Evening News: Jeff repeats at sectional champions

[dstruck]

HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING: Jeff repeats as sectional champions

 

Devils earn consecutive titles for the first time in school history

 

By KEVIN HARRIS

Kevin.Harris@newsandtribune.com

 

JEFFERSONVILLE ? The Jeffersonville wrestling team?s history-making season continued on Saturday at Johnson Arena.

 

Two weeks after winning their second straight Hoosier Hills Conference championship for the first time, the Red Devils repeated as Jeff Sectional champions for the first time in program history.

 

Eight Jeff wrestlers each won sectional titles, six by major decision, in helping the team score 283 points and advance to Wednesday?s Jasper Team Regional. Ten Jeff grapplers reached the finals and 13 of the 14 Red Devils moved on to next Saturday?s Jeff Individual Regional. The top four wrestlers in each weight class qualified for the individual regional.

 

Even though he was pleased to see his squad collect back-to-back sectional crowns, Red Devil head coach Danny Struck says his troops have bigger goals in mind like reaching the IHSAA Team State Finals on Saturday, Feb. 27 at Center Grove.

 

?It?s not something we ever really talk about,? Struck said about the sectional repeat. ?State finals is what we focus on every day. The senior class started wrestling for me in fifth grade, and in fifth grade they wanted to reach state. But it?s nice to finally be able to say our program is established, and for the time being not being overshadowed by other local teams.

 

?I can?t lie - it feels really good.?

 

Jeff?s seven No. 1 seeds each took care of business and captured sectional titles. Those grapplers were Alonzo Shepherd (103 pounds), Curtis Smith (112), Devon Miller (119), Renaldo Weekley (135), Brandon Marlin (160), Caleb Browner (171) and Nelson Bowen (189).

 

For Smith, it was his third sectional championship in his career. The senior is four victories away from becoming the all-time wins leader in Red Devil history.

 

Jeff?s eighth sectional champ was junior Jimmy Pratt in the 215-pound division. The No. 2 seed downed top-seeded Ryan DeWitt of Corydon by a major decision in the final, 14-4. It was Pratt?s first sectional title.

 

Finishing second for the Devils were Sean Simpson (130) and Elijah Curtlay (285). Teammate Kevin Castro (125) placed third and Jeff?s fourth-place finishers were Tre Harbin (140) and Damon Dryden (145).

 

?I?d trade a sectional championship for all 14 to qualify for regional. It means a lot to them to move on,? Struck said. ?Out of our 10 in the finals, only three were seniors and those three seniors were champs. So we?re excited about seven returning finalists for next year.?

 

Despite no sectional champions, Floyd Central placed second in the team standings with 208 points. Ten Highlanders earned trips to Jeff next weekend, led by runner-up finishers Zach Thomas (112), Tom Denny (135) and Ben Moberly (145).

 

Six Floyd wrestlers placed third. They were Caleb Happel (103), Aaron Witt (130), Drew Denny (140), Shane Sneed (160), Jacob Faulkenburg (171) and Andrew Sharp (215). Sophomore Eric Foster (152) collected a fourth-place finish.

 

New Albany finished third with 178 points and had the second-most sectional champions with three. The trio of champs were Tim Martin (130), Larry Rickman (140) and Taylor Hoke (285). Rickman and Hoke each won their respective finals in overtime.

 

Six other Bulldogs got regional berths. Freshman Tre Marler (125) and junior Zack Faith (189) each placed second, while Austin Jamison (112) was third. Finishing fourth for New Albany were Joshua Coomer (103), Matthew O?Connell (160) and Cody Leasor (215).

 

Charlestown, projected to finish second, wound up fourth with 176 points. Four Pirates were runners-up in Taylor Newcomb (140), Mark Daugherty (152), Jacob Hall (160) and Ethan Bowen (171). Placing third for Charlestown were Justin Wolf (119), Cory Suddeth (145) and John Slaten (285). Fourth-place finishers for the Pirates were Bryan Lowery (112), Jason Beevers (135) and David Enteman (189).

 

Senior Jacob Golembeski led Providence to a sixth-place finish with 87 points. Golembeski was the Pioneers? lone sectional champion, as he defeated Daugherty in the 152 final by a 5-0 decision. It was Golembeski?s second sectional title.

 

?It?s great. It?s a blast,? Golembeski said. ?I wrestled him last year in the sectional finals and he?s a good wrestler. I?ll probably see him next week. It?s going to be a good regional.?

 

Two other Providence wrestlers earned regional berths. Senior Joey Libretto (189) finished third, while sophomore Brennen Gregory (119) placed fourth.

 

New Washington senior Josh Sampson won his first-ever sectional crown, beating Moberly in the 145-pound final 2-0. Sampson, the only wrestler in Mustang history to finish the regular season undefeated, improved his record to 39-0.

 

?It feels really good to get that out of the way and under my belt,? Sampson said. ?This is something I really wanted. I?ve been looking forward to this all year. Last year, I got upset in the sectionals and I wanted to kind of redeem myself from that.?

 

New Washington was seventh with 70 1/2 points. Two other Mustangs will join Sampson at regional. Freshman Brady Meenach (119) wound up second, and junior Lane Massingham (135) finished third.

 

Two Christian Academy of Indiana wrestlers moved on to regional. Junior Levi Speth (152) finished third and junior Cory Neel (125) placed fourth. The Warriors were eighth with 49 points.

 

JEFFERSONVILLE SECTIONAL

 

Team scores - Jeff 283, Floyd Central 208, New Albany 178, Charlestown 176, Corydon 101, Providence 87, New Washington 70 1-2, Christian Academy of Indiana 49, Salem 20, Pekin Eastern 17.

 

INDIVIDUAL FINALS

 

103 - Shepherd (J) maj. dec. LaHue (Co), 9-0

 

112 - Smith (J) maj. dec. Thomas (F), 13-3

 

119 - Miller (J) pin Meenach (NW), 1:07

 

125 - Springer (Co) pin Marler (NA), 4:49

 

130 - Martin (NA) dec. Simpson (J), 7-0

 

135 - Weekley (J) maj. dec. T. Denny (F), 17-6

 

140 - Rickman (NA) dec. Newcomb (Ch), 7-5, OT

 

145 - Sampson (NW) dec. Moberly (F), 2-0

 

152 - Golembeski (Pr) dec. Daugherty (Ch), 5-0

 

160 - Marlin (J) maj. dec. Hall (Ch), 13-4

 

171 - Browner (J) maj. dec. Bowen (Ch), 15-5

 

189 - Bowen (J) dec. Faith (NA), 8-3

 

215 - Pratt (J) maj. dec. DeWitt (Co), 14-4

 

285 - Hoke (NA) dec. Curtlay (J), 5-3, OT