Mr. Gorilla Award

12 articles in this category

1244
2024 IndianaMat Award Winners
Mr. Gorilla: Wyatt Krejsa- Center Grove
1st Runner-up: Will Clark- Crown Point
2nd Runner-up: Kyrel Leavell- Warren Central
 
Miss Gorilla: Rose Kaplan- West Lafayette
1st Runner-up: Varzidy Batchelor- Northview
2nd Runner-up: Elly Janovsky- Lake Central
 
Assistant Coaching Staff of the Year: Brownsburg
4A Coach of the Year: Darrick Snyder- Brownsburg
3A Coach of the Year: Brandon Sisson- Floyd Central
2A Coach of the Year: Cody LeCount- Delta
1A Coach of the Year: Tony Abbott- Cown
Girls Coach of the Year: James Linn- New Haven
 
4A Wrestler of the Year: Jake Hockaday- Brownsburg
3A Wrestler of the Year: Easton Doster- New Haven
2A Wrestler of the Year: Mitchell Betz- Western
1A Wrestler of the Year: Noah Weaver- Rossville
 
Past Award Winners
1A Coach
2015- Tony Currie- Adams Central
2016- Brett Smith- Prairie Heights
2017- Gary Black- Shenandoah
2018- Chuck Fleshman- Central Noble
2019- Tony Currie- Adams Central
2020- Cody Moll- North Posey
2021- Neal Stahly- Tell City
2022- Clint Gard- Rochester
2023- Joe Litherland- Tell City
 
1A Wrestler
2015- Sawyer Miller- South Adams
2016- Evan Ellis- Eastern
2017- Eli Stock- Monrovia
2018- Noah Cressell- Wabash
2019- Silas Allred- Shenandoah
2020- Isiah Levitz- Prairie Heights
2021- Hayden Filipovich- Indianapolis Lutheran
2022- Marshall Fishback- Rochester
2023- Tyce DuPont- Tell City
 
2A Coach
2015- Trent McCormick- Yorktown
2016- Mark Kerrn- Jimtown
2017- Trent McCormick- Yorktown
2018- Frank Bumgardner- Wawasee
2019- Chad Shepherd- Western
2020- Paul Gunsett- Bellmont
2021- Nick Kraus- Garrett
2022- Tim Myers- Bellmont
2023- Chad Shepherd- Western
 
2A Wrestler
2015- Brock Hudkins- Danville
2016- Brock Hudkins- Danville
2017- Mason Parris- Lawrenceburg
2018- Brayden Curtis- Yorktown
2019- AJ Fowler- Calumet
2020- Clayton Fielden- Garrett
2021- Isaac Ruble- Bellmont
2022- Christian Carroll- New Prairie
2023- Tylin Thrine- New Castle
 
3A Coach
2015- Brad Harper- Penn
2016- Darrick Snyder- Brownsburg
2017- Chris Johl- Chesterton
2018- Matt Schoettle- Perry Meridian
2019- Sean McGinley- Cathedral
2020- Sean McGinley- Cathedral
2021- Adam Wolf- East Central
2022- Chris Cooper- Columbus East
2023- Steve Sandefer- Mishawaka
 
3A Wrestler
2015- Chad Red- New Palestine
2016- Blake Rypel- Cathedral
2017- Joe Lee- Mater Dei
2018- Asa Garcia- Avon
2019- Jordan Slivka- Cathedral
2020- Eli Dickens- Mater Dei
2021- J Conway- Floyd Central
2022- J Conway- Floyd Central
2023- Cole Solomey- Kankakee Valley
 
4A Coach
2021- Greg Schaefer- Mater Dei
2022- Brandon Lorek- Crown Point
2023- Maurice Swain- Center Grove
 
4A Wrestler
2021- Jesse Mendez- Crown Point
2022- Gabe Sollars- Mater Dei
2023- Joey Buttler- Whiteland
 
Girls Coach of the Year
2021- Jeremy Goodlett- Lebanon
2022- Brad Harper- Penn
2023- Nick Skinner- Southport
 
Assistant Coaching Staff of the Year
2022- Crown Point
2023- Center Grove
 
Mr. Gorilla
2015- Tommy Forte- Mishawaka
2016- Chad Red- New Palestine
2017- Andrew Davison- Chesteron 
2018- Brayton Lee- Brownsburg and Mason Parris- Lawrenceburg
2019- Asa Garcia- Avon
2020- Silas Allred- Shenandoah
2021- Alex Cottey- Perry Meridian
2022- Jesse Mendez- Crown Point
2023- Sam Goin- Crown Point
 
Miss Gorilla
2021- Sarah Huse- Lebanon
2022- Catie Campbell- North Montgomery
2023- Aulani Davis- Kokomo

