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#MondayMatness: Central Noble making presence known as small-school mat program
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
Mighty in achievement if not mighty in size.
That describes Central Noble High School’s wrestling program. The Cougars went 15-8 in 2016-17 dual meets and earned the school’s first sectional runner-up finish, trailing perennial powerhouse Prairie Heights at Westview while sending 10 to the Goshen Regional, where the squad finished 10th and advanced two to the Feb. 11 Fort Wayne Semistate.
In December, Central Noble placed eighth in the Indiana High School Wrestling Association Team State Duals. The school was there for the second time in three seasons. If not for a disappointing day at the 2015 sectional, the Cougars might have gone three straight years.
“(Team State Duals) gives us a chance as smaller schools to showcase ourselves. Getting 10 underclassmen to regional (in 2016-17), we’re in pretty good shape to go back again,” says Central Noble head coach Chuck Fleshman, the 1989 CNHS graduate who has served in various capacities in the program for 27 years (among those he’s coached are current Center Grove head coach Cale Hoover). “We talk about that. I’m an honest coach. We don’t have a state champion on our team. We’re not at that level. But I’ve got a couple who might medal (at the State Finals) if they put that work in.”
Watching his wrestlers at the high school and junior high at the past few years, Fleshman knew the Cougars could be pretty good.
“We’ve been seeing this coming,” says Fleshman. “I’ve got a lot of kids that put in the time in the off-season.
“That’s a positive.”
Instead of just one or two, about a half dozen wrestlers spent last summer at tournaments and in training. This at a small school where eight of 21 wrestlers are three-sport athletes.
“It’s hard to focus on wrestling like some of the bigger schools,” says Fleshman, who counts Josh Dull, Randy Handshoe, Jonathan Pearson, Andrew Pyle and Tyler Rimmel as assistant coaches. “I’ve got a good group. They’re buying into what we’re coaching and teaching.”
It’s all about the discipline to make weight through Thanksgiving and Christmas and beyond and all the grueling workouts in Central Noble’s three-tiered converted cafeteria of a wrestling room that make the Cougars a success inside the circle.
When you are among the smaller schools on the scene, depth is a rarity.
Even schools with a considerably higher enrollment than the just over 400 of Central Noble struggles to fill all 14 weight classes.
While the Cougars did not have a 106-pounder for most of the season, there was plenty of competition in the wrestling room for many other varsity spots.
“This is first year I’ve ever had 21 kids,” says Fleshman. “Some of these older kids better watch out, they’ve got freshmen there to push them.
“We’ve got a group of kids who have worked and want to work.”
Those grapplers include:
• Sophomore Tanner Schoeff (sectional champion, third at regional and a semistate qualifier at 113).
• Junior Ray Clay (third in sectional and regional qualifier at 120).
• Junior Austin Moore (sectional and regional champion and a semistate qualifier at 132).
• Sophomore Jadon Crisp (sectional runner-up and regional qualifier at 138).
• Junior Tadd Owen (third in sectional and regional qualifier at 152).
• Junior Connor Mooney (sectional runner-up and regional qualifier at 160).
• Freshman Austin McCullough (fourth in sectional and regional qualifier at 170).
• Junior Jordan Winebrenner (fourth in sectional regional qualifier at 195).
• Sophomore Levi Leffers (sectional runner-up and regional qualifier at 220).
• Junior Jesse Sade (fourth in sectional and regional qualifier at 285).
Sophomore Giran Kunkel might well have been in the mix after going 33-4 as a freshman, but he suffered an ACL injury before the season and did not get to compete.

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#MondayMatness: A strong student in more ways than one, Eastern's Ellis heads to State Finals
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
Evan Ellis is studious in more ways than one.
The unbeaten heavyweight wrestler from Eastern High School in Greentown is a student of the sport.
“I watch 20 hours of FloWrestling a week,” Ellis said. “I’m watching the Big Ten. I’m watching different things. I’ve just infatuated myself with (wrestling).”
After placing eighth in 2015 and third in 2016 at 220, Ellis has has qualified for his third straight IHSAA State Finals (he drew 28-8 senior Brendan Sutton of Jennings County in the first round at 285 on Friday, Feb. 17 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis).
No. 2-ranked Ellis (44-0) is one of three unbeatens in the 285-pound class. South Bend Washington junior Isaiah McWilliams (50-0 and ranked No. 1) and Mt. Vernon senior Wade Ripple (49-0 and ranked No. 3) are the others.
After bowing out 3-2 in the “ticket” round at the Fort Wayne Semistate as a freshman, Ellis started pouring it on, not only during the high school season, but in the summers. He placed second in the Cadet Folkstyle Nationals in 2014 and second at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals, fourth at the Junior Folkstyle Nationals and eighth and the Super 32 in 2015.
But Ellis is also an exceptional student in the scholastic sense as evidenced by his being accepted to Ivy League school Brown University in Providence, R.I. He plans to wrestle for the Bears beginning in 2017-18.
According to U.S. News & World Report, Brown has one of the lowest acceptance rates of colleges and universities in the country. It was 9 percent in 2015.
“They were the very first school to send me a letter,” Ellis said. “We were preparing for the Super 32 my sophomore year, they sent a letter just wanted to ‘Hi! We see want you’ve done. We see you’re academic all-state. Then they just went away for awhile.”
As the sophomore and junior years went by, Ellis got better and better in his wrestling and his academics and Brown became persistent in its recruit of the big Comet who enjoys his Advanced Placement curriculum at Eastern.
“Finally, we got an official visit set up,” Ellis said. “I just love in out there. It’s a great atmosphere for learning, but the wrestling team has a lot of special things going on as well.”
Led by head coach Todd Beckerman, Brown is part of the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association.
What made Ellis better on the mat?
“I had to change my lifestyle,” Ellis said. “If this is really what I wanted to do, I had to make changes. I was good for our area and I was decent for our state. But I just wanted to pursue it deeper. I had a burning sensation to just be dominant.”
Ellis decided to give up football and track and focus on wrestling.
“I consumed myself with it,” Ellis said. “It was hard. I had to give up a lot. But I knew I wanted to be the guy and it was going to take a lot of work.”
Ellis cut fast food out of his diet, even in the off-season.
“My family even changed with me,” Ellis said of father Rodney, mother Amy and sister Olivia. “We went with organic and no hormones. They spent that extra money for me to eat like this. I’ve been lifting (weights) all the time.
“In the summer, it’s hot. You just want to lie around the house and play some Xbox. But I got up at 6 a.m. and worked out.”
Ellis is thankful for a family that has traveled all over the country while he pursued his wrestling dreams.
“They’ve spent a fortune,” Ellis said. “We’ve been from border and border. Without their sacrifice, there’s no way I’d be where I am. They just wanted to give me the opportunity to be the best I could be.
“It’s a whole new level of confidence. I’ve been in so much time in the off-season. I’m just anxious to get out there and dominate.”
Ellis is coached by an Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Famer in Bob Jarrett. He is in his eighth season at Eastern. He spent 24 years at Western in nearby Russiaville and came out of retirement after an eight-year hiatus.
“He’s just a kid that’s put in the time and effort,” Jarrett said of Ellis. “He’s been doing it since grade school.
“I think he’s good enough to win it all (at the State Finals), but that doesn’t mean he can’t be beat. He works extremely hard . He had a great attitude and he’s a smart kid, obviously.”
Jarrett said that Ellis, who weighs around 240 pounds, has succeed as a bigger wrestler because from a young age he has been willing to work some moves usually employed by smaller grapplers.
“We’ve worked on wrestling moves while other heavyweights have just kind of leaned on each other,” Jarrett said. “They push and shove. He was doing little-guy moves and it’s really helped him in the long run.”


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#MondayMatness: Plymouth's Calhoun getting better everyday
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
There’s only so much time to prepare.
That is one of many lessons sophomore Graham Calhoun has learned while competing for veteran head coach Bob Read and his staff as part of the Plymouth High School wrestling program.
After going 44-5 and placing seventh at the IHSAA State Finals as a freshman 138-pounder in 2016-17, Calhoun is off to a strong start to the 2017-18 season.
“We don’t want to waste a second of practice,” says Read, an Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Famer and Billy Thom Award winner who has produced 33 state qualifiers. He was hired at his alma mater in 1978 as a science teacher and wrestling assistant. He took over the Rockies matmen in 1981 and has been in that post ever since.
Calhoun is the most recent of Read’s 14 state meet placers and an athlete driven to improve.
“Graham is the kind of kid who looks to get better,” says Reed. “If he wants to stand on the top of the podium, he’s got to get better than what he is right now. Senior Gavin Banks (Graham’s drill partner) knows the same thing.”
Tim Roahrig (1987), Josh Hutchens (1993 and 1994) have won state titles with Read in their corners. Hutchens was also third in 1992.
Other state placers on Read’s watch include David Shook (second in 1983), Gabe Lopez (fourth in 1983), Jason Rudd (sixth in 1992), Kyle Condon (eighth in 1994),  Matt Arvesen (fifth in 1999 and second in 2000), Dan Denaut (second in 1998), Damon Howe (fifth in 2010 and second in 2011) followed by Graham Calhoun in 2017.
Says Graham of his daily workouts this season with Banks, “We go pretty hard in the room. We make each other better.”
Graham has gotten bigger since last season and is certified at 152. 
“I’ve filled out and grew a couple inches to 5-foot-9 1/2,” says Graham, who is focused this season on “trusting the process.” That means listening to his coaches as they push all Plymouth wrestlers toward constant improvement.
“If it’s a Thursday or a Friday and I’m four or five pounds over, I can’t just use that practice to cut weight. I’ve got to get better.”
Read, who was a state qualifier in his senior year at Plymouth (1973) and grappled four years at Western Michigan University, sees in Graham Calhoun a young man who is learning to operate with controlled intensity. 
“He’s a pretty even-keeled kid — win or lose,” says Read. “He doesn’t like to lose. But the last two years when he gets a chance to face someone who beat him before he usually turns the tide.”
Graham did just that against Munster’s Cody Crary last season. He lost to Crary at the Plymouth Super Dual then bested him in the East Chicago Semistate “ticket” round.
“He’s a competitor,” says Read. “Sometimes it’s difficult to teach that to somebody. He doesn’t fear the fact that the kid has beaten him. He absorbs that challenge. It’s fun to watch him. He can get pretty intense in the midst of a match.”
Curbing his emotions is something Graham has been working on.
“I’ve been working on keeping composure the mat,” says Calhoun, who carries a 3.6 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale. “That’s helped a lot. I watch these college guys and no matter what the score is, no matter what the position is they’re always composed and in-control.
“In wrestling, there’s a lot to get prepared for mentally and physically. Before a match, I put headphones on and clear everything out. I stay calm. I don’t get too fired up. I want to stay ready and mentally prepared. Sometimes I find myself getting too pumped up for a match. I look to find a good balance.”
Graham has been in the sport since age 4.
“My dad tried to get me to quit when I first started I was so bad,” says Graham, the youngest of Jim and Cammie Calhoun’s four sons (Kyle, Josh and Micah are older). “I got pinned every time I went on the mat. But I didn’t quit and I still liked it. 
So Graham just stayed with it and kept getting better and did let the fact he was born with one kidney stop him.
“It doesn’t really bother me,” says Graham. “I just can’t drink any dark pop or caffeine. I go for annual check-ups.”
All his work helped Graham explode onto the high school wrestling scene a year ago and followed brother Micah’s lead all the way to the big stage in Indianapolis. Micah Calhoun was 43-4 and a state qualifier in 2017 as senior 160-pounder.
“I’ve learned everything from him — spiritually, mentally, physically, wrestling-wise,” says Graham of Micah.
The mat means a great deal to Graham. But it’s not the thing. There is his faith and his family.
“Wrestling is a big part of my life, but Jesus is definitely the biggest part of my life,” says Graham. “I’m a Christian and I love Jesus with all my heart. I do everything to glorify Him.”
Jim Calhoun,  a Rochester native, attended Central Bible College in Missouri and wrestled for the University of Missouri, is senior pastor at Word of Truth Plymouth.
Read counts Jim and Micah Calhoun as volunteers on a coaching staff that features former Bremen High School head coach and former Bremen grappler Travis Meister.
“I don’t even need to be in the room, I know the kids are going hard,” says Read. “Those guys have made it easy for me.
“I seek that wise counsel that the Bible talks about. I try to surround myself with those guys and it’s paid off over the years.
“I wish I could tell you every decision I’ve made wrestling-wise is a correct decision and that every kid I’ve coach I’ve treated fairly and uprightly. I’ve made mistakes all over the place. But I hope that in the years that I’ve coached I’ve poured into more people in a positive way.”
In his decades of coaching, Read has had wrestlers live with him and his family, which includes wife Karen, daughters Lane and Cari and son Matt, a state qualifier wrestler for Plymouth in 2003. Read’s bailed wrestlers out of jail. He’s helped them deal with divorce and the loss of loved ones.
“As a coach, it’s more than wrestling,” says Read. “For me and my staff, it’s a ministry. That’s why we get along so well.
“My faith is really important to me.”
Read keeps a list of people who have qualities or characteristics that he seeks when he needs help in life. 
Using examples from the Bible, he looks for those who are like Paul (“somebody who is going to pour into you and teach you what it’s like to be the man of character”), Barnabas (“a guy who walks with people because they are in the same season in life”) and Timothy (“someone who you pour into”).
His father James is one of those people on his list.
“Not many men don’t have cracks some place,” says Read. “My dad is a man that doesn’t have cracks.”
James Read, 89, are partners in a business — J.B. Fish. When Bob retired from the class room in 2014, he and his father started raising fish in a 14,000-gallon tank. At first, it was striped bass and now it’s tilapia.
“We raise our own brood — from eggs to selling them live,” says Read. “They start out in aquariums, we move them along and they finish in larger tanks. We sell them at a pound 3/4 or bigger. It takes about 11 months to finish them out.”
Read and his coaches show their wrestlers plenty of finishing moves and insist that everybody develops go-to maneuvers that they trust and can execute. 
“When you’ve been at the sport as long as I have what happens is you see a go-to move for a bunch of kids,” says Read. “Then they develop counters and everybody is looking for that (move). They starred to fade away from that. That sits the archives for years then — all of a sudden — it starts coming back.
“I’ll say ‘this is what we did years and years ago’ and bring out some old moves.”
Why is it important to have a “bag of tricks”?
“Not everybody has quick feet,” says Read. “I wrestled after college in a number of big tournaments and learned that I couldn’t move my feet fast enough to sprawl. But I could change levels and bump with my hips.”
It’s a matter of identifying the wrestler’s capabilities.
“I have a kid who’s extremely explosive so we’re going to give him stuff he can use,” says Read. “Most of are kids aren’t so we’ve got to come in tight and control things.
“Our off-season and in-season weight program is important to us. We want to be strong enough that we can compete with people. We believe that if we’re not in great shape that we’re going to struggle so we work on being in great shape. Our kids know it and they work hard at it.”
Like many teams are the state, Plymouth’s number are down a little bit.
“I think it has something to do with where we’re at in society and it’s sad,” says Read. “It’s a great sport and there’s so many lessons to be learned.”
Graham Calhoun continues to learn those learning those lessons.

