Articles

By JEREMY HINES
Thehines7@gmail.com
 
Kelton Farmer is a massive high school junior. He’s ranked No. 5 in the state at 220 pounds. He’s the tackle on Evansville Memorial’s football team and he bench presses over 300 pounds. Yet, senior Aiden Farmer refers to him as his little brother.
 
“Kelton is friggin huge,” Aiden said. “He got really big in the offseason. I put a lot of hours in the weight room, and I can tell you, he lifts more than anyone we know, by far. He even missed his own birthday because he was at the gym. We were supposed to eat cake and he didn’t show up and we had to reschedule.”
 
Kelton said he lifts weights five days a week, for two to three hours a day even during wrestling season.
 
“Weight lifting is relaxing and it’s a way to push myself,” Kelton said. “I know I make myself better.”
 
The Farmer brothers are 15 months apart. Aiden is an 18-year-old senior and Kelton is a 17-year-old junior. Both are ranked fifth in their weight classes in wrestling. Aiden wrestles at 170 pounds.
 
“I let him know, a lot, that I’m bigger than him,” Kelton said. “I think I outgrew him when I was six or seven. That’s when I started getting taller.”
 
Last year the brothers qualified for the state tournament. The oldest Farmer brother, Jacob, had just missed going to state twice. He lost to Gleason Mappes 4-2 in the ticket round in 2015 and then lost to Gleason again in 2016 in the ticket round 8-7 in an ultimate tie breaker.
 
“Qualifying for state was really cool for my family,” Aiden said. “My older brother wrestled for Castle and came so close to going. But I think I was more nervous and excited when Kelton won his ticket round match than I was when I won mine.
 
“I get super excited and anxious for his matches – especially the big ones. I have a lot of faith in him, and I know he’ll do great, but I do get nervous for him.”
 
The brothers line up next to each other on the defensive line for the Evansville Memorial football team. Aiden was an all-state defensive end on the team this year that reached semistate.
 
Both would love to either wrestle or play football in college.
 
On the wrestling mat, Aiden excels in the top position. He uses his length to keep his opponent down and he can get takedowns from multiple angles in the neutral position.
 
Kelton’s style is to use his brut strength to wear down his opponents.
 
“They are only a year apart, but they are very different people,” Evansville Memorial coach Larry Mattingly said. “It’s fun to watch how they interact with each other and how they encourage one another. Bot are very unselfish and are great teammates.
 
“Kelton has a lot of speed and strength, especially for his size. Aiden is very hard to score on. He doesn’t do anything flashy, and his closes are usually pretty close. He’s like a good pitcher. He’s just hard to score on. They are also both very cerebral wrestlers. They understand the sport well. They expect a lot out of each other.”
 
The Farmer brothers are excited about competing today in the Evansville Mater Dei Holiday Tournament. Both wrestlers will have ranked opponents in their weight classes and it’s a great test for the upcoming state tournament.
 
“I have Brody Baummann and Codei Khawaja in my class,’ Aiden said. “They are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the state. Kelton has Nathan Critchfield in his class, and he’s ranked No. 2.”
 
There are two other Memorial wrestlers ranked in the state this season. Freshman Landon Horning is at No. 12 in the 126-pound class and junior Keegan Williams is No. 14 at 132.
 
“That tournament is a tough tournament,” Mattingly said. “It’s right there in our back yard and it gives us a chance to go bang heads with the best of them.”
 
The Farmer brothers both hope to get on the podium this year in the state tournament. Aiden wrote that as a goal going into the season. Last year his goal was to get to state, and he accomplished that. This year he’s upping the ante.
 
“Their dad, Eric is very involved with them in wrestling and he’s been a big influence on them,” Mattingly said. “But he will tell you that they get their real competitive fire and toughness from their mom, Jessica Parsons. She played college volleyball.”
 

By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com

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

By JEREMY HINES
Thehines7@gmail.com
 
Jay County decided to take a little different approach to girls wrestling. The strategy is paying off.
 
Last year the Patriots had seven female wrestlers. They wanted to improve the numbers so they talked with some of the returning girls on the team and took note of what they said.
 
“We had a girl last year that was a really good athlete,” Jay County coach Eric Myers said. “She played soccer and softball. She did well in wrestling and placed at state. She looked pretty comfortable in the room with the guys.
 