3084
2023 IndianaMat Award Winners
Mr. Gorilla: Sam Goin- Crown Point
1st Runner-up: Aidan Torres- Chesterton
2nd Runner-up: Orlando Cruz- Crown Point
 
Miss Gorilla: Aulani Davis- Kokomo
1st Runner-up: Mackenzie Konanz- Penn
2nd Runner-up: Chrissy True- Jeffersonville
 
Assistant Coaching Staff of the Year: Center Grove
4A Coach of the Year: Maurice Swain- Center Grove
3A Coach of the Year: Steve Sandefer- Mishawaka
2A Coach of the Year: Chad Shepherd- Western
1A Coach of the Year: Joe Litherland- Tell City
Girls Coach of the Year: Nick Skinner- Southport
 
4A Wrestler of the Year: Joey Buttler- Whiteland
3A Wrestler of the Year: Cole Solomey- Kankakee Valley
2A Wrestler of the Year: Tylin Thrine- New Castle
1A Wrestler of the Year: Tyce DuPont- Tell City
 
Past Award Winners
1A Coach
2015- Tony Currie
2016- Brett Smith
2017- Gary Black
2018- Chuck Fleshman
2019- Tony Currie
2020- Cody Moll
2021- Neal Stahly
2022- Clint Gard
 
1A Wrestler
2015- Sawyer Miller
2016- Evan Ellis
2017- Eli Stock
2018- Noah Cressell
2019- Silas Allred
2020- Isiah Levitz
2021- Hayden Filipovich
2022- Marshall Fishback
 
2A Coach
2015- Trent McCormick
2016- Mark Kerrn
2017- Trent McCormick
2018- Frank Bumgardner
2019- Chad Shepherd
2020- Paul Gunsett
2021- Nick Kraus
2022- Tim Myers
 
2A Wrestler
2015- Brock Hudkins
2016- Brock Hudkins
2017- Mason Parris
2018- Brayden Curtis
2019- AJ Fowler
2020- Clayton Fielden
2021- Isaac Ruble
2022- Christian Carroll
 
3A Coach
2015- Brad Harper
2016- Darrick Snyder
2017- Chris Johl
2018- Matt Schoettle
2019- Sean McGinley
2020- Sean McGinley
2021- Adam Wolf
2022- Chris Cooper
 
3A Wrestler
2015- Chad Red
2016- Blake Rypel
2017- Joe Lee
2018- Asa Garcia
2019- Jordan Slivka
2020- Eli Dickens
2021- J Conway
2022- J Conway
 
4A Coach
2021- Greg Schaefer
2022- Brandon Lorek-
 
4A Wrestler
2021- Jesse Mendez
2022- Gabe Sollars
 
Girls Coach of the Year
2021- Jeremy Goodlett
2022- Brad Harper
 
Assistant Coaching Staff of the Year
2022- Crown Point
 
Mr. Gorilla
2015- Tommy Forte
2016- Chad Red
2017- Andrew Davison
2018- Brayton Lee and Mason Parris
2019- Asa Garcia
2020- Silas Allred
2021- Alex Cottey
2022- Jesse Mendez
 
Miss Gorilla
2021- Sarah Huse
2022- Catie Campbell

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2022 IndianaMat Award Winners
Mr. Gorilla: Jesse Mendez- Crown Point
1st Runner-up: Zeke Seltzer- Cathedral
2nd Runner-up: Brody Baumann- Mater Dei
 
Miss Gorilla: Catie Campbell- North Montgomery 
1st Runner-up: Cailin Campbell- North Montgomery
2nd Runner-up: Riley Dempewolf- McCutcheon
 
Assistant Coaching Staff of the Year: Crown Point
4A Coach of the Year: Branden Lorek- Crown Point
3A Coach of the Year: Chris Cooper- Columbus East
2A Coach of the Year: Tim Myers- Bellmont
1A Coach of the Year: Clint Gard- Rochester
Girls Coach of the Year: Brad Harper- Penn
 
4A Wrestler of the Year: Gabe Sollars- Mater Dei
3A Wrestler of the Year: J Conway- Floyd Central
2A Wrestler of the Year: Christian Carroll- New Prairie
1A Wrestler of the Year: Marshall Fishback- Rochester
 
