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Manage articlesFeature Articles1792 1 3McCutcheon’s Dynamic Duo: Dallinger and Chicoine Build Each Other, Maverick Program Up
By Anna Kayser
The wrestling room at McCutcheon High School has two mats, with practice squads split down the middle by weight. Two mats, working truly in tandem toward both common and individual goals, is the perfect metaphor for the first two returning state placewinners since 2006.
Aiden Dallinger and Cole Chicoine are seniors battling at opposite ends of the Maverick lineup – Dallinger at 120 points and Chicoine at 215. Last season, they became the first McCutcheon state placewinners since 2014 and the first to place earlier than their senior year since junior Travis Dale in 2006.
“Kids need to see an example, and when they see a kid from their school achieve at some of the highest levels, they start to think they can do it too,” McCutcheon head coach Adam Metzger said. “It’s been a huge launching point for our program, and we get to use them as examples in many ways.”
Having not one, but two seniors as focal points for the program has been huge not only in the development of younger wrestlers, but for Dallinger and Chicoine to work as a team in building each other up.
“I think just because we progressed at the same pace, we’re both reaping the same achievements at the same time,” Dallinger said. “I feel like it’s easier when we accomplish them, and it means more because we do it together.”
Both wrestlers have grown in parallel lines to each other since coming into the program as freshman. Young for their age with a lot of room for growth on the mat, they’ve taken each step together. Now, as they’re making their way through the postseason of their senior years, they’re able to cheer each other on.
Their gap in weight classes comes at an advantage. Although the benefits don’t come from on-the-mat head-to-head training, advice is constantly given and received in a way that makes each of them better. They’re able to take the time to be in each other’s corner without having to worry about their own imminent match.
“It definitely helps him keeping me accountable,” Chicoine said. “If I lose a match, I know he’s going to say something about it. If I do something sloppy, he’s going to say something about it… We push each other because we’re both pretty competitive. And since we’re both there, it’s not like one of us is going to fall off because we know the other one’s going to be on our backs about it.”
As sophomores, they each lost in their respective ticket rounds to narrowly miss state bids. Together, by holding each other accountable, they turned those losses into personal success and leadership opportunities.
“They’ve done all of the things we’ve asked them to do in the offseason, they bought into the program that we’re trying to sell them, and they’ve just continued to develop in the mat,” McCutcheon head coach Adam Metzger said. “They’ve [gone from] underdeveloped freshmen to vocal leaders who are just constantly trying to show our kids the path it takes to be successful and get to wrestle at the next level.”
With everything they’ve been able to do in tandem, working as a team to help each other achieve their goals, the effect on younger classes has been huge for the Mavericks.
In the McCutcheon wrestling room, each senior has the opportunity to lead one of the two mats and act as an extension of the coaching staff in building up the program. Their previous success is the perfect resumé for outreach and showing other wrestlers what a tangible path to reaching their goals looks like.
“When me and Aiden [placed at state], we showed that we put in the work and that our coaching staff knew what they were doing. It built confidence,” Chicoine said. “This year, it’s been a lot of teaching some of the younger guys that didn’t necessarily have a lot of success last year but trying to set them up for success not only this year but next year.”
Dallinger added, “To have a high-level on both mats, able to work around and build up our team on both spectrums, I feel like it’s a pretty big advantage.”
Success is contagious, and having seniors that are vocal, willing to teach and setting a good example not only on the mat but in the classroom – according to Metzger, Chicoine was Academic All-State and Dallinger’s SAT score was off the charts – has helped improve the Maverick wrestling program ten-fold.
“This is my fifth year at McCutcheon, and this is by far the biggest freshman class we’ve ever had,” Metzger said. “I think a lot of it has to do with [Aiden and Cole] – they go back to their old middle schools, they’ve worked with and talked to the kids. They do a great job of that outreach and just getting kids excited about our program.”
Gorilla Radio302IndianaMat Gorilla Radio Episode 171
Mike and Joe recap the sectional action and go over some of the best regional matches for the upcoming week.
