High School News

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321
Pound for Pound Rankings 1/28/2009
IndianaMat.com Pound for Pound Rankings 1/28/2009
1.  Cashe Quiroga
2.  Sean McMurray
3.  Eric Roach
4.  Jason Tsirtsis
5.  Josh Harper
6.  Brandon Wright
7.  Steven Sandefer
8.  Marcus Shrewsbury
9.  Justin Brooks
10. Michael Duckworth
10. Briar Runyan
10. Camden Eppert
 
Honorable Mention
Braden Atwood
Kyle Mosier
Daniel Young

352
Pound for Pound Best Wrestlers for November 4, 2009
IndianaMat.com is proud to announce the preseason pound for pound best wrestlers in Indiana. This distinction is voted on by 15 members of the wrestling community throughout the state. Each person votes their particular way, weighing both in state and national competition. The voting is very subjective and always up for debate. Leading the way for the preseason is Jason Tsirtsis of Crown Point. Tsirtsis had a great summer and fall, placing second at Fargo in freestyle and second at the most competitive preseason tournament, the Super 32. The next in line is two-time state champion Sean McMurray of Portage. McMurray's summer and fall has been spent training and he also committed to wrestle for the Michigan State Spartans next year. The number three spot belongs to Warren Central's Brandon Wright. Wright is fresh off a runner-up finish at the Super 32 and has reached the state finals all three years in high school. The fourth spot belongs to state champion Frankie Porras of Hobart. Porras had a good spring finishing 7-1 at the Brute Duals.
 
Michael Duckworth of Union County was picked number five on the list. Duckworth captured his first state title last year after a runner-up finish as a sophomore. Two Crown Point wrestlers are at six and seven on the list. Eric Roach comes in at number six after winning his second straight Preseason Nationals title last week. State champion Anthony Hawkins is at number seven. The eighth best pound for pound wrestler is Union County's Cody Phillips. Phillips is going into his sophomore year without a loss after an undefeated season last year. Two-time state placer Sammy Bennett of Anderson Highland is next on the list. Bennett has been to state three times during his career, finishing third and second the past two years. Rounding out the top ten is Brenden Campbell of New Castle. Campbell finished 8th at Fargo after bowing out of the high school season due to an injury. Campell is also undefeated on his career so far.
 
1. Jason Tsirtsis- Crown Point
2. Sean McMurray- Portage
3. Brandon Wright- Warren Central
4. Frankie Porras- Hobart
5. Michael Duckworth- Union County
6. Eric Roach- Crown Point
7. Anthony Hawkins- Crown Point
8. Cody Phillips- Union County
9. Sammy Bennett- Anderson Highland
10. Brenden Campbell- New Castle

549
Pound for Pound Best Wrestlers 12/11/2008
IndianaMat.com Pound for Pound Rankings
1. Cashe Quiroga- Lawrence North
2. Brandon Wright- Cathedral
3. Josh Harper- Mishawaka
4. Sean McMurray- Portage
5. Eric Roach- Crown Point
6. Marcus Shrewsbury- Crown Point
7. Steven Sandefer- Mishawaka
7. Jason Tsirtsis- Crown Point
9. Camden Eppert- Anderson Highland
10. Frankie Porras- Hobart
 
Honorable Mention
Briar Runyan- Martinsville
Taylor March- East Noble
Michael Duckworth- Union County
Adam Chalfant- Winchester

523
Pound For Pound 12/15/2008
IndianaMat.com Pound for Pound Rankings 12/15/2008
1. Cashe Quiroga
2. Josh Harper
3. Sean McMurray
4. Eric Roach
5. Jason Tsirtsis
6. Steven Sandefer
7. Brandon Wright
8. Marcus Shrewsbury
9. Camden Eppert
10. Taylor March
 
Honorable Mention
Frankie Porras
Ethan Raley
Adam Chalfant
Braden Atwood
Mark Meyers
Anthony Hawkins
Michael Duckworth
Briar Runyan
Kyle Mosier
 
Discuss this on the messageboard


547
Pocket Athletic Conference Brackets
Click here for PAC brackets
 
Teams include: Forest Park, Gibson Southern, Heritage Hills, North Posey, Pike Central, Southridge, South Spencer, Tecumseh, Tell City.

455
Perry Meridian vs. Cathedral Dual LiveBlog!
Follow the action live here!
#1 Perry Meridian vs. #5 Cathedral

796
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

1237
Perry Meridian Regional Preview
106
 
This weight class has 4 very good wrestlers in the field with all four capable of winning the regional. CJ Whitten beat Vance Ellis once and also beat Jacob Cottey 3 times. However, each match against Cottey gets tighter. Tommy Cash beat both Ellis and Cottey handily. However, Cottey has beaten Ellis by a very slim 1-point margin. Needless to say, this will be a very competitive Semifinal round.
 
3 Ranked wrestlers: #3, #9, #11
 
Best first round match:
Charlie Baker 10 Crispus Attucks 33-4 vs. Vance Ellis 10 Roncalli 24-7
 
Predictions:
1 Tommy Cash New Palestine 9
2 CJ Whitten Ben Davis 12
3 Jacob Cottey 10
4 Vance Ellis 10
 
113
 
This weight class is also competitive and has 4 very good wrestlers with Brandon James from Perry Meridian being the favorite. James beat Deondre Wilson 10-0 last weekend at Sectionals. Taylor Fee beat Barry McGinley 12-6 at sectionals.  With very few match ups between the four ranked wrestlers in this weight class, things could get interesting. Keep a close eye on Barry McGinley as his length can cause problems for some wrestlers.
 
4 Ranked wrestlers: #2, #9, #13, #14
 
Best first round match:
Deondre Wilson 10 Arsenal Tech 20-3 vs Travis McMillan 10 Franklin Central 24-9
 
Predictions:
1 Brandon James Perry Meridian 9
2 Taylor Fee New Palestine 11
3 Barry McGinley Roncalli 11
4 Deondre Wilson Arsenal Tech 10
 
120
All of the top wrestlers in this weight class are capable of beating each other, evidenced by their match ups this season. Andrice Martin hasn’t lost since the first week of the season, which was dealt by Perry Meridian’s Aidan Kenny. Martin has since beat Kenny twice with the last match up being a pretty convincing score of 11-2. When you throw in Roncalli’s Josh King, who beat Kenny last year a couple of times, and Ramirez, whom had 3 close matches with Kenny, is easy to see why this weight class will be one to watch.
 
2 Ranked wrestlers: #6, #10
 
Best first round match:
David Ramirez 12 Warren Central 30-11 vs Jose Garay 10 Indpls Northwest 18-6
 
Predictions:
1 Andrice Martin Franklin Central 11
2 Aidan Kenny Perry Meridian 10
3 Josh King Roncalli 11
4 David Ramirez Warren Central 12
 
126
The clear-cut favorite in this weight class in Perry Meridian’s Sophomore Cody LeCount. But the battle for 2-4 will be a hard fought as the other participants in the regional seem to be evenly matched. Mikhail Randall from Ben Davis has been wrestling well as of late and might surprise some people and sneak into the finals. He will have the hard task of beating the tough sophomore from Greenfield Central, Sam Locke, to make it to the finals.
 
1 Ranked wrestler: #4
 
Best first round match:
Devon Caldwell-Valdez 12 Indpls Northwest 30-4 vs. Cody Clark 12 Shelbyville 25-6
 
Predictions:
1 Cody LeCount Perry Meridian 10
2 Sam Locke Greenfield Central 10
3 Mikhail Randall Ben Davis 11
4 Devon Caldwell-Valdez Indpls Northwest 12
 
132
This is a pretty deep weight class with a talent pool that includes Jared McKinley from Perry Meridian, Levi Moss from Ben Davis, and Robert Duncan from Arsenal Tech. Throw freshman Garrett Wilson from Franklin Central and Senior Brennan Ellis from Roncalli into the mix and this you’re looking at a very competitive weight class. Look for McKinley and Moss to meet up in the final match for their fourth battle of the season.
 
2 Ranked wrestlers: #1, #7
 
Best first round match:
Brennan Ellis 12 Roncalli 25-10 vs. Robert Duncan 11 Arsenal Tech 25-3
 
Predictions:
1 Jared McKinley Perry Meridian 12
2 Levi Moss Ben Davis 11
3 Robert Duncan Arsenal Tech 11
4 Garrett Wilson Franklin Central 9
 
138
A lot of wrestlers looking will be looking for revenge against Perry Meridian’s Nick Bova in this class. During the last match up between Bova and Greenfield Central’s Josh Farrell, Bova won by fall. Expect Robbie Elsea of New Palestine to put up a strong fight in an effort to settle the scores after Bova’s 6-1 victory after 2OT’s during their last matchup. This weight class could be won any of these 3 wrestlers.
 
3 Ranked wrestlers: #4, #6, #8
 
Best first round match:
Dylan Lydy 9 Ben Davis 15-9 vs. David Mappes 12 Roncalli 7-1
 
Prediction:
1 Josh Farrell Greenfield Central 11
2 Nick Bova Perry Meridian 11
3 Robbie Elsea New Palestine 11
4 Dylan Lydy Ben Davis 9
 
145
This is the deepest class in this regional as several kids have been ranked at one point in the season.  Nick Ulrey, Clayton Davenport, Riley McClurg, Nick Ader, Shabaka Johns, and Brian Boucher all are tough kids but only 4 of them will get the nod to move on.
 
3 Ranked wrestlers: #10. #11, #14
 
Best first round match:
Nick Ader 12 Roncalli 29-9 vs. Brian Boucher 12 Southport 38-7
 
Prediction:
1 Riley McClurg Perry Meridian 11
2 Clayton Davenport Ben Davis 12
3 Nick Ulrey New Palestine 11
4 Nick Ader Roncalli 12
 
152
With a weight class loaded with seniors, you can bet these wrestlers will be putting it all on the line. Although Kyle Riedling of Warren Central has been battling injuries all year, he can make a run at the podium if he is able to wrestle at 100%. Tre Spencer of Pike might have something to say about that; they could meet in the finals in a rematch from the Marion County semi finals. Paul Matthews of Perry Meridian turned it on as of late and beat some tough opponents last week at sectionals. Paul’s first round match is against Austin Rose of Greenfield Central who beat Paul  5-2 early in the season. Logan Zielinski of Roncalli also faces a tough opponent in Drake Duncan of Ben Davis. One guarantee is that all 8 wrestlers in this class will leave it all on the mat.
 
