney time.”
     
    At the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association Team Duals, Waldon went 2-1 as DeKalb placed 12th in Class 3A.
     
    What’s the best thing Waldon does in the circle?
     
    “I’m pretty equal at everything,” says Waldon, who is heading to his third semi-state in three seasons (He placed third at 113 in 2023 and did not place at 106 in 2022.). “On my top game, I can turn almost anybody.”
     
    As a junior, Waldon embraces a leadership role at DeKalb.
     
    “I try to push my teammates,” says Waldon with a hoarse voice from cheering on his fellow Barons at regional, including sophomore James Hartleroad (who won at 285), junior Jadon Teague (who placed fourth at 144), junior Graham Blythe (who placed fourth at 175), junior Dominic Dunn (who did not place at 165) and junior Brady Long (who did not place at 190). “I want them to be better.”
     
    Hartleroad was a 16U Greco-Roman national champion and ISWA Greco-Roman and Freestyle State winner at 285 in 2023.
     
    Teague made it to semi-state as a freshman at 138 and Blythe was a regional qualifier as a sophomore at 160.
     
    Drew is the middle child of the three born to James and Heather Waldon, behind Jared and Deanna. Little sister grappled in junior high.
     
    “My dad takes me everywhere so does my mom,” says Drew. “It really gave me so many opportunities to get better and advance my skill set.”
     
    Waldon, who took up in the sport in junior high, placed sixth at Frosh-Soph State sixth at 120 in 2023, sixth at Indiana State Wrestling Association Folkstyle State at 113 in 2022 and seventh at ISWA Freestyle State at 100 in 2021.
     
    Wight, who works in industrial refrigeration, is in his second year coaching wrestling at DeKalb after about a 10-year gap when he coached at Homestead. He took over as Barons head coach at midseason.
     
    A piece of coaching advice that resonates with Waldon: “No matter what, keep your head up and keep wrestling.”
     
    Says Wight of Waldon, “He’s one of the most disciplined and hard-working kids. You don’t have to babysit him all the time. He’s going to be doing the right things.
     
    “He wins with grace. He loses with grace. He’s just one of those rare kids. He’s very humble. He’s very polite.”

    High School News
    27722 13 1

    2024 State Finals Info Center

    ScheduleThursday, Feb. 15, 2024
    IndianaMat Live Gorilla Radio from Chasers Bar and Grill
    8pm CT
    Address: 2131 West Franklin Street, Evansville, Indiana 47712
     
    Friday, Feb. 16, 2024
    Session 1
    Gates open at 12:30 pm CT
    Parade of Champions at 1:30 pm CT
    First Round Weight Classes 150 - 285 begin at 2 pm CT 
    First Round Weight Classes 106 - 144 begin at 5:30 pm CT
     
    Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024
    Session 2
    Gates open at 8 am CT 
    Quarterfinals begin at 9 am CT with Semifinals to follow
    Fieldhouse cleared of all spectators following Semifinals
    Session 3 
    Gates open at 3:30 pm CT
    Consolations at 4:30 pm CT with State Championships to follow at 7:30 pm CT
     
    Location
    Ford Center, 1 SE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Evansville, IN 
     
    Admission 
    $15 per session; $30 all sessions. Reserved seating only (no general admission).  
     
    Streaming
    All matches on Friday and Saturday, including Saturday night’s championship round, may be viewed via live stream for a subscription fee of $15 via IHSAAtv.org and the IHSAAtv suite of apps (iPhone, Android phone, Roku, Amazon Firestick, AppleTV, and Android TV).  If you have a FloPro+ plan, you may also view the livestream at FloWrestling.com through the consolation rounds.
     