“But, in trying to build the program, I asked if they were comfortable wrestling with the guys. She said she wasn’t super comfortable with it. I was pretty shocked by that. I thought, if we could find a way to have a girls practice away from the guys, we might increase our numbers. So, we did that – and it worked.”
 
This year Jay County has 13 girls on the team. They practice only against each other and compete only against other female wrestlers.
 
That has helped convince wrestlers like Mallory Winner to join the team. Winner is the little sister of 4-time state placer Mason Winner. She started wrestling when she was very young but sat out her eighth-grade year. Now she’s back and has been dominating every competition she’s been in so far.
 
Winner is the No. 2-ranked 160-pound girl in the state. She has already faced several other ranked opponents. She has beaten No. 3-ranked Grace Hiroms of Rochester four times already – winning 7-0, 6-0, 1-0 and by fall. She has also beaten No. 4 Emma Batten 11-2 and pinned No. 7 Sierra Zamorano.
 
“I didn’t ever really stop wrestling,” Winner said. “I just took a little bit of a break between my seventh and freshman year. I missed it, especially looking at a meet from the stands. I regretted not wrestling. When I came back, I was glad to be back. I get to wrestle with my friends. It brings me a lot of joy.”
 
Winner also became a big recruit for the team. She is a talented softball player and is friends with lots of athletes in the school. She has convinced other girls to come out for wrestling and is hoping to get even more out over the next few years.
 
“I’m always encouraging girls to come out,” Winner said. “I tell them that no matter if they win or lose, you’re always going to learn something. On good days and bad days, we’ll be there for them.”
 
When she’s trying to convince classmates to wrestle there’s always one question that comes up.
 
“They always ask if they have to wrestle boys,” Winner said.
 
Last year the Patriots placed fourth in state and second in regional. They are hoping to fair better in both this time around.
 
“I love coaching the girls,” Myers said. I think it’s great they have the opportunity to wrestle. In the sports offered by the IHSAA, wrestling is the most physical. It’s one of the sports where we say we’ll put guys and girls together. Now that we’re separating them, it’s more fair. I love that it gives girls more opportunities that they may not have had before. There are several very athletic girls that wouldn’t have been doing anything over the winter. It gives them something to keep them busy. Giving kids more opportunities to compete, be on a team and make friends is always a good thing.”
 
For Winner, who admits her first love is softball, she’s made great friendships through wrestling.
 
“Even if you don’t know the other teams, personally, the girls come up and talk to you,” Winner said. “You’re not afraid to be friends with opponents. Even when get done with a match, sometimes the opponents are giving you hugs and stuff. I think this is one of the reasons girls wrestling is growing very, very fast. Just this year our first tournament had around 115 girls, and in the last one there were over 200.”
 
Winner has a talented group of teammates surrounding her this season. Her drill partner is senior Lizzie Dollar. Dollar is the team’s 106-pounder. She’s ranked No. 6 right now in the weight class. She is a two-time state runner-up at 98 pounds and last year placed fourth.
 
“Lizzie always goes hard,” Winner said. “She doesn’t care about the difference in our weights. She goes out and gives me a great practice and competes.”
 
Senior Tricia Ison is ranked No. 4 at 170 pounds for the Patriots and teammate Mollie Hines is No. 9 at 182.
 
For Myers, he is enjoying learning the differences between coaching the girls and the guys. He is the head coach for the boys team as well.
 
“With girls, I discovered that they process things differently,” Myers said. “When you demonstrate a move for a guy, they seem to try that move super aggressively and miss the details. The girls, when you show them, they have all the details down but are not doing it quite as aggressively. That’s a subtle difference. The girls really have a great ability to listen.”
 
Earlier this season Jay County and Columbia City held what is believed to be the state’s first all-girl dual meet. Columbia City won the meet on criteria, after a 30-30 tie.

By JEREMY HINES
Thehines7@gmail.com
 
The Franklin Central wrestling team needed more than a coach. They needed someone to share the enormous burden of grief, someone to cry to, and someone to help them cope with pain no high school kid should ever have to endure. As it turned out, coach Kevin Moore needed the team just as much as they needed him.
 
