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Y2CJ41

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  1. Like
    Y2CJ41 got a reaction from littleblack.backpack for a article, Lake Central’s Mason Jones Drives Into Potential State Finals Run with Renewed Confidence   
    By Anna Kayser
     
    One year after losing in the quarterfinals and wrestling his way back to fifth place at 106 pounds at the IHSAA State Finals, Lake Central senior Mason Jones is looking to leave it all on the mat.
     
    Throughout his high school career, he hasn’t taken too many losses. Eleven as a sophomore, two a year ago – the second coming in that pivotal quarterfinal match that would inevitably propel him into his final high school campaign – and none thus far as he gears up for semi-state this coming weekend.
     
    If you’re counting along, that means Mason Jones has racked up a lot of wins through three years as a varsity wrestler for Lake Central. There was just more to learn in the losses.
     
    “I feel like I took away from just my overall season last year that there was always more I could do, more I could work towards especially when I came up short,” Jones said. “Last year at state, it felt like everything stopped and that it was all over. I had to take some time, sit down and remember that it wasn’t over, there was still more to go.”
     
    Jones now enters his final run at a state title ranked No. 1 in his semi-state 106 pounds and No. 2 in the state, trailing only Delta freshman Jensen Boyd. The rankings are one aspect that has helped him build that strong mental foundation.
     
    “I’d say it is a bit of a confidence boost, seeing that after all this time – all the work that I’ve put in to get to where I am now – I’m getting a bit of recognition,” Jones said.
     
    Looking back on last year’s state run, his mental game is strides ahead of where it was last February. Following his quarterfinals loss, his coaches expressed the importance of confidence and staying true to his wrestling style even under the bright lights.
     
    After getting his first state finals experience under his belt last year, he now steps into an opportunity this year with a more collected demeanor.
     
    “His mental game wasn’t 100 percent there yet [last year], but the biggest difference this year is the confidence,” Lake Central head coach Luke Triveline said. “He’s putting in work in the offseason, he put in the work in the offseason, he’s doing his conditioning, he’s got good practice partners, obviously our team is doing well. And he’s really putting in the effort to mentally believe in himself and put him in a position to make a state title run.
     
    That confidence is just a sliver of his mental game, something that was torn down after that loss in the quarterfinals and something he’s built back up to become one of the best wrestlers in the state.
     
    “My dad is always telling me, ‘On any given day, anybody can win and anybody can lose. You have to go out there and give it 100 percent every time you step onto the mat’” Jones said. “I go out there knowing that I just have to outwork whoever I’m wrestling, otherwise there’s no guarantee that I get my hand raised.”
     
    There’s a balance between being humble and not taking a season record or ranking for good, and Jones works hard to keep that balance in check.
     
    “We just try to keep them humble, keep them hungry and keep them working to do what a state champion does,” Triveline said. “There’s only one state champ in each weight class, so you’ve got to be able to do more and push yourself more than you think you’re even capable of.”
     
    Now, Jones is focusing on giving all he can to finish out his high school career on his terms, leaving everything he has on the mat as opposed to walking away thinking he could have given more.
     
  2. Like
    Y2CJ41 got a reaction from CoachJoyce for a article, #WrestlingWednesday with Jeremy Hines: Thornton ready for another trip to state   
    By JEREMY HINES
    Thehines7@gmail.com
     
    Columbus North junior Justice Thornton is a patient person. In his view, patience is a key to success.
     
    Thornton uses his patience when competing against his family in his favorite board game, Monopoly. He learns what his opponents are trying to do, then he figures out a way to counter their strategy. He’s got a pretty good success rate against his older brother and his two sisters.
     
    But Thornton is not just patient on family game night. He uses the same approach on the wrestling mat where he is a three-time Conference Indiana champion as well as three time sectional and regional champion.
     
    “Monopoly is a game about thinking,” Thornton said. “You have to figure out how you’re going to play. It really correlates to wrestling. In wrestling, you have to figure out what your opponent does and you have to use that against them.”
     
    According to Columbus North coach Matt Joyce, Thornton uses his smarts to be successful on the mat.
     
    “He is extremely competitive, in a good way,” Joyce said. “He really enjoys wrestling. He’s a really smart wrestler. He knows where he can wrestle well. He’s really broadened his technique too as he’s gotten older.”
     
    Thornton agrees.
     
    “There are some wrestlers that are really fast and athletic,” he said. “There are some guys that are just absolute powerhouses. I like to think my strength is in my technique. I’m not the fastest or the strongest, but I win with technique.
     
    Justice qualified for state last year. He did not advance past the Friday night round. This year he’s hoping to change that. He has his sights set on standing on top of the podium.
     
    Last season Justice was wrestling in semistate against Brady Ison. It was a close match. Ison went for a front headlock and it ended up causing Justice to black out for 30 seconds. He then had to injury default to fourth place.
     
    “We had to take Justice to the hospital to get checked out,” Joyce said. “He was OK, but that set him up for a tough Friday night, drawing a No. 1 semistate champ in the first round. This year he’s going out there and trying to take care of business.”
     
    Thornton is one of nine Columbus North wrestlers competing in the Evansville semistate Saturday. Thornton, Cohen Long and Asher Ratliff all enter the competition as regional champions. Thornton is currently 31-1 on the year at 138 pounds. Long, a freshman, is 28-8 at 132 and Ratliff, a sophomore, is ranked No. 9 at 157 with a 35-2 record.
     
    “Asher is the starting quarterback for the football team and just broke the school’s single season take-down record,” Joyce said.
     