Gorilla Radio283HS Wrestling Weekly Season 5 Episode 12
Rex Brewer and Dane Fuelling take a look back at sectionals and look ahead to the regionals, and are also joined by guests: Josh Howard and Mike Reiser
Feature Articles2061 1#MondayMatness with Steve Krah: Fairfield’s Maran bound for regional again — this time as a lighter competitor
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
Breckan Maran, a 190-pound junior at Fairfield High School, is heading to the Goshen Regional for the third time in his prep wrestling career.
For the first time since 2017, the Falcons will be represented by more than two grapplers.
It’s fitting that Maran has more teammates sharing the experience with him in 2024. The meet on Saturday, Feb. 3 will also feature juniors Matthew Senn (138), Dirk Rumfelt (157) and Aldahir Ortiz-Sanchez (165) and senior Ryan Noel (175).
His head coach — 1992 Fairfield graduate Gene Willard — has noticed how Maran cares about the others around him.
“Breckan always has been a team player,” says Willard of an athlete who ended the football season weighing 216. “At the beginning of the season he thought he was going to go at 215. The week before we started competing, he said, ‘I want to go 190. Am I OK?’ I said, ‘Why?’ He said, ‘(senior) Ethan (Hochstetler) can go 215 and (sophomore) David (Almiray) is the heavyweight and I can fill 190.
“Mentally, (Breckan) is very tough but that’s the team aspect of it. He just holds things together.”
Says Maran, “Going to semistate last year and regional the year before and knowing a lot about wrestling, I’d say my teammates look up to me.”
Willard, who is in his second season as Falcons head coach and eighth in the program after stints at Whiteland Community and Lakeland, said there was an adjustment period to the lighter weight, then Maran began rolling again.
“He’s been looking really good,” says Willard, who saw Maran win the 190 title at the 2024 Northeast Corner Conference meet after placing second at 220 in both 2022 and 2023.
The coach also recognizes a leadership style. It’s one he had himself as a Fairfield athlete.
“Breckan is one that leads by example,” says Willard. “If you ask most unless he’s around he’s around his friends he’s very soft-spoken.
“If someone needs correction or motivation he’s there to support them. He holds everything near and dear to his heart. Sometimes he puts a lot of pressure on himself to succeed and carry the team when he doesn’t have to.”
The past two wrestling postseasons, Maran competed at 220.
As a sophomore in 2022-23, he placed second at both the Elkhart Sectional and Goshen Regional and lost in the second round at the Fort Wayne Semistate.
As a freshman in 2021-22, he finished second in the Elkhart Sectional and did not place at the Goshen Regional.
Maran is 29-5 during his junior wrestling season at Fairfield High School.
Two of those defeats came at the Elkhart Sectional as he was pinned in 3:00 by Elkhart junior Kaullin Price in the semifinals and beaten 6-3 by NorthWood senior Keith Miller — a wrestler he had beaten by a point during the regular season — in a consolation match.
“I couldn’t quite come back,” says Maran of the second-round fall. “That’s my thought on the mental side.”
The Elkhart Sectional is sending champion Donovan Blair of Wawasee, runner-up Price of Elkhart, third-placer Miller of NorthWood and fourth-placer Maran to the Goshen Regional.
“We knew that was going to be a tough weight class coming in,” says Willard. “He got caught (against Price) and that happens.
“Hopefully, (Breckan) will be able to rebound and the Elkhart Sectional can advance all four 190-pounders to semistate.”
Maran started wrestling as a seventh grader. In the eighth grade, he was 207 pounds. He started playing tackle football in the third grade. There was a time that he was too big to carry the ball by Prairie Football League rules and was assigned to a spot on the line.
As a high schooler, he runs over and around tacklers as a fullback and also uses his gifts to bring ball-carriers down as a middle linebacker.
“That’s part of his mentality: If you don’t get out of the way I’m going to go through you,” says Willard, who coached a freshman Maran in that sport. “He’s always worked his butt off.
“His work ethic got him where he is today.”
Says Maran, “I’m pretty quick and I’ve got some decent muscles. With wrestling, I just like the physicality.”
One of the strongest kids in the school, Maran enjoys his time in the weight room. You can often find him there during the spring when he’s not staying in-shape with wrestling workouts and some competitions. He placed fourth at 220 at the 2023 Frosh-Sophomore State meet.