Past Award Winners
1A Coach
2015- Tony Currie
2016- Brett Smith
2017- Gary Black
2018- Chuck Fleshman
2019- Tony Currie
2020- Cody Moll
2021- Neal Stahly
1A Wrestler
2015- Sawyer Miller
2016- Evan Ellis
2017- Eli Stock
2018- Noah Cressell
2019- Silas Allred
2020- Isiah Levitz
2021- Hayden Filipovich
2A Coach
2015- Trent McCormick
2016- Mark Kerrn
2017- Trent McCormick
2018- Frank Bumgardner
2019- Chad Shepherd
2020- Paul Gunsett
2021- Nick Kraus
2A Wrestler
2015- Brock Hudkins
2016- Brock Hudkins
2017- Mason Parris
2018- Brayden Curtis
2019- AJ Fowler
2020- Clayton Fielden
2021- Isaac Ruble
3A Coach
2015- Brad Harper
2016- Darrick Snyder
2017- Chris Johl
2018- Matt Schoettle
2019- Sean McGinley
2020- Sean McGinley
2021- Adam Wolf
3A Wrestler
2015- Chad Red
2016- Blake Rypel
2017- Joe Lee
2018- Asa Garcia
2019- Jordan Slivka
2020- Eli Dickens
2021- J Conway
4A Coach
2021- Greg Schaefer
4A Wrestler
2021- Jesse Mendez
Girls Coach of the Year
2021- Jeremy Goodlett
Mr. Gorilla
2015- Tommy Forte
2016- Chad Red
2017- Andrew Davison
2018- Brayton Lee and Mason Parris
2019- Asa Garcia
2020- Silas Allred
2021- Alex Cottey

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2021 IndianaMat Award Winners
Mr. Gorilla: Alex Cottey- Perry Meridian
1st Runner-up: Bryer Hall- East Central
2nd Runner-up: Tristan Ruhlman- Bloomington South
 
Miss Gorilla: Sarah Huse- Lebanon 
1st Runner-up: Alexie Westfall- Crown Point
2nd Runner-up: Haley Mattingly- Carmel
 
4A Coach of the Year: Greg Schaefer- Mater Dei
3A Coach of the Year: Adam Wolf- East Central
2A Coach of the Year: Nick Kraus- Garrett
1A Coach of the Year: Neal Stahly- Tell City
Girls Coach of the Year: Jeremy Goodlett- Lebanon
 
4A Wrestler of the Year: Jesse Mendez- Crown Point
3A Wrestler of the Year: J Conway- Floyd Central
2A Wrestler of the Year: Isaac Ruble- Bellmont
1A Wrestler of the Year: Hayden Filipovich- Indianapolis Lutheran
 
Past Award Winners
1A Coach
2015- Tony Currie
2016- Brett Smith
2017- Gary Black
2018- Chuck Fleshman
2019- Tony Currie
2020- Cody Moll
1A Wrestler
2015- Sawyer Miller
2016- Evan Ellis
2017- Eli Stock
2018- Noah Cressell
2019- Silas Allred
2020- isiah Levitz
2A Coach
2015- Trent McCormick
2016- Mark Kerrn
2017- Trent McCormick
2018- Frank Bumgardner
2019- Chad Shepherd
2020- Paul Gunsett
2A Wrestler
2015- Brock Hudkins
2016- Brock Hudkins
2017- Mason Parris
2018- Brayden Curtis
2019- AJ Fowler
2020- Clayton Fielden
3A Coach
2015- Brad Harper
2016- Darrick Snyder
2017- Chris Johl
2018- Matt Schoettle
2019- Sean McGinley
2020- Sean McGinley
3A Wrestler
2015- Chad Red
2016- Blake Rypel
2017- Joe Lee
2018- Asa Garcia
2019- Jordan Slivka
2020- Eli Dickens
Mr. Gorilla
2015- Tommy Forte
2016- Chad Red
2017- Andrew Davison
2018- Brayton Lee and Mason Parris
2019- Asa Garcia
2020- Silas Allred

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2020 IndianaMat Award Winners
Mr. Gorilla: Silas Allred- Shenandoah
1st Runner-up: Alec Viduya- Roncalli
2nd Runner-up: Joseph Walker- Mishawaka
 
3A Coach of the Year: Sean McGinley- Cathedral
2A Coach of the Year: Paul Gunsett- Bellmont
1A Coach of the Year: Cody Moll- North Posey
 
3A Wrestler of the Year: Eli Dickens- Mater Dei
2A Wrestler of the Year: Clayton Fielden- Garrett
1A Wrestler of the Year: Isiah Levitz- Prairie Heights
 
Past Award Winners
1A Coach
2015- Tony Currie
2016- Brett Smith
2017- Gary Black
2018- Chuck Fleshman
2019- Tony Currie
1A Wrestler
2015- Sawyer Miller
2016- Evan Ellis
2017- Eli Stock
2018- Noah Cressell
2019- Silas Allred
2A Coach
2015- Trent McCormick
2016- Mark Kerrn
2017- Trent McCormick
2018- Frank Bumgardner
2019- Chad Shepherd
2A Wrestler
2015- Brock Hudkins
2016- Brock Hudkins
2017- Mason Parris
2018- Brayden Curtis
2019- AJ Fowler
3A Coach
2015- Brad Harper
2016- Darrick Snyder
2017- Chris Johl
2018- Matt Schoettle
2019- Sean McGinley
3A Wrestler
2015- Chad Red
2016- Blake Rypel
2017- Joe Lee
2018- Asa Garcia
2019- Jordan Slivka
Mr. Gorilla
2015- Tommy Forte
2016- Chad Red
2017- Andrew Davison
2018- Brayton Lee and Mason Parris
2019- Asa Garcia