3 Ranked wrestlers: #10, #11, #17
 
Best first round match:
Paul Matthews 11 Perry Meridian 17-11 vs. Austin Rose 11 Greenfield Central 26-6
 
Predictions:
1 Kyle Riedling Warren Central 12
2 Tre Spencer Pike 12
3 Paul Matthews Perry Meridian 11
4 Drake Duncan Ben Davis 12
 
160
This is Kirk Johnson’s tournament to lose as he has beat almost everyone in the field (some multiple times). Although he’s had close matches with New Palestine’s Conner Robinson and Roncalli’s Danny Rojas, Johnson consistently comes out on top. However, this field is full of athletes and anything could happen making this an exciting weight class to watch.
 
2 Ranked wrestlers: #2, #17
 
Best first round match:
King Hubbard 10 Arsenal Tech 16-11 vs. Katrell Moss 10 Warren Central 31-10
 
Predictions:
1 Kirk Johnson Perry Meridian 12
2 Danny Rojas Roncalli 12
3 Conner Robinson New Palestine 12
4 Katrell Moss Warren Central 10
 
170
The weight class is filled with exciting wrestlers with the likes of Jake Masengale, Dezmen McGinley, Joe Ardizzone, and Noah Perdue. Masengale has wrestled Ardizzone in two single-point matches this year and should meet in an exciting semi final match up. The winner will likely wrestle McGinley of Greenfield Central who had a very high scoring match with Masengale early this season and dominated Ardizzone at Sectionals.
 
4 Ranked wrestlers: #6, #9, #17,#18
 
Best first round match:
Noah Perdue 10 Arsenal Tech 26-5 vs. Brian Wagner 10 New Palestine 27-7
 
Predictions:
1 Jake Masengale Perry Meridian 11
2 Dezmen McGinley Greenfield Central 12
3 Joe Ardizzone Roncalli 12
4 Noah Perdue Arsenal Tech 10
 
182
This weight class is filled with talent and will certainly be a hard fought battle for whomever comes out on top. CJ Martin of Perry Meridian and Tony Jehn of Beech Grove each have 4 losses and look to be on a crash-course for the finals. But they definitely can’t look past any opponent in this field or they’ll be cutting their season shorter. Desean Mills of Arsenal Tech had a disappointing sectional tournament and is looking to avenge it with a good regional showing. The regional title is up for grabs; let’s see who steps up and takes what they want.
 
2 Ranked wrestlers
 
Best first round match:
Aaron Murray 12 Pike 20-9 vs. Max Hernandez 10 Warren Central 14-5
 
Predictions:
1 CJ Martin Perry Meridian 12
2 Tony Jehn Beech Grove 12
3 Max Hernandez Warren Central 10
4 Matt Miller Southport 12
 
195
Ian Early is the a clear-cut favorite in this weight class. He already handily beat Devante Ash of Perry Meridian and Dyrek Chowning of Warren Central. Ash and Chowning are likely to meet up in the semi’s for their third battle this season. Chowning won both previous match ups.   Seniors Nolan Fenwick of Southport and Cameron Denney of New Palestine will face each other in the first round, which should be a great match. With a lot of seniors in the field expect a lot of hard-nosed wrestling.
 
4 Ranked wrestlers: #6, #17, #18, #19
 
Best first round match:
Jordan Brown 12 Cardinal Ritter 27-5 vs. Dyrek Chowning 12 Warren Central 26-7
 
Predictions:
1 Ian Early Greenfield Central 12
2 Dyrek Chowning Warren Central 12
3 Devante Ash Perry Meridian 12
4 Nolan Fenwick Southport 12
 
220
With several rematches and a talented bunch of big guys, this weight class has the possibility of some great match ups.  Jordan Naughton Perry Meridian and Georgio Blades Warren Central split 2 matches earlier this year. There is also a chance that Naughton will face Justin Sanders of Pike for the fifth time this season. They split previous match ups this season with 2 wins a piece. Who will come out on top? We will have to wait and see.
 
4 Ranker wrestlers: #11, #16, #17, #20
 
Best first round match:
Jordan Naughton 12 Perry Meridian 32-6 vs. Georgio Blades 11 Warren Central 25-8
 
Predictions:
1 Austin Geralds Greenfield Central 12
2 Jordan Naughton Perry Meridian 12
3 Justin Sanders Pike 12
4 Dylan Faulkenberg Cardinal Ritter 10
 
285
Donte Winfield of Perry Meridian is the favorite at this weight class. He beat his probably finals opponent, Larry Carter of Warren Central, on two occasions this season. Tyler Uhls of Shelbyville could be the road block to this rematch in an generally unpredictable weight class.
 
2 Ranked wrestlers: #5, #14
 
Best first round match:
Norman Oglesby 9 Ben Davis 19-7 vs. Tyler Beeson 10 Greenfield Central 20-10
 
Predictions:
1 Donte Winfield Perry Meridian 11
2 Larry Carter Warren Central 12
3 Tyler Uhls Shellbyville 11
4 Tyler Beeson Greenfield Central 10
 
Overall we are looking at 39 ranked wrestlers battling for 56 spots at semi-state. This should be a very competitive regional and have a lot of exciting matches.

418
Perched upon the Oak Hill
With the IHSWCA Team State Duals coming up there are lots of questions arising, such as what time are weigh-ins and what time are the finals? BUT, there is another question that has a few people including myself asking and that is about a team in little ole Richland. In doing the classifications for results purposes it came to my attention that this team was in fact a 1A team when the IHSWCA lists them as a 2A team. This is very crucial because if Oak Hill were to be listed as a 1A team they would have been on the short list to be invited to Team State next week. Instead they were not invited as there is a much deeper field in 2A.
 
Classification Information
 
First a little background on the classifications. There are 311 schools(according to the IHSWCA) with wrestling in the state. Per the IHSAA classification breakdowns they would be classed the following way: 3A with 103 teams, 2A with 104 teams and 1A with 104 teams. Also if a team were to bump up(Mater Dei did for this event) then that would count towards that class’s team count and bump team(s) down a class. For instance if you are the 103rd biggest school and Mater Dei bumps up, then you would become the 104th biggest school and go to 2A.
 
Second, where did I get my data you may ask. Here are the links for your perusal.
 
IHSWCA Classifications and Final Team State Numbers
http://indianamat.com/messageboard/index.php/topic,25569.0.html
That topic has the teams and their respective classifications updated, for instance New Haven is 2A, when they were 3A in the 2013 season.
 
IHSAA Enrollment Numbers
 
http://www.ihsaa.org/Portals/0/ihsaa/documents/quick%20resources/Boys%27%20Basketball%20Classifications%202013-15.pdf
 
This link was used due to it having all of the schools with wrestling listed.
 
See the table at the bottom of the article for the teams and class comparisons for the IHSWCA and IndianaMat.
 
Questions to Ask
 
How did this happen?
The IHSAA sent a press release with the new enrollments on February 26, 2013. The attached document however is different than what is posted on the IHSAA website, thus it was modified after the press release was sent out.
 
Did the IHSWCA Fumble the ball on this?
Throughout the checks and balances of the process they all went off the same document and thus did not use the IHSAA’s website for the information as I did. This could be a mistake, but at the same time no one checked the IHSAA site for the information.
 
What can the IHSWCA do?
Being this late in the game, who knows what they can and will do. It seems Oak Hill has a very talented team this year and could make a good run at a 1A title, but instead will be sitting at home. Will they get an invite next year….or will they still be listed as a 2A school? Those are two questions that will remain to be asked.
 
Final Thoughts
 
This is a situation that the IHSWCA needs to address immediately as we have a team that should have been considered for an invite, but was not even in the running due to a clerical error. This team, their coaches and fans were not given the opportunity to wrestle in this event. The IHSWCA used the data provided to them, however at the same time they did not go through a thorough check of the data compiled. There are also some teams in 3A and 2A that are not in their proper class. This situation is bad for all involved especially in that it affected a team that could have made an impact at these duals.
 
IndianaMat vs IHSWCA Classification Table
 
[table id=47 /]

