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I'm not sure what the actual attendance was, but there had to be 2500 fans or more at the Bellmont - Adams Central Dual last night. They delayed the start of the JV matches by half an hour because of the long line of fans waiting to get in. It was a great atmosphere and the fans weren't disappointed. The teams split the matches 7-7 and Bellmont won on bonus points 38-32. Thanks to Nat Bryan for taking this picture of the crowd.

Also when the local talent chooses to go the D2, D3, or NAIA route to have success. When they come back they bring the knowledge back with them from the next level! It seems in the last 15 years, the concept of not only looking at division one helps kids take avenues where they tend to have more success.

I think the local kids that put in all the extra work @ these facilities & take that culture and mentality back to their respective high school rooms also is a big influence not just on their high school team but the area in general. Madman Wrestling needs added to that list also. Great room to be in during the summer months.

to piggy back off this, ft Wayne now hosting kids nationals, central regionals, and IHPO also brings high levels of competition to our kids back yard allowing them to see what they are up against down the road

With Indiana Tech & The Fort, I believe the kids are learning at an early age to have a college wrestlers mentality and to wrestle with a bit of aggression & passion. That is one thing I noticed at the National tournaments and the tournaments in and around Indy & with the high Schools that are very successful. They have that “edge” to them. Looking forward to see how the Fort Wayne Semi State does this year. I truly believe we opened some eyes last year and we are not necessarily the draw you want Friday night.

I’m a bit of an outsider looking in(I’m a ranker but not a coach), but as unbiased as I can attempt to be, the semi-state has been on a clear rise over the last few seasons. It doesn’t help much that there’s seemingly a lot of smaller class schools in the Ft. Wayne semi-state. Delta, Jay County, Adams Central, Bellmont, Western have been tough battles for nearly any team in recent years, but a lot of schools are coming out this season or last. Cowan, Homestead, Snider, North Miami among others are now littered with kids that will give your stud a brutal match-up. Yorktown is back in the rise after a brief down period. And best of all, freshman classes just keep getting more talented. The current coaching in the Wayne looks pretty dang good to me.

read into this however you want, but i took the last 5 years of data from the state tournament ...here is our list of teams with 3 or more placers in the last 5 years 1. Western with 8 2. Bellmont with 7 3. Jimtown and Oak Hill with 6 5. AC, Carroll, Wawassee*, and Delta with 5 8. Garrett and Jay County with 4 Tied for 9th with 3: Leo, Elkhart, New Haven, Snider, East Noble, Norwell, Northwood Teams with TOP 4 placers over the last 5 years: Garrett, Bellmont, Wawassee*, and Jimtown with 3 in the top 4 Delta and Snider with 2 Carroll, Leo, Northwood, Western, New Haven with 1 ENROLLMENT OF SOME OF THE ABOVE SCHOOLS : GARRETT 604 BELLMONT 641 WAWASSEE 948 JIMTOWN 582 OAK HILL 535 WESTERN 840 AC 368 CARROLL 2472 JAY COUNTY 879 DELTA 783 SNIDER 1872 Less than 3 placers over the last 5 years, but appearances in the top 4 Yorktown, Prairie Heights, Peru, Eastern, Maconaquah, and Kokomo

Glad to see that these are clearly posted in order by weight class (least to greatest) and in numerical order (1-8). Thank you for making it easy to comprehend.

Subjective calls are bad for any sport. Period.

Don’t forget the 2021 semi state champs.

South Adams as well

For Fort Wayne specifically, the consistency and coaching that Warrior Regional Training Center (Indiana Tech) and The Fort have provided has done great work for the Fort Wayne area specifically.

Good post... However, you forgot Muncie Southside state champ Isaiah Bradley...

Kyle Ayersman is the softest 3x’er in IHSAA History. Soft Coach too.

