2010 Merrillville Semistate Preview

The Merrillville Semistate has a long and proud tradition in producing the state's finest wrestlers and this year should be no different. I am not sure there is as much depth at Merrillville as their has been in recent years but the top dogs are still there.

Picks by Karl Hungus and RankingsGuy

103

Warsaw’s Jarred Brooks and his golden tan are ready for the big time after a heartbreaking loss to Merrillville’s Zack Stevens in last year’s ticket round. Stevens is the likely runner-up. The story that may overshadow them all is Penn’s Sarah Hildebrandt. She has a realistic shot at Conseco and will likely be a national story item if she were to qualify for state.

Punchin’ Their Ticket

1. Brooks – Warsaw

2. Petrov – Hanover Central

3. Stevens – Merrillville

4. Hildebrandt – Penn

Potential Bracket Busters

1. Sammy Ferdig – South Bend Adams

2. Santo Marciano – Munster

112

I have been singing the praises of Mishawaka’s Paul Beck all season. His only true challenge all season has been from his likely finals opponents, Lake Central’s Kyle Ayersman. The consolation match-up should be a donnybrook as well. Look for Merrillville’s young Adam Garcia to top Highland’s Danny Rodriguez.

Punchin’ Their Ticket

1. Beck – Mishawaka

2. Ayersman – Lake Central

3. Garcia – Merrillville

4. Rodriguez – Highland

Potential Bracket Busters

1. Brandon Coopinger – Portage

119

This is clearly one of the deepest classes at the Merrillville Semi-State. I’m of the opinion that up to eight wrestlers in this class are of state qualifying caliber. Three wrestlers in this class will likely contend for for a state title if they can survive the meat grinder. My pick to click is Penn’s Alex Gregory. I see him surviving the double edged sword of Anthony Hawkins and Danny Bradley to come away with the title. Lake Central looks to get join Merrillville and Penn and get their second state qualifier in senior Marc Escobedo.

Punchin Their Ticket

1. Gregory – Penn

2. Bradley – Knox

3. Hawkins – Crown Point

4. Escobedo – Lake Central

Potential Bracket Busters

1. Al Padilla – Merrillville

2. Josh Olsen – South Bend Adams

3. Layten Binion – Mishawaka

125

Anthony Napules of Merrillville has been largely overlooked when people talk about dominating performers. He has, however, had an outstanding performance up to this point. Zack Thornton of Chesterton drew that short straw and must face Napules in the ticket round. Freshman Mitch Hartman has gotten increasingly more confident as the season progressed and will likely face unbeaten and largely unknown Jordan Hicks of Seeger in their ticket round. The top wrestlers in the bottom half of the bracket appear to have slightly easier routes to Indy. Look for Mishawaka’s Taylor Wisler and Hanover Central’s John Petrov to put on quite a show in their semifinal matchup.

Punchin’ Their Ticket

1. Anthony Napules – Merrillville

2. John Petrov – Hanover Central

3. Taylor Wisler – Mishawaka

4. Mitch Hartman – South Bend Clay

Potential Bracket Busters

1. Zack Thornton – Chesterton

2. Jordan Hicks – Seeger

130

Crown Point’s wunderkind Jason Tsirtsis continues his quest for a second state title in as many years. He will likely face the winner of Mishawaka’s Nick Schrader and Calumet’s Mike Clark. Schrader and Clark battled back and forth in their previous matchup in the Al Smith finals back in late December. Schrader is also the only wrestler that has seriously contended with Tsirtsis.

Punchin’ Their Ticket

1. Jason Tsirtsis – Crown Point

2. Nick Schrader – Mishawaka

3. Mike Clark – Calumet

4. Forest Son – Lafayette Harrison

Potential Bracket Busters

1. Justin Bogart - Bremen

135

This weight is extremely difficult to prognosticate with no clear cut favorites. I can see up to five different wrestlers legitimately winning this class. My pick to win is one of my favorite wrestlers to watch over the past two year, Matt Guerra of Mishawaka. He will face a stiff challenge in his ticket round match up with senior Dallas Schurg of Crown Point. Guerra will then like face Lafayette Jeff’s regional champ Trey Grayson. In the top half of the bracket, Juniors Bobby Marcuccilli of Wawasee will likely face Portage junior Luis Acuna in an exciting ticket round battle. Lake Central’s Bradley Wartman looks to be in fine position to get his first ticket to Indy.

Punchin’ Their Ticket

1. Guerra – Mishawaka

2. Wartman – Lake Central

3. Acuna – Portage

4. Grayson – Lafayette Jeff

Potential Bracket Busters

1. Marcuccilli – Wawasee

2. Xavier Ponce – Merrillville

3. Schurg – Crown Point

140

Hobart’s steady Frankie Porras is the unquestioned headliner of the 140 class. He wrestles with such poise and control even in close matches. He will likely face region rivals Josh Flamme of Crown Point and Cameryn Brady of Lowell on his way to a second straight semi-state crown. Look for Warsaw’s Paul Manbu to finally get an opportunity to wrestle on the floor at Conseco after coming close for a couple of years.

