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By Dustin Bentz It’s that time of year!!! Triple B feels like WWE Hall of Famer Booker T, he’s walking down the streets of North Vernon and Madison Yelling, “CAN YOU DIG IT, SUCCCKKKAAAHHHHH” It’s me, it’s me, it’s TripleB and I’m here to deliver the World Famous TRIPLEB EVANSVILLE SEMI-STATE SPECTACULAR PREVIEW!!!!!! With good old 3B’s birthday being the Friday before, is there a better gift than the GREATEST SEMI-STATE IN THE STATE OF INDIANA?? Evansville will be popping off Saturday, I’m actually negotiating with the IHSAA to go ahead and send us the state medals b/c we all know that THE DIRTY SOUTH SEMI-STATE is the GOLD STANDARD!!! House keeping items - Here is the link for the Indianamat Semi-State Hub - https://indianamat.com/index.php?/forums/topic/62910-article-2023-semi-state-information-center/ From our former inside man Markio - Ford Arena info: Parking and general information about the arena can be found at www.thefordcenter.com Wrestlers can enter the arena at 7:30am for weigh-ins. Wrestlers and coaches will enter at the interior ticket office lobby (to the far right of the main lobby doors) to check in and head back. You will pick up your credentials here. The only coolers allowed are for wrestlers and must enter at the check in table through the interior ticket lobby. NO OUTSIDE FOOD OR DRINK for anyone else is allowed inside unfortunately. Not my rules, just standard building policy. Public doors open at 8:00am CST. Enter on Main Street through the main lobby. We will look to create a separate door/entrance for those that already have tickets. $12 dollars for all session ticket, $10 for finals only. There is NO onsite parking. Please do not have any team vehicles attempt to park in the loading dock or attached outer lot. These are reserved spots. There is no public Wi-Fi. Please do not jump over the dasher walls to access the floor. They try to control access to the floor, so you need to enter from the lower level hallway under section 103. You wouldn't jump the wall at Gainbridge would you? lol The hospitality room for officials, etc. will be in the Corner Club. Enter from the main lobby and hang a right at the lower level hallway. If you are going to set up a camera please do not have the cord running across the aisle. You will be made to unplug any cords running across an aisle. We will have full concessions available throughout the day. Coffee and hot chocolate are also available all day as well. (get the bbq pork nachos, huge and awesome) There is no smoking on or in the Ford Center property, this includes e-cigarettes. Brackets will be updated throughout the day and posted on several of the 170 or so TVs located all over the arena. The brackets end up kind of small, but hey, they are everywhere and pretty cool. Lastly,if you are a wrestler that loses please don't kick,throw,or punch Ford Center property. We had a kid break off a door handle last year.Sent the bill to the school. Nestled between two days of absolute Love (3B’s birthday on Thursday and Valentine’s Day on Tuesday) 224 grapplers will be battling to GAIN 56 tickets to the Bridge in Indianapolis next weekend!! Let’s not pull any punches, Evansville is the toughest Semi-State in the state. There were kids getting sent home at regionals that could have placed at state and the same will happen this weekend. It will be absolute Carnage, Chaos, and Heartbreak. 176 Semi-State ranked wrestlers, 107 of whom are also state ranked will take to the Ford Center Saturday with more excitement than the pre-teens at the Jo-Jo concert the night before. We have the potential to feature, 4, yes 4 #1 vs. #2 state ranked wrestlers. We also have 7 of the 14 #1 ranked wrestlers in the state in our semi-state. How does this work - The exclusive Evansville Championship Selection Committee (ECSC) spent 2 days in hard deliberations over their Ford Fab 4 picks. Each member selected their ballot, points were accumulated, and from there the picks started falling into place. Article features: The Charles Barkley “Turrible” Draws - ticket round matches that shouldn’t be happening in the ticket round! The Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerkers - Best first round matches! The Built Ford Tough Locks - Any weight class where the pick for champion was unanimous, makes it a Ford Tough Lock. This year we have, what may be a record, 10 yes 10 FORD TOUGH LOCKS! Ford Fab 4 - After the picks were gathered, points distributed, and the dust settled, we’ll have the Ford Fab 4. A big shout out to Navy80, BigToe19, a mystery guest picker, and The DONNIE BAKER for their contributions. I will add some commentary throughout from our great pickers. What if I didn’t agree with the ECSC or I thought they made a terrible error? Then have no fear - The TripleB Guarantee will help you sort out the madness. Before we get started….. Is this the year for siblings??? Or are some cousins??? Or maybe Uncle/Nephews?? BigToe did some digging and came up with the following families, good luck this weekend! Ash Brothers - Monrovia Bell Brothers - Ev North Haines Brothers - BBurg Heaston Brothers - Indian Creek Henderson Brothers - Vincennes Lincoln Rioux Brothers - Avon Rose Brothers - Switz County Schoeff Brothers - Avon Smith Siblings - Heritage Hills ( Brother/Sister ???) VanOver Brothers - EMD *Clement Brothers- Merrillville/Edgewood BigToe Regional Breakdown based off his predictions (will slightly differ from the selections ahead): Bigtoe19 Regional Breakdown: Mooresville - 25 to State, & 7 EVSS Champs Bloomington- 11 to State, 3 EVSS Champs Jeffersonville- 6 to State, 1 EVSS Champ Evansville- 14 to State, 3 EVSS Champs Without further ado—--------LET’S FREAKIN’ GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 106: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 7/9 All 10 SS ranked wrestlers have navigated the waters! Every year we talk about future hammers and blue bloods filling out 106. This year is no different as names like Bloomington High School South, Avon, Brownsburg, Columbus East, and Floyd Central all litter the bracket. But there are some schools hoping to be bracket busters! 106 also welcomes our first of record 10 Ford Tough LOCKS!!! Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - Freshman from Columbus East Talon Jessup has had a great year, Brennan Leonard has been lurking in the shadows w/ an injury and brings 6-3 record to SS. This match will kick things off Saturday!! Another rising program, Indian Creek, will bring Jude Heaston to the Ford and a first round match w/ Brady Byrd from Washington should be the caffeine everyone needs Saturday morning! Charles Barkley Turrible Draws - LET THE MOORESVILLE CHAOS BEGIN!!! The Mooresville Regional, or the fifth semi-state as those #County folks have started referring to it, which always causes death draws. #4 SS ranked and returning State Participant Cameron Meier from Bloomington South will take on Monrovia’s Super Sophomore Gavin Ash. Could they both punch tickets if in a different bracket? Don’t know but this match will be great! Don’t sleep on…. Gavin Ash, as mentioned above. Nate Rioux, he’s wrestled Dickman approximately 1000 times and both are Contender trained. But keep an eye on The Castle Regional duo of Ty Henderson from Vincennes Lincoln and Brady Byrd from Washington. Both are battle tested and compete on the national level. Byrd and Dickman aren’t strangers and that match could be entertaining! Ford Fab 4 - Our first Ford Tough Lock - Revin Dickman of Brownsburg hopes to get Bulldogs from Brownsburg going early! 1st - LOCK Revin Dickman Brownsburg, 2nd - Nate Rioux Avon, 3rd - Isaac Campbell Floyd Central 4th - Cameron Meier Bloomington High School South 113: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 6/8 A returning LOCK that is ranked #1 in the state and #1 in the semi-state…. And he’s not a lock, nor is he favored! 5 top ten state ranked wrestlers will look for top honors at 113 and up until a week ago returning SS champ Preston Haines of Brownsburg appeared to have it locked up again. Then the Trojans of Center Grove came a’callin, and Charlie LaRocca helped pull the weight class and regional upset! This weight class is loaded and 3 different wrestlers all got votes to win it; Haines, LaRocca and Avon’s Luke Rioux. Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - #9SS ranked and regional champ Gavin Wheeler from North Posey got a Curtain Jerker and turrible draw as he gets #8 state ranked Isaac Ash from Monrovia. Wheeler is tough and North Posey wrestles a great schedule, don’t expect him to lay down for Ash! Charles Barkley Turrible Draw - Sound the FLIPPIN Sirens…. Call the EVPD, actually don’t, I follow a page called Evansville Watch and they need their own TV show, anway…. We got 2 returning state medalists going at it in the ticket round!!! #6 ranked Jackson Heaston has gone out and got challenges all season at whatever weight he wanted. #4 Luke Rioux comes from the battle hardened Contender Academy and Rioux family….. Someone really has to go home?!?!?! Don’t sleep on…. Hold on, I’m still gathering myself…. Don’t sleep on the dream dashers known as the IHSAA!!! Ford Fab 4 - It’s the first Mooresville Sweep!!! LaRocca gets the nod and the rest play out like last weekend 1st - Charlie LaRocca Center Grove, 2nd - Preston Haines Brownsburg, 3rd - Luke Rioux Avon, Isaac Ash Monorovia TRIPLEB_GUARANTEE - Preston Haines gets the W back and gets another SS crown. 120: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 7/9 120 features a returning semi-state champ, state champ, who hasn’t lost in the state of Indiana in over a year, has to be a lock right? NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND!! Jake Hockaday is the presumptive favorite but some pickers think a Wildcat can take out a Bulldog. This weight class features 4 top ten ranked wrestlers not all are favorites to get out! Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker: Lane Gilbert has lots of state, national and even world medals. He definitely has his eyes set on finally climbing that podium next weekend, but will that cause him to overlook Cascade Cadet #23 ranked Logan Bickel? Another great first round match will feature SS #8 ranked Quinten Q Schoeff vs #10 ranked Cameron Fogle from Southridge. Fogle is a sectional champ who dropped a decision loss to Gilbert last weekend. Charles Barkley Turrible Draw - See below….. Don’t sleep on…. Switzerland County wrestling has been quietly putting together the pieces for a run for a few years now. Freshman Peyton Richards comes into Semi-State undefeated and has collected a sectional and regional championship. Trips has been trying to tell people but no one will listen!! Ford Fab 4: Hockaday gets enough to cover followed by Mater Dei’s Isaiah Schaefer (we didn’t even mention him, he did get a vote to knock off Hock), Gilbert, and Richards 1st - Jake Hockaday Brownsburg, 2nd - Isaiah Schaefer, Evansville Mater Dei, 3rd - Lane Gilbert Sullivan, 4th Eddie Goss Center Grove DONNIE BAKER AND TRIPLEB’S BET THE BOAT - Peyton Richards becomes Switzerland County’s first ever state qualifier… and won’t be the only Pacer going. 126: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 7/10 Our 2nd LOCK at 126 and is 2x state medalist, 2x semi state finalist and a champ 2 years ago, Evansville Mater Dei’s Evan Seng. Seng has been rolling through the state tourney w 4 falls, 1 tech and 1 major. He is the heavy favorite Saturday. Yearly 126 is one of the deepest weight classes and 2023 is no different as there are some absolute hammer matches in the both first rounds and the ticket round. Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - Both #8 Josiah Dedeaux of Terre Haute South and #7 Keith Parker of Ben Davis didn’t like how their seasons ended a year ago and went to work. They’ve wrestled all over the country. They have grown leaps and bounds. Dedeaux was knocked out of regionals last year by Floyd’s Vince Kessinger and this year he knocked off Kessinger for third place. Parker has flip flopped matches w/ Landen Haines the last two weekends. This match has all the makings of a barn burner, unfortunately the winner gets the LOCK Seng. Another lights out curtain jerker features returning state qualifier Dominic McFeely from Cascade taking on super soph from 3 time 1A state champs Tell City Chase Stephens. Can the Marksmen keep rolling or will the Cadet triumph? ANNNNDDD Hold on one more match! Brownsburg’s Landen Haines will go at it w/ Vince Kessinger from Floyd. Throw the rankings away, these dudes wrestle w/ multiple siblings. I can’t even imagine what Thanksgiving looks like at either of their houses. The Kessinger Kids, the Haines Bros…. Battles and that will come into play Saturday. Kessinger has home run capabilities and Landen can’t wait to get his Haines on…wait, bad joke, nevermind…. Don’t miss this match! Charles Barkley Turrible Draw - The winner of McFeely/Stephens won’t have long to rest b/c CE’s returning state qualifier Liam Krueger waiting for them. Krueger has wins over both, though just a 2 pt decision over Stephens. Corydon’s Zane Schreck has been on a mission all year, last weekend he beat Krueger convincingly, Krueger has Dub over Yeager. One of these two are going home! Don’t sleep on…. Hell is there anybody I haven’t mentioned?? Yeah there is, Remember the headlocks heard around the world last year? I guarantee Seth Cowden does, he was winning 11-0 heading into the 3rd period when Jarred Dunn dropped the boom. Last weekend Cowden lost in OT to Chase Stephens. You think that dude is happy right now? He could send Yeager and Schreck packing Saturday! Ford Fab 4: A grinder of a bracket after Seng, Krueger, Haines and Schreck all still standing at the end 1st - Evan Seng Evansville Mater Dei, 2nd Liam Krueger Columbus East, 3rd Landen Haines Brownsburg, 4th Zane Schreck, Corydon Central 132: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 8/8 Here’s what we know about 132 - It’s Joey’s world and we are just trying to keep up, and after that all bets are off. Joey Buttler from Whiteland is our next LOCK as the 2x state medalist and returning Semi-State champ looks to rule the bracket. The bottom half bracket is insane. Past turrible draw recipients from last year Coy Hammack from Tell City and Justice Thornton from Columbus North both hope to avoid being on the bad side of the draws. Hammack is a 2x qualifier, 1x medalist and was upended last year. Thornton is now a 2x regional champ for Columbus North. Both have Mooresville Regional draws in the form of Seth Syra and Brady Ison. Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerkers - Floyd Central Freshman Hunter Banet and Jennings County’s Lane Kirchner is a homer pick for old 3B, two HHC foes going at it! Kirchner won the HHC in January, Banet took third but they didn’t cross paths. Charles Barkley Turrible Draws - Coy Hammack has a celebrated career, but the grinder of Evansville doesn’t care about celebrations. In what might be one of the worst (or best??) ticket round match ups ever he gets Brownsburg 2x State Qualifier Brady Ison. It’s a shame someone’s season and possibly career ends here Saturday. This is also what makes Evansville the absolute best SS in the state. Don’t sleep on…. Seth Syra, Avon. He was a ticket rounder last year and has a 1-0 win over Thornton this year. The pickers went w/ Thornton but can Seth Syra put a stamp on his earlier season win? Also Odin Fortune from Reitz has never been able to punch his ticket, the pickers say he will do just that this year, but will his fortune reveal more than just a state finals birth? Ford Fab 4 - Buttler, Hammack gets the nod, Thornton gets the nod and Fortune 1st - Joey Buttler Whiteland, 2nd - Coy Hammack Tell City, 3rd - Odin Fortune Evansville Reitz, 4th - Justice Thornton Columbus North. 138: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 8/10 Cheaney Schoeff is the star of this weight class. He’s a 3x state semi-finalist, defending semi-state champ is looking to finish off his career with a state ‘ship next weekend. He’s also LOCK #4! With all 10 ranked SS wrestlers in the bracket there are a number of bangers to open this weight class and some possibly good Ticket round matches. Another Pacer punching his ticket and WildCat helping out a Bulldog?!?! 138 is LOADED!! Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - Interesting 1 vs 4 to get things going Trevor Hott is ranked 18th in the state but not ranked in the semi-state. Gabe Rose is ranked 10th in the state, has beaten everyone he’s wrestled as he’s walked through the state tourney but isn’t ranked in the state! Charles Barkley Turrible Draw - Not really turrible draws, but some great blood round matches here - Rose/Hott winner vs #8/#4 Branson Weaver. Weaver has had tough L’s in the state tourney, but not an impossible draw here. Skip down to #12/#5 Kelby Glenn, a tough 2 loss senior from Tell City and Freshman Phenom from Brownsburg #3/#2 Parker Reynolds. This match will be good, and a turrible draw!!! Don’t sleep on…. Evansville Mater Dei’s Tyler Vanover has a “Dub” over Reece Courtney in a barn burner at Team State. This is another ticket round match. Ford Fab 4 - Schoeff is a LOCK, two upsets on paper as Rose edges out Weaver and Vanover gets one on Courtney, Parker Reynolds punches his first ticket 1st - Cheaney Schoeff Avon, 2nd - Parker Reynolds Brownsburg, 3rd - Tyler Vanover Evansville Mater Dei, 4th - Gabe Rose Switzerland County 145: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 6/9 Center Grove’s Wyatt Krejsa was one of the highlights last year when he won his ticket round match by fall in 30 seconds. There’s no surprises this year as Krejsa is our 5th LOCK. After that there are some great first round and ticket round matches as this weight features all 10 SS ranked wrestlers, w 9 being ranked in the state. Can my boy, TripleB Trained Braedon Spears come out of one of the toughest quarter brackets and finally punch his ticket?!?! Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - State ranked wrestlers right out of the gates!!! #18 Alex Smith was winning his first round match a year ago when he got cradled with under a minute to go. Braedon Spears was up 3-2 w/ 14 seconds to go in his ticket round match when a shredded knee and reversal ended his season. With heartbreaks on their minds, these grapplers have each other in this highlight Curtain Jerker! The winner gets tough Jeffersonville Senior Bradley Owen. They both own wins over Owen but Owen is on fire right now. This will be a great ticket round match! Charles Barkley Turrible Draws - Cash Turner just became Edgewood’s first ever 4 time regional champion, a 2x state finalist and would be a three timer if not for Brownsburg…. Who he happens to have this year in Bulldog Sophomore Mason Day. They are both ranked top 4 in Semi State and top 12 in the state. Don’t sleep on…. Bradley Owen as mentioned above and Tell City Senior Brayden Lain. The pickers like Luke Robards from Evansville Central but Tell City’s season has been magic, don’t count Lain out! Ford Fab 4 - Another weight, another LOCK - Kresja, Spears, Turner ekes out Day, and Robards 1st - Wyatt Kresja Center Grove, 2nd Braedon Spears Madi…err.. Plainfield, 3rd - Cash Turner Edgewood, 4th - Luke Robards Evansville Central TRIPLEB_GUARANTEE - My man crush on Mater Dei is well documented, but what has stayed hidden is my affinity for my boy JMILL and Brownsburg - Give me Day over Turner. 152: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 8/9 3 returning state qualifiers, another LOCK, and what could be a wide open quarter bracket highlight 152. 2x state medalist and a semi-finalist last year, Mater Dei’s Hunter May is the next WildCat LOCK joining teammate Wyatt Seng. The WildCats aren’t being heavily talked about which is weird, but these two LOCKS hope to pull off some hometown magic! The rest of the bracket will feature 3 great ticket round matches and another school hoping for their first ever state qualifier. Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - Terre Haute South Senior and 24th state ranked Luke May is making his first trip to Semi-State, Jeff’s Senior Hayden Bartle is making this third trip to Ford, well Jasper/Ford, whatever. These seniors would both like to keep their seasons rolling into the quarters! Charles Barkley Turrible Draw - 2 turrible draws - Greencastle Senior Chase Carrington is probably underranked (17/7) as he won the always tough Mooresville Regional. Tyce DuPont is a returning state qualifier that ran into Evan Roudebush last weekend. That leaves these two dudes duking it out here w/ a trip to Gainbridge on the line. Speaking of Roudebush and that tough Mooresville Regional, Silas Stits of Center Grove hit a road bump last weekend named Gage Eckels from Ben Davis. Now we get the turrible draw of two top ten ranked wrestlers in the state as Stits will take on Roudebush for a chance to advance!! Don’t sleep on…. And speaking of Gage Eckels, the Giant might be already making plans for state but West Washington Senior Wyatt Johnston along w/ teammate Mason Jones gave the Senators their first wrestling regional championships last weekend. Don’t sleep on Johnston punching that ticket! Ford Fab 4 - LOCK Down May, Dupont in a nailbiter, Eckels, and Roudebush gets the nod 1st - Hunter May Evansville Mater Dei, 2nd - Evan Roudebush Bloomington South, 3rd - Tyce DuPont Tell City, 4th - Gage Eckels Ben Davis TripleB GUARANTEE: Center Grove shocked the state last weekend when they upended Brownsburg for a regional title. If the Trojans wanna add a SS title, they need Stits. Give me Stits! 160: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 5/8 Jeb Prethcel has put himself together a season - 33-0, Bo Henry Champ, SIAC champ, Spartan Champ and has made it unscathed to Evansville. Will Evansville be his undoing? NOPE, ANOTHER LOCK FOR THE JASPER WILDCAT!! Outside of that there is what might be the most fun quarter bracket in the tourney and some great blood matches Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - Just highlight this quarter bracket as anything can happen - Charlestown’s Braden Moore, Mooresville’s Corbin Scott, Cale Hickok from Bloomington North, and Peyton Bell from Evansville North. The votes for the winner of the quarter bracket were split between Hickock and Bell, which means this first match could feature a state qualifier! Charles Barkley Turrible Draws - 2 years in a row Cascade’s Michael Hutchinson has shown he has all the tools to be a medalist and now 2 years in a row the bracket gods have not been kind. This year he gets Jeb Pretchel, the weight class LOCK. Great kid, Great family (his dad introduced me to Hey Dudes like 6 years ago!) Come On HUTCH!!! Don’t sleep on…. Decatur Central Junior David Oybode spent some of the year at 170 before coming down, Luke Kemper is a stud. But don’t count out Oybode! Ford Fab 4 - LOCK Precthel, Center Grove’s Andre Merritt (The reason Hutch has the death draw), Kemper, and Hickok gets the nod 1st - Jeb Prechel Jasper, 2nd - Andre Merritt Center Grove, 3rd - Luke Kemper Evansville Central, 4th - Cael Hickok Bloomington North TripleB GUARANTEE: Give me Peyton Bell, he has SS experience, tough Evansville area. 170: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 5/8 Hey we finally don’t have a LOCK….. Just kidding, Delaney Ruhlman is as close to LOCK as one gets. He’s a 3 time state qualifier and returning two time runner up. He’s on a mission… Gold medal in his sight. There’s an interesting quarter bracket brewing as rumors swirl about Noah Clouser and his knee. How bad is it? Will he give it a go? Will he pull out? How does this affect the weight and quarter bracket? A freshman looking to make a splash, Heritage Hills Jett Goldsberry has had some good wins and puzzling losses. Can the frosh put it together and become a State Qualifier? Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerkers - SS #6 ranked Noah Sumner from Martinsville and #7 Spencer Turner from Mater Dei will be competitive, unfortunately the winner gets Ruhlman. And watch the quarter bracket featuring Regional Champ Teagan Trotter from Jennings Co, Maddox Vernon from Southridge, Austin Bell from Evansville North, and Noah Clouser from Center Grove. If Clouser pulls out, all bets are off and it’s a free for all. Man, maybe even if his knee is banged up bad enough it might be free for all. Charles Barkley Turrible Draw - SS ranked #3 Vincent Tinoco from Whiteland and SS ranked #4 Noah Terry from Tell City will hook up in the Quarters. Winner goes to state, the loser goes home. Turrible, Turrible, Turrible draw!!! Don’t sleep on…. Noah Clouser, yeah he’s picked to get through but w all eyes on him and his coaches planning all week, the Trojan might just figure out how to get through and survive! Also don’t count out Teagen Trotter from Jennings County. Trotter is a Regional Champ and w/ Clouser banged up, can an unranked Trotter be the beneficiary of the bad luck? Ford Fab 4 - Lock Lock Lock Denlany Ruhlman from Bloomington South, Clouser figures it out, Tell City gets another and Goldsberry JETTS through! 1st - Delaney Ruhlman Bloomington South, 2nd - Jett Goldsberry Heritage Hills, 3rd - Noah Clouser Center Grove, 4th - Noah Terry Tell City Donnie Bakers Bet the Boat Shocker of Saturday - Jasper’s Victor Peter gets to workout w/ Jeb Precthel every day….. Victor will be the VICTOR over Goldsberry and advance. Take that Randy! 182: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 7/12 After a run of 7 straight LOCKS, Navy80 said naaahhhhh enough of that. The LOCK wasn’t top SS ranked Caden Brewer but rather Highlander Bray Emerine, Navy likes Brewer. This weight class does appear to be a 2 horse race w/ Emerine and Brewer, but there could be several spoilers littered throughout the bracket. Jackson Fox made his 182 debut at sectionals and promptly knocked off always game Van Skinner two weeks in a row. Speaking of Skinner, a two time ticket rounder who took John Purdy to the limit last year in the first round of SS. This is Skinner’s last chance, can he knock off Emerine in the ticket round? Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - This is the first weight class were nothing really jumps off the page. The only opening match between two ranked wrestlers is Emerine vs. #9 Alex Ramsey of Ben Davis. Charles Barkley Turrible Draws - Call me a homer…. Van Skinner is a stud that has shown multiple times he could be on the podium. His SS draw has gone - Gabe Sollars, Gabe Sollars, John Purdy. This year he gets Bray Emerine. It’s a turrrrrrrrrilble draw….. for Emerine as the Madison Cub finally punches that ticket (*Warning those thoughts are those strictly of TripleB) Don’t sleep on…. Richard Alexander, on paper, would be the favorite over Jackson Fox. It’s more of an issue that the Olympian dropped late and I just wasn’t sure where to place him. Fox is the favorite, Alexander has big moves and has had a great year. Don’t sleep on Alexander getting one over Fox here. Donnie Baker was either in a meat coma by this point of just sleeping but he stirred and started yelling “Johnson, JOHNSON I SAY!!” I asked him what he meant and like a bear he arose and bellowed “I SAID CALE JOHNSON OVER WEEMS!!” Ford Fab 4 - Despite Navy 80’s Pleas, Donnie’s Demands, and TripleB Guarantees - Emerine is the favorite, followed by Weems, Brewer and Fox 1st - Bray Emerine Floyd Central, 2nd - Julian Weems Center Grove, 3rd - Caden Brewer Brownsburg, 4th - Jackson Fox Columbus East 195: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 5/10 After taking a small detour of a weight class without a lock, we have resumed our normal activities with our 9th LOCK, Castle’s John Purdy. Purdy is pretty good and a 2x time state medalist. He’s currently ranked #1 in the state and SS. Purdy might be a lock, but weight class features the #1, #2, #3 and #7 state ranked wrestlers. Brownsburg’s Gunnar Henry is a returning state semi-finalist, Purdy is a 2x medalist,Southridge’s Reid Schroeder is a 2x qualifier and a medalist last year. Kaden McConnel from Center Grove knocked off Henry last weekend! The semis here should be lights out! Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - SS#5 Blake Driver from Whiteland vs SS#8 Parker Hart from Heritage Hills will be entertaining. The only other first round match of SS ranked wrestlers is #7 Stevie Drake vs #1 Purdy. Charles Barkley Turrible Draws - Another homer selection - Scottsburg Sophomore Bryson TANK Mata is an alum of the Bentz DoJo. He’s 42-1 and won both Sectionals and Regionals in dominating fashion, pinning everyone. Imagine if Gunnar Henry had stayed at Pekin Eastern? These two would have battled multiple times! Now these sophomores will go at it for a chance to go to state. Turrible draw for……. Henry!!!! Don’t sleep on…. It only took 12 weights to get here, but this our first “chalk” weight where the pickers all picked the same 4 kids to advance. There were some disagreements on the order that’s about it Ford Fab 4 - LOCK and Chalk - Purdy, Henry, McConnel, Schroeder 1st - John Purdy Castle, 2nd - Reid Schroeder Southridge, 3rd Gunnar Henry Brownsburg, 4th - Kaden McConnell Center Grove 220: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 6/10 STOP THE PRESSES… STOP THE PRESSES…. After having everything ready and my TRIPLEB_Guarantee of Clay Martin ready, he’s disappeared!!! Abracadabra!! Gone!! Good thing I was the odd man out and I blame it on my wildcat obsession. We also do not have a lock here, with 3 returning State Qualifiers and no medalists, it’s a 3 man between Tommy 220, Alex Kissed By A Rose, and Nate “Dog” Johnson! Also a dark horse looms at 220 as Tecumseh Senior Mason Hines brings in a 34-2 record along w/ a Old Capitol Classic, PAC, Sectional and Regional. Despite all that, he’s not ranked in the Semi-State…. Yeah I messed up… Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - Give me #9 Spencer Watson from Tri-West and #10 Malachi Rios from Charlestown. Both have 30 plus wins, the winner gets Mason HInes and they both have to feel like that was the best draw possible. Charles Barkley Turrible Draws -Eli Henshaw is a2 time Semi-State Quarter finalists. He’s battled all year w/ Alex Rose - They both have 2 wins over each other. But Rose’s wins have came at Sectionals and Regionals. This leaves Hinshaw, ranked #8 in state and #3 in Semi State, taking on #8/#2 Nate Johnson from Center Grove in the ticket round. Two big boys going at it, this is Hinshaw's last shot… Trips says FIREWORKS BABY!!!!! Don’t sleep on…. Jakarrey Oliver of Whiteland has been in the talks of being a state qualifier for a few years. This year he just hasn’t been able to solve Nate Johnson. Good news is, he doesn’t have Nate Johnson, he has Alex Rose. I wouldn’t look past Oliver, he’s tough and capable of grabbing the Dub. Ford Fab 4 - Tommy 220 was almost a lock, but Alex Rose got some gold love. They are followed by Johnson and Hines 1st - Tommy 220 Morrill Columbus East, 2nd - Alex Rose Terre Haute South, 3rd - Nate Johnson Center Grove, 4th - Mason Hines Tecumseh Joe, Joe, Joe don’t ya know - Secret guest picker says Hinshaw over Johnson! 285: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 6/10 Let’s just get this out of the way, Leighton Jones should be going for his third state championship. I refuse to acknowledge 2 years ago and I wasn’t around last year. So in Trips eyes, he IS a 2x state champ. He’s a 4x sectional, 3x regional, 2x SS and now a 3x LOCK! This is also a weird bracket where one wrestler got more people votes, but another got more points. That’s the only time this happened in 2023. HWT also had 7 unique individuals get votes, also the most of any weight class in 2023. Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerkers - Don’t run to the bathroom yet… there’s some matches here worth sticking around for. #6 Hunter Kolley from Heritage Hills and #10 Ben Land from Jeffersonville will feature two big dudes looking for big moves. Land was an ISWA Cadet Triple Crowner a year ago. Here’s another interesting one - SS #7 Ben Craig has two losses, both to Patrick McMahon from Columbus East. He’ll take on State ranked #15 (but not ranked in SS) Austin Vanover from Mater Dei. Some like Vanover to move on! Charles Barkley Turrible Draws - Columbus East Heavyweight Senior Patrick McMahon is in his first year of being a varsity wrestler and he’s done okay, just kidding he’s done phenomenal. He’s won the Columbus East Invite, Hoosier Hills Conference, Sectionals, and Regionals. He’s currently ranked #19 in the state and #3 in the semi-state. He will go to battle w/ State ranked #16 and #4 semi-state ranked Tyler Schott from Center Grove. Both have good wins this year, this match should be fun. Don’t sleep on…. The already mentioned Austin Vanover and Kelton Farmer as a champ. Kelton is a 2x State Qualifier, Jones has shown he’s not invincible. I could totally see a Kelton Farmer win here and a Leighton Jones 3rd state championship next weekend. Ford Fab 4 - Our last LOCK, Leighton Jones of Brownsburg leading an absolute crew of studs behind him. Austin Vanover had 3 voters rank him 4th, but Bryce Mills had 2 rankers place him 3rd. So Mills gets the nod! 1st - Leighton Jones Brownsburg, 2nd - Kelton Farmer Evansville Memorial, 3rd - Tyler Schott Center Grove, 4th - Bryce Mills Owen Valley TripleB_Guarantee - Erick Ousley finally gets out of my shadow and gets him a state qualifier that he can claim all on his own, Patrick McMahon will punch his ticket! Man we made it…….let’s end w my favorite - food recommendations Hilltop Inn - Fried Brain sandwiches. Brains aren’t your thing? Turonis is a local pizza place that’s dynamite. Like German? Gerst Haus is phenomenal. Want to head out for some adult beverages? Go to Franklin St, Gerst Haus is there and a number of other watering holes and great restaurants. I’m never up early enough for Breakfast so I have no clue. I hear the nachos at the Ford are great and worth the $. And a tradition on the way home used to be Stoll’s Country Diner (RIP). It’s been a pretty dramatic year for TripleB. I’m just happy to be here, typing this letter. My life took a huge turn the Monday after semi-state last year. My health bottomed out and for about a week we weren’t sure I was going to see another Semi-State. That being said, I can’t freaking wait to be there Saturday. Have a great time Saturday, I love the Evansville Semi-State experience. I’ll be there slumming around, feel free to say hey, you can’t miss me! Good luck to all my coaching buddies and all 224 grapplers. Use this to pump you up and get mad bc you were slighted and parents have fun with this as we at Indianamat are just trying to bring attention to our favorite sport, wrestling! See everybody at the FORD and onto The Bridge!

By JEREMY HINES Thehines7@gmail.com When Brady Byrd was young, he would wake up early, pack his wrestling gear in his parent’s vehicle and make the long journey to whatever tournament they could find. Often, hours later, he would return with a couple of losses to show for his effort. “Brady started wrestling in fifth grade,” his father, Sean said. “Every tournament around us was at least an hour drive. Normally he would go 0-2. But he kept doing it and kept doing it. Sometimes he would even move up weight classes just to get matches.” While the losses piled up, so did Byrd’s determination. If wrestling was easy, he might not have ever fallen in love with the sport. The losses helped build him into one of the best wrestlers in Washington High School history. “That prepared me,” Brady said. “Not a lot of kids at this level have been on the losing side like I have. It took me a long time before I started to see success. For the longest time my worst sport was wrestling. Being on that losing side taught me to never shy away from anything. I was not going to quit just because I wasn’t good at it. That’s never a valid reason to quit. You have to get better. That’s the only option.” Now, Byrd is the first Fargo double All-American to ever come out of the prestigious Maurer Caughlin Wrestling Club. Byrd finished third in freestyle this year and seventh in Greco-Roman. He is currently ranked No. 5 in the state at 106 pounds and has his sights set on taking the top of the platform at the state finals. He’s come a long way – but it was never easy. “The biggest thing with Brady, is that a lot of guys see him now, succeeding and being a good wrestler,” Washington coach Aaron Cissell said. “But nobody looks deep enough to see all the struggles and tournaments where he would lose. He stuck with it. It’s all paying off now. He has overcome all of that and fought to be successful.” Brady started wrestling 106 pounds as a freshman. At the time he weighed just 91 pounds. He’s always been a smaller guy. This, his senior season, is the first time he’s had to cut any weight at all. And even now, the cut is minimal. Sean, his dad, was a state placer in high school. “I placed seventh my senior year at 112 pounds,” Sean said. “Our styles are similar except that I was all heart and toughness and didn’t have technique. Brady is heart, toughness and has excellent technique. “I was a Region guy who was coached by Hall of famer Walt Prochno Kankakee Valley. Brady wrestles the region style in southern Indiana - tough and gritty.” Brady agrees that toughness and grit are keys to his success. “The grit is what makes me successful,” Brady said. I’ve always had it. A lot of kids don’t like to wrestle me. I stay in their face and stay physical.” Injuries have plagued Brady in his young career. He has suffered an ankle and a knee injury but has bounced back from both. “Brady is the most determined and hardest working guy I’ve ever seen,” Cissell said. “He is tough in all areas.” Brady owns Washington’s winning percentage record, but he wants to set the school’s win record and pin record this season. Both are well within his grasp. He also wants to become the third wrestler from his school to qualify for the state finals (Mark Kelsey did it in 1984 and Aaron Brower in 2003). He also wants to become the first Washington wrestler to place at state. Brady also does whatever is necessary to help his team. Coaches have learned to rely on him with helping teach moves in a way the other wrestlers can understand. “People really respect Brady,” Sean said. “So, when we are teaching moves, it’s better to have a Brady show them because he can speak their language and they really feed off of him.” Brady would like to wrestle in college and even the Olympics one day. He has excellent grades and was named to the Academic All-State Team. Outside of wrestling Brady enjoys competitive bass fishing, hunting and playing pickle ball. “Brady is the most determined kid you’ll ever meet,” Sean said. “He works hard at everything, and the work is finally starting to pay dividends.” Brady has started this young season off with 15 consecutive wins. He hopes for much more as the year goes on. He loves the sport and enjoys working at it. “Wrestling is one-on-one,” Brady said. “People call me crazy because I train so much. I don’t like relying on other people to win. I like relying on myself. What I put in is what I get out.”