“It’s almost like I was meant to come here,” Moore said. 
 
This is Moore’s fifth season at the helm of the Flashes. There have been five deaths in the wrestling family during that span – a statistic that nobody wants to keep.
 
“We have literally lost a person every year I’ve been here,” Moore said.
 
Senior Johnny Weisheit’s mother was murdered. Sophomore Gauge Clark’s sister was murdered. Former semistate qualifier Charlie Harp committed suicide in 2018 and just this November senior Ayden Harper died. Harper was one of the team captains and always led the warmups before matches.
 
While Moore has tried to be there for the wrestlers during their grieving, he faced tragedy of his own. His wife, Mariah, was hit and killed by an impaired driver.
 
“If it wasn’t for this community, I would have left a long time ago,” Moore said. “I’ve never seen people come together like they have here. When my wife passed, I didn’t have to do laundry, cook, or even pay for the funeral. The community did that for me. It was the same with Ayden – they paid for his funeral as well. Everyone is checking in on me all the time – and I know people are checking in with Ayden’s family and the other guys on this team as well.”
 
In the midst of tragedy, the team has found solace on the wrestling mat. It’s their escape from reality, if only for a few hours a day.
 
“Wrestling is tough,” Moore said. “It’s hard. It’s painful. But it gives you something you can control. There are a lot of things happening to these guys that they can’t control – but they can control what happens on the mat. Losing these people that we have lost, it completely sucks. But you can’t live life with those emotions. You have to find a way to move on.”
 
Each wrestler on the Franklin Central roster is dealing with pain. The tragic journey has made them closer than brothers.
 
“My teammates, they are my brothers,” junior Aataeveon Jordan said. “We aren’t blood, but we are. We have each other’s back. You mess with one of us, the rest of the lineup has their back even if we’re in the wrong.”
 
And, the pillar of the team, is coach Moore. He’s their rock – a responsibility he believes is one he must shoulder.
 
“There are certain people that are meant to handle these types of situations,” Moore said. “There are people that are built for it. Unfortunately, I’ve lost my wife and my kids lost their mother. In an unfortunate circumstance you have to lead by example. A lot of these young men don’t know that it’s OK to cry. They don’t’ know it’s OK to show that they are hurt. It’s OK to show emotion.
 
“I would never want to say I’m like a father-figure – but we just have a different kind of bond going through all of this. To be effective as a coach, at times I have to be like their dad and at times I have to be like an older brother.
 
When Mariah was in the hospital, the team was there with the coach almost daily. He had been their rock through their turmoil and then it was their turn to be his.
 
“They really helped me get through it,” Moore said.
 
The Flashes are hoping to turn their pain into success on the mat. The goal is to win the school’s first wrestling sectional since 1995. For some of the wrestlers, like Jordan, the individual goal is a state title.
 
“My goal is to get that blue ring,” he said. “That blue ring has been calling my name.”
 
Jordan is one of three ranked wrestlers on the Franklin Central team. Jordan is ranked No. 15 at 195 pounds. Last season he placed 8th at 220. Clark is currently ranked No. 17 at 106 pounds and senior Cayden Shelton is No. 17 at 138.
 
“We also have Ashton Brandon, who didn’t have a chance to finish the season last year, but I think he will surprise a lot of people,” Moore said. “He’s our 132-pound senior. He’s a hands-on, in your face, gritty wrestler. He puts his hands on you for six minutes and he doesn’t wear down. He’s also a big-time leader.”
 
Moore has helped build the Franklin Central program from when he started.
 
“There were 13 kids in the room when I started,” he said. “I spent all pre-season recruiting, and that’s what we got. Now we have a middle school room of about 40-50 kids and the high school team started out with about 70. I’m impressed with the culture shift I have seen. I think what these kids have gone through, and persevered is unique and amazing.”
 
The Flashes only were able to send a few wrestlers to the Marion County tournament because of illness. But, when the team is at full strength, Moore has high hopes. Win or lose, he’s in their corner and they are in his. They’ve been in the valley for a while, and now they are ready to climb out.
 
“Coach Moore has really been our shoulder to cry on, and we are his,” Jordan said. “I think the one thing we can all take from this is that, on this team, ain’t nobody ever alone. We all have each other.”