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2019 IndianaMat Award Winners
Wrestlers of the Year
1A- Silas Allred of Shenandoah
2A- AJ Fowler of Calumet
3A- Jordan Slivka of Cathedral
Coaches of the Year
1A- Tony Currie of Adams Central
2A- Chad Shepherd of Western
3A- Sean McGinley of Cathedral
Mr. Gorilla
Asa Garcia of Avon
1st Runner-up Nick South of Columbus East
2nd Runner-up Cayden Rooks of Columbus East

5093
2017 IndianaMat Awards
Mr. Gorilla Voting Results(1st place votes)
See article here
http://indianamat.com/index.php/page/articles.html/_/mr-gorilla-award/2017-mr-gorilla-award-r778
1st- Andrew Davison(18)
2nd- Breyden Bailey(8)
3rd- Alec White(2)
 
Others with 1st place votes
Alston Bane(2)
Eli Stock(2)
Colton Cummings(1)
 
Past Mr. Gorilla Award Winners
2016- Chad Red of New Palestine
2015- Tommy Forte of Mishawaka
 
3A Coach of the Year
Chris Joll from Chesterton
Returning 13 starters from their 2016 squad the Trojans were poised for a spectacular season. Riding the waves of some talented big guys Coach Chris Joll's squad finished 2nd at state. Individually the Trojans qualified six wretlers for the state finals with five of them placing. Andrew Davison became the 5th wrestler in school history to win a state champion joining his father and assistant coach Keith, Joh DeHart, and Jim Popp. Also placing were runner-ups Lucas Davison and Diego Lemley, 4th place finisher Eli Pokorney, and 8th place finisher Jack Tolin.
 
Honorable Mention: Darrick Snyder from Brownsburg and Matt Schoettle from Perry Meridian
Past Winners
2016- Darrick Snyder from Brownsburg
2015- Brad Harper from Penn
 
2A Coach of the Year
Trent McCormick from Yorktown
Word on the street is that Yorktown will need to add on with all of the hardware just from the wrestling team. The Tigers had two state champions this year in Brayden Curtis and Brad Laughlin. They also had runner-up Christian Hunt and 8th place finisher Jacob Rhoades. On top of placing 4th at the state finals, Yorktown captured their fourth IHSWCA 2A Team State Duals title in five years.
 
Honorable Mention: Maurice Swain from North Montgomery
Past Winners
2016- Mark Kerrn from Jimtown
2015- Trent McCormick from Yorktown
 
1A Coach of the Year
Gary Black from Shenandoah
The Shenandoah Raiders lead by Gary Black have quickly become a program to watch in the state. With a relatively young line-up the Raiders finished 2nd at the IHSWCA Team State Duals in a match that went down to the wire. Individually, coach Black's squad had four state qualifiers including runner-up AJ Black and 8th place finishers Ryan Surguy and Josh Gee.
 
Honorable Mention: Brett Smith from Prairie Heights
Past Winners
2016- Brett Smith from Prairie Heights
2015- Tony Currie from Adams Central
 
3A Wrestler of the Year
Joe Lee from Evansville Mater Dei
The rumor on the street is that Joe Lee eats broken glass sprinkled with gunpowder and chugs a gallon of diesel fuel before each match. When you see him wrestle, you understand why that rumor has legs. Lee sliced through the field like a hot knife through butter this year with no one getting within 9 points of him during the state series. Lee has already committed to Penn State with one more year of high school left.
 
Honorable Mention: Brayton Lee from Brownsburg
Past Winners
2016- Blake Rypel from Indianapolis Cathedral
2015- Chad Red from New Palestine
 
2A Wrestler of the Year
Mason Parris from Lawrenceburg
Mason Parris is good at wrestling. In three years Parris has amassed 159 victories in 160 matches. This year in 53 matches he had 41 pins with only one match going the full six minutes. Parris is already in the talk of one of the best big men in the history of Indiana with one year left to wrestle.
 
