2012 Merrillville Semi-State Preview

MERRILLVILLE SEMI-STATE PREVIEW

Saturday's Merrillville semi-state always guarantees fans two things. First, you will see some of best, most physical wrestling in the state and second, you will see this wrestling in one of the most uncomfortable, stifling venues imaginable.

The wrestling action is what draws the fans to the Pirates' Cove and this year is no different. Crown Point, Merrillville and Penn are the top teams at this years semi state. All three teams can qualify a half dozen or so state streeters.

Crown Point's Jason Tsirtsis is the semi-state's top individual story as he continues his march to become a four time state champion like his older brother. A classy kid and brutal technician on the mat. Slightly overshadowed by Tsirtsis has been the brilliant career of Lake Central's Kyle Ayersman. He will be gunning for a fourth semi-state crown and chance to when his third state title next week.

106

Hanover Central's Steven Micic is the clear favorite of the lightweights. He has been nothing short of dominant. Merrillville mighty mite, Michael Garza is on the same side of the bracket but is probably second best in this field. Penn's solid and steady Zach Davis looks to make a return trip to Indy and Culver Academy's Kayla Miracle got the golden ticket with her draw and stands a great chance of qualifying even after her fourth place finish at regional.

Best ticket round matches: Eric Peek (Portage) vs. Davis (Penn)

Garza (Merrillville) vs. Jake Sincovics (Mishawaka)

Cashing Their Check to Banker's Life

1.Micic – Hanover Central

2.Davis – Penn

3.Garza – Merrillville

4.Miracle – Culver Academy

ontherise219's Picks to Click

1.Micic – Hanover Central

2.Peek - Portage

3.Garza – Merrillville

4.Miracle – Culver Academy

113

Another case where the semi-state's top two grapplers appear to be on the same side of the bracket. Warsaw's Jared Brooks has yet to be tested this year and is the state and country's top ranked 113 pounder. Crown Point restocks their supply of Shurg's every year it seems and young Darden Shurg has had an outstanding season thus far, racking of a 34-1 record.

Best ticket round match – Sheldon Corcoran (Logansport) vs. Greg Newman (Wawasee)

Cashing Their Check to Banker's Life

1.Brooks – Warsaw

2.Adam Brodie – Merrillville

3.Shurg – Crown Point

4.Newman - Wawasee

ontherise219's Picks to Click

1.Brooks – Warsaw

2.Adam Brodie – Merrillville

3.Shurg – Crown Point

4.Newman - Wawasee

120

The 120 weight class is headlined by another wrestler from Hanover Central, senior Paul Petrov. He seems to wrestling his best right now and will likely meet Twin Lakes super soph, Blake Denton in the semi finals. I expect the other side of the bracket to hold chalk with Penn's Jacob Davis and Merrillville's Adam Garcia earning a free trip to Indy next week.

Best ticket round Match: Alec Weise (Benton Central) vs. Davis (Penn)

Cashing Their Check to Banker's Life

1.Petrov – Hanover Central

2.Garcia – Merrillville

3.Davis – Penn

4.Denton – Twin Lakes

ontherise219's Picks to Click

1.Petrov – Hanover Central

2.Garcia – Merrillville

3.Denton – Twin Lakes

4.Davis – Penn

126

Lake Central's stud Kyle Ayersman should cruise through this bracket. He makes it look easy against even the this semi-state has to offer. In the quest for the other three tickets to Indy, I detect a strong region smell.

Best ticket round match: Grant Martsoff (Mishawaka) vs. Trevor Burlison (Crown Point)

Dalton Overmyer (Winamac) vs. Aaron Ayala (Hobart)

Cashing Their Check to Banker's Life

1.Ayersman – Lake Central

2.Ayala – Hobart

3.Julian Torres – Portage

4.Burlison – Crown Point

ontherise219's Picks to Click

1.Ayersman – Lake Central

2.Ayala – Hobart

3.Torres – Portage

4.Martsoff - Mishawaka

132

Finally a weight class without a clear cut favorite. Rochester regional rivals, Anthony McHugh and Tommy Forte head line this bracket and are odds on favorites to have a repeat under the spotlight at Merrillville. A boatload of interesting early round matches will keep wrestling fans on the edges of their seats.