Mike and Joe talk about the last week of wrestling action along with previewing a short week of wrestling this week. They also deep dive into the 4A Team State and have a half hour rant on coaching.
 
 
 

Rex Brewer, Dane Fuelling, and AJ Kalver recap the week in wrestling, and also announce the full fields for Team State. They are also joined by special guests, Cascade coach Quinn Harris and Hobart coach Jason Cook.

Date: January 8th, 2022
 
Qualification Procedures
Click here to see the qualification procedures for teams participating
 
Qualification Leaderboard
Click here to see the leaderboard throughout the state series
 
Locations 
1A and 2A- Martinsville High School
3A- Franklin Community High School
4A- Brownsburg High School
 
Schedule
Weigh-ins 7:30am
Doors open 8:00am
Wrestling beings at 9:00am
 
Admission
$15- Adults and Students
Preschool and IHSWCA members FREE
 
Teams
1A Event Link
1A: Adams Central, Cascade, Centerville, Cowan, Daleville, North Posey, Prairie Heights, Rensselaer Central, Rochester, Southmont, Southridge, Tell City
Vote In: Cascade
 
2A Event Link
2A: Bellmont, Charlestown, Delta, Garrett, Hamilton Heights, Jay County, Monrovia, New Prairie, Oak Hill, Peru, Wawasee, Western
Vote In: Delta and Monrovia(Tippecanoe Valley withdrew from the event)
 
3A Event Link
3A:  Columbus East, East Central, Floyd Central, Franklin Community, Hobart, Mishawaka, Roncalli, Terre Haute South
Vote In: Hobart and Roncalli(Columbia City withdrew from the event)
 
4A Event Link
4A: Brownsburg, Carmel, Cathedral, Center Grove, Evansville Mater Dei, Perry Meridian, Penn, and Crown Point
Vote In: Carmel
 
TrackWrestling Link
****Including Streaming Info****
Streaming is through TrackWrestling/FloWrestling and cost is a yearly subscription of $150.
Click here to access the event
 
*Note: If you want a monthly subscription option you can subscribe to FloBowling and utilize that membership to watch wrestling or any other sports they offer. The cost is $30 per month for a monthly option.
 
Brackets

By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com

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

By JEREMY HINES
Thehines7@gmail.com
 
Nathan Critchfield was down – but he sure as heck won’t allow himself to be counted out.
 
Critchfield wrestles through pain each and every day. He doesn’t complain. It has become a way of life for the Evansville Mater Dei senior.
 
Critchfield wrestled his first three years of high school in Illinois. His best finish was third in the state meet in 2020. Then he got the news that would ultimately change his life – he had a tumor on his spine.
 
“My back was hurting all year and moving into freestyle season I got it checked out that May,” Critchfield said.  “They just did a physical exam and I kept at it and kept wrestling. Then, in August of 2020 I was still in pain and I got checked out again. They told me I had a tumor on the inside of my spinal cord.”
 
The news rocked Critchfield. He knew he was going to have to endure a grueling surgery and a long road to recovery. They wouldn’t know if the tumor was cancerous until after the surgery. The diagnosis was devastating – both physically and mentally for Critchfield.
 
“Hearing about the tumor was shocking, to say the least,” Critchfield said. “It came at a time that was so crucial in my life. I was going into my senior year. That’s an important time in your social life and in your academics. Then hearing that you’re probably not ever going to wrestle again, that was a big hit.”
 
Critchfield ended up sitting out his entire senior year to deal with his medical issues. He would have graduated in 2021 but will now graduate in 2022.
 
His first back surgery was a 12-hour ordeal. The next week he ended up getting a MRSA infection in the incision that required another surgery.  He wasn’t out of the woods yet. The first surgery had caused his legs to not work properly. That required yet another surgery.
 
“Between my legs and my back, I couldn’t walk for a few months,” Critchfield said.
 
Critchfield tried to do a little drilling in wrestling in February, even though he says he wasn’t supposed to. His legs still weren’t working the way they were supposed to work In April he had another surgery to relieve the pressure in both of his legs.
 
In the end, the tumor was not cancerous. And, although he’s still in pain, it’s something he has learned to live with.
 
