Late Bloomers

[blueandgold]

Who are some guys who you always knew had potential and were touted to be very good early on, but didn’t really hit their stride until their junior or senior year?

[BrodyHardcastle]

Thomas Penola didn’t arrive on the scene until his junior year at Al Smith.

[jleising]

Evan Schaffer of Connersville busted up the HWT class his senior year. Just if he started to wrestle sooner in life. Great kid, great family.

[Paycheck141]

1 hour ago, bigballerb said:

Thomas Penola didn’t arrive on the scene until his junior year at Al Smith.

His match with Lucas Davison at State his senior year was insane 

[brickfor6]

2 hours ago, bigballerb said:

Thomas Penola didn’t arrive on the scene until his junior year at Al Smith.

I think you could say Thomas Penola and Zack Fattore in the same sentence. Zack had 1 career loss going into junior year, but never wrestled in a state series due to injuries. These 2 hammers met in the Al Smith finals as the 8 and 9 seed I believe. Match went into OT with Penola winning on a stall call in between 3rd period and OT. 

 

For Hobart: Rafael Montez, was behind Eric Galka for most of his career, until his senior year, he broke onto the scene and took 3rd at state.

 

Another guy I always think of is Grant Martsolf who made the finals at state his senior year in his first ever state appearance. 

[Jstephenson1356]

I’d say this goes with the late bloomers topic. Joey Cline came in as a freshman having never wrestled and was our starting 106 weighing 84 lbs he won like 3 matches that year. Now as a senior he’s ranked 20th at 113

[base]

The most well-known case I can think of is 2013 State Champion Deondre Wilson from Warren Central.

 

It was only his 3rd year of the sport when he achieved his undefeated season and championship.  Amazing story!

[Coplen187]

Marshall Fishback went 11-17 his first year of wrestling, his sophomore year, and came in 5th at the Peru sectional (2020).

 

Two years later (2022) he would become Rochester's first state champion.

 

 

 

 

[Silence Dogood]

Anthony Lapsely

[Kyle Ayersman]

Dorian Keys at Brownsburg. First two years at Ben Davis he didn't wrestle. Came to us a junior and won a title that year plus a 3rd place finish. His first match against Westfield, he almost was DQ'ed for locking his hands too many times.

[Cody LeCount]

Braxton Russell from Delta 

 

Freshman year went 17-12 and was a regional qualifier at 160lbs

 

Sophomore year wrestled first tournament of year…. Found out he had two stress fractures in his back and probably wasn’t going to wrestle the rest of the year… had a remarkable recovery was able to come back in January and made a run during tournament series and became a IHSAA State Qualifier at 170lbs (lost Friday night to guy who got 5th) and finished season 21-6.

 

Now as a junior is 14-1 (loss is to the #3 ranked guy) and is currently ranked #13 at 170

[swain358]

Nick Borta North Montgomery. Unheard of kid who possibly  had a losing record freshmen year (I can’t remember). Made it to semi state that year and had a controversial loss. Senior year finished 6th, giving the eventual state champion his only two losses of the season. 

[busstogate]

8 hours ago, brickfor6 said:

I think you could say Thomas Penola and Zack Fattore in the same sentence. Zack had 1 career loss going into junior year, but never wrestled in a state series due to injuries. These 2 hammers met in the Al Smith finals as the 8 and 9 seed I believe. Match went into OT with Penola winning on a stall call in between 3rd period and OT. 

 

For Hobart: Rafael Montez, was behind Eric Galka for most of his career, until his senior year, he broke onto the scene and took 3rd at state.

 

Another guy I always think of is Grant Martsolf who made the finals at state his senior year in his first ever state appearance. 

Montez was solid.  I remember him from my first year of coaching.  I remember Fattore having rough goes his first two years despite being well regarded.  Total scholar through, ending up at U. of Chicago. His Hobart class with Colza and Black was a good one.  Martsolf was one heck of a grinder.

