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      449

      Delta Sectional Preview

      Delta Sectional Preview
      by AJ Bradley
       
      It is no secret that Yorktown is the odds on favorite to not only win the sectional, but win it in run away fashion.  There are however, some very intriguing story lines going into this sectional:  Can Yorktown advance all 14 wrestlers? Who will be the top 4 at 112?  Will the Mosier v. Whitaker match be competitive?  Will Chalfant v. Janney live up to the hype?  We will find out all these answers on Saturday as we enjoy a great day of wrestling at Delta High School.





      Weight


      Favorite
      Top Challenger
      Dark Horse



      103


      Bryant - MC
      Bevans - Y
      Phenis - Win



      112


      Jackson - Y
      Gonzales - D
      Ja. Armantrout - MS



      119


      Bevans - Y
      Jo. Armantrout  - MS
      Terhaar - Win



      125


      Hiestand - Y
      Shockney - MoC
      Baker -Win



      130


      Smith -Y
      Simmons - Win
      Dobbs  -De



      135


      Harry - Wap
      Rench - Y
      Bray - RS



      140


      Martin - RS
      Harper- Y
      Porman - MS



      145


      Dulaney - Y
      Heuchan - MC
      Bigtree - MS



      152


      Mosier - Y
      Whitaker - MS
      Corn - Da



      160


      Casner - Y
      Osborne - MC
      Holcomb - Win



      171


      Wilson - Da
      Burke -Y
      Bosler - Win



      189


      Dely - De
      Rossom - Win
      Crabtree - MS



      215


      King - MS
      Fodrea - Win
      Vance - MC



      HW


      Chalfant - Win
      Janney - Y
      Thomas - MoC

      488

      Final Regular Season Team Rankings

      1. Mishawaka
      2. Evansville Mater Dei
      3. Crown Point
      4. Cathedral
      5. Perry Meridian
      6.Castle
      7. Yorktown
      8. Merrillville
      9. Bellmont
      10. Portage
      11. Lawrence North
      12. Evansville Reitz
      13. South Bend Riley
      14. Carmel
      15. Roncalli
      16. Penn
      17.Elkhart Memorial
      18. Center Grove
      19. New Palestine
      20. Hamilton Heights
       
      This will be the final regular season installment of the Team Rankings. The next rankings will rank the 32 Sectional Champions on Monday.

      476

      Jay County Sectional Preview

      Jay County Sectional Preview
      by Brandon Razo
       
      The Bellmont Braves come rolling in looking for their 19th straight sectional title this Saturday at Jay County High School.  They are definitely the clear cut favorite to win the team title and look to advance many individuals into the post season.  But like always the teams of Adams County and Wells County will be bringing in some strong individuals making this a very competitive sectional.  112 looks to be a battle as you could take the top four seeds, put their names in a hat and draw out the winner. 171 looks to be the most competitive weight class of the sectional with five very tough wrestlers.
       
      103-Favorite: Todd Batt (South Adams), Probable Regional Qualifiers: Derek Roe (Adams Central), Blake Adams (Bellmont), Matt Seagraves (Jay County)
       
      112-Favorite: Brandon Tucker (Norwell), Probable Regional Qualifiers: Philip Gerber (Bluffton), Michael Hirschy (Adams Central), Gabe Sprunger (South Adams)
       
      119-Favorite: #8 Casey Kenney (Jay County), Probable Regional Qualifiers: Bobby Perry (Bluffton), Brooks Faurote (Bellmont), Zeke Schultz (Adams Central)
       
      125-Favorite: #4 Will Sheets (Bellmont), Probable Regional Qualifiers: Troy Fiechter (Southern Wells), John Striker (South Adams), Seth Higgins (Bluffton)
       
      130-Favorite: Darin Fiechter (Southern Wells), Probable Regional Qualifiers: Josh Ehr (South Adams), Caleb Culy (Jay County), Carlin Hormann (Bellmont), Zach Barr (Blackford)
       
      135-Favorite: #10 Matthew Gerber (Bluffton), Probable Regional Qualifiers: Josh Morris (Southern Wells), Cameron Pfeifer (Jay County), Ryan Holsten (Blackford), Will Busse (Bellmont)
       
      140-Favorite: Ben Theurer (Jay County), Probable Regional Qualifiers: TJ Burnfield (South Adams), Matt Kaehr (Adams Central), Justin Sprow (Norwell)
       
      145-Favorite: Ryley Hankenson (Bellmont), Probable Regional Qualifiers: Chase Sprunger (South Adams), Levi Jones (Southern Wells), James Landis (Norwell)
       
      152-Favorite: #10 Tyler Baker (Bellmont), Probable Regional Qualifiers: Skyler Finnerty (Jay County), Brady Stevens (Adams Central), Dustin Hunt (South Adams), Grayson Smith (Norwell)
       
      160-Favorite: Josh Fiechter (Bluffton), Probable Regional Qualifiers: Trent Busse (Bellmont), Trent Fuller (Blackford), Nick Taylor (South Adams)
       
      171-Favorite: #9 Trey Schultz (Adams Central), Probable Regional Qualifiers: Grant Melcher (Bellmont), Gage Bradburn (Union City), Matt Morrissey (Bluffton), Brandon Biberstine (Southern Wells)
       
      189-Favorite: Sha White (Jay County), Probable Regional Qualifiers: Travis Thatcher/Andrew Bultemeier (Bellmont), Levi Mock (Bluffton), Harley Felton (Blackford)
       
      215-Favorite: #1 Billy Baker (Bellmont), Probable Regional Qualifiers: Jackson Werst (South Adams), Matt James (Jay County), Aden Feasel (Adams Central)
       
      285-Favorite: Jim West (South Adams), Probable Regional Qualifiers: Daniel Meyer (Bellmont), Elijah Justice (Blackford), Kyler Blowers (Jay County)

      517

      New Haven Sectional Preview

      New Haven Sectional Preview
      by Brandon Razo
       
      Barry Humble's New Haven Bulldogs return from one of the programs best seasons ever last year making a run to Team Semi-State falling short against Elkhart Memorial.  Though they graduated a senior led line-up, they are still looking to battle for the title.  But it won't be handed to them very easily.  The Spartans of Homestead are looking for their first sectional championship since 1998. Homestead has fallen just behind New Haven the past two years in a close race, and it looks to be a close race once again between these two teams.
       
      103-Favorite: Mason Meling (Snider), Probable Regional Qualifiers: Andrew Bowman (Homestead), James Johnson (South Side), Brandon Bennett (Heritage), Logan Buuck (Woodlan)
       
      112-Favorite: Andy Franklin (Homestead), Probable Regional Qualifiers: Alex Troy (Snider), Chase Farrell (South Side), Alex Richman (Heritage)
       
      119-Favorite: Marquis Williams (Snider), Probable Regional Qualifiers: Cedric Morrison (Harding), Keelan Rushing (Homestead), Colin Shaffer (New Haven)
       
      125-Favorite: #6 Tony Lovejoy (Bishop Luers), Probable Regional Qualifiers: Tucker Smith (Homestead), Jon Menefee (New Haven), Sean Cooley (Elmhurst)
       
      130-Favorite: Cody Zink (Woodlan), Probable Regional Qualifiers: Mitchel Peaks (New Haven), Cody Vasquez (South Side), Steven Flotow (Elmhurst), Justin Norris (Homestead)
       
      135-Favorite: Nate Bloomfield (New Haven), Probable Regional Qualifiers: Jordan Buuck (Woodlan), Thomas Sollberger (Wayne), Josh Kryder (Homestead)
       
      140-Favorite: Zack Zurbrugg (New Haven), Probable Regional Qualifiers: Mike Whitcombe (Woodlan), Trevon Carr (Harding), David Hayden (Elmhurst), Xavier Serrani (Bishop Luers)
       
      145-Favorite: Nathan Swygart (New Haven), Probable Regional Qualifiers: Alex Brenneke (Woodlan), Dylan Gloy (Wayne), Evan Struzenburger (Bishop Luers), Logan Thatcher (South Side), Tyler Warren (Homestead)
       
      152-Favorite: James Tabb (Wayne), Probable Regional Qualifiers: Nich Graham (New Haven), Jayme Schwartz (Woodlan) Cody Beck (Elmhurst), Mike Gulick (Homestead)
       
      160-Favorite: Bobby Natusch (Homestead), Probable Regional Qualifiers: Matt Klemm (New Haven), Dan Gibson (Heritage), Ben Sowles (Woodlan)
       
      171-Favorite: Marqueen Suel (Harding), Probable Regional Qualifiers: Domminick Drummond (New Haven), Redrecus McCurrie (Wayne), JaQuane Carpenter (Elmhurst), Steven Repka (Homestead)
       
      189-Favorite: Taylor Scott (Heritage), Probable Regional Qualifiers: Kris Pappert (New Haven), Justin Carter (Homestead), Josh Grider (South Side)
       
      215-Favorite: Brad Mills (Homestead), Probable Regional Qualifiers: Chris Lamping (South Side), Brad Shuler (Heritage), Byron Arrivillaga (New Haven)
       
      285-Favorite: Harry Foster (Homestead), Probable Regional Qualifiers: Joe Grueb (Woodlan), Theo Coursen-Carr (South Side), Trent Gutting (Wayne)

      1326

      2009 IHSAA Sectional Wrestling Brackets

      1. East Chicago Central (10), 9 am CT
      East Chicago Central, Hammond, Hammond Bishop Noll, Hammond Clark, Hammond Gavit, Hammond Morton, Highland, Lake Central, Munster, Whiting.
       
      2. Calumet (9), 9 am CT
      Calumet, Gary Wallace, Gary West Side, Gary Wirt, Griffith, Hobart, Lake Station Edison, Merrillville, River Forest.
       
      3. Crown Point (8), 9 am CT
      Andrean, Boone Grove, Crown Point, Hanover Central, Kankakee Valley, Lowell, North Newton, Valparaiso.
       
      4. LaPorte (8), 9 am CT
      Chesterton, Glenn, Knox, LaPorte, Michigan City, New Prairie, North Judson, Portage.
       
      5. Mishawaka (9), 9 am ET
      LaVille, Mishawaka, Mishawaka Marian, Penn, South Bend Adams, South Bend Clay, South Bend Riley, South Bend St. Joseph’s, South Bend Washington.
       
      6. Plymouth (9), 9 am ET
      Bremen, Culver Academies, Culver Community, Plymouth, Rochester, Tippecanoe Valley, Triton, Warsaw, Wawasee.
       
      7. Twin Lakes (11), 9 am ET
      Cass, Caston, Frontier, Logansport, North White, Pioneer, Rensselaer Central, South Newton, Twin Lakes, West Central, Winamac.
       
      8. Lafayette Jefferson (10), 8:30 am ET
      Attica, Benton Central, Carroll (Flora), Delphi, Harrison (West Lafayette), Lafayette Central Catholic, Lafayette Jefferson, McCutcheon, Seeger, West Lafayette.
       
      9. Elkhart Memorial (8), 9 am ET
      Concord, Elkhart Central, Elkhart Memorial, Fairfield, Goshen, Jimtown, Northridge, NorthWood.
       
      10. Westview (10), 9 am ET
      Angola, Central Noble, DeKalb, East Noble, Fremont, Howe Military, Lakeland, Prairie Heights, West Noble, Westview.
       
      11. Carroll (Fort Wayne) (11), 8 am ET
      Carroll (Fort Wayne), Churubusco, Columbia City, Eastside, Garrett, Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger, Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran, Fort Wayne North Side, Fort Wayne Northrop, Leo, Whitko.
       
      12. New Haven (10), 8:30 am ET
      Fort Wayne Bishop Luers, Fort Wayne Elmhurst, Fort Wayne Snider, Fort Wayne South Side, Fort Wayne Wayne, Harding, Heritage, Homestead, New Haven, Woodlan.
       
      13. Peru (9), 9 am ET
      Huntington North, Maconaquah, Manchester, North Miami, Northfield, Peru, Southwood, Wabash, White’s.
       
      14. Oak Hill (10), 9 am ET
      Eastbrook, Eastern (Greentown), Kokomo, Madison-Grant, Marion, Mississinewa, Northwestern, Oak Hill, Taylor, Western.
       
      15. Jay County (9), 8:30 am ET
      Adams Central, Bellmont, Blackford, Bluffton, Jay County, Norwell, South Adams, Southern Wells, Union City.
       
      16. Delta (10), 9 am ET
      Daleville, Delta, Monroe Central, Muncie Central, Muncie Southside, Randolph Southern, Wapahani, Wes-Del, Winchester, Yorktown.
       
      17. Crawfordsville (9), 8:30 am ET
      Covington, Crawfordsville, Fountain Central, North Montgomery, North Vermillion, Rockville, South Vermillion, Southmont, Turkey Run.
       
      18. Zionsville (12), 8:30 am ET
      Carmel, Clinton Central, Clinton Prairie, Fishers, Frankfort, Hamilton Southeastern, Lebanon, Rossville, Sheridan, Western Boone, Westfield, Zionsville.
       
      19. Hamilton Heights (12), 9 am ET
      Alexandria, Anderson, Anderson Highland, Elwood, Frankton, Guerin Catholic, Hamilton Heights, Lapel, Noblesville, Pendleton Heights, Tipton, Tri-Central.
       
      20. Lawrence Central (11), 8:30 am ET
      Indianapolis Arlington, Indianapolis Arsenal Technical, Indianapolis Bishop Chatard, Indianapolis Broad Ripple, Indianapolis Cathedral, Indianapolis Howe Academy, Indianapolis Manual, Indianapolis Scecina, Lawrence Central, Lawrence North, North Central (Indianapolis).
       
      21. Decatur Central (12), 9 am ET
      Ben Davis, Decatur Central, Indiana School for the Deaf, Indianapolis Attucks, Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter, Indianapolis Northwest, Indianapolis Washington, Park Tudor, Perry Meridian, Pike, Southport, Speedway.
       
      22. Warren Central (10), 9 am ET
      Beech Grove, Eastern Hancock, Franklin Central, Greenfield-Central, Mount Vernon (Fortville), New Palestine, Roncalli, Shelbyville, Triton Central, Warren Central.
       
      23. Shenandoah (11), 9 am ET
      Blue River Valley, Cambridge City Lincoln, Centerville, Hagerstown, Knightstown, New Castle, Northeastern, Richmond, Rushville, Shenandoah, Tri.
       
      24. South Dearborn (9), 9 am ET
      Batesville, Connersville, East Central, Franklin County, Greensburg, Lawrenceburg, Milan, South Dearborn, Union County.
       
      25. Avon (10), 8:30 am ET
      Avon, Brownsburg, Cascade, Cloverdale, Danville, Greencastle, North Putnam, Plainfield, South Putnam, Tri-West Hendricks.
       
      26. Mooresville (8), 9 am ET
      Center Grove, Franklin, Greenwood, Indian Creek, Martinsville, Monrovia, Mooresville, Whiteland.
       
      27. Northview (9), 9:30 am ET
      Bloomington North, Bloomington South, Edgewood, Northview, Owen Valley, Sullivan, Terre Haute North, Terre Haute South, West Vigo.
       
      28. Jennings County (9), 9 am ET
      Bedford North Lawrence, Brown County, Columbus East, Columbus North, Jennings County, Madison, Seymour, Scottsburg, Southwestern (Hanover).
       
      29. Jeffersonville (10), 9 am ET
      Charlestown, Christian Academy of Indiana, Corydon Central, Eastern (Pekin), Floyd Central, Jeffersonville, New Albany, New Washington, Providence, Salem.
       
      30. Southridge (10), 9 am ET
      Crawford County, Forest Park, Jasper, Mitchell, North Knox, Paoli, Pike Central, Southridge, Vincennes Lincoln, Washington.
       
      31. Castle (9), 8:45 am CT
      Boonville, Castle, Gibson Southern, Heritage Hills, Princeton, South Spencer, Tecumseh, Tell City, Wood Memorial.
       
      32. Evansville Central (9), 9 am CT
      Evansville Bosse, Evansville Central, Evansville Harrison, Evansville Mater Dei, Evansville Memorial, Evansville North, Evansville Reitz, Mount Vernon, North Posey.

      548

      Twin Lakes Sectional Preview

      By Scott Hardy
       
      It seems like the Twin Lakes sectional is up for grabs this year. Last year Logansport walked away with the sectional by about 70 points. However, this year is going to be different. There are four teams in the running for the title; Logansport, Pioneer, West Central, and Winamac. Logansport is led by two seniors projected to win their weight classes. Pioneer is led by a young team and is prepared to take a few weight classes of their own. West Central just came off of a conference title over Pioneer and Winamac, so they look to carry this over to sectionals. Finally, Winamac is always a strong team that is a force year in and year out.
       
      103- Favorite- Dillon Rehn (West Central) Projected RQ's- Mitch Latta (TL), Brandon Preston (Log), and Chase Kaufman (Ren)
       
      112- Favorite- Justin Johnson (Pio) Projected RQ's- Justin Summers (TL), Keith Wiley (NW), Alberto Garay (WC), and Jacob Reed (LC)
       
      119- Co-Favorites- Mike Cataldo (Log) and Robert Hartley (Win) Projected RQ's- Dustin Stone (NW), Troy Wireman (WC), and Anders Douglass (TL)
       
      125- Co-Favorites- Dylan Berkshire (Win) and Damon Clements (TL) Projected RQ's- Justin Faler (WC) and Brett Wright (SN)
       
      130- Favorite- Wil Holloway © Projected RQ's- Whole Field. Wide Open Weight Class
       
      135- Co-Favorites- Owen Dorris (Pio) and Josh VanOrt (WC) One win a piece Projected RQ's- Quentin Chapman (Win), Chris Espinoza (Log), and Clinton Hardesty (TL)
       
      140- Favorite- Travis Rowe (NW) Projected RQ's- Trenton Mullett (WC), Kyle Snyder (TL), RJ Whaley (SN), and Anthony Baxter (Pio)
       
      145- Co-Favorites- Aaron Wagoner (Pio) and David McMenamin © Projected RQ's- Angus Cameron (WC), Tyler Hileman (NW), and Seth Sigman (TL)
       
      152- Favorite- David Minix (Win) Projected RQ's- Kevin Russell (NW), Christian Winkle (TL), Philip Whitlock (Pio), and Brandon Amsler (WC)
       
      160- Projected RQ's- Derek Worden (LC), Nathan Nethercutt (Pio), Austin Mills (Log), and Caleb Brinkman (SN)
       
      171- Co-Favorites- Ryne Bell (SN) and Derek Rowe (Log) Projected RQ's- Kyle Moore (LC), Matt Fox (Pio), Donald Perkins (Win), and John Zickmund (WC)
       
      189- Co-Favorites- Mark Shidler (Win) and Randy Kaufman (Ren) Projected RQ's- Jace Snodgrass (SN) and Steven Masters (WC)
       
      215- Favorite- Brady Tolle (LC) Projected RQ's- David Marquez (NW), Josh Kramer (F), Mathew Tolson (Win), and Alonso Guajardo (Log)
       
      HWT- Co-Favorites- Kegan Clark (Log) and Ross Fox (Pio) Projected RQ's- Zachary Dix (Win), Shawn Geyer (WC), and Colton Sample (SN)
       
      More than four listed in some weight classes because it is a race on the semi-finals of the consolation. Good luck to all Saturday.

      860

      Jeffersonville Sectional Preview

      Johnson Arena plays host to the Jeffersonville sectional on Saturday to Charlestown, Floyd Central, New Albany, Corydon, Eastern(pekin), Salem, Christian Academy, New Washington, and Providence. Floyd Central is looking to recapture a sectional title on their way to team regional during the week.
       
      103: FAVORITE: Mathew Lahue Corydon, PROBABLE REGIONAL QUALIFIERS: Alonzo Shepherd Jeffersonville, Steven Guy New Albany, Logan Kelly Floyd Central.
      112: FAVORITE: Kevin Mooney Providence PROBABLE REGIONAL QUALIFIERS: Curtis Smith Jeffersonville, Brandon Snyder New Albany, Justin Wolfe Charlestown
      119: FAVORITE: Jeff Stotridge Charlestown PROBABLE REGIONAL QUALIFIERS: Devon Miller Jeffersonville, Jacob Freeman Eastern, Nolan Van Hook Floyd Central
      125: FAVORITE: Eddie Duran Charlestown PROBABLE REGIONAL QUALIFIERS: Tim Martin New Albany, Ryan Hutchinson Corydon, Renaldo Weekly Jeffersonville
      130: FAVORITE: Omar Salguero Providence PROBABLE REGIONAL QUALIFIERS: Aaron Witt Floyd Central, Brett Walker Jeffersonville, Nestor Rodriguez New Albany
      135: FAVORITE: Cody Kessinger New Albany PROBABLE REGIONAL QUALIFIERS: Aaron May Charlestown, Garret Blackmon Floyd Central, Chris Falardo Corydon
      140: FAVORITE: Ben Hughes Providence PROBABLE REGIONAL QUALIFIERS: Darien Tatgenhorst Jeffersonville, Tyler Newcomb Charlestown Darrin Ratliff Salem
      145: FAVORITE: Taylor Newcomb Charlestown PROBABLE REGIONAL QUALIFIERS: Larry Rickman  New Albany, Coty Hendricks Jeffersonville, Ben Moberly Floyd Central
      152: FAVORITE: Josh Sampson New Washington PROBABLE REGIONAL QUALIFIERS: Alex Bailey Jeffersonville Ian Emerson Floyd Central, Matt O'Connel New Albany
      160: FAVORITE: Jacob Golembeski Providence PROBABLE REGIONAL QUALIFIERS: Mark Daughtery Charlestown, Darnell Graham Jeffersonville, Zach Shallers Floyd Central
      171: FAVORITE: John McAndrew Floyd Central PROBABLE REGIONAL QUALIFIERS: Caleb Browner Jeffersonville , Steve Martin Charlestown, Zack Mann New Albany
      189: FAVORITE: Ethan Cook Providence PROBABLE REGIONAL QUALIFIERS: Pat Mckinney Floyd Central, Chase Nickels Charlestown, Cheyenne Conn New Albany
      215: FAVORITE: Tyler Tatgenhorst Jeffersonville PROBABLE REGIONAL QUALIFIERS: Cody Davidson Providence, Jacob Mudd New Albany, Cameron Metzger Charlestown
      285: FAVORITE: Jon Clark Jeffersonville PROBABLE REGIONAL QUALIFIERS: Taylor Hoke New Albany, Ramsey Traughber Floyd Central, Travis Aguirre Charlestown

      581

      Zionsville Sectional Preview

      The usual suspects are the favorites to advance from the Zionsville sectional. #14 Carmel, formerly ranked Westfield, Lebanon and Zionsville are loaded with highly seeded wrestlers. Carmel has 4 #1 seeds, 3 #2 seeds and 11 total Greyhounds seeded 1-4. Westfield has 2 #1 seeds, 3 #2 seeds and 9 total Shamrocks wrestlers seeded 1-4. Lebanon has 2 #1s, and 8 top-4 seeds. Zionsville has 8 top 4 seeds as well. Clinton Prairie, Clinton Central, Western Boone, Frankfort, Fishers, Rossville and Hamilton Southeastern all bring some talented individuals to Saturday's action, but none of those teams will figure in the team competition.  I think it's also safe to say that Sheridan won't be winning this sectional this year.
       