Punchin’ Their Ticket

1. Porras – Hobart

2. Brady – Lowell

3. Manbu – Warsaw

4. Flamme – Crown Point

Potential Bracket Busters

1. Adrian Brown – Lafayette Jeff

145

The state champion came from this semi-state last year in Culver Military’s Daniel Young. It just might happen again this year as Crown Point’s dominating Eric Roach is the heavy favorite. Roach might be tested in the semi-finals by Munster’s Alex Surma. Surma can control a match with his mat wrestling. The top half of the bracket looks to be set up for underrated Laquan Lunford of South Bend Clay. He must survive the assault of the Lake Station Launcher, Jack Hammons. Hammons will come out with guns a blazing and can put even the best wrestlers on their backs. Beware of the Reaper!

Punchin’ Their Ticket

1. Roach – Crown Point

2. Lunford – South Bend Clay

3. Surma – Munster

4. Reaper - Lake Station

[caption id=attachment_1756" align="aligncenter" width="197" caption="You must fear the Reaper!][/caption]

Potential Bracket Busters

1. Mike Torres – Portage

2. Brian Hodge – Lafayette Harrison

152

State runner-up at 140 Ryan Stahl headlines the 152 class. He has taken a couple of losses this season but those should serve him well in his quest for a state title in his senior year. Super soph, Tanner Lynde of Delphi, looks to make his second trip to the Circle City and has an outstanding 40-1 record. The other two slots are more difficult to predict. Kankakee Valley’s Dustin Schultz and Gary West Side’s Nicholas Hill appear to have the inside track.

Punchin’ Their Ticket

1. Stahl – Mishawaka

2. Lynde – Delphi

3. Schultz – Kankakee Valley

4. Hill – Gary West Side

Potential Bracket Busters

1. Isaac Yoder – Tippy Valley

2. Jared Wethington – McCutcheon

3. Tommy Renn – Crown Point

160

The real drama at the 160 class will likely be in the semi finals where Chesterton’s Anthony Quiroz will probably battle Lafayette Harrison’s Cameron Vlahos for a shot at two time defending state champ, Sean McMurray of Portage. I don’t see either one beating McMurray but their semifinal match up should be a barn burner. South Bend Washington’s long time bridesmaid, Malcolm White should win his first two and make a trip south next week.

Punchin’ Their Ticket

1. McMurray – Portage

2. Vlahos – Lafayette Harrison

3. Quiroz – Chesterton

4. White – South Bend Washington

Potential Bracket Busters

1. Derek Worden – Lewis Cass

2. Austin Kunze – Penn

171

The field here is tightly packed with only Penn’s Andy Wiseman nudging ahead as a slight favorite over Mishawaka’s Dick Morin. The other tickets to Indy will be hotly contested by a host of worthy contenders.

Punchin’ Their Ticket

1. Wiseman – Penn

2. Morin – Mishawaka

3. Molebash – Culver Community

4. Jurczak – New Prairie

Potential Bracket Busters

1. Jeremy Wengel – Merrillville

2. Nathan Nethercutt – Pioneer

3. Dylan Senff – Triton

4. Joe Peco – Hobart

5. Jimmy Krause – Knox

6. Ryne Bell – South Newton

189

Delphi’s impressive Braden Atwood will be a huge favorite to add another semi state crown to match last years. He may just face freshman upstart, Matt Hurford in the finals. Others looking for mat time at Conseco include Nate Fowler of Calumet and in a mild upset, Call Posey of Hobart. A host of bracket busters are also looming at Merrillville.

Punchin' Their Ticket

1. Atwood – Delphi

2. Hurford – Culver Community

3. Fowler – Calumet

4. Posey – Hobart

Potential Bracket Busters

1. Aaron King - Portage

2. Tyler Kral – Crown Point

3. Timmy Buckingham – South Bend Riley

4. Nick Berdine – Kankakee Valley

5. Lorenzo Motton – McCutcheon

6. Aaron King – Portage

215

Ding, Ding! Get ready for round two of this clash of titans. Lowell’s Nate Cleveland should battle Mishawaka’s Christian Lentz for a second time this year and for the second year in a row at the semi-state level. This match will probably just be a preview of next weeks state finals match. 4-5 others will battle it out for the other tickets to Indy.

Punchin’ Their Ticket

1. Lentz – Mishawaka

2. Cleveland – Lowell

3. Matt Sumner – McCutcheon

4. Devin Reagan – Penn

Potential Bracket Busters

1. Jack Seaman – Munster

2. Joe Gallegos – South Bend Clay

285

Three quarters of the heavyweight bracket will likely be won by three wrestlers that might all place at state next week. Merrillville’s James Travis is the best of the bunch. Look for him to battle Mishawaka Man Mountain Travis Thomas in the semi-finals before meeting up with Plymouth’s Damon Howe. Howe has battled Thomas closely a couple of times this year to prove he is among the state’s elite big men. I see a third qualifier coming from the Rochester regional in South Bend Clay’s gritty Evan Nixon.

Punchin’ Their Ticket

1. Travis – Merrillville

2. Howe – Plymouth

3. Thomas – Mishawaka

4. Nixon – South Bend Clay

Potential Bracket Buster

1. Jay Trappani – Lowell