I’ll be honest… For years, this was the draw you wanted at Conseco/Bankers Life/Gainbridge at the State Finals. If you had someone from the Fort Wayne Semi-State that wasn’t Bellmont or Yorktown after the meat grinder that was Evansville or New Castle, your immediate thought was, “Easy W.” Now… It’s actually looking like things are a bit different. Of course, the FWSS had produced some hammers over the years that made finals appearances (Dominique Stauffer, Corbin Maddox), some with multiple (Fletcher Miller, Christian Hunt, Clay Fielden, Ike Ruble), and even a champion or two each year (Devon Jackson, Garrett Pepple, Rhett Hiestand, Brayden Curtis, Brad Laughlin, Hunter Watts), but in recent years (since 2020-21), it feels like they’ve been extremely competitive, have produced hammers regularly, and are no longer the “weak” semi-state a state qualifying wrestler hopes to draw. There have been two heavyweight state champions (Reeve Muncie, Marshall Fishback), a nationally-ranked Olympic style phenomenon (De’Alcapon Veazy), and more true title contenders (Jensen Boyd, Ayden Bollinger, Brady Beck)… And with the resurgence of a program like Delta, the emergence of programs like Rochester and Western, and the consistency of programs such as Bellmont and Jay County, I must ask… What’s the secret? How has Fort Wayne turned the tide since the new decade and become a threat?

I haven't decided yet. Just thought that a week out should start the thread. Ha.

Crown Point 2021-22: IHSAA State Champions, 11 Individual State Qualifiers (9 Medalists, 6 Finalists, 3 Champions), IHSWCA 4A State Duals Champions, 16-0 Crown Point 2022-23: IHSAA State Champions, 11 Individual State Qualifiers (9 Medalists, 4 Champions), IHSWCA 4A State Duals Champions, 7-0 Evansville Mater Dei 2002-03: IHSAA Team State Champions, 10 Individual State Qualifiers (8 Medalists, 5 Finalists, 4 Champions), 23-1 Evansville Mater Dei 2001-02: IHSAA Team State Champions, 10 Individual State Qualifiers (6 Medalists, 4 Finalists, 1 Champion), 21-0 Perry Meridian 2012-13: IHSAA State Champions, 8 Individual State Qualifiers (7 Medalists, 4 Finalists, 3 Champions), IHSWCA 3A State Duals Champions, 20-0 Lawrence North 2004-05: IHSAA Team State Champions, 8 Individual State Qualifiers (6 Medalists, 1 Champion), 29-0 Center Grove 2022-23: IHSAA State Runners-Up, 12 Individual State Qualifiers (8 Medalists, 5 Finalists, 1 Champion), IHSWCA 4A State Duals 3rd, 18-4 Evansville Mater Dei 2020-21: IHSAA State Champions, 7 Individual State Qualifiers (6 Medalists, 3 Finalists, 2 Champions), IHSWCA 4A State Duals Champions, 13-0 Brownsburg 2016-17: IHSAA State Champions, 8 Individual State Qualifiers (7 Medalists, 3 Finalists, 1 Champion), IHSWCA 3A State Duals Champions, 16-1 Griffith 2002-03: IHSAA Team State Runners-Up, 6 Individual State Qualifiers (4 Medalists, 3 Champions)

It was an exciting evening and yes I remember the night of 3200 fans. While there hasn’t been as many wins for AC, each one was incredibly significant. Terrific idea for Coach Myers to recognize all the past State Champs. It occurred to me that of all those champs present except for Phil Lengerich, I coached against them at either AC or New Haven. I feel fortunate to have lived so long. Jim Hopkins from the Decatur Daily Democrat dubbed this contest as , “The Big Event.” The tradition continues.

I am bringing a case of mat tape for their mouths.

What I seem to remember, Union Modoc kid weighed close to 400 pounds, made it to state 82-83 timeframe. Rumor around east side of state at the time attributed his wt was considered dangerous to other wrestlers, this was reason for the cap on top weight limit. !983 I believe was the date they set the top limit on heavyweight(for the 83-84 season). the wrestler from union made the new weight limit for his senior year, 1984.

4. Kids young and alot to improve on. Best part of sport, always something to improve on and learn!

Day love dare wraslin over at the end of the state. Love to see that kind of excitement !

Last night was the final wrestling event to be held at Munster this season. And, on a personal note, it went out with a bang with CJ bumping up to 165 to take on Mavros of Lowell. It was a tremendous match. Even better, Munster opened the concession stand for this event. First thing, the hot dogs from last night were definitely a different brand or style from Saturdays super duals. They weren't as plump as the first time, but had the desired reddish color I appreciate. They also came in these "bags", and weren't just wrapped in foil. As far as the taste, they were. Nothing spectacular, but enjoyable. I did prefer these dogs to the ones from the super duals. So, the hot dogs from last night get 5.25 slices of pizza out of 8. Next stop on the tour is the Mooresville holiday tournament that starts a week from today. CJ, my son, just told me he will be wrestling at 150, so maybe keep an eye out for that. As always, thank you for reading.

