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I think it’s important now that the season is nearing its zenith to address one of the most important issues that I think goes under talked around this time, which is the hard working kids who lose at semi state. Obviously, we should celebrate those who make it to state. That is the goal of almost every high school wrestler, to be among the best in the state and compete in the best venue in all of Indiana. But inevitably, most wrestlers Sunday will not end up advancing to the state tournament. And I think it’s important that we address how to support the kids that lose, especially the seniors who will possibly wrestle their very last matches on Saturday. Last year as a senior, I went into my season with high expectations. For three years straight, I went to everything. My high school coaches could tell you I was person who missed the least practices. I showed up to everything; morning practice, optional practice, summer open mats, I even went to RWA three days a week and trained at my coaches own gym in order to build up my strength and conditioning. I felt like I was one of the hardest working, toughest people in the state. In middle school at my first off-season tournament I suffered a concussion. My freshman year I broke my left elbow and had to get screws out in, which I still have to this day. Junior year I dislocated my rib wrestling freestyle, and over the summer I suffered severe second degree burns which caused most of the epidermis on my back to slough off. But still, I worked through it all because I felt like if I didn’t I wasn’t being the best wrestler I could. Going into regionals of senior year I broke the scaphoid bone in my wrist, and couldn’t press down or grip my right hand for the rest of season. I felt like all of this only contributed to me being a tougher wrestler on the mat. And even with all of that, I got completely out wrestled at semi state. My broken wrist meant nothing, I did not live up to my potential and didn’t wrestle my best, and that’s why I lost. For at least a month after semi state I was completely in the dumps. It’s like I had a rain cloud overhead, I felt like my career meant nothing. It was over, and I didn’t accomplish what I wanted to. No matter what people said to me, it really didn’t ease the fact that I felt completely empty. I also felt angry. I felt so angry that I had teammates who put in way less practice time than me, who didn’t show up to half the things I did, and yet still advanced farther than I did. I wasn’t angry at them, though, I was angry at myself. I was angry because I felt like that there was something that I must have missed, some piece of the puzzle that despite all my hours I just couldn’t get. And that made me really hate myself for a few weeks. Our sport is so much more draining mentally than it is physically, and for those seniors who lose at semi state, it can really knock your happiness down a few notches for a quite a while. So coaches and parents, if you have a wrestler whose career comes to an end this Saturday, it’s important to not look at their whole career under a microscope and appreciate the whole journey. You got to participate in the toughest sport in the world, you were able to make it to semi state, which while not a particularly impressive accomplishment, still means that likely hundreds of hours of hard work went into that qualification. It’s okay to feel upset, but don’t let it hang over your life. You worked hard, and you did something that most wrestlers in the state didn’t. And to those who have more years, never stop grinding. Embrace it, and make sure to have fun with it. When the sport is fun, you do better. You can make it to state, but you can’t take your foot off the gas. I love wrestling, so so much. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done, and something I plan on continuing even though I’m not on a college team. I’m so grateful to the sport and my coaches for making me the man I am today, and for teaching me such invaluable life lessons. And I think loving the sport is really what’s so important. If you were able to make an athlete fall in love with the sport, with the process, then you succeeded as a coach. If you support your kids and help them foster that love, then you succeeded as a wrestling parent. The lessons athletes learn from wrestling are some of the best life lessons you can learn, and when you are able to fall in love with the sport, these values are only engrained deeper. So to those seniors out there, wrestle your hearts out. Don’t be afraid to lose, don’t be afraid to score points. Leave it all on the mat and put your name in the history books. And to those seniors who worked so hard and end up coming up short, it will suck. But you’ll live. You’ll be okay. And I think that, even if you lose at semi state, if you managed to fall in love with the sport, then it was all worth it in the end. We are all apart of something amazing, and wrestling is absolutely the greatest sport ever. Fall in love with it, and wrestle your hearts out.

My Brain be buzzing from typing.... so took a break and came up w/ this gem Is it Saturday yet?!?!?! We got winners We got losers Dippers and boozers We got WildCats We got Bulldogs We got angry fathers And the moms all dressed up in their glitter Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, I love the FORD We got Trojans We got Olympians Broken-hearted wrestlers and seniors And we got state placers We got fighters Early-pinners and over-timers And the old timers in letter jackets talk about their battle scars Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, I love the FORD I love THE FORD It's my kind of place Just walkin' through the front door Puts a big smile on my face It’s actually pretty far Come as you are Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, I love the FORD

IHSAA is cancelling the rest of state tournament per advice of DawgPoundRed and awarding Crown Point a record 14 individual state champions.

Working on the preview and holy cow... that's all I can say.