4060 1
Penn's team, Lowell's Drew Hughes win fourth straight Al Smith Classic
By STEVE KRAH
Five Penn wrestlers made it to the championship mat and helped the Kingsmen take the team title at Mishawaka High School’s famed Al Smith Classic for the fourth straight time.
Seniors Drew Hildebrandt (22-0 at 120 pounds) and Kobe Woods (12-0 at 220) were winners and junior Kory Cavanaugh (21-2 at 106) and seniors Austin Slates (20-1 at 113) and Cameron Beam (19-4 at 145) were both runners-up in helping Penn hoist the hardware at Mishawaka for the fifth time in six years.
“This was the most grinding,” Kingsmen coach Brad Harper said. “There were no easy matches.”
While Woods won at 220, Hildebrandt, placed second at 113 at the 2015 IHSAA State Finals. He is taking it up a notch or two this winter.
“I’m trying to open up a lot more,” Hildebrandt said. “I want to be more aggressive this year. I was second last year. There’s more to get.”
U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier Sarah Hildebrandt helped coach her brother along with Harper.
“It’s pretty nice,” Drew Hildebrandt said. “Sometimes I hear her and say that’s not coach Harper and coach (Chad Hershberger).”
Penn, which took its first IHSAA team title last February at Bankers Life Fieldhosue in Indianapolis, tuned up for the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association State Duals (the event is Saturday, Jan. 2, at Fort Wayne’s Memorial Coliseum) by amassing 226 points. Rounding out the top five were Portage (191), Columbus East (150), Lawrence North (149) and Merrillville (136).
The 32-team event wrapped up its two-day run and 37th year Wednesday, Dec. 30, with Lowell senior Drew Hughes (23-0 at 170) taking MVP honors (he pinned all five of his opponents in 6:50) and his fourth Al Smith Classic individual title.
“I was sick Monday,” Hughes said. “It was about getting on and off the mat. I had to take care of business.”
With a pile of early pin falls, Hughes said he has not wrestled in a third period yet this season.
Senior Steven Lawrence (16-0 at 152) was a champion for Portage. The Indian is ranked No. 1 at his weight.
Freshman Cayden Rooks (18-1 at 106) took a title for Columbus East. The Olympian is ranked No. 8. His last two wins Wednesday came against No. 4 Tanner DeMien (at NorthWood sophomore) and No. 3 Cavanaugh of Penn.
Two Merrillville senior athletes — Jacob Covaciu (18-0 at 160) and Shawn Streck (21-0 at heavyweight) — were winners. The Pirates are both ranked No. 1 and coming off state titles in 2015 (Covaciu at 145 and Streck at heavyweight).
A pair of Danville senior grapplers — Brock Hudkins (24-0 at 126) and Elliott Molloy (23-0 at 132) — took top honors back-to-back. Hudkins ranks No. 1 at 126 and Molloy No. 2 to three-time state champion Chad Red of New Palestine at 132.
With his best move — the “blast double” — not paying off Wednesday, Molloy focused on continuous movement and said it benefitted both he and Hudkins that they are Warrior workout partners.
“We are like brothers,” Molloy said. “He’s gotten a lot better at neutral. He keeps moving and gets a lot of points. He’s better on top, too. He can take someone down and finish them.”
Three other first-placers came from The Region in Lowell junior Colton Cummings (23-0 at 113), Chesterton junior Andrew Davison (18-0 at 182) and Lake Central senior Jake Kleimola (20-0 at 195). Cummings is ranked No. 1 in his weight class while Davision is No. 2 and Kleimola No. 3.
Jimtown junior Kenny Kerrn (145) turned up the intensity and took his weight class with father, Mishawaka graduate and IHSWCA Hall of Famer Mark Kerrn (Jimtown’s head coach) in his corner. The unranked wrestler who began the season at 152 said recent ramping up in practice was helpful for him at this tournament.
“We’ve been working really hard in practice this past week,” Kerrn said. “We’ve got (IHSWCA) Team State coming up (Saturday in Fort Wayne). I’ve been practiced with (former Jimtown state champion) Nick Crume and (former Jimtown state runner-up) Colin Crume and athletes.”
AL SMITH CLASSIC
(At Mishawaka)
Team scores (final): Penn 226, Portage 191, Columbus East 150, Lawrence North 149, Bellmont 146, Merrillville 136, Lowell 134, Prairie Heights 132, Chesterton 129, Fort Wayne Carroll 121.5, Jimtown 117, Garrett 114, South Bend Riley 104.5, Elkhart Memorial 103.5, Center Grove 98.5, Hobart 87.5, Lawrence Central 86.5, Danville 77.5, South Bend Adams 77.5, Zionsville 77, Peru 73, Goshen 69, Mishawaka 69, NorthWood 69, Warsaw 55, Princeton 48, LaPorte 42, Munster 40, Rochester 28, Calumet 25, West Noble 15.5.
Championship Summary
106 — Cayden Rooks (Columbus East) dec. Kory Cavanaugh (Penn) 8-3. 113 — Colton Cummings (Lowell) dec. Austin Slates (Penn) 5-0. 120 — Drew Hildebrandt (Penn) maj. dec. Graham Rooks (Columbus East) 12-4. 126 — Brock Hudkins (Danville) dec. Gaige Torres (Portage) 7-1. 132 — Elliott Molloy (Danville) pinned Brendan Black (Hobart) 4:23. 138 — Kyle Hatch (Warsaw) dec. Jason Crary (Munster) 3-0. 145 — Kenny Kerrn (Jimtown) maj. dec. Cameron Beam (Penn) 14-3.
152 — Steven Lawrence (Portage) pinned Doug Levitz (Prairie Heights) 3:11. 160 — Jacob Covaciu (Merrillville) dec. Tavonte Malone (South Bend Adams) 9-2. 170 — Drew Hughes (Lowell) pinned Bryce Baumgartner (Bellmont) 1:24. 182 — Andrew Davison (Chesterton) dec. Cameron Jones (Lawrence North) 6-2. 195 — Jake Kleimola (Lake Central) dec. Erik Hobbs (Peru) 5-0. 220 — Kobe Woods (Penn) dec. Derek Paz (Goshen) 3-2. Hwt — Shawn Streck (Merrillville) tech. fall Ethan Bunce (Lawrence Central) 24-9.
Consolation Summary
106 — Tanner DeMien (NorthWood) pinned Brayden Shearer (Garrett) 1:26. 113 — Colin Poynter (Portage) dec. Jake Schoenegge (Columbus East) 3-1. 120 — Mason Mendez (Bellmont) dec. Isaac Castro (Lawrence North) 7-3. 126 — Marcus Mejia (Elkhart Memorial) dec. Michael DeLaPena (Merrillville) 6-3. 132 — Daniel Gunsett (Bellmont) dec. Jack Tolin (Chesterton) 5-2. 138 — Kris Rumph (Portage) dec. Riley Rasler (Prairie Heights) 6-4. 145 — Austen Laughlin (South Bend Riley) maj. dec. Logan Coyle (Center Grove) 13-4.
152 — Denzyl Prentice (Penn) dec. Diego Lemley (Chesterton) 6-4. 160 — Jarod Swank (Penn) dec. Jordan Rader (Peru) 6-2. 170 — Tristan Goering (South Bend Riley) dec. Ricky Samuels (Lawrence North) 8-5. 182 — David Eli (Elkhart Memorial) pinned Isaac James (Lowell) 1:39. 195 — Lucas Davison (Chesterton) dec. Michael Leonard (NorthWood) 5-1. 220 — Maliq Carr (Lawrence North) dec. Tyler McKeever (Fort Wayne Carroll) 10-3. Hwt — Sean Galligar (Columbus East) dec. Robert Samuels (Lawrence North) 3-2.
MVP: Drew Hughes (Lowell), five pins in 6:50.
Other placers
106 — 5th, Brock Peele (Portage); 6th, Lucas Finger (Lowell); 7th, Fernando Flores (Goshen); 8th, John Gobeyn (Zionsville).
113 — 5th, Christian Mejia (Elkhart Memorial); 6th, Matt Gimson (Jimtown); 7th, Kyler Mckinney (Princeton); 8th, Joey Zahl (South Bend Adams).
120 — 5th, Azariah Ellis (Zionsville); 6th, Joel Byman (Fort Wayne Carroll); 7th, Datrion Vaughn (Lawrence Central); 8th, Dylan DeMarco (Garrett).
126 — 5th, Ryan Hardesty (Mishawaka); 6th, Jon Becker (Bellmont); 7th, Dawson Combest (Columbus East); 8th, Zane Standridge (Fort Wayne Carroll)
132 — 5th, Preston Risner (Mishawaka); 6th, Cody Crary (Munster); 7th, David Roth (Center Grove); 8th, Kameron Hile (Warsaw).
138 — 5th, Jacy Leon (Hobart); 6th, Trace Manspeaker (Penn); 7th, Anthony Williams (Center Grove); 8th, Malik Hoover (Merrillville).
145 — 5th, Chase Wilson (Princeton); 6th, Kasper McIntosh (Portage); 7th, Dante Colza (Hobart); 8th, DeShawn Bayless (Peru).
152 — 5th, Tavris Evans (South Bend Adams); 6th, Kassius Breathitt (South Bend Riley); 7th, Peyton Sturgill (Peru); 8th, Lucas Scott (Lowell).
160 — 5th, Tony Busse (Bellmont); 6th, Josh Garman (Fort Wayne Carroll); 7th, Jed Levitz (Prairie Heights); 8th, Austin Wilson (Columbus East)
170 — 5th, Ismael Cornejo (Portage); 6th, Steven Trammell (Lawrence Central); 7th, Jonah Hays (Center Grove); 8th, Coy Park (Columbus East).
182 — 5th, Joey Blakeley (Prairie Heights); 6th, Caleb Hankenson (Bellmont); 7th, Cameron Simmons (Lawrence Central); 8th, Rhett Mappes (Center Grove).
195 — 5th, Beck Davis (Garrett); 6th, Jarod Hayes (Jimtown); 7th, Jake Grossnickle (Fort Wayne Carroll); 8th, Nate Williams (Elkhart Memorial).
220 — 5th, Blake Davis (Garrett); 6th, Andrew Brock (Warsaw); 7th, Cory Heinrichs (Center Grove); 8th, Dan Mochen (Chesterton).
Hwt — 5th, Givoni Murillo (Portage); 6th, Braxton Amos (Prairie Heights); 7th, Jessie Lawson (Fort Wayne Carroll); 8th, Scott Fuller (Zionsville)
MVP: Drew Hughes (Lowell), five pins in 6:50.