TRIPLE_B EVANSVILLE SEMI-STATE SPECTACULAR PREVIEW!!!!!! This year Trips will hit turn the big 4-4 on Saturday, Mrs 3B will be in attendance for her first SS ever, will this be the greatest Evansville SS of all time?? Dirty brackets, blood round matches that feel like your cutting fresh onions, and all around excitement will fill The FORD Saturday February 10th. Evansville is THE BEST Semi-State in the land!! 224 wrestlers will be battling for 56 Golden tickets to Indy…..errrr…. Back to Evansville!!! Out of those 224, 138 are Semi-State ranked and 98, I Said 98 (!!!!!!) are ranked in the IndianaMat State Rankings!! Lawwwwwdy have Mercy!!!! This might be the big one Elizabeth!!!! Here’s some quotes from my rankers…. Just in case you needed more convincing of the bloodbath that is Evansville: “The land encompassing Evansville was formally relinquished by the Delaware Indians in 1805 to General William Henry Harrison, then the governor of the Indiana Territory, and the namesake of Evansville’s Harrison High School. On Saturday should anyone surrender a late takedown, escape or back points, they will find themselves relinquishing a spot on the podium. Faltering in the first couple of rounds will likely mean a one-way ticket to palookaville.” “There is going to be some blood shed this weekend. Dirty South has some match-ups that just plain SAY'S Wrestle back are NEEDED!!!! Damn Travesty! EVSS has 8 Brackets with 3 Top 25 Ranked wrestlers & the other Semi-States combined only have 9.. So yes, if you make it out of the South "You are a BAD Dude" pain and simple!! Go Dirty South” “Some of these were tough. I HATE these freakin' draws man! Evansville gets screwed. Crown Point looks amazing with their 'easy' draws. BB and CG get picked apart down in the toughest semi state.” In other words…… WE BUILT DIFFERENT!!!!!! House keeping items - Here is the link for the Indianamat Semi-State Hub - https://indianamat.com/index.php?/articles.html/high-school-news/2024-semi-state-information-center-r1358/ From our former inside man Markio - Ford Arena info: NEW DOOR ENTRY PROCESS FOR WRESTLERS SEE UNDERLINED INFO BELOW Parking and general information about the arena can be found at www.thefordcenter.com Wrestlers can enter the arena at 7:30am for weigh-ins. Wrestlers and coaches will enter at the rear double doors on 6th Street near the corner of 6th Street and Bob Jones Way. You will pick up your credentials here. The only coolers allowed are for wrestlers and must enter at the check in table through the rear wrestlers entrance door. NO OUTSIDE FOOD OR DRINK for anyone else is allowed inside unfortunately. Not my rules, just standard building policy. Public doors open at 8:00am CST. Enter on Main Street through the main lobby. We will look to create a separate door/entrance for those that already have tickets. $12 dollars for all session ticket, $10 for finals only. There is NO onsite parking. Please do not have any team vehicles attempt to park in the loading dock or attached outer lot. These are reserved spots. There is no public Wi-Fi. Please do not jump over the dasher walls to access the floor. They try to control access to the floor, so you need to enter from the lower level hallway under section 103. You wouldn't jump the wall at Gainbridge would you? lol The hospitality room for officials, etc. will be in the Corner Club. Enter from the main lobby and hang a right at the lower level hallway. If you are going to set up a camera please do not have the cord running across the aisle. You will be made to unplug any cords running across an aisle. We will have full concessions available throughout the day. Coffee and hot chocolate are also available all day as well. (get the bbq pork nachos, huge and awesome) There is no smoking on or in the Ford Center property, this includes e-cigarettes. Brackets will be updated throughout the day and posted on several of the 170 or so TVs located all over the arena. The brackets end up kind of small, but hey, they are everywhere and pretty cool. Lastly,if you are a wrestler that loses please don't kick,throw,or punch Ford Center property. We had a kid break off a door handle last year.Sent the bill to the school. How does this work - The exclusive Evansville Championship Selection Committee (ECSC) spent 2 days in hard deliberations over their Ford Fab 4 picks. Each member selected their ballot, points were accumulated, and from there the picks started falling into place. Article features: The Charles Barkley “Turrible” Draws - ticket round matches that shouldn’t be happening in the ticket round! The Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerkers - Best first round matches! The Built Ford Tough Locks - Any weight class where the pick for champion was unanimous, makes it a Ford Tough Lock. This year we have, what may be a record, 10, yes 10 FORD TOUGH LOCKS! Ford Fab 4 - After the picks were gathered, points distributed, and the dust settled, we’ll have the Ford Fab 4. Rankings will be featured like such (State Rank/SS Rank) A big shout out to Navy80, BigToe19, DuckTails (Wooohoo!), Hook&Half and The DONNIE BAKER for their contributions. I will add some commentary throughout from our great pickers. What if I didn’t agree with the ECSC or I thought they made a terrible error? Then have no fear - The TripleB Guarantee will help you sort out the madness. 106: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 8/10 (19/7) David Alstadt crumbled this bracket up last week at Regionals and tossed it in the can. We have several great opening matches and the ticket round matches should all be competitive and great for the fans. 8 State ranked wrestlers will be competing for the 4 spots. This weight class has it all! The winner of Malone/Byrd will be the favorite, no offense Wildcat nation, and really after what we saw last weekend this weight could be wide open. Alstadt/Goelz/Jessup/Ogle/Malone/Byrd could all win or can lose in the ticket round. I’m not sure we’ve seen 106 so up for grabs in a long time! Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - There’s not alot on paper here. Let’s go with 2 great programs and 2 SS ranked wrestlers - Bloomington South’s (SS10) Jaxsen Jean and Brownsburg’s (12/5) Eli Ogle. Jean ranked 10th in the SS and Ogle is ranked 5th, both coaches know how to get their kids ready. Charles Barkley Turrible Draws - We aren’t gonna wait long for blood rounds… soooo HERE….WE….GO…. Monrovia has been known for putting out quality kids and Freshman Royce Malone will look to continue the hammers the Bulldogs. Washington Senior Brady Byrd ran off 42 straight wins…. Until getting upset last week at Regionals by Mater Dei’s David Alstadt. This now sets up a turrrrible draw… as (6/3) Malone will take on (4/2) Byrd. A Frosh vs a Senior… LETSSS GOOOOOO Don’t sleep on…. Switzerland County has been building a reputation in the southeast part of the state for a few years. Sophomore Ethan Rose is making his second trip to the FORD, can he become the first Pacer to punch their ticket to state? He does have a favorable draw by avoiding all the top ranked guys! The Hook&Half DL: “Brownsburg’s Eli Ogle will pull off two—count ‘em—two upsets en route to the semis, where he will meet the winner of EMD’s David Atlstadt and Avon’s Mason Goelz. It’s a crying shame; in opposite brackets you could be looking at a finals match between the Oriole and the Wildcat.” Ford Fab 4 - Royce Malone Monrovia, Mason Goelz Avon, Talon Jessup Columbus East, Joey Hamilton Center Grove 113: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 6/9 The 4 quarter brackets at 113 couldn’t look anymore different. 2 brackets feature locks in returning state champ (1/1) Revin Dickman from Brownsburg and his counterpart Avon’s (2/2) Nate Rioux. The other 2 feature first round matches that could determine the 3rd place match. Which we’ll cover below. The big story: can the Castle Regional crash the Mooresville Party? Also: Despite having a returning state champ, we do not have our first LOCK (Momma2Dickmans don’t try to fight me in the hotel lobby again). Can Rioux get one on Dickman? They’ve wrestled 1,000,453 times… and both are in the same room in the offseason at Contenders, if anyone knows Revin, it’s Nate. Could Saturday be the day? Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - Now business is about to pick up!! 2 Fab Frosh from down South looks to end the season of 2 Juniors from the Mooresville Regional. In our first match up (10/3) Jr. Brennan Leonard from Martinsville gets Mater Dei’s (8/4) Freshman Caleb Schaefer. Schaefer is ranked higher in the state, Leonard is ranked higher in the semi-state. What a match!! Our other first round match of state ranked wrestlers features Freshman (24/7) Wyatt Ulrey of Boonville taking on Junior (19/5) Gavin Ash of Monrovia. Will this be our first Mooresville 4 over a 1? It probably won’t be our last. Can the Castle Regional Freshman send home the Mooresville Juniors? Charles Barkley Turrible Draw - See Leonard/Schaefer above. Two top 10 state ranked wrestlers going at it in the first round is absurd. These two should be wrestling next Friday at the Ford!!! Don’t sleep on…. The “Other Guys”. After winning those first round matches will the victors look past Eli Collier from Owen Valley and Tom Nguyen from New Albany? Let me tell you, if they do, their day will end pretty quick! Also a shoutout to my man Ethan “Eazy E” Pittman, Madison Freshman and Regional Champ. I don’t know who that kid’s youth coach was,but if I was a young wrestler in Southern Indiana, I’d find that guy….. Oh yeah, I’m THAT GUY! Ford Fab 4 - Revin Dickman Brownsburg, Nate Rioux Avon, Caleb Schaefer Evansville Mater Dei, Gavin Ash Monrovia 120: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 8/11 Let’s pour more gas on this fire!! All 4 quarter final matchups will feature 8 state ranked wrestlers with 2 of those matches pitting top 10 ranked wrestlers against each other!!! 120 also features one of the worst Turrible Draws of all time. This weight class is so loaded, we have 2 top ten ticket round matches! Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - A pair of super sophomores will be battling it out early. Heritage Hills Berke Eisenhauer brings a stunning 41-4 record into this match and will be battling it out with Edgewood’s John Orman. Both of these lads are battle tested and the winner gets…. Returning state champ Charlie LaRocca. But I digress, enjoy this match as it’s a warm up for the quarters! Charles Barkley Turrible Draw - Ohhhhh boy…. When Brownsburg’s Preston Haines lost in Regionals last week, every single regional started buzzing, we all knew what was gonna happen. A Haines/Hendeson ticket round match. We will get a state ranked top 4 match, in the ticket round. This just isn’t fair. Henderson got the big pinfall dub at State duals over Haines. Can Hendo do it again-o? This match is so big it overshadows the other top 10 matchup of Walter Hagerdorn from Tell City and Isaac Ash of Monrovia. Don’t sleep on…. Floyd Central Freshman Tony Kessinger. Dude is mean and built different. He will draw a familiar foe in Corydon’s Jayden Owsley in the quarter finals. Two of Isaac Knable’s Invicta grapplers going at it with a trip to state on the line. Ford Fab 4: Charlie LaRocca Center Grove, Ty Henderson Evansville Mater Dei, Isaac Ash Monrovia, Tony Kessinger Floyd Central 126: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 7/10 126 has it all, but the word is disparity as we got our first unranked quarter bracket, 2 big state ranked ticket round matches and our first of 8 First Ford Tough Locks!! I love the unranked quarterbrackets, sheer chaos and every kid wrestling like crazy. What makes this semi-state great is brackets like 126. Isaiah Schaefer also looks to join his pops as an IHSAA state champion with being our first FORD Tough Lock! Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - 2 state ranked wrestlers will be going at it with in the opening round. Returning state qualifier and #6 ranked Dominic Brown will meet up with Terre Haute South’s 19th ranked Nathan Bryan. Terre Haute has been on a tear the last few years and Brown is in that tough Center Grove room. This match should deliver! Charles Barkley Turrible Draw - Speaking of Dom Brown, if he’s successful against Bryan, it will set up another top state ranked match up in the quarters as #1 ranked Isiah Schaefer will be waiting. Here’s what I know - Schaefer is a two time state medalists and has that Schaefer dog in him. Brown is in a room full of medalists and hammers. Schaefer had a quick fall at team state and that can’t sit well w/ Brown. Switzerland County’s Peyton Richards brings in a stunning 84-1 career record into Sem–State, as a sophomore! His one loss was last year to Eddie Goss in the ticket round. This year the Pacer has Avon’s Luke Rioux. Rioux, a former state medalists, lost a tough 5-4 to eventual state runner up Jackson Heaston. It’s #11 vs #3 and maybe not a turrrrible draw, but a match for sure to watch! Don’t sleep on…. The bottom quarter bracket, someone is gonna “sneak” thru, the early favorite is Floyd Central’s Fynn Douglas. But Heritage Hills has a one loss Freshman in Eli Hedges that could also get through. The only SS ranked wrestler in this bracket is a “Mooresville 4” in Greenwood’s Keegan Murray. And Jeff is like Charlie Puth… .they are… headlock….away! Ford Tough Lock: Isaiah Schaefer Evansville Mater Dei Ford Fab 4: Isaiah Schaefer Evansville Mater Dei, Braylon Reynolds Brownsburg, Luke Rioux Avon, Fynn Douglas Floyd Central 132: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 7/10 Mooresville is known for bringing absolute studs to Evansville. 2 terms have been coined because of the strength of the Mooresville Regional - The Mooresville Sweep and The Mooresville 4. We might see both here as Mooresville looks to sweep the top 4 spots and possibly our first Mooresville 4th place finisher sends a regional champ packing! 132 also features our next LOCK but we will keep that a secret for now! SUSPENSEFUL!! Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerkers - An interesting quarter-bracket where a “Mooresville 4” is favored to win, but when you really look at it anybody can! Mt Vernon Sophomore Jayden Stillwagoner brings a regional championship and 32-4 record from the always tough Castle Regional while Keith Parker brings a state ranking of 13th and is a top 4 SS ranked wrestler. In the other match up. SS #12 Keegan Jochim of Franklin will take on (23/8) Hunter Banet of Floyd Central. Who’s one of those 4 losses STillwagoner has to? Hunter Banet!! Charles Barkley Turrible Draws - There are no real “Turrible Draws” if we go by criteria. We do have 2 seniors w/ phenomenal records that look to be victims of the dreaded Mooresville Regional. Terre Haute South’s Josiah Dedeaux (16/5) will go at it with Avon’s (10/3) Quentin Schoeff. Josiah has put together a great body of work. Schoeff is an Oriole from Avon and the young Oriole has had a great season. What happens when these two meet up is anyone’s guess! The other Senior is Scottsburg’s Kellan Carter. A truly great story of toughness and grit, after missing his Junior season the Warrior from Scottsburg has put in work. He wrestled over 70 matches in the off season and has grinded non-stop. Last weekend at regionals he was upended by Columbus North Freshman (coughTripleBtrainedcough) Cohen Long. The bracket god weren’t kind w/ Carter drawing 2x state champ and Oklahoma Sooner commit Jake Hockaday in the ticket round! Don’t sleep on…. It’s a turrible draw, but gotta give love to Former RoughNeck and one of TripleB OG’s - Cohen Long. The Columbus North Freshman grabbed him a regional title last weekend and will get (2/4) Eddie Goss in the ticket round! Ford Tough Lock: Jake Hockaday Brownsburg Ford Fab 4 - Jake Hockaday Brownsburg, Eddie Goss Center Grove, Quinten Schoeff Avon, Keith Parker Ben Davis 138: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 9/11 We have another LOCK at 138 but after Brady Ison, this weight class will be fun. After proving the doubters (myself included) wrong, no one is questioning Brady this year! A Syra/Thornton ticket round match had the rankers at odds. Tons of possible sleepers litter this bracket. Some state ranked first round matches. Don’t miss 138 on Saturday! Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - Let’s look at state ranked match ups in the first round. The first one is Columbus East’s (22/7) Kaleb Kirkpatrick taking on (16/12) Camden Baumann from Evansville Mater Dei. It’s OTR’s rankings vs TripleB’s rankings as Kirkpatrick is ranked higher in the semi-state but Baumann is higher in the state rankings. Grrrrrrr!!! The other state ranked draw is Floyd Central Junior (23/8) Vince Kessinger taking on (15/4) Seth Syra of Avon. Syra has all eyes on a rematch with Justice Thornton but if he’s caught dreaming of Justice…. Vinny take out his knees!!! Heeeeyyyy!!! Charles Barkley Turrible Draw - Speaking of the Syra/Thornton rematch. This was a ticket rounder a year ago and it was a banger!! Thornton won a late reversal and fought off a last second takedown attempt by Syra. Syra got redemption at IHPO with a pinfall victory. Syra is 2-1 in head to heads, can Justice prevail this time?!?!!? Don’t sleep on….Landon Horning - Evansville Memorial, with all eyes on the team race and William Vander Luitgaren getting all the love from the rankers, can Horning spoil the Sophomores run in the ticket round? This is a battle built for Ancient Greece, the Tiger vs the Trojan!!! Ford Tough Lock: Brady Ison Brownsburg Ford Fab 4 - Brady Ison Brownsburg, Justice Thornton Columbus North, Chase Stephens Tell City, William Vander Luitgaren Center Grove 144: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 7/11 We are on LOCKdown as we have another LOCK, Reese Courtney will look to hold COURT on 144! The rankers actually all liked the same 4 but just in some different orders. Almost a chalk weight for the crew. Parker Reynolds will look to overcome his ticket round upset last year and he continues to show his resolve after off season health issues (look up the article on IndianaMat!). Can Branson Weaver crash this party?? Find out Saturday! Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - A rematch from the Hoosier Hills Conference finals highlights the opening matches at 144. Columbus East Caleb Cooper (19/7) has won just about everything this year - Columbus Invite, HHC, Sectionals, and Regionals. The Olympian grappler will have to get by a game Webster (SS10) to keep his run going. This match was 4-2 back in January. The Bulldog Senior will not want his season to end with another loss to Cooper! Charles Barkley Turrible Draws - Bloomington South’s Wyatt Cooksey (13/4) has been chasing Branson Weaver of Owen Valley all post season. He’s yet to cook up the recipe to knock him off and that has left him w/ turrible draw of returning state runner-up and #1 ranked Reese Courtney of Center Grove! Yet another ticket round match of top 4 ranked SS guys. Don’t sleep on…. This weight class was hard, lots of good kids. Last year I cursed Gabe Rose w/ the TripleB Guarantee so I’ll stay away from that. I’ve gotten several texts about this freshman from Gibson Southern. However, I’m going to go w/ one of the favorites; Owen Valleys Branson Weaver. With the #1 and #2 wrestlers in the state, Weaver will get overlooked. He is a returning SQ and has the tools to WEAVE together an impressive day Saturday. Everyone says 144 is the most wide open weight at state and I think we might also see that trickle down to Semi-State also! FORD Tough Lock: Reese Courtney Center Grove Ford Fab 4 - Reese Courtney Center Grove, Parker Reynolds Brownsburg, Branson Weaver Owen Valley, Deacon Dressler Gibson Southern 150: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 8/10 Nothing much going on at 150, just the top 3 ranked wrestlers in the state and one of them will not be advancing to the IHSAA state finals next weekend! I said 126 featured one of the worst Turrible draws ever, but now it’s #2… How in the world.. Nevermind we will get into it later. We have a lock… that’s not a returning state runner up… 150 is bananas… b-a-n-a-n-a-s…BANANAS!!! Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - I’ll take Nate “Dogg” Anderson (25/8) vs Griffin “The Col” Sanders (22/6). This match features 2 seniors, with 9 total losses and this bracket really is wide open. The winner puts themselves into the blood round and one more step closer to that golden ticket! Charles Barkley Turrible Draw - Floyd’s Hunter May is one of the most decorated wrestlers in the state; 3 time state medalist, returning SS champ, Returning state runner up, returning FORD Tough LOCK. You’d think he’d be another Lock, but no fast my friend, the voters are split!! Some like (3/3) Brownsburg’s Tommy Gibbs! That’s not a typo, we have the #2 and #3 ranked wrestlers in the state going at it for a chance to just get into the top 4 at Semi-State. But NOOOOOOOO we don’t need no wrestlebacks! SMDH!!! Don’t sleep on….The winner of Anderson/Griffin will get Heritage Hills Junior Alex Smith. Smith was in an open bracket last year and took a trip to Greco City, the trip became a nightmare for this Patriot. Look for Smith to get the winner of Anderson/Griffin and not take any exits on his way to the semis! The Hook&Half DL: “I like North’s Cale Bonenberger. I hate his draw against CG’s Wyatt Krejsa. Krejsa wrestles like you kicked his dog. Equally, Floyd Central fans hate Hunter May’s ticket round draw against Brownsburg Sophomore Tommy Gibbs. Gibbs is going to let it fly and claim the “V”.” FORD Tough Lock: Wyatt Kresja Center Grove Ford Fab 4 - Wyatt Kresja Center Grove, Tommy Gibbs Brownsburg, Tyler Vanover Evansville Mater Dei, Alex Smith Heritage Hills TRIBLEB GUARANTEE - Not sure why there’s a lack of respect for Hunter May, but he won’t go down without a fight! Donnie Baker and ducktails told me to bet the boat and call Randy because we ain’t coming in Monday! Da Knobs will be rocking and rolling lead by Hunter May and the rest of his state qualifiers teammates!! 157: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 7/10 157 features our first Turrible draw in the first round! Also not a Lock after a few weights of nailing them down. Also the Jeff Regional (for once) and the Mooresville Regional will look to shut out the other 2 regionals here. Silas Stits was as close as one can be to being a LOCK but one ranker was feeling upsets in his bones at 157! Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker/Charles Barkley Turrible Draws - Let’s just kill 2 birds w/ one stone. We got a first round match featuring our #3 and #4 ranked SS wrestlers. How does this happened\?!?!?! Well it’s old news now, The Mooresville Regional, that’s how this happened. Columbus North’s (9/3) Asher Ratliff took home a regional championship last weekend and his reward is Martinsville’s (16/4) Evan Hamblin. This match was an 8-6 victory for Ratliff in the regular season. It looks like Hamblin is/was dealing w/ some type of injury. Let’s hope he’s ready to go Saturday! Don’t sleep on…. Indian Creek Freshman Elijah Guyer is the popular pick in his quarter bracket but don’t sleep on Bloomington North’s Cael Hickok. He brings a sectional and regional championship and also is flying under the radar being unranked. The FORD Center might be full of Cougars Saturday, but will Hickok be the luckiest one there? Ford Fab 4 - Silas Stits Center Grove, Mason Day Brownsburg, Asher Ratliff Columbus North, Elijah Guyer Indian Creek 165: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 8/10 After a slight opening, we are back on LOCKDOWN! Hey doesn’t it seem like Bloomington South always has “that guy”? This year that guy is Evan Roudebush and he’s the prohibitive favorite at 165. Be on the lookout for a great semi-final match where Indian Creek’s Oliver Hallett will go toe to toe with Roudebush. That match should be great! Hallet just has to survive a TURRIBLE draw in the quarters to get there! Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerkers - 2 matches in the 165lb bracket will get the party started for his weight class. Just wait a second on the pulled pork nachos… you got matches to watch!. I’ve heard this alot this year “I really like _____” and these names all fit in that sentence: (21/6) Matthew Pegram from Evansville North, (19/8) David Oyebode from Decatur Central, (12/3) Gage Eckels from Ben Davis, and (23/7) Spencer Turner of Evansville Mater Dei. So imagine my happiness when I saw them all pitted together Saturday in the opening round!!! Letssss GOOOOOOO!!! Charles Barkley Turrible Draw - We got another top 4 ticket round match… Jeeze Louise!!! Indian Creek Sophmore (8/2) Oliver Hallet will wrestle the winner of Eckels/Turner. While TripleB never counts one of his WildCats out, lets just assume Eckels wins. This match will be great. Eckels is a senior and a returning qualifier, does this Giant have one more Giant match in him? Or can Hallet bring the Giant down to size? Don’t sleep on…. Can Spencer Turner pull some Mater Magic at the Ford and beat two top ranked SS kids? FORD Tough Lock: Evan Roudebush Bloomington South Ford Fab 4 - Evan Roudebush Bloomington South, Jesser Derringer Brownsburg, Coy Bender Terre Haute South, Oliver Hallett Indian Creek 175: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 6/8 Hey…. did you know that once upon a time Noah Clouser and Bray Emerine were teammates and workout partners? It’s true!!! Is that not a way to set up a potential finals match?? Two old workout partners going at it for a semi-state title on the line?!?!? Probably due to their familiarity and closeness, we don’t have a lock at 175! Will there be a “Mooresville 4” strike also at 175?? Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - This first round match up features contest between two wrestlers that’s flown under the radar. Columbus North’s Keller Despain has been in and out of the line up all season with injuries and Brownsburg’s Griffin Cambpell has also had some injuries keep him sidelined. These two seniors will be going at it to try to keep their careers alive! Charles Barkley Turrible Draws - The Mooresville Regional Strikes Again!!! This time we will get (9/3) Freshman Phenom Sam Howard of Boonville (51 matches?!?!?) and (14/4) Noah Sumner of Martinsville. Their combined record is 84-5!! TUUUURRRRRIIIBBBLLLEEE Don’t sleep on…. Columbus East loves pulling seniors out of nowhere and sending them to the big show. This year that could be Tyler Lake. Lake won Regionals last week, giving him the best path to a semi-final appearance. McCloy is the heavy favorite and already owns a pinfall win over Lake. Will McCloy be focused on a potential semi-final match up with Noah Clouser? If so he might drown in the Lake! Ford Fab 4 - Bray Emerine Floyd Central, Noah Clouser Center Grove, Sam Howard Boonville, Cooper McCloy Terre Haute South 190: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 6/10 If there’s one thing this Semi-State delivers, it’s exciting ticket round matches and Turrrible draws. 190 will keep that coming with Goldsberry/McConnell. I won’t spoil anymore, but this match will highlight 190. Also a potential Terry/Henry rematch. Those guys tore down Jeffersonville earlier in the year! Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - 2 more seniors going at it in the first round and the winner will be the favorite in the quarters. Pike Senior (SS7) Kameron Biven will take on Terre Haute South’s (11/5) Collin Casad. On paper The Brave looks like the favorite but Biven is battle tested and has had some close matches with some high ranked wrestlers. The other first match between state ranked wrestlers is (6/3) Noah Terry vs. (18/6) Braxton Lewis of Cascade. Terry and Gunner Henry are a potential semi-final match and had absolute barn burner (won 8-7 by Henry) back in December. IF Terry is looking past Lewis, we all know Cascade has that magic at Evansville and can certainly drop some upset L’s on people. Charles Barkley Turrible Draws - McConnell/Goldsberry…. Mannnnnnnnn……are you serious right now? Kaden McConnel is the returning state runner up and is currently ranked 2nd to his nemesis from The Burg, Gunner Henry. Jett Goldsberry is a returning SQ and is currently ranked (8/4). These two hammers will meet in the ticket round to determine who advances to the IHSAA State Championships. Don’t sleep on…. The aforementioned Kameron Biven Ford Fab 4 - Gunner Henry Brownsburg, Kaden McConnell Brownsburg, Noah Terry Tell City, Collin Casad Terre Haute South 215: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 5/9 Another bracket of unranked wrestlers, a Turrible draw and a LOCK all highlight 215! Caden Brewer’s High School story has been one of upsets and redemption, His freshman year he won a sectional and regional and got put out at Semi-State, last year he won sectionals, regionals, semi-state and got knocked out the opening round of state. This year the Bulldog from Brownsburg looks to take that next step as he hopes to climb on the podium in his Junior year, he is the LOCK at 215! From a lock…. To a wide open bracket, which we will discuss below. 215 will be a great weight class come Saturday! Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - We have a quarter bracket w/ zero ranked state wrestlers and only one ranked SS wrestler. Keep your eyes on Kellen Fellure (a 3B guarantee), Noah Owens, Aiden Beadles, and Brant Oakley. This bracket is up for grabs. There were disagreements everywhere as TripleB descented from the pickers! Charles Barkley Turrible Draws - We also have a bracket where 2 top 4 SS guys will go at it for a spot in the state finals. Junior from Tell City (17/4) Landon Terry will hope to follow in his brother’s footsteps, but first must get through (14/3) Spencer Watson from Tri-West. Despite being the favorite in both rankings, Watson finds himself as the underdog in this match up! Don’t sleep on…. Heritage Hills Parker Hart, he has a win over Terry early in the season and has been in several close matches. He does have a loss to his potential ticket round opponent, Tyson Ruhe, but still the Patriot knows what it takes to win! FORD Tough Lock: Caden Brewer Brownsburg Ford Fab 4 - Caden Brewer Brownsburg, Landon Terry Tell City, Tyson Ruhe Jasper, Austin Beadles South Putnam TRIPLE B GUARANTEE: The Blue Cactus in Franklin Indiana will be throwing a wild party of all you can eat Chili Cheese Burritos when Franklin Community Freshman Kellen Fellure punches that ticket!!! We can’t have state in Evansville w/o a Tonte Suit on Friday!!! 285: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 6/9 One of the rare, maybe only weights where there were no official curtain jerkers as it’s all ranked vs unranked individuals. Also no Turrible Draws, none of that means this weight class won’t be fun. While it does have our last lock, Center Grove’s Nate Johnson, and all 4 picks were unanimous, not chalk, I’d be shocked if they all held up. The big quarterfinal match will feature returning state qualifier Ben Land taking on Avon Senior Oluwagbenga Orisadare. Another match up where the favored wrestler wasn’t picked to advance as the pickers like (16/5) Orisadare to beat (13/4) Land. Don’t sleep on…. Big Ben Land, dude is a throwing machine and never stops wrestling. In his earlier season 16-5 loss to (11/3) Justin Brown from Floyd, Land just kept coming and coming and giving up points to try to score points. He’s not a boring wrestler at all! FORD Tough Lock: Nate Johnson Center Grove Ford Fab 4 - Nate Johnson Center Grove, Justin Brown Floyd Central, Oluwagbenga Orisadare Avon, Hayden Smith Heritage Hills Man we made it…….let’s end w my favorite - food recommendations Hilltop Inn - Fried Brain sandwiches. Brains aren’t your thing? Turonis is a local pizza place that’s dynamite. Like German? Gerst Haus is phenomenal. Want to head out for some adult beverages? Go to Franklin St, Gerst Haus is there and a number of other watering holes and great restaurants. I’m never up early enough for Breakfast so I have no clue. I hear the nachos at the Ford are great and worth the $. And a tradition on the way home used to be Stoll’s Country Diner (RIP). We’ll end w/ this unreleased track…. I love the Ford! An homage to the best Wrestling Semi-State in the Indiana! 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 See everybody Saturday!!!