      Carmel looks to be a notch above the rest, although that appeared to be the case last season and Westfield pulled the upset last year. It appears that Westfield is the only team with a strong chance to beat the Greyhounds this time around, but I'll still stick with Carmel to win, followed by Westfield, Lebanon and Zionsville, in that order. Carmel is coming off of a disappointing 2nd place MIC conference finish, finishing behind Lawrence North, a team they beat earlier in the season. I expect them to come out hungry and defend their seeds furiously.
       
      A couple of returning state placers return this year: Carmel's Will Mascaro (7th at 130 last year, qualifier at 125 in '07) and Westfield's RV Peter (8th at 160 last year).
       
      103 Favorite:  Clayton Campbell (Lebanon) 23-4, Probable regional qualifiers: Kaleb Taylor (Clinton Prairie) 27-5, Pat Parham (Carmel) 25-7, Jason Sipher (Fishers) 26-10
       
      **Notes** None of the top seeds at 103 competed in last year's sectional. Look for a Parham/Campbell final. Campbell lost a fairly close regular decision to Cathedral's Brian Harvey, so he's pretty legit. Possible darkhorse: 5th seed Sparky Inman of Westfield--the record (26-15) isn't outstanding, but Westfield wrestles a treacherous schedule and Inman has had some nice wins in the past.
       
      112 Favorite:  Josh Julien (Lebanon) 25-2, Probable regional qualifiers: Mike Devaney (Rossville) 23-2, Joseph Cremer (Carmel) 16-6, Adam Thomas (Clinton Central) 23-10
       
      **Notes** Julien was sectional champ last year at 112 and finished 2nd at regionals. He has pinned Cathedral's Blake Roytek this year. In other words, he's a stud.  Devaney was sectional and regional champ last season at 103. Cremer finished 4th at 103 at last year's sectional. Look for a Julien/Devaney final. Possible darkhorse: 5th seed Ryan Mantel (10-7) of Zionsville--former sectional champ struggled this season, but he has ability and experience to make a postseason run.
       
      119 Favorite:  Ben Sommers(Carmel) 26-8, Brady White (Westfield) 34-6, Probable regional qualifiers:  Brandon Gray(Fishers) 18-13, Brent Roman (Hamilton Southeastern) 14-9
       
      **Notes** White finished 3rd at 112 last season. Roman finished 2nd at 103 last season. Look for Sommers and White to duke it out in the finals--should be a barnburner and either kid can win it.  Possible darkhorse: 4th seed Roman stepped up big last year at Zville, finishing 2nd despite a so-so record.
       
      125 Favorites:  Chris Maxwell (Clinton Prairie) 31-2, Evan Ackerman (Carmel) 24-7, Probable regional qualifiers: Cameron VanCamp (Lebanon) 21-6, Will Mueller (Westfield) 23-9
       
      **Notes** Maxwell has advanced to semi-state the past 2 years, despite finishing 3rd in the sectional both years. According to CP's coach Jeremy Corbin, it's been 12 years since a CP wrestler won a sectional title.  Standing in Maxwell's way is Evan Ackerman. Ackerman advanced to semistate last year and has faced some formidable opponents this season. These two will almost certainly meet in the finals and it should be one of the best matches of the day. Both kids are capable of making a run to Conseco.  Possible darkhorse: 4th seed Mueller has wrestled up a weight for much of the season. I don't see him upsetting Maxwell, but he could be a tough match for a #1 or #2 seed at regionals.
       
      130 Favorites: #12  Nick Beattie (Western Boone) 29-0 Probable regional qualifiers:  Christian Morris (Carmel) 22-9, John Floor (Westfield) 20-5, Stachler (Zionsville) 20-14
       
      **Notes** Beattie is one of the best kept secrets in the state.  A relative newcomer to the sport and a great natural athlete, he turned in a great performance at last year's sectional at 135 lb., finishing 2nd, above Carmel's Dan Frascella and Lebanon's Adam Skelton. Morris also stepped up last year, finishing 2nd at 119 despite a 11-10 record; he followed that up with a 2nd place finish at regionals, advancing to New Castle with a 13-12 record. Another 2nd place finisher last year is Floor, and he's very capable of knocking off Morris, as he also advanced to semi-state last year. Beattie should almost certainly win this weight, but who he faces in the final could be critical in the team race. Floor and Morris are both solid and both battle-tested.  Possible darkhorse: 5th seed sophomore Brayton Young of Lebanon kept pace with Beattie in one of their two matches this season, losing 12-10 in their first meeting.
       
      135 Favorites: #4  Will Mascaro (Carmel) 31-0 Probable regional qualifiers:  Adam Skelton (Lebanon) 19-3, Drew Spriggs (Western Boone) 20-8, Drew Billman (Westfield) 16-24
       
      **Notes** Mascaro should cruise to a sectional title again this year.  He's won it and the regional twice already, and finished 2nd in both as a freshman. Skelton is a 2X semi-state qualifier, despite finishing 4th and 3rd in the sectional the past 2 years, respectively, and will be the runner-up this year unless he can pull the huge upset of Mascaro. These 2 are a cut above the other wrestlers in the weight.  Possible darkhorse: 5th seed Brenton Morgan of Frankfort finished 3rd last year at 130 and could very possibly take out Billman to advance to North Montgomery next weekend.
       
      140 Favorites: Joe Lile (Fishers) 33-3, Dustin Youngs (Zionsville) 24-6 Probable regional qualifiers: Harrison Coleman (Carmel) 11-6, Tyler Smith (Westfield) 21-18
       
      **Notes** This is a very wide open weight. Lile finished 3rd last year at 125.  No one in this weight advanced past regionals last year, although Youngs was a semi-state qualifier the year before. Lile and Youngs should tussle for the title. Possible darkhorse: 3rd seed Coleman of Carmel has wrestled a much tougher schedule than Lile or Youngs, so his record could be misleading and he could be dangerous in this spot.
       
      145 Favorites: Taylor Evans (Clinton Central) 31-2, Patrick Robinson (Hamilton Southeastern) 35-4, Jeff Sease (Zionsville) 22-5  Probable regional qualifiers:  Brandon Davis (Western Boone) 18-5, Curtis Anderson (Carmel) 27-6
       
      **Notes** Interesting seeding here. This is another very wide open weight, and the deepest weight in the sectional. The depth is actually pretty impressive. Robinson and Sease were both semi-state advancers last year; Sease advanced to the semi-state the year before, too.  Any of the 3 favorites could win the sectional and/or the regional; it wouldn't be a shocker to see someone from this group advance to Conseco. The 5th seed Anderson owns a win over Lawrence North's 16th ranked Matt Goodwin. Possible darkhorse: 6th seed Drew Miller of Rossville sports a 20-5 record. Unfortunately for him, he'll have to get through grizzled veteran Sease to advance. This weight is worth the price of admission to Zionsville.
       
      152 Favorites: #12 Drew Brogden (Zionsville) 33-1 Probable regional qualifiers:  Jake Evans (Clinton Central) 27-6, Kameryn Wright (Lebanon) 16-9, Nathan Ziems (Carmel) 10-6
       
      **Notes** Brogden should have little difficulty picking up the 152 lb. championship, although Evans is a legit 2 seed. Evans won his conference this year as well. Possible darkhorses: 3rd seed Wright led Cathedral's Calvin Sullivan 12-8 after 2 periods and lost a close decision. 5th seed Brock Robinson of Westfield (31-8) is probably one of the better 5th seeds in any sectional. Strange seeding here. 6th seed Troy Hollings of Fishers is 24-8. After Brogden, it should be very, very interesting to see who advances. 
       
      160 Favorites: #7 @171 RV Peter (Westfield) 21-2, #5 @160 Brad Farrell (Fishers) 35-2 Probable regional qualifiers:  Max Youngs (Zionsville) 22-11, Kyle VanCamp (Lebanon) 21-6
       
      **Notes** Farrell (145) and Peter (160) were both sectional and regional champs last year and both advanced to semi-state the year before. Peter has wrestled most of the season up at 171 and has wrestled a tougher schedule than Farrell. Although it should be a good match, those 2 factors should put Peter on top when they meet. Youngs advanced to semi-state last year at 130 as a freshman with a 13-16 record. Possible darkhorses: 5th seed Josh Petty of Clinton Central (29-3) is one of only 4 Bulldogs in school history to win conference 4 times. He is very capable of beating VanCamp to advance.
       
      171 Favorites: Nolan Karkowski (Carmel) 21-9, Spencer Reece (Hamilton Southeastern) 28-5 Probable regional qualifiers:  Jacob Howenstein (Zionsville) 23-7, Kansas Varner (Frankfort) 16-4
       
      **Notes** Not a lot of results from last year with this group. Ferland advanced to regionals at 160 last year with a 12-17 record. Karkowski and Reece should battle it out for a title. My money is on Warren Central transfer Reece; he's had some nice wins this year. Possible darkhorses: 5th seed Kaleb Ferland (Fishers) 24-8 and 6th seed Wes Bankert (Westfield) 10-3 are very capable of advancing.
       
      189 Favorites: #14 Patrick Lux (Fishers) 30-6, Robert Melby (Westfield) 32-5 Probable regional qualifiers:  Jason Pedigo (Zionsville) 24-12, Stephen Showalter (Lebanon) 19-10
       
      **Notes** Melby was a sectional champ last year at 189 and finished 2nd at 189 the year before. Lux finished 2nd at 171. Lux has already beat Melby this year, but Melby seems to peak in the postseason. It won't be an upset if Melby wins. Possible darkhorses: 6th seed Spencer Morris of Carmel has a poor record (14-20), but this could be a situation ripe for an upset.
       
      215  Favorites: #9 Paul Parsley (Westfield) 26-2 Probable regional qualifiers:  Josh Yoder (Carmel) 18-12, Zach Nichols (Frankfort) 25-4, Jesse Boley (Lebanon) 23-5
       
      **Notes** Parsley should be a sectional and regional champ this year, although this weight isn't as clear-cut as it appears. He qualified for semi-state last year. Nichols has a great shot to beat Yoder for the 2nd spot. He finished above Parsley last year at sectionals and also qualified for semi-state. He should be the 2nd seed. Boley beat Cathedral's Jake Buchanan this year and could give Parsley a rough match. Possible darkhorses: 5th seed Andy Jacquet (Clinton Central) is 26-6 and won his conference title. Boley had better be prepared for Jacquet. Unseeded Scott Mason of Zionsville (9-11) has really struggled this year but he was a semi-state qualifier last year at HWT. Interesting. Injuries, maybe? Anyone know?
       
      285  Favorites: Jesse Hollander (Carmel) 20-4 Probable regional qualifiers:  Sean McCarthy (Westfield) 14-13, Mitch Damm (Zionsville) 14-14, Ty Wilson (Frankfort) 13-8
       
      **Notes** This weight looks to be all Hollander. The undersized sophomore Greyhound HWT is someone to look out for in the future. I think he has a great shot at making it to Conseco this year and will be a likely contender the next two years. Possible darkhorses: HSE's 5th seed Trevor Reece (21-15), 6th seed Stephen Killen of Western Boone (20-10) and unseeded Sheldon Paddack of Sheridan (18-11) could steal an advancement in this relatively weak weight class.

      513

      Delta Sectional Recap

      Delta Sectional Recap
      By AJ Bradley
       
      A few questions were asked in the Delta Sectional Preview:
       
      Would Yorktown get all 14 wrestlers out?  The answer is YES.
       
      How would 112 play out?  It played out the way it was seeded.
       
      Would Mosier vs. Whitaker be competitive? Yes, it was very competitive.
       
      Would Chalfant vs. Janney live up to the hype?  Unfortunately, the answer here is no.
       
      Some notable performances:
       
      Travis Bryant dominated the field today at 103.  He defeated a very good Brock Bevans in the finals 15-4.  Bryant looked like a wrestler who wanted to make a statement, and I believe he has made the statement.
       
      All Devin Jackson does is win!  This talented freshman won a very tough 112 field today, and did it with relative ease.  He dominated Stefan Harry from Wapahani is the semifinals, and then defeated Stevie Gonzales for the fourth time this season in the finals.
       
      Clayton Harry from Wapahani likes to make matches very exciting.  He always seems to find a way to win, even when it looks like he is out of match.  He never looked out of the match today, but he did seem to be in a little trouble.  Harry turned that little trouble into a pin for his first Sectional title.
       
      All I can say about the Martin v. Harper is that they went at it for 6 solid minutes.  It was a true battle on the mat and a gift for the spectators in the stands.
       
      Mosier and Whitaker had a very intense match.  Good shots, and even better defenses.  A great match with a great finish by Mosier.  These two could hook up a few more times before it is all said and done.  Baker (Bellmont) gets to join their party next week, which will make for a superb get together.
       
      The reaction after Anthony Fodrea beat Muncie Southside's Jimmie King was a priceless moment!  I could not help but smile when Fodrea ran to his coaches with a smile that could be seen back in Winchester and gave both of them high fives!  Great match today Mr. Fodrea.
       
      Chalfant is a very quiet young man off the mat, but he makes some serious noise when he steps on the mat.  Ross Janney is a talented wrestler from Yorktown, who will most likely be standing on the podium at Conseco in a few weeks, and Chalfant handled him today.
       
      Overall it was a good day of wrestling and a great day of wrestling for all the Yorktown Tigers and their fans as they claimed the team title in runaway fashion.

      440

      2009 Laporte Sectional Recap

      by Keyser Soze
       
      The 2009 edition of the Laporte sectional may have been the most physical, hard-nosed tournament that this venue has witnessed in many a year.  The event ran much longer than anticipated due to the numerous injury and blood time taken in the final round, as the Laporte high school training staff had its work cut out for itself on this day.
       
      Portage ran the field on this day, ending Chesterton's two-year sectional title streak with seven weight-class champions.  The Indians easily outdistanced the competition, scoring 266 points.  Chesterton followed with 211, then Knox (173.5), New Prairie (160), Michigan City (143), Laporte (134.5), John Glenn (72.5), and North Judson (36).
       
      On to the action. . .
       
      103-This weight class held pretty much true to its seeding.  #1 seed Jesse Duque won easily in the finals over Tyler Dankert of Laporte 11-2.  The consolations featured freshman Cole Stephens of Michigan City pinning senior George Choucalas of Chesterton in 4:29.  The 5th/6th place contest had #4 seed Reese Armstrong of New Prairie defeating Mike Poetz of Knox 5-0 in their second matchup of the day as they wrestled each other in the first round.
       
      112-With the exception of the #3 seed Joe Kelly (son of former East Chicago Coach Bill Kelly) taking out the #2 seed Travis Mowery of John Glenn in the semis, the seeds pretty much held true to form.  Brandon Coppinger of Portage edged Kelly in the finals 7-6, while Travis Mowery of Glenn pinned Frank Mancuso of Laporte in 3:17.  The 5th place match went to Nathan King of New Prairie 8-4 over Ed Babinec of Michigan City.
       
      119-To no one's surprise, Danny Bradley of Knox pinned his way through the tournament, taking out #3 seed Damien Torres of Portage in the finals with a fall in 3:43.  The white ribbon went to unseeded Justin Zosso of Chesterton, who defeated Cody Dubich of New Prairie 12-9.  Fifth place was won by Kenny Smith of Michigan City, who majored Tyler Woodrick of Laporte 10-1.
       
      125-This weight class went pretty much as seeded as Luis Acuna of Portage beat Kyle Hernandez of Knox 6-3 in the finals.  The consolations saw Bill Petrocelli of Chesterton winning a wild match 18-10 over Kye Stachowski of Laporte.  Myles White of Glenn won a back and forth match for fifth place, taking out Dalton Yeransian of Michigan City 13-11 with a late reversal and riding out the clock.
       
      130- The finals of this weight class was an offensive clinic, as top-seeded Zack Thornton of Chesterton took #2 seed Joe Zigler behind the woodshed for a 12-3 major decision victory.  #4 seed Devann Biddle won a tight contest to take the third place ribbon, edging unseeded Robert Blackwell of Portage 2-1 in a nailbiter.  Robert Davis of North Judson wasted no time in winning fifth place, pinning Dakota Rudynski of Glenn in :40.
       
      135-Our first upset of the tournament, if you want to call it that, came in the finals, where #3 seed Chris Santos of Portage beat #1 seed Thomas Lusco of Michigan City 7-4.  Aaron Jeske of New Prairie took third, topping unseeded Richie Clark of North Judson by tech fall 16-0.  Joel Gillespie of Chesterton pinned Travis Wintczak of Knox for fifth place in 4:44.
       
      140-This weight class title was decided by a single point, as Garrett "Gator" Payne edged the upset-minded Brandon Garvey of Chesteron by the score of 6-5.  The consolations were less compelling, as Nick Santana of Laporte pinned Dillan Escobedo of New Prairie in 2:54.  Chris Saylor of Portage pinned Cody Strange of Glenn in 3:51 to take fifth place.
       
      145-Top-seeded Spencer Stockwell was injured in the semi-finals match against #4 seeded Niles Goodman of New Prairie on an illegal move, so Tony Nuzzo of Portage won the finals by injury default.  Stockwell immediately sought outside medical attention, and his status for next week's regional is uncertain.  Goodman fought his way back to the consolations, losing the 3rd place match to Daniel Peronis of Michigan City 13-6.  Tyler Potthoff of Knox squeaked by Clint Nelson of Laporte to claim fifth place.
       
      152-Top-seeded and 2008 state champion Sean McMurray of Portage defeated Duneland conference foe and freshman phenom Anthony Quiroz of Chesterton 7-1.  In the consolations, perhaps one of the most toughest competitors of the day, Jordan Martin of New Prairie took third after suffering what looked like a season ending injury in the semi-finals against Quiroz.  This senior toughed it out, displaying a gutty performance in pinning NSC foe Mike Hernandez in :28.  Fifth place went to Michigan City's Justin Barnes, who topped Josh Dunbar of Glenn 11-5.
       
      160-#3 seed Justin Rhein of Portage showed that he's for real, upending #1 seed Jimmy Krause of Knox by the score of 8-3.  Cody Miranda of Michigan City survived to take third, defeating Zack Smith of Laporte in a wild one, 19-12, despite wrestling with injury.  Senior Ryan Balanow of New Prairie closed out his season and high school career with a win, pinning Tanner Harmon of Glenn in :40.
       
      171-Top-seeded Adam Winebrenner of Knox didn't leave teammate Danny Bradley as the only Redskin on the top tier of the awards stand.  Winebrenner defeated #2 seed Aaron King of Portage 4-1 in a tightly contested battle.  #4 seed Tony Sanchez of Chesteron pinned New Prairie's Jeff Jurczak in 3:15 to claim third.  Freshman Andrew Schuelke of Laporte ended his season with a fall in 1:02 over Thierry Lyles of Michigan City to take fifth place.
       
      189-#3 seed Bryce Holland made a statement Saturday, taking his second sectional title, this time at 189, downing #1 seed Alex Windbigler of Knox decisively 15-5.  Kyle Keith of Portage, after suffering an upset loss to Holland 6-2 in the semis, came back with a vengeance, pinning Sevante Yates of Chesterton in :36 to place third.  Eric Singleton of New Prairie topped Connor Pahs of Michigan City 20-6 to win fifth.
       
      215-The much bally-hooed matchup between #1 seed and third-ranked Kannon Keigley of New Prairie  and #2 seed and 16th ranked  Nathaniel Coleman of Portage was close for one period.  Keigley took advantage of a Coleman miscue and registered the fall in 3:13.  Nathan Chambers of Knox kept his senior season alive, pinning Gus Hultman of Chesterton in 5:15.  Fifth place went to Anthony Williams of Michigan City, as he pinned Jon Schwartz of North Judson in 3:09.
       
      285-John Glenn's Craig Fitzgerald made a big statement Saturday, wrestling three matches for a total time of 2:24.  His last victim, Alex Boatright of Chesterton, fared the best, lasting until 1:08 was expired in the first period.  Greg Wedow of Laporte pinned Logan Fischer of Portage in the consolations in 5:33.  Freshman Dustin Fanson of Michigan City took fifth, pinned Quentin Barnhart of North Judson in 1:57
       
      So, here's a list of placers and regional qualifiers from the Laporte sectional.
       
      Portage:  (qualified 13) 7 champions, 3 runners-up, 1 third, 2 fourths.
       
      Chesterton:  (qualified 12)  1 champion, 5 runners-up, 3 thirds, 3 fourths.
       