“This whole ordeal has made me a different kind of person,” Critchfield said. “I have really grown in my faith. I get reminded of it all every day when I go to practice. Both of my legs hurt and my back hurts. Wrestling really sucks with the pain – but I love doing it. I put myself through it because I don’t know what else I would do.”
 
Critchfield doesn’t care if his opponents on the mat know about his bad back, or his issues with his legs.
 
“People tell me not to let others know I’m hurting,” Critchfield said. “They say to not let your opponents know you’re not feeling your best. I don’t think that would give them an edge on me though. I think it gives me a little edge, actually. They are going to wrestle a guy knowing he’s going to feel like crap and he’s still not scared. They are about to wrestle a guy that has went through hell but is still out there ready to go. That’s got to mess with them more than it does with me.”
 
Critchfield is currently ranked No. 2 in the state at 220 pounds. He joins a Mater Dei team that is loaded with ranked wrestlers this season.
 
Mater Dei has two wrestlers currently ranked No. 1 in their weight classes, both are returning state champs in Brody Baumann and Gabe Sollars. Crtichfield is No. 2 at 220. Hunter May is No. 3 at 152 pounds. Isaiah Schaefer is No. 4 at 106. Evan Seng is No. 5 at 113 pounds, Ashton Hayhurst is NO. 8 at 145 and Reed Egli is No. 13 at 120 pounds.
 
“This is my first year at Mater Dei and it’s been pretty fun,” Critchfield said. “It’s an interesting atmosphere and it’s a lot different than other schools. They put a lot of emphasis on wrestling for your school instead of for yourself. They have built a program and the whole community gets behind it. When you hear about the culture at Mater Dei, you never imagine how it really is until you’re a part of it.”
 
Mater Dei coach Greg Schaefer is glad to have Critchfield on the squad.
 
“Nathan is just a genuine, hard-working, hard-nosed kid,” Schaefer said. “He’s one of those guys that will be hard to outwork. He has a great attitude and seems to be extremely grateful doing what he’s doing.”
 
Schaefer said a lot of the kids in the Mater Dei program don’t even know what all Critchfield has been through.
 
“You wouldn’t even know that there was anything going on with him,” Schaefer said. “He doesn’t talk about it, and he doesn’t act like there’s any issues. It’s pretty incredible to think about what he’s been through and that he still maintains the attitude and desire to chase after his dream.”
 
As far as Critchfield’s wrestling abilities, Schaefer describes him as a big guy with the skill set of a little man.
 
“He’s very skillful,” Schaefer said. “He’s not like some of the guys that are just big bruisers. He’s more technical than most big guys. He wrestles more like a little guy.”
 
Critchfield has wrestled for Mauer Coughlin since he was very young. He parents used to drive him to the practices over an hour away, three times a week. There he made friends with a lot of the guys on the team and a lot of Indiana wrestlers throughout the state.
 
This year his goal is to go out on top. He’s seen the Indiana state finals and wants nothing more than to wrestle under the spotlight.
 
“My No. 1 goal is to win a state title,” Critchfield said. “I like to go as hard as I can and put it on people. I keep the pace up and make people want to quit. I make them tired, and I ride hard. I’m real tough on top – but nobody holds me down either. And I don’t quit. That’s my biggest strength. I will not ever quit.”

Rex Brewer and AJ Kalver talk all things wrestling this week, where the guests turned it into a Jay County reunion, including Nat Wood and Coach Eric Myers

Mike and Joe discuss the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic, a new #1 coming at 195lbs, and other events from the past week. They also deep dive into the big duals and events for the upcoming week.
 
 

By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com

Landon Bertsch did not start wrestling in elementary as some top performers do. He was a swimmer in elementary school.
 
Then as a sixth grader, he met up with Ben Sprunger.
 
The winningest grappler in Bluffton High School history, Sprunger came back to his hometown to teach middle school Physical Education after college and began introducing youngsters to wrestling.
 
“For me it’s about numbers,” says Sprunger. “It’s about getting as many kids out, motivating them, getting them in love with the sport and continuing to develop them.”
 
That strategy worked with Bertsch.
 
“I fell in love with it,” says Bertsch. “It took me awhile to get good at it.”
 