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#MondayMatness: Donnie Crider has unique style
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
It’s hard to miss Donnie Crider at a wrestling event.
At 6-foot-7 and often wearing an orange T-shirt between bouts, the Harrison High School (West Lafayette) senior stands out from his opponents.
But Crider is not just tall, he’s good enough that he went a combined 106-10 in his sophomore and junior seasons, qualifying for the IHSAA State Finals in 2016 and placing sixth in 2016 at 220 pounds.
Crider, who weighed in at 238 at the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association State Duals in Fort Wayne where Harrison placed 10th, is enjoying a strong final prep go-round as a heavyweight.
While Crider is upbeat and bringing a smile to his teammates’ faces off the mat, he’s all business inside the circle.
“He’s aggressive and not afraid to get out there and be physical and take his shot,” says Harrison head coach Johnny Henry. “He sticks to his game plan.”
More of a unorthodox kind of counter wrestler early in his high school career, Crider has simplified his attack to his best couple moves on top and on bottom.
“He doesn’t try to go into funky scrambles,” says Henry, a former Benton Central High School and University of Indianapolis wrestler who took over leadership of the program this season after four years as a Raiders assistant. “We’re not trying to do 20 moves out there. He’s just matured.”
Crider has heard the talk about his style.
“Freshman and sophomore year, they thought I was funky because I used to roll around all the time,” says Crider. “Now, I’m more skilled.
“(Scrambling is) not really effective when you hit semistate,” says Crider. “They’ll catch you. I’d rather pin them fast if I can.”
The past two summers, Crider has gained experience while competing in the Disney Duals — earning Gold and Silver All-American accolades.
During the high school campaign, Crider has really emphasized using his speed and finishing what he’s started.
“I’m faster than most of the heavyweights that are out there,” says Crider. “I try to do my moves all the way through instead of stopping midway. I just keep driving.”
To give Crider different looks, a number of different coaches and wrestlers grapple with him in practice. 
While he’s trying to hone his set-ups and his shots and trying to get up from the referee’s position, Donnie is working against a lot lot of muscle and different body types.
He regularly mixes it up with Harrison assistants Andy Cline, Kevin Elliott and Dustin Kult as well as bigger wrestlers like juniors Willy Alvarez and William Kern and sophomores Cade Borders, Seth Chrisman and Will Crider (his little brother).
Donnie comes from a large family. At 25, Jordan is the oldest. At 5, Clinton is the youngest. Besides Donnie and Harrison 220-pounder Will, there’s also Brian Jr., Justin and Megan. 
Father Brian is 6-3 and mother Michelle 6-foot, so Donnie gets his height honestly.
Donnie also knows that an opponent can use it against him since he can be a large target for those seeking double-let takedowns and such.
Each day in practice, he works on getting low — something he also knows from being a defensive lineman on the football field.
“I make sure that when I’m in my stance I’m at their chin with my forehead,” says Crider. “I make sure I’m lower than them.”
Donnie looks to study business and likely wrestle in college after highs school.
How high he goes as a Harrison Raider will play out in the coming weeks. Harrison competes in the Sectional in Jan. 27, regional Feb. 3, semistate Feb.10 and State Finals Feb. 16-17.

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#MondayMatness: Jay County’s Hare, Winner stepping back on Indiana high school wrestling’s big stage
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
“We have two from the Patriots of Jay County!” 
Gaven Hare and Mason Winner are back for their second appearance in the IHSAA State Finals “Parade of Champions.”
Once the pre-meet pageantry is over at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis Friday night, it’s time to get down to business for 220-pound senior Hare and 160-pounder Winner.
There’s no more “just happy to be here.”
Hare was a state qualifier at 220 as a junior. Winner placed seventh at 145 as a freshman.
This year, Hare’s postseason path has included runner-up finishes at the sectional and regional tournaments — both held at Jay County — and a championship at the Fort Wayne Semistate.
“This year, I know not to go in there content,” says Hare, who is 38-7 for 2017-18 and 120-44 for his prep career. “I have to stay hungry. “I’ve already lost two title matches (at sectional and regional). I know how bad it feels to lose. I’m not trying to have that feeling anymore.”
It was Hare’s first semistate title and Winner’s second straight (the sophomore also won sectional and regional in 2018).
Other Jay County semistate champions include Glenn Glogas (1982), Greg Garringer (1982), Eric Lemaster (1987), Geoff Glogas (1987), Larry Brown (1988), Casey Kenney (2008 and 2009), Drake Meska (2011) and Eric Hemmelgarn (2013 and 2014).
When Hare earned his semistate title, he impressed a number of people in the Memorial Coliseum crowd.
“I was getting feedback on both sides of the coin,” says fourth-year Patriots head coach Eric Myers. “I had at least 10 people come up to me afterward and say that he was one of their favorite wrestlers to watch.”
It’s obvious to his coach by the smile on his face that Hare is enjoying the challenges of wrestling.
“He likes to compete and have a good time,” says Myers. “Gaven is great for the sport. He makes it exciting out there.” Myers, a former Adams Central wrestler and South Adams head coach, is a seventh grade teacher and he first encountered Hare as a junior high student. It was in that seventh grade year that Andy Schmidt recruited the young man to the mats.
“He was really raw at first,” says Myers. “But he had this athleticism and this innate sense to compete and to win.”
As a freshman, Hare set his sights high and he won a challenge match to take a sport in the varsity lineup.
“He’s always set goals,” says Myers. “ I’m going to be here by such and such time and usually he’s achieved those goals.”
Myers has watched Hare experience some ups and downs in his senior season. He took two losses and narrowly avoided a third at the Carroll Super Dual and suffered setbacks against South Adams senior Isaiah Baumgartner in the sectional final and Adams Central senior Chandler Schumm in the regional championship match.
Those only served to re-focus him.
“He’s been pushing himself just a little harder than he did before,” says Myers. “He was banged up going into state tournament series so he backed off and that showed in his results.”
At semistate, Hare edged Baumgartner 5-4 in the semifinals and pinned Central Noble junior Levi Leffers in 1:58 in the finals.
A three-sport athlete, Hare is also a two-way lineman in football and right-handed pitcher in baseball. He has worked as an umpire and would like to explore coaching, something he has discussed with his Jay County head coaches — Myers in wrestling, Tim Millspaugh in football and Lea Selvey in baseball.
When he’s not playing school sports, he is likely competing with friends or family in basketball, wiffleball, bowling or something else.
“I’m a sports fanatic,” says Hare.
Between all his other sports, Hare has found time to make it to off-season open rooms and works out in practice with assistant coaches like Bryce Baumgartner, who placed seventh at 182 as a Bellmont senior in 2017.
“These older guys give me a good pounding,” says Hare. “They show me more technique and the moves that will get me through the tough matches.”
Myers has two paid assistants in Jeff Heller and Bruce Wood and three volunteers in Baugmgartner, Jon Winner and Chad Chowning. Bellmont graduate Heller was a Myers assistant at South Adams and is also his brother-in-law. Wood and Chowning are Jay Country graduates. Jon Winner is a former Monroe Central wrestler and the father of Mason.
The son of Molly Robbins and Zack Hare and middle sibling between Destiny Hare and Corbin Hare, Portland resident Gaven says he would like to pursue one or more sports in college.
As self-described academic slacker his first few years of high school, Hare pulled a 4.0 and 3.8 in the first two grading periods this school year.
“I’m trying to catch up,” says Hare, who has drawn some interest from college wrestling programs and will wait to see what unfolds this spring on the baseball diamond.
Winner, who is 44-2 on the season and 83-6 for his career, has been around wrestling almost non-stop since he was a second grader. He has traveled extensively with the Indiana Outlaws and trained with the best at CIA and Pride centers and attended Jeff Jordan’s camps.
“He’s a year-round grinder,” says Myers of Winner. “He immerses himself in the sport and so does his family.”
Winner, who topped Fort Wayne Bishop Luers senior Chandler Woenker 3-0 in the semistate finals, is always looking to make himself better.
That’s why he started running cross country in sixth grade.
“It’s whether you want to push yourself or not,” says Winner. “They say that wrestling is 90 percent mental. It’s whether you want do to it or not. You have to push yourself — in running or wrestling.”
Winner has a way of pushing himself and his opponent.
“He’s an in-your-face wrestler that will keep coming at you,” says Myers. “He’s got a quality that is hard to implant in kids. He’ll keep going until he gets what he wants. He’s hard-nosed and mentally tough.
“He has the confidence to keep going after it.” Mason also draws inspiration from his family. Jon and Kimberly Winner have three children — Mason, Mitchell and Mallory. Mitchell is a
freshman and also runs cross country. Fifth grader Mallory competes with the Jay County Wrestling Club and also plays softball.
The Winners are Ridgeville area farmers and have about 50 head of Charolais cattle between their property and that of Bill and Sandra Winner — Jon’s parents.
Both of Mason’s paternal grandparents were too ill to attend semistate.
“I’m wrestling with so much more emotion,” says Mason. “My grandpa has Alzheimer’s (disease). He’s my hero.
“It would mean so much to me to win a state title for him.”
Two Patriots — Geoff Glogas (98) and David Ferguson (105) — reached the top of the State Finals podium in 1987.
Jay County’s state placers:
• Glenn Glogas (second at 112 in 1981; second at 119 in 1982).
• Greg Garringer (fifth at 155 in 1982).
• Kurt VanSkyock (third at 145 in 1984; third at 155 in 1985)
• Larry Wilson (fourth at 167 in 1985).
• Geoff Glogas (state champion at 98 in 1987; fifth at 103 in 1988).
• David Ferguson (state champion at 105 in 1987).
• Shawn Jordan (sixth at 152 in 1997).
• James Myers (seventh at 125 in 1997).
• James Brewster (seventh at 215 in 1999).
• Casey Kenney (second at 103 in 2008).
• Eric Hemmelgarn (third at 285 in 2012; fifth at 285 in 2013; fourth
at 285 in 2014).
• Kyle Garringer (sixth at 195 in 2013).
• Andy Kohler (sixth at 182 in 2016).

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#MondayMatness: Yorktown’s McCormick has one last memorable go-round at State Finals
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
When Trent McCormick became head wrestling coach at Yorktown High School, he was a teenager leading teenagers.
Over the decades, McCormick turned the Tigers into a mat powerhouse.
In his 30 seasons, Yorktown sent many wrestlers to the State Finals in Indianapolis. Fifty-nine times, they headed back to Delaware County as state placers.
Six times, they were state champions — Ross Janey (285 in 2010), Devon Jackson (138 in 2012), Rhett Hiestand (160 in 2014), Brad Laughlin (160 in 2017), Brayden Curtis (106 in 2017 and 113 in 2018). McCormick, 50, has announced his retirement and he steps away as the leader of the program with a memorable last go-round at the State Finals.
“We were a small team this year,” said McCormick Saturday, Feb. 17 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. “There were a lot of studs on the team. We always like to say, ‘Steel sharpens steel.’ It’s been a long, grueling season and to have four state placers and six state qualifiers, I was very proud of them.”
McCormick, a state champion at 185 for Delta in 1986 and an Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Famer, took his boys back to the State Finals after winning the 22nd sectional, 13th regional and eighth semistate of his career.
At Indy, junior Brayden Curtis (40-0) bested New Castle junior Andrew Black 6-0 in the finals to become a two-time state champion on McCormick’s watch.
“He knows how to plan and he knows how to coach us mentally and physically,” said Curtis of McCormick. “He’s a huge part of my success as well as (assistant) coach (Kenny) O’Brien.” Senior Christian Hunt (48-1) concluded his Yorktown career as a state runner-up at 145.
“It was a great honor to go out and represent my school,” said Hunt.
“I definitely wanted to come out with a first, but second isn’t too bad.”
“As a senior, I wanted to send Coach McCormick out on a positive note,” said McCormick. “I did absolutely the best I could.”
Senior Alex Barr (48-3) placed sixth at 132.
Senior Zach Todd (42-8) came in seventh at 106.
State qualifiers were junior Eric Hiestand (42-4) at 152 and sophomore Holden Parsons (39-6) at 285.
The Tigers finished seventh in the team standings. During McCormick’s run, Yorktown has been state runner-up twice and won four team state duals championships.
A lay coach for 18 years who transitioned into teaching and has been in the classroom for the past 12, McCormick said he plans to spend more time with loved ones. He also plans to travel and that means going to West Point, N.Y., to see son Cael McCormick wrestle for Army. Cael was a three-time state medalist at Yorktown.
“I’m going to spend some more time with the family and not so much time in the gymnasium,” said McCormick.

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#MondayMatness: A.J. latest in a long line of Fowlers piling up victories at Calumet
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
One family has had their hand raised in victory nearly 500 times while representing Calumet High School wrestling.
Brothers Artty (Class of 1991) and Ed Fowler (1992) grappled to victories for the Warriors then the next generation added to that total. Artty and Deanna Fowler’s five oldest sons — Nathan (2010), Noah (2014), Nick (2015), Kobe (2016) and A.J. (2019) — have all won for the Warriors, especially Nick and A.J.
With success in the IHSAA state tournament series, A.J. has a chance to pass Nick on the way to the top of the Calumet victory list. No. 1 is now held by 2010 130-pound state qualifier Mike Clark (143).
In a household full of wrestlers, A.J. found out he had to get tough just to protect himself.
“I’m as aggressive as a I can be,” says A.J. Fowler. “All my brothers beat me up when I was little.”
All the Fowlers have played football and wrestled for the Warriors. A.J. ran for more than 500 yards as a fullback and also played defensive end and outside linebacker last fall. He sees his collegiate path including business management classes and either wrestling or football.
“The two go hand-in-hand for success in both,” says Jim Wadkins, a 1980 Calumet graduate who grappled at 177 pounds for coach Rolland Beckham (who had been an NAIA All-American at Indiana State and coached at Calumet for 18 years) and has been on the wrestling coaching staff since 1984-85 (he was an assistant to Ken Stigall, who was placed third at 112 at the 1967 IHSAA State Finals) and head coach since 1990-91.
Known for close to a decade after reorganization as Calumet New Tech High School, the Gary-based school has about 600 students. That makes it one of Indiana’s smaller Class 3A schools.
“We’ve got a lot of two- and three-sport athletes at Calumet,” says Wadkins. 
A.J. Fowler wrestled at 182 pounds as a freshman, 195 as a sophomore and junior and is at 220 as a senior. His resume includes two sectional titles, one regional crown, three semistate berths and a state qualifying appearance in 2018. He has a chance to join Butch Carpenter as four-time semistate qualifier for Calumet.
The Warriors are members of the Greater South Shore Conference and face a strong schedule which includes, in addition to the conference tournament, the Warsaw Invitational, Harvest Classic at Lake Central, Chris Traicoff Memorial Invitational at Calumet, Jeffersonville Classic, Al Smith Classic at Mishawaka and Lake County Championships. Chris Traicoff started the Calumet program in 1939. The program was shut down during World War II and beyond and Beckham helped bring it back with the help of AD and boys basketball coach Traicoff during the 1960’s. He died in 1989.
According to Wadkins, Lowell native George Belshaw introduced Traicoff to Indiana University coach Billy Thom and even though 1935 valedictorian Traicoff played basketball and never wrestled a match in at Calumet Township High School, he won an NCAA title for the Hoosiers in 1939. That same year, he came back to Calumet to start the program. Calumet’s modern state tournament path has led them through the Griffith Sectional, Hobart Regional and East Chicago Semsitate.
In other words, a lot of tough Region wrestlers.
“It’s pretty tough,” says Fowler of northwest Indiana grappling. “You never know what you’re going to get."
“You may get a guy who’s big, burly and knows about three moves but he’ll still go with you.”
Wadkins notes that most Region wrestlers in the upper weights are juniors and seniors and Fowler held his own as an underclassman. Fowler has honed his skills with senior 195-pounder Aaron Lizardi and senior 285-pounder Keiloun Martin being his regular workout partners. He also spars regularly with assistant coach Andy Trevino. A state champion at 140 for Calumet in 1991, he has assisted Wadkins for more than a decade.
“He’s an asset in our room,” says Wadkins of Trevino. “Coaching wrestling is a young man’s game. They’re able to get on the mat with the kids."
“We’ve been very fortunate. Calumet grads or those connections to the program have shown a lot of devotion and have been good about giving back.”
Alec Noworul (Class of 2014) and Lamberto Garcia 15 are giving back as middle school coaches who also help out at high school workouts.
A.J. gives knowledge to his younger teammates by showing them the many moves he knows.
“It’s kind of like a big brother system,” says A.J., who is also sometimes joined in practice by actual brothers Nathan and Noah. Sister Felicia is the oldest of the Fowler kids and the only girl. Wadkins says she might be the toughest. Youngest Kade (Class of 2026) has yet to get too involved in wrestling.
Like his older brothers, A.J.’s matches keep his mother on the move. “She still has anxiety,” says A.J. Fowler. “She has to walk around after every match.”
Calumet has competed this season with 22 wrestlers and filled most weight divisions, even when being undersized in some of them.