Honorable Mention: Brad Laughlin from Yorktown
Past Winners
2016- Brock Hudkins from Danville
2015- Brock Hudkins from Danville
 
1A Wrestler of the Year
Eli Stock from Monrovia
One of the best stories to come out of this year's state tournament is Eli Stock from Monrovia. This Bulldog defied odds time after time and after the dust had settled he was on top of the podium. After another lengthy football season Stock stepped it up during the state series. He had to fend off numerous challengers in a LOADED regional in which all four competitors punched tickets to state. Stock's run in the post season this year will be talked about for many years go come.
 
Honorable Mention: Evan Ellis from Eastern
Past Winners
2016- Evan Ellis from Eastern
2015- Sawyer Miller from South Adams

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2017 Mr. Gorilla Award
Wrestling 45 matches in a season without a defeat is an impressive feat. What about also adding in 38 pins including 27 in the first period? Let’s also add in only three matches going into the third period, with only ONE, yes one, match that went the full six minutes. When you add all that up you get this year’s Mr. Gorilla, Andrew Davison of Chesterton.
 
Davison put together one of the most dominating seasons the state has ever seen this year. The future Michigan Wolverine already had a laundry list of accomplishments highlighted by national titles in folkstyle and Greco-roman before capturing his first state title this year. Davison’s career record was 121-4 with 79 career falls. On top of his accolades on the mat Davison has also been academic all-state based on stellar work in the classroom.
 
Andrew Davison’s Resume
http://indianamat.com/index.php/page/wrestler_detail.html/_/active/andrew-davison-r518
 
National
2016 187 UWW Cadet Freestyle Nationals 6th
2016 187 UWW Cadet Greco Nationals 5th[
2016 195 Junior Greco Nationals 7th
2016 195 Junior Freestyle Nationals 7th
2016 195 Junior Folkstyle Nationals 1st
2016 195 Super 32 3rd
2015 182 Cadet Folkstyle Nationals 1st
2015 182 Cadet Freestyle Nationals 3rd
2015 182 Cadet Greco Nationals 1st
 
State
2017 195 State 1st
2016 182 State Qualifier
2015 182 State 5th
 
Awards and Honors
2017 Academic All-State Senior
2016 Academic All-State Junior
 
Mr. Gorilla Voting Results(1st place votes)
1st- Andrew Davison(18)
2nd- Breyden Bailey(8)
3rd- Alec White(2)
 
Others with 1st place votes
Alston Bane(2)
Eli Stock(2)
Colton Cummings(1)
 
Past Mr. Gorilla Award Winners
2016- Chad Red of New Palestine
2015- Tommy Forte of Mishawaka
 
About Mr. Gorilla Award
The Mr. Gorilla award was starting 2015 as a way to recognize the top senior each year. Voting is done after the state finals is completed. Voters are from around the state include coaches, administrators, and state and national media members that cover wrestling. The award has been designed to give recognition for the hard work and dedication it takes to be a top wrestler.

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2015 IndianaMat Awards
1A Coach of the Year
Tony Currie- Adams Central
In his first year at the helm of the Flying Jets Currie continued the storied tradition of the program. The list of accolades in his first season will set a high standard for the years to come. In early January the Currie lead Jets captured the 1A Team State Duals title in dramatic fashion over Prairie Heights. They kept the ball rolling winning the tournament portion of the Allen County Athletic Conference. Adams Central was also the only 1A team to take more than one wrestler to state, which included 4th place finisher Kaine Luginbill.
 
2A Coach of the Year
Trent McCormick- Yorktown
The Yorktown contingent had an outstanding year once again, led by Coach Trent McCormick. The Tigers captured their third straight 2A Team State Duals title in dominating fashion. The won in the finals 45-18 and in total outscored their opponents 229-59. Along the state path they captured a sectional, regional, and semi-state titles. They also qualified eight wrestlers for state and finished 11th in the final standings.
 
3A Coach of the Year
Brad Harper- Penn
Adults often joke about the endless energy of kids…and Brad Harper. Harper is a high energy coach that is a master motivator. The architect of the Penn resurgence is the 3A Coach of the Year. With a banged up and patched up team at the 3A Team State Duals Harper’s squad was an eyelash and a tiebreaker from the finals. Then came a state run that was redemption for team state. Penn lost two very important wrestlers in the first round of state and came into the quarter-finals with one less wrestler than Cathedral. They managed to outpace the Irish as Harper’s squad brought home two individual titles along with a runner-up finish. This is Penn’s first wrestling state title in the school’s history along with the first individual titles since 1971.
 
1A Wrestler of the Year
Sawyer Miller- South Adams
After being in the semi-finals as a freshman and sophomore, Miller was knocked out of the state tournament at semi-state as a junior. That fueled the motivation to not quit until he was under the lights in his last go-round. He had an unblemished record until the finals where he dropped an overtime bout to Brock Hudkins. Miller wraps up his career as the most decorated Starfire in history with 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place medals. His legacy will be hard to top, but he does has a younger brother just itching to break all his records.
 