      Knox:  (qualified 8)  2 champions, 3 runners-up, two thirds, 1 fourth.
       
      New Prairie (qualified 9)  1 champion, one runner-up, 2 thirds, 5 fourths.
       
      Michigan City (qualified 5)  1 champion, one runner-up, 3 thirds
       
      Laporte (qualified 6)  1 champion, one runner-up, 2 thirds, 2 fourths
       
      Glenn (qualified 2)  1 champion, 1 fourth
       
      North Judson (qualified 1)  1 fourth

      509

      Rochester Individual Regional Preview

      - Mishawaka may advance all 14
       
      The site of the 2009 regional is different this year but the teams that are likely to reign over the field are no different. Mishawaka, South Bend Riley, and Penn look to advance the most wrestlers to the Merrillville Semi-State. It should be an exciting atmosphere in the Rochester gym with many outstanding individuals also attempting to advance from the Plymouth sectional.
       
      103
      Projected Champion – Jarred Brooks – 32-1 (Warsaw) – Possible regional qualifiers – Lyman Stoneburner – 16-2 (Mishawaka), Jacob Schroeder – 35-2 (Rochester), Mikey Witous – 24-7 (Penn). The mighty mite from Warsaw is the favorite but Stoneburner is coming in with the momentum of his sectional championship.
       
      Best first round match: Witous vs. Matt Lindsey - 28-2 (Triton)
       
      112
      Projected Champion – Paul Beck – 25-2 (Mish) – Possible regional qualifiers – Garth Simpson – 41-3 (Roch), Alex Gregory – 26-4 (Penn), Nick Nielson – 17-8 (SB Riley).
      Beck has the big match experience but Simpson is long, strong and a hammer on top.
       
      Best first round match: Nielson vs. Dalton Overmyer – 19-13 (Culver)
       
      119
      Projected Champion – Justin Brooks – 32-0 (War) – Possible regional qualifiers – Matt Guerra – 28-4 (Mish), Cory Hildebrandt – 32-4 (Penn), Josh Olsen – 28-5 (SB Adams). One of the toughest weight classes in the state is equally tough at Rochester. Brooks is a step ahead of Hildebrandt and Guerra.
       
      Best first round match: Brooks vs. DeVaughn Ellis – 21-11 (SB Washington)
       
      125
      Projected Champion – Tony Stevens – 33-2 (Penn) – Possible regional qualifiers – Tevin Hinton - 27-8 (SB Wash), Nick Schrader - 22-10 (Mish), Chuck Holmquest - 26-10 (Plymouth). Stevens is the class of this field and five other quality wrestlers look to battle for the other three semi-state births.
       
      Best first round matches: Holmquest vs. Justin Cresswell – 17-12 (SB Riley) and Hinton vs. Josh Brown - 27-5 (CMA)
       
      130
      Projected Champion – Josh Harper – 30-2 (Mish) – Possible regional qualifiers – Grant Anglemyer – 22-8 (Penn), Austin Nelson – 30-7 (Tippecanoe Valley), Bobby Marcuccilli – 28-2 (Wawasee). Harper should cruise to his fourth regional title.
      Best first round match – Nelson vs. Charles Taylor 20-10 (SB Riley)
       
      135
      Projected Champion – Trent Reinoehl - 3-0 (Mish) – Possible regional qualifiers – Paul Manbu – 29-4 (War), Chase Lewandowski – 30-4 (Ply), Zach Nixon – 34-4 (SB Clay). Reinoehl showed little rust last week by dismantling tough wrestlers Nixon and Ben Sokol of Penn.
       
      Best first round match: Manbu vs. Ben Sokol 23-4 (Penn) – This early match-up is really a toss-up and will determine if an excellent wrestler must hang up the head gear early this year.
       
      140
      Projected Champion – Steve Sandefer – 33-1 (Mish) – Possible regional qualifers – Trace Hall – 29-4 (SB Riley), James Letsinger – 32-5 (Ply), David Pitts – 33-9 (Roch). This battle of state ranked titans goes to the Caveman this week.
       
      Best first round match: Pitts vs. Nick Acosta – 19-15 (SB Adams).
       
      145
      Projected Champion – Dan Young – 37-0 (CMA) – Possible regional qualifiers – Tyler Lymburner – 21-2 (SB Riley), Alex White – 20-10 (Mish), Pat Davenport – 30-5 (Penn). The Big Red Express continues his quest for a state championship but must get through the largely unknown Lymburner in this journey.
       
      Best first round match: Davenport vs. Kyle Horn - 24-9 (Tippy Valley)
       
      152
      Projected Champion – Adam Keener – 29-4 (War) – Possible regional qualifiers – Tim Forte – 22-4 (Mish), Austin Kunze – 16-11 (Penn), Isaac Yoder – 32-5 (Tippy Valley). Keener and Forte looked to hook up in a barnburner of a final.
       
      Best first round match: Yoder vs. Davon Allwine – 27-13 (SB Clay)
       
      160
      Projected Champion – Richard Morin – 27-6 (Mish) – Possible regional qualifiers – Adam Arsenault 21-9 (SB St. Joe), Malcolm White 27-8 – (SB Wash), Kyle Ullery – 27-8 (SB Riley). Arsenault caught fire at the sectional last week, Ullery did the same last month in his third place run at the Al Smith tournament, and White is always dangerous but it will be the consistent Morin who will top them all at Rochester.
       
      Best first round match: Ullery vs. Elijoe Yoder – 31-4 (Tippy Valley)
       
      171
      Projected Champion – Huey Hudson – 29-5 (SB Riley) – Possible regional qualifiers – Joey Smith – 11-5 (Mish), Blake Hoffer – 16-1 (Triton), Robert Molebash – 31-5 (Culver). Hudson will make the adjustments this week to defeat two tough and gritty seniors in Hoffer and Smith.
       
      Best first round match: Molebash vs. Miller – 25-10 (Penn)
       
      189
      Projected Champion – Timmy Buckingham 24-8 (SB Riley) – Projected regional qualifiers – Dustin Boyd – 27-7 (Mish), Dylan Senff – 24-8 (Triton), Justin McCray – 19-7 (SB Clay). Buckingham seems to wrestle his best in the post season and will look to knock of Boyd for the second straight week.
       
      Best first round match: Senff vs. Jeff Veal – 25-16 (Penn)
       
      215
      Projected Champion – Christian Lentz – 32-3 (Mish) – Possible regional qualifiers – Nick Lindke – 16-11 (Mish. Marian), Tom Schwartz – 24-6 (Waw), Eric McDaniel – 27-7 (SB Wash). This class is as nearly a lock as Lentz should dominate the field.
       
      Best first round match: Lindke vs. Abraham Hall – 13-23 (Bremen).
       
      HWT
      Projected Champion – Travis Thomas – 17-2 (Mish) – Possible regional qualifiers – Evan Nixon – 21-10 (SB Clay), Pablo Auces – 26-7 (SB Riley), Damon Howe – 25-5 (Ply). Thomas is nearly as strong a lock as his teammate Lentz but “Overhooks†Auces has a puncher’s chance.
       
      Best first round match: Howe vs. Nick Johnson – 11-4 (Penn)

      PROJECTED SEMISTATE QUALIFIERSMishawaka – 14
      South Bend Riley - 7
      Penn – 7
      Plymouth – 4
      Warsaw - 4
      Rochester – 3
      South Bend Washington – 3
      South Bend Clay - 3
      Triton – 2
      Tippecanoe Valley – 2
      Wawasee - 2
      Culver – 1
      CMA – 1
      South Bend Adams – 1
      South Bend St. Joe – 1
      Mishawaka Marian - 1

      508

      Carroll Regional Preview

      Carroll High School in lovely Huntertown, Indiana will yet again play host to regional wrestling action on February 7th.  For the seventh straight year the Carroll Regional will bring together the top four placers from the New Haven and Carroll Sectionals.  In the team action, the host Bulldogs came away with a sectional title at New Haven and the Whitko Wildcats kept the Carroll trophy in Whitley County.  This year looks to have many great match-ups that will be held in the old Carroll gym for the last time.  Next year Carroll will have a brand spanking new gymnasium to show off to the wrestling community for sectional and regional.
       
      103lbs
      Undefeated Senior Austin Vore of Bishop Dwenger leads the field here.  Other contenders include Mason Meling of Snider and Logan Ables of Carroll.  Meling will have a very tough match-up in the first round with Columbia City's Derek Kissinger.  Another great first round match will be between Austin LeTourneau of Whitko and Andrew Bowman of Homestead who only has two losses on the year.
       
      112lbs
      This weight class has four wrestlers with four or fewer losses on the season.  Leading the way with the best record is Whitko's Jordan Gilbert who has a 33-2 record.  Following close behind is South Side's Chase Farrell with a 32-2 record, Homestead's Andy Franklin at 24-3 and Snider's Alex Troy at 27-4.  This weight class is a toss-up with all four of these wrestlers having a chance to come away with a championship.
       
      119lbs
      The 119lbs weight class will be just as competitive as the 112lbs weight class with three wrestlers having four or less losses.  Dylan LeTourneau of Whitko comes in sporting a stellar 30-3 record, while Senior Marquis Williams of Snider and Harding's Cendric Morrison both come in at 25-4.  Those three should win their matches in the first round with ease, but the last spot at semi-state  will be a very good match.  Garrett's Logan Lee and Homestead's Keelan Rushing will battle it out for a chance to wrestle at the War Memorial Coliseum.
       
      125lbs
      The headliner of this weight class is Bishop Luers' Tony Lovejoy, who placed 7th at state last year at 119lbs.  He comes in with one loss on his record due to disqualification.  In an ironic twist of fate, Lovejoy will be going against the wrestler that dealt him that loss in Dwenger's Michael Nix.  The surprise Carroll Sectional champion, Whitko's Daniel Rothgeb comes in as a favorite to advance also.  The key match-up at this weight class will again pit a Railroader vs. a Spartan as Garrett's Shea Novy and Homestead's Tucker Smith will lock horns.  The other 2 vs.3 match-up will have seniors Daniel Thompson of Churubusco going up against New Haven's Jon Menefee.
       
      130lbs
      The fans will be chomping at the bit to see a fourth match-up between Carroll's Brock Norton and Columbia City's Austin Egolf.  The sectional final match-up was a dozy as Norton dealt Egolf his third loss in an overtime thriller.  The other interesting match-ups will be the first round matches between Leo freshman Garrett Weber and Michel Peaks of New Haven and Wade Thiel of North Side battling Cody Zink of Woodlan.
       
      135lbs
      This weight class could also have a rematch of the Carroll Sectional finals as the top contenders are Garrett's Jace German and Concordia's Kemlair Touloute.  Their sectional final match was back and forth with German coming away with a reversal and nearfall with less than 15 seconds left to pull out the win.  Both German and Touloute cannot overlook New Haven's Nate Bloomfield who comes in as the New Haven Sectional champion and Corey Botts of Leo.
       
      140lbs
      This weight class has three wrestlers with four or less losses on the year.  Garrett's Bryce Schendel comes in with a 34-2 record with his losses at 135lbs.  Justin Beck of Leo comes in with three losses, two to Schendel and Carroll's Reece Lefever comes in with three losses also, one to Beck and one to Schendel.  The New Haven sectional champion Zack Zurbrugg will also be a competitor to look out for.
       
      145lbs
      The headliners at this weight class are state qualifiers Cam Friend of Leo and Corey Richards of Churubusco.  Friend has won both match-ups so far this season, but they have both been very close matches with Friend getting the only two takedowns.  Jon Timmerman has only three losses on the season and will look to follow in his older brother's footsteps.  One interesting match-up could be New Haven's senior and first year starter Nathan Swygart against Garrett's freshman Brayden Moreau.
       
      152lbs
      This is probably the deepest weight class in terms of quality in the regional.  The headliner is 2008 Cadet All-American Zac McCray, who seems to have hit stride at the right time.  He is about the only lock for a first round win as the other match-ups are very intriguing.  Lance McParlan of Churubusco comes in at 31-4 and will face Wayne's James Tabb who is 20-6, one of these seniors will wrestle their last match of their careers.  Two other seniors will hit the mats when Jayme Schwartz of Woodlan will face Northrop's Austin Hyland.  Hyland has four losses on the year, three of them to McCray and one to Anderson Highland's Sammy Bennett.  New Haven sectional champion Nick Graham will face off with NHC nemesis Conner Lefever of Carroll in the other first round match.
       
      160lbs
      While not quite as deep, this weight class will have some interesting first round match-ups.  Carroll sectional champion Jordan Hamilton looks to be the favorite, coming in with a 30-2 record.  The New Haven sectional champion, Matt Klemm, look to knock off Hamilton.  Ben Sowles of Woodlan will look to avenge a loss just two weeks ago to Austin Bussen of Leo in the first round.  The best first round match-up will be Bobby Natusch of Homestead and Jarrod Lewis of Whitko.
       
      171lbs
      This weight class boasts four wrestlers with 6 or less losses and will provide some great matches.  Defending regional champion Marqueen Suel looks to be the headliner, but he will have to avenge one of his losses in the semi-finals to Garrett's Luke Rieke.  In the other half of the bracket Tyler Thomas of Carroll will have his hands full with his first round opponent Tyler Unsicker of Heritage.  The loser will  have to choose a new first name also.  The other quarterfinal match-up could be interesting as Jerrod Hill of Churubusco faces off with Domminick Drummond of New Haven.
       
      189lbs
      The wrestler with the most losses here could be the sleeper of the weight class.  Whitko's Tanner Larocque comes in with 10 losses as most of them were at 215lbs wrestling up for the team this season.   Other headliners include Kris Pappert of New Haven and Josh Grider of South Side.  The first round match-up between Logan DeMarco of Garrett and Taylor Scott of Heritage will again provide the fireworks it did in the ACAC finals.  Scott came from behind to beat DeMarco in the last seconds for the conference title, but this match-up holds more at stake as one wrestler will be done for the season after this match.
       
      215lbs
      Undefeated Aris Allen of North Side will look to spend a limited amount of time on the mat this week as he did last week.  Ben Reusser of Carroll and Brad Mills of Homestead will both look to push Allen to the limit.  Northrop's Moe Talamantes of the famous Talamantes bloodline will have a good battle in his first round match with Brad Shuler of Heritage.
       
      285lbs
      The heavyweight weight class will have some great match-ups as well.  The projected semi-final between Korey Eck of Concordia and Joe Grueb of Woodlan will be a great match.  Also, Harry Foster of Homestead will look to hand Whitko's Drake Brainard his 5th loss of the season in the other semi-final.  Any of those four wrestlers could come away with the regional title.

      479

      Adams Central Team Regional Preview

      by Brandon Razo
       
      Adams Central High School in little Monroe, Indiana will play host to it's first Team Regional battle under the new Team State format.  In first round action the two match ups include Whitko vs. New Haven, and  #9 Bellmont vs. #7 Yorktown.
       
      Whitko vs. New Haven
      Whitko's Sectional title in the Carroll Sectional ended a 13 year championship hold by either Columbia City, which had won the last eight years, or Carroll, which had won the five years before that.  Whitko racked up 229 points with four individual champions: 112-Jordan Gilbert, 119-Dylan Letourneau, 125-Dan Rothgeb, and 189-Tanner Larocque. New Haven once again claimed it's own Sectional by outdistancing Homestead 264-213. New Haven claimed five individual champions sweeping the middle weights: 135-Nate Bloomfield, 140-Zack Zurbrugg, 145-Nathan Swygart, 152-Nick Graham, and 160-Matt Klemm.
       
      Projected Line-ups:
      Whitko
      103: Austin Letourneau, Fr. (26-10)
      112: Jordan Gilbert, So. (33-2)
      119: Dylan Letourneau, Jr. (30-3)
      125: Dan Rothgeb, Jr. (24-5)
      130: Nick Cox, Sr. (25-8)
      135: Cody Bays, Fr. (7-14)
      140: Cord Feasby, Fr. (19-18)
      145: Ryan Busz, Sr. (16-11)
      152: Cort Walter, Sr. (28-9)
      160: Jarrod Lewis, Jr. (29-7)
      171: Austin Striggle, Fr. (21-13)
      189: Tanner Larocque, Sr. (24-10)
      215: Tyler Newsome, Fr. (4-8)
      285: Drake Brainard, Jr. (17-4)
       
      New Haven
      103: Kameron Sabol, Fr. (8-18)
      112: Austin Kranner, So. (8-15)
      119: Colin Shaffer, Jr. (24-14)
      125: Jon Menefee, Sr. (27-11)
      130: Mitchell Peaks, Jr. (16-11)
      135: Nate Bloomfield, Jr. (26-7)
      140: Zack Zurbrugg, So. (24-11)
      145: Nathan Swygart, Sr. (21-15)
      152: Nick Graham, Sr. (22-15)
      160: Matt Klemm, Sr. (32-6)
      171: Domminick Drummond, Jr. (16-8)
      189: Kris Pappert, Sr. (33-5)
      215: Byron Arrivillaga, Sr. (22-16)
      285: Nick Pritchard, Fr. (8-24)
       
      #9 Bellmont vs. #7 Yorktown
      This is the match that everyone has been waiting for all season, the battle of the Bellmont Braves and the Yorktown Tigers.  Usually we have a preview of what these teams bring to the table against eachother in their early season battle, but this year Bellmont had to drop out of the Peru Super Duals as most of their lineup had just got done winning the 3A Football State Title.  Yorktown brings in one of their best lineups since 2003 with 3 returning state streeters: 119: Derek Bevans (5th at 112), 145: Jordan Dulaney (SQ at 140), and 152: Kyle Mosier (4th at 152).  Yorktown was able to advance all 14 wrestlers to this Saturday's Individual Regional at Jay County claiming eight Sectional champions.  The Tigers come into Wednesday night slightly favored on paper, looking to knock off Bellmont for the first time ever. These two teams first met on Saturday, November 28, 1997 and since then Bellmont has won all 15 meetings with Yorktown. The Northeast Indiana powerhouse Bellmont brings like always a very talented lineup with 3 state streeters: 125: Will Sheets (4th at 125), 152: Tyler Baker (6th at 145) and 215: Billy Baker (SQ at 189 in 2007). The Bellmont Braves rolled in high fashion claiming their 19th straight Sectional title and 35th overall, advancing 12 wrestlers through to Regionals and claimed five champions in the process. It will come down to bonus points in this match as every point will count for these teams looking to advance to Team State.
       
      Projected Line-ups:
      Yorktown
      103: Brock Bevans, Fr. (19-10)
      112: #6 Devin Jackson, Fr. (28-3)
      119: #7 Derek Bevans, Jr. (34-0)
      125: #15 Andrew Hiestand, So. (29-2)
      130: Caleb Smith, Jr. (22-6)
      135: Josh Rench, Jr. (20-11)
      140: Cody Harper, Jr. (26-5)
      145: #10 Jordan Dulaney, Sr. (33-1)
      152: #2 Kyle Mosier, Sr. (34-0)
      160: Trent Castner, Jr. (31-2)
      171: Brennon Burke, Sr. (9-3)
      189: Grant Brown, Jr. (23-15)
      215: Scott Neff, So. (12-10)
      285: #11 Ross Janney, Jr. (31-2)
       
      Bellmont
      103: Blake Adams, Fr. (21-10)
      112: Dewey Melcher, Fr. (14-11)
      119: Brooks Faurote, Fr. (25-7)
      125: #4 Will Sheets, Sr. (19-9)
      130: Carlinn Hormann, Jr. (21-8)
      135: Will Busse, So. (12-16)
      140: Taylen Reidenbach, Sr. (10-13)
      145: Ryley Hankenson, So. (22-7)
      152: #10 Tyler Baker, Sr. (28-3)
      160: Trent Busse, Sr. (16-4)
      171: Grant Melcher, Sr. (25-7)
      189: Travis Thatcher, So. (14-5)
      215: #1 Billy Baker, Sr. (29-0)
      285: Daniel Meyer, So. (21-4)

      427

      Jay County Regional Preview

      By AJ Bradley

       
      The Jay County Regional will have a lot of intensity and excitement this Saturday.  Bellmont and Yorktown will have battled it out on Wednesday, but they will battle it out on again on Saturday, this time it will be for individual honors.   Yorktown has 14 wrestlers competing and Bellmont will bring 12 to Jay County.  There will be some key match ups this weekend that will have a huge impact on many wrestlers title runs.  The 112lbs, 119 lbs, and 152 lbs weight classes will be three of the best regional weight classes in the state.  Each weight class has the potential to advance not only four to the Fort Wayne Semistate, but also three or even possibly four to state the following weekend!   Oh what a day it will be!
       
      103
      Batt of South Adams and Bryant of Muncie Central are the two leaders in this weight class.  Bevans of Yorktown and Adams of Bellmont will try and have a say in who makes it to the finals.
      Top 4 predictions in alphabetical order: Adams, Batt, Bevas, Bryant.
       