By the time he reached high school, Bertsch was getting pretty good on the mat. A 132-pound Bluffton Tigers senior in 2021-22, he is a three-time IHSAA State Finals performer (qualifier in 2019 at 113 with a 39-3 record, qualifer in 2020 at 126 with 42-2 mark and sixth-place finisher in 2021 at 126 with a 24-2 ledger). His career mark 10 bouts into his final prep season was 115-7.
 
“He lives for wrestling,” says Sprunger of Bertsch. “That’s his thing. He puts a lot of effort into it.
 
“He has the grit and the toughness you can’t always coach, It’s that X Factor. Either you have it or you don’t.”
 
Sprunger, who is in his sixth season as Bluffton head coach, finished his high school career at 139-10 and placed three times at the State Finals — seventh at 125 as a sophomore in 1998, second at 125 as a junior in 1999 and first at 130 as a senior in 2000.
 
Bertsch, who also trains with the club at Bellmont and at Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne, has the chance to catch and pass Sprunger on the victory list and become Bluffton’s first four-time state qualifier.
 
For Bluffton, the IHSAA tournament series goes through the Jay County Sectional and Jay County Regional and Fort Wayne Semistate.
 
“I don’t plan on losing this year,” says Bartsch, who went 6-0 in the Allen County Athletic Conference Duals Saturday, Dec. 11 at Jay County and is 10-0 on the season. “I just want to be the best.
 
“My coach helps me and encourages me.”
 
It’s confidence that Bertsch has taken with him in each of his previous State Finals appearances.
 
“What goes through my mind is that these guys are not better than me,” says Bertsch. “They are the same level. I can beat every single guy here.”
 
As a freshmen, he was pinned by eventual fifth-placer David Pierson of Warren Central in the first round.
 
As a sophomore, Monrovia’s Ben Dalton edged him 6-4 in the Friday match on the way to seventh place.
 
“That still haunts us a little bit,” says Sprunger of the late takedown that eliminated Bertsch in 2020.
 
In 2021, he beat Wawasee’s Branden Dilley by technical fall in the first round and lost 5-3 to eventual runner-up Cheaney Schoeff of Avon in the second round on the way to sixth.
 
What about the down time between matches at a big meet?
 
“I mess around with my friends and let my body relax,” says Bartsch. “It helps me stay calm and not get too anxious or too excited.
 
“When it’s time to wrestle. it’s ‘go time’ again and I’m get ready to go.”
 
As his high school days have progressed, Bertsch has gotten bigger and become a tough defender and attacker.
 
“He’s growing up a little bit and filling out,” says Sprunger. “He’s stubborn on his feet. He won’t give up takedowns. If he’s on top, he’s a beast. He’s tough on his feet, too.
 
“He’s not scared of any opponent or any situation.”
 
Bertsch counts junior Austin Lewis — a returning state qualifer at 120 now at 145 — as a regular workout partner.
 
“They make each other better,” says Sprunger. “They both have a hunger to wrestle.”
 
The coach also rolls with the Tigers in practice, including Bertsch.
 
“He’s crazy,” says Bertsch of Sprunger. “He beats up on all of us.”
 
Bertsch notes that Sprunger keeps him honest and he makes it a point to stay in position.
 
“It allows you to set up and make shots and it allows you to have a good defense,” says Bertsch. “You’ve got to have good balance to be in good position. You’ve got to keep moving.”
 
When Bertsch moves on from Bluffton, he plans to go to college as an engineering major and wrestler. He has not yet decided on which school. His favorite high school subject is math and he’s looking forward to Calculus next semester.
 
Landon’s father — former middle school wrestler Matt Bertsch — is a civil engineer and owner at Bertsch-Frank & Associates LLC, a land surveying and construction engineering company located in Fort Wayne where his oldest son did an internship last summer.
 
Adams Central High School graduates Matt and Elizabeth Bertsch have three children — Landon, sophomore Alydia, eighth grader Eli and fifth grader Addie.
 

Official Press Release from the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic
Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic 2022 Date Announcement Press Release 1 v1 12-10-2021.pdf
 
The Steel City is known for having great sports teams and the Rose Bowl of Wrestling the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic. For the second time Indiana has been invited to participate and take on the WPIAL. A team of 12 seniors will face off with a team from Pennsylvania on March 25th in Pittsburgh. This is a first-class event from start to finish with a banquet on Thursday night and team activities planned for during the day on Friday. As coach Trent McCormick said after the event in 2016, “Our wrestlers were treated like royalty leading up to the dual.”
 