By Anna Kayser If you’ve been an unfamiliar passerby in the town of Brownsburg, Ind. over the past seven years, one of the first things that might catch your eye are the purple street signs – deep purple markers adorned with a bulldog, two on each corner if you’re lucky. At least, that’s what I noticed as I drove through the small – but not too small – suburb of Indianapolis en route to the fourth official practice of the 2022-23 IHSAA wrestling season, with no prior knowledge other than what was scribbled on the notepad next to me. One thing I hadn’t taken note of prior to passing the “Welcome to Brownsburg” sign on Highway 139, and something that might give any other small-town Midwesterner the same familiar wave of recognition: The residents of this town about 30 minutes northwest of downtown Indy live and breathe Brownsburg High School athletics. The 2021-22 Brownsburg wrestling team was nothing to snub at. The Bulldogs went 18-1 in duals and extended their program-record streak to eight consecutive Hoosier Crossroads Conference championships. Jake Hockaday led the lineup with the first state title by a freshman in school history, continuing Brownsburg’s reign of crowning one champion each year since 2016. More on him later – I promise. But that was last year, and while the result is indicative of the journey to get to where they are now, it’s not the full story. What better place to begin than at the beginning – when the Bulldog wrestling program transitioned from a bottom-of-the-barrel finish to an HCC Championship in two years, to an IHSAA State Championship in four. “Regardless of what it is, I have high expectations,” Brownsburg Community School Corporation Superintendent Dr. Jim Snapp said. “My experience has been if you want to have a state contending team, you [hire a coach] who has done it before.” After beginning his head coaching career at Mishawaka High School – a time in which he led the program to three consecutive top-two finishes and a pair of championships in 2008 and 2010 – Darrick Snyder found himself as the subject of a coaching inquiry almost 150 miles dead south of the place where he was a Northern Indiana Conference champion and state place winner. From Snyder’s point of view, there were a number of perks to coming to Brownsburg. And when his wife asked him about the wrestling team’s recent lack of success, he saw the potential to upgrade the team to something special. “Yeah – but there’s no reason [for that lack of success],” he said. “All the pieces are there.” Immediately, things began to shift. During Snyder’s first two seasons, the Bulldog program went 36-12 in duals and was crowned 2015 HCC Champions. Of course, that success comes not entirely from the corner but from the center of the mat itself – it’s a combination of what happens behind the scenes and the performances under the spotlight. That first piece of the puzzle, the one that is encapsulated in the public eye each time the mats are rolled out: The athletes. The success of that 2015 team was boasted by a pair of wrestlers that took center stage on the IHSAA State podium come February – Ty Mills (106), Brownsburg’s first finalist since Mark Meunier’s title in 1977, and Nathan Walton (170). As four-year place winners at the state tournament, they were two of four key athletes named by Snapp as being difference-makers in raising the heights of the program. None was more instrumental under Snyder’s tutelage, however, than All-American and two-time NCAA Division I Championships qualifier Brayton Lee, Minnesota’s current starting 157-pounder. A leader that, without Snyder’s drive to create a pipeline from younger levels into a high school program the town could be proud of, might never have donned the purple Bulldog in the first place. “[My family] knew that [Snyder] was a good coach and had a lot of success, but we weren’t that familiar with him,” Lee said. “We went to Brownsburg for a high school tournament to meet up with him when I was in middle school, and we just talked. He was just supportive and said that he would help me to become the best wrestler I can possibly be. We were really excited about Snyder, he pretty much sold us [on where the Brownsburg program would go].” Not only is building the high school program a key part in escalating success, but also what feeds into it. The implementation and management of a strong program for middle school students ensures that development and love for the sport occurs at a younger age. “We were fortunate enough to get some kids [like Lee] that came here because of him, and he’s worked on [building up] the middle school program – kids want to come here, kids want to stay here,” Snapp said. So, we’ve got this interaction of developing the feeder program and kids that, if they’re going to wrestle in the Indianapolis area, they [want] to come to Brownsburg.” With two established wrestling academies nearby – Contender’s Wrestling Academy in Brownsburg and Red Cobra Wrestling in Avon – growth through both the school program and external coaching elevates athletes even higher. Lee, a product of Red Cobra, was a good example of how development can skyrocket through that extra effort and help outside of a school program. What the Bulldogs standout star lacked early on, however, was the team aspect. “It was definitely different, just because I had never been on a team before – I had just wrestled on my own,” Lee said. “I had grown up going to our very intense wrestling club and on both sides, practices were tough. I appreciated and respected that. [Snyder] was always making us do lots of tough stuff intertwined with wrestling.” Prior to Lee’s first of three IHSAA state titles in 2016 – a year in which he, along with five other state placers, led the charge on Brownsburg’s IHSWCA Dual State championship and IHSAA state runner-up finishes – the Bulldogs had only crowned two individual champions in school history. “We were always focused on the next day,” Lee said. “The first time I won, it was awesome, and I was grateful for it – but there was always a team aspect. I wanted to win with our team, and that idea of winning definitely pushed us. I think me winning helped bring other guys along. Knowing I was kind of a leader, knowing that my success was inspiring other guys on the Brownsburg wrestling team made me want to keep pushing.” For Lee’s career specifically, the results of the drive to win as a team came quickly. His second title at 145 pounds saw seven Bulldogs on the IHSAA podium and a franchise-high three finalists – Mills and Blake Mulkey included as runners-up – to lead Brownsburg to its first IHSAA state championship in school history. That influx of high-performing athletes jumpstarted Brownsburg’s rise to the top of high school wrestling in central Indiana. “You put those kids together – we had a core of four, good kids – and Darrick coached up other kids around them,” Snapp said. “That started [a stretch] of us winning the conference every year for the last eight years, we’re in the strongest athletic conference in the state of Indiana. Our wrestling team has dominated. It hasn’t even been close.” The second piece to the puzzle, where Snapp, the administration and coaching staff as a whole come into play, is the support Snyder continues to have behind him. The best example? The wrestling room at Brownsburg High School, built during Snyder’s reign as head coach and designed by Snapp to help raise the standard of the program and accommodate the growing numbers of the extracurricular. “I knew I was going to have [Snapp’s] support on just simple things,” Snyder said. “My first year here, I wanted to take a fan bus to individual state… and I was told no [by the athletic director]. I said, ‘This is a really important to the program. These guys need to watch this event, it’s incredible.’ “I called Jim, and every year [since], just like most teams, we get to take a team bus to state.” The backing from Snapp and the administration is a means to an end in shifting the culture not just in the Brownsburg wrestling room, but in the town that loves its high school athletics. “That first year, there wasn’t really anyone there for the kid that was wrestling [at state]. When you win, you want to look up and see a bunch of purple and sit with those people between rounds,” Snyder said. “We’ve really tried to change that around, anything like that.” It also extends to the actual competition and helping those wrestlers reach the mats at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. In order to develop the athletes coming to Brownsburg or growing through school programs the Bulldogs support, the level of competition needed to continuously be raised. “When I first got here, no program did any overnights or anything out of state,” Snyder said. “I went to [the athletic director] and told [them], ‘I’ve got to get out of Indianapolis’ – I was tired of wrestling the same teams over and over again, and then we got to the point that there weren’t many teams in our area that would be competitive.” This upcoming season, the Bulldogs’ schedule includes the Walsh Jesuit Ironman Wrestling Tournament from and the Crown Point Invitational – Crown Point defeated Brownsburg 178-105 in the 2022 finals, setting an IHSAA record for the largest margin of victory by a team champion by over 20 points – on back-to-back weekends in December. That elevation in competition level allows wrestlers to face some of their biggest challenges early and prepares them for high-pressure situations come February. “I always tell [our guys] that our schedule is not meant for them to go undefeated,” Snyder said. “If you do, that’s great, but we’ve set up a schedule where we’re going to take some losses. That took administrative support to be willing to allow us to do overnights, to allow us to go out of state.” Pushing athletes beyond their comfort zone to prepare them for future career hurdles is a common theme in Snyder’s coaching style, something that is on record in helping wrestlers reach their full potential. And, well, maybe no one can attest to that better than a Big Ten starter. “I think just his competitiveness and him pushing us every day helped me,” Lee said. “He helped push me past my comfort zone a little but more than maybe I would myself, and that’s really the main purpose of a coach. Snyder knew I wanted to be great, and he helped me move into a little bit more uncomfortable territories which is important for any athlete, especially when you’re trying to go to the next level.”

By Anna Kayser When Brownsburg opens its doors to kick off the 2023-24 wrestling season on Nov. 29 vs. Westfield, it will be the first time in 291 days that Parker Reynolds steps onto the mat in competition. Nine months and 18 days full of doctor’s visits, blood tests, surgeries, physical therapy and pushing himself to the limit, all for a young athlete to return to wrestling stronger than he left it. Parker, the 138-pound freshman starter in last year’s Bulldog lineup, had his first high school campaign riddled with a then-mysterious condition causing numbness in his hands. A season which had incredible high points – on Dec. 10 at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman, he defeated the eventual 138-pound state champion from Ohio – was challenged by a mix of physical and mental hurdles. “When I wrestled, I would lose all feeling. It was almost like there were knives in my forearms, it hurt really, really bad,” Parker said. “It started to almost become a mental thing because before a lot of matches, I wouldn’t know if it was going to come up or not and it almost freaked me out before every match. I was worried that my hands were going to go numb, and it really started messing with me when I wrestled.” Following a semi-state loss to end his freshman season, Parker immediately began seeing a series of doctors to diagnose his condition. They tested his heart, musculoskeletal system and blood for autoimmune diseases before being referred to a group of specialists on thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) – one being Dr. George G. Sheng, a vascular surgeon with Ascension Medical Group. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, TOS – a condition often found in pitchers due to their repetitive throwing motion – refers to a series of syndromes where compression of nerves, arteries and veins in the lower neck and upper chest causes pain or numbness in the surrounding areas. Parker, after undergoing another series of tests with Dr. Sheng, was diagnosed with both neurogenic and venous TOS, two of the three syndromes related to TOS causing his hands to turn purple, numbness and the sensation of feeling knives in his forearms. The constant movement of the shoulder forward – similar to a pitcher’s throwing motion – at a young age can affect the placement of ribs before they’re entirely developed, leading to a partial blockage of different nerves and veins making up the spinal system. Parker became the first wrestler Dr. Sheng had seen with TOS, and in turn became the first to undergo a procedure to remove the first rib on his right side in an effort to alleviate his symptoms. The recovery timeline for this surgery to treat TOS is one year. “Nobody thought he was going to be able to wrestle this year – not even the surgeon, not even us,” Josh Reynolds, Parker’s dad, said. “He was going to have to put the work in, he was going to have to go to physical therapy and see how his body [healed].” Parker has TOS on both sides of his body, but an early expectation of having two rib-removal surgeries faded as the April 3 surgery on his right side relieved most symptoms on both. However, the doubt of a possible second surgery and how his body would rebound expanded the unknown from one year to potentially never wrestling again. “This is the longest I’ve ever gone without having a match, I felt like so much was getting taken away from me. There was a lot of doubt [if I would ever wrestle again],” Parker said. The beginning stages of Parker’s recovery can be summed up in two words: Boring and grueling. Unable to do anything where he might feel pressure in his left side, the rising sophomore found himself unable to do all of his favorite things – wrestling, as well as enjoy fishing and a number of water activities at his family’s vacation home in Florida. After months of being in a dark place mentally, from not knowing what was going on with his body to possibly being unable to wrestle for at least a year, Parker began seeing a mental coach. “[Parker’s mental coach] has probably been one of the biggest influences in all of this,” Josh said. “He was a calming voice to Parker and saying ‘Listen, you’ve got to listen to your body. If you’re not right, you can’t come back prematurely.’” Taking the next step in his rehab process by beginning light, lower body-focused workouts helped, too, and Parker’s parents saw a noticeable change mentally. And then, a lump on his neck appeared and severe nosebleeds began, sparking a series of blood tests with the possibility of lymphoma or leukemia. The average size of a lymph node is under 1.5 centimeters in diameter, and Parker’s grew to near 3 centimeters. “He’d make comments like, “I don’t know what I can do if I can’t wrestle. That’s all I’ve ever done, I’ve been wrestling since I was four.’” Josh said. “As a family, it was tough especially for my wife and I because we’re just saying we want [Parker] healthy and in his eyes, ‘Well if I’m healthy I can wrestle.’” Parker had another surgery in July to remove the entire growth from his neck. The tests for leukemia came back negative, and instead he was diagnosed with Epstein Barr virus – another form of mononucleosis – likely caused by the hit his immune system took with the removal of his rib. He was cleared to return to practice in August, with stipulations from his surgeon: He couldn’t be taken down and was only allowed to be in situations which he could control. But he could build his entire daily routine around wrestling and gaining strength for the season. “Coach [Chad] Red said, “You tell me when and where and I’m with you every step of the way,’” Josh recalled. “That’s when we saw this mental transition. [Parker] was working with the mental coach, doing one-on-ones with Coach Red, practicing twice a day [plus lifting weights] and he was changing his mindset.” Over the summer, Parker lost close to 10 pounds. After being cleared by his physicians, he began working out and practicing three times a day, before school and after school, to get himself back in wrestling shape for Brownsburg’s impending Oct. 30 practice. “After a couple months, you can see he’s getting smoother and feeling better,” Brownsburg head wrestling coach Darrick Snyder said. “Now, we’re working through with him that he’s not going to be the same dude at our opening meet that he will be at the end of the year. He’s going to take some leaps this season.” Now, Parker’s coming back with a vengeance – finally stepping onto the mat with more answers than questions. Along with a renewed sense of confidence in his health and wrestling ability, he’s entering this season with three things he didn’t have last year: A tattoo on his lower ribs of a quote by Moliére, a French playwright, reading, “The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it.” A list of all the wrestlers he beat last season who placed at the state championships in Indiana or surrounding states. And a necklace with his first rib, removed when this all started, to wear around his neck before each of his matches during his improbable comeback campaign.

By Anna Kayser I guess the best way to start this off is with a story – my favorite wrestling story to tell, actually, and one that tells you all you need to know about where I came from and why I’m here. There’s no pretty table-setting for this story, except that I’m an Iowa Hawkeye through-and-through. I’ve been attending Iowa football games at Kinnick Stadium since I was a kid, attracted to the sports world from a young age. Wrestling, however, wasn’t on my radar. Not even as I moved up to one of the biggest wrestling high schools in the state of Iowa. Fast forward to college, my junior year in Iowa City. I don’t remember what the weather was that day in October or how I felt as I walked into Carver-Hawkeye Arena for my second ever experience with Iowa wrestling. I was blissfully unaware of what the next year or two of my life would hold for me. My introduction to the Hawkeye program had come just a few weeks earlier – yes, two and a half years into my college career, roughly 20 years into growing up in the middle of wrestling country – but that one’s not important. I was informally introduced to Hawkeye head coach Tom Brands, it was chill. It was less chill on media day as I sat facing the press conference podium at CHA, watching in fear as Brands tore apart – for lack of a better term – a reporter sitting on the other side of the room. I don’t remember what question was asked, I don’t remember the exact response. All I remember was feeling VERY in over my head. I wasn’t a fan of the sport. The opposite, in fact, bored and completely unaware of the rules in high school. So, when my editor approached me about covering Iowa wrestling a year prior, I wanted none of it. Thankfully, I changed my mind. But as I sat in that room, I couldn’t help but wonder if I made the wrong decision. Following the press conference in which I doubt I dared to even think about speaking, the cohort of Iowa media made its way downstairs to the “Room that Gable Built” for interviews with athletes. As I attempted to get my bearings on the room, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned, and there was Tom Brands: The guy that just barked at a reporter not more than 10 minutes ago. He asked me how I was doing and if everyone was treating me okay – a complete 180 in demeanor from what I had witnessed upstairs. I felt… at home. The first Iowa dual I went to was the nail in the coffin. I have no idea who they wrestled (UT-Chattanooga, maybe?) or what the score was (I wouldn’t be surprised if they shut their opponent out completely). All I remember was feeling in complete awe of the spectacle, the lone mat in the middle of thunderous applause and the deep rumble of 15 thousand fans yelling “TWOOOO” in unison. I covered Spencer Lee’s second NCAA championship, traveling out to Pittsburgh by myself with one photographer to survive only on midnight IHOP and press meals. I felt CHA rumble as Michael Kemerer defeated No. 1 Mark Hall to lead the Hawkeyes to a win over Penn State in early 2020. So, why am I here now? Because there’s nothing I love more than being able to tell the stories of tremendous athletes and what it takes to stand atop a field of excellence – and I believe Indiana is full of these stories. Wrestling is growing here, exponentially. The first dual meet I attended in Indiana blew me away, from the invested crowd to the spotlight highlighting all of the action. The State Finals, my first experience of finals action in Indiana, brought a number of separate communities together in a way that celebrated each athlete’s achievements. I saw Jake Hockaday look unbeatable as an on-paper underdog in the 120-pound state finals. I witnessed future Hawkeye Leighton Jones finally tackle (nice use of a football pun here, don’t ya think?) the walls in his mind and stand atop the heavyweight podium in February. Spending my first year covering wrestling in Indiana immersed in the Brownsburg program opened my eyes to the tight-knit community this state never fails to disappoint. The IHSAA State Finals showcase the best the state has to offer in the best way – center stage, on a single mat with a lone light on the middle circle. It’s a best-of-the-best battle. The fans are enthralled. But there’s room for growth, as there always is from youth to professional sports, and Indiana’s wrestling community has the chance foster it. The more wrestlers that have their chance at a state title – hell, even just a chance to wrestle in that arena – the more will crave that experience. The more families that come out, the more siblings, cousins or friends will want to try their hand at wrestling. As the sport grows, so do the number of powerhouses. No longer is there one powerhouse for the state of Indiana, but multiple at different levels of competition and school size, growing the sport exponentially and the exposure to smaller schools often overshadowed. And as the years progress, as the word spreads about how Indiana puts on a show for its wrestlers, the more will pack that house year after year in anticipation for the greatest spectacle in amateur sports. Those stories are here. Those kids are here. The opportunity is here. Trust me – I’ve grown in my wrestling career surrounded by the best fans, the best environment wrestling has to offer. It’s time to emulate that in the state of Indiana.

By Drew Hughes Anyone that has been around Indiana wrestling in the last decade probably knows the name Chad Red. In high school Red had about as good of a career as anyone could ask for winning 4 state titles and going a perfect 183-0. Along with this he won 3 of the toughest off- season tournaments in the country; Fargo, Super 32, and FloNationals. He finished his high school career ranked #1 in the country at 132lbs along with being ranked #8 out of all seniors in his graduating class. Being one of the most sought after recruits Red decided on Nebraska as his college destination. Red said “I chose Nebraska because of Jordan Burroughs and the coaching staff is very helpful, and my family thought they were the best coaches for me.”. Red has very well in college so far where he has become a 2 time All-American as well as a Big Ten finalist. He has had some great matches in his college career with one of the best coming in the blood round of NCAA’s his freshman year. In this match Red pinned the two-time defending National Champion Dean Heil in the first period to become an All-American. Red also placed 3rd at last year’s Big Ten championship and qualified for the cancelled 2020 NCAA championships where he was named a NWCA first team All-American. This season Red is off to a great start with a 4-1 record and his lone loss coming from Iowa’s Jaydin Eierman. Red is currently ranked 6 th in the country at 141 and in the upcoming weeks will get the chance to wrestle #1 ranked Sebastian Rivera before the Big Ten tournament. Now the big question that people are asking right now for most college seniors are if they will be returning for a 6 th year. Due to Covid the NCAA has made it so this year does not count towards your eligibility giving athletes the chance to compete for an extra year. With that being said Red is planning on wrestling next season and will still have a shot at being a 4 time All- American and possibly a National Champion. After college Red plans to stay in Nebraska and wrestle for the NWTC where he would compete internationally in an attempt to make world and Olympic teams. He also plans on coaching and we could see that being anywhere from the college level to even coming back to Indiana to coach at Red Cobra Wrestling Academy where his father, Chad Red Sr., is the coach. Looking far down the road we could also see him coaching his little brother to 4 high school state titles but that wouldn’t be until at least 2034.

Date: Saturday February 10th, 2024 Admission: $12 per person. Children age 5 and younger admitted free. Streaming: A bundled package that includes access to all four semi-state sites, as well as next weekend's state finals, is available via IHSAAtv.org and the IHSAAtv suite of apps (iPhone, Android phone, Roku, Amazon Firestick, AppleTV, and Android TV) for $25. Access to all four semi-states only is available for $15. If you have a FloPro+ plan, you may also view the livestream at FloWrestling.com. 1. East Chicago Central (John C. Baratto Athletic Center) | 9 am CT Feeder Regionals: Crown Point, Hobart, Logansport, Penn. TrackWrestling Brackets IndianaMat Brackets EastChicago.pdf Pick'ems Link 2. Fort Wayne South Side (Allen County War Memorial Coliseum) | 8:30 am ET Feeder Regionals: Carroll (Fort Wayne), Goshen, Jay County, Peru. TrackWrestling Brackets IndianaMat Brackets FortWayne.pdf Pick'ems Link 3. New Castle (New Castle Fieldhouse) | 9 am ET Feeder Regionals: Frankfort, Pendleton Heights, Perry Meridian, Richmond. TrackWrestling Brackets IndianaMat Brackets NewCastle.pdf Pick'ems Link 4. Evansville F. J. Reitz (Ford Center) | 9 am CT Feeder Regionals: Bloomington South, Castle, Jeffersonville, Mooresville. TrackWrestling Brackets IndianaMat Brackets Evansville.pdf Pick'ems Link Pick'ems History Click here for a full pick'ems history Articles and Podcasts #MondayMatness with Steve Krah: DeKalb’s Waldon heading back to Fort Wayne Semi-State with focusHigh School Wrestling Weekly #WrestlingWednesday with Jeremy Hines: Thornton ready for another trip to state Lake Central’s Mason Jones Drives Into Potential State Finals Run with Renewed Confidence Gorilla Radio 172- Fort Wayne Semi-State Gorilla Radio 173- Evansville Semi-State Gorilla Radio 174- New Castle Semi-State Gorilla Radio 175- East Chicago Semi-State State Finals streak on the line Gorilla Radio Schedule Monday- Mike, Joe, and a special guest talking about Fort Wayne Semi-State Wednesday- Mike, Joe and our southern correspondent talking about Evansville Thursday- Mike and Joe talking about East Chicago and New Castle

By Andrew Oberlin It’s that time of year again here in Indiana, February Madness, and I’m not talking about basketball. There is a very strong community of diehard wrestlers, fans, and coaches in Indiana for whom late January and early February is a time of excitement, anxiety, and sleepless nights. Those involved know what is at stake this time of year and for many it has been a 13 year journey . I’m going to attempt to give you some insight. In my humble opinion, Indiana’s state wrestling tournament is the toughest in the nation for a wrestler to punch a ticket through to the Indiana high school state because of the number of wrestlers in the state, the single class system for wrestling, and the lack of wrestlebacks. Indiana competes well at the national level and is one of only 5 states that has a single class for their state tournament. Furthermore, Indiana is the only state that doesn’t have wrestlebacks in their State High School Tournament. There are a lot of wrestlers in Indiana. This year, Indiana has nearly 10,000 USA Wrestling (USAW) cardholders, which earns us the rank of 5th in the nation for the number of USAW participants. USAW is the largest national organization that governs folkstyle, freestyle, and Greco-Roman wrestling in the United States; it is a separate entity from the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA). This figure doesn’t include the middle school and high school wrestlers who do not compete in USAW events. In addition, the number of wrestlers in Indiana continues to grow as girls wrestling gains popularity. Seedings and Wrestlebacks At most top-level tournaments, wrestlers are seeded so that the best wrestlers don’t face each other early in the tournament. Seeding is not an exact science, and many times decisions are based on opinions. Whoever is seeding the tournament can use things such as results of past head-to-head matches, common opponents, or individual win-loss records to determine placement. Head-to-head is the best way to seed a tournament but many times head-to-head matches haven’t taken place, so organizers look for a common opponent and how each wrestler did against that opponent. This can be a valid way to seed, but does not always take body type and wrestling styles into account. Individual win-loss records are generally given the least consideration when seeding wrestlers because schedules and levels of competition vary greatly. There is no perfect way to seed wrestlers. Wrestlebacks allow a wrestler to prove a seeding wrong or provide a second chance to overcome a mistake. Wrestlebacks are done at almost every tournament wrestlers will participate in from the time they are 5 all the way through college; however, because of Gene Hackman and the movie Hoosiers, Indiana is only concerned with crowning the state champion and our state wrestling tournament does accomplish that. I kid about the movie Hoosiers... kind of. To be clear, my point is not to go on a rant about why Indiana needs to have wrestlebacks (which I strongly believe we do). That is a battle the coaches association and wrestling community has fought ad nauseam for decades and at this point it just doesn’t look like it is going to happen. I am explaining the factors that go into the emotions our wrestlers, coaches, and fans experience every year at this time. Indiana High School State Wrestling Tournament Format To understand the passion that goes on at the state tournament, one must understand what it took to get there. Many wrestlers in Indiana start their wrestling journeys between the ages of 5 and 8. They likely had thousands of hours of year-round training and more than 500 youth matches. High school wrestlers survived the gauntlet of youth wrestling and continued intense training into high school... This requires a lot of blood (literally), sweat, and tears on the part of the wrestlers, their families, and their coaches. By the time a wrestler is in high school, there is an entire support system that is emotionally invested in that wrestler’s career. There are only 14 state champions out of thousands of high school wrestlers, so the majority of wrestlers will not end their careers reaching their ultimate goal. If you understand how our Indiana state wrestling tournament is run, you can skip this part. There are 315 schools in the state that participate in wrestling. The state tournament is 4 weeks long. Competitions take place each Saturday during the first 3 weeks and on Friday and Saturday during the 4th week. Week 1 is sectionals which consists of 8 to 10 teams with 14 weight classes. Week 2 is regionals which combine the top wrestlers from 2 sectionals. Week 3 is a semi-state which combines the top wrestlers from 4 regionals. Week 4 is a state which combines the top wrestlers from 4 semi-states. Sectionals is the only part of the tournament that uses the seeding process. After sectionals everything else is based on how the wrestler placed the week before. For regionals the first place sectional winners wrestle the 4th place winners from the opposite sectional. Second place sectional winners wrestle 3rd place sectional winners. Since there are no wrestle backs if a wrestler loses the first round of regionals they are done for the season. If a wrestler wins at regionals they advance to semi-state. Things start to get tricky at semi-state.. With 4 regionals feeding into semi-state there are a total of 16 wrestlers in each weight class and 4 different regional champs for each weight class. It’s the same formula as regionals with 1st place wrestling 4th and 2nd place wrestling third but since the pool of wrestlers has expanded match-ups are drawn at random every year. To advance from semi-state to state a wrestler must win their first two matches. For every semi-state mini bracket of 1st through 4th place regional placers only one wrestler will continue to state by winning their first two matches. The state finals are Friday and Saturday of week 4. The same type of formula used for semi-state is applied to state. At state Friday night the walk of champions takes place where they announce all the schools that have a wrestler represented at the meet. Wrestlers all wrestle once on Friday; if they don’t win that match they are done and do not advance to wrestle on Saturday. Here is an example random Semi-State bracket that could be used: February I hear the term March Madness all the time when they talk about the NCAA basketball tournament. For me it pales in comparison to the February Madness that happens right here in Indiana during our high school wrestling state tournament. If you have the opportunity to watch any part of the 4 week state tournament know that with every win and loss, especially when the wrestler is a senior, you are seeing the hopes and dreams of a small community either being fulfilled or coming to end after thousands of hours of hard work. In the end winning doesn’t care about you and neither does wrestling, but those that have been part of a wrestler’s journey do and that is what matters. If you truly know what wrestling is about you know the wrestler has become a better person because of it and that is something to be proud of. I wish you all the best during this post season and know that wrestling is training for the life that follows. Indiana wrestling has been a part of my life for over 35 years. I had my high school dreams come to end without reaching my ultimate goal. I have now coached for 27 years and I have been a part of this walk and moment more times than I can remember. The photo below captures it all, a wrestler and part of his support system walking off the mat for the last time while coming to terms with the finality of it. Austin Farris, the wrestler in this photo, first stepped on a wrestling mat at 4 years old with his father by his side. This is a picture of Austin walking back to the bleachers for the last time in his high school career after losing a close match. Dee Farris, his father and coach, has his hand on Austin’s back; following behind the father and son are coaches that have been with Austin on his journey since he was young.

By Drew Hughes Breyden Bailey has been on the move most of his college career but has finally found his home at the University of Indianapolis. After high school Breyden started his career at Northern Illinois University but after the first semester transferred to the University of Indiana. He then spent the next year and a half at IU where he compiled a 17-12 record. After his second year of college, he transferred one last time to where he currently is at UIndy. When asked on how he decided on UIndy Breyden said “I decided on University of Indianapolis because it was close to home and I really liked the culture that was being built and the family atmosphere. I felt as if I fit in well and I could trust the coaching staff and what they were saying and were striving for.”. Breyden redshirted his first year at UIndy where he compiled a 21-1 record. Currently a Redshirt Junior Breyden is 2-0 on the season with both of his wins being falls. He is also ranked 7th in the country. Logan Bailey is just starting his college career with the Greyhounds after an impressive high school career that ended with a 150-15 record and a state runner-up finish his senior year. Logan is off to a great start with the Greyhounds where he is currently 4-0 with 3 of those wins being bonus point victories. The brothers are back on the same team for the first time since Breyden’s senior year and Logan’s freshman year of high school. “Wrestling has created a bond with us over the years and brings us closer and there isn’t anyone else I would rather be a teammate with than him. It’s awesome to see us as a 1-2 punch in the lineup this year.” Said Breyden. Along with Breyden and Logan’s success so far this year with the Greyhounds the team itself is a dominate 4-0 so far with their last win coming of 8th ranked Tiffin. When talking about his team Breyden said “UIndy this year is going to be a force to be reckon with and we have a great team. Don’t be surprised when nationals come around in March when we bring home a team trophy. UIndy is on the rise and I believe is a great place for good Indiana wrestlers to come and succeed.”. While Breyden’s professional plans for after college are still undecided, he is certain that coaching wrestling will be a part of it. With Breyden’s dad running one of the most successful youth clubs in the state, the Indiana Outlaws, Breyden hopes to help play a role in the clubs continued success when he is finished competing. Now for the real question that everyone wanted answered, who would win in a match between the two brothers. Breyden stated that “This is an answer that will never change, no doubt I’m winning. Spread -3.5.” But if I had to make a prediction, I would take the younger Bailey by at least 4.

By STEVE KRAH stvkrh905@gmail.com Real adversity meets opportunity. That’s the story of Jacob Linky. The wrestling room at Warsaw Community High School is filled with pulsing music and coaches barking instructions as more than three dozen Tigers get after it. One wrestler — junior Linky — goes through the workout, rehearsing his moves with his workout partner, cranking out pull-ups and running laps around the room. But without the sounds heard by the others. Linky lives in a world that is mostly silent. Without his cochlear implants, Linky can’t hear much of anything. There was one incident where smoke alarms went off all over the house where Jacob now resides with Nrian and Brenda Linky. It was 3 a.m. “Jacob slept through the alarm,” says Brian Linky, Jacob’s legal guardian. “I woke him in the morning.” The young man was not born deaf. Now 18, Jacob was about 5 and in native Africa — Lake Volta, Ghana, to be exact — when he lost his hearing at the hands of his father. “We were slaves,” says Jacob, speaking of his early childhood through interpreter Rebecca Black. “We helped my dad in his fishing business. “I didn’t used to be deaf. My dad hit by head a whole bunch. That’s how I became the way I am.” His father demanded that young Jacob dive into very deep waters full of dangerous creatures. “I felt a pop in my ears,” says Jacob. “I was a kid.” His native language was Twi, but he didn’t hear much that after his hearing was gone. Growing up the second oldest of seven children, Jacob has a brother who was born to another family, rejected and traded to his father. It was a life that is difficult to imagine for those in the U.S. “My mom didn’t do anything wrong,” says Jacob. “She fed me.” Wanting the best for Jacob, his mother placed him in an orphanage. He eventually came to live in Warsaw when he was adopted by Andy and Dawn Marie Bass and began attending the fifth grade at Jefferson Elementary in Warsaw. He received hearing aids and then implants. “I’m thankful the Basses adopted me and brought me here,” says Jacob. “I now live with the Linky family.” Following grade school, Jacob went on to Edgewood Middle School in Warsaw and was introduced to wrestling. “I knew nothing (about the sport),” says Jacob. “I played around.” Drive and athletic prowess allow Jacob to excel on the high school mat. “At times his feisty side comes out because of that past,” says Warsaw head coach Kris Hueber. “He’s channeled it well and we’ve been able to harness well most of the time. “He has days where he is cranky and fired up, You know that he’s drawing from stuff that no one else has.” After missing his freshmen season, Jacob made an impact with the Tigers as a 145-pound sophomore, advancing to the East Chicago Semistate. “This year, I’d like to go all the way to State,” says Jacob, who spent the summer pumping iron and continues to eat a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables and protein while packing more muscle on a 5-foot-7, 160-pound frame. “(Jacob) fell in love with the weight room,” says Hueber. “There is not much on him that is not muscular. He’s one of those guys with his energy level he needs to be active. As an athlete, he is a remarkably gifted human being. He’s able to do things no one else in the room can do. Between strength, balance and agility, he is uniquely gifted.” Ask Jacob what his best quality is as a wrestler and says speed. His quickness and and strength come into play in the practice room with larger practice partners — 170-pound Brandon Estepp, 182-pound junior Mario Cortes and 195-pound senior Brock Hueber. “I don’t like to wrestle light persons,” says Jacob. “It makes me work hard to wrestle the big guys.” Warsaw opened the 2019-20 season Saturday with the Warsaw Invitational and Jacob went 5-0 with four pins. Sign language and lip-reading help him navigate life as a teenager and athlete. When Jacob wrestles, Black circles the mat to maintain eye contact and relay information to him. “She always looks where my head is,” says Jacob. “She always gets sweaty.” Who gets sweatier during a match? “Me,” says Jacob, thrusting a thumb at his chest. “I’m a harder worker.” Black has been around Jacob since he was in eighth grade. “I feel privileged to be involved in his life,” says Black. “He’s an amazing person. He just is.” Hueber has come to appreciate that Jacob has the ability to be both competitive and light-hearted. “He’s ornery still, but in a good way,” says Hueber. “He has not been able to out-grow being a kid. I love that.” While Jacob’s background and circumstance are different than his Tiger mates, Hueber says he’s “just one of the guys.” “(They) don’t treat him differently in any way,” says Hueber. “They love being around him because of his charisma and personality. He’s a really great teammate.” Hueber says working with Jacob has helped others recognize their influence. “They might be able to goof off for two minutes and snap right back,” says Hueber. “If (Jacob) misses one line of communication, there’s a lot that he’s got to recover from.” This means that workout partners need to be focused and attentive as well — not just for themselves but to also help Jacob. Hueber notes that Jacob has to concentrate and keep focused on his interpreter in class (his current favorite class in English and he is looking forward to Building Trades in the future) and practice. “There are probably times when he’s looking for a break,” says Hueber. “He’s on and he’s full-wired all day. That’s taxing mentally for sure.” Brian Linky works in payment processing at PayProTec in Warsaw and Brenda Linky is the special needs coordinator for Warsaw Community Schools. The Linkys have two sons who played basketball at Warsaw — Zack (now 28 and living in Calfiornia) and Ben (now 22 and attending Indiana University). Taking in Jacob means they have a teenager in the house again. “He’s been nothing but polite,” says Brian Linky. “He’s hard-working around the house (mowing the lawn, making his bed, walking the dog and cooking his own meals). He has friends over. He’s very happy.” As for the future, Jacob is considering joining the football team next year (he has never played the sport). He turns 19 in May. A brother, Christian, lives in Virginia and communicates with Jacob and family in Africa through text. “We’re going to save up so we can visit our parents in Africa,” says Jacob. Right now, he is doing life as an Indiana teenager and wrestling is a big part of it. Real adversity meets opportunity.