2A Wrestler of the Year
Brock Hudkins- Danville
Luck hasn’t been a friend of Brock Hudkins during any of his three high school seasons. As a freshman he missed the first half of the season with an injury and came into the state tournament with a limited amount of matches. He ended up 5th in a very tough weight class. As a sophomore he came into state as a semi-state champion, weighed in, then became ill and couldn’t participate. His junior year was cruising along until a midseason weight room injury almost sidelined him for the season. Even with a mangled finger Hudkins captured a state title in one of the toughest weight classes in the state. He finished his junior campaign without a loss and will look to build upon it for his final year.
 
3A Wrestler of the Year
Chad Red- New Palestine
There are many superlatives that can be used to describe Chad Red. His career to this point is nearly spotless with his only blemishes coming when he attends national events. Along with his three state titles he has championships at the Super 32 and Fargo. He also has a 4th place finish at FloNationals along with leading Team Indiana to All-American finishes at the Cadet Duals. The icing on the cake is his #1 ranking in the country which has prompted visits from top college coaches to New Palestine.
 
Mr. Gorilla
Voting Results (1st Place Votes)
Tommy Forte- 106(13)
Tommy Cash- 90(9)
Garrett Pepple- 74(1)
Dylan Lydy- 28
Brandon James- 24
 
Tommy Forte- Mishawaka
The experts often say to keep your resume to one page, but for Tommy Forte he will need a forest to print his resume off. One of only two seniors this year with four state medals(Brandon James the other), Forte has cemented a legacy of one of the greatest Cavemen ever. Two state titles to go with a runner-up and third place finish are just the tip of the iceberg. Nationally, Forte has placed at USAW Folkstyle Nationals twice and finished 4th at the Super 32. He also holds national rankings of #8 by Intermat and #15 by FloWrestling. He will be continuing his education and wrestling career at Buffalo with former coach Bryce Hasseman and the Bulls. This year he became only the second wrestler ever to capture four titles at the prestigious Al Smith Classic. He finished his career with an impressive 140 wins with only 5 losses to three different wrestlers(Jarred McKinley 2x, Cody LeCount 2x, and Anthony McHugh). With that he is the first of many Mr. Gorilla award recipients.

3293
2015 Mr. Gorilla February Update
2015 Mr. Gorilla: Karl’s Kontenders


 
Year one of IndianaMat’s Mr. Gorilla award honoring the state’s top senior wrestler brings no shortage of contenders. We have seen many great matches during the regular season and are sure to see many more as the state tournament series continues. This article is not meant to exclude any potential winner of the award, it is only meant to highlight a few of the grapplers who have distinguished themselves at this point of the season. IndianaMat has assembled a blue ribbon group of voters from throughout the state and even have included national high school wrestling experts that will vote for the winner after the state finals on Feb.21st. Voters include a mixture of coaches, administrators, and members of the media.
 
Garrett Pepple – East Noble – 113
RESUME
- 2014 Super 32 4th at 113lbs
- 2014 USAW Junior Freestyle 8th at 113lbs
- 2014 IHSAA - 2nd at 113lbs
- 2014 USAW Folkstyle All-American 3rd at 113lbs
- 2013 IHSAA - 2nd at 106lbs
Career Record 126-7
 
Pepple has both the high school and off season bones to be a serious contender for the top senior. He also recently signed a letter of intent to continue wrestling for the Indiana Hoosiers. The only minor knock might be a less then top-flight regular season schedule and the fact that Pepple has only been in the line-up for three years.
 
Brandon James – Perry Meridian – 138
RESUME
- 2014 IHSAA 2nd at 132lbs
- 2014 Flo All-American 3rd at 120lbs
- 2013 Junior Freestyle 6th at 126lbs
- 2013 IHSAA 5th at 126lbs
- 2012 IHSAA 3rd at 113lbs
- 2012 Cadet Freestyle 6th at 120lbs
- 2011 Cadet Freestyle 8th at 112lbs
Career Record – 159-7
 
King James was probably considered by many to be a pre-season favorite for this award and his senior season to date has done nothing to diminish that standing. A three time state medalist, James is only missing the medal with the blue ribbon to complete his in state list of accolades. He has already posted a convincing win over Tommy Cash this season, has a scholarship to wrestle at Old Dominion, and many national placings to his credit.
 
Tommy Cash – Lawrence North – 138
RESUME
- 2014 IHSAA State Champion at 138lbs
- 2014 Flo All-American 5th at 132lbs
- 2012 IHSAA 5th at 106lbs
Career Record – 160-5
 
The first of two Tommys, Cash is another strong contender for Mr. Gorilla. He has a state title on his resume as well as fifth place finish in his freshman season. A sophomore season cut short due to injury and a loss to James earlier this season are to minor blemishes that could easily be wiped out if he were to take this year’s title and defeat James in the process. Don’t count out the IU bound Cash.
 