2900 1
Penn salutes World silver medalist Sarah Hildebrandt
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
Sarah Hildebrandt has been traveling the planet.
The Team USA wrestler has already filled up her passport book. She’s been to more than 30 countries.
“It’s definitely a great perk,” says Hildebrandt. “I was in like 12 countries this past year. Rome. Thailand. Spain. Amazing places.”
Hildebrandt, 25, went to Budapest, Hungary in October and came back with a silver medal at the 2018 World Championships.
Competing at 53 kg (117 pounds), the graduate of Penn High School in Mishawaka, Ind., and King University in Bristol, Tenn., received a first-round bye and then bested Kazakhstan’s Zhuldyz Eshimova 5-1 in the second round, Azerbaijan’s Anzhela Dorogan 15-9 in the quarterfinals and Canada’s Diana Mary Weicker by 10-0 technical fall in the semifinals.
In the finals at Laszlo Papp Arena, Hildebrandt lost lost by 11-0 technical fall to returning world champion Haruna Okuno of Japan. A month later, Hildebrandt was back at Penn to be saluted by the wrestling community.
Hildebrandt was the guest of honor on a night where challenge matches for the current team were held  and the “Long Black Line” of mat alums
marched into Penn Arena.
She’s back in Granger, Ind., to see her family and rest up. She will leave in about two weeks for training China as she gets ready for the 2019 competition season. For her, it begins in January at the Dave Schultz Memorial International in Colorado Springs, Colo., where she recently purchased a house and moved out of the U.S. Olympic Training Center complex.
“I’ve really grown to love this process — the nitty gritty of it all and the grind of the season,” says Hildebrandt. “In a weird way, that monotony of training and keeping to a schedule (eating, working out and going to sleep at the same time everyday) and when I’m out of it, I’m miserable. I love the structure and I love the grind.”
This past year, she competed about once a month and plans to be in about seven meets in 2019, including the World Championships in Kazakhstan. Then comes the run-up to the U.S. Olympic Trials and, Hildebrandt graduated from Penn in 2011 and King in 2015 with a marketing degree. She uses that knowledge to market herself.
“It’s part of the job,” says Hildebrandt. “Especially as a female wrestler, you’ve got to be able to get people to care about the sport. “Marketing myself and the sport is how you do that. Social media is a big tool for us and pairing up with sponsors.”
Those sponsors have approached her about collaborating with her. “That will do a lot for exposure not just for myself but for women’s wrestling and USA Wrestling.” 
Kingsmen head coach Brad Harper, who coached Hildebrandt in high school and was in her corner providing support in Hungary, made sure she was recognized in the same place where she put in so much work at the beginning of her wrestling career.
“We’ve been together since her freshmen year,” says Harper of Hildebrandt. “We’ve developed an awesome bond. I know what gets her calmed and what gets her energized."
“I’ve been with her through the thick and the thin. We’ve been together through a lot. That’s why we have that good relationship.”
Being ranked No. 1 in her weight class going into the Worlds and being a three-year in-residence athlete at the OTC, Hildebrandt has the skill and the know-how.
“I’m just there as an extra support to bring the energy and give her a little bit of strategy on what the other wrestler is doing,” says Harper. “I want to keep her in the moment.
“Sometimes she gets so excited because she loves to compete. I try to slow her down and let it come natural and wrestle her match.”
Wrestling as the lone girl on a boys team, competing at a high level in college and then on the international stage has made Hildebrandt physically and mentally tough.
“She’s been through it all,” says Harper. “She’s going to wrestle and ‘Be Sarah.’” 
Hildebrandt and Harper form a game plan going into competition. “I like those check-in points and for him to say them real intensely,” says Hildebrandt. “It’s two or three things. It changes from match to match and tournament to tournament. One is ‘next position,’ which is telling me to focus on the very next position I’m going to be in.
Where are your hands? Where is your head? Where are your hips? I don’t like to get too far ahead of myself, even by 20 or 30 seconds. It’s each chunk of time. It calms me down a little. I can’t get too high and can’t get too low in terms of emotion.”
Harper helps make that happen.
“He’s the most encouraging man to be around which is one of the main reasons I love having him in my corner and around still,” says Hildebrandt. “But, on top of that, he’s so good at not just talking to a group of people. He’s good at speaking directly to one person and making them feel his compassion toward them.
“He makes them believe they can do this. He’s changing lives.”
It’s with that enthusiasm that Penn now has a girls wrestling program with more than 20 athletes and coached by Matt Selis, Amy Hildebrandt (Sarah’s younger sister), Kristin Hills and Mariah Eberhart.
“It’s really amazing to share a goal like that with my sister — to empower women and break down these barriers and the prejudice people might have toward this sport and even women,” says Sarah of Amy. “I love that she’s teaching and giving back to this sport. It’s really a gift for me. The more she opens doors for girls in wrestling, it’s opening up everything for women in wrestling. That comes back to be because I’m a woman wrestler.”
Sarah says she gains motivation from younger brother Drew Hildebrandt, a highly-ranked 125-pound wrestler at Central Michigan University.
“My whole family inspires me, but my little brother is very much involved in the sport and he’s like the baby of the family,” says Sarah, daughter of Chris and Nancy Hildebrandt. “It’s cool to see him chasing goals and reaching them and improving right alongside with me. He understands what it takes."
“We give each other advice on the mental game and staying positive.”

4133
Penn graduate Sarah Hildebrandt taking a shot at wrestling in 2016 Rio Olympics
By Steve Krah
 
FORT WAYNE — Olympic hopeful Sarah Hildebrandt has a big decision to make in the upcoming months.
 
The Penn High School graduate and King University senior has to choose whether she will pursue her goal of making the U.S. women's wrestling team for the 2016 Rio Games by training at home in Granger or at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
 
"The two options are very even right now," Hildebrandt said Saturday, Jan. 10, while helping King to a second straight title at the National Wrestling Coaches Association Duals at Memorial Coliseum. "I kind of have to come to a decision within the next two months.
 
Read more at
http://www.elkharttruth.com/sports/high-school/wrestling/2015/01/12/Penn-graduate-Sarah-Hildebrandt-taking-a-shot-at-wrestling-in-2016-Rio-Olympics.html

376
Pendleton Heights Regional Preview 2010
103
 
Punching a ticket to New Castle:
 
1. #7 Mike Venezia, 28-2, Cathedral
2. Tyler Elmore, 34-5, Hamilton Heights
3. Riley Newkirk, 31-8, Lawrence Central
4. Alex Sparks, 23-9, Lawrence North
 
Outlook: This is a bit of a tossup after Venezia. Elmore, Newkirk, Sparks, Alexandria's Nick Naselroad (32-9) and Pendleton Heights' Zach Wise (34-5) are all capable of advancing. In the end, I think the tough schedules wrestled by Lawrence Central and Lawrence North propel Newkirk and Sparks into the next round. Elmore had better not look too far past opening round opponent Antonio Perez of Manual (27-4).
 
112
 
Punching a ticket to New Castle:
 
1. #10 Mason Todd, 37-1, Pendleton Heights
2. #9 Brian Harvey, 32-3, Cathedral
3. #8 Dominique Price, 29-3, Arsenal Tech
4. Robert Boston, 23-4, Lawrence North
 
Outlook: This is a remarkably loaded field, featuring 3 top-10 wrestlers, and each match, including the opening round matches, should be very competitive. North Central's Kieno Scott (23-11) is a tough first opponent for Mason Todd and Alexandria's Luke Blanton (35-5) could send Boston home. Todd, Harvey and Price are all very close in ability and results, so any of the three could win this weight, but perhaps more importantly, one of the three will finish 3rd or 4th, making getting through New Castle even more treacherous. Last year at this regional at 103, it was 1) Harvey, 2) Price, 3) Todd and 4) Boston. One of the premier regional weight classes in the state, without a doubt.
 
119
 
Punching a ticket to New Castle:
 
1. #1 Brandon Nelson, 33-1, Lawrence North
2. Andre Butts, 24-12, Lawrence Central
3. Levi Lanning, 32-7, Alexandria
4. John Hummel, 21-13, Cathedral
 
Outlook: Nelsen should cruise here. After the Lawrence North standout, it's pretty wide open. I like Andre to steal some of his brother's postseason magic from a year ago and snare a second place finish. Lanning is very capable of finishing second here. Tri Central's Austin Anderson (25-4) could knock off Hummel.
 
125
 
Punching a ticket to New Castle:
 
1. #13 Jordan Johnson, 24-11, Lawrence North
2. Justin Eshelman, 34-4, Pendleton Heights
3. #18 Charlie McGinley, 32-5, Arsenal Tech
4. Alex Collignon, 26-10, Cathedral
 
Outlook: '09 semistate qualifier Johnson is the favorite, but Eshelman and McGinley are formidable opponents and could provide a surprise at this weight. A possible McGinley/Eshelman matchup could be a good one; the same is true for the opening round match between Alexandria's Josh Blanton (25-6) and Collignon.
 
130
 
Punching a ticket to New Castle:
 
1. #10 John Stringfield, 32-3, Cathedral
2. Greg Bell, 24-8, Lawrence North
3. Eli Walker, 38-3, Alexandria
4. Tyler Gadient, 24-9, Noblesville
 
Outlook: Stringfield, Bell and Gadient are all returing semistate qualifiers. Stringfield is the favorite, but Walker is a very impressive freshman coming off of an oustanding sectionals performance. Chatard's Matt Barkley (32-8)/Gadient and Anderson's Michael Achenbach (25-5)/Bell should be excellent opening round matches.
 
135
 
Punching a ticket to New Castle:
 
1. #2 Mason Berryman, 26-0, Anderson Highland
2. #14 Matt Rattay, 25-8, Lawrence North
3. Keegan Pyke, 34-3, Tri Central
4. Charlie Smith, 32-7, North Central
 
Outlook: Berryman's domain. Beyond the talented Scots wrestler, look for fireworks from Pyke/Rattay. Some great opening round matches here: Pyke (34-3)/ Tech's Dominick Duff (32-6) and Alexandria's Jon Blanton (35-6) / Smith.
 
140
 
Punching a ticket to New Castle:
 
1. Haydon Buck, 30-2, Tri Central
2. #20 Tiandre Edwards, 27-7, North Central
3. Zach Long, 29-7, Elwood
4. Braydon Alley, 24-9, Hamilton Heights
 
Outlook: A fairly wide open field here, with the formidable Buck leading the way. Buck and Alley are returning semistate qualifiers. Scecina's Joseph Doucleff (27-8)/Alley and Noblesville's Wayne Specht (18-5)/Edwards are very solid opening matches.
 
145
 
Punching a ticket to New Castle:
 
1. Montrail Johnson, 39-0, Tri Central
2. Chris Lucas, 33-5, Chatard
3. Clint Nicholson, 21-11, Pendleton Heights
4. Max Hamm, 21-15, Cathedral
 
Outlook: Johnson and Lucas should cruise to the finals. It's a very unpredictable weight class past those two. Tipton's senior Justin Pore (28-10) might give Lucas a very tough match if he's overlooked. Noblesville's Alex Bowers (27-12) is capable of the upset in his clash with Hamm.
 
152
 
Punching a ticket to New Castle:
 
1. #1 Sam Bennett, 31-0, Anderson Highland
2. Mike Taylor, 32-7, Lawrence Central
3. #17 Austin Neibarger, 31-4, Cathedral
4. Charlie Orzeske, 26-11, North Central
 
Outlook: Bennett will be pushed, with tough potential matches with Neibarger and Taylor, but he should prevail to sew up a top seed at New Castle and beyond. Tri Central's senior Cody Byrd (32-5) could surprise talented frosh Neibarger, but Cathedral's schedule and Neibarger's talent make me pretty skeptical.
 