By Anna Kayser In 2008, IndianaMat emerged as an informational resource for high school wrestling across the state of Indiana, filling a communication void and connecting the wrestling community from border to border. Fifteen years later, it continues to serve as the epicenter of the Indiana wrestling community, from providing feature stories on prominent athletes to weekly rankings across regions. This is the story of how it began. For years, a message board run by the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association (IHSWCA) served as the main source of communications for wrestlers, fans and coaches – both high school and college coaches looking to recruit – on lineups, rankings (loose rankings, if any at all) and results. It was late-November, peak holiday and weight-cutting season for wrestlers across the state with less than one month of official practice under their belts, when the message board got hacked and effectively rendered useless. There was no Twitter – or X, as it’s now known – to provide instantaneous information like there is today. Facebook was just gaining traction, officially surpassing MySpace as the most used social media app earlier that year. “[The message board] was your go-to place to get wrestling information,” Joe Caprino, creator of IndianaMat, said. “You didn’t have access to cell phones and such – everyone was communicating that way. It was really popping at times, especially during the season.” The old message board served as an initial connection for wrestling fans in the state, which is how the trio of Caprino, Chad Hollenbaugh (who had previously coached with Caprino) and Eric McGill ­(a former two-time state champion at Munster High School and Cornell University wrestler) formed to create a new information center. With the first week of competition looming, there was a frenzy for information and no resource to turn to. Caprino, Hollenbaugh and McGill knew something new was needed – and quickly. “Everyone was just needing information,” Caprino said. “Matches were starting and they wanted to know who won where. Everyone was looking for lineups. For about a week or 10 days, people were just going nuts trying to figure out how to get results and everything.” It took some encouraging on Hollenbaugh and McGill’s part to convince Caprino to create the website and provide a new alternative for fans to turn to, but that encouragement quickly turned to action. After going back and forth on the possibility of creating a website, Caprino pulled the trigger on Dec. 2, with help from the two that convinced him in the first place. “[The old message board] was a really convenient way for people to chat and keep in touch with their friends, so when that website went down it kind of created a void,” McGill said. “I think my role was more of just offering support and being willing to help out wherever it was needed.” McGill – who was then in his sophomore year at Cornell – took over the rankings in between practice and schoolwork. Hollenbaugh wrote articles early on and was instrumental in getting the word out about the website by placing an advertisement in a program for upcoming duals. News traveled quickly, and within 24 hours of the site being up, Caprino had to replace the server to keep up with the traffic they were experiencing. Word of mouth helped as well, with fans who were aware of the site sending out information to the masses. Within the first few days, Caprino estimates that the website had hundreds of members, something that never could have been reached without the goals they set and exceeded in the early days. “[We just wanted to] provide great coverage: Rankings, articles and obviously results. Put everyone onto the encyclopedia of [Indiana] wrestling, is what it’s kind of evolved into,” Caprino said. “The goal is to just continue to get information and results, and then to obviously promote the sport. We wanted to give recognition to kids and coaches for all of their work.” Over the years, the website has grown beyond the borders Indiana – and the internet. Caprino has continued to build on the website’s foundation for years, becoming recognized nationally through tournaments and college coaches seeking information. “I know that the website now is extremely popular in terms of college coaches going and checking the rankings and making decisions about recruiting based on those things, so it’s really been taken to new heights,” McGill said. “It’s just kind of a cool thing to be a part of in the beginning because I know what IndianaMat has become, and to have just a small part in getting started is pretty cool to reflect back on.” Now, the website and growth of IndianaMat and the wrestling community can only continue to move forward. With the evolution of social media and the reach that’s possible, the ceiling for IndianaMat and the sport in Indiana is sky-high. However, the goals haven’t necessarily changed. “The goal is just to keep doing a lot of great coverage and promotion of the kids.” Caprino said. “I think [the sport] has grown a lot in the 15 years and it’s pretty neat to see that growth with the kids and how people use IndianaMat.”

By Dave Melton Photo: Nebraska Athletics Nebraska redshirt sophomore Silas Allred was certainly never lacking for confidence after a high school career that included a pair of state titles at Shenandoah before graduating in 2020. But when the coaches at Nebraska told the 197-pounder what he was capable of as a college wrestler, it sent his belief in his own abilities to new heights. “When you have people who you really respect telling you that the sky’s the limit, you have no choice but to believe it,” he said. “I’d be foolish not to believe it. When your coaching staff tells you that you can be great and you buy into it, good things happen.” One of those “good things” happened Sunday night at the University of Michigan, when Allred beat Penn State’s Max Dean 6-3 in the championship round, crowning Allred as a Big Ten champion. Allred’s record now stands at 26-5 this season, heading into the NCAA Wrestling Championships set for St. Patrick Day’s weekend in Tulsa. Allred’s road from Shenandoah to this Big Ten title for Allred included a slew of twists and turns caused by the pandemic, which limited the number of matches he wrestled during the 2020-21 season. Still, Allred immediately raised eyebrows when he arrived in Nebraska’s wrestling room that fall — especially the ones belonging to Eric Schultz, who was a Big Ten runner-up last year. “The first time we wrestled at a practice, he threw me to my back and pinned me,” Schultz said of Allred. “I was like, ‘Who is this kid?’” The only other person who may not have been surprised by Allred’s early displays for Nebraska was head coach Mark Manning. “When we got him, I knew he was special,” Manning said. “He didn’t get many matches in but some of that adversity drove him to be better and better.” Allred took a redshirt last season before hitting the mats heavy this season. While he maintained that the mental side of the sport — such as the confidence he gained from conversations with his coaches — has been paramount to success, there are plenty of wrestling lessons he’s conquered along the way to his conference title. “It’s hard to put into words because so much of wrestling is mental preparation,” he said. “Hand fighting has been a huge factor for me, just shooting only when I win my ties and not taking poor shots. If you take poor shots against big 197-pounders, they’re going to punish you for it. Cleaning things up and only taking good, solid attacks has made a world of difference.” Schultz couldn’t stop raving about how much Allred had improved at wrestling on top. “It’s gotten a lot better from that first year on campus,” he said. “He’s probably one of the best riders in his weight class in the whole country.” Combining those physical traits with a strong mindset is what led Allred to the Big Ten title and has him lined up for more success down the road, as Manning explained. “He knew he could be where he finished (on Sunday),” Manning said. “We have to reinvent that again in two weeks, but he really enjoyed this moment because he did a super job. Seeing his development this year, starting back in November all the way until now: he’s made a jump of two or three levels. Now it’s going to take a different mindset and maturity, but he’s very mature for his age and that helps a lot.” Allred was also looking in the direction of that upcoming NCAA tournament, hoping to have similar success on that even bigger stage. But he still took time to savor the victory he won last weekend, posing for countless photos with friends and family between an even longer string of congratulatory hugs and handshakes. “It’s not just a memory for me but for all of them,” Allred said, pointing in the direction of the red-clad section of fans in his corner. “They’re all a part of this. They’ve all — in some way, shape or form — played a part in my development as a wrestler and to share this moment with them is just awesome.” Then, a few breaths later, Allred looked ahead. “Being a Big Ten champ is awesome but it’s not the goal,” he said. “At the end of the day, I want to be the best wrestler I can possibly be. Whether it’s a national champion or Olympic champion or world champion, whatever it may be, I want to be the best that I can be.”

By JEREMY HINES Thehines7@gmail.com Brandon Johnson is proof that it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish that counts. As a freshman 220-pounder, Johnson’s start certainly wasn’t pretty. The Lawrence North grappler entered sectionals with a 4-9 record, with three of his wins coming via forfeits. There were only five wrestlers total in his weight class that year in the Arsenal Tech sectional. Johnson was the only one not to advance to regional. In the two matches he wrestled, he was pinned twice. Johnson’s miserable first high school season could have broken most athletes. To go on the mat time and time again and to lose almost every match starts to mess with one’s psyche. Johnson isn’t like some athletes, however. He didn’t put his head down and throw in the towel. He became obsessed with getting better. “After his freshman year Brandon absolutely worked his tail off,” Lawrence North coach Jacob Aven said. “He went to every tournament possible. He went to CIA. He did ever extra club practice he could.” That work led to some improvement by his sophomore season. Johnson finished the year with a 17-18 record. He lost in the first round of regional. As a junior, Johnson has had more success than failure. It’s his first year with a winning record. He placed third in sectional, then followed that up with a third-place finish in the Pendleton Heights regional. For the first time in his career, Johnson qualified for semistate. Going into semistate Johnson was 36-4 on the year and actually climbed his way up to a No. 10 ranking spot. Then came the greatest weekend of wrestling in Johnson’s career. He shocked many in attendance Saturday by not only qualifying for state, but by winning the New Castle semistate. “He was just locked in all day,” Aven said. “It’s hard to imagine, thinking back to that freshman year that he would be going into the state tournament as a semistate champion. But he has things you can’t coach. He has heart and he clearly wanted to get better.” Johnson is proof that in wrestling, hard work can pay off. He dedicated himself to the sport. When he lost, he learned. When he won, he studied what made him successful. “I’ve practiced a whole lot,” Johnson said. “I’ve went to camps and tournaments. I’ve trained as hard as I can. I’ve always made sure I’ve wrestled kids that are better than me. I’ve wrestled my coaches. It’s been a very difficult journey. The only thing I do is wrestle.” Johnson’s semistate performance started with a 16-1 technical fall victory over North Vermillion junior Aidan Hinchee. In the ticket round Johnson beat Franklin Central’s Talan Humphrey 17-7. That set up a semifinal match against No. 4-ranked Austin Hastings of Noblesville. Hastings had already beaten Johnson twice this season – and in convincing fashion. The first meeting Hastings pinned the Wildcat in just 28 seconds. The second time the two wrestled Hastings won by major decision, 14-6. This time, however, Johnson was different. He was having the tournament of his life and he would not be denied a trip to the championship. Johnson won the match 9-2. That set up a finals showdown against Mt. Vernon’s Devin Kendrex. Like Hastings, the No. 7-ranked Kendrex had beaten Johnson twice already this season. “After Brandon qualified for state I told him the job wasn’t over,” Aven said. “I told him that my junior year I qualified for state and then after that I was just happy to be there and I ended up placing fourth. I pulled him aside and said hey, the job’s not finished. If you want to do something at state it’s going to be a lot easier if you go in as a semistate champion. We said to wrestle hard, and to keep moving forward.” Johnson was ready to finish the job. He did just that. He defeated Kendrex 5-3 to claim the semistate title. “I think this weekend was a real eye opener to where he can be,” Aven said. “I’m hoping he has a deep run in the tournament and then puts the same work back in next year. We will get to see how great he can really be.” Johnson’s journey hasn’t been easy. There have been a lot of road blocks in the way. But he didn’t give up and now he has a semistate championship to show for it. “During practice you have those little moments where you don’t know if you want to go on,” Johnson said. “But you do. You power through. You feel like you want to give up but you just keep going. That’s wrestling. Wrestling has given me that mentality. You truly can accomplish something if you put in the work.”

The phrase you hear 100's of times during a seeding meeting is always "who are your losses to?" This year 17 wrestlers will enter the state finals without a blemish on their record. On top of that there are about five wrestlers entering the tournament without a loss to an Indiana opponent. This year we have three weights without an undefeated wrestler, 160, 182, and 220lbs. In total the state qualifiers have 1047 losses of which 657 are to Indiana state qualifiers. Many of the wrestlers with out of state losses will be to eventual state qualifier also. As always if you can help with the missing data it is greatly appreciated. Random Stats Most losses to state qualifiers Gavin Bragg- 10 Jason Rooney and Logan Haney- 9 Max McGinley, mason Day, Isaiah Wilson, and Sonny Sessa- 8 Most wins over state qualifiers Ashton Jackson- 11 Eddie Goss, Aidan Torres, and Revin Dickman- 9 Beau Brabender, Devin Kendrex, Charlie LaRocca, Luke Penola, Christian Chavez, Sam Goin, Jake Hockaday, and Leighton Jones- 8 Non-State Qualifiers with the most wins over state qualifiers Trevor Gallagher- 7 Evan Roudebush- 6 Hosia Smith, Anthony Rinehart, and Luke Rioux- 5 Undefeated Wrestlers106 Ayden Bollinger- Delta 113 Jalen May- Kokomo 120 Ashton Jackson- LaPorte 126 Tylin Thrine- New Castle 132 Joey Buttler- Whiteland 132 Easton Doster- New Haven 138 Tony Wood- Jay County 138 Michael Major- Carmel 138 Cheaney Schoeff- Avon 145 Aidan Torres- Chesterton 145 Wyatt Krejsa- Center Grove 152 Bryce Lowery- Roncalli 170 Delaney Ruhlman- Bloomington South 195 Christian Chavez- Mishawaka 195 Alex Deming- Rochester 195 Luke Hansen- Roncalli 285 Titus Waters- Muncie Central #WAYL2 Who are your losses to? Key *- State Qualifier (Losses/ State Qualifier Losses/ State Qualifier Wins) 106lbs Ayden Bollinger- Delta(0/0/2): Mason Jones- Lake Central(1/1/7): Julianna O'Campo* Layne Horn- Rochester(1/1/4): Ayden Bollinger* Matthew Baylor- Milan(1/1/1): Hruai Lian* Julianna O'campo- Fort Wayne Snider(2/1/5): Ayden Bollinger*, Baker(MI) Hruai Lian- Perry Meridian(4/2/5): Jeff McGuise, John Bissmeyer, Nathan Rioux*, Revin Dickman* Cameron Meier- Bloomington South(4/4/4): Isaac Campbell*, Mason Jones*, Nathan Rioux(2)* Isaac Campbell- Floyd Central(4/4/1): Cameron Meier(2)*, Nathan Rioux*, Revin Dickman* Revin Dickman- Brownsburg(5/0/9): Harrison(OH), Seacrist(OH), Smith(PA), Timar(OH), Yarbrough(OH) Nathan Rioux- Avon(5/5/4): Revin Dickman(5)* Kaleb Salazar- Wawasee(5/3/3): Cameron Meier*, Hunter Douglas, Julianna O'Campo*, Kealen Fuller, Mason Jones* Rex Moore- Manchester(6/6/0): Julianna O'Campo*, Layne Horn(4)*, Levi Johns* Xavier Chavez- Mishawaka(8/4/1): ???(2), Benton Kanable, John Bissmeyer, Julianna O'Campo(2)*, Kaleb Salazar*, Mason Jones* Gunner Butt- New Palestine(8/3/1): Gavin Ash, Heather Crull, Hruai Lian(3)*, Jett McGuire(2), Joey Cline Connor Bayliss- Mount Vernon (Fortville)(8/5/0): Cameron Meier*, Cole Vandygriff, E'Shawn Tolbert, Gunner Butt*, Jackson Elliott*, Jett McGuire, Joey Cline, Kaleb Salazar*, Matthew Baylor* Logan Haney- Crown Point(14/9/0): Benton Kanable, Cameron Woods, Garcia(OH), Hruai Lian*, Kaleb Salazar*, Marinopoulos(IL), Mason Jones(4)*, Revin Dickman(2)*, Talon Jessup, Xavier Chavez* 113lbs Jalen May- Kokomo(0/0/5): Charlie LaRocca- Center Grove(2/1/8): Cichocki(MI), Gavin Jendreas* Gavin Jendreas- Crown Point(2/1/5): Mendoza(IL), Preston Haines* Drew Waldon- DeKalb(2/1/1): Blake Byerley, Jalen May* Ryan Taylor- Perry Meridian(3/2/4): Gavin Jendreas*, Preston Haines*, Quinten Schoeff Levi Johns- Bluffton(3/1/2): Daniel Moore, Isaiah Fye, Jalen May* Aiden Dallinger- McCutcheon(4/3/3): ???, Gavin Jendreas*, Isaac Ash*, Jalen May* Jackson Heaston- Indian Creek(4/2/1): Charlie Larocca*, Eddie Goss*, Luke Rioux, Toby Billerman Isaac Ash- Monrovia(6/4/2): Charlie Larocca(2)*, Luke Rioux(2), Preston Haines(2)* Seth Aubin- Hobart(6/3/1): Aiden Dallinger*, Charlie Larocca*, E'Shawn Tolbert(2), Gavin Jendreas*, Ryann Schmidtendorff Jackson Elliott- Carmel(6/6/5): Aiden Dallinger*, Charlie Larocca*, Isaac Ash*, Ryan Taylor(2)*, Tommy Frazier* Preston Haines- Brownsburg(9/3/4): Brown(OH), Charlie Larocca(2)*, Cichocki(MI), Dyler(OK), Jackson Heaston*, Johnson(IL), Lambers(OH), Rossell(OH) Tommy Frazier- Zionsville(9/5/3): Eddie Goss*, Gavin Bragg*, Gavin Jendreas*, Isaiah Schaefer*, Luke Rioux, Quinten Schoeff, Raney(KY), Ryan Taylor*, Terry Easley Brayden Raber- Maconaquah(9/3/0): ???(2), Braylon McIntire(3), Drew Waldon*, Isaiah Fye, Jalen May*, Levi Johns* Cameron Sentner- Wawasee(10/2/0): ???, Aiden Dallinger*, Blake Byerley, Braylon McIntire, E'Shawn Tolbert, Josh Kite(2), Kamaron Straw, Matthew Senn, Seth Aubin* Porter Temples- Westfield(14/7/0): ???, Charlie Larocca*, Demario Ezelle, Jackson Elliott(4)*, Luke Rioux, Revin Dickman, Ryan Taylor, Ryann Schmidtendorff(2), Tommy Frazier(2)* 120lbs Ashton Jackson- LaPorte(0/0/11): Neal Mosier- Delta(1/1/5): Tanner Tishner* Tanner Tishner- Western(1/1/4): Ashton Jackson* Bryce Doss- New Palestine(2/2/3): Elijah Broady*, Neal Mosier* Isaiah Schaefer- Evansville Mater Dei(3/1/4): Jake Hockaday*, Raney(KY)(2) Jake Hockaday- Brownsburg(4/0/8): Butler(OH), DeLuca(NJ), Raney(KY), Stewart(IL) Dominic Brown- Lowell(4/4/5): Ashton Jackson(2)*, Eddie Goss*, Sonny Sessa* Peter Nguyen- Guerin Catholic(4/4/1): Elijah Broady*, Gavin Bragg(2)*, Neal Mosier* Eddie Goss- Center Grove(5/5/9): Isaiah Schaefer(2)*, Jake Hockaday(2)*, Tanner Tishner* Elijah Broady- Mount Vernon (Fortville)(6/4/3): ???, Bryce Doss(2)*, Dominic Brown*, Dylan Bennett, Neal Mosier* Carter Fielden- Garrett(8/7/2): Eddie Goss*, Isaiah McCue, Linkin Carter(3)*, Neal Mosier(2)*, Sonny Sessa* Linkin Carter- Eastside(9/4/4): ???, Ashton Jackson*, Bohls(OH), Carter Fielden(2)*, Estep(OH), Isaiah McCue, Nemitz(OH), Tanner Tishner* Logan Bickel- Cascade(9/6/0): Eddie Goss(2)*, Ethan Holloway, Jake Hockaday(2)*, Jalen May*, Jayden Owsley, Peter Nguyen*, Quinten Schoeff Gavin Bragg- Indianapolis Cathedral(13/10/3): Ashton Jackson*, Bryce Doss*, Dominic Brown*, Eddie Goss(2)*, Elijah Broady*, Isaiah Schaefer*, Jake Hockaday*, Moreland(OH), Quinten Schoeff, Rahul(OH), Ryan Taylor*, Sonny Sessa* Isaiah Wilson- Chesterton(14/8/1): Ashton Jackson(3)*, Dominic Brown(2)*, Hank Phenicie, Isaiah McCue, Linkin Carter*, Matthew Maldonado(2), Owen Bunton(2), Sonny Sessa(2)* Sonny Sessa- Crown Point(16/8/5): Ashton Jackson(3)*, Butler(OH), Dominic Brown*, Dylan Bennett, Eddie Goss*, Gibson(OH), Isaiah Wilson*, Jake Hockaday*, Matthew Maldonado(2), Nasdeo(PA), Rsendez(IL), Ryan(WI), Tanner Tishner* 126lbs Tylin Thrine- New Castle(0/0/5): Keegan Schlabach- Lakeland(1/0/4): Braylon Meyer Logan Frazier- Crown Point(2/0/6): Campbell(OH), Davino(IL) Aden Reyes- Indianapolis Cathedral(2/1/5): Sears(OH), Tylin Thrine* Jackson Bradley- Cowan(2/1/2): Cole Stuffel, Keegan Schlabach* Evan Seng- Evansville Mater Dei(3/1/3): Aden Reyes*, Raney(KY)(2) Cody Rowles- Jay County(3/3/1): Hayden Brady*, Jackson Bradley(2)* Griffin Ingalls- Fishers(4/4/2): Aden Reyes*, Jake Hockaday*, Tylin Thrine(2)* Hayden Brady- Garrett(4/4/1): Cody Rowles*, Keegan Schlabach(3)* Alejandro Ramirez- River Forest(5/6/2): Griffin Ingalls*, Guillermo Rivera(3)*, Jesus Aquino-Morales(2)* Chase Stephens- Tell City(5/2/1): Evan Seng(2)*, Liam Krueger, Toby Billerman, Zane Schreck Guillermo Rivera- Lake Central(7/5/6): ???, Ayden Campbell, Hyatt Yeager*, Logan Frazier(4)* Jesus Aquino-Morales- Union County(7/4/2): ???, Aden Reyes*, Blake Wolf, Griffin Ingalls*, Jack Davis, Tylin Thrine(2)* Hyatt Yeager- Center Grove(8/4/2): ???, Aden Reyes*, Blum(MI), Caleb Mattingly, Evan Seng*, Landen Haines(2)*, Liam Krueger Landen Haines- Brownsburg(10/3/2): Aden Reyes*, Chase Stephens*, Davis(MI), Garcia(IL), Hyatt Yeager*, Jett(OH), Keith Parker, Liam Krueger, McBurney(OH), Sanderfer(OH) Nasir Christion- Merrillville(13/7/0): Alejandro Ramirez(2)*, Ayden Campbell(2), Dalton Robson, Guillermo Rivera(3)*, Liam Bumgardner(2), Logan Frazier(2)*, Quinton Buckmaster 132lbs Joey Buttler- Whiteland(0/0/4): Easton Doster- New Haven(0/0/2): Kyrel Leavell- Warren Central(1/0/5): ??? Zar Walker- Mishawaka(1/0/3): Hayden Demarco David Maldonado- Merrillville(2/1/5): Hayden Demarco, Zar Walker* Odin Fortune- Evansville Reitz(2/1/1): Joey Buttler*, Landen Horning Mikey Kallimani- Jimtown(3/2/5): David Maldonado*, Easton Doster*, Hayden Demarco Justice Thornton- Columbus North(3/2/0): Brady Ison*, Odin Fortune*, Seth Syra Hayden Fritz- West Central(4/2/0): ???, Caleb Oliver, David Maldonado*, Griffin Van Tichelt* Jacob Weaver- Rossville(4/2/0): ???, Josh Johnson*, Kyrel Leavell*, Quenton Riley Brady Ison- Brownsburg(5/2/4): Brown(OH), Joey Buttler(2)*, King(OH), Robinson(IL) Keaton Morton- Perry Meridian(6/6/3): Brady Ison*, Griffin Van Tichelt*, Joey Buttler*, Kyrel Leavell(3)* Brody Hagewood- Prairie Heights(6/5/3): Dallas Davidson, David Maldonado*, Easton Doster*, Essiah Kamer*, Mikey Kallimani(2)* Griffin Van Tichelt- Crown Point(7/5/3): Brady Ison*, Brody Hagewood*, David Maldonado(2)*, Tye Linser(2), Zar Walker* Essiah Kamer- Fremont(8/5/1): ???(2), Brody Hagewood(2)*, Gabe Miller, Mikey Kallimani(3)* Josh Johnson- Indianapolis Cathedral(9/6/1): Griffin Van Tichelt*, Keaton Morton(3)*, Kyrel Leavell*, Markour(OH), Tommy Gibbs, Trumble(KY), Wesley Harper* 138lbs Tony Wood- Jay County(0/0/7): Michael Major- Carmel(0/0/5): Cheaney Schoeff- Avon(0/0/5): Jeffrey Huyvaert- New Prairie(1/1/5): Cole Solomey* Cole Solomey- Kankakee Valley(1/1/4): Jeffrey Huyvaert* Kelby Glenn- Tell City(3/3/3): Branson Weaver*, Cheaney Schoeff*, Reese Courtney* Gavyn Whitehead- New Castle(3/2/1): Michael Major*, Silas Foster, Tony Wood* Cooper Baldwin- Peru(4/3/2): Jordan Lear, Lucas Clement*, Reese Courtney*, Tony Wood* Christian Arberry- Warren Central(4/2/2): Cooper Baldwin*, Gavyn Whitehead*, Michael Ortega, Romeo White Wesley Harper- Penn(5/5/2): Cole Solomey*, Jeffrey Huyvaert*, Lucas Clement*, Michael Major*, Zar Walker* Brock Hagewood- Prairie Heights(5/4/0): Cooper Baldwin*, Evan Cruz, Logan Uhlman*, Lucas Clement*, Max McGinley* Lucas Clement- Merrillville(6/5/3): Aidan Torres*, Cole Solomey(2)*, Evan Cruz, Jeffrey Huyvaert*, Max McGinley* Branson Weaver- Owen Valley(6/5/1): ???, Cheaney Schoeff*, Jeffrey Huyvaert*, Kelby Glenn(2)*, Michael Major* Reese Courtney- Center Grove(8/4/6): Cheaney Schoeff(2)*, Chinavare(MI), Gates(MI), Michael Major*, Parker Reynolds, Tyler Vanover, Wesley Harper* Max McGinley- Indianapolis Cathedral(9/8/2): Ayoub(OH), Brady Ison*, Cheaney Schoeff*, Christian Arberry(2)*, Michael Major*, Reese Courtney(3)* Logan Uhlman- Adams Central(9/7/1): Aidan Carter, Jeffrey Huyvaert*, Kelby Glenn*, Tony Wood(5)*, Wyatt Price 145lbs Aidan Torres- Chesterton(0/0/9): Wyatt Krejsa- Center Grove(0/0/4): Wesley Smith- Plymouth(2/2/3): Aidan Torres*, Anthony Bahl* Cameron Clark- Jay County(2/2/3): Braxton Miller*, Brevan Thrine* Braxton Miller- DeKalb(2/1/2): ???, Luke Teusch* Luke Teusch- Huntington North(2/2/1): Cameron Clark*, Kolten Rhonemus* Brevan Thrine- New Castle(3/1/3): ???(2), Dillon Graham* Luke Robards- Evansville Central(3/1/2): Cash Turner, Nayl Sbay, Wyatt Krejsa* Jack Todd- Pendleton Heights(3/3/0): Brevan Thrine*, Dillon Graham*, Ike O'Neill* Dillon Graham- Indianapolis Cathedral(4/2/4): Aiden Kiner, Wesley Smith*, Woodcock(OH), Wyatt Krejsa* Ike O'Neill- Westfield(4/3/2): Aidan Torres*, Dillon Graham*, Jessie Franklin, Mason Day* Anthony Bahl- Crown Point(6/2/4): Aidan Torres(2)*, Dominique(OH), Herriman(MI), Robinson(IL), Schneider(OK) Kolten Rhonemus- Delta(6/5/1): Braxton Miller*, Brevan Thrine*, Cameron Clark(2)*, Cash Turner, Luke Robards* Jayden Lewis- New Prairie(7/5/0): Aidan Torres(3)*, Alex Smith, Anthony Bahl*, Caleb Solomey, Wesley Smith* Bradley Owen- Jeffersonville(9/1/1): Alex Smith, Asher Ratliff, Braedon Spears, Brown(KY), Jase Robinson, Keegan Williams, Lee Spencer, Montoya(KY), Wyatt Krejsa* Mason Day- Brownsburg(11/8/1): Anthony Bahl(2)*, Bradley Owen*, Chase(OH), DiFazio(OH), Dillon Graham*, Guerra(OH), Ike O'Neill*, Luke Robards*, Silas Stits*, Wyatt Krejsa* 152lbs Bryce Lowery- Roncalli(0/0/5): Hunter May- Evansville Mater Dei(1/1/5): Bryce Lowery* Mitchell Betz- Western(1/0/5): Anthony Rinehart Beau Brabender- Mishawaka(4/3/8): ???, Bryce Denton*, Gavin Davis*, Silas Stits* Bryce Denton- Penn(4/4/2): Adrian Pellot*, Beau Brabender*, Hunter Miller*, Reese Courtney* Tyce DuPont- Tell City(4/3/1): Evan Roudebush, Hunter May(3)* Adrian Pellot- Merrillville(5/2/2): Anthony Rinehart(2), Beau Brabender*, Evan Roudebush, Hunter Miller* Gavin Davis- Bellmont(6/5/7): Aidan Torres*, Beau Brabender*, Evan Roudebush, Mitchell Betz(3)* Hunter Miller- Wawasee(6/5/3): Anthony Rinehart, Beau Brabender(3)*, Bryce Denton*, Evan Roudebush, Gavin Davis* Jackson Todd- Carroll (Fort Wayne)(6/6/2): Beau Brabender*, Gavin Davis(3)*, Hunter Miller*, Wesley Smith* Zach Lang- Hamilton Southeastern(7/2/6): Bryce Lowery*, Mitchell Betz*, Trevor Gallagher(5) Christian Wittkamp- Jay County(8/5/0): Caden Funk(2), Deaglan Pleak, Gavin Davis(2)*, Jackson Todd(2)*, Mitchell Betz* Silas Stits- Center Grove(9/3/3): Anthony Rinehart, Evan Roudebush(2), Gage Eckels*, Hunter May(2)*, Katschor(MI), Long(MI), Simcoe(MI) Gage Eckels- Ben Davis(9/6/1): Bryce Lowery*, Chase Carrington(3), Jason Rooney*, Silas Stits*, Tyce DuPont*, Zach Lang(2)* Jason Rooney- Westfield(11/9/2): Adrian Pellot*, AJ Steenbeke*, Beau Brabender*, Brenton Russell*, Carter Richardson*, Ethan Smith, Nathan Powell*, Trevor Gallagher, Zach Lang(3)* Carter Richardson- Noblesville(14/3/1): Xavier Smith, Blake Wahl(3), Bryce Lowery(2)*, Chase Carrington, Gabe Bragg, Greyson Gard, Jaylen Covington, Jesse Derringer, Larz Hughes, Trevor Gallagher, Zach Lang* 160lbs Logan Farnell- Maconaquah(1/1/4): Brant Beck* Sam Goin- Crown Point(2/0/8): Garcia(PA), Lamer(OR) Nathan Powell- Carmel(2/2/4): AJ Steenbeke*, Brenton Russell* Luke Kemper- Evansville Central(2/0/3): Jeb Prechtel(2) AJ Steenbeke- Penn(3/3/7): Conner Watts*, Sam Goin(2)* Brenton Russell- Warren Central(3/3/5): Andre Merritt*, Chase Wagner*, Sam Goin* Levi Abbott- Cowan(4/2/1): Brant Beck*, Jordan Ayres, Logan Farnell*, Silas Loshe Andre Merritt- Center Grove(5/3/7): AJ Steenbeke*, Davis(MI), Luke Kemper*, Marines(MI), Sam Goin* Brant Beck- Rochester(5/5/4): AJ Steenbeke*, Conner Watts*, Levi Abbott*, Logan Farnell(2)* Chase Wagner- Zionsville(5/5/4): Andre Merritt(2)*, Brenton Russell(2)*, Nathan Powell* Conner Watts- Jimtown(5/4/2): AJ Steenbeke*, Ben Shaffer*, Brant Beck*, Deaglan Pleak, Logan Farnell* Michael Hutchison- Cascade(5/5/1): Andre Merritt(2)*, Brant Beck*, Luke Kemper(2)* Cameron Crisp- Merrillville(8/7/0): Aidan Costello*, Ben Shaffer(2)*, Carlos Perez-Xochipa*, Chase Wagner*, Manolo Hood, Sam Goin(2)* Zach Huckaby- Perry Meridian(9/6/0): ???, AJ Steenbeke*, Brenton Russell*, Chase Wagner*, David Oyebode, Jason Rooney*, Nathan Powell(2)*, Sam Goin Braden Moore- Charlestown(9/2/0): ???(2), Andre Merritt*, Corbin Scott, Hayden Newell, Jack Rose, John Rushenberg, Michael Hutchison*, Wojcicki(KY) Ben Shaffer- Chesterton(11/6/3): AJ Steenbeke*, Andre Merritt*, Chase Wagner*, Duke Myers*, Isaiah Rivas, Kenneth Bisping(3), Manolo Hood, Sam Goin(2)* 170lbs Delaney Ruhlman- Bloomington South(0/0/6): Noah Weaver- Rossville(2/2/3): Anthony Cashman*, Jaquan East* Jaquan East- Kokomo(2/2/2): Braxton Russell*, Evan Tilton* Duke Myers- Bellmont(3/2/7): Gavin Malone, Kyle Harden*, Noah Clouser* Aidan Costello- Hobart(3/3/5): Cody Goodwin*, Kyle Harden*, Noah Clouser* Kyle Harden- Indianapolis Cathedral(4/3/6): Aidan Costello*, Clay Guenin, Noah Clouser(2)* Noah Terry- Tell City(4/3/3): ???, Delaney Ruhlman(2)*, Jett Goldsberry* Cody Goodwin- Crown Point(4/0/2): Cramblett(OH), Flip(PA), Kelly(IL), Snyder(NJ) Tanner Reed- Columbia City(4/4/1): Duke Myers(3)*, Jaquan East* Noah Clouser- Center Grove(5/3/6): Boone(MI), Delaney Ruhlman(3)*, Vincent Tinoco Anthony Cashman- Warren Central(5/4/3): Aidan Costello*, Clay Guenin, Delaney Ruhlman*, Kyle Harden(2)* Carlos Perez-Xochipa- Harrison (WL)(5/4/2): Aidan Costello*, Cody Goodwin*, Daeveon Cheeks, Noah Clouser*, Tanner Reed* Jett Goldsberry- Heritage Hills(5/4/1): Gavin Malone, Noah Clouser*, Noah Terry(3)* Braxton Russell- Delta(5/3/1): Clay Guenin(2), Duke Myers(2)*, Zach Wagner* Zach Wagner- Hamilton Southeastern(6/6/1): Ethan Popp*, Kyle Harden*, Luke Penola*, Noah Weaver(3)* Isaac Valdez- Mishawaka(10/7/0): ???, Aidan Costello*, Anthony Cashman(2)*, Carlos Perez-Xochipa*, Duke Myers*, Kaden Lone*, Kyle Harden*, Zymarion Hollyfield(2) 182lbs De'Alcapon Veazy- Fort Wayne Snider(1/1/5): Orlando Cruz* Hunter Page- Monroe Central(1/1/3): Kaden Lone* Evan Tilton- Hamilton Heights(1/1/3): Mike Durham* Connor Cervantes- Griffith(1/1/2): Orlando Cruz* Luke Penola- Zionsville(2/1/8): Ricketts(KY), Orlando Cruz* Orlando Cruz- Crown Point(2/0/6): Heeg(OK), McDaniel(OH) Bray Emerine- Floyd Central(3/2/1): Caden Brewer*, Luke Penola*, Ricketts(KY) Mike Durham- Warren Central(4/3/3): ???, De'Alcapon Veazy*, Luke Penola(2)* Laish Detwiler- Goshen(4/4/1): De'Alcapon Veazy*, Hunter Page*, Kaden Lone(2)* Ethan Popp- Harrison (WL)(4/2/1): ???, Andy Warren, Connor Cervantes*, Vinny Freeman* Kaden Lone- NorthWood(5/5/4): De'Alcapon Veazy(2)*, Laish Detwiler*, Luke Penola*, Mike Durham* Brayden Tincher- Eastern Hancock(6/6/0): Evan Tilton(2)*, Hunter Page(2)*, Luke Penola*, Mike Durham* Jackson Fox- Columbus East(7/3/2): Bray Emerine*, Christian Chavez*, Jonathan Tanner, Julian Weems*, Shaun Glass, Spencer Fain, Trent Kersey Julian Weems- Center Grove(8/5/2): Adams(MI), Caden Brewer(4)*, Ethan Risner, Jaxson Walters, Luke Penola* Vinny Freeman- Penn(8/5/1): ???(2), Connor Cervantes*, De'Alcapon Veazy*, Jaylen Young, Julian Weems*, Orlando Cruz(2)* Caden Brewer- Brownsburg(9/3/5): Barr(MI), Havill(OH), Jackson Fox*, Luke Penola*, Miller(OH), Neitenbach(OH), Orlando Cruz*, Shulaw(OH), Westpfahl(OH) 195lbs Christian Chavez- Mishawaka(0/0/8): Alex Deming- Rochester(0/0/4): Luke Hansen- Roncalli(0/0/2): Wyatt Woodall- Southmont(1/1/3): Luke Hansen* John Purdy- Castle(1/1/2): Reid Schroeder* Reid Schroeder- Southridge(1/1/2): John Purdy* Neil Johnson- New Prairie(3/2/4): Anthony White, Christian Chavez*, Nash Shupert* Kaden McConnell- Center Grove(3/3/1): Christian Chavez*, Gunner Henry*, John Purdy* Orlan Foster- Connersville(3/1/1): ???, Jaxon Copas, Luke Hansen* Chad Washburn- Kokomo(5/4/1): Alex Deming*, Armen Koltookian*, Nash Shupert*, Neil Johnson*, Peyton Cross Nash Shupert- Elkhart(6/5/3): ???, Alex Deming*, Armen Koltookian*, Donovan Blair*, Jackson Fox*, Neil Johnson* Armen Koltookian- Concord(7/5/5): ???, Alex Deming(2)*, Chance Harris, Christian Chavez*, Nash Shupert*, Wyatt Woodall* Gunner Henry- Brownsburg(8/3/1): Bennie(UT), Kaden McConnell*, Menifee(VA), quillin(OH), Ray(OH), Reid Schroeder*, Sell(OH), Will Clark* Bazle Owens- Tippecanoe Valley(10/5/0): ???(2), Armen Koltookian*, Austin Farris, Christian Chavez*, Donovan Blair(2)*, Mickey Daring, Neil Johnson*, Preston Duffy Cael Albaugh- Clinton Central(10/5/0): Chad Washburn*, Elijah Cox, Jacob Jones, Neil Johnson*, Orlan Foster*, Ray Townsend, Seth Richardson, Trevor Currie, Wyatt Woodall(2)* Donovan Blair- Wawasee(13/5/3): Anthony White, Armen Koltookian(2)*, Austin Smith, Christian Chavez(3)*, Henry Kukelhan, Josiah Williams, Nathaniel Rosas, Parker Hart(2), Paul Dewitt 220lbs Tommy Morrill- Columbus East(1/1/4): Will Clark(2)* Brady Beck- Rochester(1/1/3): Julante Hinton* Julante Hinton- Fort Wayne Northrop(1/0/2): Chance Harris Keagan Martin- Bellmont(2/2/3): Brady Beck*, Devin Kendrex* Will Clark- Crown Point(3/0/7): Gallo(PA, Shulaw(OH), Snider(OH) Cole Chicoine- McCutcheon(3/3/2): Alex Rose*, Jackson New*, Will Clark* Nate Johnson- Center Grove(3/4/1): Devin Kendrex*, Jackson Weingart, Keagan Martin*, Tommy Morrill* Devin Kendrex- Mount Vernon (Fortville)(4/2/8): Brandon Johnson*, Jackson Weingart(2), Tommy Morrill* Austin Hastings- Noblesville(4/4/4): Brady Beck(2)*, Brandon Johnson*, Devin Kendrex* Brandon Johnson- Lawrence North(4/4/3): Austin Hastings(2)*, Devin Kendrex(2)* Alex Rose- Terre Haute South(4/2/2): Eli Hinshaw(2), Tommy Morrill(2)* Hadyn Ball- Triton Central(6/2/0): , ???(3), Jackson Goodyear, Austin Hastings* Jayden Bartoszek- Hanover Central(7/6/1): ???, Austin Hastings*, Clayton Deutscher*, Cole Chicoine(2)*, Will Clark(2)* Spencer Watson- Tri-West(7/2/0): , ???(3), Alex Rose*, Jakarrey Oliver, Josh Brown, Nate Johnson* Clayton Deutscher- New Prairie(8/2/1): Eli Hinshaw, Jack Aranowski(2), Jayden Bartoszek*, Jonathan Neese, Kaleb Abad, Travis Henke, Will Clark* Jackson New- Yorktown(10/7/1): Brandon Johnson*, Devin Kendrex(2)*, Eli Hinshaw, Hudson Kahn, Jonathan Tanner, Julante Hinton*, Keagan Martin(2)*, Titus Waters* 285lbs Titus Waters- Muncie Central(0/0/5): Kelton Farmer- Evansville Memorial(1/1/3): Leighton Jones* Dom Burgett- Hamilton Southeastern(2/1/4): Jack Milligan, Leighton Jones* Aramis McNutt- Highland(2/2/1): Anthony Popi*, Paul Clark* Jordan Cree- Rensselaer Central(2/2/1): Aramis McNutt*, Titus Waters* Andrew Just- Franklin Central(3/3/4): Dom Burgett(2)*, John Broadwell* Paul Clark- Crown Point(3/2/3): Leighton Jones(2)*, Moore(CO) Anthony Popi- Plymouth(4/3/3): ???, Jordan Cree*, Paul Clark(2)* Tyler Wright- Eastern (Greentown)(4/2/0): Brandt Thornburg, Brayden Jellison*, Mason Moran, Zac Wurm* Leighton Jones- Brownsburg(5/0/8): Fockler(OH), Hosia Smith, Neves(NJ), Thomas(OK)(2) Brayden Jellison- Elkhart(5/2/2): ???, Anthony Popi*, Christian Carroll, Peyton Kendall, Titus Waters* John Broadwell- Beech Grove(5/3/1): ???(2), Andrew Just(2)*, Eli Smith* Zac Wurm- Adams Central(7/2/1): Joseph Orisadare, Juan Cruz(4), Titus Waters(2)* Eli Smith- Zionsville(8/7/1): Andrew Just*, Brayden Jellison*, Dom Burgett(2)*, Hosia Smith, Leighton Jones*, Tyler Schott(2)* Austin Vanover- Evansville Mater Dei(9/4/1): , ???(3), Guillaume(KY), Jack Milligan, Kelton Farmer(2)*, Leighton Jones*, Tyler Schott* Tyler Schott- Center Grove(11/6/3): ???, Acosta(MI), Andrew Just*, Anthony Popi*, Austin Vanover*, Hosia Smith(3), Kelton Farmer*, Leighton Jones(2)*