[Chris Cooper]

Sean Galligar, Columbus East, started wrestling in 9th grade, no experience whatsoever.  Didn’t win a single match his freshman year at the JV level.  Placed 3rd as a Senior 285 lber.

[RASSLER4LIFE]

Got to bring Jack Taylor from New Castle into this topic, in combined 2 seasons, spent about 8 months on the mat, capped by a 5th place finish at State his senior year. Just imagine had he started as a freshman when he first moved here from Mississippi. 

[GenHeavierHandz]

21 hours ago, Kyle Ayersman said:

Dorian Keys at Brownsburg. First two years at Ben Davis he didn't wrestle. Came to us a junior and won a title that year plus a 3rd place finish. His first match against Westfield, he almost was DQ'ed for locking his hands too many times.

Well that's just on the coaching then.

[Braxton Vest]

I personally didn’t break the 100 pound mark until my sophomore year… then shot up during quarantine 

[Wade McClurg]

On 12/23/2022 at 10:28 AM, Braxton Vest said:

I personally didn’t break the 100 pound mark until my sophomore year… then shot up during quarantine 

And you’re still flourishing as an Indiana Tech Warrior  

[gsmith58]

8 hours ago, Wade McClurg said:

And you’re still flourishing as an Indiana Tech Warrior  

And by flourishing you mean 'growing like a weed' into new weight classes?

[Wade McClurg]

Sam Hansen - Roncalli Class of 2018

First two years: 35-24 record, at least half of these 59 matches were jv matches. 

 

Frosh Year- 152lbs.  Didn’t make the varsity lineup until late in the season. Lost in the first round of sectionals. Did not place in any season tournaments.

Soph Year- 152lbs. Lost an early season wrestle off, but gained a starting lineup position mid season. Did not place in any season tournaments. Lost in the first round of the Marion County Tournament by technical fall. Placed third in the sectional, and lost first round of regionals.

Final Two years: 79-8 record 

 

Junior Year- 182lbs. 38-5. Marion County Champion. Connersville Spartan Classic runner-up. Conference Champion. Sectional champion. Regional runner-up. Lost in the ticket round to eventual state placer Evan Stambaugh, Lebanon by the score of 5-3. 
 

Senior Year- 195lbs. 41-3. Marion County Champion. Connersville Spartan Classic champion. Conference champion. Sectional champion. Regional champion. Semi state runner-up. State runner-up. Senior year losses to D1 wrestlers – Thomas Penola 2X , Lucas Davison in finals.

[GenHeavierHandz]

Riley lefever went from a ss qualifier to a state runner up to 2nd at fargo and then 4x d3 champ.

[Y2CJ41]

13 hours ago, GenHeavierHandz said:

Riley lefever went from a ss qualifier to a state runner up to 2nd at fargo and then 4x d3 champ.

Amazing how much he flourished after he ditched that practice partner from Brush Prairie.

[Galagore]

Jeremiah Harvey:

Sixth grade: First year wrestler, broke leg two weeks into season

Seventh grade: No wrestling

Eighth grade: No wrestling

Frosh: No wrestling

Soph: No wrestling, stepped on scale in late January, got intrigued again by Wrestling

Junior: Regional qualifier wrestler who was pinned first round

Senior: Conference runner-up, sectional third place, Regional champ, Semi-State champ, State champ

 

Definitely a candidate for most exciting run ever. All but one post-season win was either quick pin (7) or over-time (5). The one that wasn't avenged his only losses (four times to same guy) of the season. Semi-final state match was UTB. He won from top.

[Giants149]

 

Dorian Keys at Brownsburg. First two years at Ben Davis he didn't wrestle. Came to us a junior and won a title that year plus a 3rd place finish. His first match against Westfield, he almost was DQ'ed for locking his hands too many times.
 

Not true he wrestled at BD

[coachnabb]

Dorian Keys wrestled for me at Chapel Hill in 8th grade and was a monster. Also wrestled for me some as a Freshmen at BD. He did develop and flourish in a new environment at Brownsburg. I really enjoyed my time coaching Dorian.