    State Finals Pairings Show
    Feb 11, 2024
    Time: 4 pm ET / 3 pm CT (1 hour)
    IHSAA Wrestling State Finals Pairings Show
    Hosts: Greg Rakestraw, Mike Goebel, Joe Caprino
    Streaming: Exclusively on IHSAAtv.org
     
    Social Media
    IHSAA on Twiiter
    IndianaMat on Twitter
     
    Brackets
    IndianaMat Brackets with both State and Semi-State rankings
     
    State Bracket.pdf
    IndianaMat Brackets with State Rankings only
     
    State Bracket-State Rankings.pdf
    TrackWrestling Brackets
     
    Semi-State Results
    East Chicago Semi-State Results
    Evansville Semi-State Results
    New Castle Semi-State Results
    Fort Wayne Semi-State Results
     
    Pick'em Contests
    Current Pick'em Standings
    State Finals Pick'ems
    State Champ Confidence Picks

    Gorilla Radio
    Gorilla Radio Part 1: Weights 157, 132, 175, 1655, 144, 138, 126, 150
    Gorilla Radio Part 2: Weights 190, 106, 120, 285, 113, and 215
     
    Featured ArticlesState Finals by the Numbers
    State Finals Media Guide
    #WAYL2
    Who do you want in your corner?
    #MondayMatness with Steve Krah: Union City's Daniels raises his game, heading to the State Finals
    #WrestlingWednesday with Jeremy Hines: Amberger breaks Batesville's 31 year qualifier drought
     
    Evansville Information
    IHSAA_Know_Before_You_Go.pdf

    High School News
    42849 7

    2024 Semi-State Information Center

    Date: Saturday February 10th, 2024
    Admission: $12 per person. Children age 5 and younger admitted free.
    Streaming: A bundled package that includes access to all four semi-state sites, as well as next weekend's state finals, is available via IHSAAtv.org and the IHSAAtv suite of apps (iPhone, Android phone, Roku, Amazon Firestick, AppleTV, and Android TV) for $25. Access to all four semi-states only is available for $15. If you have a FloPro+ plan, you may also view the livestream at FloWrestling.com.
     
    1. East Chicago Central (John C. Baratto Athletic Center) | 9 am CT 
    Feeder Regionals: Crown Point, Hobart, Logansport, Penn.
    TrackWrestling Brackets
    IndianaMat Brackets
    EastChicago.pdf
    Pick'ems Link
     
    2. Fort Wayne South Side (Allen County War Memorial Coliseum) | 8:30 am ET 
    Feeder Regionals: Carroll (Fort Wayne), Goshen, Jay County, Peru.
    TrackWrestling Brackets
    IndianaMat Brackets 
    FortWayne.pdf
    Pick'ems Link
     
    3. New Castle (New Castle Fieldhouse) | 9 am ET 
    Feeder Regionals: Frankfort, Pendleton Heights, Perry Meridian, Richmond.
    TrackWrestling Brackets
    IndianaMat Brackets 
    NewCastle.pdf
    Pick'ems Link 
     
    4. Evansville F. J. Reitz (Ford Center) | 9 am CT 
    Feeder Regionals: Bloomington South, Castle, Jeffersonville, Mooresville.
    TrackWrestling Brackets
    IndianaMat Brackets 
    Evansville.pdf
    Pick'ems Link
     
    Pick'ems History
    Click here for a full pick'ems history
     
    Articles and Podcasts
    #MondayMatness with Steve Krah: DeKalb’s Waldon heading back to Fort Wayne Semi-State with focusHigh School Wrestling Weekly
    #WrestlingWednesday with Jeremy Hines: Thornton ready for another trip to state
    Lake Central’s Mason Jones Drives Into Potential State Finals Run with Renewed Confidence
    Gorilla Radio 172- Fort Wayne Semi-State
    Gorilla Radio 173- Evansville Semi-State
    Gorilla Radio 174- New Castle Semi-State
    Gorilla Radio 175- East Chicago Semi-State
    State Finals streak on the line
     
    Gorilla Radio Schedule
    Monday- Mike, Joe, and a special guest talking about Fort Wayne Semi-State 
    Wednesday- Mike, Joe and our southern correspondent talking about Evansville
    Thursday- Mike and Joe talking about East Chicago and New Castle
     
     

    Feature Articles
    1944 4

    #WrestlingWednesday with Jeremy Hines: Volz rewriting Eastern Hancock record books

    By JEREMY HINES
    Thehines7@gmail.com
     
    Eastern Hancock senior Cameron Volz isn’t looking for attention. But, when you climb the state wrestling rankings, lose by one point to a returning state champion and have the opportunity to do something no other wrestler in his school has accomplished in 22 years, you can’t hide from the spotlight.
     