Tommy Forte – Mishawaka – 152
RESUME
- 2014 IHSAA 2nd at 145lbs
- 2014 Super 32 5th at 145lbs
- 2014 USAW All-American 7th at 152lbs
- 2013 IHSAA State Champion at 138lbs
- 2012 IHSAA 3rd at 132lbs
Career Record – 149-5
 
Three trips to the state semifinals along with a perfect season and state title in 2013 put Tommy Two in strong contention for being considered the top wrestler in the state. Forte has committed to follow former coach Bryce Hasseman and will wrestle for the University of Buffalo. Battling injuries and the lack of a bone fide rival this season might be the only stumbling blocks for this talented senior.
 
The Fab Five – Various Schools – 170
Dylan Lydy – Ben Davis – Lydy has the shortest resume of the Fab Five but is currently ranked #1 based on his wins over both Jackson and Stevenson and an undefeated record. Lydy had a win over eventual state champ Stevenson last year before he was DQ’d from the state tournament.
Ben Harvey – Cathedral – Harvey is currently ranked 2nd in the state. He holds two state medals and has qualified for state all three years. Harvey will be looking to join big brother as a state champion. He has split two meetings with Stevenson so far this year.
Joey Mammolenti – Penn – Coming in at #3 is Penn’s senior Joey Mammolenti. In his first two years in the Kingsman lineup, Mammolenti has qualified for state. Unfortunately, he has failed to medal the past two years. Dominating wins over highly regared Scottie Sopko and Cameron Jones have lifted Mammolenti into the conversation for the state’s top honor
Dillon Jackson – Yorktown – Another sibling stud is Yorktown’s Dillon Jackson. He burst onto the state stage last year with an impressive 3rd place performance. Jackson has lost to both Lydy and Harvey but boasts a win over last year’s titlist Jacob Steveson.
Jacob Stevenson – Franklin – Last but not least is 2014 state champion Jacob Stevenson. The mere fact that a returning state champion is ranked fifth in the state at the same weight class is testament to tremendous strength and depth in this class. Stevenson has a win over Harvey but has suffered losses to Lydy, Jackson and Harvey. Whomever navigates this tough weight class deserves strong consideration for being named Mr. Gorilla.
 
Chase Osborn – Penn – 182
RESUME
- 2014 IHSAA 2nd at 170lbs
- 2012 IHSAA State Qualifier at 132lbs
Career Record – 118-25
 
Osborn burst onto the scene in his freshman year when he was a surprise state qualifier for the Kingmen. His sophomore season ended at regional as he was going through a growth spurt but Osborn reemerged in a big way his junior year by making a run to the title match at 170. His senior year has been dominating and has only been tested once in the Al Smith finals by Chesterton’s Andrew Davison.
 
Norman Oglesby – Ben Davis – 285
RESUME
- 2014 2nd at 285lbs
- 2013 State Qualifier at 285lbs
Career Record – 135-15
 
Stormin’ Norman turned heads his sophomore year when he emerged as a semistate champion for the Giants. Last year, he repeated as the Evansville champ and won his first three matches at Banker’s Life. A runner-up finish to Cathedral’s Wes Bernard ended his season. Oglesby got a blue ring as a star Ben Davis football squad this fall and earned a scholarship to the University of Cincinnati.

3039
Mr. Gorilla Watch List Preseason 2015
Here is the first list of top seniors for this year's Mr. Gorilla award. Note that these are in no order. We will update this list throughout the season.
 
1. Tommy Cash- Lawrence North
- 2014 State Champion at 138lbs
- 2014 Flo All-American 5th at 132lbs
- 2012 5th at 106lbs
 
2. Jack Chastain- Hamilton Southeastern
- 2014 5th at 126lbs
- 2013 State Qualifier at 113lbs
 
3. Cornelius Elliott- Perry Meridian
- 2014 3rd at 113lbs
- 2014 Flo All-American 8th at 113lbs
 
4. Tyler Fergeson- Evansville Reitz
- 2014 5th at 113lbs
 
5. Tommy Forte- Mishawaka
- 2014 2nd at 145lbs
- 2014 Super 32 5th at 145lbs
- 2014 USAW All-American 7th at 152lbs
- 2013 State Champion at 138lbs
- 2012 3rd at 132lbs
 