I think I’m officially on the Brandon James train now, on account of I recently remembered him beating Chad Red at FloNationals after his junior season. Two IHSAA weight classes separating them or not, they were in the same bracket that day, and James was(I’m pretty sure) the only Indiana wrestler to beat Red offseason during his four years in high school. I’ve also still never seen Gainsbridge get as loud as they did when Joe Lee reversed James to his back. He was considered a top lock that season, and losing that weekend was viewed as nearly unfathomable.

One hell of a running back and student athlete, as well.

I meant to edit after the fact and include them! Another small school making big waves this year. Their freshman and sophomore classes right now are tough.

Chandler Carroll-3rd,5th,4th,5th state losses brendan Campbell, Kyle Ayersman, Tommy forte, Tyler hupp, Darden Schurg 184-13 high school record

I believe it was the mid-late 80's. I believe there was a 400 pounder in 84 or 85, but when I graduated in '88 it was capped at 275. I wrestled 98 pounds, so I do not remember which year it was.

One that flew under the Radar and should not be forgotten is Mr. Alex Johns of Evansville Reitz! I watched him beat Brandon Wright 9-2 at Connersville the year Brandon won his first state title.

Wowza- you don’t even see that at some colleges (Purdue ) Great environment, great for the kids, great for the sport, great for the teams. Just great all around!

Plenty of young talent coming up in the Fort Wayne SS, lots of kids that have wrestled since they were toddlers. The next several years will be fun to watch.

I think this is a double-edged sword... The biggest fault with stalling calls is that I see refs call stalling if you are simply winning, and then sprawl when your opponent takes a shot... Example: Ft. Wayne Semi-State championship match a few years back, I saw one of the most egregious staling calls I have ever witnessed twice (I won't name names, but those who were involved may remember) Score is tied 1 - 1 with about 14 seconds left in 3rd period. No stalling calls to either wrestler at this point. Wrestler A gets a TD and cuts Wrestler B, score is now 3 - 2... 10 seconds left on clock, Wrestler B takes 2 shots, Wrestler A sprawls both times and get hit for stalling twice, once per sprawl. This of course ties the match and Wrestler B wins in sudden victory... My point is that there is ZERO justification on hitting Wrestler A, who has the only offensive points of the entire match, which he just scored, with 2 stalling calls for simply sprawling out to avoid a TD

Sheesh. Well… The Zebras have helped load ECSS back up. They’ve always been top heavy up north. I remember in 2014-15, most of the #1s came from the MV/ECSS. In fact, exactly half of the fourteen state champions that year were from there (106, 145, 152, 160, 182, 220, 285).

Rochester is at ECSS now with some tough kids who should be on the podium . I think kids wrestling year round helps even things out some more these days training at year round clubs .

Doesn’t really matter to me that much… as an athlete and coach I have been on both sides of the fence. To me, why did we allow ourselves to get in that position? Could we have done more in the 1st or 2nd or 3rd? Why are we waiting until the last 30 seconds to really go after someone? Chances are we could have done more and in the end, we gave up the points. And while a match ending that way can be frustrating for the guy losing, it should also be motivation to get back to work and not give up the takedown or whatever they gave up… because if they prevent that from happening the tables have turned and so does the conversation.

Yeah that's my kid at 165. I was a little suprised to see that high of a seeding with his record and limited matches, but not unjustified either. Semi-state qualifer last year, losses this year came to #6, #9, #15 @165 and #16 @175. Also he beat the #3 seed last year at Frosh/Soph state 11-4. Not sure if that goes into any factoring, but either way definitely looking forward to some great wrestling.

Winamac HS Please delete one of the meets with Caston, it was duplicated, and Michigan City Super Duals. Please add New Prairie Super Duals 12-23 and West Noble Super Duals on Jan 6. Thank you

Not sure how long you have been coaching or if you are a coach, but I can tell you over the years, my opinions on things have been shaped by my experiences. About 10 years ago I had a senior that made it to the ticket round and had only 1 loss before then. This board had some posters that were talking about how he was overrated and would get beat in that match. He wanted to prove them wrong and he was wrestling his heart out and was up by 4 with about 30 seconds left. Their coaches and fans kept yelling that my kid was stalling, so he pressured forward and did a knee tap and then got headlocked and lost by a point. If I had a time machine and could go back and tell my kid to use the stall calls he still had, I would do it in a heartbeat. Now I coach to those situations and have that as an example. Thankfully that kid has turned into a great person and coach that I work with on the regular. And yes some jerk had the nerve to make a comment about how they were right after that match was over. I personally no longer care at all about what other coaches, wrestlers, or fans think in those situations. If my kid has earned the right to hold a position. We are going to hold a position.