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#MondayMatness: Current Adams Central team keeping up BAGUBAs tradition
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
When you grow up in the Adams Central Community Schools district and are inclined toward the wrestling mat, you begin dreaming about grappling for Adams Central Junior-Senior High School.
AC calls its athletic teams the Flying Jets. The wrestling team also goes by the acronym adopted by original head coach Barry Humble (1970-71 to 1990-91) — BAGUBA (Brutally  Aggressive  Guys  Uninhibited By  Adversity).
 “It just means when you step on the mat, you have have a mindset of toughness, hard-nosed, gritty, tough wrestler,” says fifth-year Adams Central head coach Tony Currie. “You’re not going to back down and you’re not going to quit.”
AC wrestlers are taught to be mentally as well as physically strong. “Wrestling’s a tough sport,” says Currie. “It rarely goes just like you want it. You have to have that strong mind.
“We ask them to control the controllable — focus on you and what you can control.”
Senior 132-pounder Logan Mosser, a state qualifier at 120 in 2018, explains it.
“You have to stay focused on your goals and fight through it,” says Mosser, whose brother Anthony wrestled for AC and graduated in 2017 as a two-time state qualifier (113 in 2015 and 132 in 2017). “Remember why you’re there.”
Currie competed at the IHSAA State Finals his last three seasons wearing a singlet for the BAGUBAs — qualifier at 140 pounds in 1993, second at 145 in 1994 and third at 151 in 1995.
Since Jack Bersch in 1977, AC has produced 78 state qualifiers through 2018. The Jets have had at least one state qualifier every season except one. Troy Roe was a state champion at 105 in 1985. Besides Currie, Lynn Fletcher (112 in 1980), Ray Ashley (119 in 1984), Mark Griffiths (125 in 1990) and Andy Bertsch (135 in 1996) have been state runners-up. Adams Central has qualified for every Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association State Duals and won the 2018-19 Class 1A title in Fort Wayne, besting Prairie Heights 35-32 in the finals.
“It was a total team effort,” says Currie of AC’s third IHSWCA State Duals championship (the Jets also reigned in 2013 and 2015). “At the 1A level, every roster has three or four top-end guys. But it’s the depth. If you can run out a solid kid at every weight class, you can do well.”
Eighteen BAGUBAs competed for Adams Central and helped the team win four duals. Logan Mosser went 4-0 at 132, senior Jashawn Berlanga 3-0 at 220 and 1-0 at 285 and junior Paul Faurote 2-0 at 160 and 2-0 at 170. Fourteen others won at least one match.
Why have the Jets enjoyed success?
“A big part of that would be our coaches,” says Mosser. “All have good knowledge to spread around.”
Currie is assisted by Bobby Perry, Doug Linthicum and Doug Schultz. Volunteers include Hunter Bates, Aden Feasel, Brian Jordan and Zeke Schultz.
“(Currie) preaches hard about working hard in the practice room,” says Mosser. “It’s paying off on the mat.”
Parker Bates (170) credits experience for helping with this season’s accomplishments.
“We get really good senior leadership,” says Bates, one of 11 members of the Class of 2019 and the younger brother of 2016 graduate Hunter Bates (who placed eighth in the state at 152 as a senior and grappled two seasons at Wabash College). “They’ve grown up through the (Jet Wrestling Club, which currently includes about 75 pre-kindergarten through fifth grade).
“They’ve seen upperclassmen succeed and that’s what they want to do. They don’t want to be the ones to let the town and community down. We wrestle as much for our fans and hometown as we do for our team. Our fans travel really well. It helps us a lot. It picks up the intensity and gets us more hyped-up for matches.”
Adams Central edged Jay County to win Allen County Athletic Conference tournament title. Weight class champions for the BAGUBAs were Mosser (33-1) at 132, senior Logan Macklin (20-3) at 145, Bates (26-1) at 170 and Berlanga (30-3) at 220.
AC’s IHSAA state tournament series path includes the Jan. 26 Jay County Sectional, Feb. 2 Jay County Regional and Feb. 9 Fort Wayne Semistate prior to the Feb. 15-16 State Finals.

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#MondayMatness: Confidence carries NorthWood’s Lone to mat success
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
Jake Lone has developed an edge in his junior season as a NorthWood High School wrestler.
Lone was second at the Elkhart Sectional, third at the Goshen Regional and a qualifier for the Fort Wayne Semistate as a 160-pound freshman. As a 170-pounder junior, Lone won sectional and regional titles, placed second at semistate and then eighth at the IHSAA State Finals. As a 182-pound junior, he is 30-3 after winning another sectional title. The 2019 Goshen Regional is Feb. 2.
Lone, who first competed in Indiana State Wrestling Association events at age 4, is gaining confidence.
“As the season has progressed, I think I’ve developed a little bit of an attitude out on the mat,” says Lone. “There’s a little more aggression.”
Shoulder surgery after the 2018 State Finals meant that Lone was away from competition for the spring and summer.
He was only cleared to play football for NorthWood during the week of the season opener. Switched from linebacker to defensive end, he had a sensational season while helping the 2018 Panthers aka “Black Crunch” go 11-1 under head coach Nate Andrews.
Lone was selected for Class 4A honorable mention all-state honors by the Associated Press.
Then it was back to the mat.
“I think I’ve gotten tremendously better,” says Lone of his progress since the beginning of the 2018-19 wrestling season. “I’ve been getting back in the swing of things after surgery last spring, getting my conditioning up and knocking all the rust off.”
“Having Coach Andrews is the room to push me has been great.” Andrews, who won a 171-pound IHSAA state title as a NorthWood senior in 1996, took over as wrestling head coach this winter.
He has watched Lone get better and better.
“It certainly opens up his offense when he’s lighter on his feet and when his motion is vertical and horizontal at the same time with 1-2 and 3-4 combinations,” says Andrews. “When he opens that up and puts pressure on people, he can be dangerous.
“A lot of he team aspects and leadership qualities that he learns in football he brings to the wrestling mat.”
Lone has fed off Andrews’ enthusiasm and intensity.
“What I get from him is always pushing the pace, staying aggressive, never stop,” says Lone. “It’s that never-quit attitude.”
Lone knows that there are differences and similarities in his two sports. “Football shape is short bursts,” says Lone. “Wrestling shape you have to go the full six minutes without stopping.”
While he played some wide receiver or tight end on offense, Lone really enjoyed playing on the other wide of the ball.
The hand and body fighting and one-on-one battles that a defensive linemen encounters translate to the wrestling circle.
“I love defense,” says Lone. “I was able to use by wrestling technique for tackling.”
Andrews, who counts Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Famer Dennis Lewis plus Jim Matz and Elisio Roa as assistants, says beefing up the NorthWood schedule was helpful for Lone. “He was able to see a little tougher competition,” says Andrews. The Panthers took on LaPorte, Merrillville and Knox at the LaPorte Super Duals, Churubusco, Eastside, Garrett and Jay County at the Fort Wayne Carroll Super Duals. NorthWood also faced Wawasee, Goshen and Jimtown in duals at home and took part in the 32-team Al Smith Classic at Mishawaka.
Inclement weather Jan. 19 caused cancellation of the Northern Lakes Conference varsity and junior varsity tournaments.
“For our program and where we are now, we were devastated,” says Andrews. “A week ago we were really in good shape to do our best and climb another rung on the ladder as we try to build our program.” That meet was to be the last for JV grapplers.
“The kids who come out and go through this grinder of a season, they didn’t get rewarded,” says Andrews. “They didn’t get to play in their Super Bowl. It’s very, very unfortunate.”
Andrews said the focus turns to individuals still alive in the state tournament series, but he is still trying to “rally the troops” for those who saw their season come to an end.
The Panthers are young with just two seniors on the squad.
“I’m looking forward to the future,” says Andrews.
Jake has been in wrestling practice rooms since age 3. His father, Rod Lone, was head coach at NorthWood for seven seasons. After two years as a volunteer assistant at Jimtown, he has returned to NorthWood as head middle school coach. He is also a volunteer with the high school and helps the NorthWood Wrestling Club.
A former wrestler at Clinton Prairie High School and then for Tom Jarman at Manchester College (now Manchester University), Rod Lone has witnessed a rise in his eldest son’s confidence level.
“With that confidence he’s gotten more aggressive and that’s shown in his matches,” says Rod Lone. “He’s never been that fast-twitch, go-get-em kind of kid. This year, he’s finally starting to get there.”
“He’s trying to control the match instead of letting the match come to him.” Says Andrews, “He should be a pretty confident kid the way it is. He’s been on the mat a long time. He had a good sophomore campaign.”
Getting down to Indianapolis and competing at Bankers Life Fieldhouse has helped fuel the self-assurance.
“After going to State last year and having all that experience, I feel I know what it’s like,” says Jake Lone.
Rod and Denise Lone’s second son — eighth grader Kaden — just won an ISWA Middle School State title at 132 pounds. He has a chance to be the first NorthWood wrestler to go unbeaten through their middle school career (sixth, seventh and eighth grade) with three Big 11 Conference championships.
Jake and Kaden work out together and use the wrestling room in the family basement.
“We go down there and roll around a lot,” says Jake Lone. “It’s fun.”
Given the size differential, Kaden has to use his quickness against his big brother.
“He can’t muscle things and just rely on strength,” says Jake Lone.
“That’s been great bond at home,” says Rod Lone. “They push each other in a very positive way.”

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#MondayMatness: Attica Red Ramblers’ Douglass goes far and wide to get better
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
Jorden Douglass wears the singlet of the Red Ramblers of Attica Junior/Senior High School. So its fitting that this standout wrestler has done plenty of traveling to improve his skills.
After becoming his school’s first IHSAA State Finals qualifier in 2018, Douglass hit the road again to find wrestlers and coaches that could make him better. Last summer, he made the trek to Avon to work out at Chad Red’s Red Cobra Wrestling Academy. He also competed with the Indiana Flash, led by Wheeler High School coaches Jose Diaz and Yusef Mohmed. He’s gone with the Outlaws in Virginia Beach, Va.
Douglass has trained with Warren Central’s Brice Coleman and Antwaun Graves. He has worked out at clubs and in wrestling rooms all around Indiana and competed all over the Midwest. Since he was about 8, parents Dan and Tamara Douglass has supported his dedication to the mat sport.
“My parents pay a lot of money for me to do that sorts of stuff,” says Douglass, now a 145-pound junior who takes a 36-0 record into the East Chicago Semistate on Saturday, Feb. 9. “I always want to improve.”
“I don’t want to feel like I plateau.”
Dan Douglass wrestled at Clinton Central High School, graduating in 1987. Greg Moe was head coach of the Bulldogs when he was in elementary and junior high. Dan Callahan was his high school coach. He has watched his youngest son put in the mat time.
“Jorden has worked hard,” says Dan Douglass. “He’s never satisfied where he was at. He’s tried to make himself better each year.”
While his older brothers wrestled some before concentrating on baseball (Jacob, a member of Western Hugh School’s state runner-up in 2016, plays at Trine University and Joe, an all-stater at Clinton Central, played one season at Trine), Jorden made the mat his sport.
“He loves the discipline,” says Dan Douglass. “And that does not have to rely on anybody else for his success.”
Ryleigh Douglass, an eighth grader, looks forward to being a wrestling manager at Attica with his brother on the team.
Dan Douglass was an assistant to Dean Branstetter at Clinton Central and is now on Branstetter’s Attica coaching staff along with Josh Barnett, Blair Brindle and Jay Hodge.
Branstetter, a 1983 graduate of South Adams High School, where his wrestling coach was Steve Tatman, was head coach at Clinton Central 1988-2001. He spent one season at Mona Shores High School near Muskegon, Mich., then started the wrestling program at Marmion Academy in Aurora, Ill., and guided the Cadets for a decade before returning to Indiana at Attica in 2012.
“He’s gotten a lot better on his feet,” says seventh-year Ramblers coach Branstetter of Jorden Douglass. “He was always good on-top. He can control and shorten a match on top.”
Jorden Douglass looks to strengthen his weak areas.
He was not very good from the bottom and his coaches avoided choosing that position for him. He has worked to make himself better there. It also helps when you don’t get put in that position too often.
Douglass has not yielded a takedown so far during the 2018-19 season.
“I like to push the pace,” says Douglass. “I try not to leave the opportunity (for my opponent) to get (a takedown) before I do.”
Branstetter echoes that point.
“If you get taken down and the kid is a hammer on top, it’s going to be hard to win,” says Branstetter.
Douglass took the 2019 Lafayette Jeff Sectional and Logansport Regional titles with six first-period pins.
“During tournament time, if the opportunity is there for the pin, I go for the pin,” says Douglass. “There’s no reason to make a mistake and go on my back.”
The program and, consequently, Douglass have benefitted from a team schedule that has included the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association State Duals (the team placed 10th in Class 1A in January. It was the third appearance for the Ramblers in four years).
Attica has 199 students and 15 of those are on the wrestling team.
“It’s a hard sport,” says Branstetter. “Practices are tough and they have to be watching their weight.
“The State Duals have been really neat for us.”
There was also a two-day New Year’s Challenge in Danville, Ill. There, Douglass faced off with ranked grapplers from Illinois and Wisconsin. This season was the second that the Ramblers have taken the same postseason path. When Douglass was a freshman, Attica went through the Crawfordsville Sectional, North Montgomery Regional and New Castle Semistate.
As a 132-pound freshman in 2017, Douglass won sectional and regional crowns and lost to eventual semistate champion Breyden Bailey of Indianapolis Cathedral in the “ticket round” at New Castle. As a 145-pound sophomore, he earned sectional and regional titles, placed second at semistate then lost by technical fall in the first round at the State Finals to eventual third-place finishers Jake Schoenegge of Columbus East.
The level has been raised in the Rambler practice room this season with nine wrestlers qualifying for regional and seven others making it to semistate along with Douglass — junior Jack Hargan (first at 195), junior Avery Miller (second at 106), senior Koaldon Kerr (second at 160), junior Jordan Hodge (third at 120), senior Jacob Demumbrun (third at 195), junior Johnny Synesael (fourth at 160) and senior Hunter Purple (fourth at 152).
Douglass says he would like to wrestle in college and study to become a conservation officer with a degree in criminal justice. While the Douglass family has about three acres at home, they like to hunt on property owned by good friends in Parke County.
But his current focus is on what’s in front of him and that’s the East Chicago Semistate and a chance to be Attica’s first two-time state qualifier.