      112
      Devin Jackson is definitely at the top of this class. He will be the favorite in this loaded weight class. The first round match that will contain some intrigue will be that of Brandon Tucker (Norwell) and Stefan Harry (Wapahani).  If Harry can win this match, then that would give the Delta Sectional a clean sweep of all the semistate births.
      Top 4 predictions in alphabetical order: Armantrout, Gonzales, Harry, Jackson,
       
      119
      Headlining this weight class will be #7 ranked Derek Bevans (Yorktown) and 8th ranked Casey Kenney (Jay County). These two did not wrestle this year.  Bevans is undefeated on the season and Kenney has only two losses.  The gym will be shaking when these two collide in the finals this Saturday.  This weight class also features another great first round match: Bobby Perry (Bluffton) and Jordan Armantrout (Muncie Southside).  This weight class has a very good chance at a Fort Wayne sweep, but you have to win the first round first.  This weight class will be a must see this Saturday.
      Top 4 predictions in alphabetical order: Armantrout, Bevans, Faurote, Kenney
       
      125
      Can Troy Fiechter repeat his performance from a week ago?  He dominated #4 ranked Will Sheets in the finals, and opened a lot of eyes in the process.  To repeat his performance he will have a rough road.  He will face the winner of Sheets (Bellmont) and #15 ranked Andrew (Hiestand) of Yorktown.  This will be a great semifinal match, with Fiechter waiting on deck for the winner.
      Top 4 predictions in alphabetical order: Fiechter, Hiestand, Sheets, Striker
       
      130
      This weight class will give us the most exciting first round matches.  Darin Fiechter is the favorite in this weight and three of the four first round matches could go either way.  The Smith (Yorktown) v. Hormann (Bellmont) could be a rematch from the Wednesday Team Regional.  Ehr (SA) is a slight favorite over Simmons (Winchester) Schwartz (Adams Central) is a slight favorite over Parks (Muncie Central).  This will be a very competitive weight class.
      Top 4 predictions in alphabetical order: Ehr, Fiechter, Smith, Schwartz
       
      135
      This weight class has the potential of being a Jay County Sectional sweep.  The wrestlers from the Delta Sectional who could possible stop this are C. Harry (Wapahani) or Rench (Yorktown).  Matthew Gerber is the clear favorite in this weight class, but the question is going to be can the Jay County Sectional pull a sweep, or can Harry and Rench make it an even split.
      Top 4 predictions in alphabetical order: Gerber, Harry, Holsten, Rench
       
      140
      After putting on quite the performance last week, it would be hard for Martin (Randolph Southern) and Harper (Yorktown) to do anything more if they meet in the finals again.  Standing in Harper's way of a rematch will be Jay County's own Ben Theurer, who has a modest record of 33-4.  This will be a very intense semifinal match, and I am sure that both guys want a chance to give Martin his first loss.
      Top 4 predictions in alphabetical order: Burnfield, Harper, Martin. Theurer
       
      145
      Jordan Dulaney (Yorktown) is the top wrestler in this weight class. He has been rather quiet this year in winning over 30 matches and only losing once.  He will most likely add three more wins to his total this weekend.  There will however be a great battle for the remaining placements.  Landis (Norwell) and Heuchan (Muncie Central) will have a battle of a match while Bigtree (Muncie Southside) will try an upset the slightly favored Hankeson (Bellmont).
      Top 4 predictions in alphabetical order: Dulaney, Hankenson, Huechan, Sprunger
       
      152
      Can Mosier grow his pinning record and pin his way through to a regional title?  I am sure Baker (Bellmont) and Whitaker (Muncie Southside) would answer that question with a "NO!"  These three wrestlers will not only place top 3 this week, but most likely top three next week as well.  In the last IndianaMat.com poll the three wrestlers were ranked as follows: Mosier #2, Whitaker #6, and Baker #10.  Between the three wrestlers they have made 8 state appearances and have placed 4 times.  They will add to those numbers this year.
      Top 4 predictions in alphabetical order: Baker, Mosier, Smith, Whitaker
       
      160
      Here we have another match that we might get to see on Wednesday.  Busse (Bellmont) v. Castner (Yorktown) will be a classic match.  They are both very similar in their wrestling styles and their stories.  Both missed some time this year and both are back stronger than ever!  A first round match that will go down to the wire will be Osborn (Muncie Central) and Fuller (Blackford).
      Top 4 predictions in alphabetical order: Busse, Castner, Fiechter, Osborne
       
      171
      This weight class is lead by 8th ranked Trey Schultz from Adams Central.  This weight will also be dominated by the Jay County Sectional, with Delta's hopes of stopping a sweep lying at the feet of Burke (Yorktown).  Burke looked possessed last week in his walk through of sectional, and if he keeps wrestling this way he may give Schultz a run for his money in the finals.
      Top 4 predictions in alphabetical order: Burke, Melcher, Morrissey, Schultz
       
      189
      Bellmont starts their one two punch at 189 with Travis Thatcher.    Thatcher is the odds on favorite in this weight class, but will get a challenge in the finals from either Dely (Delta) or White (Jay County).  Dely and White should put on a good show in the semifinals, but I do not know if either has the ability to beat Thatcher in the finals.
      Top 4 predictions in alphabetical order: Dely, Mock, Thatcher, White
       
      215
      The second part of Bellmont's one two punch is Billy Baker.  The undefeated and #1 ranked Baker enters the regional as the dominant favorite.   The remaining 3 place winners will be of equal talent, so it will be a slugfest for 2nd-4th.  Fodrea (Winchester) and Werst (South Adams) will be highly competitive, and the winner has Baker in the finals and the loser will most likely have Jimmy King (Muncie Southside) in the 3rd/4th match.
      Top 4 predictions in alphabetical order: Baker, King, Fodrea, Werst
       
      285
      Chalfant, Chalfant, Chalfant.  Ok, maybe that was overstating it, but he is the leader of the heavyweight group by a large margin.  Janney (Yorktown) does have the ability to close the gap on Chalfant, but he will have to get by a very game Meyer (Bellmont).  It will be interesting to see how their match goes this Wednesday.  This heavyweight group gives us another weight class with a great chance of having 3 state qualifiers and/or place winners this year.
      Top 4 predictions in alphabetical order: Chalfant, Janney, Meyer, West

      785

      Perry Meridian Regional Preview

      It looks like a great day of wrestling this weekend at Perry Meridian with a lot of tough wrestlers. The deepest weights look to be 130lbs, 135lbs 140lbs and 160lbs.
       
      103lbs.
      Champion: Freshman Jared McKinley Perry Meridian (43-0)
      Semi-State Qualifiers: Junior Aaron Davis Roncalli, Sophomore Kaleb Barajas Franklin Central, Freshman Alonzo Calloway Pike
      Best first round match:
      Alonzo Calloway Pike (23-7) vs. Cody Morgan Mt. Vernon (26-13)
       
      112lbs.
      Champion: Sophomore Josh Kieffer Roncalli (35-4)
      Semi-State Qualifiers: Junior Jake Pedigo Ben Davis, Senior Jamel Hill Pike, Sophomore Michael Clem Perry Meridian
      Best first round match:
      Michael Clem Perry Meridian (27-13) vs. Kaleb Kemp Franklin Central (20-9)
       
      119lbs.
      Champion: Sophomore Justin Kieffer Roncalli (39-1)
      Semi-State Qualifiers: Junior Seve Duncan Beech Grove, Junior Jake McCarthy Mt. Vernon, Senior Matt Mooreland Warren Central
      Best first round match:
      Jason Simmons Perry Meridian (25-8) vs. Seve Duncan Beech Grove (27-5)
       
      125lbs.
      Champion: Senior Austin Marshall Southport (35-3)
      Semi-State Qualifiers: Freshman Kirk Johnson Perry Meridian, freshman Joe Kieffer Roncalli, Junior Jake Williams Shelbyville
      Best first round match:
      Kirk Johnson Perry Meridian (32-8) vs. Zach Baghman Warren Central (21-16)
       
      130lbs.
      Champion: Senior D'marcus Spencer Pike (33-3)
      Semi-State Qualifiers: Senior Sampson Cook Perry Meridian, Senior Nick Odom Warren Central, Junior Jordan East Southport
      Best first round match:
      Sampson Cook Perry Meridian (30-3) vs. Joal Mogollon Mount Vernon (31-8)
       
      135lbs.
      Champion: Senior Chris Goodwin Perry Meridian (40-3)
      Semi-State Qualifiers: Junior Josh Williams Mount Vernon, Senior Tommy Pearson New Palestine, Senior Forrest Romer Ben Davis
      Best first round match:
      Forrest Romer Ben Davis (26-11) vs. Kyle Ettner Franklin Central (24-10)
       
      140lbs.
      Champion: Junior Jacob Tonte Perry Meridian (40-2)
      Semi-State Qualifiers: Junior JR Corman New Palestine, Freshman Jonathan Decker Warren Central, Senior Travis Varga Greenfield Central
      Best first round match:
      Jacob Tonte Perry Meridian (37-2) vs. Josh Ramage Beech Grove (30-8)
       
      145lbs.
      Champion: Senior Jacob Tasseff Perry Meridian (41-1)
      Semi-State Qualifiers: Senior David Waldroup New Palestine, Junior Jake Bartley Roncalli, Senior Nick Gates Beech Grove
      Best first round match:
      Sterling White Decatur Central (21-8) vs. Nick Gates Beech Grove (17-8)
       
      152lbs.
      Champion: Senior Blake Wood Perry Meridian (39-4)
      Semi-State Qualifiers: Junior Jake Jennings New Palestine, Senior Brian Larner Shelbyville, Senior Kris Williams Roncalli
      Best first round match:
      Mitchel Judkins Speedway (29-5) vs. Kris Williams Roncalli (19-15)
       
      160lbs.
      Champion: Senior Brett Durphey Shelbyville (29-1)
      Semi-State Qualifiers: Senior Cory Hudgins Perry Meridian, Senior Nick Holaway Greenfield Central, Senior Alan McNeal Southport
      Best first round match:
      Chris Hines Ben Davis (12-7) vs. Nick Holaway Greenfield Central (32-9)
       
      171lbs.
      Champion: Sophomore Jordan Robinson Perry Meridian (30-4)
      Semi-State Qualifiers: Junior Mike Phelps New Palestine, Junior Jake Hockenbury Decatur Central, Senior Michael Judkins Speedway
      Best first round match:
      Michael Judkins Speedway (28-8) vs. Dakota Gruell Greenfield Central (29-11)
       
      189lbs.
      Champion: Junior Michael Johnson-Jones Warren Central (39-2)
      Semi-State Qualifiers: Senior PeAire Hosea Pike, Freshman Andre Richards Perry Meridian, Senior Cruz Dyson Beech Grove
      Best first round match:
      Tyler Thompson Ben Davis (26-9) vs. Cruz Dyson Beech Grove (27-7)
       
      215lbs.
      Champion: Senior Gabriel Berry Warren Central (39-0)
      Semi-State Qualifiers: Senior Chris Schaefer Perry Meridian, Senior Antonio Halbert New Palestine, Sophomore Sam Balbach Mount Vernon
      Best first round match:
      Chris Schaefer Perry Meridian (35-5) vs. Gage Byrne Shelbyville (26-9)
       
      285lbs.
      Champion: Senior Tony Bell Roncalli (35-7)
      Semi-State Qualifiers: Sophomore Alex White Warren Central, Junior Zach Kirages Franklin Central, Junior Vincent Parmer Southport
      Best first round match:
      Devin Schaefer Perry Meridian (25-14) vs. Zach Kirages Franklin Central (11-9)
       
      It looks like a lot of good wrestling this weekend and the field is pretty balanced with Perry Meridian getting 12 through to semi-state, Roncalli with seven, Warren Central and New Palestine both with six, Pike and Southport both with four. Good luck to all the wrestlers this weekend

      641

      2009 IHSAA Wrestling Regional Brackets

      Team State Tournament Bracket
       
      1. Calumet, 9:30 am CT
      Feeder Sectionals: Calumet, East Chicago Central.
      2. LaPorte, 9 am CT
      Feeder Sectionals: Crown Point, LaPorte.
      3. Rochester, 9:30 am ET
      Feeder Sectionals: Mishawaka, Plymouth.
      4. Logansport, 9:30 am ET
      Feeder Sectionals: Lafayette Jefferson, Twin Lakes.
      5. Goshen, 9:30 am ET
      Feeder Sectionals: Elkhart Memorial, Westview.
      6. Carroll (Fort Wayne), 9 am ET
      Feeder Sectionals: Carroll (Fort Wayne), New Haven.
      7. Peru, 9 am ET
      Feeder Sectionals: Oak Hill, Peru.
      8. Jay County, 8:30 am ET
      Feeder Sectionals: Delta, Jay County.
      9. North Montgomery, 9 am ET
      Feeder Sectionals: Crawfordsville, Zionsville.
      10. Pendleton Heights, 9 am ET
      Feeder Sectionals: Hamilton Heights, Lawrence Central.
      11. Perry Meridian, 9 am ET
      Feeder Sectionals: Decatur Central, Warren Central.
      12. Richmond, 9 am ET
      Feeder Sectionals: Shenandoah, South Dearborn.
      13. Mooresville, 9 am ET
      Feeder Sectionals: Avon, Mooresville.
      14. Bloomington South, 9 am ET
      Feeder Sectionals: Jennings County, Northview.
      15. Jeffersonville, 9 am ET
      Feeder Sectionals: Jeffersonville, Southridge.
      16. Castle, 9 am CT
      Feeder Sectionals: Castle, Evansville Central.

      405

      Team Regional Roundup

      Click here to view the brackets
       
      The 2009 version of the revamped team state tournament provided everything you could ask for, upsets, blowouts, and close calls.  Three of the seven teams that punched their tickets for Center Grove are first timers.  Congratulations to the Crown Point Bulldogs, Delphi Oracles and Castle Knights on making it to the Elite Eight of Indiana wrestling.  The regulars in Bellmont, Perry Meridian, Indy Cathedral and Mishawaka also made reservations for 14 for the team state finals.
       
      Jimtown Team Regional
       
      In the first round Mishawaka easily dispatched the Plymouth Rockies 56-8 without both their returning state champions, Steven Sandefer and Josh Harper.  The other semi-final didn't provide much as Elkhart Memorial took out East Noble 51-18.  The finals did have some flair as Elkhart Memorial hung close, but Mishawaka's depth proved to be the difference as they pulled away late 36-22.
       
      North Montgomery Team Regional
       
      Indianapolis Cathedral will be making their fourth  trip to the team state finals as they beat up on Hamilton Heights 49-15 and then beat Carmel in an almost identical score of 45-18.  Carmel beat Fountain Central in the first round 45-9.  The Irish have made it to team state in 1999, 2006 and 2007.
       
      Portage Team Regional
       
      The host Indians beat Munster in the first round 57-12, but it wasn't without fireworks as a highly anticipated match between Sean McMurray and Aaron Estrada was everything you could ask for.  Both 152lbers went at it with each spending time counting the lights, but McMurray came away with the 15-10 victory.  The other semi-final was hotly contested between Merrillville and Crown Point.  The Bulldogs owned a regular season win over the Pirates, but the regular season means nothing to both these region rivals.  Crown Point rode their horses, Marcus Shrewsbury, Mark Myers, Anthony Hawkins, and Eric Roach to a 34-20 victory as they all earned much needed bonus points.  In the finals, Crown Point easily dispatched the host Indians 42-13.
       
      Adams Central Team Regional
       
      The first round provided a couple upsets in both semi-finals.  The Whitko Wildcats took care of business beating the New Haven Bulldogs 39-21 in the first round.  New Haven beat Whitko by two points earlier in the season.  The other semi-finals was a barnburner as Yorktown held an eight point lead with two matches to go.  Bellmont got two big pins to come away with the 31-27 victory.  Bellmont then easily took care of Whitko 42-15 to make their 13th appearance in the team state finals.
       
      Greencastle Team Regional
       
      Bloomington South slipped by Martinsville in the 36-27 and Perry Meridian took care of Avon 44-13 in the first round here.  In the finals Perry Meridian didn't slow down as they beat the Panthers 45-6.
       
      Jasper Team Regional
       
      This is where the biggest of upsets happened Wednesday night.  Castle upended perennial power Mater Dei in the first round 29-16.  Bob Harmon's Castle Knights held the lead throughout, as Mater Dei did not lead once during the match.  In the other semi-final Jeffersonville beat Southridge 41-20.  In the finals, Castle did not have a letdown as they ground out a 30-16 victory over Jeffersonville.
       
      Peru Team Regional
       
      The host Tigers came away with a 54-21 victory over the Marion Giants in the first round.  The other semi-final had the Oracles of Delphi taking out West Central 57-15.  In the finals Delphi beat Peru 46-24 to punch their first ticket to team state.

      534

      College Wrestling Survey

      Hi Wrestling Fans,
       
      I am currently working with the NWCA to find ways to enhance the sustainability of college wrestling and its programs. We are in the process of assessing the college wrestling schedule and we would love to get your opinion on a variety of related issues. In order to do this, we hope that you will take 5 minutes of your time to fill out our online survey (link below). Please let me know if you have any questions! Thanks so much for your time!
       
      http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB228NKWRHUSD
       
      Coyte Cooper
      Email: Coyte.Cooper@mail.wvu.edu

      335

      Pendleton Heights Individual Regional Breakdown

      The sign above the door to the Pendleton Heights gymnasium reads- "Abandon all hope all ye 119 and 125 lbers who enter here". OK, it doesn't say that, but it should. The always entertaining Pendleton Heights individual regional is highlighted by two weights dominated by state champions and top contenders. However, like all the state's regionals, all the weights feature some truly excellent wrestlers. Here's the breakdown:
       
      103
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Little Todd, 103 Top Dog][/caption]
       
      Top Dog: #12 Mason Todd, Pendleton Heights. The nationally decorated freshman Arabian wrestler brings just one loss to the party. That one loss is to #2 Cody Philips of Union County, considered by many to be the wrestler to beat at 103 for the entire state. Other than that one stumble, Todd has had a magnificent first year campaign. Like his brothers before him, Todd looks to make a mark on Indiana wrestling. He'll have some serious tests here but he is the slight favorite IMO. This is his first regional and the competition here is very stiff; on the other hand, there's nothing wrong with wrestling in your home gym. His potential semis match with Price could be a dandy and it will almost certainly have important ramifications for semi-state and beyond. 103 can be a surprising weight class, so Todd is not a lock by any stretch; in fact, he's only the 3rd highest ranked kid at the regional. This is a pretty strong weight class; I'm looking forward to it. 
       
       
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="130" caption="Come on down][/caption]

      See ya next week at New Castle
       
      #9 Brian Harvey, Cathedral. Harvey has wrestled seemingly everyone at 103 this season and has had a great freshman season. He'll have to beat Boston or O' Neal to advance to the finals. He gets to avoid Todd and Price until the finals, if he makes it that far. That win over Price last weekend looms large here and he is a safe bet to make the finals and nab a top-2 seed for New Castle next weekend. 
       
      #7 Dominique Price, Arsenal Technical High School. The very close loss to Harvey last weekend means that the IPS product must face Todd in the semis. Price is not a household name, but he is very capable of winning this regional. He is legit and I expect to see him at Conseco this year and beyond. He was runner-up to Brandon Nelson at this weight last year.
       
      Robert Boston, Lawrence North. This was a tough call, as O'Neal is very tough and has an outstanding record. Still, I think Boston's record is a little misleading, considering the schedule LN has faced. Boston has had some solid national results in the past and I think he'll find a way to beat the Tri-Central wrestler. He will be hard-pressed to beat Todd or Price for 3rd place, but stranger things have happened.
       
      Best 'ticket punch' match: O'Neal vs Boston.
       
       
       
      112  
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Brandon Nelson, 112 Top Dog][/caption]
       
       Top Dog: #2 Brandon Nelson, Lawrence North. Nelson is a strong favorite here and he'll be a strong favorite next weekend as well. He is a very experienced wrestler and he'll likely be wrestling under the lights in a couple of weeks.
       
       
       
       

       

       
       
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="130" caption="Come on down][/caption]
       

       See ya next week at New Castle
       
      #12 Blake Roytek, Cathedral- Roytek is similar to Harvey--the kid has wrestled just about everyone at his weight. Roytek has actually lost to indianamat's #1, #2, #3, #4 and #5 wrestlers this year. However, he hasn't been blown out by any of them; impressively, he lost to #1 ranked  Anthony Hawkins of Crown Point by a 4-2 score. He's one of those kids who wrestles to his opponents' ability; Gadient could definitely pull an upset here. I think Roytek will make it to the finals and lose a respectable decision to Nelson.
      Tyler Gadient, Noblesville. Basically, he and Wilson are very evenly matched and it wouldn't be a surprise if either kid won. 
      Andrew Wilson, Pendleton Heights. WeeMom will likely hate me for putting him below Gadient, but at least I have him qualifying for semi-state.

      Best 'ticket punch' match: Wilson's first round tussle with Tech's Aaron Thurman.
       
       
      119
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Brandon Wright, 119 Top Dog][/caption]
       
      Top Dog: #1 Brandon Wright, Cathedral. It's hard to bet against Eppert, but Wright has historically peaked in the postseason--a scary thought considering Wright's excellent regular season. His battle with Camden will be the first of 3 likely postseason matches. Wright is nothing less than a monster and should secure a top seed at New Castle.


       

       
       
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="130" caption="Come on down][/caption]
       

      See ya next week at New Castle
       
      #2 Camden  Eppert, Anderson Highland- Purdue-bound Eppert is very familiar with Wright. As methodical and hard-working as the Scots wrestler is, I'm sure he's been specifically preparing for his matchups with Wright.  I expect him to give Wright his toughest matches from here on out, even at Conseco. However, Wright's mind-blowing quickness is hard to prepare for, even if you've scouted him heavily. Also, Camden needs to make sure he doesn't overlook Cosby in the semis.
      #16 Storm Cosby, Tech. The City champ is very unfortunate to be stuck with this group of competitors. Although Cosby is very game, I just don't see him beating Wright or Eppert. I do, however, see him securing a #3 seed by beating Eshelman. He lost his first match at regionals last year.
      Justin Eshelman, Pendleton Heights. Eshelman is a returning semi-state qualifier and will be wrestling on his home mat. I think he'll advance to New Castle, but it will be incredibly difficult for him to finish above 4th.
      Best 'ticket punch' match:  Cosby vs. Levi Lanning of Alexandria. Lanning was a semi-state qualifier last year and Cosby was not. I hope Storm isn't looking past him.
       
       
      125
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Cashe Money, Top Dog 125][/caption]
       
      Top Dog: Christoper "Cashe" Quiroga, Lawrence North. A no-brainer. #1 at 125 , nationally accomplished/ranked and #1 on indianamat's pound for pound ranking. Although Cashe has been the hottest wrestler in the state all year, this is actually a very deep and tough weight for a regional. I don't think it will matter; Purdue recruit Quiroga continues his march for another state title.