160
 
Punching a ticket to New Castle:
 
1. #2 Tyler Willis, 33-1, Cathedral
2. #13 Quinton Brooks, 30-6, Lawrence North
3. Dylan Gregg, 25-4, Anderson
3. Cole Kelly, 31-10, North Central
 
Outlook: What you talkin' about, Willis? He's talking about earning his first regional title (he was upset by North Central's Komilov last year) en route to his march to Conseco. Willis is number 2 in the state for a reason and will land the top seed at New Castle. Brooks is a pretty clear second best and will be positioned well at semistate.
 
171
 
Punching a ticket to New Castle:
 
1. #17 Mike Smith, 32-1, North Central
2. #11 Kevin Moats, 36-2, Tipton
3. Anthony Bill, 27-3, Chatard
4. Casey Devlin, 17-10, Cathedral
 
Outlook: This is a very top-heavy weight class and a difficult one to handicap. Bill, Moats and Smith are all returning state qualifiers, with Moats actually placing higher at New Castle last year than Smith and Duckworth. Should be a dogfight for first, second and third. The senior Devlin vs. Alexandria's senior Aaron Taylor (34-7) should be a great battle for the final advancement spot.
 
189
 
Punching a ticket to New Castle:
 
1. Ibragim Komilov, 15-1, North Central
2. Austin Enghauser, 26-9, Lawrence Central
3. Derrick Holpuch, 28-10, Noblesville
4. William Carter, 36-12, Howe
 
Outlook: The long, tall Komilov should reign here. He had a great regionals performance last year, knocking off Tyler Willis before ultimately falling to Matt Todd in the finals. He should lock up a number one seed for New Castle, with Enghauser second best. Not the deepest weight of the day.
 
215
 
Punching a ticket to New Castle:
 
1. #17 Jake Buchanan, 28-3, Cathedral
2. Kyle Smitherman,34-4, Pendleton Heights
3. #13 Arthur Wright,30-3, Arsenal Tech
4. Kevin Gaughan, 34-9, North Central
 
Outlook: Buchanan and Smitherman both advanced to New Castle last year and both should be able to duplicate that success this year. Wright looms as a very tough semis match for Buchanan, but he's battle-tested at heavyweight this year and should prevail. Lapel's J.R. Smart (26-4) had the misfortune to draw Wright, or else he might be moving on.
 
285
 
Punching a ticket to New Castle:
 
1. #14 Willie Henson, 32-2, North Central
2. Eric Thigpen, 18-4, Lawrence Central
3. Wesley Stokes, 16-6, Cathedral
4. Damien Stone, 15-8, Arsenal Tech
 
Outlook: Henson should follow in last year's standout Ethan Cuevas' shoes and bring home a regional title to North Central. Returning semistate qualifier Thigpen is solidly second here. It's pretty unpredictable past the first two.

341
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
 

961
Paul Young Named Acting Head Wrestling Coach at Army
WEST POINT, N.Y. - Army assistant coach Paul Young has been named acting head coach for the Army wrestling program, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Boo Corrigan announced today.
Young, who recently completed his third season at Army, will oversee the program while a national search for a head coach is conducted.
 
Joe Heskett has decided to leave Army West Point to pursue an administrative opportunity at West Virginia University.
 
"We want to thank coach Heskett for the past four years with us," said Corrigan. "With every change, comes a great opportunity to reinvigorate our program and find a new leader. We are deeply committed to our cadets and will find a great head coach."

1467 2
Paul Rademacher to Lead Indiana Tech Women’s Wrestling Program
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Indiana Tech has hired Paul Rademacher to lead its women’s wrestling program, Director of Athletics Debbie Warren announced Monday.
“We are ecstatic to bring Paul into the Warrior Family and lead our women’s wrestling program,” Warren said. “His background in freestyle wrestling, knowledge of the NAIA and overall experience elevated him in this highly competitive search and we look forward to seeing him build the program and grow the sport of women’s wrestling in the Midwest.”
A former wrestler at Oregon State University, Rademacher comes to Tech following a two-year stint at Southern Oregon University, where he was the Associate Head Coach for the women’s wrestling team.
“I am very excited and honored to be selected to be the first Women's Wrestling Head Coach at Indiana Tech,” Rademacher said. “It was very obvious that Indiana Tech was fully invested in starting this program and being successful. I believe Fort Wayne will be a great place for Women's Wrestling and that student-athletes will come from around the country to join the Warriors and be a part of the Indiana Tech community.”
During his two years with the Raiders he went 14-14 and led the team to an eighth place finish at the first-ever NAIA National Invitational this past March and a 12th-place performance at the Women’s College Wrestling Association (WCWA) Championships in 2018. He mentored six All-Americans during his time in Ashland.
“The opportunity to start the program from scratch and set a culture of character, integrity, academic and athletic excellence was a major draw for me,” Rademacher said. “I look forward to working with the other athletic programs to continue the national success that Indiana Tech has produced. I would like to thank AD Debbie Warren, Dr. Daniel J. Stoker (VP for Student Affairs), and President Dr. Karl W. Einolf for believing in me and for this opportunity.”
Prior to his time at SOU, Rademacher served as the head coach for the boys and girls wrestling teams at Henley High School (Ore.) for two seasons and was in charge of Mount Vernon High School (Wash.) before that. he had 40 wrestlers place during his time at the prep ranks while four became state champions under his tutelage, while he recorded two top-four finishes in the Oregon State Athletic Association (OSAA) Tournament.
A 1999 graduate of Chiloquin High, Rademacher competed from 1999-2003 at Oregon State, where he named to the Pac-10 All-Academic Second Team as a senior. He continued to compete post-collegiately, and in 2014 placed second in the Veteran’s Greco Roman Division B 76-kilogram class and third in the Veteran’s Freestyle Division B 76-kilogram class. He was a quarterfinalist in the 2014 US Open Freestyles at 74-kilograms and won the 2012 Washington State Tournament Greco-Roman in the 85-kilogram division.
Rademacher is a USA Wrestling Bronze Certified Coach and was the head coach of the Oregon Junior National Team from 2015-18. He served as a wildland firefighter from 2000-15 at Baker River IHC was a member of the U.S. Forest Service in Washington.
He received his Master’s Degree in Teaching – Science from Western Governors University in 2017 and graduated from OSU with a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise and Sports Science with a concentration in Fitness Management. Rademacher and his wife, Gretchen, have been married since 2004.
The Warriors will begin competing as a team in the 2020-21 academic year. To learn more about women’s wrestling in the NAIA click here. To learn more about Indiana Tech women’s wrestling, click here. Interested student-athletes may fill out a recruit questionnaire here.

5542
Paul Konrath, Chad Red, and Nick Lee Finish on Top
Konrath, Red, and Lee Finish on Top
 
Friday was a phenomenal day for Indiana wrestling when three champions were crowned in the Cadet Freestyle National Championships. This is only the second time Indiana has had three champions in any age group and style. Back in 1993, Tim Myers, James Leavell, and Chris Snyder captured titles for Indiana. This year’s terrific trio looked solid all tournament long and wrestled amazing throughout the tougher rounds. Along with the champions, Kobe Woods finished as runner-up and Evan Eldred was 7th at 132lbs. With those performances the team placed 5th in the standings.
 
The afternoon started off with Paul Konrath at 106lbs for Indiana. Konrath had takedowns early and late in the first period to have a 4-0 lead at halftime. With about 30 seconds left Konrath and his opponent, Ian Timmins, traded a 2 and 2 for a 6-2 lead in favor of Konrath. Another late takedown sealed the championship for Konrath and the final score of 8-2. This is his second championship as he won the USAW Folkstyle title in April.
 
Next up was the always exciting Chad Red. Many had to wonder if there would be a letdown after beating highly touted Taylor Lamont last night. Red had a formidable opponent in Jaden Enriquez of California who was seeking the Triple Crown. Red was warned early for passivity and gave up a point for not scoring during the shot clock in the first period. With neither wrestler really threatening to score, Enriquez was up 1-0 after the first stanza. With just over a minute left Red finally finished a takedown to take a 2-1 lead. Red was immediately back in on the legs and got his second takedown with 35 seconds left in the match. He surrendered a late takedown to make the final score 4-3. Red had a super impressive tournament in one of the highlight weight classes of the event.
 
It will probably take longer to read the recap of Nick Lee’s finals match than the actual match took. Lee was on fire all tournament long and he didn’t let up in the finals. His opponent was Jamie Hernandez of Illinois who was a surprise finalist. Lee racked up a quick takedown and three turns to make it 7-0 after about 20 seconds of action. Lee then got two more takedowns to secure the tech fall at the 1:16 mark of the first period. Lee had seven tech falls during the tournament in his seven matches. He was also named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament with his performance.
 
Evan Eldred of Westfield made quick work of Ryan Epps of Minnesota in getting the 11-0 tech fall in the first period. Eldred had an impressive tournament and will be one to watch this winter.
 
Kobe Woods was the last wrestler for the Cadets to take the mat. He had his summer nemesis Matt Stencel of Ohio to battle in the finals. Woods was down 4-0 in the first period before he tied the match just before halftime. In the second period Stencel ran off 9 straight points to clinch the win. Woods had an impressive run winning USAW Folkstyle Nationals this past April, placing 7th in Greco-Roman, and runner-up in Freestyle.
 
Cadet 106 - Paul Konrath's place is 1st and has scored 8.00 team points.
1st Place Match - Paul Konrath (Indiana) won by decision over Ian Timmins (Nevada) (Dec 8-2)
 
Cadet 126 - Chad Red's place is 1st and has scored 8.00 team points.
1st Place Match - Chad Red (Indiana) won by decision over Jaden Enriquez (California) (Dec 4-3)
 
Cadet 132 - Nick Lee's place is 1st and has scored 8.00 team points.
1st Place Match - Nick Lee (Indiana) won by tech fall over Jaime Hernandez (Illinois) (TF 11-0)
 
Cadet 132 - Evan Eldred's place is 7th and has scored 2.00 team points.
7th Place Match - Evan Eldred (Indiana) won by tech fall over Ryan Epps (Minnesota) (TF 11-0)
 
Cadet 195 - Kobe Woods's place is 2nd and has scored 7.00 team points.
1st Place Match - Matt Stencel (Ohio) won by decision over Kobe Woods (Indiana) (Dec 13-4) Junior Freestyle
 
The Juniors ran into the nitty gritty of wrestling this morning. Matches with podium spots at stake always bring out the best in everyone and the Indiana boys did not disappoint. After the dust had settled three Indiana wrestlers made it to the final morning of wrestling. Drew Hildebrandt will be wrestling for a national title, while Fletcher Miller will be wrestling for 5th, and Garrett Pepple wrestling for 7th.
 