Till this day I remember my lost at semi state my senior year. I had done everything I could possibly due that summer leading into to make it to state. Well at least I had thought I did, a lot of those kids making It to state and the state podium put in countless hours of practice, have a strong support system, are true students of the sport. Either way I remember being sad, hurt, and disappointed. However wrestling does not define who we are, winning is awesome, being the best in the state I imagine is amazing, but the most important thing is who we become once it is all said and done. Who are we once we stop competing? How do we carry ourselfes professionally after this? Are we helping the sport grow? This sport will teach you many things, but I feel the number one thing it shows you is how to work for something you want.

1A Faith Christian broke our school record this year sending 6 to semi state!

How about the best wrestler that day. He wins he advances. The best have bad days. Not separating so called best kids to please the big programs. Separating big programs only helps them and takes away from smaller programs ability ro have success.

Great read. Your story is not an uncommon one. Your perspective at such a young age is rare. Keep at it.

Krejsa vs Bonenberger won’t even be close.

As I said in another thread, one of these 2 guys' season ending prior to the State Finals because of no wrestlebacks is flat out criminal. A top 3 wrestler in his weight class not making the State Finals - insane.

This is a crying shame. Same as 120 Haines vs Henderson How do you get the #3 vs #4 and the #2 vs #3 wrestlers in the State at their respective weight class facing each other in the blood round at SS? You have 2 of the top 5 guys in the state at the same regional - that's how. Two of these guys having to end their season prior to the State Finals because of no wrestlebacks is flat out criminal.

That Clinton Shepherd has had an okay season. I wouldn’t be surprised seeing him on the podium this year.

My father was a basketball coach for 50 years and he told me what one of his former players told him: Long after the scores of the games are forgotten, you remember the good times you had with the guys. Next month will be 58 years since that part of my life ended and I find myself thinking back on all the funny things we shared as a team, and I realize how much more I value those memories than the conference and tournament trophies we won. The pain of your loss will fade with the years, but the memories of the team will remain.

because seeding those events would ignore the performance in the previous round of the tournament. That would mean that some kid who won his sectional/regional/semi-state could theoretically be seeded lower than someone who placed 4th in theirs because of how the criteria is shaped.

God is teaching you about character. He has something planed for you later. That is your missing piece.

126 will likely have some brutal ticket matches: Richards v Rioux Schaefer v Brown 150 probably has the most egregious draw with May v Gibbs. Krejsa v Bonenberger another tough one.

Imagine a world (if you dont mind) in which Kresja is still at Delta. Brabender is still at northridge. Veazy is still in state. Rochester doesn't get moved. If my aunt had balls she'd be my uncle I know I know. But FW SS could've been well represented under the lights when on top of them you factor in Boyd, Tishner, Wood, Doster, Betz, Leech, Keegan Martin, Hinton.

I’ve seen a lot of talk the past couple years that CP benefits from their semi state compared to Brownsburg. The talk started up again this year and realizing how tough CP draws were I did some research. CP has 14 wrestlers trying to qualify for state. In their way are 12 different state ranked opponents. (86% chance CP will wrestle a state ranked opponent to qualify.) Brownsburg has 13 wrestlers trying to qualify for state. There are only 7 state ranked opponents in their way of qualifying (54% chance BB will wrestle a state ranked opponent to qualify.) I noticed CP got really tough semi final draws. CP could have a state ranked opponent in every semi final compared to 12/13 for Brownsburg. But here’s the madness. CP has 6 different Semi Final matchups against Top 5 State Ranked wrestlers (4 of those are ranked top 2). Brownsburg will face 0 top 5 state ranked opponents during the semi finals this weekend. Evansville is still clearly the harder semi state and I would argue that the two toughest individual draws between CP and BB are Gibbs and Haines. But I think the evidence above proves that CP will have to earn their state title this year just like Brownsburg/ CG will.

Before the Semi Finals though to even punch their ticket Brownsburg will have need 4 different kids to beat a Top 10 kid .106 have to beat kid ranked 8th. 120 who is multi time placer will need to beat the 3rd ranked kid. Gibbs at 150 and ranked 3rd will have to beat returning state runner up . 175 pounder will need to beat the 5th ranked kid. So in order to score team points at State you need to get there. CP favored in 12/14 matches in ticket round. While Brownsburg 9/13 using the state rankings .

I have seen you use the pronouns us and we numerous times. Profile name implies Crown Point, but your school says Hanover Central so is the we/us you use referring to Hanover Central or Crown Point? Also, if you are not actually wrestling regardless of school, why are you saying we and us as if you will participate?

Someone needs to change the title of this thread. My naive self keeps biting on the new posts thinking, "This time they're going to tell me how to get tickets to state at the Ford Center..."

It would open up your weekend, you know we are bringing home at least 7 titles.