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#WrestlingWednesday: Cathedral comes up clutch in the finals
By JEREMY HINES
Thehines7@gmail.com
“You’re still in this. It’s not over.”
Elliott Rodgers kept hearing those words coming from his corner Saturday night in the championship match of the 152-pound weight class at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse.
With under a minute to go in the match Rodgers trailed Greenfield’s Cooper Noehre 7-4. Rodgers was wrestling for an individual title and a chance to all but secure a team title for the Irish.
“It was nerve wracking,” Rodgers said. “It’s scary to be trailing like that. I don’t like it. But, you just have to think if you win, you win. If you lose, you lose. The coaches are in my corner yelling that it’s not over. That kept me going.”
Rodgers earned an escape point to cut Noehre’s lead to 7-5. Then, with under 10 seconds remaining, he earned a takedown to tie the score and force overtime. It was the third overtime meeting this season between the two rivals.
This time Rodgers pulled out a move he has been working on in practice but hadn’t shown Noehre yet – an inside trip. The move worked, and Rodgers won the match. The victory gave him his first state title and helped Cathedral win its second team title in as many years.
“Elliott just grinded it out,” Cathedral coach Sean McGinley said. “He was down points but he didn’t panic and he battled back. He didn’t just do it in the finals, he grinded out wins in the quarterfinals and on Friday night.”
Rodger’s teammate, senior Jordan Slivka sealed the team championship for the Irish in the next match.
Slivka took on Portage’s No. 1-ranked Donnell Washington Jr. in the 160-pound championship. Washington beat Slivka 8-3 during the regular season and appeared on his way to beating him again in the final.
Washington took Slivka down early in the match and then cut him (gave him a free escape). Washington continued his dominance for most of the first two periods. Then, in the final minute of the match, Slivka came alive. The Ohio University commit scored seven points in the final minute to win the match 12-7.
That victory ensured no other team could catch the Irish in points. Slivka won his first individual state championship last season, and coincidentally, that victory also sealed the team title for the Irish.
“This title felt better than last year’s,” Slivka said. “My goal wasn’t to be the best wrestler at Cathedral. I didn’t think I could ever accomplish that with guys like Blake Rypel and Lance Ellis. But no other Cathedral team has won two titles, and I wanted to be able to say I was the best team captain.”
Slivka’s wrestling shirt has the word “clutch” on the back of it – one that coach McGinley feels is appropriate for the senior.
“He comes through when people count him out,” McGinley said. “Washington is extremely, extremely talented and tough. He was on us that first period. We just wanted to stay close and ride it out. Slivka never lost faith and he pulled out that win.”
Going into the final Cathedral looked to be in great shape to claim the team title. The Irish had four wrestling for weight-class championships and a small lead in the team standings. But things got a little dicey in the early goings.
Irish freshman sensation Zeke Seltzer lost the 113 pound final to returning state champion, No. 1-ranked senior Jacob Moran of Portage 3-0. Then Cathedral’s Alex Mosconi fell to No. 1-ranked Matt Lee, 5-2 in the 145-pound final.
When Avon’s Asa Garcia earned a pin over Roncalli’s Alec Viduya in the 132 pound final, suddenly things got interesting. Avon still had Carson Brewer to wrestle at 182 pounds. Brewer was the heavy favorite in the match, and if he pinned his opponent, Avon had a chance to take the team title.
That’s when Rodgers and Slivka stepped up and won back-to-back matches to eliminate that possibility.
“If we polled everyone they would have probably said we were an underdog in three of the matches and probably a push in the fourth,” McGinley said. “We knew the odds were against us, and we just needed someone who was going to step up and pull it through.”
In all, Cathedral sent five wrestlers to the state tournament. Rodgers and Slivka won their weight classes. Seltzer and Mosconi placed second and Lukasz Walendzak finished 8th at 126.

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#MondayMatness: From deaf slave to Warsaw wrestler, Linky has taken quite a journey
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
 
Real adversity meets opportunity.
 
That’s the story of Jacob Linky.
 
The wrestling room at Warsaw Community High School is filled with pulsing music and coaches barking instructions as more than three dozen Tigers get after it.
 
One wrestler — junior Linky — goes through the workout, rehearsing his moves with his workout partner, cranking out pull-ups and running laps around the room.
 
But without the sounds heard by the others.
 
Linky lives in a world that is mostly silent.
 
Without his cochlear implants, Linky can’t hear much of anything.
 
There was one incident where smoke alarms went off all over the house where Jacob now resides with Nrian and Brenda Linky. It was 3 a.m.
 
“Jacob slept through the alarm,” says Brian Linky, Jacob’s legal guardian. “I woke him in the morning.”
 
The young man was not born deaf.
 
Now 18, Jacob was about 5 and in native Africa — Lake Volta, Ghana, to be exact — when he lost his hearing at the hands of his father.
 
“We were slaves,” says Jacob, speaking of his early childhood through interpreter Rebecca Black. “We helped my dad in his fishing business.
 
“I didn’t used to be deaf. My dad hit by head a whole bunch. That’s how I became the way I am.”
 
His father demanded that young Jacob dive into very deep waters full of dangerous creatures.
 
“I felt a pop in my ears,” says Jacob. “I was a kid.”
 
His native language was Twi, but he didn’t hear much that after his hearing was gone.
 
Growing up the second oldest of seven children, Jacob has a brother who was born to another family, rejected and traded to his father.
 
It was a life that is difficult to imagine for those in the U.S.
 
“My mom didn’t do anything wrong,” says Jacob. “She fed me.”
 
Wanting the best for Jacob, his mother placed him in an orphanage. He eventually came to live in Warsaw when he was adopted by Andy and Dawn Marie Bass and began attending the fifth grade at Jefferson Elementary in Warsaw. He received hearing aids and then implants.
 
“I’m thankful the Basses adopted me and brought me here,” says Jacob.
 
“I now live with the Linky family.”
 
Following grade school, Jacob went on to Edgewood Middle School in Warsaw and was introduced to wrestling.
 
“I knew nothing (about the sport),” says Jacob. “I played around.”
 
Drive and athletic prowess allow Jacob to excel on the high school mat.
 
“At times his feisty side comes out because of that past,” says Warsaw head coach Kris Hueber. “He’s channeled it well and we’ve been able to harness well most of the time.
 
“He has days where he is cranky and fired up, You know that he’s drawing from stuff that no one else has.”
 
After missing his freshmen season, Jacob made an impact with the Tigers as a 145-pound sophomore, advancing to the East Chicago Semistate.
 
“This year, I’d like to go all the way to State,” says Jacob, who spent the summer pumping iron and continues to eat a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables and protein while packing more muscle on a  5-foot-7, 160-pound frame.
 
“(Jacob) fell in love with the weight room,” says Hueber. “There is not much on him that is not muscular. He’s one of those guys with his energy level he needs to be active. As an athlete, he is a remarkably gifted human being. He’s able to do things no one else in the room can do. Between strength, balance and agility, he is uniquely gifted.”
 
Ask Jacob what his best quality is as a wrestler and says speed. His quickness and and strength come into play in the practice room with larger practice partners — 170-pound Brandon Estepp, 182-pound junior Mario Cortes and 195-pound senior Brock Hueber.
 
“I don’t like to wrestle light persons,” says Jacob. “It makes me work hard to wrestle the big guys.”
 
Warsaw opened the 2019-20 season Saturday with the Warsaw Invitational and Jacob went 5-0 with four pins.
 
Sign language and lip-reading help him navigate life as a teenager and athlete. When Jacob wrestles, Black circles the mat to maintain eye contact and relay information to him.
 
“She always looks where my head is,” says Jacob. “She always gets sweaty.”
 
Who gets sweatier during a match? “Me,” says Jacob, thrusting a thumb at his chest. “I’m a harder worker.”
 
Black has been around Jacob since he was in eighth grade.
 
“I feel privileged to be involved in his life,” says Black. “He’s an amazing person. He just is.”
 
Hueber has come to appreciate that Jacob has the ability to be both competitive and light-hearted.
 
“He’s ornery still, but in a good way,” says Hueber. “He has not been able to out-grow being a kid. I love that.”
 
While Jacob’s background and circumstance are different than his Tiger mates, Hueber says he’s “just one of the guys.”
 
“(They) don’t treat him differently in any way,” says Hueber. “They love being around him because of his charisma and personality. He’s a really great teammate.”
 
Hueber says working with Jacob has helped others recognize their influence.
 
“They might be able to goof off for two minutes and snap right back,” says Hueber. “If (Jacob) misses one line of communication, there’s a lot that he’s got to recover from.”
 
This means that workout partners need to be focused and attentive as well — not just for themselves but to also help Jacob. Hueber notes that Jacob has to concentrate and keep focused on his interpreter in class (his current favorite class in English and he is looking forward to Building Trades in the future) and practice.
 
“There are probably times when he’s looking for a break,” says Hueber.
 
“He’s on and he’s full-wired all day. That’s taxing mentally for sure.”
 
Brian Linky works in payment processing at PayProTec in Warsaw and Brenda Linky is the special needs coordinator for Warsaw Community Schools. The Linkys have two sons who played basketball at Warsaw — Zack (now 28 and living in Calfiornia) and Ben (now 22 and attending Indiana University).
 
Taking in Jacob means they have a teenager in the house again.
 
“He’s been nothing but polite,” says Brian Linky. “He’s hard-working around the house (mowing the lawn, making his bed, walking the dog and cooking his own meals). He has friends over. He’s very happy.”
 
As for the future, Jacob is considering joining the football team next year (he has never played the sport). He turns 19 in May.
 
A brother, Christian, lives in Virginia and communicates with Jacob and family in Africa through text.
 
“We’re going to save up so we can visit our parents in Africa,” says Jacob.
 
Right now, he is doing life as an Indiana teenager and wrestling is a big part of it.
 
Real adversity meets opportunity.

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#MondayMatness: Isiah, Sam latest to shine as part of Prairie Heights’ Levitz legacy
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
There are some names that are synonymous with certain sports at particular schools.
 
Levitz is tied to wrestling at Prairie Heights High School near Brushy Prairie in LaGrange County, Indiana.
 
The family has long enjoyed mat success for the Panthers.
 
It started with Dan Levitz, who went 58-21 and graduated in 1989.
 
Second brother John Levitz (1994) went 133-17 and was a state qualifier at 125 in 1992 and placed fourth at state at 140 in 1994.
 
Third brother Mike Levitz (1996) enjoyed a 144-18 career and placed third at 145 in 1996.
 
Doug Levitz (2015) posted a 165-33 mark and was a state qualifier at 145 in 2015.
 
Jed Levitz (2018) went 178-31 and was a state qualifier at 160 in both 2016 and 2018.
 
Doug and Jed are the sons of John Levitz.
 
Two brothers — senior Isiah and sophomore Sam — are the two oldest sons of Mike Levitz and part of the family legacy. Youngest brother Matt Levitz is a 105-pound eighth grader.
 
“I was destined to become a wrestler,” says Isiah Levitz. “But the being good part, that’s more of the own person’s work and how much they put into the sport.
 
“Just because we’re Levitzes doesn’t always mean we’re going to be good. We still have to put in our work.”
 
Isiah Levitz (121-31) was a sectional and regional champion and placed sixth at the IHSAA State Finals at 152 pounds in 2018-19 and has been competing in 2019-20 at 160. He is currently 10-0.
 
“I’m getting better,” says Isiah Levitz. “I just need to work on being crisp, getting to my moves and working my offense. It’s more of a mindset thing for me more than anything physical.”
 
While some wrestlers have a teammate they drill with on steady basis, Isiah tends to work out with many Panthers in the practice room.
 
“I try to get my hands on everybody,” says Isiah Levitz. “I have a variety of different partners and I see a variety of different positions.”
 
Sam Levitz (31-4 for his career) was a sectional champion at 120 in 2018-19. Competing at 138, he is 6-2 so far in 2019-20.
 
Isiah Levitz and Zeke Rowdon (Class of 2019) have been Sam’s primary workout partners.
 
“They bring speed, agility and a lot of strength,” says Sam Levitz.
 
“I’ve been watching my brother. I do what he does. I’m more on the quick side and I’m decently strong. I consider myself to be better neutral or on bottom.”
 
Isiah says Sam benefits from his position in the lineage.
 
“He’s got a lot of people behind him,” says Isiah Levitz. “He gets the experience of not being the first one in the family to try and be a test subject. “He’s going to be a lot more refined. He’s got a lot of experience.”
 
Isiah first competed in wrestling around age 5, but it was later that he really took to the sport.
 
“It didn’t stick that I loved the sport until about sixth or seventh grade,” says Isiah Levitz. “I started to  believe this is for me. I started putting in the work and started getting better.”
 
Along the way, he also started becoming a leader. But not the loud kind.
 
“I don’t use my vocals a lot,” says Isiah Levitz. “I lead by example and my team follows because they respect me quite a bit.”
 
Mike Levitz says he and Isiah have spent much of his high school career focusing on winning close matches.
 
“He’s not got the surprise factor the family’s known for,” says Mike Levitz of Isiah. “My nephews were always pinners."
 
“(Isiah’s) not a great pinner. He’s just a solid all-around wrestler. He gives it everything he’s got on and off the mat."
 
“Isiah has come leaps and bounds the last three or four years. He’s worked his tail off.”
 
Brett Smith is in his ninth season as head coach at Prairie Heights. His assistants include Mike Levitz, John Levitz, Lee Fry, Craig Hoyer, Dylan Forbes and Van Barroquillo.
 
“A lot of my coaches have told me to just believe in myself and have confidence,” says Isiah Levitz. “That’s really helped me with my offensive skills. I used to be pretty timid on the mat. Now I’m really aggressive because I believe in my own moves.”
 
The coaching advice that sticks with Sam?
 
“Be the best in everything you do and try your hardest,” says Sam Levitz.
 