By JEREMY HINES Thehines7@gmail.com The story seems familiar. Big city guy, through fate, ends up in a small town and falls in love with the community. Although Christmas is fast approaching, this isn’t a Hallmark movie script. It’s the real-life journey of Quinn Harris and his Cascade wrestling team. Harris is a 2015 graduate of Avon High School. Avon’s enrollment is close to 3,000 students. After high school he helped coach at Avon, then coached at Ben Davis, which also has close to 3,000 students. Last year he took the head coaching job at Cascade, a tiny high school in Clayton, IN with an enrollment of under 500. “There isn’t a whole lot to do here,” Harris said. “It’s a small farm town. 4H and agriculture are huge around here. A lot of kids live and work on the farm. They own pigs. They show pigs. The kids go hunting and fishing. It’s a much different culture than what I’m used to.” The wrestlers on his Cadet squad like to tease him a little bit about his city-guy life. “They tease me all the time,” Harris said. “They talk about how my jeans are a little tighter than the other guys.” The relationship has worked. Last year, in his first season at the helm of the Cadets, Harris led the team to a spot in the team state championship. The Cadets finished sixth at team state, won the Indiana Crossroads Conference for the first time, won a New Castle invitational and had a sectional champion for the first time since 2016. “All around, I couldn’t have been happier with the year,” Harris said. Early in the season Harris learned just how close the Cascade wrestling family was. “Last year, before I accepted the job, they lost a teammate to a disease,” Harris said. “Kadeo Lewis was his name. He would have been a senior last year. It was a big loss for their team. He was a captain as a junior. So, senior night they called it Kadeo Lewis night. We all wore orange in his honor. Orange Cascade shirts when the normal colors are Carolina blue. But the entire crowd was in orange, and it was a big crowd. We sold over 100 shirts that night. It was just a cool thing. Kids that had never went to a wrestling meet before came there. It really showed me that Cascade is a family, for sure.” Last year Harris was getting to know the team. This year he’s hoping to lead them to the 1A state title. He’s got a nucleus of seven highly talented seniors along with some key underclassmen that could push Cascade to the school’s best season in history. “This year we have an extremely motivated attitude,” Harris said. “There is a difference in practices. This year they are believing it on their own. They have expectations. Other than cheerleading and cross country, there has never been a team at Cascade that had been to a state championship. The kids are starting to believe it’s possible to win it.” The Cadets are led by four-ranked seniors. Liam Farmer (182), Michael Hutchison (160) and Dominic McFeeley (126) are all ranked No. 10 in their respective weight classes. Logan Bickel comes in ranked No. 8 at 113 pounds. Walker VanNess isn’t ranked, but he finished the year with a 31-9 record last year at 220 pounds. “This is a tough senior class,” Harris said. “Five of the seven had over 30 wins last year. Three were semistate guys and one a state qualifier. They are the reason we will have so much success. They are 100 percent leaders. They are our five captains. All five did a lot of off-season wrestling. They went out and competed at Virginia Beach and at Disney.” Bickel reached the 100-win mark at the end of the season last year. He is a three-time semistate qualifier. He was also the first Fargo All-American from Cascade. “He’s a big move kind of guy,” Harris said. “He has a lot of fire and passion. He’s a very cool kid and he didn’t even start wrestling until seventh grade. He’s very strong and athletic. I’m looking forward to seeing how far he can go.” McFeeley was the lone state qualifier from Cascade last year. “In some people’s eyes that was a big surprise,” Harris said. “He took out a returning 4th place finisher in semistate. He’s one of the hardest workers in our room. He leads day in and day out and he’s very humble. He does things the right way. He really likes working with the younger kids as well.” Hutchison is another team leader that likes to stay and help the younger kids at practice. He has a brother, Carter, that is the team’s 145 pounder as a sophomore. Farmer is more of the vocal leader on the team. He was a football phenom this past season as well. “Liam is a stud on the football field,” Harris said. “He broke our single game rushing record this year. He had a game with seven touchdowns and somewhere around 375 rushing yards. He was in the top 10 in the state for rushing yards.” Farmer broke his leg in the first round of sectional but is expected to be able to return to the mat sometime in December. The Cadets expect big contributions this season from Carter Hutchison and fellow sophomore Brayden Burelison as well. Burelison was a conference champion last year and Hutchison was a conference runner-up. Both had over 25 wins as freshmen. A few other key contributors to this year’s squad will be heavyweight Kyle Sullivan and 106-pound junior Logan Schnarr. Last year Schnarr only had one win going into team state, but he pinned all four of the opponents he faced in the tournament and was named the team MVP. Harris believes the team state aspect has really helped sell the kids in the sport. It gives them something to be motivated by. “The kids have really bought into this,” Harris said. “The community really backs the team as well. I think last year we sold around 200 team state T-shirts. When I was at Avon we went to team state, but I didn’t realize how much it meant to the small schools. The fans travel so well in these small communities. It’s extremely cool to see how much this means to them.” Harris believes because of his young age he has really been able to relate to the kids and help keep them motivated. “I was just in their shoes not too long ago,” Harris said. “I don’t know exactly what they are going through, but I know what it was like being a kid in high school. I think I’ve built a really good relationship with them on a personal level. Wrestling is about building character for the days after wrestling is over, and I’m glad to be a part of that here.” The city guy in the small town is learning to adapt. In fact, although he’s never been hunting or fishing before, he’s going to give it a try. The team has been wanting to take him out and teach him some of the small-town ways. “I’m interested in just about anything, and I’m going to give it a try,” Harris said. But for now, Harris and the Cascade Cadets have goals to meet on the mat.

By: Blaze Lowery Admittance into a military academy is something that every wrestler should be considering. These institutions are adding structure and grit to some of Indiana’s finest talents on and off the mat. Combining passion with real change, these athletes are up from sunup to sundown with zero complaints. To put it in simpler terms, these gentlemen are taking the road less traveled. West Point Out on the east coast, Christian Hunt of Yorktown is representing Indiana for his 5th season as a mule rider. West Point has been a place for Hunt to really figure it all out. He states how he enjoys the leadership opportunities and military obligations that come with attending the academy. Hunt also forfeits his summers to training and getting out into the field. Wrestling-wise, Hunt states how he came in ready to go, paying homage to his home state being so tough. The transition from high school to college for him was working on his top and bottom. West Point is not a place for the weak, as Hunt highlights how since he got put on a 6 A.M. to 9 P.M. schedule since arriving at the academy. Some advice he has for young Indiana athletes thinking about attending a military academy is to expose yourself to national talent as much as you possibly can. Going to large tournaments like Super 32, Fargo, etc. will only increase your chances to compete and compete hard at the next level. “Be ready to serve something bigger than yourself,” states Hunt. Wrestling can only take you so far, but why not do so and make a difference as well. Recent commitment: Reid Schroeder of Southrdige The Citadel Where structure rules all, The Citadel is where a few Indiana finalists now reside. State Champion Hayden Watson of Center Grove talks commitment and what it takes to really be a bulldog. “They break you down to build you up,” Watson says. Upon his arrival, he has come to realize how tough it is to manage wrestling, school, and duties. He likes the idea of taking advantage of opportunity and how structure has really taken him to that next level. Watson finds himself thriving in the wrestling environment down in Charleston. The training is consistent, and the drilling is much more explosive. His focal point in his shift in wrestling style since coming to the Citadel was having to be a bit more conservative. He advises anyone that is interested in coming to the Citadel to look forward to practicing every day like himself and follow the schedule to succeed. Others on the roster: Brodie Porter from Eastern Coast Guard As a top 15 DIII university in the country, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy is making their mark as a place for opportunity. Three-time state qualifier, Brendan Mattingly of Carmel is taking advantage of those opportunities and has already been around the world since arriving at Coast Guard. In addition to the benefits of being an officer, Mattingly gets to pursue his passion for wrestling. With the pandemic throwing a kink in his journey, Mattingly is looking to continue to embrace the grind and becoming the best wrestler he can be. The wrestling room over at Coast Guard is always packed. The team is forced to have split practices because of how many guys are on the roster. Some would gripe and groan, but Mattingly looks at it as another opportunity to refine his craft with numerous different looks. His coaches push him to hand fight harder and be a selective shot taker. He compares collegiate wrestling with chess in how calculated one must be in every situation. A single mistake could make or break one’s chances to win the dance. Mattingly continues to put in the work, but also puts his career first. Air Force Air Force is home to a few of Indiana state champions and place winners. Two-time state champion, Alec Viduya of Roncalli, advises anyone who is thinking about attending Air Force to never lose sight of their passion. Viduya states, “Just remember what made you come here because you can get lost in the little things.” The transition from high school to a military academy can be treacherous, but well worth the squeeze. Everyone Viduya wrestles is no off-go, which was one of the big eye-openers for him. Even in his practice room, he finds it harder to hand fight, setting up his shots, and finishing those shots with scrambling being much more common. Grades are important when trying to get into the academy. There is no time for procrastination says state champion Drake Buchanan of Center Grove. Time management is something that is stressed more so than anything. Keeping his head down and grinding each day, Buchanan sheds light on how he had to adjust a bit now that practices are harder, and schedules are more packed. Some tweaks he has made on the mat are mostly from top and bottom with college rules being a bit different, it’s a “different ballgame.” Three-time state place winner, Aiden Warren of Perry Meridian, also speaks on how tough the transition from high school to military academy can truly be. Fresh off shoulder surgery, Warren looks to get back into the groove and potentially crack the lineup at 184-pound weight class. “Don’t get discouraged, it’s a long process,” states Warren when referring to recruitment. He also advises that there is nothing wrong with reaching out to a coach if you’re interested in a program, even at the collegiate level. The courage to reach out to a coach is one thing but doing what needs to be done in the classroom will solidify one’s case to wrestle at the next level.

By JEREMY HINES Thehines7@gmail.com Warren Central senior Kiersten O’Neill has had quite an illustrious wrestling career. She recently won her third Indiana High School Girls Wrestling state title and did so in dominating fashion. Not bad for a girl that doesn’t like to wrestle, really doesn’t enjoy practicing and sometimes doesn’t even get along with her coach. “Yeah, I don’t really like wrestling, per se,” O’Neill said. “But I love the environment of the sport and the energy it holds. That’s what keeps me attached to it.” O’Neill’s coach is her own father, Jake. “It doesn’t surprise me that she says that,” Jake said. “If you ask most coaches/ dads, it’s tough coaching your own kids. As a coach you hold your athletes to high expectations and not that I don’t do that as a dad, but when they fall short of those expectations it can bleed into home. It’s tough to draw those lines and keep those frustrations in the room and on the mat and not let it affect what’s going on at home.” Jake has always pushed Kiersten to be her best in the sport – and, although at times she’s gotten frustrated with her dad as a coach, she sees it has been in her best interest. “My dad and I would get into it a lot,” Kiersten said. “Coach and wrestler, father and daughter is a very different dynamic. There have been points where I was like, this is too hard, I can’t do that. I wanted to stop, but I kept going. I think if he wasn’t as present as he is though, it wouldn’t be the same and I wouldn’t have the successes I’ve had.” Kiersten’s brother started wrestling when he was 4 years old. He ultimately decided that wasn’t the sport for him. “I made my son wrestle when he was four,” Jake said. “By the time he was a freshman he ended up playing basketball and that’s about the same time Kiersten was like, dad, I’ll wrestle. I was like, oh, yeah, you’re probably going to be pretty good, too. I think she was six at the time. “Her journey in wrestling gave me a perspective on women’s wrestling that I never had before and I wouldn’t have had if she didn’t wrestle.” Kiersten won the state meet as a freshman, then placed second as a sophomore. She won as a junior and last weekend she beat her opponent 17-3 in the championship. She would like to wrestle in college and eventually she would like to follow in her father’s footsteps and coach wrestling. For Kiersten, and for many of the female wrestlers we write about in these articles, there becomes an unusually strong bond between opponents. Kiersten’s best friends are wrestlers on rival schools. “Cailin and Catie (Campbell) are my best friends since I started wrestling,” Kiersten said. “We live far apart but we always make sure we see each other. I talk to them every day. It’s been great to experience that with other people that share your same interests. I think if you watch the finals you can see my reaction after Caty won her state title. I was screaming ‘That’s my best friend’.” Kiersten also plays soccer. She admits that her wrestling aggression sometimes gets her in trouble on the soccer field. “Yeah, I’ve had quite a few yellow and red cards,” she said. “Soccer, to me, is a lot of running. But the aggression I get from being a wrestler definitely helps me. I’m not exactly proud of my yellow and red cards, I just think I underestimate my strength some against girls that don’t wrestle.” Jake really enjoys watching Kiersten on the soccer field, where he can relax and be a dad and not a coach. “Her wrestling absolutely comes out in soccer,” Jake said. “She’s very competitive, aggressive and physical. She is fearless. It all spills out on the soccer field and it’s fun to watch. The other girls aren’t nearly as aggressive as her. Our athletic director was a professional soccer player. When he saw her play he was like ‘woah’. He was blown out of the water with the competitive edge she plays with. I enjoy every minute of watching her play.” In wrestling, Kiersten is excited for what the future for girls is like in the state. Every year the numbers increase. If she had one piece of advise for girls just starting out in the sport it would be to stick to it. “You just have to stick to it,” she said. “You can’t give up, even when it’s hard. I know it gets hard and I’ve not enjoyed that time. But stick it out. Push through. It will be worth it in the end.”

By JEREMY HINES Thehines7@gmail.com Nathan Critchfield was down – but he sure as heck won’t allow himself to be counted out. Critchfield wrestles through pain each and every day. He doesn’t complain. It has become a way of life for the Evansville Mater Dei senior. Critchfield wrestled his first three years of high school in Illinois. His best finish was third in the state meet in 2020. Then he got the news that would ultimately change his life – he had a tumor on his spine. “My back was hurting all year and moving into freestyle season I got it checked out that May,” Critchfield said. “They just did a physical exam and I kept at it and kept wrestling. Then, in August of 2020 I was still in pain and I got checked out again. They told me I had a tumor on the inside of my spinal cord.” The news rocked Critchfield. He knew he was going to have to endure a grueling surgery and a long road to recovery. They wouldn’t know if the tumor was cancerous until after the surgery. The diagnosis was devastating – both physically and mentally for Critchfield. “Hearing about the tumor was shocking, to say the least,” Critchfield said. “It came at a time that was so crucial in my life. I was going into my senior year. That’s an important time in your social life and in your academics. Then hearing that you’re probably not ever going to wrestle again, that was a big hit.” Critchfield ended up sitting out his entire senior year to deal with his medical issues. He would have graduated in 2021 but will now graduate in 2022. His first back surgery was a 12-hour ordeal. The next week he ended up getting a MRSA infection in the incision that required another surgery. He wasn’t out of the woods yet. The first surgery had caused his legs to not work properly. That required yet another surgery. “Between my legs and my back, I couldn’t walk for a few months,” Critchfield said. Critchfield tried to do a little drilling in wrestling in February, even though he says he wasn’t supposed to. His legs still weren’t working the way they were supposed to work In April he had another surgery to relieve the pressure in both of his legs. In the end, the tumor was not cancerous. And, although he’s still in pain, it’s something he has learned to live with. “This whole ordeal has made me a different kind of person,” Critchfield said. “I have really grown in my faith. I get reminded of it all every day when I go to practice. Both of my legs hurt and my back hurts. Wrestling really sucks with the pain – but I love doing it. I put myself through it because I don’t know what else I would do.” Critchfield doesn’t care if his opponents on the mat know about his bad back, or his issues with his legs. “People tell me not to let others know I’m hurting,” Critchfield said. “They say to not let your opponents know you’re not feeling your best. I don’t think that would give them an edge on me though. I think it gives me a little edge, actually. They are going to wrestle a guy knowing he’s going to feel like crap and he’s still not scared. They are about to wrestle a guy that has went through hell but is still out there ready to go. That’s got to mess with them more than it does with me.” Critchfield is currently ranked No. 2 in the state at 220 pounds. He joins a Mater Dei team that is loaded with ranked wrestlers this season. Mater Dei has two wrestlers currently ranked No. 1 in their weight classes, both are returning state champs in Brody Baumann and Gabe Sollars. Crtichfield is No. 2 at 220. Hunter May is No. 3 at 152 pounds. Isaiah Schaefer is No. 4 at 106. Evan Seng is No. 5 at 113 pounds, Ashton Hayhurst is NO. 8 at 145 and Reed Egli is No. 13 at 120 pounds. “This is my first year at Mater Dei and it’s been pretty fun,” Critchfield said. “It’s an interesting atmosphere and it’s a lot different than other schools. They put a lot of emphasis on wrestling for your school instead of for yourself. They have built a program and the whole community gets behind it. When you hear about the culture at Mater Dei, you never imagine how it really is until you’re a part of it.” Mater Dei coach Greg Schaefer is glad to have Critchfield on the squad. “Nathan is just a genuine, hard-working, hard-nosed kid,” Schaefer said. “He’s one of those guys that will be hard to outwork. He has a great attitude and seems to be extremely grateful doing what he’s doing.” Schaefer said a lot of the kids in the Mater Dei program don’t even know what all Critchfield has been through. “You wouldn’t even know that there was anything going on with him,” Schaefer said. “He doesn’t talk about it, and he doesn’t act like there’s any issues. It’s pretty incredible to think about what he’s been through and that he still maintains the attitude and desire to chase after his dream.” As far as Critchfield’s wrestling abilities, Schaefer describes him as a big guy with the skill set of a little man. “He’s very skillful,” Schaefer said. “He’s not like some of the guys that are just big bruisers. He’s more technical than most big guys. He wrestles more like a little guy.” Critchfield has wrestled for Mauer Coughlin since he was very young. He parents used to drive him to the practices over an hour away, three times a week. There he made friends with a lot of the guys on the team and a lot of Indiana wrestlers throughout the state. This year his goal is to go out on top. He’s seen the Indiana state finals and wants nothing more than to wrestle under the spotlight. “My No. 1 goal is to win a state title,” Critchfield said. “I like to go as hard as I can and put it on people. I keep the pace up and make people want to quit. I make them tired, and I ride hard. I’m real tough on top – but nobody holds me down either. And I don’t quit. That’s my biggest strength. I will not ever quit.”

By JEREMY HINES Thehines7@gmail.com For as long as Sullivan freshman Lane Gilbert can remember he has dreamed about having his hand raised at the Indiana High School wrestling state championships. He’s done more than dream about it. As a young kid he would go into the wrestling room at Sullivan High School and act out having his hand raised. It didn’t matter that nobody else was around him. In his imaginary scenario he always emerged victorious. No obstacle stood in his way. No opponent could beat him. He was the champ. That dream would never be taken away. The dream was much different than real life for Gilbert. In real life, he has had far more hardships than one kid should experience. He’s overcome situations that would break others. Through it all, he’s come out stronger. To get a clear picture of just how tough Lane Gilbert is, it is important to dive into his uncomfortable past. Gilbert’s mother, Rachel, became Indiana’s first female sectional champion in wrestling. She won the 103-pound class in the North Knox sectional in 2002. Rachel was going places in life. News agencies had reported on her wrestling journey, because at the time, female wrestlers were still very new in the state. She had some colleges showing interest in her. But Rachel began facing a more formidable opponent than anyone she went up against on the mat. She started battling an addiction with drugs. Lane’s father had his own battles with drug addiction. For Lane’s father, that addiction would eventually lead to a prison sentence. Young Lane didn’t want to miss an opportunity to visit his dad, even if that meant going to the prison any time he could. “Lane worshipped his dad,” Lane’s wrestling coach and grandfather Roy Monroe said. “Lane never failed to go see him. He always wanted to see him.” Tragically, Lane’s father developed cancer while in prison and ultimately died due to the disease. “That was really rough on Lane for a while,” Rachel said. “His dad was a drug addict for a long time and Lane always held out hope that one day he would get better. Once he got sick, that was probably the hardest thing. Lane stayed strong through the whole thing.” At nine-years-old Lane did something no kid his age should ever have to do. He stood up in front during his dad’s funeral and sang a special song. “I don’t know how he did it,” Monroe said. “That’s almost an impossible thing to get through, and he did it. He toughed it out.” That’s what Lane always does. He toughs things out. He toughed it out when his mom was having her struggles. He toughed it out seeing his dad in prison, and then watching as cancer slowly took its toll. He toughed it out when his uncle Jordan, who had taught Lane quite a bit about wrestling, died in a fiery car crash. No matter what life threw at Lane, he toughs it out. Perhaps he gets his fighting spirit from his grandfather. Roy has been a major part of Sullivan wrestling for over 30 years. He’s watched his daughter struggle with drug addiction. He lost his son in that tragic car accident. He’s experienced heartache and he remained the rock Lane needed in his life. Lane could always stay the night at Roy’s house. He could always get the right words from his grandpa. And, on the wrestling mat, he could look to Grandpa Roy for direction as well. “He’s my role model,” Lane said. “He’s nice to everyone. He’s a good coach. He’s all the things you can think of if you were to make the perfect person – that would be how I describe him.” But Lane’s toughness also comes from his mom. In a time when people frowned on girls wrestling against boys, she held her ground. In fact, she and Roy had to go to the Sullivan school board to even get approved to wrestle back in her high school days. Later, as has already been alluded to, Rachel battled a fierce drug addiction. But, for Lane’s sake – and for her sake, she fought through and emerged victorious. She is currently a Dean’s List student working to become a nurse. “I am so proud of her,” Roy said. “I’ve been a counselor. I’ve went into the jails and counselled drug addicts. I’ve seen them come in and out of addiction. The real truth is, only about one percent of drug addicts make it to where she is now. It’s so hard to overcome, but she’s done it. And she’s a great mom.” She is also very, very protective of Lane and worries almost to a fault about the decisions he makes in his own life. “After having made the decisions at a young age that I made, I saw first-hand what can happen and how quickly everything can just spiral out of control,” Rachel said. “One mistake and everything can be gone. I have that fear in the back of my mind that he’s of the age and he could make the wrong choices. I’m almost too hard on him, but I am terrified because I know what can happen and I keep my eye on him. I do trust him. He’s seen what can happen and how bad things can get.” Lane knows when his mom tells him to keep on the straight and narrow, it’s because she cares. “I have so much respect for my mom,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot from her.” One thing Lane has learned is to never doubt himself. This summer when he was a third alternate for the Pan-American games, he let doubt creep into his psyche. After the first two qualifiers couldn’t attend the games, Lane got the call to participate. But, going into the event, he felt like he really didn’t belong. Boy was he wrong. Lane went undefeated in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. News of his success quickly spread throughout the town of 6,500 people. When he arrived home, he was given a police escort through the streets. “Oh my gosh,” Rachel said. “The town put on this whole show when he returned. The police and emergency vehicles all met up on the north end of town. He had no idea it was going to happen. There were fans from all over our town and they all followed him to the high school. It was so cool. He was so surprised.” Currently Gilbert is 28-1 on the season and ranked No. 5 at 113 pounds. He has carried the confidence he developed during the Pan-American games over to the season. Now he knows he belongs. Now he knows that dream he played through his head so many times growing up isn’t just a dream – it’s an attainable goal. “I’ve been coaching at Sullivan for 13 years as head coach and I’ve been there 30 years as an assistant,” Monroe said. “I’ve never seen anything like him. I look at Lane, with his skills and what he’s been through, and I just know that adversity isn’t a problem anymore. He can do whatever he sets his mind to do.” As for Rachel, well, she says nowadays she’s just like any other wrestler’s mom. “I’m still up in the stands screaming my head off,” she said. “But when I’m shouting, at least I know which moves to shout. The other moms look at me and ask what they should be yelling.”

By JEREMY HINES Thehines7@gmail.com In a town that literally gets its name for being tough and rugged, the Three Amigos personify what Floyds Knobs is all about. Floyd Central High School, located in Floyds Knobs, is the home of wrestlers Gavinn Alstott, J. Conway and Jonathan Kervin. The trio is known around town as the Three Amigos, primarily for their success on the wrestling mat. They are tough wrestlers that like to grind out wins and be physical. One wouldn’t expect anything less from a Floyds Knobs resident. Floyds Knobs is named after the Knobstone Escarpment located there (and Colonel Davis Floyd). The Knobstone is the most rugged terrain in Indiana. It has steep hills which are commonly referred to as knobs. As for the Three Amigos – all three qualified for state last season. Alstott finished fourth and Kervin sixth. This year, all three are ranked in the top 10 in their weight classes. “The Three Amigos is a term we coined last year and started calling them that,” Floyd Central coach Brandon Sisson said. “I don’t think they mind it. They all three work together and have pushed each other to get better.” Kervin is the only senior in the trio. He is currently ranked No. 2 at 152 pounds. Last season Kervin finished with a 39-4 record. He won sectional and regional and eventually finished sixth at state in the 145-pound class. “Jonathan is a really tough wrestler,” Sisson said. “He wrestles hard for all six minutes. He works really closely with is uncle, former two-time state champion Cooper Samuels. Those two have worked together for the past five years and it has really benefited Jonathan.” Kervin’s goal this season is to win a state title. “My style is sort of dynamic,” Kervin said. “I like to be a little deranged. I use my length. Last year I felt like I wrestled poorly at state. I didn’t do my normal workout to get ready. I want to get back and show what I can really do.” Alstott, a junior, finished 42-4 last season. He was a sectional and regional champ and ended up third in the Evansville semistate and would later place fourth at state. “Gavinn is a grinder,” Sisson said. “He gets out there, gets in your face and pushes the pace non-stop. He’s very business-like on the mat and in the practice room. I’m not ever going to have to see if he’s just messing around. When it’s time to work, it’s time to work. No matter what he does, he puts his head down and goes to work.” Alstott’s uncle, Craig Alstott, was Floyd Central’s first ever four-time state qualifier. Craig never placed at the state meet, however. “I think Gavinn got the monkey off his back a little by placing last year,” Sisson said. “But he has his sights set significantly higher this year.” Off the mat, Gavinn is an excellent student and has been a team leader since his freshman season. “He’s a really good kid,” Sisson said. “He gets good grades and is good to the other kids. Even as a freshman I thought of him as a team leader. He’s just a phenomenal kid.” Conway is the quietest in the group. He had a not-so-quiet season last year, however. Conway went 23-4 on the year and claimed a sectional and a regional title. He finished runner-up in semistate but lost on Friday night at the state tournament. “He’s a really, really quiet kid,” Sisson said. “I don’t think I heard him say anything at all his freshman year. Now as a sophomore he’s coming out of his shell a little bit. On the mat he’s more open. He is already at 130 takedowns in just 18 matches this season. He’s full throttle. You let him go, and he goes.” Sisson is pleased with his team this season and hopes the Three Amigos will help lead them to great things. “There are years where you have a lot of talent, but also a lot of drama,” Sisson said. “Then there are years where you don’t have any drama, but you don’t really have any talent either. This year, I really feel like we have a lot of talent and no drama. I’m lucky this year.”

The top ranked 195lber in the state an our top Junior wrestler, Silas Allred, has committed to wrestle for Nebraska. Allred, hailing from Shenandoah just north of Indianapolis, will join four-time state champion Chad Red on the Husker roster. Allred is ranked anywhere from 5th-7th by all the national ranking services and atop 30 prospect for the class of 2020. Currently he sports a spectacular 90-2 record over his three years that includes a 5th place finish at state in 2018. His long list of national accolades includes placing 3rd at the Super 32 this past fall, a Cadet Folkstyle National title, and a 4th place finish in Cadet Greco-Roman. Allred had plenty of offers from many of the top programs in the country. The programs on his final list included state schools Purdue and Indiana along with North Carolina State and Maryland. Currently he is undecided on a major, but is leaning towards a business degree at Nebraska. Projecting at 197lbs for his collegiate career, Allred stated he was drawn to Lincoln for a plethora of reasons. “I chose Nebraska because it felt like home. After visiting a few colleges, no place made me feel even close to the way Nebraska did,” Allred said in response to his commitment. “I knew in my spirit the search was over. Not to mention the coaching staff and RTC is absolutely incredible. It is the perfect fit for my athletic and academic goals.” Good luck to Silas as he pursues not only his state goals, but national and international goals thi off-season.