    Volz was asked if there was anything about him that would be interesting to readers. He thought for a second, then asked his mom.
     
    “Well, you broke the school record for career wins,” his mom said.
     
    But Volz didn’t want to talk about that.
     
    “No mom, not that. I don’t care about that,” he said. “That’s not what I want people to know.”
     
    After thinking for a moment, Volz came up with his answer.
     
    “I really just want people to know that I have a big heart,” he said. “I want to leave a footprint in people’s lives.”
     
    He’s certainly leaving his mark on Royal wrestling. Volz is currently ranked 14th in the 132-pound class. He’s ranked No. 2 in the New Castle semistate. He owns the school record for wins, but he’s not even sure how many he has (somewhere around 140 he estimates). He is also vying to become the first Eastern Hancock wrestler to place in the state tournament since 2002.
     
    “Cameron is a hard worker,” Eastern Hancock coach Sam Pfaff said. “You have to be in order to become the level of wrestler Cameron is. He’s got a great mind set. He’s like a true student of the game. He’s always watching film, learning, and asking questions.”
     
    That studying helped Volz close a gap with New Castle’s Tylin Thrine – the returning state champion and the No. 2 ranked grappler in the weight class. During the regular season Thrine handled Volz, winning 5-1. But in the Centerville sectional final the match was much closer.
     
    Volz scored a first-period takedown in the match. In the end, Thrine prevailed by a single point, 4-3.
     
    “We went into this one with a little bit of a different attitude,” Pfaff said. “We said, you’re the underdog here – you have nothing to lose. Throw everything you have at him. I told him he can’t be afraid, and to let it all fly. We spent all week working in different positions and trying to iron some things out. In the match we got the early takedown, but Tylin in his freakish athletic fashion, got right back to his feet.”
     
    Volz doesn’t believe in moral victories. According to him, he hates losing. But he knows matches like he has had with Thrine can only help him in the future.
     
    “I’m grateful for those opportunities,” Volz said. “Those opportunities make me better and hopefully I make him better as well.”
     
    Volz brings a vast skillset to the mat.
    “Cameron is incredibly athletic and very fast,” Pfaff said. “He has incredible technique. He has to wrestle with confidence though. Going back to the Thrine match, he showed he is a better wrestler when he goes out there without fear and doesn’t worry about the end result. When he does that, he’s really, really solid and can hang with just about anyone.”
     
    Cameron’s freshman brother, Bradyn, won the 113-pound weight class in sectional. Cameron loves working with Bradyn on the mat, as well as with the Eastern Hancock youth program.
     
    “I like coaching,” Volz said. “I feel like I’m pretty good at it. I know a lot about wrestling and I try to show that to the younger guys.”
     
    In his personal life, Volz has dealt with a lot of adversity. The adversity isn’t something he wanted to delve into for this article, but Pfaff said it’s something that shaped Volz into who he is today.
     
    “He’s had some personal stuff in his life that he’s had to overcome,” Pfaff said. “That has really figured into the mindset he brings to wrestling. There are some things he’s had to experience in life that have shaped his view. That’s helped him in a way. He’s experienced adversity in his personal life and he’s able to bring that to the mat. When things get tough, he knows how to push through and gut them out.”
     
    The last Eastern Hancock wrestler to place in state was Keith Oliver in 2002.
     
    “I definitely want to change that this year,” Volz said. “But if I can’t, hopefully my brother can. He’s my project and I love seeing him succeed.”
     
    Volz will wrestle Saturday in the Richmond regional.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.