Isiah impacts current and future Prairie Heights grapplers with his example and willingness to take them along for the ride and passing along to them what he already knows.
 
“He’s been around it long enough,” says Smith. “He knows what it takes to get better."
 
“He’s not afraid to pull extra kids in with him because once he leaves there’s going to be some foot marks there to replace and to walk in.”
 
The example also extends to the class room. Isiah is a regular on the honor roll and has been academic all-state.
 
Mother Abby Levitz is a nurse practitioner in LaGrange. Isiah (surgeon) and Sam (radiologist) say they are both considering careers in the medical field.
 
“I want to spend the rest of my life helping people,” says Isiah.
 
If he has to pick a favorite school subject Isiah says he would choose chemistry.
 
A 1997 Prairie Heights graduate, Smith has long known about the Levitz connection.
 
“They have just been a staple,” says Smith. “They’re hard workers.”
 
From working for their parents’ tree service to bailing hay to wrestling, the older Levitz boys “put their nose to the grindstone” and that’s carried over to the next generation.
 
“You never hear them complain about anything,” says Smith of Isiah and Sam Levitz. “They’re some of the hardest workers we’ve seen."
 
“If you try to get through being average, you’re going to be average or below average. If you’re working 50 percent then you’re going to get out 50 percent.”
 
When Smith took over the high school program, he invited John Levitz and Mike Levitz to join the coaching staff and the Panther Wrestling Club was established.
 
Mike Levitz asked former Panthers head coach Fry to come back.
 
“He’s all in,” says Mike Levitz. “He’s a godsend, Coach Fry.
 
“He makes you want to be better. He truly is one of the best coaches I’ve ever been around. The kids love him. He gets the most out of them."
 
“I’m very thankful that he came back in and joined the group.”
 
Fry, an Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Famer, will be part of the inaugural Prairie Heights High School Athletic Hall of Fame class to be honored at halftime of the Angola-Prairie Heights varsity boys game game on Jan. 10.
 
Among those also going into the Hall is Terry Levitz. The 1971 PHHS graduate was a standout running back and still holds four football records at the school. He also played basketball, baseball and ran track. He is a third cousin to Isiah and Sam Levitz. Terry’s father and Mike’s grandfather are brothers.
 
Prairie Heights is scheduled to return to the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association State Duals Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne Jan. 4. The Panthers placed second in Class 1A in 2014-15, won the 1A title in 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 and placed second in 2018-19.
 
Some other highlights on the Panthers’ schedule include the New Haven Super 10 Dec. 21, Al Smith Classic at Mishawaka Dec. 27-28, Northeast Corner Conference Championships Jan. 25 at West Noble, IHSAA Westview Sectional Feb. 1, IHSAA Goshen Regional Feb. 8, IHSAA Fort Wayne Semistate Feb. 15 and IHSAA State Finals Feb. 21-22.
 
“We’ve had a pretty strong run the last five or six years,” says Mike Levitz. “It’s been a lot of fun.”

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#MondayMatness: Schammert, Padilla brothers part of Hobart wrestling culture
Perseverance.
Toughness.
Intelligence.
Skill.
Hobart High School head wrestling coach Jason Cook talks about these four markers along the “Brick Road.”
 
Cook says the culture of Brickies wrestling is built on overcoming obstacles.
 
“You don’t get better until you have to overcome challenges,” says Cook. “I’m not going to wait for things to knock me down. I’m going to look for challenges. In life, it takes a lot longer. You can’t do it on a wrestling mat.”
 
Cook admits that he’s not a patient man and wants to see constant improvement.
 
“I’m a teacher and a coach and I get to watch people improve all the time,” says Cook, who teaches English and is his second season of guiding Hobart’s wrestling program.
 
Four Brickies who are working to overcome adversity and excel are brothers Nathan and Trevor Schammert and Cristian and Ruben Padilla. All four competed Dec. 27-28 in the 42nd annual Al Smith Classic at Mishawaka. Sophomore Trevor Schammert (113 pounds) came in second in his weight class and improved to 20-1 on the 2019 season. Sophomore Ruben Padilla (11-4) placed seventh at 120. Senior Nathan Schammert (17-5) came in eighth at 126. Junior Cristian Padilla grappled on Day 1 at 132. The Brickies placed seventh in the 32-team event.
 
Cook, who is in his second season leading the Brickies, sees similarities in the brothers. But they are really four distinctive personalities with their own mat approaches.
 
The coach describes Nathan Schammert — the oldest son of Mike and Darcy Schammert — as “a kid who’s going to find his own way to win matches.”
 
“He’s definitely got the funk,” says Cook of Nathan. “I don’t think anybody’s looking forward to him as a matchup.
 
“When Option A doesn’t work, he’s got about 15 other things he can do.”
 
Cook notes that he was one of the smaller wrestlers on the mat as a senior and has steadily grown as he career has progressed.
 
“Now that he’s the athlete he is, he can hit some explosiveness things,” says Cook of Nathan.
 
Nathan says its work ethic and all the time spent since he was just beginning school and competing with the Hobart Wrestling Club that has helped get him to where he is now.
 
Mike Schammert is a former Brickies wrestler and he gives his sons mat advice.
 
“He tells us to be ourselves on and off the mat,” says Nathan Schammert. “I just go out there and let it fly. I don’t hold back.”
 
About the time Nathan hit junior high, he started developing his funkiness. He has his favorites, but not really a go-to move.
 
“People really don’t expect me to do the things I do,” says Nathan Schammert. “I just go out there and do what feels right. If I feel something, I hit it right away. I don’t wait, I just go.”
 
“I just used to to my advantage.”
 
Nathan Schammert enjoys showing the way to teammates — freshman and cousin Devin Wible (120) among them.
 
“I definitely consider myself a leader,” says Nathan. “I just try to set a really good example and be the best role model I can in the (practice) room. I want the younger ones to learn from me — my mistakes and my strengths.”
 
Hobart went 11-3 and advanced to the IHSAA Class 4A northern semistate in football. Seven defensive starters — safety Nathan Schammert, deep back Hayden Homoky, lineman Alex Pickett and linebackers Bobby Babcock, Mark Mummey, Cameron Smith and Tyler Turley — are on the Brickies wrestling team this winter.
 
“That defense was something to watch,” says Cook. “It was amazing.”
 
Nathan Schammert makes the correlation between the mat and the gridiron.
 
“Wrestling helps me in football,” says Nathan. “I have to make (football) plays on the fly, too. A double-legged a lot of guys (on tackles).”
 
Cook says Trevor Schammert is especially good at working his way out of difficult situations.
 
“He sure is solid with his positioning,” says Cook of Trevor. “He hasn’t made a mistake in any position this year.
 
“He is going to make you fight your way through every position.”
 
Trevor says his style is not as funky as his older brother.
 
“I’m more technical,” says Trevor. “I’m more of a chain wrestler. I hit move after move and don’t stop. At practice, all I focus on is repetition. Building that muscle memory for when I need it."
 
“I’m good at a certain set (of moves) and hit those really good.”
 
Trevor Schammert does not believe in taking days off.
 
“I’m always pushing myself to the wall,” says Trevor. “I look at my goals every year and how far I want to make it in the state run and be a state placer.
 
“I’m never satisfied with anything. I always want to improve and get better with everything.”
 
Both Schammerts were in the varsity lineup for the Brickies boys golf team last spring with Nathan averaging 84 for 18 holes and playing as the No. 1 player on a squad that played its home matches at River Pointe Country Club in Hobart.
 
“There’s no strong connection (between wrestling and golf), but there is the mental aspect,” says Nathan. “(Golf) can break you sometimes.”
 
Cook has had Cristian Padilla in class for two years and coached him in wrestling.
 
“He’s super thoughtful and super quiet,” says Cook of Cristian. “At least when I’m around him. He’s not a real vocal guy. He leads by example.
 
“Everything he’s doing is with intention.”
 
Cristian says he enjoys the challenge of wrestling and getting better with each match and workout.
 
“I get support from coaches (Cook, Zack Johansen, Brian Wesley and Steve Balash) and my dad (Al Padilla),” says Cristian. “My coaches know I don’t make many mistakes. I’m setting coach with each practice so I I can improve since the last time I competed.
 
“We’re always working out away from the school with dad.”
 
Cristian and Ruben’s mother is Michelle Ramos. Older siblings are two older brothers - Al Padilla (who wrestled for Merrillville High school), J.P. Padilla (who played soccer at Merrillville) and Yazi Padilla (who played volleyball at Hobart). The youngest Padillas are twins Bella (who competes with the Merrillville wrestling Club) and Julian.
 
Cook says the biggest difference in Cristian and Ruben is that Ruben will stir the pot a little bit.
 
“(Ruben’s) a little bit of an instigator,” says Cook. “Ruben will say stuff to his drill partner. Cristian is silently working all the time. Ruben Padilla describes his approach.
 
“I like to push people when I wrestle them,” says Ruben. “I push the pace."
 
“I use my quickness to my advantage. A lot of guys I face are stronger than me.”
 
At the same time, he is grounded.
 
“I stay humble,” says Ruben. “I respect all of my opponents. These are things that wrestling taught me.”
 
The Padilla brothers also play baseball. They split time between junior varsity and varsity last spring — Cristian as an outfielder and right-handed pitcher and Cristian as a middle infielder. In the summer, Cristian played travel ball with Highland while Cristian was with the Schererville Shockers.
 
“(Baseball) helps with working as a team,” says Cristian. “Like with our dual meets.”
 
Ruben takes lessons learned on the mat and applies them on the diamond.
 
“Wrestling helps me be better at baseball,” says Ruben. “It’s things like toughness and being humble.”
 
Cook is a 2002 graduate of Valparaiso High School. His senior year was the last year as Vikings head coach for his father and Indiana Wrestling Hall of Famer John Cook, who amassed a dual-meet mark of 361-112 from 1977-2002 with 35 state qualifiers.
 
Jason Cook, who went on to wrestle at Purdue University, said he benefited in high school from having his father serving as director of the High School Division of National Wrestling Coaches Association (which he did from 2002-2010) because he was among the first wrestlers to be introduced each year to new rules changes.
 
The younger Cook was familiar with Hobart wrestling from a young age because he often went against those kids at club meets. Later, he saw them in Duneland Athletic Conference meets.
 
While the Brickies are no longer in the DAC (they are now Northwest Crossroads Conference members), the schedule still includes all but Michigan City from the Duneland. Hobart sees Lake County rival Crown Point in a dual meet on Friday, Jan. 7. The Brickies faced Merrillville in the Pirates’ Tom Cameron Invitational and saw Chesterton, Lake Central and Valparaiso in the Hobart Super Duals, Portage in Lake Central’s Harvest Classic and LaPorte at Mishawaka’s Al Smith Classic.
 
“It’s a stepping stone to the second half of the season,” says Cook of the Al Smith Classic. “Holes in your game will be exposed and it will be really obvious what we need to work on or you can get a big confidence boost if we see what works.”
 
The Lake County tournament is Jan. 11 at Hanover Central. The Northwest Crossroads tournament is Jan. 18 at Lowell.
 
The IHSAA tournament series for Hobart includes the Portage Sectional Feb. 1, Hobart Regional Feb. 8, East Chicago Semistate Feb. 15 and State Finals Feb. 21-22 in Indianapolis.

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#MondayMatness: Getting better all the time drives Norwell 220-pounder Gray
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
 
Each time Cale Gray steps on a wrestling mat he wants to be better than the last.
 
The Norwell High School senior wants constant feedback.
 
The 220-pound Gray stays after workouts to consult with Knights head coach John Johnson, going over moves and studying film.
 
“He tries to be a student of the sport,” says Johnson, who has coached Gray since the sixth grade. “After every match he wants to breakdown how he wrestled. I don’t find a lot of guys like that.
 
“He really tries to improve technically all the time.”
 
With four pins in as many matches, Gray (18-0 so far in 2019-20) helped Norwell place fifth in Class 2A at the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association Duals in Fort Wayne.
 
The Knights went 3-1, losing 44-32 to Western then beating West Vigo 51-21, Wawasee 46-27 and Oak Hill 36-33.
 
Asked his best quality as an athlete and Gray replies that is his willingness to take instruction.
 
“It’s my ability to listen to my coaches and take in information that they give me,” says Gray. “It’s constructive criticism. I take it into account.
 
“Coach Johnson always critiques me on my feet and he wants me to be more heavy-handed. I’m pretty light with my hands. I don’t use them enough. Whenever he critiques me, I’ll ask him to work with me after practice.”
 
Gray grappled at 170 as freshman, 182 as a sophomore and 195 as a junior.
 
“I’d like to think I was a bit under the radar,” says Gray. “No one knew my name.”
 
That started to change when he placed second at the Jay County Sectional and Jay County Regional and third at the Fort Wayne Semistate, avenging sectional and regional championship losses to Jay County’s Chandler Chapman.
 
Gray then placed sixth in his first appearance at the IHSAA State Finals in Indianapolis and finished the 2018-19 season at 31-7.
 
“Last year I was definitely predictable,” says Gray. “I had a good set-up and it got me pretty far on my feet. But when I got to the semistate and state that didn’t really work.
 
“I was kind of a one trick pony.”
 
This season, Gray has been helping Johnson to diversify his attack from his feet.
 
“We’ve worked this year on being able to attack both the trail leg and the lead leg,” says Johnson. “He’s a big, strong guy and super athletic for his size. He can do multiple things. It’s just doing them.”
 
“I’ve seen him hit probably three of four (Granby Rolls) already this year and you just don’t typically see a lot of big boys doing that.”
 
Gray is fond of an expression that sums up his approach.
 
“I like to be a jack of all trades and master of none, but it’s better than being a master of only one,” says Gray. “If I have only one thing to go to and it doesn’t work, I don’t have much to go off of.”
 
“I try embrace every aspect of wrestling except legs. I try to pick up things and know what to do in match situations.”
 
Gray long ago fell in love with weight training and even worked out with a strength coach in Colorado last summer.
 
That continued when he got back to Indiana and before his final season of high school football (he was an all-Northeast Eight Conference defensive end for the second straight year and also played fullback).
 
“When I was on my own time, I’d lift every day of the week I could and I’d eat like five to seven meals a day to get bulking,” says Gray.
 
“When football started coming around, I didn’t have as much time to eat those meals or lift. We only lifted three times a week and I’d have time to eat three of four meals a day.”
 
Gray, who also did some folkstyle wrestling in the off-season, got up to 235 pounds but was unable to pack on more weight and it was decided he would wrestle at 220 for Norwell instead of 285.
 
As Gray has gone up in weight, he has noticed a difference in styles.
 
“220’s do a lot more power ties and slide-bys and they move around for a snap single,” says Gray. “Hand-fighting is something I need to get better at.”
 
Gray hopes to wrestle in college and study exercise science and kinesiology. He has gotten attention from smaller collegiate programs.
 
“I only placed sixth last year (at the State Finals),” says Gray. “My goal is to become a state champion.
 
“Hopefully, those D-I’s will take notice at that point.”
 
Cale is supported by his family. He is the son of Mike and Tracy Gray and Chris and Danny Droke. His has and older brother (Dylan) and a twin sister (Cassidy).
 