By STEVE KRAH stvkrh905@gmail.com Bradin Daniels became the first Union City Junior/City wrestler to qualify for the IHSAA State Finals in a dozen years when the junior won the 126-pound title at the 2024 Fort Wayne Semi-State. Before the Feb. 10 accomplishment, the last Indian to punch his ticket to the state tournament’s last stage was Kyle Walters at 160 in 2011-12, a season in which he want 40-4. As a Union City assistant coach, Walters has been in Daniels’ corner along with Indians head coach Kevin Lawrence. “He’s just a hard worker,” says Walters of Daniels. “He’s worked for it all season.” Away from the mat, Lawrence owns a construction company and Walters is a software engineer. Because of NBA All-Star Game activities, the site of the State Finals has been moved this year from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis to the Ford Center in Evansville. The first round is Friday, Feb. 16. There will be two sessions (152-285 and 106-144). First-round survivors compete Saturday, Feb. 17. Daniels heads to the Pocket City at 38-2 on the season. Union City is a Randolph County school with an enrollment around 250. “I did it for these guys over here,” says Daniels, who pointed to the UC faithful that came to cheer Saturday at Allen County Memorial Coliseum and saw him defeat NorthWood junior Will Hahn (pin in 2:42), Marion freshman Hixon Love (6-0 decision), Delta senior Neal Mosier (6-5 overtime decision) and Jay County senior Cody Rowles (8-4 decision). “I did it for my coaches. I did it for me. I did it for my family (including parents Devon and Samantha Daniels and brothers Gage and Blayne). “They all knew I had it in me. This year it changed.” Says Lawrence, “it was more the way he wrestled. He’s more patient now then he was before. He now knows that all he has to do is win a match. He doesn’t necessarily have to do it all in the first period. “He can wrestle a three-period match now and go six minutes.” Daniels said he became serious about wrestle in sixth grade. “I placed second at Middle School State and I was like ‘Wow!,’” says Daniels. “My freshman year I missed weight at sectional and last year I got in my head because I had to face the No. 1 seed.” Daniels gave himself a pep talk going into 2023-24. “I told myself there’s nothing stopping me this year,” says Daniels. “You’re going to go and win it whether you like it or not.” Gage and Blayne Daniels both wrestled for UC. “They’re over there rooting me on,” says Bradin. “They tell me that no matter what else is going on, just wrestle.” Other season highlights for the youngest Daniels boy include winning his second Tri-Eastern Conference championship (pinning Winchester junior Isaiah Spurlin in the finals) and placing first for the second straight Bill Kerbel Invitational at New Haven (beating Northfield freshman Elijah Gahl by 13-0 major decision for the crown). Daniels also earned his first Jay County Sectional title (besting Rowles 4-0 in the championship bout). He placed second at the Jay County Regional (losing to Rowles by fall in the finals) then won the Fort Wayne Semi-State. As a sophomore, Daniels was a sectional runner-up and came in fourth at regional and did not place at semi-state. Bradin came in third at the past two East Central Indiana Classic tournaments. “He’s always had the ability,” says Lawrence. “Little things here and there he was able to put together this year. “That’s been the difference.” The past two seasons, Daniels competed at 126. He began the current season at 132, but continued to lose weight and went back to 126. Union City’s Matt Taylor placed fourth at the State Finals in 1991. Besides Taylor in 1990 and Walters in 2012, other state qualifiers include Kyle Anderson in 2007, Zach Woodbury in 2004, Jim Garrett in 1992 and Rob Bousman in 1987.

By JEREMY HINES Thehines7@gmail.com Eastern Hancock senior Cameron Volz isn’t looking for attention. But, when you climb the state wrestling rankings, lose by one point to a returning state champion and have the opportunity to do something no other wrestler in his school has accomplished in 22 years, you can’t hide from the spotlight. Volz was asked if there was anything about him that would be interesting to readers. He thought for a second, then asked his mom. “Well, you broke the school record for career wins,” his mom said. But Volz didn’t want to talk about that. “No mom, not that. I don’t care about that,” he said. “That’s not what I want people to know.” After thinking for a moment, Volz came up with his answer. “I really just want people to know that I have a big heart,” he said. “I want to leave a footprint in people’s lives.” He’s certainly leaving his mark on Royal wrestling. Volz is currently ranked 14th in the 132-pound class. He’s ranked No. 2 in the New Castle semistate. He owns the school record for wins, but he’s not even sure how many he has (somewhere around 140 he estimates). He is also vying to become the first Eastern Hancock wrestler to place in the state tournament since 2002. “Cameron is a hard worker,” Eastern Hancock coach Sam Pfaff said. “You have to be in order to become the level of wrestler Cameron is. He’s got a great mind set. He’s like a true student of the game. He’s always watching film, learning, and asking questions.” That studying helped Volz close a gap with New Castle’s Tylin Thrine – the returning state champion and the No. 2 ranked grappler in the weight class. During the regular season Thrine handled Volz, winning 5-1. But in the Centerville sectional final the match was much closer. Volz scored a first-period takedown in the match. In the end, Thrine prevailed by a single point, 4-3. “We went into this one with a little bit of a different attitude,” Pfaff said. “We said, you’re the underdog here – you have nothing to lose. Throw everything you have at him. I told him he can’t be afraid, and to let it all fly. We spent all week working in different positions and trying to iron some things out. In the match we got the early takedown, but Tylin in his freakish athletic fashion, got right back to his feet.” Volz doesn’t believe in moral victories. According to him, he hates losing. But he knows matches like he has had with Thrine can only help him in the future. “I’m grateful for those opportunities,” Volz said. “Those opportunities make me better and hopefully I make him better as well.” Volz brings a vast skillset to the mat. “Cameron is incredibly athletic and very fast,” Pfaff said. “He has incredible technique. He has to wrestle with confidence though. Going back to the Thrine match, he showed he is a better wrestler when he goes out there without fear and doesn’t worry about the end result. When he does that, he’s really, really solid and can hang with just about anyone.” Cameron’s freshman brother, Bradyn, won the 113-pound weight class in sectional. Cameron loves working with Bradyn on the mat, as well as with the Eastern Hancock youth program. “I like coaching,” Volz said. “I feel like I’m pretty good at it. I know a lot about wrestling and I try to show that to the younger guys.” In his personal life, Volz has dealt with a lot of adversity. The adversity isn’t something he wanted to delve into for this article, but Pfaff said it’s something that shaped Volz into who he is today. “He’s had some personal stuff in his life that he’s had to overcome,” Pfaff said. “That has really figured into the mindset he brings to wrestling. There are some things he’s had to experience in life that have shaped his view. That’s helped him in a way. He’s experienced adversity in his personal life and he’s able to bring that to the mat. When things get tough, he knows how to push through and gut them out.” The last Eastern Hancock wrestler to place in state was Keith Oliver in 2002. “I definitely want to change that this year,” Volz said. “But if I can’t, hopefully my brother can. He’s my project and I love seeing him succeed.” Volz will wrestle Saturday in the Richmond regional.

Schedule Friday, Feb. 17, 2023 Session 1 Gates open at 12:30 pm ET Parade of Champions at 1:30 pm ET First Round Weight Classes 106 - 145 begin at 2 pm ET First Round Weight Classes 152 - 285 begin at 5:30 pm ET Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023 Session 2 Gates open at 8 am ET Quarterfinals begin at 9 am ET with Semifinals to follow Fieldhouse cleared of all spectators following Semifinals Session 3 Gates open at 3:30 pm ET Consolations at 4:30 pm ET with State Championships to follow at 7:30 pm ET Location Gainbridge Fieldhouse, 125 S. Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis Admission $15 per session; $25 all sessions. Reserved seating only (no general admission). Tickets are not available yet but tickets will be digital only through your mobile phone and may be purchased via Ticketmaster.com (service fees apply). Show your ticket purchase verification on you mobile phone at the admission gate. Television Saturday's state championship bouts in each weight class will air live on Bally Sports Indiana. Streaming All matches on Friday and Saturday, including Saturday night’s championship round, may be viewed via live stream for a subscription fee of $15 via IHSAAtv.org. If you have a FloPro+ plan, you may also view the livestream at FloWrestling.com. Saturday night’s championship round can also be found on the Bally Sports+ app. State Finals Pairings Show Click here to watch the pairings show Social MediaIHSAA on TwiiterIndianaMat on Twitter Brackets IndianaMat Brackets with both State and Semi-State rankings State-StateSSRankings.pdf IndianaMat Brackets with State Rankings only State-StateRankingsOnly.pdf TrackWrestling Brackets Semi-State Results East Chicago Semi-State Results Evansville Semi-State Results New Castle Semi-State Results New Haven(Fort Wayne) Semi-State Results Pick'em Contests Pick'em Standings after semi-state State Pick'ems Gorilla Radio High School Wrestling Weekly State Preview Gorilla Radio episode 154 bracket breakdown Featured Articles State Finals by the Numbers State Finals #WAYL2 State Finals Media Guide Who do you want in your corner?

By JEREMY HINES Thehines7@gmail.com David Wolf was surprised to learn a few years back that Switzerland County High School even had a wrestling program. Now, in addition to being the Chief of Police in Vevay, the county seat, he’s also the wrestling coach. His goal with both jobs is to make a difference in his community. He’s certainly doing just that. Before Wolf, the Pacers had never had a single wrestling sectional champion. This year the team had three. Two of those wrestlers went on to win the school’s first regional championships. Wolf is hoping the success keeps coming. “It feels awesome to see what these guys are accomplishing,” Wolf said. “I don’t do this to praise myself. I do it for the kids. To see them reach their goal is amazing. We sent six kids to regional this year. We had never had more than two go before. It’s just awesome.” Wolf’s strategy has been simple. Make the team a family. He coached his own twin sons, who went on to be the first two Pacer wrestlers to ever qualify for semistate. Now three of the four coaches on the staff have kids that wrestle on the team. “Our number one thing is that we want to create that family culture,” Wolf said. “We want to be positive figures to the team. I want to be a positive influence and we want to look out for each other.” This season the Pacers have four wrestlers qualify for the Evansville semistate. Freshman Peyton Richards goes in as a regional champ at 120 pounds. Peyton’s mental mindset is on a whole new level,” Wolf said. “His drive, his will to work, it’s hard to match. I haven’t seen anyone that mentally prepares the way he does. He wakes up at 5:30 every morning and practices in his basement. He leads by example.” Sophomore Gabe Rose won regional at 138 pounds. “Game is a little bulldog,” Wolf said. “He is mentally prepared. He is physically prepared. The kid doesn’t like losing and it drives him to do better. He lost to a kid earlier in the season and since then they have wrestled two more times and Gabe won in the first period. He is on a mission.” Freshman Ethan Rose (Gabe’s brother) finished second in regional to qualify for semistate. “Ethan is an animal,” Wolf said. “If he ever makes it to 106 pounds he can be a state contender. He walks around at about 96 pounds and eats everything he wants. He has to drink two bottles of water to qualify. He’s outsized, bad, but he’s a fighter.” Sophomore Dakota Fields placed third at 113 pounds in the Jeffersonville regional. “Dakota quit wrestling for a few years and just came back this year,” Wolf said. “He didn’t wrestle as a freshman. He came back and has been a huge asset to this team. He’s a hard worker and he’s an all-around great kid.” Part of the reason for the Pacers’ success is the youth program in the area. “We are finally getting kids in high school that have come up through our youth programs,” Wolf said. “My assistant coaches started the youth programs and it has helped us tremendously.” The Pacers are a very young team and Wolf has hopes that in the next couple of years the team can qualify for 1A Team State. “We don’t lose anybody after this year,” Wolf said. “We are a freshman and sophomore led team.” The team’s success has not gone unnoticed in the community. “With this success the recognition is really growing,” Wolf said. “People keep coming up to me in town and they talk about how awesome our team is doing. The community is growing and recognizing our success. More and more people are coming to our home meets.” Before this year, Switzerland County had never had a winning season in wrestling. They finished this season with a dual meet record of 24-6. As the Chief of Police, Wolf deals with a lot of problems on a daily basis. In the short time it took to interview for this article multiple people in the community came up asking for his help with things related to his job as a policeman. He tries to handle each issue in a positive manner and be a good influence on the community, just like he does with his team. He learned from the former police chief, James Richards. Richards was the Chief of Police for 16 years. Now he’s an assistant wrestling coach for Wolf. “We want to be positive figures to these kids,” Wolf said. “I’m excited for these guys. I’m excited for the future of the program. My coaches invest 100 percent in this program. We really think we are going to turn some heads in the next few years.”

By STEVE KRAH stvkrh905@gmail.com Goshen High School junior wrestler Laish Detwiler is 75-11 over the past two seasons (35-9 in 2021-22 and 40-2 so far in 2022-23) and is heading into his second IHSAA Fort Wayne Semistate Saturday, Feb. 11. Detwiler has been involved with the mat sport since seventh grade. But something changed his sophomore campaign. “Last year I started taking this seriously,” says Detwiler. “I wrestled throughout middle school but I wasn’t very good. Last year I just put my mind to getting better. “I don’t have that much time left in high school and I just have to change something. I just had to push myself and start working harder.” Detwiler, who competed as a light 195-pound freshman and 170-pound sophomore, is now at 182 as a junior. This season he is 2-1 against NorthWood senior Kaden Lone with a 4-2 loss in the Northern Lakes Conference finals, a 3-2 win in the Elkhart Sectional championship match and a 3-1 loss in the Goshen Regional finals. Lone (38-4) is a three-time semistate qualifier who placed seventh at the 2022 State Finals. “He’s a hard worker,” says RedHawks coach Jim Pickard of Detwiler. “He had never played football until this year and by the end of the year was a two-way starter (making 41 total tackles at defensive end and 23 carries as a running back). He’s become very athletic. He’s learned a lot and put some time in.” Detwiler drew Jay County junior Bryce Werk (30-6) as his first-round semistate opponent. The winner of the match faces the winner of Maconaquah sophomore Austin Ringeisen (39-2) and Fort Wayne Carroll sophomore William Jeffries (25-7). The 182 field also features Fort Wayne Snider sophomore De’Alcapon Veazy (34-1) and Monroe Central senior Hunter Page (35-0). Detwiler will be at Memorial Coliseum with five teammates — junior Cole Hinkel (39-5 at 113), senior Camden Wiese (32-6 at 126), senior Nolan Castaneda (32-11 at 138), junior Jonathon Flores (32-10 at 160) and senior Marcus Castaneda (31-10) at 170. In the 2021-22 state tournament series, Detwiler competed at 170 and was a runner-up to Jimtown senior Landon Buchanan at the Elkhart Sectional and Goshen Regional. At the Fort Wayne Semistate, Detwiler beat Fort Wayne Bishop Luers’ Mason Daring then lost in the “ticket round” to Eastern of Greentown’s Brodie Porter, who went on to top Buchanan in the semistate finals. Porter and Buchanan placed second and fifth, respectively, at the 2022 State Finals. “His losses last year were very quality,” says Pickard. “He’s turned it on this year.” Leadership is another of Detwiler’s assets. “A lot of it is leading by example and making sure I’m always doing the right thing,” says Detwiler. “I’m pushing my teammates when they’re having an ‘off’ day and making sure they’re still getting through their workouts.” After going 15-10 overall and 4-4 in the NLC in 2022-23, Pickard has 517 career dual victories and is in 30th season at Goshen. “It’s still that different connection with the kids that you get,” says Pickard of why he continues to coach. “I enjoy it. I think I’ve built a decent program here.” He served as an assistant principal for eight or nine years while leading GHS wrestling and took on athletic director duties toward the end of the 2021-22 season. With Josh Abbs, Tom Gangwer, Taylor Grim, Matt Katzer, Eric Kilmer, Greg Mueller, Travis Pickard and Troy Pickard as assistant coaches this season, the RedHawks are using a new hashtag on apparel and social media — #fightforsix. “It encompasses it all,” says Jim Pickard. “Don’t give up. Go for six full minutes and when you can go for six points (for a pin).” Detwiler has taken his head coach’s guidance to heart. “Coach Pickard has given me a lot of advice,” says Detwiler. “The main thing he tells me is to keep my head up and keep working hard in practice no matter what.” Besides wrestling and football, the 5-foot-10 Detwiler enjoys lifting weights. “I’ve gotten a lot stronger,” says Detwiler. “I wasn’t very strong my freshman year and then I started hitting the gym my sophomore year and it translated into getting better.” Grim is also a strength and condition specialist at Goshen and has his athletes doing traditional lifts like squat, bench press, deadlift and clean and jerk. “He’s really helped us with technique a lot,” says Detwiler of Grim. “He’s always in there pushing us to make sure we’re on-task.” Detwiler is a strong student. He carries a 3.7 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale and is considering pursuing wrestling and sports medicine in college. Laish — a name that comes from the Old Testament — is the second of Aaron and Renita Detwiler. Sister Emma is a college freshman. Brother Judah is 9. “My dad got me into wrestling,” says Laish of his father’s mat experiences in Pennsylvania and Virginia. “He wrestled his whole life so he is a big inspiration for me.”

By JEREMY HINES Thehines7@gmail.com Jeb Prechtel was the first Jasper wrestler to call the school’s new coach, Alex Lee last season. He wanted to see who would be teaching him for the next few years. So, Prechtel gave Lee a call and asked if they could practice together. “I kind of wanted to see if I could beat up on him,” Prechtel joked. The coach and the student wrestled that first day and Lee scored a few takedowns on the young grappler. Prechtel wanted to learn how he got those takedowns and how he could stop them in the future. “He called me that night and was asking what he was doing wrong and what he needed to do better,” Lee said. “He expects to beat everyone. He doesn’t care if you’re the coach or Jordan Burroughs. He expects to win. I knew right then this was a special wrestler. It bothered him that he didn’t know some things and he stayed up trying to figure them out. Once you tell him, you don’t have to tell him again. He’s is a very good learner. Prechtel is currently ranked No. 3 in the state at 160 pounds. The senior is undefeated at 30-0. And, almost shockingly, he is coming off of his very first sectional championship last week. Prechtel is almost the poster child for bad tournament luck throughout his career. In his freshman season he ran into a very talented Gavinn Alstott in the Southridge sectional final. He fell to Alstott and then, for the next two seasons, he lost to eventual state champion J Conway in the sectional finals. “Winning a sectional actually felt really good,” Prechtel said. “Having J Conway in sectional the last two years has really be a learning experience for me. I have learned how to take losses early in the post season. Now I’m wrestling with a lot more confidence.” Prechtel has one goal this year – a state title. “Jeb is determined,” Lee said. “He works tirelessly. I’m fully confident that he will reach his goal. I really expect to see him wrestling under the lights.” According to Lee, Prechtel is a student of the sport. He soaks up as much wrestling knowledge as he possibly can and he’s a relentless worker. Despite his work ethic and hunger for wrestling knowledge, Prechtel had a weakness he didn’t know how to overcome. He almost feared close matches. “I’ve dealt with a lot of mental battles in my wrestling career,” Prechtel said. “I lost in semistate one year by one point. I was always scared of one-point matches. That was something I’ve tried very hard to overcome. It was a mental block with me.” So Prechtel talked with his coaches in high school and his coaches at Maurer Coughlin Wrestling Club. He desperately sought answers to how he could overcome his mental block with those one-point matches. “I told them, I just don’t know how to fix this,” Prechtel said. “I’ve lost my two most important matches of my career by a point. I don’t know how to overcome this. “So they told me that I’m going to have one point matches. They said I have to go out there and just know that I trained harder than the other guy and I worked harder than he did. I have to have the confidence in those close matches that I am the better wrestler and I am going to win.” So, this year he’s had that mindset in every match he’s wrestled. He said he treats every match as if it’s the state championship. “Every match I’m zero and zero and I’m wrestling for a championship,” he said. “This year I have a totally different mindset. It started at the end of the offseason. I’m more confident. In my mind, I know I outwork anyone. I can push myself further than I have before.” Lee knows that the sky is the limit for Prechtel because of the amount of work he is willing to put in. “He’s been a captain of this team for three years,” Lee said. “He’s an awesome leader. He leads verbally. He leads by example. He works harder than anyone I have ever coached.” When he’s not wrestling, Prechtel enjoys hunting, fishing and snow skiing. He plans to wrestle in college and study business management, but he is currently undecided on where he will go.

By Anna Kayser At the beginning of his recruitment process with the Iowa Hawkeye football program, Leighton Jones was handed a piece of paper. “There were about 15 or 16 wrestlers who have made All-Big Ten [on that paper]. All-Big Ten isn’t easy at all to do,” Leighton said. “It wasn’t just all the guys that wrestled, it was all the guys that placed or were state champs.” On Wednesday, Dec. 21, the rest became history. Leighton’s career has been building toward the opportunity to add his name to the list of Iowa football players with wrestling in their blood. Both sports went hand-in-hand from the very beginning, and together helped his skills grow to the level of a future Division I football player. Picture him at four-years-old – something that’s a far cry from the current 6-foot-4, 275-pound offensive lineman who sports a Brownsburg singlet from November to February. That age is really where this story begins, when he was handed a mini jersey and set of waist flags for an upcoming fall season of flag football. Even at that age, a competitive nature snuck through his quiet persona. Football season then transitioned into wrestling season – as it would for the next 14 years of his life – and Leighton took his first steps onto a mat as part of Brownsburg’s youth wrestling club. “A lot of people were scratching their heads and calling me silly,” Leighton’s dad, Marshall Jones, said. “But you’ve got to start them early, right?” Once he started, there was no stopping for Leighton. Four years later at about eight years old – his second-grade year, as he describes it – he was locked into playing football. The same soon followed with his love of wrestling, when he met Chad Red of Red Cobra Wrestling Academy in Avon during his third-grade year. “He absolutely loved it from day one, so we knew it was something that was going to take off,” Laurie Jones, Leighton’s mom, said. “I think just being involved in all these activities, they gave him immediate friends from early on and he’s such a social kid. All of these teams – I’ve got pictures where some of the boys he’s with right now, they’ve been wrestling together since Leighton was five or six. That’s how deep it runs. “Forming these relationships was easy for him and then all of the sports time, that’s how he identified himself. We knew that he might actually be really good at both of these things.” Even from a young age, one could probably guess what role Leighton would play on the Brownsburg high school wrestling team. He was already bigger than a lot of kids his age, especially those in the wrestling room. “So, he either had to go against a lot of older guys or he just didn’t have training partners,” Marshall said. “His best friend’s dad and I kind of agreed that we would keep the boys together to play youth football because they didn’t have anyone else to drill against. With wrestling, there was no one else.” That’s where the shift to Red Cobra came into play. He would step into the room and immediately be wrestling kids the same size as him, regardless of whether or not they were a few years older. The strides he made at the academy level were immeasurable, due to his hard work and dedication to the sport. From the beginning, Red saw something special. “I was just continuously seeing him growing, every year he continued to get better from day one coming in,” Red said. “I would always call him NFL just because he was a big kid, but he moved extremely well for his size and again, he had a great work ethic – never complained, always worked… he was always up at the front, one of the leaders of the pack.” With his strong foundation set in both football and wrestling, Leighton’s drive and focus was locked completely into his opportunities in sports. “That’s one thing that I’ve seen him do time and time again,” Marshall said. “He’ll go in and kind of assess [the situation], and once he has things [measured up], he locks it and it’s full steam ahead.” Thus began a routine of constant travel for opportunities that Leighton couldn’t miss out on as he began to build the foundation for the football player and wrestler he is today. Opportunities that include, most recently, a selection to play at the US Army Bowl at the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium in Texas just last month. “Having your dad as a coach is pretty special,” Leighton said. “He’s always looking out for me, making sure I’m doing the right thing and always [trying] to give me the best chance at every opportunity, whether it’s taking me across the country for wrestling or going to football camps, whatever it was.” The turning point of going down the sports-dominated road came with its challenges – challenges that often can extinguish the flame of enjoyment from young athletes early on. For Leighton, the key to growing up and continuously having fun in the two sports that dominate his life began at home. While Marshall is the designated coach in the household, Laurie is the force of power balancing out the scales to make sure they don’t tip too far into the pressure of being an athlete. “My mom looked at my school stuff, my social stuff and made sure I was able to hang out with friends and have a normal childhood on top of going to tournaments every weekend,” Leighton said. “I felt like I was living a high school life in middle school just being on the road traveling non-stop. She’s made sure I was having a good time when I wasn’t in football and wrestling.” For Laurie, school was the biggest thing. If Leighton worked as hard at school as he did on the football field or in the wrestling room, his future would be there waiting for him when the time came. The social component, that came easy. He had developed relationships with his peers at Brownsburg from the early onset of sports, and they grew up together from the attraction to athletics. “He has a natural desire to please and to work hard, so that work ethic he put right into school,” Laurie said. “And the relationships that he was forming spending all of these times with these families, it was just the perfect combination.” With the well-rounded approach to Leighton’s development from an early age, it showed the future Division I football player that there was more to life than sports. It took the pressure off that side of his life, allowing him to thrive in it. “It really went a long way and at the time I didn’t really notice it,” Leighton said. “I mean, nowadays, kids are cutting weight from like first grade and all of a sudden, they get to high school and want to quit. I feel like it kind of helped me make sure I wasn’t burnt out and just enjoyed the sport for what it was, rather than living and dying through it.” The outside support for other aspects of his life helped Leighton’s drive stay strong in both football and wrestling. Working hard and staying focused in every aspect of his life is what sparked Iowa’s interest in him in the first place. Following 6 AM workouts at Red Cobra, Leighton would make his way to Brownsburg football’s first-period weightlifting session. One day, that dedication to both sports went noticed and ultimately led to his commitment to the Hawkeyes. “Iowa [defensive line] coach Kelvin Bell was there to talk to some other football recruits, just watched him work out and was really impressed with his work ethic,” Marshall said.” That [sentiment] just kept going with the [other] contacts at Iowa.” Leighton’s hard work throughout his early high school years paid off, and his recruitment process rocketed with Iowa at the front and center. The interest shown from a number of college coaches who saw the combination of skills from football and wrestling was instrumental in how he would move forward. “I honestly thought I was going to wrestle in college all the way until my sophomore year… I started getting recruited a lot more [in football] and that piqued my interest,” Leighton said. “I realized I could be a pretty big football recruit and go somewhere big.” At the time, Jones was coming off a tough semifinal loss at the 2021 IHSAA State Tournament but finished strong in third place with a major decision against one of the best heavyweights in the state. It wasn’t only his physicality that made Jones stand out, but his strong mentality. “What was interesting, almost unilaterally regardless of the school, they almost talked to him more about his wrestling than football,” Marshall said. “I think it was that validation that, here’s a kid that’s competing at the highest levels in wrestling. A lot of the coaches were talking about his resiliency.” In June 2021, following his sophomore year at Brownsburg, Leighton and Marshall took another cross-country trip for three total Big Ten camps in the span of a week, unofficially kicking off his recruiting process. The trip, which took the Jones family all the way to Lincoln, Neb. for a freestyle camp and back east to Happy Valley for a Penn State football camp, made its first stop in Iowa City for Leighton’s first taste of Iowa football. “When he went out to a camp at Iowa for an afternoon and was a defensive lineman, all the other coaches were noticing his footwork and hand skills and were like, ‘He’s a wrestler, right?’” Marshall said. “[Iowa head coach] Kirk Ferentz called him out and spoke to him personally – one out of like 200 linemen campers – and said, ‘You wrestle, right?’ That kind of became the discussion point.” At their cores, wrestling and football are very different. Football is entirely a team mentality – as an offensive lineman, specifically, Leighton plays a crucial part in making sure plays develop the way they’re meant to. Wrestling, on the other hand – while there is still somewhat of a team component, moreso in some competitive environments than others – leans hard into an individual drive to succeed. When you lose in football, it’s a full team loss. The emotional and mental weight that comes from wrestling is often completely different. “I always kind of preferred football because it’s obviously easier,” Leighton said with a laugh. “When you lose, you don’t feel [that immense, individual pressure].” Having an individual mentality instilled in him from an early age improved his growth on the football field, one of the ways the two sports go hand-in-hand. When it comes to reaching his goals and focusing in on the individual fundamentals that will ultimately help the Iowa football team when he takes to the turf. “I always have my goals in mind and where I’m trying to get to,” Leighton said. “That goes along with preparing more and being honest about my weaknesses and strengths, as well as the role I play on the team.” Leighton is able to tap into that team mentality too, especially in the leadership role he plays during Brownsburg wrestling practices. “I was always kind of a ‘lead by example’ guy, but this year my goal was to be more vocal,” Leighton said. “I mean, the senior heavyweight – most people will listen in the room, and if they don’t then you’ve kind of got to get into them a little. It’s really helped a lot, now they just kind of know [what to expect] every day when they walk into the room and to work hard.” Fundamentally, wrestling and being an offensive lineman pair well when developing skills. Leighton is a strong, quick athlete whose abilities on the wrestling mat translate well to the gridiron. “Wrestling and football complement each other in such a way that you don’t get burnt out on wrestling because the training is so tough if you train year-round,” Marshall said. “[Leighton] would train year-round in wrestling that was just really complementing his footwork, his hand-fighting and his actual mental game.” The Iowa football program is a leader in developing successful wrestlers to become some of the best offensive lineman in the game. Tristian Wirfs of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tyler Linderbaum of the Baltimore Ravens are two recent, strong examples coming out of Kinnick Stadium. When going through his recruiting process, the love of building their offensive line with former wrestlers is what drew him in on the Hawkeye program. “Leighton fits the mold of many former Iowa offensive linemen that have come before him here in Iowa City,” Tyler Barnes, Director of Recruiting for Iowa football said via email. “He is a relentless competitor both on the football field and on the wrestling mat. He competes in both sports with a dominant mentality, and we love the chip he has on his shoulder. Leighton is one of those guys who can flip the switch once he starts competing and those are the guys opponents should worry about.” Leighton went on an unofficial visit in July of 2021, one month after the camp that got him noticed by Ferentz. In September he visited again, this time taking in the experience he might have running onto the field in Iowa City one day. “I went on a gameday visit to their first game in 2021 vs. [Indiana], and it was the most incredible thing I’ve ever been to,” Leighton said. “You don’t get that…anywhere else. I thought it was pretty special. “I realized it was different, and that as long as the coaches weren’t going to leave, they were honest, and they wanted what’s best for me and would push me [to reach my goals].”