As organizer of this once again I am extremely excited to take another group of Indiana hammers to this event. The organizers are some of the best people in the sport and profits from the event go to charity. The kids are treated great with a nice banquet on Thursday evening with team announcements along with a guest speaker. On Friday plans are being worked out for a team activity. The last time we were there we had a boat ride and lunch along the river and got to see the city of Pittsburgh.
 
Our seniors this year are loaded from top to bottom. We will have matches in 12 weights that we are working together with the PWC committee to align in the best way possible. Pennsylvania high schools currently utilize 13 weights with the major differences from 170 on up.
 
Last time out we lost the WPIAL beat us 27-18 winning 7 matches by two points or less! I think it’s time we roll into Pittsburgh looking to dominate and come away with a big win in hostile territory. That was on top of having to make a couple last minute replacements due to injuries the week of the event.
 
In the main event Indiana is 8-1 with wins from greats like Alex and Jason Tsirtsis, Stevan Micic, Blake Mauer and more! This year both Jesse Mendez and Zeke Seltzer are likely both on the short list for an invitation to wrestle for Team USA in the event.
 
Once tickets are on sale I will post information on the website. The last time we brought a big contingent and the PWC committee was extremely impressed with how well we traveled. I told them we want to fill up half the gym and make it a home match this time!
 
Stay up to date with Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic information on social media and their website. Web site is www.papowerwrestling.com/pittsburgh-wrestling-classic/
Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PWrClassic and Twitter @PWrClassic
 

2016 Indiana vs. WPIAL
WPIAL 27, Indiana 18
113: Aaron Burkett (WPIAL) dec. Geoffrey Davis (Indiana), 2-0 OT.
120: Ethan McCoy (WPIAL) dec. Drew Hildebrandt (Indiana), 7-4.
126: Chris Eddins (WPIAL) dec. Gaige Torres (Indiana), 6-3.
132: Mike Heinl (WPIAL) dec. Owen Doster (Indiana), 6-4.
138: Shaun Wilson (WPIAL) dec. Evan Eldred (Indiana), 8-4.
145: Damon Greenwald (WPIAL) dec. Jordan Vaughn (Indiana), 5-4.
152: Steven Lawrence (Indiana) FALL Derek Verkleeren (WPIAL).
160: Mitch Hartman (WPIAL) dec. Cael McCormick (Indiana), 2-1.
170: Drew Hughes (Indiana) FALL Anthony Welsh (WPIAL), :33.
182: Blake Rypel (Indiana) dec. Milton Kobaly (WPIAL), 10-5.
195: Jake Kleimola (Indiana) dec. Drew Phipps (WPIAL), 4-3.
220: Mike McAleavey (WPIAL) dec. Nick Fox (Indiana), 2-1.
285: Hayden Rice (WPIAL) dec. Sean Galligar (Indiana), 2-1.
 
Past Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic participants and their results
2016 285- Shawn Streck (USA) vs. Jacob Beistel (PA), 8-4.
2016 132- Luke Pletcher (PA) tech fall Owen Doster (USA), 23-8.
2016 160- Drew Hughes (USA) dec. Jake Wentzel (PA), 6-0.
*Hughes won the Turning Point award for winning the match that sealed the dual for Team USA
2014 126 - Stevan Micic Hanover Central, Indiana MD Zeke Moisey, Bethlehem Catholic 13-4
*Micic was selected as the Outstanding Wrestler for Team USA
2012 113- Jarred Brooks Warsaw, Indiana DEC Billy Rappo, Council Rock South 8-5
2021 145- Jason Tsirtsis Crown Point, Indiana MD Zach Beitz, Juniata 13-4
2004 140- Alex Tsirtsis Griffith, Indiana DEC Isaiah Britton, Loyalsock 6-4
2004 171- Blake Maurer Mater Dei, Indiana DEC Kurt Brenner, Freedom 8-6
1998 130- Steven Bradley, Beech Grove, Indiana, DEC. Mark Conley, Dennington, 5-3