Hildebrandt started the day off with a big win over Kirk Johansen of Illinois and kept rolling with two more solid wins. In the quarters he defeated Howard Smith of Texas 8-7 and in the semi-finals he took care of New York’s Kelan McKenna 6-3. He is the second Hildebrandt to make the finals this week as his sister Sarah made the World Team Trials final on Monday.
 
Garrett Pepple took the scenic route to placement after dropping his first match of the day to a tough Jack Mueller. He went on to tech Greco runner-up Corbin Nirschel of Kansas in the consolations to put him in position to place. His blood round match was not easy as he was down by six points in the first period, but came back to beat Tennessee’s Torbio Navarro. He lost his next match to rival Benny Gomez of Michigan and will be wrestling for 7th tomorrow morning.
 
Fletcher Miller ran into a beast in the quarter-finals in Iowa’s Marcus Harrington. Harrington was a two-time state champ and signed to wrestle for the Iowa State Cylones. Miller didn’t have much time to sulk in his loss as he was back on the mat 15 minutes later wrestling for a spot on the podium. He made quick work of John Jayne to earn his second Fargo placement. Miller went on to defeat Patrick Grayson, but lost to Kentucky stud Austin Meyers in his last match of the day. Miller will wrestle for 5th tomorrow.
 
Junior 106 - Drew Hildebrandt's place is 2nd and has scored 7.00 team points.
Champ. Round 3 - Drew Hildebrandt (Indiana) won by decision over Kirk Johansen (Illinois) (Dec 6-4)
Quarterfinal - Drew Hildebrandt (Indiana) won by decision over Howard Smith (Texas) (Dec 8-7)
Semifinal - Drew Hildebrandt (Indiana) won by decision over Kelan McKenna (New York) (Dec 6-3)
 
Junior 113 - Garrett Pepple's place is 8th and has scored 1.00 team points.
Champ. Round 3 - Jack Mueller (Texas) won by tech fall over Garrett Pepple (Indiana) (TF 10-0)
Cons. Round 4 - Garrett Pepple (Indiana) won by tech fall over Jake Stogdill (Nebraska) (TF 12-2)
Cons. Round 5 - Garrett Pepple (Indiana) won by tech fall over Corbin Nirschl (Kansas) (TF 10-0)
Cons. Round 6 - Garrett Pepple (Indiana) won by decision over Torbio Navarro (Tennessee) (Dec 16-13)
Cons. Round 7 - Benny Gomez (Michigan) won by tech fall over Garrett Pepple (Indiana) (TF 10-0)
 
Junior 138 - Anthony Williams's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Cons. Round 5 - Jake Lords (Idaho) won by decision over Anthony Williams (Indiana) (Dec 8-1)
 
Junior 138 - Brandon James's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 4 - Will Roark (Missouri) won by decision over Brandon James (Indiana) (Dec 10-9)
Cons. Round 6 - Brandon James (Indiana) won by tech fall over Jake Lords (Idaho) (TF 11-0)
Cons. Round 7 - Zehlin Storr (Michigan) won by decision over Brandon James (Indiana) (Dec 9-2)
 
Junior 160 - Ben Harvey's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Cons. Round 5 - Weston Dobler (North Dakota) won by decision over Ben Harvey (Indiana) (Dec 11-6)
 
Junior 170 - Dylan Lydy's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Cons. Round 5 - Dylan Lydy (Indiana) won by tech fall over Kenneth Moore (California) (TF 12-0)
Cons. Round 6 - Dylan Lydy (Indiana) won by tech fall over Jacob Holschlag (Iowa) (TF 10-0)
Cons. Round 7 - Dylan Lydy (Indiana) won by tech fall over Charley Popp (Illinois) (TF 14-3)
Cons. Round 8 - David-Brian Whisler (Ohio) won by tech fall over Dylan Lydy (Indiana) (TF 18-7)
 
Junior 170 - Scottie Sopko's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Cons. Round 5 - Aaron Wu (California) won by fall over Scottie Sopko (Indiana) (Fall 1:40)
 
Junior 195 - Jacob Aven's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 3 - Jacob Seely (Colorado) won by tech fall over Jacob Aven (Indiana) (TF 13-2)
Cons. Round 4 - Jacob Aven (Indiana) won by fall over Tyler Harrington (Illinois) (Fall 5:33)
Cons. Round 5 - Nathanael Rose (New York) won by decision over Jacob Aven (Indiana) (Dec 9-5)
 
Junior 195 - Randy Scott's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 3 - Lance Benick (Minnesota) won by tech fall over Randy Scott (Indiana) (TF 15-4)
Cons. Round 4 - Randy Scott (Indiana) won by tech fall over Logan Rill (Maryland) (TF 10-0)
Cons. Round 5 - Randy Scott (Indiana) won by fall over Cody Vigoren (Washington) (Fall 1:27)
Cons. Round 6 - Jacob Seely (Colorado) won by tech fall over Randy Scott (Indiana) (TF 11-1)
 
Junior 220 - Fletcher Miller's place is 6th and has scored 3.00 team points.
Champ. Round 4 - Fletcher Miller (Indiana) won by tech fall over Clay Bispham (Oregon) (TF 11-0)
Quarterfinal - Marcus Harrington (Iowa) won by tech fall over Fletcher Miller (Indiana) (TF 11-1)
Cons. Round 8 - Fletcher Miller (Indiana) won by tech fall over John Jayne (Americans In Europe) (TF 10-0)
Cons. Round 9 - Fletcher Miller (Indiana) won by tech fall over Patrick Grayson (Virginia) (TF 14-4)
Cons. Round 10 - Austin Myers (Kentucky) won by decision over Fletcher Miller (Indiana) (Dec 9-4)
 
Junior 285 - Nick Joyner's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Cons. Round 3 - Mosese Fifita (Washington) won by tech fall over Nick Joyner (Indiana) (TF 10-0)

2403
Parris rises to a heavyweight contender
By Drew Hughes
 
Mason Parris has been an Indiana fan favorite since his freshman year of high school where he lost a heart breaker to senior and eventual state champion Chase Osborn 11-10. After this the Lawrenceburg native’s high school career was flawless and didn’t lose another match on his way to three state titles and a 201-1 career record. 
With one of the most dominant careers Indiana has ever seen Parris set the record for most career pins at the state finals where he had 11. He ended his prep career as the 3rd ranked recruit in his class as well as being ranked 1st at 220lbs.
 
Right out of high school Parris was thrown into the mix as his redshirt was pulled at the University of Michigan halfway through the season where in his varsity debut, he took down the then #1 ranked heavyweight from Oregon State. Mason would then go on to place 7th at the Big Ten championships that year and lost in the round to place at the NCAA tournament. 
 
His sophomore season Mason was as dominant as ever compiling a 28-1 record with 18 of those wins earning bonus points. Parris finished the year as a Big Ten finalist but with to the NCAA championships being cancelled due to COVID he had to settle with being named a NWCA first team All-American.
 
This season Parris is currently ranked 2nd in the country at Heavyweight and is 6-0 on the year with all of his wins being bonus point wins. Mason is also ranked #4 in the Hodge trophy rankings and will most likely me the 2nd seed at the Big Ten tournament this year.
 
Being a three-sport athlete in high school Parris didn’t have as much time as most to wrestle freestyle. He only wrestled in 1 freestyle national tournament the summer before college where he ended up with a 3rd place finish. With the help of the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club, which is based at the University of Michigan, Mason has made tremendous strides in freestyle.
 
After his true freshman season, he made the junior world team at 125kg where he won a gold medal. Mason is currently ranked 19th in Flowrestling’s international rankings and this past December beat 2-time world bronze medalist Nick Gwiazdowski. This April, Parris will have a chance to compete for the spot on the Olympic team for the now 2021 games in Tokyo. When talking about international wrestling Parris said “I am striving to make the Olympic team and bring home a gold medal. I am undecided on how long I would like to wrestle for (internationally). It depends on a lot of factors. I would like to at least see another Olympic cycle in 2024.”
 
With Covid giving everyone an extra year of eligibility, a big question is what athletes are going to take advantage of it. When asked Mason said “I plan on using my extra covid year. I am treating this year more as my redshirt year, since I did not have one. It is amazing that I am getting another year to chase my dreams after being cut short before NCAA’s last year. I really want to utilize this year to improve and win an NCAA Championship.”
 
Mason is currently pursuing a Civil Engineering degree and would like to utilize that after college but is also open to other options as he said “I am still keeping my options open. I may try to play football for my 5th year, go to the WWE, or continue to wrestle internationally. I want to wait and decide what is the best opportunity for me and my future.”
 

1293 2 1
Parris and Lee Named Big Ten Co-Wrestlers of the Week
Michigan and Penn State Share Wrestler of the Week Honor
Wolverines’ Parris and Nittany Lions’ Lee each earned pins in Big Ten dual action last weekend
 
Co-Wrestlers of the Week
Mason Parris, Michigan
Heavyweight – So. – Lawrenceburg, Ind. – Lawrenceburg – School of Engineering
 
Picked up a ranked victory in Michigan’s dual against Iowa last weekend Pinned Iowa's third-ranked Tony Cassioppi at the 4:31 mark to improve to 23-0 on the season and hand the Hawkeye his first loss of the season Earned three takedowns in the bout and now owns nine pins this season, including two in a row and five in Big Ten duals Claims the first Wrestler of the Week Award of his career Last Michigan Wrestler of the Week: Adam Coon (Feb. 13, 2018)  
Nick Lee, Penn State
141 pounds – Jr. – Evansville, Ind. – Homeschool – Health Policy and Administration
 
Defeated two top-10 opponents in Penn State's Big Ten road weekend, helping the Nittany Lions post two top-six road dual victories Recorded a 14-1 major decision over No. 7 Tristan Moran of Wisconsin in Penn State's 29-10 victory in Madison Pinned No. 5 Mitch McKee of Minnesota at the 1:56 mark in Penn State's 31-10 victory in Minneapolis to improve to 16-0 overall Earns the first Wrestler of the Week Award of his career Last Penn State Wrestler of the Week: Bo Nickal (Feb. 12, 2019)  
 
2019-20 Wrestlers of the Week
Nov. 5: Luke Pletcher, Sr., OSU/Kendall Coleman, Fr., PUR
Nov. 12: Dylan Lydy, Sr., PUR
Nov. 19: Joey Gunther, Sr., ILL
Nov. 26: Trent Hillger, So., WIS
Dec. 3: Austin DeSanto, Jr., IOWA
Dec. 10: Brayton Lee, Fr., MINN/Dylan Lydy, Sr., PUR
Dec. 17: Graham Rooks, Fr., IND 
Jan. 3: Alex Marinelli, Jr., IOWA/Seth Gross, Sr., WIS
Jan. 14: Tristan Moran, Sr., WIS
Jan. 21: Graham Rooks, Fr., IND
Jan. 28: Sammy Sasso, Fr., OSU
Feb. 4: Michael Kemerer, Sr., IOWA
Feb. 11: Mason Parris, So., MICH/Nick Lee, Jr., PSU

393
Parity Makes Appearance at Al Smith Invitational
The 2010 edition of the Mishawaka's annual winter break wrestling extravaganza, the Al Smith Invitational, will likely be more tightly contested than it has been in recent memory.  Seven of IndianaMat.com's top twenty teams are set to do battle on Wednesday and Thursday and no one appears to have set themselves apart after the brackets were released Sunday afternoon.
 