Before the IHSAA state tournament series (sectional Feb. 1, regional Feb. 8, semistate Feb. 15 and State Finals Feb. 21-22), the Knights has a home dual against Leo Jan. 14, the Garrett Invitational Jan. 18, a road dual against South Adams Jan. 22 and the Northeast Eight Tournament at New Haven Jan. 25.
 
Johnson, who is in his fourth season leading the high school program, has watched Gray come a long way.
 
“Cale was a very average middle school wrestler,” says Johnson. “Even as a freshman, he was OK.”
 
Like with many successful wrestlers, something clicked and Gray became really committed to mat game.
 
“Once they start to buy in, there’s no ceiling for them,” says Johnson of the mentality he shares with his athletes. “At the end of the day it takes sacrifice.
 
“I don’t care if it’s your weight and staying after practice to watch because this is what’s going to make you stand out.”
 
The coach says shortcuts won’t help you get there.
 
“Make them beat you because they’re a better wrestler, not because you cheated yourself,” says Johnson.
 
For those dedicated like Gray, Johnson says wrestling is with them all the time.
 
“It really becomes a lifestyle that you have to buy into — some kids do it well and some really battle with it,” says Johnson. “That’s why wrestling is really the best preparation for just being an adult.
 
“I always make it about more than wrestling because it really is. I want to teach them about real life. Get to practice on time. Little things like that.”
 
Wrestlers who are late for practice at Norwell know they have running and/or suicides in front of them.
 
“If you’re going to commit to something, let’s do it well and be reliable,” says Johnson. “I want to make these young men ready to hit the adult world and be responsible and productive.”

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#MondayMatness: Harrison’s Poindexter makes wrestling his 'thing’ and excels at it
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
 
A.J. Poindexter has experienced moments of motivation during his wrestling career.
 
His first season at Harrison High School in West Lafayette ended with Poindexter — then a 138-pound sophomore – placing sixth at the 2018 Lafayette Jeff Sectional.
 
After that, he really dedicated himself to the sport and qualified for the 2019 State Finals in the 138 bracket as a junior.
 
A 1-0 loss to Mt. Vernon (Fortville) junior Chris Wilkerson (who wound up seventh) in the Friday night match ended his second prep campaign and fueled his desire to excel in his senior year and beyond.
 
“I can’t let the big stage change the way I wrestle,” says Poindexter, referring to the lesson he learned last February at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. “I took a lot of shots. But I didn’t get to my finishes quickly.“
 
“When you get on the bottom in the third period, you’ve got to get away. There’s no excuse for (not escaping).”
 
A major point of emphasis in Poindexter’s training since then has been in the bottom position when the opponent puts in his legs.
 
Poindexter was born in California, moved to Virginia around age 1 and then Connecticut. His father, Anthony Poindexter, was in the National Football League with the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns and then became a coach, serving at the University of Virginia and University of Connecticut prior to becoming co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Purdue University.
 
Anthony and Kimberly Poindexter have three children — Morocca, Anthony Jr. and Chloe.
 
Morocca (20) is a 400/800 runner on the women’s track and field team at UConn.
 
A.J., who turns 18 on Jan. 14, says eighth grader Chloe (13) placed seventh in the junior state cross country meet last fall and was second in the 800 and fourth in the 400 as a seventh grader in the junior high state track meet last spring.
 
A.J. went out for wrestling as an eighth grader in Connecticut at the insistence of his coach for lacrosse, a sport he began playing in kindergarten. He grappled as a short 120-pounder as a freshmen then moved to Indiana when his father was hired at Purdue.
 
By growing and hitting the weight room, Poindexter has added length and strength to his frame and is now a shade over 5-foot-9 — taller than many in his weight division, which is now 145.
 
“I’m deceptively strong,” says Poindexter, who is a senior.
 
The younger Poindexter played football as a Harrison sophomore then opted to focus on wrestling.
 
“It’s kind of my thing,” says Poindexter of wrestling. “You can’t blame your teammates or the ref. It’s all on you.“
 
“If you want to be good, you have to put int he work.”
 
Third-year Harrison head coach Johnny Henry says that what makes Poindexter special is his dedication and his athleticism.
 
“Practice room through competition, he’s put in hard work,” says Henry of Poindexter. “He is fully-committed. He has speed. He is just very quick on his feet.“
 
“His technique has improved so much over the last two years.”
 
Poindexter says Harrison coaches have told him to use his quickness and athleticism to his advantage.
 
“Wrestle like an athlete instead of robotic,” says Poindexter of the advice. While he considers his double-leg takedown to be his “bread and butter” move, Poindexter has been working to make his offense more diverse.“
 
“I watch tons of wrestling on YouTube and TV,” says Poindexter. “I’m trying to pick moves. Wrestling freestyle and Greco-Roman in the spring has added more upper body (moves) in my arsenal.”
 
To get different looks against different body types, Poindexter works out with various teammates in the Harrison practice room. Some of his steady drill partners are Tristen Hood (152), Matthew Baylay (138) and Sam Hein (120).
 
Poindexter has honed his skills by attending camps, clinics and tournaments and attending workouts led by Henry at Harrison as well as Chad Red of the Red Cobra Wrestling Academy in Indianapolis.
 
“He really cares about his guys,” says Poindexter of Red.
 
Poindexter is also thankful to the knowledge and encouragement provided by former Harrison assistant (and ex-Purdue University head coach) Scott Hinkel.
 
“How bad do you want to be good at this?,” says Poindexter, echoing the question Hinkel asked him.
 
Poindexter has committed to continue his wrestling and academic careers at George Mason University, an NCAA Division I program in Fairfax County, Va.
 
By going 5-2 at the Virginia Beach Junior Nationals, Poindexter caught the attention of Patriots coaches. He was invited for a campus visit and later committed.
 
George Mason assistant Camden Eppert wrestled for Hinkel at Purdue.
 
“It’s the place for me in terms of culture and coaches,” says Poindexter. “I want to try to be a D-I All-American.”
 
Poindexter enjoyed taking Journalism at Harrison last year and his current favorite class is Intro to Communications, where he has learned video editing and recently posted a commercial parody of the Nike “Dream Crazy” ad using Raiders wrestlers. It can be viewed on his Twitter page at @AJ_Poindexter.
 
With the help of Poindexter (28-0), Harrison is 21-2 in dual meets and won the 32-team Spartan Classic at Connersville.
 
Prior to the IHSAA tournament series (Lafayette Jeff Sectional Feb. 1, Logansport Regional Feb. 8, East Chicago Semistate Feb. 15 and State Finals Feb. 21-22), the Raiders’ Varsity “A” team has a dual meet at Tipton Jan. 15, a home dual against Rensselaer Central Jan. 23 and North Central Conference meet at Richmond Jan. 25.
 
Henry promotes closeness with his Raiders and Poindexter embraces that model.
 
“A.J.’s very enthusiastic,” says Henry. “He can pump up the team. Practice is very team-oriented. We stick together as a family. It helps us stay mentally tough and focused as a team.“
 
“We build each other up when one person’s down. There’s times when the season feels long.”
 
To break up the monotony, the team sometimes plays games — like ultimate frisbee with a football.
 
“It gives our minds a break,” says Henry. “It’s a workout but they have fun with it. It’s team bonding for them.”
 
Henry was a Harrison for four seasons before becoming head coach. Before that, the former University of Indianapolis wrestler spent one year as an assistant at his alma mater — Benton Central. He is a full-time trainer at Miracles Fitness in West Lafayette.
 
The Raiders have about 50 athletes in the program and 13 coaches — Henry plus assistants Bill Bailey, John Campagna, Kevin Elliott, Donnie Fahler, Aaron Hawkins, Michael Kern, Dustin Kult, Chris Maxwell, Jonathan Mongold, Walt Prochno, Aaron Quakenbush and Dennis Synesael.

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#WrestlingWednesday: Farrell prepping for and trip to Bankers Life
By JEREMY HINES
Thehines7@gmail.com
 
Last year, when J.D. Farrell was a junior at Fishers High School, he saw that a German foreign exchange student was struggling understanding her math assignments and he knew he had to help her.
 
“She was struggling with translating her math work and I helped her,” Farrell said. “She didn’t have many friends and I wanted to be there for her to help with that as well.”
 
That’s what Farrell does. He helps others. He helps his teammates in wrestling understand how to do certain moves. He helps them know what it takes to be successful on the mat.
 
He also takes a certified nursing assistant (CNA) class and frequently goes to nursing homes to help the elderly. One day he plans to go into the medical field.
 
“I see people that maybe are struggling, or are less fortunate, and I want to help them any way I can,” Farrell said. “In the wrestling room I don’t just want to improve myself, I want to make everyone better. Outside of wrestling I see others struggle and I feel I’m called to help them. My heart pulls me toward them. God put those people in my life for a reason.”
 
As nice, polite and helpful as Farrell is off the mat – don’t expect mercy from him on it. He is currently 29-1 this season and ranked No. 4 at 195 pounds. His lone loss came at the hands of returning state champion Silas Allred. Last season he qualified for the state tourney but lost a hard-fought match in the opening session and didn’t place.
 
“I use my length to my advantage,” Farrell said. “I’m very offensive with my attacks. I look at my opponent’s attacks and plan to not give up anything to them. My goal is to not give anything to my opponent or ever let the ref decide the outcome of a close match.”
 
Allred, the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the class, feeds through the same New Castle semistate as Farrell. Before the season Farrell had the choice of going up a weight to avoid Silas, but that’s not what he wanted to do.
 
“I see Silas as an opportunity,” Farrell said. “If I see him in semistate, I wouldn’t have to face him early in the state tournament. He is very technical and a great wrestler. When I wrestled him earlier this season, I was not satisfied with how I did. I got to know him pretty well at CIA and he’s a great guy.”
 
Farrell is a third-generation wrestler. His grandfather wrestled and loved the sport. His dad, Brent finished second in the state during his high school career and his uncle, Brad, was a fifth-place finisher.
 
“Wrestling is in my family,” Farrell said. “My grandpa liked wrestling a lot and then my uncle and dad started and they saw a lot of success. My brother, Crew Farrell, is in middle school and he’s kicking butt right now.”
 
Fishers’ coach Frank Ingalls sees Farrell wrestling under the lights in the state finals.
 
“I’m expecting him to make it to the championship match,” Ingalls said. “He’s 29-1 right now with something like 22 falls. When we need him to bump up to 220, he still gets the job done and usually gets us six point.
 
“J.D. is a good Christian kid. He’s good in school. He’s a good leader. He does everything you ask him to do and he works hard in the offseason as well.”
 
During the offseason Farrell wrestled in many big tournaments, but he didn’t go to the Super 32. Instead, he hopped on a plane and traveled to Germany. As it turns out, Farrell finally got the nerve to ask that girl who was struggling with her math homework to be his girlfriend. He asked her toward the end of her stay in America, and she said yes.
 
“The long-distance relationship is tough,” Farrell said. “But I was glad I missed the Super 32 to go see her. It gave me the break I needed in wrestling, because I had been pushing so hard. When I came back I was ready to get back at it.”
 
Now, like so many other high school athletes, Farrell has his goal set at making it to the state finals.
 
“I have gone to the finals with my dad for as long as I can remember, and now I want to close my high school career out by wrestling there myself,” he said.


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#WrestlingWednesday: Eldred ready for last run at state
By JEREMY HINES
Thehines7@gmail.com
 
A little brotherly love has fueled Westfield’s Carson Eldred to wrestling greatness.
 
Eldred set a goal his freshman year to beat his older brother Evan’s school record for pins and career wins.
 
“I asked Carson his freshman year what his career goals were going to be,” Westfield coach Phil Smith said. “We knew he was going to be pretty special. He said he wanted to beat his brother, Evan’s career pin record and wins record.”
 
Carson broke the pins record at his school during the Mooresville tournament this season. He’s five wins away from the career wins record.
 
“I told him after the tournament that he broke the record,” Smith said. He was like ‘uh, that’s cool.’ “
 
His reaction points to the type of person, and wrestler Eldred is. He doesn’t get emotional during the highs, or the lows.
 
“He can keep a stone face no matter what,” Smith said. “You don’t know what he’s going to do out on the mat. Every time he wrestles, he wants to prove something. He always wants bonus points and falls. He doesn’t get too up or too down.”
 
Eldred seeks perfection in everything he does. His grade point average is 4.15. He hasn’t missed a day of school in four years. He has never missed a wrestling practice.
 
“He’s honestly the best wrestler I’ve coached,” Smith said. “He’s the most gifted wrestler I’ve had, without a doubt. He absolutely hates to lose. In everything we do he hates losing. It doesn’t matter if it’s sprints, drills, wrestling the coaches or anything else. He will do whatever it takes to win at any cost.”
 
Currently Eldred is ranked No. 4 at 120 pounds. He is a sectional and regional champion and will take on Southport’s Khua Thang in the first round of the New Castle semistate on Saturday. He is 36-1 on the season with his lone loss coming at the hands of Cathedral’s No. 1-ranked Zeke Seltzer.
 
Part of the reason behind Eldred’s success is his early training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. His father owns a Jiu Jitsu training facility and he learned from a young age some of the keys of the sport.
 
“Jiu-Jitsu helps with my movement in wrestling,” Carson said. “I haven’t done it much in a while, but when I was younger, I trained a lot with my family. It really helps you when you’re in uncomfortable positions. You don’t panic and you can find a way out of them.”
 
Carson is most comfortable in scrambles. His unorthodox style makes him dangerous in any position.
 
“He can ride anyone on top,” Smith said. “He scores a lot of his points from the top position. He’s a talented mat wrestler. He finds points from the bottom position as well and has some crazy reversals. He’s really refined his craft to be a great wrestler from any position.”
 
After the high school season is over Eldred will likely not wrestle competitively again. He will attend Purdue University where he is a direct admit to the engineering program.
“It’s going to be a little tough,” he said. “I’ve been wrestling since I was in kindergarten. It’s been a big part of my life. It will be a hard adjustment not interacting with teammates or getting a chance to wrestle in front of fans again and have people cheering for you. It will be different. But I’m excited to focus on my schooling as well.”
 
For now though, the focus is on getting to that state championship match.
 
“I’m just following in my brothers’ footsteps,” Eldred said. “They both (Dillon and Evan) made it to state. I want to outdo them.”

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#MondayMatness: ‘Compete’ mantra leads Western Panthers to mat success
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
 
When the “Parade of Champions” begins circling the mats at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis Friday, Feb. 21, the Western Panthers will be well-represented.
 
Coming off the program’s second semistate team championship and first since 1994, Western will have senior Hunter Cottingham (42-2 at 132 pounds), juniors Braydon Erb (42-3 at 285) and Anthony Martin (39-3 at 106) and sophomore Hayden Shepherd (39-5 at 138) competing on Indiana high school wrestling’s biggest stage.
 
Shepherd placed second at the Fort Wayne Semistate and the other third finished third.
 
Seven of eight Western wrestlers at the semistate were first-round winners and Cottingham, Erb, Martin and Shepherd won in the “ticket round” to give the Panthers 53 of their meet-winning 72 points.
 