       
       

         
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="130" caption="Come on down][/caption]
       


      See ya next week at New Castle

      #5 Mason Berryman, Anderson Highland- Berryman will have to get through John Grey to get to the finals, but I think he'll pull it off. He is a legit #5 and a likely state placer.
       


      #7 John Grey, Cathedral-Grey can beat anyone at this weight not named Quiroga or Tsirtsis. However, he keeps a lot of matches close, even against lesser oppponents--kind of like Roytek in that he wrestles to the level of his opponent. I think Berryman beats him this time.
      Jarrid Logan, Hamilton Heights-Another tough field for Logan to try to survive. He doesn't get a break in his opening match--Posey is a very tough out and could pull the slight upset.
      Best 'ticket punch' match: Logan vs. Lovester Posey, Tech
       
       
      130
       
      Top Dog: Colin Bullock, Hamilton Heights. A slightly shallow weight class gives Bullock a very solid chance at earning a regional title. Bryant, Bell and Franklin could definitely de-rail his plans, but Bullock will look to bounce back from a tough team performance vs. Carmel and Coach Willoughby will have the Huskies prepared.
       
       
       
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="130" caption="Come on down][/caption]
       
      See ya next week at New Castle

       
      Josh Franklin, Lawrence Central. Franklin is capable of beating Bullock, but he'll have his work cut out for him in the semis, as Anderson Highland's tough Dominique Bryant awaits.
       
      Dominique Bryant, Anderson Highland. The senior Scots wrestler, like Franklin, could win the whole shooting match this weekend. However, his opening match with Cathedral's Stringfield could be a landmine. That one is far from a gimme.
       
      Greg Bell, Lawrence North. Bell is a little inconsistent, but he's capable of beating good opponents and he's wrestled a ton of studs this season. His first round match with 33-5 Tri-Central sophomore Keegan Pyke could easily be his first and last match at regionals. This weight is wide open.
       
      Best 'ticket punch' match: Bell vs Pike, Stringfield vs Bryant.
       
       
      135
       
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Dom Corsaro, 135 Top Dog][/caption]
       
      Top Dog: #13 Dominic Corsaro, Cathedral. Corsaro is a returning state placer, but like 130, this weight is far from clear. Corsaro will be the favorite, but strong tests could come from Heights' Alley or essentially anyone in the bracket. A very wide open bracket here.

       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="130" caption="Come on down][/caption]
       

      See ya next week at New Castle
       
      Braydon Alley, Hamilton Heights-Alley is going to need a high finish here to set himself up to advance at New Castle. This wide open field is going to get a lot tougher at semi-state, so the Huskies wrestler must perform at a high level in this spot.
       
      Matt Ratay, Lawrence North
       Zach Long, Elwood
      Best 'ticket punch' match:  Haydon Buck (Tri-Central) vs. Ratay, Long vs. Levi Lucas (Manual)
       
       
      140
       
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Tony Mac, 140 Top Dog][/caption]
       
      Top Dog-#2 Tony McGinley, Cathedral-McGinley is battling an injury and didn't participate in the team regionals. He also forfeited his sectional finals match with Butts. If he's not too limited by his injury, he should cruise through this regional. If he's really bunged up and gimpy, anything is possible. I wouldn't underestimate the McGinleys....wrestling is their business.

       
       
       
       
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="130" caption="Come on down][/caption]
       

      See ya next week at New Castle

       
      Dominique Butts, Lawrence Central-A fortunate turn of events makes it appear that butts will be a 2nd seed at New Castle. Can he take advantage and make a run to Conseco?
      Zach Bowers, Hamilton Heights-An unfortunate turn of events puts McGinley in his path early in the regional. Bowers is a tough, smart wrestler and a bunged-up McGinley might be vulnerable.
      Montrail Johnson, Tri-Central
      Best 'ticket punch' match: McGinley/Pore, Butts/Gregg and Johnson/Shelton
       
       
       
      145
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Sammy Bennett, 145 Top Dog][/caption]
       
      Top Dog-#1 Sammy Bennett, Anderson Highland-This is a loaded field, but Bennett has passed every test thus far this season. McGinley looms large in Bennett's future, but Specht or Goodwin shouldn't be overlooked either. Last year's runner-up at 145 will be tested.
       
       
       
       
       
       


       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="130" caption="Come on down][/caption]
       

      See ya next week at New Castle
      #6 Gavin McGinley, Cathedral. You know it's a tough field if Gavin Mac isn't the favorite. While on paper McGinley is a strong favorite to reach the regional finals, Heights' Miller is not a cupcake. Assuming McGinley beats Miller, he could pull the upset over Bennett, making Bennett's road to Conseco a lot bumpier.
      AJ Miller, Hamilton Heights. The senior Miller is solid and battle-tested. Still, this is one tough group and Miller will have his hands full with Goodwin for 3rd place.
      Matt Goodwin, Lawrence North. The formerly ranked senior has yet to taste the sweet flavor of State Street. He is a very capable kid; he needs to just advance to New Castle, then he can regroup and try to make a run to Conseco. A potential matchup with Miller for 3rd could be huge for each kid's chances to make it to state.
      Best 'ticket punch' match: Goodwin vs. Noblesville's Wayne Specht. The two wrestlers are a combined 58-10.
       
       
       
      152
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Calvin Sullivan, 152 Top Dog][/caption]
       
      Top Dog-#4 Calvin Sullivan, Cathedral. Cal is undefeated this year and has placed 5th at state the past 2 seasons. He will be a tough nut to crack for anyone in Pendleton on Saturday. While anything is possible in wrestling, Sullivan is among the strongest favorites in the regional.
       
       
       
       

       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="130" caption="Come on down][/caption]
       

       
      See ya next week at New Castle
      Matt Miller, Hamilton Heights. Beat Holt last week and should be 2nd best here this weekend.
      #15 Nick Holt, Pendleton Heights. Wrestling on his home mat, perhaps Holt returns the favor to Miller, who wrestled on his home mat last week. Should be a good one.
      Mike Taylor, Lawrence Central
      Best 'ticket punch' match: Holt vs. LN's Ethan Wilson
       
      160
       
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Big Todd, 160 Top Dog][/caption]
       
      -#3 Matt Todd, Pendleton Heights-Another Arabian Todd at the top of the heap. Matt is very experienced, is undefeated and has already experienced the State experience. This is a very dangerous field, and Todd will have to navigate through a minefield that features Cathedral's explosive freshman Willis and one-loss Anthony Bill of Chatard.








      Top Dog
       
       
       
       
       
       
       



       
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="130" caption="Come on down][/caption]
       

       
      See ya next week at New Castle
       

      #11 Tyler Willis, Cathedral-The phenom continues to improve; at this point, there's no telling what he will do in the postseason. He seems to have elevated his game to a superior level--he absolutely is capable of beating the much more experienced Todd. He has a fairly clear path to the finals.

       
       
       
       
      #10 Anthony Bill, Bishop Chatard- Willis gave Bill his first loss last week. Will Bill Kill this weekend? Kill, Bill, Kill
       
      [caption id=" align="alignnone" width="137" caption="Kill Bill][/caption]
       



       
      Ibragim Komilov, North Central
      Best 'ticket punch' match: Komilov vs Anderson's Mark Buehler
       
       
      171
       
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Bryce Grimes, 171 Top Dog][/caption]
       
      Top Dog
      - #4 Bryce Grimes, Lawrence North-Another deep field in Pendleton. Grimes is stout but he'll have his hands full with Moats and Fleenor or Hofmeister. That said, I like his chances quite a bit. I think he's the best guy in the weight not named Atwood or Duckworth.
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="130" caption="Come on down][/caption]
       

       
      See ya next week at New Castle
       
      #9 Kevin Moats, Tipton-Moats brings a nearly spotless record into this tough regional. Moats could have 2 difficult matches under his belt before he meets Grimes in the finals. Whoever wins this field will have earned it and will be in good shape heading towards Conseco from New Castle.
       
      Andy Fleenor, Noblesville-Just a hunch here. Truthfully, he's going to have a very tough match with Hofmeister just to advance out of the regional.
       
      Phillip Buehler, Anderson- 32-5 ain't too shabby
      Best 'ticket punch' match: Fleenor/Hofmeister could be one of the best matches of the day.
       
      189
       
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Sandberg, 189 Top Dog???][/caption]
       
      Top Dog
      - #16 Daniel Sandberg, Lawrence Central-This was a very tough call, as there are at least 4 other kids who could take the weight. Another Dingo hunch here, so take it for what it's worth. His first opponent is 35-7. I like Sandberg in this spot because he's wrestled the most grueling schedule of the top participants here.
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="130" caption="Come on down][/caption]
       

       
      See ya next week at New Castle
       
      Henry Nichols, Pendleton Heights-Nichols won a tough Heights sectional last weekend and will be looking to follow it up with a solid performance here. His first opponent is 29-5. His potential 2nd opponent is 31-3. No easy way out at this weight.
       
       
      Zac Garrity, Hamilton Heights- A lot depends on his health. One of the most snake-bitten kids in recent years, Garrity has the tools to put a strong run together. Will this be the year he breaks through? That injury may determine the answer.
       
      Ben Vondersaar, Theodore Guerin- Did you know that Theodore Guerin was a woman? A nun, in fact? It's true. On a more releveant point, Vondersaar is a coach's son and is capable of winning this weight. 31-3 isn't a coincidence.
      Best 'ticket punch' match: All of 'em. Not one kid in the bracket with double digit losses. Very impressive
       
      215
       
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Colin Warner, 215 Top Dog][/caption]
       
      Top Dog
      -#8 Colin Warner, Tipton. Warner looks to build on his state qualification last season and will be a solid favorite here. Anything short of a championship will make an attempted run at Conseco a lot more difficult.

       
       

       
       
       
       
       
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="130" caption="Come on down][/caption]
       

       
      See ya next week at New Castle
       
      Jake Buchanan, Cathedral-Likely the only kid with a solid chance at knocking off Warner. Buchanan is very solid and doesn't beat himself.
       
      JR Smart, Lapel-Just taking a stab here. Very wide open field past Buchanan and Warner.
       
      Michael Raby, North Central-See Smart, JR
      Best 'ticket punch' match: Smart/Lawrence Central's Jaylen Clark
       
      285
       
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Ethan Cuevas, King of the Giants][/caption]
       
      Top Dog
      -#6 Ethan Cuevas, North Central-Cuevas has very quietly established himself as a very strong state contender. He should be the class of this field, although Stokes is a tough semis matchup. Becker should keep it respectable in the finals, but it will be a big upset and a big blow to his state chances if Cuevas doesn't win this regional.
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="130" caption="Come on down][/caption]
       

       
      See ya next week at New Castle
       
      Andrew Becker, Elwood-Heights sectional winner sports an impressive 35-2 record.
       
       
       
       
       
       
         
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="105" caption="Blade will stick you][/caption]
       

       
       
       
      Wesley "Snipes" Stokes, Cathedral- Nimble giant has improved considerably from the beginning of the season to now.  A good sleeper pick here and at New Castle.
       

       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
      Jackson Kerfoot, Hamilton Heights
      Best 'ticket punch' match: Kerfoot/ Lawrence Central's Eric Thigpen
       

      819

      Merrillville Semi-State Preview

      -56 Wrestlers look for trip to Indy
       
      On Saturday, February 14th over two hundred athletes will converge in the Merrillville High School gymnasium, not to trade valentines, but to scratch and claw their way to a berth in state finals. Many would argue that this semi-state is the most competitive in the state and many wrestlers with the ability to place at Conseco will end their seasons in the “ticket round†at Merrillville. In total, fifty-three ranked wrestlers and six top ranked individuals will take part in this annual region brawl.

      103
       
      Kyle Ayersman from Lake Central is the clear favorite in this class as he has already beaten most of the other contenders. The potential match of the day will be between Merrillville’s Zack Stevens and Warsaw’s mighty mite, Jarred Brooks.[caption id=attachment_705" align="alignright" width="124" caption="The Big Kahuna][/caption]
       
      The Big Kahuna
       
      #4 Kyle Ayersman - Lake Central - Freshman (42-0)
      [caption id=attachment_706" align="alignleft" width="157" caption="Stepin\' Up to Conseco][/caption]
      Conseco Bound
      #6 Zack Stevens – Merrillville - Junior (34-4)
      #11 Cameron Halsted - Crown Point - Freshman (29-6)
      #8 Aurelio Medina – Munster - Sophomore (37-4)
      [caption id=attachment_708" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Buster Brown][/caption]
      Bracket Buster
       
      #13 Jarred Brooks – Warsaw - Freshman (35-1)

      112
       
      Crown Point should crown their first of several semi-state champions at this class. Anthony Hawkins has beaten many of the state’s best and is heavily favored to claim the top spot on the podium this year. The best ticket round matches should pit Rochester’s Garth Simpson versus Calumet regional champ Danny Rodriguez of Highland and Alex Gregory of Penn taking on Brandon Coppinger of Portage.[caption id=attachment_705" align="alignright" width="124" caption="The Big Kahuna][/caption]
       
      The Big Kahuna
       
      #1 Anthony Hawkins - Crown Point - Junior (34-0)
      [caption id=attachment_706" align="alignleft" width="157" caption="Stepin\' Up to Conseco][/caption]
      Conseco Bound
       
      Garth Simpson – Rochester - Sophomore (43-4)
      #13 Brandon Coppinger – Portage - Sophomore (35-7)
      Robert Floyd – Delphi - Senior (14-3)
      [caption id=attachment_708" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Buster Brown][/caption]
      Bracket Busters
       
      Alex Gregory – Penn - Sophomore (29-4)
      Danny Rodriguez – Highland - Sophomore (29-6)
       
      119
       
      Indiana University bound Justin Brooks should be the winner here but might be tested by dangerous Danny Bradley of Knox and/or John Petrov of Hanover Central. Bradley would first have to get by the tough Caveman Matt Guerra in the ticket round headliner. Logansport regional champ Oscar Trujillo of Lafayette Jeff will try to upset #15 ranked Cory Hildebrandt in an effort to reach the state finals.[caption id=attachment_705" align="alignright" width="124" caption="The Big Kahuna][/caption]
       
      The Big Kahuna
       
      #3 Justin Brooks – Warsaw - Senior (35-0)
      [caption id=attachment_706" align="alignleft" width="157" caption="Stepin\' Up to Conseco][/caption]
      Conseco Bound
       
      #15 Cory Hildebrandt – Penn -Senior (34-5)
      #9 Danny Bradley – Knox - Junior (35-0)
      #10 John Petrov - Hanover Central - Junior (36-2)
      [caption id=attachment_708" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Buster Brown][/caption]
      Bracket Busters
       
      Matt Guerra – Mishawaka - Junior (31-5)
      Oscar Trujillo - Lafayette Jeff - Senior (31-6)
       
      125
       
      Fabulous freshman Jason Tsirtsis looks to avenge his team regional loss to Anthony Napules. These two studs are the favorites in this very deep weight class. There are compelling matches littered throughout this bracket. Unheralded Nick Schrader of Mishawaka put himself in prime position for slot in the state finals with his regional victory over Tony Stevens of Penn.[caption id=attachment_705" align="alignright" width="124" caption="The Big Kahuna][/caption]
       

      The Big Kahuna
       
      #2 Jason Tsirtsis - Crown Point - Freshman (32-2)
      [caption id=attachment_706" align="alignleft" width="157" caption="Stepin\' Up to Conseco][/caption]
      Conseco Bound
       
      #3 Anthony Napules – Merrillville - Junior (37-3)
      #10 Ezra Penn – Harrison - Senior (39-3)
      Nick Schrader – Mishawaka - Junior (26-11)
      [caption id=attachment_708" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Buster Brown][/caption]
      Bracket Busters
       
      Sam Camacho – Hobart - Senior (27-8)
      Kyle Hernandez – Knox - Junior (32-7)
      Tony Stevens – Penn - Senior (35-3)
      #16 Luis Acuna – Portage -Sophomore (36-4)
       
      130
       
      Josh Harper continues in his quest for state title number four but it will not be easy. In a likely rematch of last year’s state finals, second ranked Frankie Porras looks to unseat the top ranked Harper.[caption id=attachment_705" align="alignright" width="124" caption="The Big Kahuna][/caption]
       
      The Big Kahuna
       
      #1 Josh Harper – Mishawaka - Senior (30-2)
      [caption id=attachment_706" align="alignleft" width="157" caption="Stepin\' Up to Conseco][/caption]
      Conseco Bound
       
      Dallas Schurg - Crown Point - Junior (29-6)
      #6 Zack Thornton – Chesterton - Junior (33-2)
      #2 Frankie Porras – Hobart - Junior (32-1)
      [caption id=attachment_708" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Buster Brown][/caption]
      Bracket Busters
       
      Bobby Marcuccilli – Wawasee - Sophomore (30-3)
      Nathan McTigue – Delphi - Junior (26-5)
       
      135
       
      Another battle between the two top ranked wrestlers in the state looks to be on tap at the 135 lb. class. Eric Roach of Crown Point has been nearly untouchable this year but Johnny “Thrillin†Dillon wants a chance to knock off another highly ranked wrestler. Dillon beat Taylor March of East Noble earlier in the year. Sixth ranked Trent Reinoehl could be a factor as he hopes to upset Roach in the semifinals.[caption id=attachment_705" align="alignright" width="124" caption="The Big Kahuna][/caption]
       
      The Big Kahuna
       
      #1 Eric Roach - Crown Point - Sophomore (34-0)
      [caption id=attachment_706" align="alignleft" width="157" caption="Stepin\' Up to Conseco][/caption]
      Conseco Bound
       
      #2 Johnny Dillon – Hobart - Senior (33-0)
      Chase Lewandowski – Plymouth - Junior (32-6)
      #6 Trent Reinoehl – Mishawaka - Senior (8-0)
      [caption id=attachment_708" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Buster Brown][/caption]
      Bracket Buster
       
      Owen Dorris – Pioneer - Sophomore (41-5)
       
      140
       
      Fans at the Merrillville semi-state should be in for yet another treat at 140. Defending state champion Steve Sandefer must negotiate a bracket filled with landmines. Sandefer could face third ranked Alex Surma in the semis and then sixth ranked Trace Hall in the finals. Hall has given the top ranked Sandefer his only loss on the season.[caption id=attachment_705" align="alignright" width="124" caption="The Big Kahuna][/caption]
       
      The Big Kahuna
       
      #1 Steve Sandefer – Mishawaka - Senior (36-1)
      [caption id=attachment_706" align="alignleft" width="157" caption="Stepin\' Up to Conseco][/caption]
      Conseco Bound
       
      #6 Trace Hall - SB Riley - Senior (31-5)
      Darrius Richmond – Merrillville - Senior (31-5)
      #3 Alex Surma – Munster - Junior (42-0)
      [caption id=attachment_708" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Buster Brown][/caption]
      Bracket Busters
       
      Tanner Lynde – Delphi - Freshman (34-6)
      Dustin Schultz - Kankakee Valley - Junior (37 -3 )
       
      145
       
      Daniel Young of Culver Academies was sharp as a tack at the Rochester regional and will look to carry that momentum through the semi-state. He will likely face the surprise Calumet champion Keon Jones in the semifinals and will then match up with the winner of the Almaraz-Ray ticket round battle.[caption id=attachment_705" align="alignright" width="124" caption="The Big Kahuna][/caption]
       
      The Big Kahuna
       
      #2 Daniel Young – CMA - Senior (40-0)
      [caption id=attachment_706" align="alignleft" width="157" caption="Stepin\' Up to Conseco][/caption]
      Conseco Bound
       
      Keon Jones – Merrillville - Senior (33-5)
      #3 Chris Almaraz – Highland - Senior (33-1)
      Tyler Lymburner - SB Riley - Senior (23-3)
      [caption id=attachment_708" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Buster Brown][/caption]
      Bracket Busters
       
      Cody Ray - North Newton - Senior (40-1)
      Shane Evers – Harrison - Senior (46-5)
       
      152
       
      Sean McMurray of Portage toughest match may be a semifinal match-up with third ranked Aaron Estrada of Munster. Veteran wrestlers, David Minix of Winamac, Adam Keener of Warsaw, Jordan Martin of New Prairie and Tim Forte of Mishawaka look to fill the other two slots at Conseco.[caption id=attachment_705" align="alignright" width="124" caption="The Big Kahuna][/caption]
       
      The Big Kahuna
       
      #1 Sean McMurray – Portage - Junior (41-0)
      [caption id=attachment_706" align="alignleft" width="157" caption="Stepin\' Up to Conseco][/caption]
      Conseco Bound
       
      #3 Aaron Estrada – Munster - Senior (20-1)
      Adam Keener – Warsaw - Senior (32-4)
      #5 David Minix – Winamac - Senior (36-1)
      [caption id=attachment_708" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Buster Brown][/caption]
      Bracket Busters
       
      Jordan Martin - New Prairie - Senior (32-6)
      Tim Forte – Mishawaka - Senior (25-6)
       
      160
       
      Mark Meyers is the clear favorite in this field. He has torn through most of his competition this year and may not be seriously threatened until he gets to Indianapolis.[caption id=attachment_705" align="alignright" width="124" caption="The Big Kahuna][/caption]
       
      The Big Kahuna
       
      #2 Mark Meyers - Crown Point - Senior (34-0)
      [caption id=attachment_706" align="alignleft" width="157" caption="Stepin\' Up to Conseco][/caption]
      Conseco Bound
       
      #9 Kurt Monix – Lowell - Senior (29-2)
      Adam Arsenault - SB St. Joe - Senior (23-10)
      #16 Richard Morin – Mishawaka - Junior (32-6)
      [caption id=attachment_708" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Buster Brown][/caption]
      Bracket Busters
       
      Cheney Dale – McCutcheon - Junior (33-7)
      Rob Keough - Lake Central - Senior (37-6)
       