Best ticket round matches: Alex Mavros (Lowell) vs. Patrick Manning (Hobart)

Spence/Johnson winner (Portage/Clay) vs. Cody Alderman (Delphi)

Cashing Their Check at Banker's Life

1.Forte – Mishawaka

2.McHugh – Culver Academy

3.Alderman - Delphi

4.Mavros - Lowell

ontherise219's Picks to Click

1.Forte – Mishawaka

2.McHugh – Culver Academy

3.Alderman – Delphi

4.Mavros - Lowell

138

Two closely matched Northern Indiana Conference rivals along with an interloper from south of Lafayette will bring fireworks to the 138 pound weight class. At the top of the bracket, returning state placer Mitch Hartman appears poised to make another trip to Indy. Undefeated Alex Griffin of McCutcheon is the class of the second group of four. On the bottom half of the bracket, I look for Mishawaka sophomore Tristin Macri and a suprise state qualifier in Rensselaer's Jeffrey Martin.

Best ticket round match: Jeffrey Martin (Renssalaer) vs. Tony Vasquez (Hobart)

Cashing Their Check at Banker's Life

1.Hartman – SB Clay

2.Macri - Mishawaka

3.Griffin - McCutcheion

4.Martin - Rensselaer

ontherise219's Picks to Click

1.Macri – Mishawaka

2.Hartman – SB Clay

3.Griffin – McCutcheon

4.Roach - Portage

145

Jason Tsirtsis is the runaway favorite in the class for the second year in a row. Unfortunately, the second and third best wrestlers in this semistate are in the same quarter bracket. The winner of the Charlie Mavros/Trevor Manspeaker match will likely have the honor of meeting Tsirtsis in the finals. The other two slots for Indy are wide open.

Best ticket round match: Mavros (Lowell) vs. Manspeaker (Penn)

Cashing Their Check at Banker's Life

1.Jason Tsirtsis – Crown Point

2.Mavros – Lowell

3.Zach Thorn – Portage

4.Lane Smous - Mishawaka

ontherise219's Picks to Click

1.Tsirtsis – Crown Point

2.Mavros – Hanover Central

3.Katsaforas – Chesterton

4.Thorn – Portage

152

A rare semi-state title might be headed south to Lafayette. Lafayette Jeff's battle hardened Adrian Brown appears to have the strongest resume at the 152 class. Look for him to meet the streaking Chris Katsaforos from Chesterton in the finals. The class wrestling another week should be rounded out by Danny Ginter of Penn and Kenny Hughes of Lowell.

Best ticket round match: Hughes (Lowell) vs Zach Sandefer (Merrillville)

Espinoza (Logansport) vs Ginter (Penn)

Cashing Their Check at Banker's Life

1.Adrian Brown – Lafayette Jeff

2.Chris Katsafaros – Chesterton

3.Kenny Hughes – Lowell

4.Danny Ginter – Penn

ontherise219's Picks to Click

1.Brown – Lafayette Jeff

2.Katsaforas – Chesterton

3.Hughes – Lowell

4.Maldanado – Highland

160

Look for outstanding frosh Scotty Sopko to crash the regional championship party at the 160 pound class. It could be an all freshmen finals if Sopko can get by Crown Point's tough as nails, Dusty Schurg for a chance to meet perhaps the state's most impressive freshman, Bobby Stevenson of Merrillville.

Best ticket round matches: Kelly Kolat (South Bend Washington) vs Graham Redweik (Caston)

Cashing Their Check at Banker's Life

1.Stevenson – Merrillville

2.Schurg – Crown Point

3.Sopko - Hobart

4.Redweik - Caston

ontherise219's Picks to Click

1.Stevenson – Merrillville

2.Schurg – Crown Point

3.Sopko – Hobart

4.Kolat – South Bend Washington

170

Who has a shot at wrestling on the floor in Indy? Your guess is as good as mine at 170. About ten grapplers look like that have a shot in this wide open bracket. Lowell's Jeremy Crocker is probably the favorite but he has been beaten by Merrillville's Darryl Peppers. Picking this weight class is a true crap shoot.