“Before I dropped the weight by bench (press) was 325, my squat was 475 and my clean (and jerk) was 265,” says Maran. “Since I’ve cut down to like 187 I haven’t tried to max.”
Tom and Tosha Maran have two sons — Braedon and Breckan. Brandon Maran played football and basketball at Fairfield.
High School News17315 1 32024 IHSAA Regional Brackets
**Match orders have been updated as of 1pm Sunday**
You can find TrackWrestling links here
https://indianamat.com/index.php?/bracketstournament.html/
1. Hobart | 9 am CT
Feeder Sectionals: East Chicago Central, Portage
Hobart.pdf
2. Crown Point | 9 am CT
Feeder Sectionals: Crown Point, LaPorte
Crown Point.pdf
3. Penn | 9 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: Mishawaka, Plymouth
Penn.pdf
4. Logansport | 10 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: Lafayette Jefferson, Twin Lakes
Logansport.pdf
5. Goshen | 9:30 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: Elkhart, West Noble
Goshen.pdf
6. Carroll (Fort Wayne) | 9 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: Carroll (Fort Wayne), New Haven
Carroll.pdf
7. Peru | 9 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: Peru, Oak Hill
Peru.pdf
8. Jay County | 8:30 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: Delta, Jay County
Jay County.pdf
9. North Montgomery | 9 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: Crawfordsville, Frankfort
North Mont.pdf
10. Pendleton Heights | 9 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: Elwood, Indianapolis Arsenal Technical
Pendleton Heights.pdf
11. Perry Meridian | 9 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: Shelbyville, Southport
Perry Meridian.pdf
12. Richmond | 9 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: South Dearborn, Shenandoah
Richmond.pdf
13. Mooresville | 9 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: Avon, Mooresville
Mooresville.pdf
14. Bloomington South | 10 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: Bloomington North, Southridge
Bloomington South.pdf
15. Jeffersonville | 8 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: Jeffersonville, Jennings County
Jeffersonville.pdf
16. Castle | 9 am CT
Feeder Sectionals: Castle, Evansville Central
Castle.pdf
Gorilla Radio446 9IndianaMat Gorilla Radio Episode 170
Mike and Joe discuss the previous week's action, go off topic numerous times, and do the class of 2024 and Pound for Pound rankings.
Gorilla Radio422HS Wrestling Weekly Season 5 Episode 11
Rex Brewer and Dane Fuelling take a look back at the week in wrestling, and are joined this week by special guests Mike Reiser, AJ Bradley, and Joe Caprino.
Gorilla Radio453HS Wrestling Weekly Season 5 Episode 9
Rex Brewer and Dane Fuelling take a look back at the week in wrestling, to include the Team State, along with the Girls Semi State.
Gorilla Radio238HS Wrestling Weekly Season 5 Episode 10
Rex Brewer and Dane Fuelling recap the week in high school wrestling, to include the Girls State Finals, and are also joined by special guest Brandon Razo.
Gorilla Radio308IndianaMat Gorilla Radio Episode 169
Mike and Joe discuss the week's happenings and go over class of 2027, 2026, and 2025 top wrestlers.
Gorilla Radio224IndianaMat Gorilla Radio Episode 168- Girls State Preview
Joe and Razo talk about the girls state finals brackets.
Gorilla Radio419IndianaMat Gorilla Radio Episode 167
Mike and Joe recap team state and look forward to conference weekends
High School News6386 22024 Girls State Information Center
Schedule
Friday, January 12th, 2024
Weigh-Ins: 10:00am
First Round: 11:00am
Location
Kokomo Memorial Gymnasium
200 S. Apperson Way
Kokomo, IN 46901
Streaming
All matches on Friday will be streamed on TrackWrestling.
Brackets
IndianaMat Brackets with State rankings
StateGirls.pdf
TrackWrestling Brackets
Semi-State Results
Rochester Semi-State Results
Penn Semi-State Results
Mooresville Semi-State Results
Muncie Semi-State Results
Gorilla Radio
Coming soon!