      171
       
      A very deep field is headlined by second ranked Braden Atwood. Atwood is probably the only sure thing at this weight class as up to eight other wrestlers have a legitimate shot a securing a slot in the state finals.[caption id=attachment_705" align="alignright" width="124" caption="The Big Kahuna][/caption]
       
      The Big Kahuna
       
      #2 Braden Atwood – Delphi - Junior (41-0)
      [caption id=attachment_706" align="alignleft" width="157" caption="Stepin\' Up to Conseco][/caption]
      Conseco Bound
       
      #12 Huey Hudson - SB Riley - Senior (32-5)
      #13 Tyler McCoy – McCutcheon - Senior (34-4)
      Chris Bartley – Griffith - Senior (31-3)
      [caption id=attachment_708" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Buster Brown][/caption]
      Bracket Busters
       
      Ryne Bell - South Newton - Junior (34-2)
      #7 Blake Hoffer – Triton - Senior (17-3)
      Andrew Sands - Hanover Central - Senior (33-12)
      Joey Smith – Mishawaka - Senior (13-6)
       
      189
       
      If Shrewsbury comes into Merrillville focused he should leave a semi-state champion for the first time. Shrewsbury had previously lost to Jake Salas of Merrillville and Ian Hinton of Mishawaka. I don’t think there is anyone of that quality to challenge Shrewsbury this year. There are, however, a whole host of challengers for the other three state slots.[caption id=attachment_705" align="alignright" width="124" caption="The Big Kahuna][/caption]
       
      The Big Kahuna
       
      #1 Marcus Shrewsbury - Crown Point - Senior (34-0)
      [caption id=attachment_706" align="alignleft" width="157" caption="Stepin\' Up to Conseco][/caption]

      Conseco Bound
       
      #12 Travis Kepner - Benton Central - Senior (38-4)
      Kyle Keith – Portage - Senior (34-8)
      Willie Lott - East Chicago Central - Senior (22-1)
      [caption id=attachment_708" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Buster Brown][/caption]
      Bracket Busters
       
      Bryce Holland – LaPorte - Senior (30-10)
      Randy Kaufman – Rensselaer - Senior (32-5)
      Dustin Boyd – Mishawaka - Senior (31-8)
      Timmy Buckingham - SB Riley - Junior (27-8)
       
      215
       
      This class has the best 215 lb. wrestlers in the state not named Baker. Cleveland is the favorite but by no means is he a sure thing. It will be a shame that either fourth ranked Christain Lentz or third ranked Kannon Keigley of New Prairie will not be wrestling at Conseco Field House this year.[caption id=attachment_705" align="alignright" width="124" caption="The Big Kahuna][/caption]
       
      The Big Kahuna
       
      #2 Nathan Cleveland – Lowell - Junior (31-1)
      [caption id=attachment_706" align="alignleft" width="157" caption="Stepin\' Up to Conseco][/caption]
      Conseco Bound
       
      Brady Tolle - Lewis Cass - Senior (33-1)
      Nathaniel Coleman – Portage - Senior (34-7)
      #4 Christain Lentz – Mishawaka - Junior (37-3)
      [caption id=attachment_708" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Buster Brown][/caption]
      Bracket Busters
       
      Travis Yoakum – Delphi - Senior (26-5)
      #3 Kannon Keigley - New Prairie - Senior (40-2)
      Vlade Nacovski - Lake Central - Junior (34-4)
       
      285
       
      The top five wrestlers at heavyweight combine for a record of 168-3. Craig Fitzgerald of John Glenn gets the nod as favorite due to his fifth place finish at last year’s state finals. The other big boys are all capable of upsets. 285 should keep fans in their seats at Merrillville.[caption id=attachment_705" align="alignright" width="124" caption="The Big Kahuna][/caption]
       
      The Biggest Kahuna
       
      #2 Craig Fitzgerald – Glenn - Senior (41-0)
      [caption id=attachment_706" align="alignleft" width="157" caption="Stepin\' Up to Conseco][/caption]
      Conseco Bound
       
      #13 Wes Everett – Delphi - Senior (39-0)
      #7 Travis Thomas – Mishawaka - Junior (22-2)
      #5 James Travis – Merrillville - Junior (38-0)
      [caption id=attachment_708" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Buster Brown][/caption]
      Bracket Buster
       
      #14 Coty Anderson – Highland - Senior (28-1)

      418

      Youth "Wrestler of the Week" 02-09-09

      Name: Taylor Reed
      Age: 7th grade (12)
      Club/Middle School: Greensburg Junior High
      Weeks record: 5-0
       
      Taylor wrestled the first tournament of the year in amazing style. He finished the weekend 5-0 pinning tough wrestlers from Center Grove, Beech Grove, Shenandoah, and Triton Central. His only close match was a hard fought overtime victory over Triton Central. Look for big things to come from this little guy! Great start of the season Taylor, keep up the good work. Indianamat.com

      645

      New Castle: Better bring your A game

      “The basic difference between an ordinary man and a warrior is that a warrior takes everything as a challenge while an ordinary man takes everything either as a blessing or a curseâ€

      --Carlos Castenada

       
       
      “I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him.â€

      --Mark Twain

       

      "Dad, what's a walking taco?"

      --The Little Dingo
       
      This weekend's New Castle semi-state features a state-high 58 ranked wrestlers (Evansville SS has 58 as well), 5 #2 ranked wrestlers and 4 wrestlers ranked #1 in the state, despite the unfortunate timing of 103 #1 Brendan Campbell's appendix removal. On paper, this looks like as loaded and tough a field as there has been in years in New Castle. You want nationally regarded, top-of-the-food chain studs? Quiroga, Eppert, Nelsen, Wright, Duckworth...check. You want undefeated competitors? 8 of 'em. Check. You want depth at each weight? No less than 3 ranked wrestlers at every weight except 285, with 6 ranked kids in 2 separate weight classes. Check. You want walking tacos? Yeah, they got 'em. Check. Ok, you see where I'm going--this is a very tough, impressive semi-state and it should make for a dramatic day of competition. In my opinion, the ticket matches at semi-state are as exciting as Friday night matches at Conseco, and there are some doozies this year. Alright, enough jibber-jabber.....
       
      103
       
      Despite the loss of Campbell, this is still a loaded, wide-open field. On paper, it should be decided between #2 Cody Phillips of Union County and #3 Jared McKinley of Perry Meridian in one heckuva slobber-knocker. Truthfully, I don't know who will win if those two meet in the finals--no one's been able to beat either kid all season. However, this is my gimmick and I'm gonna stick with it. Without further ado.....
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Cody Phillips, New Castle's Top Dog at 103][/caption]
       
      Top Dog: #2 Cody Phillips, Union County, 9, 41-0
       
      Phillips has manhandled most of his competition the entire season and Union County has produced more than its fair share of elite wrestlers. While he hasn't faced quite the competition that McKinley and Harvey have faced, he is a physically mature freshmen who will need to wrestle with a chip on his shoulder to make it through this group unscathed. He will be tested early and often, and he will be forced to face Harvey in the semis, if the seeds hold. To be fair, McKinley, Harvey, Price could all get hot and win this weight. It happens every year--kids lose to kids they have always beat, major upsets happen and injuries unfortunately take place.
       
       Conseco, Ahoy
       
      #3 Jared McKinley, Perry Meridian, 9, 45-0: Very physical freshman will look to win his first semi-state crown by wearing down his opponents and drawing from a season's worth of experience at the highest level. He is a legitimate state title threat. A huge ticket match with Tech's very talented #7 Dominique Price stands in the way of the championship match for McKinley. A bad break for both kids.
       
      #9 Brian Harvey, Cathedral, 9, 38-7: Don't let the record fool you. Harvey can wrestle with anyone at this weight. A tough ticket matchup with Roncalli's Aaron Davis will be a good challenge for Harvey, but he has a favorable path to advance.
       
      #12 Mason Todd, Pendleton Heights, 9, 37-2: My Top Dog pick for the Pendleton Heights regional, Todd was pinned by Price in the semis. However, he bounced back and took care of business to nab a 3rd place finish. Todd appears to have a solid shot at advancing through this bracket. A challenge awaits in the ticket round with Carmel's  Pat Parham.
       
      Best ticket-punch match: #7 Dominique Price, Tech, 10, 35-2 vs. #3 McKinley
       
      Darkhorse: #7 Dominique Price, Tech
       
      112
       
      Unlike 103, which features several favorites, 112 is pretty clearly led by Lawrence North dynamo Brandon "Superbaby" Nelsen. A top-4 State Streeter twice already, the junior is looking to snare a state title, and he has multiple wins in his career over top-ranked Anthony Hawkins of Crown Point to point to as evidence that he's man enough to achieve his goal. Hawkins handed Nelsen his only loss this year and those two seem to wrestle once or twice a fortnight. Josh Kieffer and Conner Mullins will look to do some chin-checking with Nelsen, and those kids don't make a habit of losing big matches.
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Super Baby, New Castles Top Dog at 112][/caption]
       
      Top Dog: #2 Brandon Nelsen, Lawrence North, 11, 34-1
       
      Top Dog pick for Pendleton Heights responded with a regional title. Nelsen is a technically sound scrapper with a good gastank. He's not very tall or long-limbed for the weight class, but he's very fundamentally sound and avoids bad positions. He's content to win a close, methodical match instead of forcing the action and getting caught. He also has loads of big-match experience; more than just about anyone in the state at 112. He has wins this season over Kieffer and Roytek. 
       
       
       
       Conseco, Ahoy
       
       #5 Josh Kieffer, Roncalli, 10, 37-4: The very tall, very long-limbed Kieffer might be the wrestler with the best shot at unseating Nelsen. He's had some close matches with the LN standout and is a tough matchup for Nelsen physically and stylistically. Roncalli has really turned a corner, and Josh is a big part of a different mentality by the Rebels. Kieffer has won and lost vs. Mullins, but I like his experience in big postseason matches if they meet at New Castle.
       
      #3 Conner Mullins, New Castle, 9, 46-2: The very talented and decorated freshman has grappled with some of the state's very best, and has only been defeated twice, once last weekend by Kieffer and once at 119 by #8 (at 119) Casey Kenney of Jay County. He owns wins over Kieffer and Roytek. He could easily be Nelsen's finals opponent.
       
      Josh Julian, Lebanon, 10, 31-3: Julian bounced back from a slightly disappointing sectional to dominate the field en route to a regional title at North Montgomery. He has big moves and is a very dangerous pinner. While not as heralded as the rest of the contenders, Julian pinned all his foes at regionals and owns a win by fall over Roytek.
       
      Best ticket-punch matches: #12 Blake Roytek, Cathedral, 10, 36-7 vs. #3 Mullins. #5 Kieffer vs. Tyler Gadient, Noblesville, 10, 32-7. #2 Nelsen vs. #8 Cody Stewart, Rushville, 12, 30-4
       
      Darkhorses: #8 Stewart, #12 Roytek
       
      119
       
      Not a weight class for the faint of heart. Former state champs Camden Eppert and Brandon Wright are joined by Roncalli's Justin Kieffer and Tech's Storm Cosby, as well as others, in a brutal bracket. Advancements will be at a premium; you can chalk up two right off the bat that will be filled by Eppert and Wright. That leaves two for the rest of the mere mortals in the weight class. That's not a knock on any of the other kids; Eppert and Wright are two of the better wrestlers in Indiana since Y2K. If any of the other kids can knock off either one, they will cement a spot in Indiana wrestling lore for many years to come. That said, it is not bloody likely that anyone but Eppert or Wright will beat Eppert or Wright this weekend.
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Brandon Wright, New Castle's Top Dog at 119][/caption]
       
       Top Dog: #1 Brandon Wright, Cathedral, 11, 41-2
       
      What else is there to say about the 119 lb. bundle of quicksilver? He's a Cadet National champ (over Jason Tsirtsis, among others in a loaded field), he went undefeated at the Scholastic Duals this past summer, he's a defending state champ and the odds-on favorite to win it again this year. Although extremely technical, Wright's real difference makers are fast-twitch fibers, a high wrestling IQ and a seemingly endless gastank. He is not quick; he is sudden, flashing in on the legs of his opponents and with his sprawl. I've also admired his uncanny sense of timing; it helps to have a father with such vast knowledge and experience (not to mention the rest of the excellent Irish staff), but Wright always seems to do what he needs to do in critical situations. That might sound simplistic, but his on-mat strategy is always impeccable. As great as Eppert is, Wright should sew up the #1 seed heading into Friday night at Conseco. If you haven't seen him yet, by any chance, don't blink. He's had losses in the regular season the past two years and turned it on in the postseason, so his two losses to elite opponents in higher weight classes hardly speak to a dropoff by Wright.
       
      Conseco, Ahoy
       
      #2 Camden Eppert, Anderson Highland, 12, 32-3: Eppert is a nationally regarded stud with a state title and a runner-up finish to his credit thus far in his high school career. If not for the ascension of Wright, Eppert might have 2 titles already, working on a third.  The future Boilermaker is known for his diligence--studying opponents, training, constantly working to improve. When Eppert and Wright wrestle, the gym is filled with a palpable anticipation.  New Castle '09 will be no different. Unfortunately for Camden, until he beats Wright again, the expectation will continue to be that Wright will pull out another victory. Their match should be one of the major highlights of the sectional. Barring injury or other bizarre circumstance, we will have another Clash of the Titans.
       
      #5 Justin Kieffer, Roncalli, 10, 41-1: The member of the Kieffer Triad with the best record this season, Justin has the misfortune of wrestling in a very top-heavy weight class at New Castle. Kieffer was a 7th place finisher last year at 112 and has a huge win this season over Alex Johns. His confidence is sky-high and he's been pretty dominant thus far in the postseason. However, although anything is possible, he's likely wrestling for a 3 seed at Conseco. Before he can even worry about seeds for State, he needs to worry about Tri's 37-1 Ryan Leeka in the ticket round.
       
      #16 Storm Cosby, Tech, 11, 38-2: The City champ has a tough, but possible road to advancement. He must first beat a very capable Seve Duncan of Beech Grove. If he can get past Duncan, New Castle's red-hot Alex Catron likely awaits. Catron/Cosby, if it happens, could go either way.
       
      Best ticket-punch matches: #16 Cosby vs. Alex Catron, New Castle, 10, 41-5. #5 Kieffer vs. Ryan Leeka, Tri, 11, 37-1.
       
      Darkhorses: Catron, Leeka
       
      125
       
      Cashe Quiroga has elevated his performance in the past 12 months to a point where he finished this past regular season at the top of Indianamat's Pound for Pound list, and deservedly so. Among his many impressive wins this season, Cashe beat 3X champ #1 @ 130 Josh Harper, #2 @ 130 Frankie Porras, #2 @ 125 Jason Tsirtsis, #4 @ 130 D'Marcus Spencer, #2 @ 119 Camden Eppert, #1 @ 119 Brandon Wright and many, many others en route to his perfect season thus far. Although this is a solid field assembled at New Castle to compete against Quiroga, it's very unlikely that the Purdue recruit will be tested until he is competing at Conseco. Beyond Quiroga, it's a wide open field for the next 3 placements. Again, that's not a reflection on the field--Cashe is just that good. There are 4 top-8 ranked wrestlers competing here at 125. 
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Cashe Money, New Castle's Top Dog at 125][/caption]
       
       
       
      Top Dog:  #1 Cashe Quiroga, Lawrence North, 12, 39-0
       
      [caption id=" align="alignright" width="135" caption="King of the Indiana Pound for Pounders][/caption]
       
      Quiroga is a brawler with skills. He wrestles with heavy, active hands and he generally controls tie-ups. When he was a little younger, he would ruin a lot of good wrestling with one big mistake in a match. He's not making those mistakes any more and he doesn't run out of energy at the end of grueling matches. He's just a tough matchup with no obvious weaknesses to exploit. It will take someone like Tsirtsis wrestling at the top of his game to beat Quiroga, or to even come really close.    
       
        Conseco, Ahoy
       
      #5 Mason Berryman, Anderson Highland, 11, 32-2: This was a very tough call, but Southport's Austin Marshall will have to first beat Clinton Prairie's 36-4 Chris Maxwell just to face Berryman. In the end, I think that was the tie-breaker--Marshall's slightly tougher path to the ticket round. Make no mistake, Marshall is a stud and is coming off an impressive regional championship at Perry Meridian last weekend. He could easily be the runner-up here. Complicating matters is the next wrestler on the list..... 

      #7 John Grey, Cathedral, 12, 38-3: Grey won the last battle with Berryman, last week at regionals. As I mentioned last week, Grey can beat just about anyone not named Quiroga or Tsirtsis at this weight. However, he'll have to get through Fountain Central's regional champ Eli Moore to earn a spot in the semis, where he'll likely face Marshall or Berryman. Either way, it's a tough row to hoe for Grey. He and Berryman are pretty closely matched (Grey won 3-2 at regionals), and Berryman has been denied a state qualification berth the past 2 years.  It's a bit of a crapshoot, truthfully.
       
      #8 Tyler Clark, South Dearborn, 11, 34-2: Clark was a state qualifier last year and dropped a very close match to Grey earlier this year. He can hang. However, he'll have to negotiate 2 very tough matches just to make it to the ticket round. First he'll face perennial contender Jarrid Logan of Hamilton Heights, a hungry senior who has been denied a trip to Conseco his entire career. If he can get by Logan, he'll have to face either Joe Kieffer or Cameron VanCamp of Lebanon. So, while he avoids Quiroga, Grey and Berryman as ticket opponents, he gets two very tough matches for a shot to advance to state again. He's the best bet of the 4 in his section of the bracket.
       
       
      Best ticket-punch matches: #5 Berryman vs. Austin Marshall, Southport, 12, 35-3.  Joe Kieffer, Roncalli, 9, 37-9 vs. Clark .
       
      Darkhorses: Marshall. Kieffer.

      130
       
      This weight features several highly ranked, strong challengers for the title. The entire bracket is filled with tough kids, and there will be some studs going home disappointed. In fact, it's a certainty that either a state qualifier or state placer from last year will not qualify for State this year.  Odom vs. Bohannon is probably the best potential ticket match of the day. Spencer is my pick, but he's far from a lock. Cook has pinned Josh Harper this year, among many others. Even without Michael Lovitt, this weight class is loaded. There are no gimmes in this bunch.
       
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="D'Marcus Spencer, New Castle's Top Dog at 130][/caption]
       

      Top Dog: #4 D'Marcus Spencer, Pike, 12, 33-3 Spencer is one of the most talented, snake-bitten kids in recent memory from Central Indiana. A 2X state qualifier, he has had rough outings on Friday night in both instances. He has always competed at a very high level and has long been able to go with anyone in his weight. This year, he has wins over  Cook, Odom and Bealmer, to go with 2 exceptionally close losses to Quiroga. He has traditionally done pretty well at semi-state, so look for him to win this time around. Expect the biggest competition from Sampson Cook, if Cook advances to the finals.  
       
      Conseco, Ahoy
       
      #5 Sampson Cook, Perry Meridian, 12, 33-5: The king of the killer cradle is walking danger. You know you have a great go-to move when every opponent knows it's coming and you still land it. Cook has victimized some excellent wrestlers with the same, lethal move. He has great length and most of his opponents fear being ridden by Cook, and for good reason. Cook was a Conseco qualifier last year and is looking to earn a good seed for the State Finals.
       
       #10 Nick Odom, Warren Central, 12, 31-11: Odom has one of the toughest, if not the toughest overall, draws of anyone at New Castle. Right off the bat, he faces a very tough 36-5 Sam Hoegeman from East Central. If he survives that match, he gets the aforementioned Bohannon, a tough senior state qualifier last year with a 41-1 record. Bohannon is coming off a regional final that saw him hand Western Boone's Beattie his first loss of the season. Odom or whoever comes out of this portion of the bracket will have earned it.
       
      #13 Nick Beattie, Western Boone, 12, 34-1: Beattie has had a great year and isn't quite done yet. Although he dropped his first match to Bohannon, he has a winnable portion of the bracket. He'll first have to beat Cathedral's John Stringfield for a shot at the winner of Dickey/Fellers. While it's winnable, it's far from easy and Beattie would be in uncharted waters at that point.
       
      Best ticket-punch match: #10 Odom vs. #14 Wade Bohannon, South Vermillion, 12, 41-1.
       
      Darkhorse: Bohannon, without a doubt.
       
       135
       
      This SHOULD be Mascaro's weight class, but Adam Skelton of Lebanon and others might have a different take on that issue. Skelton very nearly knocked off #4 Mascaro in last week's regional, losing a controversial match in OT. Mascaro actually has one of the tougher foursomes in the bracket to beat in order to advance. Others to watch include Skelton, a two time semi-state qualifier, #13 Dominic Corsaro, an 8th place finisher at 130 last year at Conseco and#7 Chris Goodwin of Perry Meridian. This weight could produce some surprising results; parity is the key word here.
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Will Mascaro, New Castle's Top Dog at 135][/caption]
       
      Top Dog: #4 Will Mascaro, Carmel, 12, 39-0
       
      Mascaro stepped up big at last year's semi-state, knocking off fellow Top Dog D'Marcus Spencer and finishing above Cook and Corsaro. He used that momentum to solidify a 7th place finish last year at 130 at the State Finals. The close call with Skelton will likely make him sharper this week; it sounds like he gassed pretty badly in OT. He'll need to be on top of his game to grab another semi-state title.


       
       
       
       
       
       Conseco, Ahoy
       
      #7 Chris Goodwin, Perry Meridian, 12, 41-4: Goodwin was surprised last week by Ben Davis's Forrest Romer in the regional title match. He'll have to beat Skelton or Corsaro to advance to the semi-state finals.
       
      Adam Skelton, Lebanon, 12, 24-5: Skelton is coming off a great regional and needs to avoid a big letdown. He'll have his hands full with Dominic Corsaro in the ticket round. This might be the year Skelton gets over the hump and makes state. His potential match with Goodwin could be a great one.
       