Best ticket round matches: Ethan Dale (McCutcheon) vs. Mike Anderson (South Bend Riley)

Dwight Hunter (South Bend Clay) vs. Tony Rodriguez (Hobart)

Cashing Their Check to Banker's Life

1.Crocker (Lowell)

2.Peppers (Merrillville)

3.Rodriguez (Hobart)

4.Anderson (South Bend Riley)

ontherise219's Picks to Click

1.Dale – McCutcheon

2.Crocker – Lowell

3.Peppers – Merrillville

4.Rodriguez - Hobart

182

Purdue recruit and returning 3rd place finisher at 171, Tanner Lynde of Delphi will enter the semi state as a clear favorite. His biggest test to date might come in the semi finals where he will likely face Culver Community's Matt Hurford. Munster's much improved Dominic Fimbianti and Crown Point's freshman Morgan Kral look to round out the state qualifiers.

Best ticket round matches: Christian Winkle (Twin Lakes) vs. Morgan Kral(Crown Point)

Cashing Their Check to Banker's Life

1.Lynde - Delphi

2.Fimbianti - Munster

3.Hurford – Culver Community

4.Kral – Crown Point

ontherise219's Picks to Click

1.Lynde – Delphi

2.Fimbianti – Munster

3.Hurford – Culver

4.Winkle – Twin Lakes

195

One man stands about the crowd at 195 and that man is Merrillville's Kourtney Berry. Berry had a coming out party last year and placed 5th in the state at 189. He has battled a knee injury this season and hasn't wrestled a full schedule but veteran coach David Maldanado knows how to have his wrestlers peak and conditioning is rarely an issue with a Pirate grappler. South Bend Adams Alex Skipper has state experience in this field and will likely meet Berry in the finals.

Best ticket round match: Skipper (Mishawaka) vs. Jacob Ricks (Benton Central)

Cashing Their Check at Banker's Life

1.Berry – Merrillville

2.Skipper – South Bend Adams

3.Jaylin Allen – South Bend Clay

4.Matt Langbehn – Crown Point

ontherise219's Picks to Click

1.Berry – Merrillville

2.Skipper – South Bend Adams

3.Allen – South Bend Clay

4.Langbehn – Crown Point

220

This just might be the deepest and most entertaining weight class of the day. Studs are all over this sixteen man bracket. Veteran stars along with a very promising sophomore will make this class must see wrestling. South Bend Clay's 'Hard Workin' Joe Gallegos looks to have the easiest road to Indy but must beat the winner of a probable match-up of Dustin Kult (McCutcheon) and Michael Nickson of Merrillville. On the other side of the bracket, super-soph Gelen Robinson, must navigate by once-beaten Brandon Schultheiss of Twin Lakes to reach Indy. The final ticket will go the winner of a likely match up of Penn's Devin Reagan and Crown Point's returning state placer, Tyler Kral.

Best ticket round match: Kult(McCutcheon) vs. Nickson(Merrillville)

Robinson (Lake Central) vs Schultheiss (Twin Lakes)

Reagan (Penn) vs Kral (Crown Point)

Cashing Their Check at Banker's Life

1.Gallegos – SB Clay

2.Robinson – Lake Central

3.Kral – Crown Point

4.Kult – McCutcheon

ontherise219's Picks to Click

1.Robinson – Lake Central

2.Gallegos – South Bend Clay

3.Kral – Crown Point

4.Nickson – Merrillville

285

The Rochester regional has been a hotbed of heavyweights the past couple of years and this year looks to be no different. The top four at Rochester all have excellent shots at making the trip to Indy. Bremen's Abe Hall looks to be the surest bet in this field. Rochester runner-up, Kade Maggert has probably the toughest draw and must beat McCutcheon senior Blake Ford in the ticket round. Wawasee's seasoned Dmitri Kaplanis must topple once-beaten Fabian Durant of Hammond Morton and South Bend Riley's Marcus “Bull†Dozier will have to defeat Crown Point's Josh Swope.

Best ticket round match: Blake Ford(McCutcheon) vs. Kade Maggert (Penn)

Swope (Crown Point) vs. Dozier (South Bend Riley)

Fabian Durant (Hammond Morton) vs. Kaplanis (Wawasee)

Cashing Their Check at Banker's Life

1.Hall - Bremen

2.Maggert – Penn

3.Kaplanis - Wawasee

4.Dozier – Riley

ontherise219's Picks to Click

1.Hall – Bremen

2.Maggert – Penn

3.Kaplanis – Wawasee

4.Dozier - Riley