Arch rivals #8 Penn and the host #5 Mishawaka lead the way with eight seeded wrestlers each.  #4 Merrillville and #20 Jimtown both have seven seeded wrestlers.  Perennial state powers #7 Lawrence North and #10 Bellmont check in next with six seeded wrestlers.  #12 Center Grove has five seeded wrestlers.  Other schools that appear primed to have a say in the team race include Elkhart Memorial, Columbus East and Prairie Heights.
 
Unlike the team race, the majority of the weight classes seem to have clear favorites this year.
 
Weight Class Previews
 
103
 
This year's most hyped frosh, Lawrence North's Nathan Boston is the number one seed and the number one ranked wrestler in the state.  He earned his lofty ranking by making mincemeat out of everyone he has faced this year.  Included in Boston's path of destruction is the second seeded and fourteenth ranked Santo Marciano.  Boston defeated the Raging Calf 17-5 a couple of weeks ago at Calumet.  Expect a closer match on Thursday, but not close enough to make Lawrence North coach Jared Williams sweat too much.  Other wrestlers to keep an eye on are #16 Michael Garza of Merrillville and Codey Flickinger of Elkhart Memorial.
 
112
 
The 112 pound class is one of the deeper classes at Mishawaka this year with many fine wrestlers not earning seeds.  At the top is defending 103 champion and 4th ranked Jarred Brooks of Warsaw.  Brooks will look to shake off some rust after missing the first half of the season.  The top half of the bracket has many other fine wrestlers such as Zech Weese of Rochester, Grant Martsoff of Mishawaka, and Anthony Scholettle of Center Grove.  None, however, appear to have the ammo to take down Brooks.  The bottom half of the bracket is absolutely brutal.  Up to seven of the wrestlers in this half of the bracket have legitimate shot at the finals.  Third seeded and thirteenth ranked Aurelio Medina of Munster is my pick but state placer Danny Hamm of Prairie Heights, Lawrence North's Alex Sparks, and South Bend Adams' super soph Sammy Ferdig will all provide stiff challenges to Medina.
 
119
 
Another clear favorite appears at the top of the bracket at 119.  Lake Central's Kyle Ayersman was the state champ last year at 112 and has picked up where he left off last year.  The number one seed, Ayersman, did suffer his only loss of the season in the finals of the Al Smith last year.  Second seeded and 5th ranked Robert Boston of Lawrence North comes into the tournament on a hot streak after defeating highly ranked Levi Moss of Ben Davis in the finals of the Marion County Tournament.
 
125
 
Yet another clear front runner headlines the 125 lb. bracket with Mishawaka's 3rd ranked Layten Binion.  Binion appears to have separated himself from the field after a breakout campaign as a sophomore which saw him place 7th in the state at 119.  Binion has signature wins this year over former state runner-up Dustin Kief of Franklin and 6th seeded Tyler Chapple of Penn.  It is unfortunate that Merrillville's Adam Garcia is on the same side of the bracket as I believe he might be the second best wrestler in the bracket.  Princeton's veteran Alex Griesemer might just navigate the bottom of the bracket on his way to the finals.
 
130
 
Alex Gregory's decision to wrestle at 135 for the tournament probably made the 130 weight class as wide open as any this year.  This class is still the deepest of any at Mishawaka.  Prairie Heights' top seeded Travis Barroquillo won two out of three matches with seconded seeded Taylor Wisler of Mishawaka last year and they are ranked third and fourth respectively in the state.  The lower seeds are not far behind and they include Merrillville's Al Padilla, Lawrence North's Jordan Johnson, Jimtown's Collin Crume, Penn's Trevor Manspeaker, and Columbus East's Zach Reiker.  Four unseeded wrestlers with 2 or fewer losses make this class outstanding.
 
135
 
The addition of Penn's Alex Gregory to the 135 bracket made a strong field even stronger.  There are not the same number of kids here with state wide credentials (yet) but there is plenty of talent.  I would expect Gregory to have little trouble with the top half of the bracket.  The four seeds in the bottom half have four total losses.  I like Steven Rieker of Columbus East to become the Olympians' first Al Smith finalist.
 
140
 
The 140 class features two returning state placers and two other ranked individuals.  Lake Central has another top seed in Bradley Wartman.  Wartman has a 5th place state medal(at 135) on his resume which garnered him the top seed over Lawrence North's Matt Rattay who placed 7th at 135.  Throwing a monkey wrench into the equation is Bellmont's Brooks Faurote who defeated Wartman in the 3rd place match at last years tournament.  Goshen's Ryan Ntende has Al Smith hardware from last year as well and comes in as the four seed.
 
145
 
Calling any weight class weak at the Al Smith Invite does not make sense but 145, 152, and 160 probably do not have the depth that many of the other class possess.  What this often means is that there is an opportunity for some relatively unknown wrestlers to make a name for themselves on the statewide scene.  At 145, Elkhart Memorial's Dantrell Goodman(12th ranked) is the number one seed and highest ranked wrestler. Penn's Grant Anglemyer is ranked thirteenth and the number two seed.  I like Merrillville's Javier Avalos to author a couple of upsets on his way to finals where he will likely face Anglemyer.
 
152
 
Elkhart Memorial has two number one seeds in a row with standout Cam Matteson topping the 152 bracket.  He must be ready to go right off the bat as he faces unseeded but very tough Kelly Kolat of South Bend Riley in the first round. This entire bracket seems wide open.  I like Munster's underrated Luke Smith to upset Matteson in the semis on his way to the finals where he might meet sixth seeded Darius Marshall of Mishawaka in the finals.  Marshall is a big match veteran.  Honestly it would not surprise me to see any of about eight different wrestlers in the finals at 152.
 
160
 
There has been no sign of Chesterton's Anthony Quiroz in any results this year but the former state runner up is scheduled to make his first appearance this year at the Al Smith as he is top seed.  He should have a couple of tests if he wishes to defend his championship as he will probably have to defeat Prairie Heights' Ryan Chandler, Columbus East's David Johnson and LaPorte's top gun and Duneland Conference rival, Alex Stewart.  If Quiroz can navigate that minefield, he will likely face the winner between ninth ranked Sean Mappes of Center Grove and fourteenth ranked Michael Taylor of Lawrence Central.
 
171
 
If there is a sure thing at this year's tournament, it is Drake Stein of Princeton. Ranked first in the state, defending state champion, and two time Al Smith champ are just the tip of the Stein resume.  He is a Purdue recruit as well as a national greco runner up.  His likely finals opponent is Bellmont's second seeded and fifth ranked Ryley Hankenson.  Other challengers include ranked wrestlers, Joe Peco of Hobart (14th), Aston Brierly of Columbus East(12th) and undefeated Brandon Weinkauf of Jimtown.
 
189
 
189 should be a deep and exciting class with no clearcut favorite.  State qualifier Brandon Dillenbeck of Goshen is the number one seed and ranked ninth in the state.  He should be tested on his side of the bracket by NLC rivals Ross Hoover of Warsaw and Chase Spears of Elkhart Memorial.  The four seeded wrestlers in the bottom half of the bracket have two total losses.  Included in this foursome is fourth ranked Kourtney Berry of Merrillville(2nd seed), Jimtown's dangerous Tanner Adams(3rd seed), Lawrence North's undefeated and underrated Jeremy Haskett (6th seed), as well as 21-1 Alex Skipper of South Bend Adams.
 
215
 
The Bellmont fan brigade will be in Mishawaka until the end as the Braves have secured the top seed at both 215 hand heavyweight.  Travis Thatcher claimed the top spot at 215 based on his 7th place finish at state last year as well as an Al Smith title at 189.  Second seed Taylor Grubb of Prairie Heights also has a state medal on his resume.  Grubb is currently ranked third and Thatcher 4th in the state.  Not far behind these two are the third seeded Devin Reagan of Penn and Munster's fourth seed Jack Seaman.  These two are ranked 7th and 8th respectively.  All four have been tested in the first half of the season so the semi finals should be very exciting.
 
285
 
Bellmont's little big man, Daniel Meyer tops the heavyweight bracket as he looks to add an Al Smith championship to his already impressive body of work.  Meyer uses his quickness and hustle to outwork most heavyweights he has encountered over the past three years of battling the big boys.  If Jimtown's second seeded Eric Forrest can get to the finals he might possess the right combination of size and athleticism to cause Meyer some headaches in the finals.

343
Overall Standings and Results
*Note the rankings are strictly based of wins and losses. Each team gets 1 point for a win and -.5 points for a loss.
 
Click on a team for more information about their wins and losses.
 