Kudos to Snider for getting 8 to semi-state, and I enjoy your steadfast devotion to your Panthers, I have enjoyed watching the Snider program for years. A wonderful mindset to teach and have but the reality is not always so. Especially when Tun draws Bollinger, Maple draws Lil Mosier and Prochaska draws Denwan all in the 1st round or with Krouse who has losses to Butt and Broady gets Mosier who has wins over both, then if Maple defeats lil Mosier you have a date with Linser next as if those draws aren’t bad enough Quoi gets to dance with Wood to get through in addition should Prochaska win his first match he gets Jett all ticket round. We have already talked about Russell and Smith, and while I like Dodson to get through, he has a heck of a ticket round match against Hillman-Conley should they both win their first one. Now I don’t have a crystal ball, and this is totally just for fun so I might be completely wrong. I hope all these wrestlers and the rest of the field win against the scale and stay healthy making the most of their opportunity. And to answer yes, I wrestled a while ago and I know and believe in the mindset of being the bad draw. As for last week's results your right, I didn’t foresee Mosier getting beat by Rowles or Trevino losing to Smithley with that being said that is why the matches are wrestled.

I just talked to the ticket office at the Coliseum and tickets can be purchased at the ticket office during regular hours. Today until 5, Wednesday until 7 (PFW Basketball game), Thursday 5 & Friday the lady thought 7 with the boat show going on. Ticket office will open at 7:15 AM Saturday and doors will open at 7:45 AM for the bull rush to get seats!! Good luck everyone!! #wedemDAWGS

100% Agree Krejsa is on an another level, right up there with Hockaday in Indiana High School wrestling.

All Semi-States will be streaming through https://www.ihsaatv.org/ and FloWrestling/Trackwrestling. Both will cost money.

I'm sure most of us on here can relate to you in some way, shape, or form. Well said, sir..

Here is a quote from last Saturday's South Bend morning news. Story on Vinnie Freeman, Marcus Freeman's son. "My dad always tells me that the best athletes he has coached were wrestlers."

Adam, I have seen you wrestle on several occasions and you always came looking to score, even though you did not always come out on top. Best of luck to you in the future and all of the LC wrestlers this week.

120 - BloodRound #4 Haines vs. #3 Henderson is the Headliner of this Semi State .

I did this more as a stream of consciousness, so I apologize if it’s a little incoherent and if there are some grammatical errors, but I thought this was something important I wanted to get out there

We would be the best semi state by even more.

With CP favored to win 5: will any Semi-State have more than CP? That leaves 7 spots for the other 3 semi-states because Costello is favored as well as Brabender. Let'em wrestle it out first then bump your chest as the overall nationally ranked favorite. It will get redundant though really quick. See people get on me for supporting my alma mater but we've won nothing of late so nobody thinks we're on ish. If you win 6 state titles no one will be surprised or impressed. If we get a placer: we will get all types of adulation. Enjoy the wrestling.

As long as the CP kids make weight (which I know is tough for some of them) you should have more champs.

There is a website for that https://indianamat.com/index.php?/files/file/21-2023-state-finals-media-guide/

And here we go!!! Ding ding ding… class wrestling debate starts now!!!

My question is, what constitutes the 4 best wrestlers?

not going to Casino .

Horn by fall

A thought, if athletes were not moving into these power schools from other locations, would that change how much of a meatgrinder the Evansville SS is? If this is going to continue, and there is only reasonable expectation that it will, then there should be adjustments to allow for wrestlebacks...or policies on transfers that concentrate top talent at a few schools. I am confused. Does Brownsburg want to go to the northern semi state to compete with CP? I don't think Mater Dei or CG have a choice due to obvious location. If there is a concentration of talent in a few schools, is it not reasonable that you are going to get tough draws at semis?

14u Folkstyle national runner up 2 weeks ago, MS State champ this weekend, and he is only 12. Great competitor and a great kid.

I posted it somewhere else, but in the 150 lb weight class, at least 5 of the top 16 ranked wrestlers will be eliminated on Saturday.

Felt the same way, great stuff.

2018, 126 was the filthiest ever. 2- State Champions 1- State Runner Up & Semi Finalist 1- State Placer

Great Story @Adam_glass, great read of perseverance .

Russel and Meyer can go either way I like Meyer. Just like Trevino vs Smith, will be a good one I favor Trevino but as with many matches involving good wrestlers anything could happen. As for Krouse he as with many of the Snider wrestlers the draw wasn’t nice I don’t see him beating Mosier. Could it happen an I be wrong heck yes but that is why the match is wrestled. Best of luck to all the wrestlers and coaches..

113 will be a bloodbath. Toughest weight at the Evansville semi state since 2018 126?

He wrestled AND attempted to kill Batman