“I think we picked up a few bonus points along the way,” says Western head coach Chad Shepherd. “It was a group effort for sure.”
 
Shepherd says his team is especially strong at the lower weights.
 
“I’ve said a couple of times this year that not that we’d beat them all, but there’s not a team in Indiana that I’d be afraid to wrestle from 106 to 138 because we’re pretty good,” says Shepherd. “Our guys go out and compete and they work hard.”
 
Shepherd, a Western graduate, explains his philosophy.
 
“Basically, my thing is go out and compete, don’t take anything for granted,” says Shepherd. “Win the matches you should win and along the way maybe pick off a couple that maybe you shouldn’t win.
 
“The guys buy into that.”
 
Cottingham is now a four-time state qualifier and is looking to get past the first round for the first time.
 
Shepherd was a state champion at 135 in 1991 and went to Indianapolis after placing third at semistate and stressed that to Cottingham.
 
“It can be done,” says Shepherd. “We need to get through that first night and get on the podium.”
 
Cottingham likes to be aggressive.
 
“If I can get to my offense, I don’t think too many people can stop me.” says Cottingham. “I’ve just got to find my rhythm.”
 
“Right now it’s survive and advance. I have to keep fighting.”
 
Western won the 2A title at the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association State Duals in 2018-19 and placed third in 2019-20.
 
“Our team was definitely different this year,” says Cottingham. “Our main core group of guys stuck together and some freshmen came in and helped us this year. We’ve progressed into a pretty solid team.”
 
Cottingham and Hayden Shepherd are regular drill partners.
 
“We push each other around,” says Cottingham.
 
Shepherd says Erb is still getting acclimated in grappling with wrestlers closer to the 285 limit.
 
“He’s at 250,” says Shepherd of Erb. “For a heavyweight, that’s not huge. He’s probably the smallest heavyweight that go through (the Fort Wayne Semistate) weight-wise.”
 
“Braydon can wrestle with those guys.”
 
Erb says this year’s squad excelled more in the tournament format.
 
“We can really get on teams and win them,” says Erb, who tumbles in the practice room with assistant coach Tommy Skinner and occasionally with brother Braxton Erb (Western Class of 2017).
 
Martin experienced his first wrestling season as a freshman and has been varsity the past two seasons. He was semistate qualifier in 2019and lost in a quick first-round pin.
 
“Anthony probably put in as much work as any of them over the summer between open workouts, the weight room and going to tournaments,” says Shepherd. “It paid off.”
 
Martin assesses his strengths.
 
“I’m a lot stronger than most of the 106-pounders I wrestle,” says Martin. “I’m pretty fast. I’m better at staying on my feet and getting takedowns.”
 
Martin says the coaching staff tells him to stay mentally strong through his matches and to “keep wrestling.”
 
Martin’s regular workout partners are juniors Aidan Belt (120) and Justin Brantley (126), who were also semistate qualifiers along with senior Chandler Ciscell (126) and freshman M.J. Norman (182).
 
“(Belt and Brantley) are always pushing me,” says Martin. “There’s a real good middle schooler — (eighth grader) Tanner Tishner. He just won middle school state (at 95 pounds). He’s not very big, but his technique is crazy. He pushes me a lot, too.”
 
Hayden Shepherd is the coach’s son.
 
“For him to make it to the State Finals in his first two years is pretty good,” says Chad Shepherd.
 
Hayden Shepherd is impressed with his team.
 
“We’ve got some really good dudes – guys who go out there and get us some bonus points and win us some matches,” says the younger Shepherd.
 
Finishing well is the coach’s advice that echoes in Hayden’s ears.
 
“Win the third period,” says Shepherd. “If you win the third period, it’s likely you’ll win the match.”
 
What does State Week look like for the Western Panthers?
 
“We’re going to focus on getting our weight down, keeping our conditioning and we will work on a few things we should have done (at semistate),” says Shepherd. “We’re not going to reinvent the wheel. We got to the State Finals wrestling certain way and that’s how we’re going to wrestle.”

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#MondayMatness: Indianapolis Cathedral runs state title streak to three
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
 
With a few exceptions, the cast of characters changed. But the plot was the same for Indianapolis Cathedral: Win Indiana’s high school wrestling team championship.

“You always want to set your expectations high,” said Irish head coach Sean McGinley. “We thought going in we had a legitimate shot to be very successful. We had several goals and one of our goals was to win a state title. We were able to accomplish that.”

Cathedral traveled across town to Bankers Life Fieldhouse and took the program’s third straight title and fourth overall Saturday, Feb. 22 at the 82nd annual IHSAA State Finals.

“I’ve said it before, Friday night is always key,” said McGinley after the latest hoisting of the state trophy. “Our goal is not a state championship, it’s to get through Friday night. That’s our state championship adage. We got five out of eight which gave us a chance. We thought we were still in it. Saturday morning was the big round for us. We went five for five with several kids getting bonus points. Bonus points probably made the difference. We were getting them but
(eventual runner-up) Crown Point and (third-place team Evansville) Mater Dei was also getting them.”

Two of the eight State Finals qualifiers in the 2020 field were finalists on Cathedral’s 2019 state title-winning squad.

“This year’s team was way different from last year,” said sophomore Zeke Seltzer, who won the 2020 crown at 120 pounds after placing second as a freshman at 113. “The only people we had returning to State was me and Elliot (Rogers). Logan (Bailey) was returning, but he didn’t make it last year.”

“We had some guys step up for sure.”
 
What was the difference between standing on the second step of the podium and the top for Seltzer?

“I’ve been working for this for a whole year now,” said Seltzer. “It feels great to finally get it.”

Rodgers was a state champion at 152 as a junior and finished third at 160 in 220 as a senior.

Five of eight Irish wrestlers in the field earned state placement in 2020. Besides Seltzer and Rodgers, senior Holden Parsons (285 pounds) was a champion, senior Bailey (138) a runner-up and senior Tyler Wagner (170) a fourth placer.

“For me it was my faith,” said Parsons. “God got me through it and made sure I wasn’t nervous and everything. My coaches were there for me in my corner. They knew what we needed to do. hey knew how to keep me calm.”

Parsons talked about the team approach to the season.
 
“We keep a constant pace,” said Parsons. “As it goes along, we start picking it up. During the postseason, we taper on and off. That just keeps our gas tanks up and our lungs burning so we’re ready to go 100 percent when it comes time to put the pedal to the metal.”
“Everybody knew we had to get bonus points to keep up with Crown Point. They are a great team. They had great wrestlers. They are phenomenally-coached.”

Senior Jacob Huffman (195), junior Johnny Parker (182) and sophomore Evan Dickey (106) competed Friday night but did not advance to Saturday.
 
It was an extra-big weekend for the Seltzer family. Not only were there the team and individual championships, assistant Brian Seltzer (Zeke’s father) was inducted into the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame the day after the State Finals.

When the Irish reigned over the IHSAA in 2019, seniors Jordan Slivka (first at 160), Alex Mosconi (second at 145) and Lukasz Walendzak (eighth at 126) were there along with Rodgers and Seltzer. At the 2018 State Finals, Cathedral was represented by junior Slivka (first at 145), sophomore Rodgers (second at 152), senior Zach Melloh (second at 138), junior Alex Mosconi (second at 132), sophomore Bailey (third at 106), junior Walendzak (fourth at 120), senior Jacob Obst (seventh at 285)senior Jacob Obst (seventh at 285) and qualifiers senior Anthony Mosconi (160), sophomore Caleb Oliver (113) and freshman Andrew Wilson (126).

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#WrestlingWednesday: Jennings County getting a major upgrade
By JEREMY HINES
Thehines7@gmail.com
 
Howard Jones is, without a doubt, the face of Jennings County wrestling. Jones has coached the Panthers for over four decades (41 years to be exact). And during those 41 years he’s always had to do things the hard way. That’s all about to change.
 
Jennings County has started the construction of a one-of-a-kind wrestling facility. Jones believes this might be the only dedicated wrestling venue for a high school in the Midwest, and possibly even the entire country.
 
The new, five-million-dollar venue will feature seating for over 800 fans. It will have four full-size mats down with the ability to remove some seating and go up to six full size mats. The 24,000 square feet venue will also have two locker rooms and a coaches’ office.
 
“We expect this to make our wrestlers feel like first-class athletes,” Jennings County Athletic Director Cory Stevens said. “They are going to have a facility that no other wrestlers in the region or in the state will have. We hope this attracts others to use it as well, for camps and things of that nature.”
 
For Jones, this is a dream come true. His wrestlers have practiced in a balcony overlooking the basketball gymnasium. The school has two balconies on each side of the gym, and the wrestling team was often so large that it had to split the team up and use both sides.
 
“I was lucky enough to have real good assistant coaches over the years,” Jones said. “I would go on one side and the assistants would go on the other. Sometimes we would divide by weight class. Sometimes we would divide by varsity and junior varsity.”
 
The wrestlers would also have to move the 800-pound mats that were stored in various places throughout the school down to the gym floor for invitationals or dual meets.
 
“Needless to say, it was an inconvenience, at the minimum,” Jones said. “We didn’t get the lighter mats until about four years ago. We always had to end practice early if there was a girls or a boys basketball game.”
 
Jones didn’t much believe that the program was getting its own venue when he was first told about it. He had heard similar talk before. One time the school was going to build a 4.7-million-dollar facility that would house three basketball courts, a weight room, a track and a wrestling room. Ultimately that got voted down by the community.
 
This time around school superintendent Teresa Brown told Jones that it was going to happen.
 
“One day she told me ‘Coach Jones, we’re going to get you that wrestling room.’,” Jones said. “I didn’t believe her. That was about three years ago. Then, at the first of the year, she steps into the gym and said to me ‘Don’t you doubt me coach Jones, don’t you doubt me’.”
 
Jones has had a hand in the design of the facility. He has looked at places like Purdue for inspiration and has tried to emulate what he knows works.
 
“It’s been a very emotional time for me,” Jones said. “I have thought our kids deserved something better, but maybe not this elaborate, for years. I questioned why it was going to be so good. The principal at the time said ‘Howard, why can’t we have the best for our kids?’ That made sense to me. I think this state-of-the-art facility will be what’s best for our kids.”
 
For Jones, the principal’s statement got him thinking.
 
“I’m pretty conservative with things,” Jones said. “When he said that to me, I started thinking differently. I started thinking why not. The school wants to be greedy for the kids and it really shows.”
 
The wrestling facility isn’t the only thing to get a major upgrade at the school. The baseball and softball fields got a multi-million-dollar upgrade. The weight room doubled in size. The football field got new turf. The tennis courts are getting a facelift. But, the largest change, is the wrestling renovation.
 
According to Stevens, this might not have ever happened if it weren’t for the influence Jones has had on the students and the community through wrestling.
 
“They say it has a lot to do with me, but it’s really for the kids,” Jones said. “The kids deserved better and we’re getting there. The educators care for the kids. But since this announcement I’ve had hundreds of people call or contact me about how much wrestling has done for them. That was done without this kind of facility. It’s not that we create champion wrestlers. It’s important that we realize we’re creating champion kids.”
 
This has been an emotional journey for Jones. Former wrestlers are working on the building of the new facility and even the companies that put in the bids for the construction were ran by some of Jones’ former wrestlers.
 
“Each of our six elementary schools have former wrestlers of mine that are coaching,” Jones said. “All but one of my assistants were coached by me. The middle school – all but one of the coaches was coached by me. It makes me very proud. One of the things that probably puts things in perspective for me the most is that I had a principal at one of the elementary schools come up to me and said ‘Howard, I’m tired of going to principal meetings and hearing about your wrestling program.’ But wrestling is a fraternity, not just within the school, but it creates a strong bond for life.”
 
Stevens hopes to see other schools build similar facilities for their programs in the future.
 
“We hope this inspires other schools to do something similar,” Stevens said. “Everyone is going to benefit from this – not just the high school, but the younger kids as well. Wrestling is a sport that does great things for kids. The more we can inspire other kids, the better. I was not a wrestler, but I see the value the sport offers for kids today.”

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#MondayMatness with Steve Krah: LaPorte’s Jackson likes to light up the scoreboard
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com

If Ashton Jackson gets his way, scoreboard operators are kept plenty busy during his matches.
 
The LaPorte High School junior wrestler prefers to stay on the offensive and put points on the board.
 
Jackson, who earned the Slicers first state title since 189-pounder Matt Graham in 1994 when he reigned in the 2021 IHSAA State Finals at 106, sums up his plan as he looks ahead to the rest of the 2021-22 season at 113.
 
“It’s about scoring points, not being sloppy and keeping up the rate of attack,” says Jackson. “I want to work my moves and get on and off the mat. Like Dan Gable said: “I shoot, I score. He shoots, I score.”
 
“I’m chugging away to the state series. I haven’t really been taken into deep waters yet. I’m really looking forward to that.”
 
Through the Dec. 18 Munster Super Dual where he and LaPorte seniors Caden Ellenberger (145) and Noah Salary (152) went 5-0, Jackson is 21-0. The only match to go the distance was a major decision against Crown Point.
 
Next up for Jackson and the Slicers is the Dec. 29-30 Al Smith Classic at Mishawaka.
 
“Those should be mostly tight matches and I can test myself,” says Jackson. “I’m looking forward to the fight.”
 
Looking back, Jackson went 35-2 in 2020-21, including 4-0 at the State Finals in Indianapolis after going out in the “ticket round” at the East Chicago Semistate as a 35-8 freshman.
 
“Going through the East Chicago Semistate, the Duneland (Athletic Conference) and northwest Indiana, it’s high-quality stuff and we pride ourselves in battling at that level,” says LaPorte head coach Louie Kuzdas, a 1986 LaPorte graduate in his 26th season as head coach 32nd on the Slicers staff and physical education/health teacher at the school.
 
It was last season that one of his young teammates brought up a potential mat milestone.
 
“I’m close to 100 career wins and everybody talks about,” says Jackson, who is 91-10 ???. “It’s something cool to have. But it’s not the end-all, be-all.”
 
The current season opened Nov. 26-27 for Jackson and his teammates as Jackson went 9-0 as the 113-pound champion at the Goshen RedHawk Super Dual.
 
“He’s been traveling all over the country getting some elite mat time,” says Kuzdas. “He’s just living and breathing wrestling right now. It’s what you need to do to be at that top level.”
 
Jackson went to the Freestyle Nationals in Fargo, N.D., and Super 32 in Greensboro, N.C.
 
“It wasn’t that successful an offseason,” says Jackson, who also trains in LaPorte and Elite Athletic Club in Lake Station and went with the Warren Central squad to the Disney Duals in Orlando, Fla. “That’s just motivation for this season to prove myself and prove what I can do.”
 
Kuzdas looks to Jackson as a team leader.
 
“He takes young’uns under his wing and walks them through different steps,” says Kuzdas. “He’s very, very interested in learning more about the sport.
 
“After winning (a state championship) as a sophomore, we sat down and discussed that he’s already accomplished something that a lot of people don’t. But you still don’t know everything. He agreed 100 percent.”
 