By STEVE KRAH stvkrh905@gmail.com Family. It’s a word that appears on T-shirts. Teams shout it as they break huddles. It’s a closeness and a bond they’re building as they work together. Plymouth High School head wrestling coach Travis Smith has taken his blended brood of a wife, four boys and a girl and added the members of the Rockies program. “We’re like a big family,” says Travis. “I don’t know how many kids stay at my house on a regular basis. “I’ve raised my sons to be very loyal to each other. We don’t fight and bicker as a family. I discipline as needed. They don’t argue with each other. I don’t allow that. “Because of the family environment we’ve had the privilege of being involved in together we welcome everybody else.” It’s a welcoming atmosphere. “We draw people to us as a family,” says Travis. “That’s why kids want to be around because of security, safety and they know they can trust us. “We’re going to ride and die with them everyday.” After a few years as a volunteer under Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Famer Bob Read, Smith took over and 2022-23 is his third season in charge at Plymouth. Travis is married to Cortney Smith. “She’s the glue,” says her husband. Their family includes Gavin Banks (22), Dominic Smith (19), Caydn Smith (16), Wesley Smith (16) and Angel Smith (13). Gavin Banks (Class of 2018) and Dominic Smith (Class of 2021) are former Plymouth wrestlers, Rockies assistant coaches and Lincoln Junior High head coach and assistant respectively. Caydn Smith (152 pounds) and Wesley Smith (145) are juniors on the PHS squad. Angel Smith is an eighth grader who will help launch girls high school wrestling at Plymouth in 2023-24. Caydn and Wesley appreciate the close atmosphere of Plymouth wrestling. Says Caydn, “We try to create strong bonds with everybody on the team.” Says Wesley, “We all motivate each other. Nobody (outside the team) really sees that side and what we have to do to prepare for matches. Having those guys in the room are big supporters.” Travis Smith started at Valparaiso High School and finished at North Judson-San Pierre Junior/Senior High School, grappling for the Bluejays and graduating in 2001. “I was mediocre in school,” says Travis. “When I became a grown man and started training for (Mixed Martial Arts) and Jiu-Jitsu I got the opportunity to train with a lot of good wrestlers. That’s how I ended up being able to pass that on.” The owner of Hybrid Combat Club — an MMA gym in Plymouth that teaches Brazlian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai and houses the Hybrid Wrestling Club — has witnessed a mat progression in his family. “Gavin was the rough draft,” says Travis of the son he adopted when the boy was very young. “Gavin and Dominic didn’t get the resources that Caydn, Wesley and Angel have. “(Caydn and Wesley) have been able to piggyback off the mistakes we made coming up together. I didn’t have a lot of experience when I was younger so I had to grow with them as a coach.” With 85, Banks is in the top 10 on the Rockies all-time career wins list. “My dad and I watched a lot of YouTube and I wrestled a lot of club matches,” says Gavin of his experience in learning the sport. “A lot of it came from at-home work.” Gavin assesses his younger brothers. “Wesley and Caydn are very knowledgeable, technical wrestlers,” says Gavin. “Wesley is more savvy when it comes to wrestling. He’s stingy and hard to score on. Caydn is a strong, athletic kid who can do a lot.” Gavin says having a large arsenal is helpful, but the successful wrestlers have go-to moves. “Being great at a few things is much better (than being OK at many),” says Gavin. Dominic has learned that the fluidity of Jiu-Jitsu moves translate well to wrestling. A club, junior high and high school wrestler at Plymouth, Dominic had Read as head coach his first three seasons and his dad took over his senior year. It was his “one-more mentality” that Dominic appreciated about Read. “Uno Mas. He said it all the time,” says Dominic. “You’ve always got one more.” He says it was a dream to wrestle for his father. “He’s a great coach,” says Dominic. He recalls Gavin as a wrestler. “The big thing that everybody remembers is how natural he was,” says Dominic. “He was always so calm. He never had a worry in the world. He was always ready. We was never going to quit. “He was always present in a match.” Dominic says each brother has wrestled with this own style. “Caydn’s a very, very nasty wrestler,” says Dominic. “He doesn’t care who you are he’s going to press you. Overall, the kid is just mean. “Wesley is a very, very technical wrestler. He’s always in good position. He’s always ready for anything coming at him.” Caydn describes his strengths as a wrestler. “I can just go,” says Caydn. “My cardio is really solid.” Caydn subscribes to the idea of less is more. “Perfect a few moves and stick to those,” says Caydn. “Just find different ways to hit those moves.” Wesley talks about his stinginess and mat approach. “I don’t give up a lot of points,” says Wesley. “I don’t give up on my position. Some kids don’t know when to bail and when to fight for position.” Angel started grappling about the time she started school. “I was born into wrestling and I was always at tournaments with my brothers so I thought I should try it,” says Angel. “I started when I was very young and I’m glad I did because it progressively did get harder. “My brothers are very good at teaching a bunch of stuff on my feet. Wesley’s very technical on his feet. A lot of stuff that I do I’ve implemented from Wesley.” Angel takes the quote “Don’t Quit - if you re already in pain, already hurt — get a reward” and uses it to drive her. “I’ve always thought of that during very tough matches,” says Angel. “When I’m beat up and I feel broke. Getting a reward after that is the greatest feeling.” Mishawaka’s 32-team Al Smith Classic which concluded on Dec. 30 saw Plymouth junior Anthony Popi (285) come in second. Wesley Smith placed third at 145 and Caydn Smith lost in the “ticket” round at 152. In the Northern Lakes Conference meet Saturday, Jan. 14 at Goshen, top Rockies placers were Wesley Smith (36-1) first at 145, Popi (34-2) at 285, Caydn Smith (30-6) second at 160, sophomore Christopher Firebaugh (26-10) third 132, junior Alonzo Chantea (21-8) fourth 113, junior Seth Wright (22-8) fourth 138 and senior Matthew McCrum (22-9) fourth at 182. The Rockies host the Plymouth Sectional Jan. 28. The IHSAA tournament continues with the Penn Regional Feb. 4 and East Chicago Semistate Feb. 11 and concludes with the State Finals Feb. 17-18 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

By JEREMY HINES Thehines7@gmail.com Perry Meridian wrestling coach Matt Schoettle stands in front of his team of grapplers with a goal in mind. He wants to teach them a technique that will help the young men become better wrestlers and gain an advantage over their opponents. But, as he teaches, a voice resonates from within the team. It’s senior Toby Billerman and he’s smirking as he tells the coach that the moves he’s teaching simply won’t work. It's not that the technique actually won’t work – it’s just that Billerman has a knack for getting under Schoettle’s skin a little. “He’s kind of a smart ass,” Schoettle said. Billerman agrees. “He calls me that in practice too,” Billerman said. “I always give him a hard time. I mess with him some when he’s showing moves.” Although Billerman likes to keep the room loose and have fun, he’s a very serious wrestler. Almost to a fault. Over the summer Billerman put in so much work on the mat that Schoettle went to him and told him he needed to try and take some breaks. “His dedication and commitment are unique,” Schoettle said. “Over the summer I thought he wrestled too much. He’s been doing that for years. He just loves to practice and compete.” Billerman defends his workload by saying it’s something he loves to do. “Coach tells me all the time that I do too much,” Billerman said. “I tell him it’s OK. It’s a sport I love to do. I realized toward the end of the summer that I was doing way too much, and I tried to take a few breaks to relax and hang out with my friends. But even then, I was thinking about wrestling. It’s what I love to do.” That work ethic has led to an enormous amount of success on the mat for the 120-pound senior. Billerman is currently ranked No. 3 in his weight class. Last year he finished second in the same weight and as a sophomore he finished third at 106 pounds. This year he’s hoping to walk away with a state championship. Winning state is never easy, but the 120-pound class is loaded. There are 13 former state qualifiers in the top 20. LaPorte senior Ashton Jackson is currently sitting on top of the hill. Jackson is a two-time state champion, winning 106 in 2021 and 113 last season. Right behind Jackson in the rankings is returning 106-pound state champ Jake Hockaday, a sophomore from Brownsburg. There are other proven winners in the weight class as well, like Sullivan senior Lane Gilbert (ranked No. 8). Gilbert has placed the past three seasons, with his best finish coming in 2021 when he placed third at 120 pounds. Other 120 pounders, such as Kokomo junior Jalen May, Evansville Mater Dei sophomore Isaiah Schaefer, Delta junior Neal Mosier, Western junior Tanner Tishner, Columbus East senior Liam Krueger and Center Grove sophomore Eddie Goss have all placed in state before as well. “Ashton Jackson has to be the favorite right now,” Schoettle said. “He beat Toby a few years ago in the semis. But I would never count Toby out. He can beat anyone.” Billerman’s practice partner in the Perry Meridian room is senior Kenton Morton. Morton is ranked No. 16 at 132 pounds and is a two-time state qualifier. “They have been wrestling together for the last 13 years,” Schoettle said. Although winning an individual title is a major goal for Billerman, he would also love to win the Team State title. The Falcons have a very solid squad with five ranked wrestlers in the lineup. In addition to Billerman and Morton, Hruai Liam, Zach Huckaby and Andy Warren are all ranked in their respective weight classes. After team state, Billerman and company will shift their focus to the individual tournament. “I just want to go into the tournament and have fun,” Billerman said. “I want to wrestle hard. I want to compete. And, from there, whatever happens, happens.” After high school Billerman will wrestle at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. He is currently considering studying nursing but admits that might change. “Toby is a slick wrestler on the mat,” Schoettle said. “He’s got great technique and he is pretty physical. No doubt he’s a team leader and has been for a while. But he’s also a great kid. A great student and he never gets in trouble. He’s a very good role model for the younger guys.”

By JEREMY HINES Thehines7@gmail.com The Owen Valley High School wrestling team has one main goal – to make the Class 2A Team state tournament. On Sunday the Patriots will find out if they get invited to the tourney. “Last year getting to team state was our goal,” Patriot coach Steven Spicer said. “Nothing’s changed for this year. We have talked about it all offseason. The guys know what the goal is. They have bought in. If we get in, it will be huge for our program.” Last season was the first time Owen Valley’s wrestling team was ever ranked in Class 2A. Spicer felt it would come down to a dual meet between the Patriots and Monrovia for the final spot in the team state field. In that dual meet Monrovia won by three points, and got in. “I would make a case for our team by saying that we haven’t lost to a 2A school this season,” Spicer said. “We are undefeated in our class. Our community is behind us as well. Right now our wrestling ticket gate is higher than our basketball. The team is already very motivated, and if they get in, they will just be on fire.” Currently the Patriots are 11-2. Their losses come at the hands of Terre Haute South and Cascade. The heart and soul of the Patriot squad is junior Branson Weaver. He is currently ranked No. 11 at 138 pounds. “The kid is a mat rat,” Spicer said. “He loves wrestling. He wrestles year around. He went to Fargo. He’s our leader both vocally and by example. He runs our warmups. When he talks, the team listens. “On the mat Branson is a freak athlete. He’s explosive, strong, fast and incredibly flexible. His wrestling IQ is very high. He’s always wanting to learn and he asks every coach questions, daily.” Senior Eli Hinshaw is the highest ranked grappler on the Patriot squad. He is currently ranked No. 10 at 220. Coach Spicer said Hinshaw is a quiet leader on the team. Hinshaw was named All-State in football this season. Sophomore Emery Jackson is ranked No. 18 at 126 pounds and senior Bryce Mills is currently ranked No. 7 in the Evansville semistate at heavyweight. Hinshaw is the only wrestler on the team with any wrestling experience before Spicer took over the program five years ago. “Everyone else on the team started after I took over,” Spicer said. “Bryce started wrestling as a freshman. Eli Hinshaw started as an 8th grader. Jackson started in seventh grade. “But they have all bought into the offseason,” Spicer said. “They are competing against guys that have wrestled their whole lives. We’ve started doing some sort of wrestling year around and we are always looking for opportunities to get on the mat. We are lucky here that the coaches in other sports are all on board. We are a smaller school, and we all know we have to share athletes.” When Spicer started with the team there were five wrestlers. Now they have 24. This year he talks about how, for the first time, he has flexibility with the lineup and how that makes a big difference in dual meets. “Last year we were really solid, but there was no room for us to bump anyone around,” Spicer said. “We couldn’t manipulate our lineup. This year it’s been nice to have some freedom with the lineup.” Individually, the Patriots are hoping to have several wrestlers punch their ticket to state. Spicer believes a few of the guys can compete for a state title. But right now the goal is to get into team state. That’s the focus. “The guys deserve it,” Spicer said. “We went to the Midwest Classic. We went to Disney. We competed as a team and we don’t take anyone that’s not on our team. We could have. We could have been a little tougher that way. But we wanted only Owen Valley guys. “I truly believe that has made us more competitive this year. In reality, with our guys, we can put up points against any team in the state. I feel we can be competitive with anyone. We are not the most experienced team and we know that. But we want to be the better athletes. We want to be in the best shape and we have to be the toughest team out there. We are athletic, we are in great shape and we are tough and I hope we get to prove that at team state.”

Talking with Brownsburg and Crown Point coaches and wrestlers

By Blaze Lowery Indianapolis continues to dominate the Little State tournament with five champions and eight finalists. Wabash, Marian, and Indiana Tech each having two champions, respectively. Trine continues to show glimmers of success and Manchester remains in rebuild mode. Year after year, this tournament gets stronger, and it is always good to see where Indiana’s universities in the state lineup against each other. 125 – Wabash freshman #7 James Day defeats Aidan Sprague in a close 6-5 decision by a riding point. James Day comes to the Hoosier state from New Jersey and is fitting in well with the Little Giants. Having only a single loss this season, he could be a key component to this Wabash lineup, especially come tournament time. 133 – Indiana Tech’s, #4 Matt Gimson, earned a takedown in sudden victory to defeat #6 Blake Mulkey of Marian. It felt like everyone at the tournament had their eyes on this match with Mulkey’s early takedown earned in the first period. Gimson will see Mulkey again in their dual in January but could see him again even sooner at NWCA National Duals. 141 – UIndy’s Ray Rioux and Brayden Lowery share the Little State title for the greyhounds after both win their sides of the bracket. Being college roommates and wrestling each other in the state finals a few years prior, they decided it would be best to conserve their energy for the infamous Midwest Classic. The two will wrestle-off for the spot in the coming week. Lowery knocks off the one-seed, #5 Logan Wagner, who has recently been making noise in the NAIA scene, in a 6-4 decision. Rioux defeats Aundre Beatty with an uncontested 12-0 major decision. Both these hounds cannot run away from each other for too much longer with the 141-pound spot up for grabs. 149 – #8 Nick Gates defeats Nathan Conley by 3-1 decision in the Little State finals for the second year in a row. Gates also defeats Asa Garcia in a 7-1 decision in the semis. Gates is a proven guy and is on his way to placement at the NAIA National Championships, after not placing in last year’s tournament. 157 – UIndy’s #3 Logan Bailey obliterates the competition with three falls and takes the title by injury default in the finals over Tyson Nisley. After moving up from 149, Bailey has filled into the weight class nicely and rolls into the Midwest Classic with six falls on the season. 165 – Owen Zablocki secures another title for the Greyhounds with a fall by spladle over Sam York of Indiana Tech. #6 Jack Eiteljorge injury defaults out of the tournament and allows Zablocki to win his last wrestling tournament ever, as he graduates at semester. 174 – #4 Elliott Rodgers pins his way to a Little State title after he misses weight for 165lbs. Rodgers pins #11 Raymond Arebalo, who was seeded first this tournament. It is safe to say Rodgers is dangerous no matter what weight he ends up at. 184 – #3 Sam Osho wins Marian’s first Little State title of the day with a 13-6 decision over Aidan Petersen of UIndy. Osho did not give up a single takedown this whole tournament and continues to be a great leader for the Knights. 197 – #2 Derek Blubaugh gets his revenge with a 3-0 decision over Marian’s #7 Jack Servies. After falling to Servies at last season’s Little State tournament, Blubaugh was excited to make up for it. Blubaugh will roll into the Midwest Classic where he will more than likely see Dalton Abney of Central Oklahoma who beat him at the 2022 NCAA DII National Champions. 285 – Wabash’s #3 Jack Heldt makes himself the third wrestler this tournament to pin his way through the tournament with a fall over Mayes-Butler of Indiana Tech, who had all falls as well going into the finals. Heldt stays undefeated on the season for the Little Giants. D1 Significant Results: #2 Mason Parris (Michigan) defeats #5 Lucas Davison (Northwestern) at CKLV by 6-4 decision #18 Silas Allred (Nebraska) wins by 5-2 decision over #15 Gavin Hoffman (Ohio State) at CKLV Graham Calhoun (Wisconsin) wins Jim Kock Open Upcoming Events this Weekend: Dec 10th – Wabash @ Luther College (Triple Dual) Dec 11th – IU @ Cleveland State Open Dec 11th – Marian & Indiana Tech @ NAIA Challenge Duals

By Blaze Lowery Indiana University The Hoosiers of Indiana University are stocking up on more talent for the upcoming 2022-2023 season. Signing 11 recruits, this team is beginning to shape itself into a bit of a shock for the Big Ten Conference. Coming off a not-so-great ending to their previous season, the Hoosiers are in search of redemption. As they bring back many starters for this upcoming season, Head Coach Angel Escobedo and the squad will have the opportunity to prove that IU isn’t just a basketball school. With the majority of the new recruiting class from out of state, one familiar name that rings a bell in southern Indiana is Gabe Sollars from Evansville Mater Dei. Having a great end to his high school career as a two-time state champion, Sollars could be the missing piece to the puzzle in Bloomington. Also joining the Hoosiers is two-time placer, Ben Phillips of Charlestown, who had a record of 142-22 throughout his high school career. Transfer, Clayton Fielden of Garrett, who has seen some mat time for Army, comes back to his home state to compete for the Hoosiers as well. Fielden could potentially crack the Hoosier lineup this season as he takes on Robert Major of Carmel for the 165lbs spot. Bringing back the bulk of their starters from last season only gives this team more time to grow and compete at a higher level. Returning this season is Donnell Washington of Portage, who was the only wrestler to score for the Hoosiers at the NCAA DI National Championships. Having been ranked as high as #6 in the nation last season, he is someone that is bound to make sparks fly, especially after hearing he is dropping down to 174lbs for the Hoosiers. This spot, currently held by Nick South of Columbus East, is going to make for an interesting curveball in their lineup. Escobedo indicates that although he thinks both men could potentially be All-Americans, championship teams have guys at the same weight class more frequently than not. The infamous brother duo, Graham and Cayden Rooks of Columbus East, have been more than entertaining throughout their wrestling careers. These guys are both high scoring wrestlers who always seem to pull off some big upsets year after year. The Rooks brothers both fell short of their goals last season, but it only gave them more motivation to grind this offseason. Escobedo has been assisting the brothers’ transition to “approach the sport differently this offseason,” which has made these men hungry and excited for what their future holds. Happy to bring back Jacob Moran of Portage at 125lbs, the Hoosiers are going to be just fine to start out their duals this season. With multiple wins over ranked opponents, and being ranked the first half of last season, it is Moran’s time to make a statement. Like most of his teammates, this offseason has been a time for him to refine and build on his skills. Do not sleep on Nick Willham of Greenwood at 195lbs. Although Willham does not have too many collegiate accolades to date, he is a “workhorse in the room,” says Escobedo. Willham has been making himself known around the nation with multiple overtime matches with All-American’s in his weight class. Escobedo also points out how those matches only led to more confidence for Willham to reach All-American status. “The sky is the limit,” states Escobedo. Returning to Bloomington, as an associate head coach, Mike Dixon 01’. Dixon having a lofty coaching resume will make for an impactful addition to the Hoosier coaching staff. Another coach added is volunteer assistant coach and three-time All-American at Nebraska, C.J. Red. Red, a four-time Indiana state champion, has a vested interest in the future of the Hoosier wrestling program. This is truly a year for IU to take the next step and possibly make some magic happen. Purdue University Purdue University continues to churn talent and develop Indiana recruits into national qualifiers. Bringing on seven newcomers, these recruits are entering a program that could finish top 15 in the country. The Boilermakers bring on a very skilled recruiting class, with an already young team as it is. Being in the room since June, these freshmen who came in as boys, are going to enter their season as men states Assistant Coach Jake Sueflohn. First recruit up is Brody Baumann of Evansville Mater Dei, who was a two-time Indiana state champion. He is a proven winner and has shown he is ready to compete at the next level. Up next is Ike Ruble of Bellmont, who is likely hungrier after his season did not go as planned. It is likely that Ruble is still growing and could end up at a much higher weight class than intended. Coach Sueflohn also sheds light on Ruble’s “attitude and positive energy” that lifts the room up. Ruble finished his high school career at 133-10 and is likely going to crack lineup in his time as a Boilermaker. Kade Law of Columbus East was the guy the Olympians could always count on when they needed it most. Being a 2021 IHPO Champion, Law has always been a well-rounded competitor. Brac Hooper of Zionsville is the last recruit of Indiana natives. This guy always knew how to scrap but only started to fill out by the end of his high school career. It would not be a surprise if we saw Hooper become West Lafayette’s secret weapon. Some of the success from this previous year’s tournaments was from #10 Thomas Penola of Zionsville. Penola, a three-time NCAA national qualifier, is settling into his redshirt senior season nicely. Always willing to do whatever it takes, Penola has been “opening his offensive attacks this offseason,” says Sueflohn. Although his signature underhook is nothing to shy away from, development this offseason will push him to that All-American status at the tournament this year. Cooper Noehre of Greenfield Central has the chance to solidify himself at 165lbs. After he wrestled in a few varsity duals in the previous season at 157lbs, he has proven himself more than capable of holding his own for the Boilermakers. Potentially cracking lineup at 149lbs is Jaden Reynolds of Avon. Reynolds being a three-time place winner for the Orioles has proven himself as a viable option for the Boilermakers. Having a few solid wins under his belt his redshirt season, Reynolds is continuing to build on his already solid foundation. Someone else really filling out is Indiana state champion, Tristan Ruhlman of Bloomington South, who is likely to see time at heavyweight this season. This team understand how to put its nose to the grindstone and really make it count. Excited is an understatement when talking about Purdue wrestling.

By JEREMY HINES Thehines7@gmail.com After five years of watching others compete in Indiana’s wrestling state tournament, Purdue Polytechnic will finally get its chance to participate. Polytechnic started six years ago but this is the first year the school is fully sanctioned to compete in the Indiana High School Athletic Association tournaments. The Techies are hoping to find quick success on the mat this season. “This year we have some kids that we think will do pretty well in the state tourney,” Polytechnic coach Cory Graham said. “We want to get into team state and eventually work toward a team state title.” The school has just over 500 students. The wrestling team has 42 grapplers and fills every weight class. “If you look at most high schools, the kids come from the same location,” Graham said. “Here we have kids traveling from all over the Indianapolis area. We have kids from Greenwood, the west side and all over the city. We are a very diverse school, but we come together and work toward a common goal.” Although there are a good number of wrestlers on the team, the Techies are very inexperienced on the mats compared to other schools they will compete with. “We started with 16 kids when we started the program,” Graham said. “We’ve grown every year. I only have a couple of kids that come with some decent experience. We started a middle school program, but we only have six kids that have come up from that.” Currently the Techies have 22 freshmen and 12 sophomores on the team. They have just four seniors, two male and two female. “I’m excited about that,” Graham said. “This is a great opportunity for these kids to get experience and learn.” The only ranked wrestler in the program currently is sophomore Silas Foster. Foster is ranked No. 18 at 138 pounds. “My personal goal is to get a state title,” Foster said. “I want to wrap up our schools first state championship and then I want to go out and get two more in my junior and senior seasons.” Foster has gone to the New Castle semistate as a spectator several times. He has witnessed the emotion of the ticket-round matches and the thrill of the champions being crowned. There are seven female wrestlers on the Techie squad. Seniors Katelynn Hernandez is ranked No. 3 in the girls’ polls at 132 pounds. Her senior classmate, Carmen Castillo, is ranked No. 10 at 182. “I’ve had three girls that have been runners-up in the girls state tournament,” Graham said. “I’ve had six placers at girls state. We have four kids wrestling in college right now.” On the boys side, senior 152-pounder Canaan Miller is the team’s leader. “In the room he’s really vocal and he works well with the young guys,” Graham said. “He has wrestled all four years for us. He’s pretty tough. We bumped him up against Daleville to wrestle the NO. 9-ranked kid at 160 and he wrestled him pretty well. He’ll scrap with anyone in the state.” Although the wrestlers on the team come from all different parts of the Indy area, they have been able to bond. “We’re a very positive, upbeat team,” Graham said. “All the kids are super funny. They cool part of this team is that a lot of them played football together and they have like a brotherhood mentality. We are really close. It’s like a family but we can flip the switch when it comes time to practice and compete.” The Techies are hoping to build on whatever success they have this year, and in the near future they are hoping to become a strong wrestling program with multiple accolades. “It has been a long process to go through to become sanctioned by the IHSAA,” Graham said. “After fighting the battle for five years, we finally got in. A lot of our kids didn’t understand how the tournament even worked, especially my new kids. They are excited to be a part of this and to learn from it.”

By Blaze Lowery Is IU better than we thought? Unranked Indiana defeats #23 Princeton, pushing the Tigers out of the rankings. Although Princeton was without #2 Pat Glory, the Hoosiers dominate them with a 22 – 13 upset. IU has continued to show improvement since last season’s dissatisfactory finish. #19 D.J. Washington then goes on to wins Army’s, Black Knight Open at 174lbs, beating #21 Benjamin Pasiuk of Army. Keeping his undefeated record in-tact, the Portage native is proving himself week after week since shifting to a lower weight class this season. Longtime teammate, Jacob Moran was runner-up and the Rooks’ brothers both captured a third place wins for the Hoosiers. Indiana is starting their season off much stronger than they left off last season and could make some sparks as they roll into the Garden State Grapple on December 4th. Are the Boilermaker Duals a good indication of Purdue’s success? Coming off a surprising dual loss to Rider University on their home turf, Purdue turned their performance around and defeated Cleveland State, Northern Illinois, and Chattanooga at the Boilermaker Duals. Having a younger squad this season, the Boilermakers are struggling to make the same mark at the start of their season as they have in their previous season. At this point in their schedule, it is too early to say if the Boilermakers are a tough to beat dual team, but it is safe to say that the competition at the Boilermaker Duals tournament means little to none when competing in the Big Ten. We look for the Boilermakers to start ramping up as we get closer to the middle of the season. With that being said, the future looks bright for Purdue wrestling as this young roster will make for some depth in the coming years and the recruiting class coming in will be one to keep an eye on. It is exciting to see guys like Macartney Parkinson, Jaden Reynolds, and Hayden Filipovich really getting their feet wet with some serious mat time. Time will tell if the Boilermakers can show us what is behind the curtains as they compete in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on December 2nd – 3rd. Recent Out-of-State Wrestler D1 Results: #3 Mason Parris (Michigan) wins by fall in both duals against UNC and Columbia. #5 Brayton Lee (Minnesota) clinches Binghamton dual by major decision. #6 Lucas Davison (Northwestern) with a dominant 6-0 decision in Virginia Dual. #12 Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) pushes Joey Melendez out of the rankings with a pin. #19 Silas Allred (Nebraska) wins Navy Classic.

By Drew Hughes This year there will be 13 Indiana guys competing in St. Louis across 8 different weight classes. This puts only 7 other states ahead of us for the number of qualifiers. Out of these 13 qualifiers only 1 of them is not from the Big Ten. Drew Hildebrandt will be competing in the 125-pound bracket for the Central Michigan Chippewas. This will be Drew’s 3rd NCAA tournament appearance and has earned the 4th seed. The Penn High School graduate also won his 2nd MAC title to qualify for the tournament and is undefeated on the season. Nick Lee will be competing in the 141-pound bracket for Penn State and will be in the hunt to win a national title. Lee comes into the tournament as the 2nd seed just like he was last year for the cancelled championships. The Evansville Mater Dei graduate is 8-1 on the season with his 1 loss coming in the Big Ten finals to the 1st seed Eierman. Chad Red will be competing in the 141-pound bracket for Nebraska where he will be looking to All-American like he has at every NCAA tournament he’s wrestled in. Red comes into the tournament as the 8th seed with his only losses this year coming from the 1st and 3rd seeds of the tournament. As most people have seen, the New Palestine grad has always showed up for the big show. Cayden Rooks will be competing in the 141-pound bracket for Indiana where he will be wrestling in his first NCAA tournament. Rooks earned an at-large bid to qualify for the tournament and will be the 32nd seed. Cayden is a Columbus East High School graduate where he won 2 state titles. Graham Rooks will be competing in the 149-pound bracket for Indiana, and this was his 2nd time qualifying for the NCAA tournament. After a 6th place finish at the Big Ten tournament, Rooks earned himself the 21st seed. Graham is also a Columbus East grad and is the older brother of previously mentions Cayden Rooks. Brayton Lee will be competing in the 157-pound bracket for Minnesota, and this was his 2nd time qualifying for the NCAA tournament. After being seeded 7th for last year cancelled tournament Lee will be 1 spot higher at the 6th seed this year. The Brownsburg native is coming off of an impressive 3rd place Big Ten finish. Jake Tucker will be competing in the 165-pound bracket for Michigan State, and it is a little controversial to claim him for Indiana. Tucker went to Mount Carmel High School in Illinois BUT has lived in Lowell Indiana his entire life. Since he has an Indiana driver’s license, I think it’s only fair we get to claim the now 2-time NCAA qualifier. Tucker earned the 25th seed after finish 6th place at the Big Ten tournament. Joe Lee will be competing in the 165-pound bracket for Penn State where he will be wrestling in his first NCAA tournament. The Evansville Mater Dei grad will be the 23rd seed of the tournament after placing 8th at Big Tens. While Joe didn’t get a top 8 seed like his brother Nick, he does still have 1 more state title then his older brother. Donnell Washington will be competing in the 174-pound bracket for Indiana where he will be wrestling in his first NCAA tournament. The Portage grad has really proved himself this year and will be the 9th seed. Washington is coming off a 6th place Big Ten finish and holds a win over the 3rd seed. Drew Hughes (also the person writing this article) will be competing in the 174-pound bracket and is the 32 seed. This will be his 4th NCAA tournament and holds one of the worst records in the entire tournament at 3-7 on the year. All that we can know for sure is that the Lowell High School grad is going to choose top and probably get hit for a few stalling calls. Lucas Davison will be competing in the 197-pound bracket for Northwestern, and this will be his 2nd time qualifying for the NCAA tournament. Davison is coming into the tournament as the 12th seed after placing 5th at Big Tens. The Chesterton native will be looking to become an All-American just like his dad was back in the day. Thomas Penola will be competing in the 197-pound bracket for Purdue, and this will be his 2nd time qualifying for the NCAA tournament. Penola qualified for last years cancelled tournament at 285-pounds. This year he’s down a weight and earned himself the 19th seed of the tournament. The Zionsville High School graduate finished 7th at the Big Ten tournament. Mason Parris will be competing in the 285-pound bracket for the Michigan wolverines, and this will be his 3rd NCAA tournament. Parris will be the 2nd seed of the tournament for the 2nd year in a row. The Lawrenceburg native has placed 2nd at the big ten tournament the last 2 season and will be looking for a rematch of the Big Ten finals in the NCAA finals.

By STEVE KRAHstvkrh905@gmail.com A.J. Poindexter has experienced moments of motivation during his wrestling career. His first season at Harrison High School in West Lafayette ended with Poindexter — then a 138-pound sophomore – placing sixth at the 2018 Lafayette Jeff Sectional. After that, he really dedicated himself to the sport and qualified for the 2019 State Finals in the 138 bracket as a junior. A 1-0 loss to Mt. Vernon (Fortville) junior Chris Wilkerson (who wound up seventh) in the Friday night match ended his second prep campaign and fueled his desire to excel in his senior year and beyond. “I can’t let the big stage change the way I wrestle,” says Poindexter, referring to the lesson he learned last February at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. “I took a lot of shots. But I didn’t get to my finishes quickly.“ “When you get on the bottom in the third period, you’ve got to get away. There’s no excuse for (not escaping).” A major point of emphasis in Poindexter’s training since then has been in the bottom position when the opponent puts in his legs. Poindexter was born in California, moved to Virginia around age 1 and then Connecticut. His father, Anthony Poindexter, was in the National Football League with the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns and then became a coach, serving at the University of Virginia and University of Connecticut prior to becoming co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Purdue University. Anthony and Kimberly Poindexter have three children — Morocca, Anthony Jr. and Chloe. Morocca (20) is a 400/800 runner on the women’s track and field team at UConn. A.J., who turns 18 on Jan. 14, says eighth grader Chloe (13) placed seventh in the junior state cross country meet last fall and was second in the 800 and fourth in the 400 as a seventh grader in the junior high state track meet last spring. A.J. went out for wrestling as an eighth grader in Connecticut at the insistence of his coach for lacrosse, a sport he began playing in kindergarten. He grappled as a short 120-pounder as a freshmen then moved to Indiana when his father was hired at Purdue. By growing and hitting the weight room, Poindexter has added length and strength to his frame and is now a shade over 5-foot-9 — taller than many in his weight division, which is now 145. “I’m deceptively strong,” says Poindexter, who is a senior. The younger Poindexter played football as a Harrison sophomore then opted to focus on wrestling. “It’s kind of my thing,” says Poindexter of wrestling. “You can’t blame your teammates or the ref. It’s all on you.“ “If you want to be good, you have to put int he work.” Third-year Harrison head coach Johnny Henry says that what makes Poindexter special is his dedication and his athleticism. “Practice room through competition, he’s put in hard work,” says Henry of Poindexter. “He is fully-committed. He has speed. He is just very quick on his feet.“ “His technique has improved so much over the last two years.” Poindexter says Harrison coaches have told him to use his quickness and athleticism to his advantage. “Wrestle like an athlete instead of robotic,” says Poindexter of the advice. While he considers his double-leg takedown to be his “bread and butter” move, Poindexter has been working to make his offense more diverse.“ “I watch tons of wrestling on YouTube and TV,” says Poindexter. “I’m trying to pick moves. Wrestling freestyle and Greco-Roman in the spring has added more upper body (moves) in my arsenal.” To get different looks against different body types, Poindexter works out with various teammates in the Harrison practice room. Some of his steady drill partners are Tristen Hood (152), Matthew Baylay (138) and Sam Hein (120). Poindexter has honed his skills by attending camps, clinics and tournaments and attending workouts led by Henry at Harrison as well as Chad Red of the Red Cobra Wrestling Academy in Indianapolis. “He really cares about his guys,” says Poindexter of Red. Poindexter is also thankful to the knowledge and encouragement provided by former Harrison assistant (and ex-Purdue University head coach) Scott Hinkel. “How bad do you want to be good at this?,” says Poindexter, echoing the question Hinkel asked him. Poindexter has committed to continue his wrestling and academic careers at George Mason University, an NCAA Division I program in Fairfax County, Va. By going 5-2 at the Virginia Beach Junior Nationals, Poindexter caught the attention of Patriots coaches. He was invited for a campus visit and later committed. George Mason assistant Camden Eppert wrestled for Hinkel at Purdue. “It’s the place for me in terms of culture and coaches,” says Poindexter. “I want to try to be a D-I All-American.” Poindexter enjoyed taking Journalism at Harrison last year and his current favorite class is Intro to Communications, where he has learned video editing and recently posted a commercial parody of the Nike “Dream Crazy” ad using Raiders wrestlers. It can be viewed on his Twitter page at @AJ_Poindexter. With the help of Poindexter (28-0), Harrison is 21-2 in dual meets and won the 32-team Spartan Classic at Connersville. Prior to the IHSAA tournament series (Lafayette Jeff Sectional Feb. 1, Logansport Regional Feb. 8, East Chicago Semistate Feb. 15 and State Finals Feb. 21-22), the Raiders’ Varsity “A” team has a dual meet at Tipton Jan. 15, a home dual against Rensselaer Central Jan. 23 and North Central Conference meet at Richmond Jan. 25. Henry promotes closeness with his Raiders and Poindexter embraces that model. “A.J.’s very enthusiastic,” says Henry. “He can pump up the team. Practice is very team-oriented. We stick together as a family. It helps us stay mentally tough and focused as a team.“ “We build each other up when one person’s down. There’s times when the season feels long.” To break up the monotony, the team sometimes plays games — like ultimate frisbee with a football. “It gives our minds a break,” says Henry. “It’s a workout but they have fun with it. It’s team bonding for them.” Henry was a Harrison for four seasons before becoming head coach. Before that, the former University of Indianapolis wrestler spent one year as an assistant at his alma mater — Benton Central. He is a full-time trainer at Miracles Fitness in West Lafayette. The Raiders have about 50 athletes in the program and 13 coaches — Henry plus assistants Bill Bailey, John Campagna, Kevin Elliott, Donnie Fahler, Aaron Hawkins, Michael Kern, Dustin Kult, Chris Maxwell, Jonathan Mongold, Walt Prochno, Aaron Quakenbush and Dennis Synesael.