      Forrest Romer, Ben Davis, 12, 29-11: Like Skelton, Romer is hot, earning an impressive regional title last weekend at Perry Meridian. Hamilton Heights junior Braydon Alley stands in Romer's way. Romer's momentum might be the difference.
       
      Best ticket-punch matches: #13 Dominic Corsaro, Cathedral, 12, 36-5 vs. Skelton. Romer vs. Braydon Alley, Hamilton Heights, 11, 31-7.
       
      Darkhorse: Corsaro. It's hard to bet against a returning place-winner.
       
      140
       
      Tony McGinley seeks to add another big title to his collection. His knee is a concern, but he looked sharp at the regional. Among a host of others, Jacob Tonte, Dustin Youngs, Keith Duncan and Jonathan Decker look to challenge the McGinley Supremacy at 140. While McGinley is a solid favorite, his potential injury concerns might open the door for a challenger to take the semi-state championship and the #1 seed at Conseco that it brings. 
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Tony Mac, New Castle's Top Dog at 140][/caption]
       
      Top Dog: #2 Tony McGinley, Cathedral, 12, 32-2
       
      McGinley is a proven winner and was a 4th place finisher at 140 at last year's State meet. He also qualified for the State Finals as a sophomore. If he's healthy, it's hard to picture him losing here. I think he'll tough it out and grab semi-state title #2. No one stands out as a clear challenger here.
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
      Conseco, Ahoy
       
      #7 Keith Duncan, Rushville, 12, 31-3: 2X state qualifier Duncan looks to get over the hump this year and add a state placement to his resume. He seems most likely to have a shot at upsetting McGinley. However, there are 3 other very tough wrestlers in his portion of the bracket who could prevent him from qualifying for State a 3rd time, including state qualifier JR Corman, who had a big semi-state last year. Duncan had better not come out flat for his first match, either; Shelton is capable of a big upset.
       
      #10 Jacob Tonte, Perry Meridian, 11, 42-2: Coach's son Tonte is always dangerous and is a former 7th place state finisher. Tonte has had a remarkably good year, outside of two rough matches vs. #1 Sandefer and #2 McGinley. He struggled vs. McGinley earlier this year, but he also seemed to be trying to 'hit a home run' with big throw and headlock attempts.
       
      Jonathan Decker, Warren Central, 9, 26-6: Pay attention to this name. This is one tough freshman hombre. Decker surprised many at the Warren sectional, pinning Josh Ramage and JR Corman en route to a sectional title. He followed that up with a strong 2nd place finish at the Perry regional and he seems to be improving on a daily basis. He'll have to somehow get by tough seniors and fellow sectional champs Dusty Youngs and Dominique Butts, but he has some strong Mojo working right now. If Decker isn't the pick, then it's likely the experienced Youngs.
       
      Best ticket-punch matches: Decker vs. Dusty Youngs, Zionsville, 12, 30-6. #7 Duncan vs. JR Corman, New Palestine, 11, 33-8.
       
      Darkhorses: Youngs and Corman.
       
       145  
       
       
       
       This is a pretty loaded weight at New Castle. #1 Sammy Bennett, fresh off a tight loss to #6 Gavin McGinley, looks to re-establish himself as the wrestler to beat at 145. He will have to face down one of the most dangerous weight classes at New Castle. Bennett, McGinley, Tasseff, Robinson and Goodwin are just some of the studs at this weight. McGinley won this stacked weight class last year, with Bennett finishing 2nd. Bennett got the last laugh at Conseco, finishing a very impressive 2nd at the State Finals.

       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Gavin Mac, New Castle's Top Dog at 145][/caption]
       
      Top Dog:  #6 Gavin McGinley, Cathedral, 12, 27-3
       
      McGinley has earned a reputation recently as somewhat of a 'meanie'. I'm not so sure about that, but I know he wrestles very hard and with a lot of emotion, as evidenced after last week's regional finals. Maybe it's just the McGinley Supremacy that bothers people. The 2X state placer will likely place a third time this year, and it's even possible he could win it all. Although he and Bennett are 1-1 vs. each other this year, McGinley seems to have his number a little bit, going back to last year. Gavin has to worry about Jacob Tasseff, though, as Tasseff beat him at Cathedral in their dual earlier this year. They should meet in the semis and McGinley is going to have to figure out a way to finish his takedowns, something he wasn't really able to do in their last meeting. He was pretty frustrated in their last meeting. It should be a fantastic match, if it happens.

       
      Conseco, Ahoy

      #1 Sammy Bennett, Anderson Highland, 11, 32-1: It's very possible that Bennett will get a measure of revenge and end up on top of the podium at New Castle. He's a talented kid with some very impressive results under his belt, and he has beaten McGinley this year. In addition to last year's runner-up finish, he also qualified for State as a freshman at 140. Bennett has Hamilton Southeastern's Patrick Robinson lurking as a possible ticket matchup. Bennett should get the job done and advance to State a 3rd straight time.
       
      #5 Jacob Tasseff, Perry Meridian, 12, 43-1: Tasseff knows he can beat anyone in the state at this weight. With Perry's rugged schedule, he's faced many tough kids at 145, this year and in past years. It won't be an upset if Tasseff beats McGinley and Bennett. Tasseff has a nightmare matchup vs. East Central's Presley in the ticket round. Expect a close one.
       
      Matt Goodwin, Lawrence North, 12, 31-6: Goodwin was ranked in earlier editions of the individual rankings. The way the brackets fell, he has a strong chance at advancing to Conseco.


       
      Best ticket-punch matches: Bennett vs.  Patrick Robinson, Hamilton Southeastern, 12, 42-4. Tasseff vs. Jared Presley, East Central, 11, 30-2.
       
      Darkhorses: Robinson, Presley.
       
      152
       
      A solid field led by undefeated 4th-ranked Cathedral wrestler Calvin Sullivan soldiers on to New Castle this weekend. While the 2-time State placer Sullivan is the favorite, depth is present in the form of #14 Jake Jennings, #11 Blake Wood, #7 Drew Brogden and East Central's Nick Hutchison. Watch out also for Matt Miller, Brock Robinson and Mike Taylor. Past Sullivan, the expected order is unclear.
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Calvin Sullivan, New Castle's Top Dog at 152][/caption]
       
      Top Dog: #4 Calvin Sullivan, Cathedral, 12, 37-0
       
      Sullivan brings his unblemished record and excellent record at Conseco into this semi-state as a fairly clear favorite. Sullivan placed 5th the past 2 years, at 135 last year and at 125 the year before. Calvin has successfully made the move up to 152, beating all comers so far this year. He actually has a very tough path to the semis; a tough opener against Fishers' Troy Hollings, followed by a very dangerous match vs. #14 Jennings of New Palestine. If he beats Jennings, Cal will still have to beat #7 Brogden (39-1!)of Zionsville just to make the finals. Expect him to meet and beat #11 Wood in the finals if the seeds hold.

       

      Conseco, Ahoy
       
      #11 Blake Wood, Perry Meridian, 12, 41-4: Wood is a regional champ who was also a state qualifier last year. He'll have to get by Robinson, Taylor, Miller and Hutchison to face Sullivan again, but he should be equal to the task. Wood was really slowed down in his earlier match with Sullivan. He was unable to get anything going at all, losing 4-1. 

      #7 Drew Brogden, Zionsville, 12, 39-1: Brogden has a solid path to the semis, where he could meet Sullivan. I'd like to see he and Wood go at it for a true 2nd, but this is Indiana. Brogden is legit; he owns a win over Bellmont's Ty Baker this year, as well as a win over Preston Richard. Sullivan may be too much for him.
       
      Nick Hutchison, East Central, 12, 38-2: Hutchison brings an excellent record into New Castle, where he'll have to deal with a very tough sophomore named Mike Taylor of Lawrence Central. This is a pick 'em. I went with the senior.
       
      Best ticket-punch matches: Sullivan vs. #14 Jake Jennings, New Palestine, 12, 25-7. Hutchison vs. Mike Taylor, Lawrence Central, 10, 24-9. Wood vs. Matt Miller, Hamilton Heights, 12, 17-4/ or Jordan Robinson, Westfield, 12, 37-10.
       
      Darkhorses: Taylor, Miller, Robinson
       
      160
       
      This might be the most loaded weight of the bunch. #3 Matt Todd appears to be a comfortable favorite, but there are a handful of other kids who could get hot and win the weight. #7 Brad Farrell, #6 RV Peter, #8 Brett Durphey, #11 Tyler Willis, #10 Anthony Bill, Nick Holaway, Von Wasson, Ibragim Komilov and Cory Hudgins are all legit potential state qualifiers. While Todd should win it, it's far from a given, and he will be sorely tested even if he is victorious.
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Matt Todd, New Castle's Top Dog at 160][/caption]
       
      Top Dog: #3 Matt Todd, Pendleton Heights, 12, 39-0
       
      One of several Todds from Pendleton Heights through the years, Matt looked pretty dominant at the Pendleton Heights regional. He had no problem with the much taller Komilov, who was riding high after a huge upset of Tyler Willis in the regional semis. Last year's 8th place finisher at 160 #6  RV Peter will be waiting for Todd in the ticket round. Todd's very physically strong and maintains solid positioning when he wrestles. He'll get a good taste of Conseco's 160 lb. class in this semi-state, but he should wind up as Top Dog at the end of the day.
       
       
       
       
       
      Conseco, Ahoy
       
      #7 Brad Farrell, Fishers, 12, 42-2: Farrell should be able survive a monstrous grouping which includes Southport's Alan McNeal and Ibragim Komilov. To be sure, there are no easy matches in this weight in particular. McNeal is a tough senior and Komilov presents all kinds of matchup problems. If Farrell gets by those 2, he'll have the red-hot Nick Holaway or Tyler Willis waiting for him. His reward if he can win those 3 extremely tough matches is the undefeated Todd in the finals. Should be Fishers first state qualifier and state-placer.
       
      Nick Holaway, Greenfield-Central, 12, 32-9: Few wrestlers have elevated as much in the postseason as Holaway. He pinned his way to the finals of the sectional, then knocked off then-undefeated Durphey in the finals. He followed that up with a strong regional championship, beating multi-X state qualifier Chris Hines, always-tough Cory Hudgins and Durphey once again. He is very dangerous, but he'll also have to get by Tyler Willis, which is no easy task.
       
      #8 Brett Durphey, Shelbyville, 12, 26-2: A state qualifier last year at 160, Durphey has beaten everyone he's faced this season except Holaway. In order to advance, Durphey will have to beat either #10 Anthony Bill or regional champ Von Wasson. Durphey stepped up big in last year's semi-state, beating one-loss Connor Hofmeister of Cathedral to advance to state in a tight match that most saw him as a sizeable underdog.
       
      Best ticket-punch matches: All four are epic matchups. #7 Farrell vs. Ibragim Komilov, North Central, 11, 33-8. Holaway vs. #11 Tyler Willis, Cathedral, 9, 35-5. #8 Durphey vs. #10 Anthony Bill, Chatard, 11, 34-3/Von Wasson, New Castle, 11, 44-3. #3 Todd vs. #6 Ronald "RV" Peter, Westfield, 12, 26-4.
       
      Darkhorses: Komilov, Willis, Bill, Wasson and Peter
       
      171
       
      Michael Duckworth came into last year's New Castle semi-state and cleaned house. It's very likely he'll do it again. The difference? Last year he was the hunter and this year he is the hunted. Will it matter? Probably not. Duckworth is one of Indiana's best wrestlers and he is hungry for his first state title. Although there are numerous fine wrestlers in this weight class, there is no clear challenger for Duckworth. He'll likely face Grimes in the semis; he beat Grimes last year in New Castle. I'm not sure Moats or Moore can really keep pace with him in the finals. What's a Duckworth? Another semi-state title, almost certainly.
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Mike Duckworth, New Castle's Top Dog at 171][/caption]
       
      Top Dog: #1 Michael Duckworth, Union County, 11, 41-0
       
      There's not too much to say about Duckworth, other than he is a special wrestler and one of the biggest favorites at this semi-state. He'll take up where wrestlers like Union County's Kenneth "Casey" Caldwell and Chris Barnhizer left off; he won't be happy with a state runner-up finish again this year. New Castle is just a means to that end. He's a very clear Top Dog here.
       
       
       
       
       
      Conseco, Ahoy
       
      #9 Kevin Moats, Tipton, 11, 39-2: Moats battled tough with Grimes in the regional final and came up a bit short. He'll have a bear of a match with Perry Meridian's regional champ Jordan Robinson. Robinson is very capable of beating Moats and making the finals, but I'll go with the Tipton wrestler. Moats is very solid and should tangle with Moore in the semis if he can get by Robinson, which is a big if.
       
      #4 Bryce Grimes, Lawrence North, 12, 39-1: Last year's 5th place finisher in New Castle looks to get over the hump. Grimes had the misfortune of winding up on Duckworth's side of the bracket, which is a shame, because he's likely the 2nd best in this field. He'll have to get by #15 Phelps to make it to Conseco, but he should be able to do that comfortably. His one loss the entire season was to Shelby Mappes, a loss he avenged twice. Grimes is still a good bet to place at New Castle, even with a 3rd seed.  The only critique I have of him at all is that he appeared to gas in the regional finals vs. Moats.
       
      Scott Moore, Fountain Central, 11, 30-1:  Moore won his regional last weekend and looks to advance to his first state meet. He'll have to get by Mike Smith to advance to state. I don't think he'll be able to beat Grimes, although he has a shot at beating Moats.
       
      Best ticket-punch matches: Grimes vs. #15 Mike Phelps, New Palestine, 11, 32-6. Moore vs. Mike Smith, North Central, 10, 25-9, #9 Moats vs.  Jordan Robinson, Perry Meridian, 10, 32-4.
       
      Darkhorses: Robinson, Smith
       
      189
       
      This is probably the deepest group of wresters at New Castle, and probably the most difficult to handicap, as evidenced by 6 ranked wrestlers. There are 3 former state qualifiers in the group, as well as a ticket match featuring 2 kids looking to become their school's first state qualifier. Nick Hodges appears to be a pretty clear favorite, but Michael Johnson-Jones, Andy Dalton, Ben Vondersaar, Patrick Lux, Chaz Brock and Daniel Sandberg are all State-caliber wrestlers. I'm personally looking forward to this weight more than any other at New Castle.
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Nick Hodges, New Castle's Top Dog at 189][/caption]
       
      Top Dog: #2 Nick Hodges, Southmont, 12, 25-1
       
      Hodges, the fairly unathletic-looking, slightly pudgy kid from Southmont, is a returning state 5th place finisher at 189. Appearances are highly deceiving; Hodges is as slick a big man as I've seen in a while. Not very tall or long for the weight, Hodges uses movement and leverage exceptionally well. Maybe more than anyone besides Duckworth last year, Hodges surprised and impressed me at New Castle. Hodges has to get by the very tough Sandberg to advance to Conseco, but it will be a huge upset if he doesn't win not only that match, but the entire weight and move forward as a top seed at State. Even the ever-improving Michael Johnson-Jones shouldn't stand in the way of Hodges' bid to advance to the finals.
       
       
       
      Conseco, Ahoy
       
      #5 Andy Dalton, East Central, 12, 40-1:  If Dalton manages to make the finals, he will have already beaten rugged Heights wrestler Zac Garrity, #9 Chaz Brock and regional champ Ben Vondersaar. Needless to say, that's not a small task. Weighing in his favor, Dalton already owns a win over Michael Johnson-Jones and 215's Colin Warner. Like many kids at this weight, he wrestled at 215 quite a bit this season. Dalton will need to wrestle almost flawlessly to make the finals.
       
      #8 Michael Johnson-Jones, Warren Central, 11, 36-2: If wins were given to the kid who passes the 'look test' the best, MJ-J would be your New Castle champ and Hodges wouldn't win a match. One of the nicest kids off the mat, smiling and friendly with everyone he meets, including his competitors, Johnson-Jones has improved by leaps and bounds this year, which is impressive since he qualified for State last season. As Coach Vickery has noted, MJ-J has learned to use his natural gifts, especially his hips, much better this year. He dominated his sectional and regional against some good competition. He lost a close match early in the season to Dalton, but he would have a great shot to avenge that loss and make the semi-state finals, if not for the way the bracket was set up. As things stand, he'll have to beat Westfield's Melby and Manual's Sawyers to advance to Conseco. He'll have to settle for a shot at 3rd, due to a semis matchup with Hodges, who is just too crafty and experienced for Johnson-Jones.
       
      #13 Patrick Lux, Fishers, 12, 35-7: This was a tough one to call and I went back and forth with it because Lux faces Pendleton Heights regional champ Ben Vondersaar in the ticket round. The difference, to me, is that Lux has semi-state experience and is coming off a weekend win over #9 Chaz Brock. The battle with Vondersaar is a matchup of kids looking to become the first-ever state qualifier from each kid's school (technically, Lux would be 2nd, since Farrell wrestles earlier), and it should be a war. Lux also has to get by tough frosh Andre Richards for the right to face Vondersaar.
       
      Best ticket-punch matches: #13 Lux vs. Ben Vondersaar, Guerin, 12, 34-3. #5 Dalton vs. #9 Chaz Brock, Crawfordsville, 12, 38-4.
       
      Darkhorses: Vondersaar, Brock
       
      215
       
      Four ranked wrestlers, including unbeaten Gabe Berry of Warren Central, head a solid, evenly matched 215 semi-state. Berry appears to be the strongest horse in the field, but Colin Warner, Paul Parsley, Jake Buchanan and Chris Schaefer stand out as possible challengers to Berry for the title.
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Gabe Berry, New Castle's Top Dog at 215][/caption]
       
      Top Dog: #5 Gabriel Berry, Warren Central, 12, 36-0
       
      Berry has had some close matches this year, but with Warren's schedule, his flawless record is pretty impressive. Multiple wins over Chris Schaefer and Drew Dorsey, as well as a win over John Kercher to go along with his sectional and regional crowns, show that Berry is poised for a run at a state title. I'm sure he and Michael Johnson-Jones have some pretty intense practices. Berry's first stiff test should come in the semis, when he faces last year's state qualifier and Pendleton Heights regional champ Colin Warner. Should he get by the always tough Warner, he'll likely face Chris Schaefer for the fourth time. It's hard to beat the same kid that many times, and Schaefer has a lot of tools to work with, but Berry should be able to get the job done.
       
      Conseco, Ahoy
       
      #6 Chris Schaefer, Perry Meridian, 12, 37-5: Three of Schaeffer's losses are to Berry; he also has close losses to top-ranked Billy Baker and #4 Christian Lentz. Schaefer is very long and very strong, and he has an excellent motor. He's been in the lineup for a long time and is as seasoned as any wrestler in the field. He'll have to overcome Westfield's top-seeded Paul Parsley in the ticket round. Parsley likely belongs in the top 4, but he got a brutal draw. After facing Parsley, Schaefer will likely have to get by Buchanan again, something he did earlier this season in the dual with Cathedral.
       
      #8 Colin Warner, Tipton, 12, 39-3: Warner could be competing at 189, but his move to 215 allowed Dylan Ford to have a great year for the Blue Devils at 189. Warner has serious experience in the state series and nationally, so he won't be intimidated by Berry in the semis. He should cruise to the semis.
       
      Jake Buchanan, Cathedral, 11, 29-8: In his match with Schaefer earlier this year, Buchanan was able to keep the match close despite Schaefer's physical superiority. Buchanan is slick on his feet and lulls his opponents to sleep, waiting for an opportunity to surprise them with an agile trip or shot. Buchanan should watch out for Halbert in his opening match.
       
      Best ticket-punch match: #6 Schaefer vs. #10 Paul Parsley, Westfield, 12, 32-2 
       
      Darkhorse: Parsley
       
      285
       
      Heavyweight is probably the least heralded, and therefore most unpredictable, weight class at New Castle. Led by the dominant Ethan Cuevas, the field has some wrestlers with excellent records. While Cuevas is a strong favorite, Tony Bell, Dylan McBride, Ben Jackson, Andrew Becker, Sam Poole, Trent Wallace, Caleb Miller and Dimitrios Alafogianis all bring 30+ wins and dominant seasons into the semi-state; three spots are up for grabs among that crew.
       
      [caption id=" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Ethan Cuevas, New Castle's Biggest Dog][/caption]
       
      Big Dog: #6 Ethan Cuevas, North Central, 12, 42-1
       
      Cuevas has been a revelation this year. He didn't participate in the postseason series last year, but this year he has performed at an elite level. Other than a very close loss to last year's state qualifier and #4 HWT Alex White, no one has been able to control Cuevas. Cuevas is an athletic heavy, and he should be able to go deep into a match, or even OT, without gassing. He'll likely have to beat Sam Poole and Dylan McBride to advance to the title match, where he should be able to take care of business vs. Bell or Becker.
       
       
       
      Conseco, Ahoy
       
      Tony Bell, Roncalli, 12, 33-8: Bell has been one of Roncalli's stars this postseason, garnering a bunch of falls and continuing to beat everyone placed in front of him. In order to advance to the title match, he'll first have to take care of the very dangerous Dimitrios Alafogianis, brother of former state-placer (as a 3rd place regional finisher! Foreshadowing???) Eli Alafogianis. If he can get by the New Castle HWT, he'll likely have to try to hand Becker just his 4th loss. It seems that the tough schedule is paying off for Bell and Roncalli.
       
      Dylan McBride, Crawfordsville, 11, 36-6: McBride is coming off a title at the North Montgomery regional that saw his sectional produce all 4 placers. McBride will have to get by Milan's 38-4 Ben Jackson to advance to the semis, where he'll likely meet Cuevas. McBride should handle Becker in the third place match.
       
      Andrew Becker, Elwood, 12, 37-3: Becker is coming off of a strong 2nd place finish at Pendleton Heights and should be able to get by Trent Wallace and Rodney Quicksall to advance to Conseco.
       