Says Jackson, “I’m just staying persistent in my training and having faith in my coaches and my teammates who’ve guided me along the way. Coach (Kuzdas) definitely pushes aggression. You’ve just got to fight. That’s the beauty of wrestling. It’s you and the other guy. The better-prepared man’s going to win.”
 
Practice partners include freshman Josh England (120) and Landyn Hunt (126), junior Thomas Adred (126) and assistant coach Ian Barclay.
 
“I think I stay in pretty good position,” says Jackson. “And I know if I don’t try my best it’s a loss.”
 
Adam Jackson — Ashton’s father — was Kuzdas’ first state qualifier as LaPorte head coach, making it to Indy as a 135-pound junior in 1997.
 
Crediting his father for his work ethic and sense of urgency on the mat.
 
“He’s really involved, but not so involved to the point that it’s overbearing,” says Ashton. “He holds me to high standards — which is good.”
 
Damen Jackson, a 2015 graduate of John Glenn High School, is a Glenn assistant this season after teaching and coach at Warren Central. He was there for Ashton at the beginning of little brother’s wrestling career.
 
“When I was little he’d always help me out a kid tournaments,” says Ashton. “He was being a big brother and showed me nuances that little novice me wasn’t aware of at the time.”
 
Ashton’s mother is New Prairie High School graduate Nacole and has two younger siblings in LaPorte — sophomore/sister Bailey
and sixth grader/brother Brayden.
 
Jerry Jackson, a 1982 LaPorte graduate, was a three-time state qualifier at 185 with a state crown in 1981 and third-place finish in 1982.
 
“He’s no relation,” says Ashton. “But he’s a pretty cool dude.”

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#MondayMatness with Steve Krah: Monroe Central’s first state placer as sophomore, Page shining at start of junior season
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com

Hunter Page loves it on a wrestling mat. But he hasn’t spent too much time there when at match time so far in 2021-22.
 
Page, a Monroe Central High School junior 182-pounder, won the 2021 East Central Indiana Classic title Dec. 23 to move to 17-1 (13 pins and a major decision).
 
“I shoot first,” says Page. “I don’t wait around.”
 
Page, whose current current record in 85-14, was the first IHSAA State Finals placer in Monroe Central history when he came in sixth at 182 in 2021.
 
Brett Hodson (Monroe Central Class of 1985) and Calvin Combs (Monroe Central Class of 1988) represented MC as seniors then Logan Swallow (Monroe Central Class of 2020 made it there as a junior and senior.
 
“The community was completely behind Hunter last year,” says second-year Golden Bears head coach Andy Richardson. “Last year was an unusual year with restraints on the number we could have in the audience (because of the COVID-19 pandemic). At least we were able have a season. Illinois didn’t have a season.”
 
Richardson is watching Page have another strong campaign.
 
“Hunter’s just a hard worker,” says Richardson, who was a Monroe Central assistant for two years before becoming head coach. “Last year, he surprised some people.
 
“He’s a grinder and not real flashy. He’s a strong kid and very athletic.”
 
Page is also coachable, taking information and applying it.
 
“He’s a sponge,” says Richardson. “He’s bought into our blue collar approach. We’re going to work and we’re going to win.”
 
Richardson is a 1993 Muncie Southside High School graduate who was a freshman on the 1990 state championship team which featured senior Tony Abbott (now head coach at Cowan High School).
 
Including the U.S. Navy (he served for 11 years) and stints with Bob Brennan at Zionsville, Mike Smitson at Greenwood and Brett Clark and Gary Schliessman at Delta, Richardson has coached 26 years.
 
Noah Richardson, Andy’s son, is a 2017 Delta graduate and current Monroe Central assistant. He and cousin/two-time state qualifer Scottie Evans were both 100-match winners as Eagles.
 
Though Page can put points on the scoreboard, Andy Richardson says he is content to win close, low-scoring matches.
 
“We go after that first takedown,” says Richardson. “It’s something we preach — set the tone. I want (opponents) to react to us, not react to them.
 
“(Senior 160-pounder Jonah Jones) does that, too. I think he’s going to have some real success this year.”
 
Jones is a regular workout partner.
 
“He’s quick and technical,” says Page of Jones, who shares team captain duties with Page and senior Peyton Tinsman.
 
“I try to lead by example,” says Page. “I help show moves (to others).”
 
Page grappled at 160 and 170 as a freshman and went 32-6. He posted a 36-7 mark at 182 as a sophomore.
 
The 6-footer is still at 182 this year, but with more strength.
 
“I was in the weight room a lot this year,” says Page, who as a defensive lineman enjoying breaking through the line making 34 total tackles with eight for loss and one quarterback sack in helping Monroe Central football go 10-1 in the fall.
 
Page started school at Union (Modoc) and came over to Monroe Central in third grade. His first real exposure to the mat came in the Golden Bear Wrestling Club.
 
Page, who lives on a farm near Modoc, is considering either Architecture or Agriculture for a college major and might wrestle as well if the situation is right.
 
His father is Tink. His mother is Jennifer. Siblings are Lexi (20), Destiny (6) and Leo (6).
 
Jennifer’s boyfriend, Nick Terharr (Monroe Central Class of 2004), was the Delta Sectional champion at 171 in 2004.
 
“Nick helps me out with my singles,” says Page. “Andy kind of polished it up.”
 
Uncle Zeb Doss, who wrestled at Winchester, also offers occasional mat advice.
 
The lone loss this season for Page came Dec. 22 in Fort Wayne Snider Duals against Snider freshman D’Alcapon Veazy.
 
Monroe Central’s next match is a Jan. 4 dual at Southern Wells. The Randolph County meet is Jan. 15 at Winchester. The Mid-Eastern Conference meet is Jan. 22 at Cowan.
 
The Golden Bears’ postseason path includes the Delta Sectional Dec. 29, Jay County Regional Feb. 5 and Fort Wayne Semistate Feb. 12 with the State Finals Feb. 18-19 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

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#MondayMatness with Steve Krah: Multiplicity of moves favors East Noble senior grappler Sprague
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com

It may not be for everyone, but the way Aidan Sprague approaches wrestling has been good for him.
“I’m pretty funky and I move on my feet,” says Sprague, an East Noble High School senior. “I’m not the strongest one out there, but I can use my technique and that works in my favor.”
During Sprague’s prep career, the Knights’ postseason path has gone through the Westview Sectional (2019, 2020 and 2021) and West Noble Sectional (2022), Goshen Regional and Fort Wayne Semistate.
As a 106-pound freshmen in 2019, Sprague placed second at sectional and regional, fourth at semistate and was a State Finals qualifier.
As a 113-pound sophomore in 2020, Sprague was a sectional regional champion, semistate runner-up and placed sixth at State.
As a 120-pound junior in 2021, Sprague took sectional, regional and semistate titles and placed sixth at State.
As a 126-pound senior, Sprague heads into the 2022 Fort Wayne Semistate at 35-0 with sectional and regional titles to his credit.
Sam Riesen is in his fourth season as head coach at East Noble after 10 years in charge at Churubusuco High School.
Sprague, a University of Indianapolis commit, tries to follow the coaching staff’s directive during his matches.
“I really cut a lot of people and they just want me to look as sharp as I possibly can on my feet,” says Sprague. “I get most of my tech falls like 20-5.
“They want me to get as many takedowns as I can. I love it because I have a good mindset about it. It gets me in better shape. I’m drilling different types of takedowns almost like it’s like a practice.”
How many takedowns are in Sprague’s bag of tricks?
“I do five or six consistently,” says Sprague. “Then I’ll throw some tricky ones out there every once in a while.
“It’s important to have a lot of stuff. When you only have one or two good things you become one-dimensional. That’s really when people can game plan against you. If everybody knows I have a good dump, they’re not going to let me tie up.
“It’s so much harder to wrestle someone if they have multiple good moves.”
Sprague grew up in Kendallville and began wrestling in the sixth grade. When he did not place in the middle school conference meet as a sixth or seventh grader, he spoke with his father Adam about becoming more serious about the sport and put basketball aside.
As an eighth grader, he was a conference champion and a state qualifier.
“Aidan is just an extremely focused, driven kid,” says Riesen. “He sets his mind to a goal and really gives everything he can to accomplish it.”
Sprague plans to study Social Studies at UIndy with plans on being a teacher and coach.
“It’s awesome to see a young guy going into education at a time where you don’t see colleges filled with people graduating with degrees in teaching,” says Riesen. “It’s exciting to see that.
“He and his brother have super-supportive parents (in Adam and Susan Sprague, who both teach in the West Noble system).”
Aidan Sprague is a three-sport athlete — outside linebacker and team captain in football, wrestling and pole vaulter with a personal best of 12-foot-6 on the track and field team.
Alex Sprague is a 170-pound freshman wrestler and is also in band.
“His parents are running them all over,” says Riesen. “They find the time to get them to wrestling practices all over the area during the off-season.
“They go that extra mile to make sure he gets everything he needs.”
Aidan has traveled to Indianapolis Cathedral to train with the Outlaws.
While Riesen doesn’t name captains, Sprague has essentially filled that role.
“He’s a natural leader,” says Riesen. “The team has followed him in a lot of ways — like in terms of attitude. He’s a light-hearted kid but he gets focused when he needs to. That really rubs off on the team.”
“He’s pretty special in the fact that he doesn’t just have one go-to move. He’s constantly scoring and looking at different techniques and takedowns.
“In practice, he’s just always innovating and trying new things.”
East Noble assistant coach Austin Moore, a State Finals qualifier at Central Noble in 2017 and 2018, is a frequent workout partner for Sprague.
“They do a lot of play wrestling, water wrestling — whatever you want to call it,” said Riesen. “They wrestle through and find different positions.
“There’s really a lot of spots where he’s pretty comfortable.”
Aidan Sprague is a three-sport athlete (outside linebacker and team captain in football, wrestling and pole vaulter with a personal best of 12-foot-6 on the track and field team.
Alex Sprague is a wrestler and is also in the school band.
“His parents are running them all over,” says Riesen. “They find the time to get them to wrestling practices all over the area during the off-season.
“They go that extra mile to make sure he gets everything he needs.”
Aidan has traveled to Indianapolis Cathedral to train with the Outlaws.
While Riesen doesn’t name captains, Sprague has essentially filled that role.
“He’s a natural leader,” says Riesen. “The team has followed him in a lot of ways — like in terms of attitude. He’s a light-hearted kid but he gets focused when he needs to. That really rubs off on the team.”
“He’s pretty special in the fact that he doesn’t just have one go-to move. He’s constantly scoring and looking at different techniques and takedowns.
“In practice, he’s just always innovating and trying new things.”
East Noble assistant Austin Moore, a State Finals qualifier at Central Noble in 2017 and 2018, is a frequent workout partner for Sprague.
“They do a lot of play wrestling, water wrestling — whatever you want to call it,” said Riesen. “They wrestle through and find different positions. There’s really a lot of spots where he’s pretty comfortable.”
“His freshmen year we butted heads a little and had some debates on which way he should go in terms of being more funky or more traditional.”
As Sprague has progressed and enjoyed success, the coaching staff has resisted pigeon-holing the wrestler and let do what feels and works best for him.
Riesen says the first eight minutes of practice are devoted to “roll around” — which allows the athletes to try different positions and finishes and figuring out how to get out of certain spots.
“I think it really has helped a lot of our kids,” says Riesen. “One thing we do really well as a staff is allow kids to explore different wrestling positions and options and figure out what works for them.”
Popular among other wrestlers, Sprague has been called “The People’s Champion.”
“He’s a great kid beyond being an obviously very talented wrestler,” says Riesen. “He’s been an awesome kid to have these last four years.”
 

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#WrestlingWednesday with Jeremy Hines: Feeler's ready for one last ride
By JEREMY HINES
Thehines7@gmail.com
 
No matter what happens in the next couple of weeks, Brandon and Donnie Feeler are going to end a journey the same way they started it – together.
 
Donnie Feeler is a senior 106-pounder from Crawford County. Brandon is his father and the only coach he has ever had.
 
“Our situation is a little unique,” Brandon said. “I’ve coached him since he was five years old. We’ve been on this journey for many, many years. It means a lot to both of us, to say the least.”
 
Brandon still remembers the day Donnie came home from school, waving a flyer about wrestling around and begging to be able to be part of it.
 
“Donnie was a big fan of WWF wrestling back then,” Brandon said. “He would constantly watch it on TV. At the time we lived in Scottsburg and he brought home this flyer about wrestling – thinking it was going to be jumping off the ropes like they did in WWF. I explained to him what it was, and he was still really eager to go.”
 
So, Donnie joined wrestling and Brandon started coaching the sport. Brandon had a background in grappling, but he was learning wrestling at the same time he was teaching it to Donnie.
 
The two dived headfirst into the sport. Brandon would drive Donnie to tournaments across the country. They would have hours together in the car, in the hotels and in the restaurants. They formed a strong bond through the sport.
 
“Me and my dad, we’ve had our differences,” Donnie said. “But the sport has really grown us closer. It’s not just me out there. It’s him too. We go through the same emotion and the same stress. It’s not easy being a coach of a son. There are times when I just don’t want to train. But it’s good to have a coach that keeps after me and keeps me going.”
 
Last year Donnie did something that no other kid in the history of his school has accomplished. He qualified for the state tournament.
 
“There were a lot of emotions when he won his ticket round match,” Brandon said. “He punched his ticket. That was just a real proud moment.”
 
Qualifying for state put a new fire in Donnie. He didn’t win his Friday night match, but he started working harder than ever before. He and his dad went to tournament after tournament last summer. They hit the mat hard and pushed like never before. The problem was all that wrestling started to burn Donnie out. He questioned whether he wanted to go on.
 
“I was just burnt out,” Donnie said. “I was exhausted from the off-season wrestling. I just didn’t want to do it anymore.”
 
Qualifying for state also came with some high expectations for Donnie. His focus seemed to change, according to his dad.
 
“To some degree he was wrestling for all the wrong reasons,” Brandon said. “He was trying to be the best wrestler for an audience, not for himself. He contemplated whether he even wanted to wrestle his senior year. He did some soul searching and came back with some confidence. He was ready to unlock his potential.”
 
Donnie said that renewed vigor came from having some talks with his dad.
 
“That relationship with my father, and just speaking with him and listening to what he had to say – that really helped me regain my focus,” Donnie said.
 
This year Donnie is coming off a regional championship. He is Crawford County’s first regional champion, and now he’s a two-time champ. He’s ranked No. 12 at 106 pounds and currently has an unblemished 20-0 record. His goal ultimate goal is to be his school’s first-ever state placer in wrestling.
 
Crawford County has just a handful of wrestlers on the team. In practice Donnie’s only choice is to go up against guys weighing 120-152. But that’s OK. He embraces the David vs. Goliath philosophy. He likes being the underdog. He likes coming from a small school and wrestling the big programs. He likes being counted out.
 
“I want to win it all,” Feeler said. “But no matter what happens I’m going to give it my all. If all else fails, we gave it a good run and had a fun four years.”
 
For Brandon, the next few weeks will mark the end of a journey.
 
“We started his career together and we’re going to finish it together,” Brandon said. “It’s going to be an emotional time, for sure. But we’ve had a heck of a ride.”