By JEREMY HINES Thehines7@gmail.com Hamilton Southeastern senior Andrew Irick suffered a devastating knee injury in the spring of his junior year. It might have been the best thing for him. Irick knew, because of the injury (he tore his ACL, MCL and meniscus), he wouldn’t be able to remain in the 220-pound weight class. He also knew he needed to get stronger, but he couldn’t do much with his legs in the weight room due to the surgery on his knee and the recovery time needed. So, he started working upper body. Weight gain wasn’t an issue because he was planning to bump up to heavyweight for his senior season. “He probably put on 55 pounds,” HSE coach Nick Brobst said. “He’s a totally rebuilt athlete now. His wrestling reflects that. He’s bigger, way, way stronger and way more aggressive with his attacks. Wrestling in the heavyweight division makes him look even faster. He’s a much, much improved wrestler over what he was last year.” Last season Irick was no slouch. He had his best season of his career, ultimately finishing fourth at state. Irick started out as a freshman in the 182-pound class. He then moved up to 195 as a sophomore and 220 as a junior. Those early weight class competitions forced Irick to get better on his feet. That has ultimately helped him now that he’s in the heavyweight class. Irick’s older brother Matt wrestled for Indiana University. His other brother, Spencer, wrestles for IU now. Matt worked a lot with Andrew to help him on his feet and with takedowns. That has transformed Irick’s attack on the mat. “He has got a lot more aggressive on his feet,” Brobst said. “We used to joke that he wrestled using what we called the ‘Irick stall’ where he would do anything and everything to make a match last forever. Last year he started developing his own gas tank and now he doesn’t want the matches to go that long. “He still has that heavyweight mentality to a tee,” Brobst said. “Last year he won on Friday night at state. At weigh-ins Saturday morning his teammate was eating yogurt, fruit and a granola bar. Andrew is there eating a bag of leftover Halloween candy. He said ‘this is what I do. Leave the process alone.’ “ Irick is currently ranked No. 2 in the state in the 285-pound class. He’s ranked just below Brownsburg’s returning state champion Dorian Keys. The two could potentially wrestle in 10 days at the Hoosier Crossroads Conference tournament. “Conference is important,” Irick said. “But ultimately my goal is to win a state championship and that’s the bigger picture for me right now. I want to be at my best come tournament time.” According to coach Brobst, Andrew goes through a whole gamut of emotions before he wrestles. “Andrew is probably the first kid I’ve coached in 10 years that’s just never serious,” Brobst said. “He’s a complete goofball everywhere he goes. But come meet time, he goes through this process. He’s nervous at first. Then he starts doubting himself and thinking he can’t beat the other guy. Then he decides he’s going to go out and kick that guy’s butt. Something clicks and he’s ready to go. It’s like that every match.” Irick is in the top 10 percent of his class academically. He has a 4.27 GPA and plans to follow in his brothers’ footsteps and wrestle at Indiana University next season. He will study biology or chemistry with the goal of becoming a doctor. Like wrestling, becoming a doctor runs in the family. Both of Irick’s parents are doctors, his grandfather is a doctor, his uncle is a doctor and both of his brothers are studying to be doctors. “It’s hard to see him as a doctor, knowing him as an 18-year old,” Brobst said. “But I have no doubt that he will be. He might go into a field where he works with kids. He’s extremely good with kids. My son is a kindergartener and thinks Andrew walks on water.” Irick is focused on getting back to state this year and potentially making is way to the championship match. “The atmosphere at state is just indescribable,” Irick said. “I can’t wait to get back there.”

By JEREMY HINES Thehines7@gmail.com “You’re still in this. It’s not over.” Elliott Rodgers kept hearing those words coming from his corner Saturday night in the championship match of the 152-pound weight class at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse. With under a minute to go in the match Rodgers trailed Greenfield’s Cooper Noehre 7-4. Rodgers was wrestling for an individual title and a chance to all but secure a team title for the Irish. “It was nerve wracking,” Rodgers said. “It’s scary to be trailing like that. I don’t like it. But, you just have to think if you win, you win. If you lose, you lose. The coaches are in my corner yelling that it’s not over. That kept me going.” Rodgers earned an escape point to cut Noehre’s lead to 7-5. Then, with under 10 seconds remaining, he earned a takedown to tie the score and force overtime. It was the third overtime meeting this season between the two rivals. This time Rodgers pulled out a move he has been working on in practice but hadn’t shown Noehre yet – an inside trip. The move worked, and Rodgers won the match. The victory gave him his first state title and helped Cathedral win its second team title in as many years. “Elliott just grinded it out,” Cathedral coach Sean McGinley said. “He was down points but he didn’t panic and he battled back. He didn’t just do it in the finals, he grinded out wins in the quarterfinals and on Friday night.” Rodger’s teammate, senior Jordan Slivka sealed the team championship for the Irish in the next match. Slivka took on Portage’s No. 1-ranked Donnell Washington Jr. in the 160-pound championship. Washington beat Slivka 8-3 during the regular season and appeared on his way to beating him again in the final. Washington took Slivka down early in the match and then cut him (gave him a free escape). Washington continued his dominance for most of the first two periods. Then, in the final minute of the match, Slivka came alive. The Ohio University commit scored seven points in the final minute to win the match 12-7. That victory ensured no other team could catch the Irish in points. Slivka won his first individual state championship last season, and coincidentally, that victory also sealed the team title for the Irish. “This title felt better than last year’s,” Slivka said. “My goal wasn’t to be the best wrestler at Cathedral. I didn’t think I could ever accomplish that with guys like Blake Rypel and Lance Ellis. But no other Cathedral team has won two titles, and I wanted to be able to say I was the best team captain.” Slivka’s wrestling shirt has the word “clutch” on the back of it – one that coach McGinley feels is appropriate for the senior. “He comes through when people count him out,” McGinley said. “Washington is extremely, extremely talented and tough. He was on us that first period. We just wanted to stay close and ride it out. Slivka never lost faith and he pulled out that win.” Going into the final Cathedral looked to be in great shape to claim the team title. The Irish had four wrestling for weight-class championships and a small lead in the team standings. But things got a little dicey in the early goings. Irish freshman sensation Zeke Seltzer lost the 113 pound final to returning state champion, No. 1-ranked senior Jacob Moran of Portage 3-0. Then Cathedral’s Alex Mosconi fell to No. 1-ranked Matt Lee, 5-2 in the 145-pound final. When Avon’s Asa Garcia earned a pin over Roncalli’s Alec Viduya in the 132 pound final, suddenly things got interesting. Avon still had Carson Brewer to wrestle at 182 pounds. Brewer was the heavy favorite in the match, and if he pinned his opponent, Avon had a chance to take the team title. That’s when Rodgers and Slivka stepped up and won back-to-back matches to eliminate that possibility. “If we polled everyone they would have probably said we were an underdog in three of the matches and probably a push in the fourth,” McGinley said. “We knew the odds were against us, and we just needed someone who was going to step up and pull it through.” In all, Cathedral sent five wrestlers to the state tournament. Rodgers and Slivka won their weight classes. Seltzer and Mosconi placed second and Lukasz Walendzak finished 8th at 126.

By Anna Kayser The wrestling room at McCutcheon High School has two mats, with practice squads split down the middle by weight. Two mats, working truly in tandem toward both common and individual goals, is the perfect metaphor for the first two returning state placewinners since 2006. Aiden Dallinger and Cole Chicoine are seniors battling at opposite ends of the Maverick lineup – Dallinger at 120 points and Chicoine at 215. Last season, they became the first McCutcheon state placewinners since 2014 and the first to place earlier than their senior year since junior Travis Dale in 2006. “Kids need to see an example, and when they see a kid from their school achieve at some of the highest levels, they start to think they can do it too,” McCutcheon head coach Adam Metzger said. “It’s been a huge launching point for our program, and we get to use them as examples in many ways.” Having not one, but two seniors as focal points for the program has been huge not only in the development of younger wrestlers, but for Dallinger and Chicoine to work as a team in building each other up. “I think just because we progressed at the same pace, we’re both reaping the same achievements at the same time,” Dallinger said. “I feel like it’s easier when we accomplish them, and it means more because we do it together.” Both wrestlers have grown in parallel lines to each other since coming into the program as freshman. Young for their age with a lot of room for growth on the mat, they’ve taken each step together. Now, as they’re making their way through the postseason of their senior years, they’re able to cheer each other on. Their gap in weight classes comes at an advantage. Although the benefits don’t come from on-the-mat head-to-head training, advice is constantly given and received in a way that makes each of them better. They’re able to take the time to be in each other’s corner without having to worry about their own imminent match. “It definitely helps him keeping me accountable,” Chicoine said. “If I lose a match, I know he’s going to say something about it. If I do something sloppy, he’s going to say something about it… We push each other because we’re both pretty competitive. And since we’re both there, it’s not like one of us is going to fall off because we know the other one’s going to be on our backs about it.” As sophomores, they each lost in their respective ticket rounds to narrowly miss state bids. Together, by holding each other accountable, they turned those losses into personal success and leadership opportunities. “They’ve done all of the things we’ve asked them to do in the offseason, they bought into the program that we’re trying to sell them, and they’ve just continued to develop in the mat,” McCutcheon head coach Adam Metzger said. “They’ve [gone from] underdeveloped freshmen to vocal leaders who are just constantly trying to show our kids the path it takes to be successful and get to wrestle at the next level.” With everything they’ve been able to do in tandem, working as a team to help each other achieve their goals, the effect on younger classes has been huge for the Mavericks. In the McCutcheon wrestling room, each senior has the opportunity to lead one of the two mats and act as an extension of the coaching staff in building up the program. Their previous success is the perfect resumé for outreach and showing other wrestlers what a tangible path to reaching their goals looks like. “When me and Aiden [placed at state], we showed that we put in the work and that our coaching staff knew what they were doing. It built confidence,” Chicoine said. “This year, it’s been a lot of teaching some of the younger guys that didn’t necessarily have a lot of success last year but trying to set them up for success not only this year but next year.” Dallinger added, “To have a high-level on both mats, able to work around and build up our team on both spectrums, I feel like it’s a pretty big advantage.” Success is contagious, and having seniors that are vocal, willing to teach and setting a good example not only on the mat but in the classroom – according to Metzger, Chicoine was Academic All-State and Dallinger’s SAT score was off the charts – has helped improve the Maverick wrestling program ten-fold. “This is my fifth year at McCutcheon, and this is by far the biggest freshman class we’ve ever had,” Metzger said. “I think a lot of it has to do with [Aiden and Cole] – they go back to their old middle schools, they’ve worked with and talked to the kids. They do a great job of that outreach and just getting kids excited about our program.”

**Match orders have been updated as of 1pm Sunday** You can find TrackWrestling links here https://indianamat.com/index.php?/bracketstournament.html/ 1. Hobart | 9 am CT Feeder Sectionals: East Chicago Central, Portage Hobart.pdf 2. Crown Point | 9 am CT Feeder Sectionals: Crown Point, LaPorte Crown Point.pdf 3. Penn | 9 am ET Feeder Sectionals: Mishawaka, Plymouth Penn.pdf 4. Logansport | 10 am ET Feeder Sectionals: Lafayette Jefferson, Twin Lakes Logansport.pdf 5. Goshen | 9:30 am ET Feeder Sectionals: Elkhart, West Noble Goshen.pdf 6. Carroll (Fort Wayne) | 9 am ET Feeder Sectionals: Carroll (Fort Wayne), New Haven Carroll.pdf 7. Peru | 9 am ET Feeder Sectionals: Peru, Oak Hill Peru.pdf 8. Jay County | 8:30 am ET Feeder Sectionals: Delta, Jay County Jay County.pdf 9. North Montgomery | 9 am ET Feeder Sectionals: Crawfordsville, Frankfort North Mont.pdf 10. Pendleton Heights | 9 am ET Feeder Sectionals: Elwood, Indianapolis Arsenal Technical Pendleton Heights.pdf 11. Perry Meridian | 9 am ET Feeder Sectionals: Shelbyville, Southport Perry Meridian.pdf 12. Richmond | 9 am ET Feeder Sectionals: South Dearborn, Shenandoah Richmond.pdf 13. Mooresville | 9 am ET Feeder Sectionals: Avon, Mooresville Mooresville.pdf 14. Bloomington South | 10 am ET Feeder Sectionals: Bloomington North, Southridge Bloomington South.pdf 15. Jeffersonville | 8 am ET Feeder Sectionals: Jeffersonville, Jennings County Jeffersonville.pdf 16. Castle | 9 am CT Feeder Sectionals: Castle, Evansville Central Castle.pdf

Changes: Semi-State From Fort Wayne to East Chicago: Caston and Rochester From East Chicago to Fort Wayne: Wawasee and Tippecanoe Valley Sectional and Regional Changes New Castle Semi-State From Arsenal Tech/Pendleton Heights to Southport/Perry Meridian Lawrence Central, Lawrence North, North Central, and Mount Vernon(Fortville) From Southport/Perry Meridian to Arsenal Tech/Pendleton Heights Cardinal Ritter, Crispus Attucks, Providence Cristo Rey, and George Washington East Chicago Semi-State From Laporte/Crown Point to Plymouth/Penn North Judson From Winamac(Twin Lakes now)/Logansport to Plymouth/Penn Winamac From Crown Point/Crown Point to East Chicago Central/Hobart Lake Central From Winamac/Logansport to Crown Point/Crown Point North Newton and South Newton Evansville Semi-State From Mooresville/Mooresville to Jennings County/Jeffersonville Franklin Community From Bloomington North/Bloomington South to Jennings County/Jeffersonville Indian Creek From Jennings County/Jeffersonville to Bloomington North/Bloomington South Brown County Fort Wayne Semi-State From Carroll/Carroll to Peru/Peru Huntington North Sectional Changes From Southridge to Bloomington North Bedford North Lawrence From Jeffersonville to Jennings County Eastern (Pekin) and Salem From Plymouth to Mishawaka LaVille From Bloomington North to Southridge Paoli Sectionals 1. East Chicago Central (9): East Chicago Central, Gary West Side, Hammond Bishop Noll, Hammond Central, Hammond Morton, Lake Central, Merrillville, Munster, Whiting 2. Portage (8): Andrean, Calumet, Griffith, Highland, Hobart, Lake Station Edison, Portage, River Forest 3. Crown Point (10): Boone Grove, Crown Point, Hanover Central, Hebron, Illiana Christian, Kankakee Valley, Lowell, North Newton, South Newton, Wheeler 4. LaPorte (7): Chesterton, Glenn, Knox, LaPorte, Marquette Catholic, Michigan City, New Prairie, Valparaiso 5. Mishawaka (9): LaVille, Mishawaka, Mishawaka Marian, Penn, South Bend Adams, South Bend Clay, South Bend Riley, South Bend Saint Joseph, South Bend Washington 6. Plymouth (10): Bremen, Caston, Culver Academies, Culver Community, North Judson-San Pierre, Plymouth, Rochester Community, Triton, Warsaw Community, Winamac Community 7. Twin Lakes (12): Benton Central, Frontier, Logansport, North White, Pioneer, Rensselaer Central, Tri-County, Twin Lakes, West Central 8. Lafayette Jefferson (10): Attica, Carroll (Flora), Delphi Community, Faith Christian, Harrison (West Lafayette), Lafayette Central Catholic, Lafayette Jefferson, McCutcheon, Seeger, West Lafayette 9. Elkhart (8): Concord, Elkhart, Fairfield, Goshen, Jimtown, Northridge, NorthWood, Wawasee 10. West Noble (9): Angola, Central Noble, DeKalb, East Noble, Fremont, Lakeland, Prairie Heights, West Noble, Westview 11. Carroll (Fort Wayne) (9): Carroll (Fort Wayne), Churubusco, Columbia City, Eastside, Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger, Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran, Fort Wayne Northrop, Garrett, Whitko 12. TBD (10): Fort Wayne Bishop Luers, Fort Wayne North Side, Fort Wayne Snider, Fort Wayne South Side, Fort Wayne Wayne, Heritage, Homestead, New Haven, Leo, Woodlan 13. Peru (10): Lewis Cass, Huntington North, Maconaquah, Manchester, North Miami, Northfield, Peru, Southwood, Tippecanoe Valley, Wabash 14. Oak Hill (11): Eastbrook, Eastern (Greentown), Kokomo, Madison-Grant, Marion, Mississinewa, Northwestern, Oak Hill, Taylor, Tri-Central, Western 15. Jay County (9): Adams Central, Bellmont, Blackford, Bluffton, Jay County, Norwell, South Adams, Southern Wells, Union City 16. Delta (10): Cowan, Daleville, Delta, Monroe Central, Muncie Central, Randolph Southern, Wapahani, Wes-Del, Winchester Community, Yorktown 17. Crawfordsville (10): Covington, Crawfordsville, Fountain Central, North Montgomery, North Vermillion, Parke Heritage, South Vermillion, Southmont, Western Boone, Zionsville 18. Frankfort (10): Carmel, Clinton Central, Clinton Prairie, Fishers, Frankfort, Hamilton Southeastern, Lebanon, Rossville, Sheridan, Westfield 19. Elwood (10): Alexandria Monroe, Anderson, Elwood Community, Frankton, Guerin Catholic, Hamilton Heights, Lapel, Noblesville, Pendleton Heights, Tipton 20. Indianapolis Arsenal Technical (10): Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory, Indianapolis Arsenal Technical, Indiana School for the Deaf, Indiana School for the Blind, Indianapolis Bishop Chatard, Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter, Indianapolis Cathedral, Indianapolis Crispus Attucks, Indianapolis George Washington Community, Providence Cristo Rey, 21. Southport (10): Beech Grove, Christel House, Lawrence Central, Lawrence North, Mt Vernon (Fortville), North Central(Indianapolis), Perry Meridian, Roncalli, Southport, Victory College Prep 22. Shelbyville (9): Franklin Central, Greenfield-Central, Indianapolis Lutheran, Indianapolis Scecina Memorial, New Palestine, Purdue Polytechnic, Shelbyville, Triton Central, Warren Central 23. Centerville(11): Blue River Valley, Cambridge City Lincoln, Centerville, Eastern Hancock, Hagerstown, Knightstown, New Castle, Northeastern, Richmond, Shenandoah, Tri 24. South Dearborn (11): Batesville, Connersville, East Central, Franklin County, Greensburg, Lawrenceburg, Milan, Oldenburg Academy, Rushville Consolidated, South Dearborn, Union County 25. Avon (12): Avon, Ben Davis, Brownsburg, Covenant Christian (Indianapolis), Danville Community, Greencastle, North Putnam, Pike, Plainfield, South Putnam, Speedway, Tri-West Hendricks 26. Mooresville (11): Cascade, Center Grove, Cloverdale, Decatur Central, Eminence, Greenwood Community, Martinsville, Monrovia, Mooresville, Whiteland Community 27. Bloomington North (12): Bedford North Lawrence, Bloomington North, Bloomington South, Brown County, Edgewood, Northview, Owen Valley, Sullivan, Terre Haute North Vigo, Terre Haute South Vigo, West Vigo 28. Southridge (10): Floyd Central, Forest Park, Jasper, Mitchell, New Albany, North Knox, Paoli, Pike Central, Southridge, Tell City 29. Jennings County (13): Columbus East, Columbus North, Eastern (Pekin), Franklin Community, Indian Creek, Jennings County, Madison Consolidated, Salem, Scottsburg, Seymour, Southwestern (Hanover), Switzerland County, West Washington 30. Jeffersonville (13): Borden, Charlestown, Clarksville, Corydon Central, Crawford County, Henryville, Jeffersonville, New Washington, North Harrison, Providence, Rock Creek Academy, Silver Creek 31. Castle (10): Boonville, Castle, Evansville Bosse, Evansville Harrison, Evansville Reitz Memorial, Heritage Hills, South Spencer, Tecumseh, Washington, Wood Memorial 32. Evansville Central (9): Evansville Central, Evansville F.J Reitz, Evansville Mater Dei, Evansville North, Gibson Southern, Mt Vernon, North Posey, Princeton Community, Vincennes Lincoln Regionals 1. Hobart: Feeder Sectionals: East Chicago Central, Portage. 2. Crown Point: Feeder Sectionals: Crown Point, LaPorte. 3. Penn: Feeder Sectionals: Mishawaka, Plymouth. 4. Logansport: Feeder Sectionals: Lafayette Jefferson, Twin Lakes. 5. Goshen: Feeder Sectionals: Elkhart, West Noble. 6. Carroll (Fort Wayne): Feeder Sectionals: Carroll (Fort Wayne), TBD(Former New Haven). 7. Peru: Feeder Sectionals: Peru, Oak Hill. 8. Jay County: Feeder Sectionals: Delta, Jay County. 9. North Montgomery: Feeder Sectionals: Crawfordsville, Frankfort. 10. Pendleton Heights: Feeder Sectionals: Elwood, Indianapolis Arsenal Technical. 11. Perry Meridian: Feeder Sectionals: Shelbyville, Southport. 12. Richmond: Feeder Sectionals: South Dearborn, Shenandoah. 13. Mooresville: Feeder Sectionals: Avon, Mooresville. 14. Bloomington South: Feeder Sectionals: Bloomington North, Southridge. 15. Jeffersonville: Feeder Sectionals: Jeffersonville, Jennings County. 16. Castle: Feeder Sectionals: Castle, Evansville Central Semi-States 1. East Chicago Central: Feeder Regionals: Crown Point, Hobart, Logansport, Penn. 2. New Haven (Allen County War Memorial Coliseum): Feeder Regionals: Carroll (Fort Wayne), Goshen, Jay County, Peru. 3. New Castle: Feeder Regionals: Frankfort, Pendleton Heights, Perry Meridian, Richmond. 4. Evansville F. J. Reitz (Ford Center): Feeder Regionals: Bloomington South, Castle, Jeffersonville, Mooresville.

By Blaze Lowery NWCA National Duals Recap -- The NAIA #7 Marian Knights achieved a historic victory by defeating #5 Indiana Tech for the first time in program history during the NWCA National Duals, with a final score of 21-18. Despite forfeiting at the 149lbs weight class, the Knights were able to secure a win due to Aundre Beatty’s sudden victory at 141lbs over Kyle Kantola. Additionally, the absence of Gimson resulted in Mulkey securing a win over Elijah Anthony which is usually a match the Warriors can count on. Marian Box Scores: #7 Marian defeated #9 Campbellsville 30-9 #3 Southeastern defeated #7 Marian (IN) 21-13 #7 Marian defeated #16 Baker (Kan.) 46-5 #7 Marian defeated #14 Morningside 34-4 #7 Marian defeated #5 Indiana Tech 21-18 Indiana Tech Box Scores: #5 Indiana Tech defeated #16 Baker (Kan.) 43-5 #4 Doane defeated #5 Indiana Tech 19-13 #5 Indiana Tech defeated #12 Reinhardt (GA) 30-12 #7 Marian defeated #5 Indiana Tech 21-18 The DII #12 ranked Indianapolis Greyhounds secured a commendable 7th place finish at the NWCA National Duals, with a noteworthy victory over the highly ranked #2 Nebraska-Kearney. The match was decided through criteria, with Logan Bailey delivering a decisive pin to secure the win for the Greyhounds. Additionally, during their dual against Central Oklahoma, #11 Derek Blubaugh was able to exact revenge from his loss at last year's National Finals against #1 Dalton Abney in sudden victory. Even with Breyden Bailey and Jack Eiteljorge getting upsets over the Lucas brothers, it was not enough to make an impact over the Bronchos. Cale Gray also seals a dual with a 24 second pin during the Indianapolis – Gannon dual with a final score of 21 – 19. Indianapolis Box Score: #12 Indianapolis defeated #14 Gannon 21-19 #1 Central Oklahoma defeated #12 Indianapolis 25-9 #12 Indianapolis defeated Newberry 23-15 #5 Lander defeated #12 Indianapolis 21-18 #12 Indianapolis defeated #2 Nebraska-Kearney 20-19 Upsets on Upsets IU pushes themselves to #17 in the country with win over #16 Maryland earlier this week by tie-breaking criteria (17-16) with #33 Graham Rooks securing a nice win over #22 Ethen Miller. The Hoosiers also get it done with a win over the new #16 Rutgers at home with a final score of 24 – 16. Indiana matched up well against the Scarlet Knights and make it hard for their front three to pick up any bonus. Surprisingly, Nick South was down at 165lbs after wresting 184 earlier this week and ended up finding 6 points with a pin early in the third period. With South, Washington, and Bullock picking up bonus, Rutgers stood no chance in the end. With their only dual loss being Ohio State, the Hoosiers continue to knock teams out of the rankings.

Indiana Tech: From a year of experience to Fargo All-Americans, Indiana Tech is a place where women’s wrestling is beginning to thrive. Having a roster of 53 athletes, the Warriors are looking to be a top five team at this year’s National Duals Tournament. Head Coach Paul Rademacher has brought in an underrated freshman class and is on the hunt to have seven All-American’s this season. Notable Freshman Recruits: Riley Dempewolf of McCutcheon, 4x Indiana State Champion, 2x Junior Duals All-American Makayla Young of Bellefontaine Chieftain (OH), World Team Member Adriana Sanchez of Purdue Polytechnic, State Runner-up Cydney Bassett of Purdue Polytechnic, State Runner-up Andrea Hernandez of Bellmont, State Runner-up Trinity Coyne of Bellmont, State Runner-up Haley Thompson of Columbia City, State Runner-up With a recruiting class this stacked, it puts some pressure on the current lineup that Rademacher has been working with for the past few years. One of the biggest impacts in the room has been how large the Warrior’s roster has become. Having 53 athletes on a team with the ability to only take 12 to the NAIA Championships, makes for some great competition internally. Rademacher believes his recruiting class is “under the radar,” due to the pandemic not allowing these women to compete at the national level. Another goal of Rademacher’s is to finish as a top eight team at the NAIA National Tournament this season, a legitimate goal with these returning starters and captains. Returning All-Americans: Tehani Soares of Shadow Ridge (NV), 4th place Sam Snow of Los Alamitos (CA), 4th place Elly Kuzma of Carlson (MI), 7th place These few have been setting the example of what it takes to get to that next level that Rademacher is talking about. The Warriors have been putting in time in the offseason to really take advantage of the big strides they took last season. With a big dual win over Campbellsville, a new confidence has lit a fire in the room says Rademacher. With workout plans and some structure this offseason, they will likely exceed their goals. Rademacher is more than ecstatic that the IHSAA is recognizing women’s wrestling as an emerging sport. He believes that opportunity to wrestle in college is something that every female wrestler should take advantage of, even if it’s not in Fort Wayne. The Warriors are getting bigger and better by the year, and it does not look like they are slowing down anytime soon. Trine: Trine University hires on new head coach, Theresa Rankin, to tackle the 2022–2023 season for the Lightning. Rankin, being a seasoned veteran and All-American, came in this June and is already seeing growth in the room. With a small team, they will have more than enough one-on-one time to make something spark. The Lightning brought on three freshman this offseason and are excited to see what the future holds for them. Freshman Recruits: Charissa Fauber (West Lafayette, IN) Emma Seiler (Auburn, IN) Keira Wilson (Elkhart, IN) Fauber, coming off a shoulder injury, is a firecracker on the mat says Rankin. Placing second in freestyle at the 2021 ISWA State Finals, she will a great asset for Trine in the coming years. Rankin, also excited about Seiler and Wilson, is really trying to get her newcomers to soak in everything about wrestling so they are better prepared when competition begins. Speaking of competition, Riley Morrison (TX) qualified for nationals as a sophomore last season and is sharpening her skillset for a potential podium finish. Also coming back for their junior season is Michelle Sanchez (IL). Rankin believes Sanchez could potentially make it to nationals this year with the amount of talent she brings to the table. Lastly, Ashton Francis (NY) could also find herself at nationals if she focuses on her craft. Although this team is young, Rankin is ready to strengthen weaknesses and take the Lightening to the next level. Alara Boyd: Being one of, if not, the best female wrestler to ever come out of Indiana, Alara Boyd of Yorktown continues to make history and could see herself with another National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling title this season. Being a three-time National Collegiate Women’s Championships finalist, Boyd has proven time and time again that she is able to compete with the best. Staying at 143lbs this season, Boyd is “staying consistent” with her training and lifestyle to stay at the top. Boyd highlights how important the little things are when trying to compete for national titles. Simple things like eating right and going to bed at a decent hour are sacrifices she is willing to make to win. Boyd is well known around the state of Indiana, but left to attend McKendree University, ranked #2 in the 2021-2022 NWCA’s women’s coaches’ rankings. When she joined the Bearcats, Boyd was pushed out of her comfort zone a bit. She is a firm believer that people grown when they are uncomfortable, which is why she has enjoyed her time at McKendree. A challenge she has had to face since enrolled is having to prioritize her time. Having to juggle wrestling and school, it is tough to stay on top of everything, especially when wrestling all around the world. Attributing her success to her parents, Boyd is grateful for the support she receives. “Keep Going,” is Boyd’s ask of all young female wrestlers. She dreams of seeing women’s wrestling sanctioned in Indiana and the only way for that to happen is to keep growing the sport. Boyd will continue to dominate and will wrestle in the NWCA All-Star Classic on November 22nd on FloWrestling. Be sure to tune in and support Boyd on her journey to greatness.

By: Blaze Lowery Jordan Slivka & Carson Brewer Ohio University is home to a few Indiana State Champions that have been making a name for themselves as Bobcats. Two-time State Champion, Jordan Slivka of Cathedral, is coming off his best collegiate season yet. Finishing his last season with a 25-7 record at 157lbs, He found himself in Detroit for the DI NCAA Championships. Slivka is bumping up to the 165lbs weight class this season and was an honorable mention in FloWrestling’s 2022-2023 NCAA DI rankings. “It’s really cool knowing that I am still believed in and looked at even when moving up a weight class,” states Slivka. Slivka reminisces on his time wrestling at the nationals saying he was unable to hear the whistle when he started his pigtail match. The crowd’s roars fuel him, as he is “dying to compete” for the Bobcats this season. His goal is to do what he needs to do to get his team a MAC Championship title. Individually, his is goal is to compete to the best of his ability every single match. “All to gain and nothing to lose,” Slivka is on his path to find himself back at the NCAA Championships. Being a great wrestler at the next level comes naturally, “if you’re willing to buckle down on work ethic and show yourself how good you could be,” says Slivka. Indiana State Champion and FloNationals place-winner, Carson Brewer of Avon, is also making waves in the MAC. For the first time in his collegiate career, he is having a healthy, injury-free preseason. Starting the preseason off strong is a huge factor for success at the next level, Brewer believes it is his time to win a MAC Championship title. Wrestling at 184lbs for the Bobcats, there is no one in his conference that he has not beaten already, making this goal much more feasible. In his transition from high school to collegiate wrestling, Brewer’s biggest adjustment was to not exert himself so quickly into the match. Slowing his wrestling down has only made him more efficient and tactical. Brewer highlights how Ohio is bringing back everyone in their previous lineup, making a MAC Team Championship title a feasible goal for the Bobcats. “Doing the right things off the mat is what will make you successful in collegiate wrestling,” says Brewer. Slivka and Brewer have big plans for Ohio this season and will continue to put on for Indiana wrestling. Lucas Davison Last season, the nation got to watch Indiana State Champion, Lucas Davison of Chesterton, gain All-American status at the 2022 DI NCAA Championships. Moving up to heavyweight, although a big adjustment, put him at 6th in that nation. Davison states that “establishing pace” in his matches since moving up has led to his success in the post season. Adjusting his style of wrestling to accommodate for the heavyweight transition forced Davison to clean up his attacks. Davison also acknowledges how remarkable it was to see what it takes to become a National Champion, referring to his teammate Ryan Deakin. “Now it’s a matter of following his footsteps,” stated Davison. Northwestern is bringing back all four of their All-American’s from last season, making Davison’s goal of being a top 3 team in the nation much more achievable. Competing year round is an essential ingredient Davison attributes his successful career too. With freestyle being a key reason behind his recruitment, wrestling in the offseason propelled him to Big Ten recruitment. Competition is opportunity and coaches love to see guys that are willing to put it all out their year-round. Davison is ready to take advantage of every opportunity that steps on the line this season.

Breakdown on each division coming soon!

By STEVE KRAH stvkrh905@gmail.com It’s an Indiana tradition unique to wrestling and two brothers from Bellmont High School will follow in the footsteps of so many Braves that came before them. Qualifiers for the IHSAA State Finals will parade into Bankers Life Fieldhouse before first round of the tournament Friday, Feb. 15 and Jon and Isaac Ruble were be representing their family as well as their storied mat program. “That’s pretty exciting, especially for their parents, Becky and Joe,” says Bellmont head coach and former state champion Paul Gunsett. “They’ve done a lot for those two. They’ve traveled everywhere for these two to wrestle. They’ve earned it with all the time and effort they’ve put in.” Jon Ruble is one of Bellmont’s captains and often leads the squad in during warm-ups at practice. “He’s a leader in our program,” says Gunsett of the older Ruble boy. “He’s been real reliable for me. He’s pretty special. He spends a lot of time with our younger kids. He spends more time with them than he probably needs to. He’s helped groom them and made them better.” Freshmen Carter Thomas (120) and Dominic Litchfield (113) are Isaac aka Ike’s usual workout partner during practice. Like many wrestling families in and around Decatur, Ind., there is a mat legacy. Joe Ruble is one of Bellmont’s many State Finals qualifiers, competing at Market Square Arena in 1991. The boys’ uncle Paul qualified for State and blew out his knee the week of the meet and was unable to compete. Joe Ruble’s uncle Kent Buuck was a a standout Braves wrestler. His best friend was Bill Schultz (uncle to Becky Ruble). When Buuck died in a highway accident before his senior year, Schultz dedicated his training to Buuck and became the second state champion in Bellmont program history, winning the IHSAA heavyweight title in 1977. The Braves’ first state winner was Phil Lengerich (138 pounds in 1969). Gunsett reigned at 135 in 1988. On 10 other occasions, a Bellmont wrestler has ascended to the top of the victory platform —Chris Mahlan (185 in 1979), Brent Faurote (98 in 1981), Paul Baker(130 in 1988), Tim Myers (119 in 1993 and 130 in 1994), Jason Baker (125 in 1996), T.J. Hays (152 in 1996), John Sheets (103 in 2000), Matt Irwin (135 in 2006) and Billy Baker (215 in 2009). The Braves reigned as team state champions in 1987, 1988 and 1994 and were runners-up in 1979, 1999, 2006. Jon Ruble (36-6) took an early 2-0 lead and made it stand in beating Rochester senior Drew Sailors in the Fort Wayne Semistate championship match. “I got that two-point lead and I’ve been riding leg stuff all year so I put the legs in and tried to ride it out and possibly get turns,” says Ruble, who was a state qualifier at 145 in 2018. “(Winning the semistate) means a lot. There’s such a big difference between second place and first place. You’re setting yourself up for that state run.” Both Ruble brothers —#DosRubles on social media — placed first at the Jay County Sectional and Jay County Regional. Isaac Ruble (36-6) placed second at semistate. Sharing the season and the State Finals experience with his sibling is something the older Ruble brother does not take lightly. “This is the only time we get to wrestle together,” says Jon Ruble. “This means the world to me. “We talk about it all the time.” What does Jon see in Isaac the athlete? “He’s a competitive kid,” says Jon Ruble. “He always thinks he’s the best.” With his family history, Jon Ruble was destined to be a wrestler. “I had no other choice,” says Jon Ruble. “Being a part of Bellmont history means the world. They’ve had such a great program forever. To be a part of that tradition is amazing.” The youngest Ruble brother has soaked up his learning opportunities in his first high school season. “I learn things and try to get really good at the — like firemen’s carries,” says Isaac Ruble. “It really helps me out. “There are certain things (Gunsett) gets on me about — like keeping my head up — and I fix them.” Given the age and size difference, do the two brothers wrestle against each other? “I can’t hang with him,” says Isaac. “He’s pretty good.”