[standings league_id=2]

522
Off the Beaten Path- Karl's look at the small schools of Indiana
Off the Beaten Path - Karl's look at the small schools of Indiana
FULTON, IN - On a windswept and ice-glazed plain somewhere south of Rochester and north of Logansport sits tiny Caston Junior-Senior High School.  Each December this school hosts 10 of Indiana's smallest schools (average enrollment - 380 students) that have a wrestling program in a Friday - Saturday super dual.  Due to the weather, Friday nights portion of the duals were cancelled and teams were divided into pools for wrestling on Saturday.  After four rounds of pool wrestling, teams were paired off to wrestle a fifth round.  In that fifth round Fountain Central High School defeated Pioneer to take the team title.  Calumet defeated Northwestern High School to take third.  West Central defeated North Judson for fifth, Clinton Prairie defeated Frontier for seventh, and Culver Community bested Caston for ninth place.
 
Each team proved to have a few outstanding individuals that undoubtedly will advance deep into wrestling's post season but the most glaring issue on the day seemed to be the difficulty in fielding complete lineups by the majority of the schools at Caston.  Six of ten teams present had at least one hole in their line-ups, two schools had six forfeits and one school filled only five weight classes.  The struggle to try to fill a full lineup in these small schools is undoubtedly a yearly battle.  For many of these small schools, varsity slots are filled with freshman and inexperienced wrestlers that would definitely benefit from some JV experience but are forced into the line-up due to lack of depth.
 
Pioneer High School's coach Tim Spray coached eleven freshmen and sophomores along with one senior to a second place finish on the day.  Coach Spray works as hard as any coach in the state but due to the size of his school (330 students), depth is always going to be an issue and even Pioneer gave up two forfeits all day.  Pioneer's youngsters and the Pioneer's staff are to be commended for not using youth as an excuse and wrestling tough all day.
 
West Central High School (275 students) also was impressive today.  They were able to field a full line-up of solid wrestlers.  They have already defeated small school power Winamac in a dual meet earlier in the year and look to be a small school on the upswing as they only had two seniors in their lineup.
 
Fountain Central went unscathed on the day at 5-0.  They did it by having a lineup made up mostly of solid, if not spectacular, wrestlers.  Dillon Scott at 112 lost a tight 3-0 match to returning state finalist and outstanding wrestler on the day, Matt Miller of Northwestern.  Both of these wrestlers appear to have the goods to make a run at Conseco come February.  Fountain Central faithful were loud all day in support of their Mustangs and get the KarlHungus fans of the week award.
 
I couldn't help but think of the excitement that might be generated at some of these small schools if they could compete in a classed team state tournament.  Would more kids in their school be tempted to give wrestling a try?  Would administration give wrestling more respect if they were competing for sectional and regional titles like their basketball, baseball, and volleyball teams?
 
Discuss this on the messageboard
 
Coming next - Day 1 coverage at Mishawaka's Al Smith Invitational.

4055 8
Oberlin taking over Homestead program
By DANE FUELLING There will be a new coach in the chair for Homestead High School come November, as the Southwest Allen County school named Andy Oberlin the next head coach of the wrestling team.    “I am extremely excited to be running the program,” said Oberlin in an interview Monday with the DDD. “As with most wrestlers, I like to be in control and have opinions on how things should be done and now I will get a chance to see if they will work.”   Oberlin takes over the Spartan program from former Snider wrestler Nathan Devaux, and heads a program that he has been coaching in some capacity since 2014. Oberlin says that for the first time in his personal life, he finally has time to balance his family, work and a head coaching job.    Devaux will continue with the program as an assistant, as well as Brent Stockman, who wrestled at Toledo University. Other assistants for 2020-21 will be Josh Michaels (Columbia City), Rick Greenwood (Elmhurst) and Mason Gaines (Fishers).    The new coach is a graduate of DeKalb High School, where he graduated in 1994.    “I had the pleasure of wrestling TIm Myers six times my sophomore and junior year,” Oberlin chuckled. Of the six losses he had his sophomore and junior year, four of them came from Myers. He was eliminated from the state tournament both years by Myers in the ticket round.    Oberlin’s Bellmont connection continued his senior year, where he handed Jason Hayes his only two losses of the year prior to his appearance in the state championship bout in 1994. The Baron wrestler finished fourth that year at 119.    His wrestling career continued at North Central College, a D3 school. A decade after leaving North Central, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Purdue University.    Oberlin began his coaching career in 1997 as an assistant for the well-travelled Rod Williams at Norwell. He returned to Dekalb a few years after that and coached under Tom Blackburn and later Jason Hunter.    “I truly love coaching kids because of what this sport did for me and what I see it do for athletes. There is a bond between a wrestling coach and an athlete that I personally don’t see in other sports. You are truly going into battle with them and that solidifies that bond. Personally, there is nothing better than watching a child start wrestling as a youth and then see that athlete wrestle his senior year.”   A full program, not just at the high school level, but all the way through the youth program, is Oberlin’s ultimate goal at one of the largest high schools in northeast Indiana.    “Over the last six years, we have taken a club of about 10 to 20 kids to a little more than 100 last year. Our middle school programs are starting to develop and grow.”   Over 70 kids competed on the district’s two middle school programs this season and the success of the program was higher than in recent memory.    When asked for goals for his tenure, Oberlin looked at the bigger picture.   “We, as a community, have to work to raise the level of wrestling in our area. I want Homestead to be a part of lifting this semi-state back up.”   A berth at Team State and a few state medals were just some of the big goals he has for the program. Oberlin noted that he worked with other coaches on a ten year plan when he came to the program and feels that with three years left, Homestead is still on pace to accomplish many of the original standards he set in 2014.    Oberlin admitted that competing with Bellmont is a goal of his.    “We have a pretty strong Thanksgiving Duals and I will make sure that Bellmont has a standing invitation to that.”   An invitation to compete at the prestigious Al Smith tournament at Mishawaka over the holidays is something that Oberlin feels his program can earn in the coming years.    Oberlin and his wife and three children reside in the SACS district. 
469
Northwest Crossroads Conference Brackets
Click here for NCC brackets
 
Teams include: Andrean, Griffith, Highland, Hobart, Kankakee Valley, Lowell, Munster

333
Northern States Conference Preview
No Clear Favorite in Northern States Race
- Jimtown, New Prairie appear strongest
 
The theme of the 2009 Northern States Conference wrestling tournament appears to be depth. The team that will take the crown will likely be the one that can place the most wrestlers in the most weight classes as no one team appears to be dominant.
Both Jimtown and New Prairie appear to have the depth necessary to carry themselves to a team title but Knox may have a say in the outcome as they will bring many outstanding grapplers to the clash Saturday at Jimtown High School. Following is a weight class breakdown of the meet:
 

103 –
 
Matt Lindsey of Triton brings a 21-1 record to Jimtown Saturday with his only loss coming to Jacob Schroeder of Rochester. Michael Wireman is the second seed with a 20-8 record.

112 –
 
This class appears to wide open as each of the seeded wrestlers beat one or more of the other seeds. LaVille’s Sean Webb (20-8) is the top seed, followed by Glenn’s Travis Mowery (15-8), Jimtown’s Zach Slough (14-6), and Knox’s Dakota Martin (17-10).

119 –
 
Knox’s ninth ranked Danny Bradley is the class of the field with his 25-0 record. Second seeded Kaleb McCallum of Glenn has bumped up to 119 late in the season and brings a 24-8 record to the table.

125 –
 
A two man battle looks to be waged here as number one seed Collin Crume (28-6) of Jimtown might face off with second seeded Kyle Hernandez of Knox (25-4) in the finals.

130 –
 
Another weight class where the top seeds all own victories over each other, this weight class seeds went based on winning percentage with Bremen’s Justin Bogart (23-5) earning the #1 seed, New Prairie’s Joe Zigler (25-7) at number two, Knox’s Devann Biddle (14-4) at three and Jimtown’s John Michael Moore (23-9) at four.

135 –
 
Jimtown’s returning semi-state qualifier Jeremy Hill (33-3) is the clear favorite here and he is the one seed, New Prairie’s Aaron Jeske (20-8) and LaVille’s Danny Kline (20-8) are the number two and three seeds respectively.

140 –
 
New Prairie’s dangerous Dillan Escobedo (15-13) earned the #1 seed based on victories over second seeded Darius Stevens (22-9) of Triton and #3 seed Matt Hill (20-11) of Jimtown.

145 –
 
Niles Goodman of New Prairie (20-9) is the one seed followed by LaVille’s Preston Pittman (15-12) and largely untested Mike Stout (10-4) of Culver.

152 –
 
Jordan Martin of New Prairie looks to be the class of the field with his 23-4 record. Knox’s Mike Hernandez (20-9) and Glenn’s Josh Dunbar (21-11) both look to challenge for a spot in the finals as the second and third seeds respectively.

160 –
 
A three man battle shapes up at 160 where top seeded Jimmy Krause (19-8) will battle New Prairie’s second seeded Ryan Balanow (23-6) and Triton’s third seed, Zach Clark (27-5).

171 –
 
This may be the deepest weight class of the meet. Jimtown’s Zach Spurgeon enters battle tested and as the top seed. Second seeded Robert Molebash of Culver owns a victory over state ranked Reece Farnham of Northridge and Knox’s Adam Winebrenner (3rd seed) has an outstanding 25-4 record. 4th seeded Dylan Senff (18-5), along with unseeded Jake Cornell (23-6) and New Prairie’s Jeff Jurczak (19-7) appear very capable of upsetting the big guns at this weight class. **NOTE: Triton’s eighth ranked state qualifier Blake Hoffer was injured last Saturday and is taking a week off to heal for sectionals.

189 –
 
Knox’s Alex Windbigler brings an outstanding 25-5 record to the top seed and he will be chased by New Prairie’s second seeded Eric Singleton (20-8).

215 –
 
New Prairie’s third ranked Kannon Keigley (31-1) is the clear favorite here. He has one loss on the season to Lowell’s second ranked Nathan Cleveland. Keigley has a win over highly regarded Christain Lentz of Mishawaka and will be looking at the conference meet as way to springboard him to a deep tournament run over the next month.

HWT –
 
John Glenn goliath Craig Fitzgerald (ranked second in the state) and Jimtown senior Zack Stone (ranked #15) appear to be class of this field. Fitzgerald, undefeated on the year, is the returning conference champ and placed 6th in the state last year. Stone is a semi-state qualifier from last year and placed 3rd at the Al Smith tournament. There was no head to head match-up as Stone was dinged up earlier in the year when Glenn and Jimtown matched up