6. Elisea Geurra- Elkhart Central
- 2014 6th at 220lbs
 
7. Colton Gonzales- Connersville
- 2014 7th at 170lbs
 
8. Ben Harvey- Cathedral
- 2014 State Qualifier at 145lbs
- 2013 3rd at 126lbs
- 2012 7th at 113lbs
 
9. Corey Hinkle- Western
- 2014 3rd at 182lbs
 
10. Myron Howard-Anderson- Yorktown
- 2014 4th at 182lbs
- 2013 State Qualifier at 170lbs
 
11. Dillon Jackson- Yorktown
- 2014 3rd at 170lbs
 
12. Brandon James- Perry Meridian
- 2014 2nd at 132lbs
- 2014 Flo All-American 3rd at 120lbs
- 2013 Junior Freestyle 6th at 126lbs
- 2013 5th at 126lbs
- 2012 3rd at 113lbs
- 2012 Cadet Freestyle 6th at 120lbs
- 2011 Cadet Freestyle 8th at 112lbs
 
13. Alex Johnson- Mater Dei
- 2014 6th at 120lbs
 
14. Clarence Johnson- Merrillville
- 2014 7th at 126lbs
 
15. Isaiah Kemper- Evansville Central
- 2014 State Qualifier at 160lbs
- 2014 USAW All-American 8th at 160lbs
- 2013 State Qualifier at 138lbs
 
16. Connor Knapp- East Noble
- 2014 3rd at 120lbs
- 2013 4th at 113lbs
 
17. Gabe Koontz- Edgewood
- 2014 3rd at 160lbs
 
18. Bailey LaHue- Corydon Central
- 2014 7th at 120lbs
- 2013 4th at 120lbs
- 2012 5th at 113lbs
 
19. Sam Lovejoy- Heritage
- 2014 5th at 132lbs
- 2012 State Qualifier at 113lbs
 
20. Dylan Lydy- Ben Davis
- 2013 USAW Cadet Freestyle 4th at 160lbs
- 2014 Flo All-American 4th at 160lbs
 
21. Joey Mammolenti- Penn
- 2014 State Qualifier at 160lbs
- 2013 State Qualifier at 145lbs
 
22. Seth Meyer- Harrison (WL)
- 2014 8th at 220lbs
- 2013 State Qualifier at 220lbs
 
23. Sawyer Miller- South Adams
- 2013 3rd at 113lbs
- 2012 4th at 106lbs
 
24. Jonathan Morales- Western Boone
- 2014 5th at 182lbs
 
25. Norman Oglesby- Ben Davis
- 2014 2nd at 285lbs
- 2013 State Qualifier at 285lbs
 
26. Chase Osborne- Penn
- 2014 2nd at 170lbs
- 2012 State Qualifier at 132lbs
 
27. Garrett Pepple- East Noble
- 2014 Super 32 4th at 113lbs
- 2014 USAW Junior Freestyle 8th at 113lbs
- 2014 2nd at 113lbs
- 2014 USAW Folkstyle All-American 3rd at 113lbs
- 2013 2nd at 106lbs
 
28. Griffin Schermer- Bloomington South
- 2014 5th at 120lbs
- 2013 State Qualifier at 106lbs
 
29. Darden Schurg- Crown Point
- 2014 2nd at 152lbs
- 2012 4th at 113lbs
 
30. Randy Scott- Mooresville
- 2014 3rd at 195lbs
- 2013 USAW Cadet Greco-Roman 2nd at 195lbs
- 2013 USAW Cadet Freestyle 7th at 195lbs
 
31. Scottie Sopko- Hobart
- 2013 State Qualifier at 170lbs
- 2012 8th at 160lbs
 
32. Jacob Stevenson- Franklin
- 2014 State Champion at 170lbs
- 2012 State Qualifier at 138lbs
 
33. Nathan Trawick- Richmond
- 2014 State Qualifier at 285lbs

2482
Mr. Gorilla Award Information
IndianaMat.com has decided to sponsor an award honoring the state's top senior wrestler. Most of the other high school sports already are honoring their top seniors and we felt that 2015 would be the right time to present such an award for wrestling.
 
IndianaMat will start things off by publishing a watch list of senior contenders for the award (i.e. Heisman watch) in early November. We will then pare this list down to approximately fifteen wrestlers after the team state duals and holiday tournaments and then further refine the list prior to sectionals.
 
The criteria for selection will be left intentionally vague as we want a variety of opinions as to who the voters think is the best wrestler. Some general criteria that can be considered is listed here:
1. Must be a senior
2. Undefeated/fewest losses. A midseason loss would not disqualify a wrestler.
3. Domination. Number of pins, tech falls
4. Level of competition.
5. Body of work previous to senior year. State and national resume.
6. Character
7. Grades
 
Any, or all of these may, or may not, be taken into consideration by the voters when making their selections. We have chosen 39 voters to make this selection because we value their knowledge and experience regarding Indiana high school wrestling.