       

       
       
       
       



      1000

      Woodlan(Fort Wayne) Semi-State Preview

      There is no better place to spend Valentine's Day than the War Memorial Coliseum for semi-state wrestling action. This year an extra 56 wrestlers get to wrestle in the friendly confines of the Coliseum as the fourth place finisher from regional now advances to semi-state. The teams with the most representatives are Yorktown with 10, Bellmont and Peru with 9, and Carroll, South Adams and Elkhart Central with 7. The action will be hot and heavy this year as there are numerous great match-ups in the ticket round and before.
       
      103
       
      Bishop Dwenger's Austen Vore comes in undefeated and is the favorite here. Travis Bryant of Muncie Central will try to knock off the senior as he is currently wrestling really well at the right time. This weight class will be a dogfight from the beginning with great matches from the first round onward.  Vore will be tested early with Elkhart Central's Abraham Que in a potential ticket round match.
       

       

       


       
      The Big Enchilada: Austen Vore- Bishop Dwenger
      Other State Streeters
      Travis Bryant- Muncie Central
      Todd Batt- South Adams
      Shannon Garrettson- Peru
       
      Early Matches to Watch
      Austen Vore vs. Abraham Que- Elkhart Central
      Todd Batt vs. Trenton Gremmil- Central Noble
       
      112
      Many of the 112lbers and their coaches in the Fort Wayne Semi-State were very anxious to see where the draws played out here. There are five returning state qualifiers in this weight class and add to that freshman phenom Devon Jackson. Jackson is the favorite here, but he will have to fend off stiff challengers from the beginning to the end.  The five returning state qualifiers that will be going at it for the four spots at state include Prairie Heights' Travis Barroquillo, Steven Ross of Concord, Northwestern's Matt Miller, Steve Gonzales of Delta and Muncie South's Jacob Armantrout.  Armantrout and Miller will be squaring off in the first round with the winner getting the priviledge of wrestling Barrquillo in the ticket round.
       


      The Big Enchilada: #6 Devon Jackson- Yorktown
      Other State Streeters
      #7 Travis Barroquillo- Prairie Heights
      #9 Steven Ross- Concord
      #11 Steve Gonzales- Delta
       
      Early Matches to Watch
      #7 Travis Barroquillo vs. Matt Miller- Northwestern
      #9 Steven Ross vs. Logan Randle-Huntington North
       
      119
      Returning state runner-up, Casey Kenney of Jay County, is the headliner in this weight class. He survived round #1 with Yorktown's Derek Bevans and would like nothing more than to leave Fort Wayne with his second semi-state championship. Bevans was the 112lb semi-state champion last year.  Others to watch include Bellmont's Brooks Faurote who has quite the family lineage and Alex Filer of Elkhart Central.
       


      The Big Enchilada: #8 Casey Kenney- Jay County
      Other State Streeters
      #7 Derek Bevans- Yorktown
      Alex Filer- Elkhart Central
      Brooks Faurote- Bellmont
       
      Early Matches to Watch
      Alex Filer vs. Bobby Perry- Bluffton
      Brooks Faurote vs. Marquis Williams- Snider
       
      125
      Two returning state placers headline this weight class in Tony Lovejoy and Will Sheets. Sheets comes in with 10 losses on the season, but most were while wrestling up at 130lbs for the team during the regular season. One wrestler to keep your eye on is Angola's undefeated Ricky Furar. He could possibly see Sheets in the ticket round if they both win their first round matches. Another great potential ticket round match will be between Troy Fiechter of Southern Wells and returning state qualifier Aaron Garrettson of Peru.
       


      The Big Enchilada: #6 Tony Lovejoy- Bishop Luers
      Other State Streeters
      #15 Andrew Heistand- Yorktown
      Troy Fiechter- Southern Wells
      #4 Will Sheets- Bellmont
       
      Early Matches to Watch
      Troy Fiechter vs. Aaron Garrettson- Peru
      #4 Will Sheets vs. Ricky Furar- Angola
       
      130
      The top quarter-bracket in this weight class is absolutely LOADED. All of the wrestlers have four or less losses on the season and two were state qualifiers last year. Unfortunately only one of these wrestlers will get in free to Conseco next week. Columbia City's Austin Egolf leads the way in this quarter-bracket as he was a state qualifier last year at this weight. Austin Shepherd was a state qualifier at 112lbs last year and is the latest in a long line of Shepherds to come through the Western program. The other wrestlers are Southern Wells' Darin Fiechter and West Noble's Ty Alles. Both have experience at the Coliseum, but have yet to wrestle at Conseco.
       


      The Big Enchilada: #8 Brock Norton- Carroll
      Other State Streeters
      Jimmy LaRowe- East Noble
      Josh Ehr- South Adams
      #11 Austin Egolf- Columbia City
       
      Early Matches to Watch
      Austin Shepherd- Western vs. Darin Fiechter- Southern Wells
      #11 Austin Egolf vs. Tyler Alles- West Noble
       
      135
      The headliner in this weight class is East Noble's Taylor March. He is looking to come home with a gold medal this year after taking silver as a freshman and sophomore and the bronze last year. March only has one loss on the season and that is to Johnny Dillon at the Al Smith. Another wrestler to watch in this weight class is #11 Matt Gerber of Bluffton who has dominated the competition for the past three weeks. Gerber will be tested in the ticket round by Jimtown's Jeremy Hill. Another ticket round match to watch is Jace German of Garrett against Steve Farrah of Elkhart Central.
       


      The Big Enchilada: #3 Taylor March- East Noble
      Other State Streeters
      #11 Matt Gerber- Bluffton
      Austin Waite- Maconaquah
      Jace German- Garrett
       
      Early Matches to Watch
      Jace German vs. Steven Farrah- Elkhart Central
      #11 Matt Gerber vs. #16 Jeremy Hill- Jimtown
       
      140
      This weight class sports three ranked wrestlers and the bracket and the wrestling bracket gods at the IHSAA separated all three into separate quarter brackets. The one to watch is #5 Ryan Stahl of Elkhart Memorial. He was a qualifier in 2007 at 112lbs, but was knocked out of the tournament by Will Sheets at 125lbs last year. Stahl would love nothing more than to bring home another state title to hang beside the one his brother won last year. The other challengers to watch are Eastern's Chad Barrett who placed 6th last year and Garrett's Bryce Schendel. Schendel will have to knock off undefeated Josh Martin of Randolph Southern in the ticket round to make it to state for a second year in a row.
       


      The Big Enchilada: #5 Ryan Stahl- Elkhart Memorial
      Other State Streeters
      #8 Chad Barrett- Eastern
      Justin Beck- Leo
      #13 Bryce Schendel- Garrett
       
      Early Matches to Watch
      #5 Ryan Stahl vs. Jeremy Sisk- North Miami
      #11 Bryce Schendel vs. Josh Martin- Randolph Southern
       
      145
      Along with 140lbs, this is another weight class with three ranked wrestlers. Any of these three wrestlers could take home the blue ribbon on any given day. The favorite is returning champion Jordan Dulaney of Yorktown. Dulaney took home a championship last year, but was upended at state in the first round. Others to watch are Elkhart Memorial's pinning machine Zach Corpe and Leo's Cam Friend. Friend and Corpe both have older brothers that wrestled under the spotlight and would love to duplicate those feats. The match to watch early on is Corpe vs. returning state qualifier Corey Richards of Churubusco.
       


      The Big Enchilada: #10 Jordan Dulaney- Yorktown
      Other State Streeters
      #12 Cam Friend- Leo
      Dalton Sparks- Peru
      #4 Zach Corpe- Elkhart Memorial
       
      Early Matches to Watch
      #12 Cam Friend vs. Ryley Hankenson- Bellmont
      #4 Zach Corpe vs. Corey Richards- Churubusco
      #10 Jordan Dulaney vs. Chandler Pogue- Mississinewa
       
      152
      When you talk about pinning this year you cannot leave out Kyle Mosier of Yorktown who is coming to the Coliseum with pins in 36 out of 38 matches. He has pinned at least four of the top competitors in this bracket and would love nothing more than to pin his way to a title. Mosier is a two-time state placer, placing 4th in 2007 and 2008. Tyler Baker of Bellmont who placed 6th last year will look to knock off Mosier along with two time state qualifier Bryant Whitaker of Muncie South. Both Baker and Whitaker cannot overlook their early round matches as they will both have to battle to punch another free ride to Conseco.
       


      The Big Enchilada: #2 Kyle Mosier- Yorktown
      Other State Streeters
      #10 Tyler Baker- Bellmont
      #6 Bryant Whitaker- Muncie South
      Matt Davenport- Oak Hill
       
      Early Matches to Watch
      #10 Tyler Baker vs. Quinn Kurtz- Prairie Heights
      #6 Bryant Whitaker vs. Zac McCray- Garrett
       
      160
      Returning state qualifier Ross Powell is the headliner in this group. He comes in undefeated this year and relatively untested. Another top contender at this weight is Eastbrook's Jackson Bratcher. He will look to reverse his fortunes of last year as he came in undefeated only to get upset in the ticket round. Bellmont's Trent Busse is riding a big winning streak after missing a couple weeks late in the season due to injury. Drew Walters of Elkhart Central is a returning state qualifier, but will have to avenge an early season loss to Jordan Hamilton of Churubusco to qualify for state again.
       


      The Big Enchilada: #4 Ross Powell- Northridge
      Other State Streeters
      Jordan Hamilton- Churubusco
      Trent Busse- Bellmont
      #13 Jackson Bratcher- Eastbrook
       
      Early Matches to Watch
      Jordan Hamilton vs. Drew Walters- Elkhart Central
      #13 Jackson Bratcher vs. Trent Castner- Yorktown
       
      171
      Don't worry everyone, the George Lopez at this weight class was not the star of Beverly Hill Chihuahua so don't go asking for autographs! Ok, sorry for the lame attempt at humor, but the George Lopez from Napanee is as talented a wrestler as George Lopez is a comedian.....minus Beverly Hills Chihuahua! He was a state qualifier last year and an Al Smith runner-up this year. Lopez will be tested by the likes of Trey Shultz of Adams Central and Marqueen Suel of Harding. Suel had Lopez on the ropes last year in the ticket round in a great match that he pulled out late in the third period. Returning state qualifier Martin Lantz of Fairfield dropped down a weight this year and will have to go through Shultz to qualify again for state.
       


      The Big Enchilada: #6 George Lopez- Northwood
      Other State Streeters
      Spencer Fenner- Eastbrook
      Marqueen Suel- Harding
      #8 Trey Shultz- Adams Central
       
      Early Matches to Watch
      Marqueen Suel vs. Grant Melcher- Bellmont
      #8 Trey Shultz vs. Martin Lantz- Fairfield
       
      189
      Drew Graber came out of nowhere to place second in the state at 171lbs last year. This year people know who he is and he is still dominating them. Graber is looking to finish one notch higher on the podium at Conseco, but will have to navigate through a tough field at the Coliseum first. The first test could be in the semi-finals with Huntington North's Zach Abbott. Graber only beat Abbott by one point last year. Others to watch for are Peru's Brett Worden and #15 Darryn Scott of Marion.
       


      The Big Enchilada: #3 Drew Graber- Northridge
      Other State Streeters
      #4 Zach Abbott- Huntington North
      Brett Worden- Peru
      #15 Darryn Scott- Marion
       
      Early Matches to Watch
      Brett Worden vs. Travis Thatcher- Bellmont
      #15 Darryn Scott vs. Josh Grider- South Side
       
      215
      When was the last time there wasn't a Baker wrestling for Bellmont? Maybe the 1800's? As usual, there are some Bakers in the Bellmont lineup and they are all STUDS! Billy Baker however had to watch the state finals last year from the stands as he was eliminated in the ticket round by the eventual state champion Steve Stahl. Baker has come back bigger and meaner after leading the Braves football team to a state championship in the fall. The undefeated Baker will definitely be tested this week by an equally accomplished wrestler in North Side's Aris Allen. Allen also comes in undefeated and he has passed the "look test" since his sophomore year. The Allen vs. Baker match is one to watch for on Saturday, but they will have to get through the likes of Jimmie King of Muncie South and Austin Phillips of Elkhart Central to make this match happen.
       


      The Big Enchilada: #1 Billy Baker- Bellmont
      Other State Streeters
      #12 Aris Allen- North Side
      Austin Phillips- Elkhart Central
      Jimmie King- Muncie South
       
      Early Matches to Watch
      Jimmie King vs. Dylan Green- Kokomo
      Austin Phillps vs. Anthony Fondrea- Winchester
       
      285
      Last year's state runner-up didn't even win the semi-state! Chalfant lost a close match to New Haven's Matt Cheviron due to penalty points and had to settle for 3rd place. This year Chalfant again brings an undefeated record to the Coliseum, but he plans on keeping the zero at the end. He will be challenged however by relative unknown Evan Floyd of Northwestern who comes in with only one loss on the season. The other closest competitors in Ross Janey of Yorktown and Jim West of South Adams have both been caught counting the lights when they wrestled Chalfant.
       


      The Big Enchilada: #1 Adam Chalfant- Winchester
      Other State Streeters
      Evan Floyd- Northwestern
      #11 Ross Janney- Yorktown
      Jim West- South Adams
       
      Early Matches to Watch
      Evan Floyd vs. Daniel Meyer- Bellmont
      Evan Floyd vs. #15 Zack Stone- Jimtown

      892

      Evansville Semi-State Preview

      By Justin Cooper
       
      This weekend 224 wrestlers from the southern half of Indiana will do battle at Robert's Stadium. A state high 58 ranked wrestlers are in this Semi-State, but only 56 will get to make the trip to the Big Show. Due to the stacked regionals there will be some great ticket round matches.
       
      103:
      Favorite: Brian Kuhn- Evansville Reitz (47-1)
      Look for Brian Kuhn to meet up Jacob Boomsma in the finals. While Dylan Hall and Dusty Kief battle it out for 3rd.
       
      Others heading to State
      Dylan Hall Evansville Harrison
      Jacob Boomsma Bloomington South
      Dusty Kief Franklin
       
      Best Ticket Round Match
      Jordan Judy (40-2) vs. Jacob Boomsma (33-2)
       
      112:
      Favorite: Francisco Colon- Columbus North (36-3)
      This is one of the most open weight classes where a lot of great wrestlers and a lot of great match ups. Colon looks to make another trip to state after getting injured last year at Semi State.
       
      Others heading to State
      Curtis Smith Jeffersonville
      Shawn Miracle Bloomington North
      Derek Fisher Martinsville
       
      Best Ticket round Match
      Derek Fisher (32-3) vs. Alex Griesemer (36-4)
      Blaine Hall (21-2) Vs. Francisco Colon (36-3)
       
      119:
      Favorite: Ethan Raley- Indian Creek (28-0)
      The potential finals match-up between Raley and Alex Johns of Reitz is one of the matches to watch, but Raley and Johns cannot overlook the other competitors in this weight.
       
      Others heading to State
      Alex Johns Evansville Reitz
      Jordan Jensen Terre Haute South
      Matt Milton Center Grove
       
      Best Ticket Round Match
      Jeff Stotridge Charlestown (37-1) vs Returning State place winner Matt Milton (25-7)
       
      125:
      Favorite: Matt Adams- Center Grove (30-4)
      This is a very deep weight class with a lot of talent. The championship will go to whomever brings their ‘A' game on Saturday.
       
      Others heading to State
      Blake Reuger Evansville Reitz
      Eddie Durran Charlestown
      Zach Henderson Mater Dei
       
      Best Ticket Round Match
      Zach Henerson Mater Dei (31-5) vs. Luke Pingelton Northview (31-5)
      Cole Vanhorn Franklin (33-7) vs. Eddie Durran Charlestown (36-1)
       
      130:
      Favorite: Brannigan Barlow- Bloomington South (38-4)
      Barlow is the man to beat, this year he has victories over some of the best the state has to offer. This is another very deep weight class with a lot of good first and second round matches. It will be interesting to see if senior Caleb Purtlebaugh can upset freshman Quincy Richey in the round to go.
       
      Others heading to State
      Andrew Seitz Castle
      Brett Walker Jeffersonville
      Quincy Richey Brown County
       
      Best Ticket Round Match
      Quincy Richey Brown County (30-1) vs. Caleb Purtlebaugh Martinsville (22-4)
       
      135:
      Favorite: Mitchell Richey- Brown Country (36-0)
      There are six ranked wrestlers in this weight class alone and we should see some great battles all day long.
       
      Others heading to state
      Doug Welch Castle
      Nick Smith Franklin
      Zach DeHaven Evansville Memorial
       
      Best Ticket Round Match
      Nick Smith Franklin (36-4) Vs. Aaron May Charelstown (35-7)
       
      140:
      Favorite: John Sims- Mater Dei (32-2)
      This is one of the most stacked weight classes at any Semi State. There will be some great wrestlers sent home because of their draws.
       
      Others heading to State
      Jerod Crump Center Grove
      Jacob Milenbaugh Columbus North
      Garret Smith Cascade
       
      Best Ticket Round Matches
      Garret Smith Cascade (40-1) vs. Chad Welch Castle (39-4)
      Zach Wojdyla Brown County (36-3) Vs. John Sims Mater Dei (32-2)
      James Walker Martinsville (20-3) vs. Jacob Milenbaugh (Great 1st round match-up)
       
      145:
      Favorite: Preston Richard- Castle (40-3)
      The Zenthoefer vs. Spicer match may be the match of the day, both are seniors with great records looking to extend their post season one more week. Look for Krulik and Richard to have a great finals match.
       
      Others heading to State
      Jordan Krulik Martinsville
      Steve Spicer Edgewood
      Ben Moberly Floyd Central
       
      Best Ticket Round Match
      Steve Spicer Edgewood (36-2) vs. Zeke Zenthoefer Mater Dei (34-4)
       
      152:
      Favorite: Drake Stein- Princeton (41-0)
      Well known Drake Stein will have a great battle with little known Ryan Kolb if both make it to the finals. The spoiler in this weight class is Trey Reese looking to knock off unbeaten Holden Fudurich in the ticket round.
       
      Others heading to State
      Ryan Kolb Tri West
      Jeff Weiss Heritage Hills
      Trey Reese Indian Creek
       
      Best Ticket Round Match
      Trey Reese Indian Creek (31-3) vs. Holden Fudurich Sullivan (33-0)
      Josh Sampson New Washington (44-2) vs. Jeff Weiss Heritage Hills (43-5)
       
      160:
      Favorite: Briar Runyan- Martinsville (35-0)
      This is Briar Runyan's weight class, he is an unbeaten senior and has pinned every opponent except for Dalton Jones of Avon. After a 3rd and a 2nd place finish at State Runyan will look to win that elusive State Championship.
       
      Others heading to State
      Dalton Jones Avon
      Josh Sparks Edgewood
      Zach Easterling Mater Dei
       
      Best Ticket Round Match
      Zach Easterling Mater Dei (27-6) vs. Terry Terrell Bloomington South (31-9)
       
      171:
      Favorite: #3 Tanner Wedding- Evansville Memorial (32-1)
      Tanner Wedding will be set to do battle with returning state qualifier #5 Shelby Mappes in the semi-finals and the winner will most likely go on to win the Semi-State Championship.
       
      Others heading to State
      Shelby Mappes Center Grove
      Gabe Watson Columbus North
      Caleb Browner Jeffersonville
       
      Best Ticket Round Match
      Caleb Browner Jeffersonville (38-5) vs. Ryan Mann Castle (36-7)
       
      189:
      Favorite: Aaron Stevenson- Indian Creek (38-0)
      Sophomore sensation Aaron Stevenson will look to add to his unbeaten season. With five ranked wrestlers this looks to be one of the more interesting weight classes of the day.
       
      Others heading to State
      Patrick Price North Posey
      Andrew Leach Avon
      Darren Eads Bloomington South
       
      Best Ticket Round Match
      Ethan Cook Providence (31-2) vs. Alex Rosebrock Castle (40-3) or Andrew Leach Avon (29-3)
       
      215:
      Favorite: Clay Robinson- Castle (43-0)
      Robinson will look to keep his unbeaten senior season alive going up against many good wrestlers. The draw of this weight class will send a few great wrestlers home early.
       
      Others heading to State
      Tyler Jenkins Jasper
      Dylan Froelich Tell City
      Jacob Vandeventer Bloomington North
       
      Best Ticket Round Match
      Adam Howland Brownsburg (29-4) vs. Dylan Froelich Tell City (39-4)
       
      285:
      Favorite: Alex White- Mt. Vernon (46-1)
      This is the best weight class of the meet, nearly everyone in this class has a great record, but records will mean nothing if you do not show up to wrestle. Look for Senior Alex White of Mt. Vernon to keep his State Championship hopes alive with some big wins at Semi State.
       
      Others heading to State
      Nate Richey Brownsburg
      Jowan Gill Columbus North
      John Clark Jeffersonville
       
      Best Ticket Round Match
      Joe Arthur Bloomington North (35-3) vs. John Clark Jeffersonville (28-1)

      1300

      IHSAA Wrestling Semi-State Brackets 2009

      1.Merrillville (at Merrillville H.S.), 9 am CT
      Preview by Karl Hungus
      Feeder Regionals: Calumet, LaPorte, Logansport, Rochester.
       
      2. Woodlan (at Allen County Coliseum), 9 am ET
      Preview by Joe Caprino
      Feeder Regionals: Carroll (Fort Wayne), Goshen, Jay County, Peru.
       
      3. New Castle (at New Castle H.S.), 9 am ET
      Preview by Dingo Brigade
      Feeder Regionals: North Montgomery, Pendleton Heights, Perry Meridian, Richmond.
       
      4. Evansville Reitz (at Roberts Stadium), 9 am CT
      Preview by Justin Cooper
      Feeder Regionals: Bloomington South, Castle, Jeffersonville, Mooresville.

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