Man… that’s what my kids mean when they say I’m “Mid”. Christmas presents just changed.

Keeping it local without the chains. We got some grub. There is a reason I am chubby. Love me some Fort. Kim-Vu - Incredible Pho Asakusa - Great Sushi Takaoka - Great Habachi Salvatori's - Good Italian The Tavern - Great Steak Lucilles - Decent BBQ (Bluestack had the best brisket) Paula's - Good Seafood Saigon - Best egg rolls ever and BBQ beef Cosmos - Family breakfast Cindy's - After a tough night breakfast Klemms - Good breakfast Ziffle's - Spare ribs!!!! Oley's - Deep dish pizza Mancino's - Grinders Cebolla's - Mexican

Depends on what you call stalling the last 30 seconds. If the wrestler hasn't had any stalling calls, he has the right to hold a good position, have good head-hand defense, and only attack if there is a clear opening. Basically don't force anything and cost yourself the match. As much as we want our wrestlers to bang and attack the whole match, this is also a strategy for the sport. Should a basketball team that is winning drive down the court and take the shot when it isn't necessary and they can let the time run off? Should a football team make a long throw just to try and score one last time even though they are winning? Yes, if the wrestler is blatantly backing up or running, call it and call it quick that is a gimme. But holding a position and not doing anything dumb is something different. Remember, he is the wrestler who earned the right to control the tempo and the match especially if he hasn't given up a stalling call yet. So many coaches and fans want to act like they got ripped off when this happens. Tell your wrestler not to give up the first 4 points, and this won't happen.

Stalling is a very subjective call. There is not enough criteria to determine stalling in specific positions. From an official's viewpoint, we should transition to college rules for stalling. (i.e. backing up straight out of the circle) Another call that grinds my gears is stalling on top. Earlier this year, we had a leg rider beat this kid up for almost 5 minutes. Couldn't turn him because the athlete was stubborn on bottom. Not a problem. However, with 20 seconds left, the official calls our kid for stalling on top. The call where top wrestler doesn't come off the hips, though he had a leg in and was trying to power half. That gave the bottom wrestler one more free chance to get a reversal after the reset and win the match. On the other hand, if the referee didn't call stalling, our athlete would have won a tight match by keeping the athlete on bottom. Not to mention the athlete on bottom was not warned, though he couldn't get up for nearly 5 minutes. Stalling needs to be more precise on how it is called, interpreted, and in which times it is necessary. Officials put themselves in the match when they calling stalling in these specific situations. Let the wrestlers decide.

I see it differently. If we are talking best to never win it I have to mention Tony Vaughn. A second and a third for FW Snider. Went on to Win the Big Tens and place 3rd at D1 Nationals as a Sophomore. An unfortunate series of events and injuries derailed his bid for a title.

Shane Perky

Agree on Riley Lefever. My son Owen wrestled with him at Wabash. Owen made it to Nationals his freshman year in (2017 placing 7th All-American) and Riley was going for his 4th Title that year. He was 35-3 and had only lost to D1 wrestlers (but beaten more than he lost to). I have never to this day seen a more dominant wrestler. We just knew he was going to win every match. Coming into the Championship bout we needed Riley to pin his guy for us to get 3rd as a Team. He went out and looked like he wanted to enjoy the moment for a period then he pinned his guy in the second period and Wabash was 3rd ahead of Johnson & Wales 62.5 to 61.5. Just an incredible accomplishment for him and the whole Wabash team and fans. What was even better was at the after party, as the fans and coaches and wrestlers were having the time of our lives and passing the NCAA Team trophy around, I found Riley and my other son Easton, then 11 years old, in the corner of the restaurant talking at a table about wrestling. Riley was asking Easton about his recent tournament and asking him how many take downs he had and how many points he scored. Not just a great wrestler but a great human being!!!

So you prefer a yawn-fest? That's why we are losing kids from the sport. The sport is so grueling already: let them have their fun..Or it may go the way of the MLB: Dinosaur level extinction.

Snider every year

Definitely the best to never medal.

Pain.