Reloaded Jeff Hopes to Stay on top - Courier Journal - Southern IN Preview

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Reloaded Jeff Hopes to Stay on Top

 

After winning two straight team sectional titles ? and facing a brutal regular-season schedule ? Jeffersonville's wrestlers will discover the difficulty of maintaining the top position.

 

 

 

 

The Red Devils, No. 14 in the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association state poll, are a marked team, and they have eight newcomers in the starting lineup. The challenges are weighty, but so are the expectations.

?Our kids have wrestled for us for a long time and know what we expect,? coach Danny Struck said. ?It will take a while for them to get used to the pace of our schedule and the strength of our schedule. We wrestle several top-20 programs in duals from Indiana, Michigan and Kentucky. We hope that our season prepares us for the state tourney.?

Jeff will rely on its veterans, starting with team captain Alonzo Shepherd, a 112-pound junior who is a two-time sectional and regional champion. He qualified for the state finals last season (at 103) and won Greco and freestyle state championships during the offseason. He is ranked No. 11 in the state.

Renaldo Weekley, a senior moving up to 145 pounds, also has experience as a two-time Hoosier Hills Conference champion, a sectional and regional champion, a two-time semistate qualifier and a state qualifier (last year at 135). He is ranked No. 9 in the state.

Struck will also count on considerable contributions from senior Kevim Castro (a returning regional qualifier) at 125, senior Tre Harbin (also a returning regional qualifier) at 140, junior Brandon Marlin (a returning sectional champion) at 160, senior Jimmy Pratt (a sectional and regional champion) at 215 and either senior Ryan DeWitt (a transfer from Corydon) or junior Elijah Curtley at 285.

?More than anything, we preach to the kids ?Count on Me,'? Struck said. ?That means we hope they turn into a man to be counted on for team points or for more support ? anything they can do for the team.?

Jeff finished fourth in the opening Capital City Classic in Indianapolis, a tourney won by No. 2 Perry Meridian. This weekend it will defend its title in the seventh annual HHC Duals, with action set for 6 p.m. today at Floyd Central and 9 a.m. Saturday at Jeff.

 

 

AREA WRESTLERS TO WATCH

Floyd Central - Caleb Happel (senior at 112), Andrew Sharp (senior at 285), Shane Sneed (senior at 160), Eric Foster (junior at 152) and Gus Schoenbaechler (junior at 140).

 

 

New Albany - Zach Faith (senior at 189), Matt O'Connell (senior at 160), Austin Jamison (sophomore at 135), Tre Marler (sophomore at 130) and Cheyenne Conn (senior at 215).

 

 

Providence - Alec Hendershot (senior at 140), Brennan Gregory (junior at 135), Jordan Kaelin (junior at 152) and Dalton Schell (junior at 171).

 

 

New Washington - Lane Massingham (senior at 140), Yancey Crase (freshman at 130) and Brandon Gonzales (freshman at 103).

 

 

Christian Academy of Indiana - Cory Neel (senior at 135), Ethan Banet (senior at 140), Levi Speth (senior at 160) and Caleb Delbridge (senior at 285).

 

 

Charlestown - Justin Wolf (junior at 125), Cory Suddeth (junior at 145), Jacob Hall (junior at 160), John Slaten (senior at 285) and Ethan Bowen (senior at 171).

 

 

Corydon - Matthew LaHue (junior at 103).