    Nolan Riley, Josiah Green, Luke Spurgeon, Evan Saevre, Keller DeSpain and Jose Ramirez will also be competing at the semistate for Columbus North.
     
    Last season Thornton was the lone Bulldog to advance to state.
     
    “I really hope I have some teammates with me this year,” Thornton said. “Asher has a decent draw for semistate. Cohen wrestles a kid he lost to earlier in the season but we’re going to help him prepare for that. Luke is someone I practice with a lot. I hope some of these guys have a great day Saturday.”
     
    As for his own goal, Thornton isn’t satisfied with just making it to state.
     
    “My goal is to win the ticket round on Saturday,” he said. “Then I want to go into that championship match. It will be close, but hopefully I can get my hand raised there. Then I’ll go ahead and win on Friday night of the state finals and then on Saturday I want to be the one standing on top of the podium when it’s all over.”
  3. Like
    Y2CJ41 got a reaction from DogPound75 for a article, 2024 Semi-State Information Center   
    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
     
     
  4. Like
    Y2CJ41 got a reaction from John Thornton for a article, #WrestlingWednesday with Jeremy Hines: Thornton ready for another trip to state   
    By JEREMY HINES
    Thehines7@gmail.com
     
    Columbus North junior Justice Thornton is a patient person. In his view, patience is a key to success.
     
    Thornton uses his patience when competing against his family in his favorite board game, Monopoly. He learns what his opponents are trying to do, then he figures out a way to counter their strategy. He’s got a pretty good success rate against his older brother and his two sisters.
     
    But Thornton is not just patient on family game night. He uses the same approach on the wrestling mat where he is a three-time Conference Indiana champion as well as three time sectional and regional champion.
     
    “Monopoly is a game about thinking,” Thornton said. “You have to figure out how you’re going to play. It really correlates to wrestling. In wrestling, you have to figure out what your opponent does and you have to use that against them.”
     
    According to Columbus North coach Matt Joyce, Thornton uses his smarts to be successful on the mat.
     
    “He is extremely competitive, in a good way,” Joyce said. “He really enjoys wrestling. He’s a really smart wrestler. He knows where he can wrestle well. He’s really broadened his technique too as he’s gotten older.”
     
    Thornton agrees.
     
    “There are some wrestlers that are really fast and athletic,” he said. “There are some guys that are just absolute powerhouses. I like to think my strength is in my technique. I’m not the fastest or the strongest, but I win with technique.
     
    Justice qualified for state last year. He did not advance past the Friday night round. This year he’s hoping to change that. He has his sights set on standing on top of the podium.
     
    Last season Justice was wrestling in semistate against Brady Ison. It was a close match. Ison went for a front headlock and it ended up causing Justice to black out for 30 seconds. He then had to injury default to fourth place.
     
    “We had to take Justice to the hospital to get checked out,” Joyce said. “He was OK, but that set him up for a tough Friday night, drawing a No. 1 semistate champ in the first round. This year he’s going out there and trying to take care of business.”
     
    Thornton is one of nine Columbus North wrestlers competing in the Evansville semistate Saturday. Thornton, Cohen Long and Asher Ratliff all enter the competition as regional champions. Thornton is currently 31-1 on the year at 138 pounds. Long, a freshman, is 28-8 at 132 and Ratliff, a sophomore, is ranked No. 9 at 157 with a 35-2 record.
     
    “Asher is the starting quarterback for the football team and just broke the school’s single season take-down record,” Joyce said.
     
    Nolan Riley, Josiah Green, Luke Spurgeon, Evan Saevre, Keller DeSpain and Jose Ramirez will also be competing at the semistate for Columbus North.
     
    Last season Thornton was the lone Bulldog to advance to state.
     
    “I really hope I have some teammates with me this year,” Thornton said. “Asher has a decent draw for semistate. Cohen wrestles a kid he lost to earlier in the season but we’re going to help him prepare for that. Luke is someone I practice with a lot. I hope some of these guys have a great day Saturday.”
     
    As for his own goal, Thornton isn’t satisfied with just making it to state.
     
    “My goal is to win the ticket round on Saturday,” he said. “Then I want to go into that championship match. It will be close, but hopefully I can get my hand raised there. Then I’ll go ahead and win on Friday night of the state finals and then on Saturday I want to be the one standing on top of the podium when it’s all over.”
  5. Like
    Y2CJ41 got a reaction from JLee13 for a article, #MondayMatness with Steve Krah: DeKalb’s Waldon heading back to Fort Wayne Semi-State with focus   
    By STEVE KRAH
    stvkrh905@gmail.com
     
    Drew Waldon stepped onto the mat at the 2023 IHSAA State Finals as a 113-pound sophomore.
     
    Now a 126-pound DeKalb High School junior, Waldon will be again be aiming for the state meet — this time Feb. 16-17 at the Ford Center in Evansville instead of Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis — when he represents the Barons on Saturday, Feb. 10 at the Fort Wayne Semi-State at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.
     
    Waldon’s first-round foe in the 16-man bracket is Norwell junior Jason Prough. It takes two victories at semi-state to place in the top four and qualify for the State Finals.
     
    “I’m just trying to stay focused and disciplined,” says Waldon of his pre-semi-state practice week.
     
    Waldon (28-4 in 2023-24 with two losses coming against Ohio foes in the Defiance Border War event on Dec. 28-29) is coming off a second straight Goshen Regional title on Feb. 3. This time around, he topped Wawasee sophomore Cameron Senter 4-2 in the finals. Up 2-1 going into the final period, Waldon allowed an escape then scored two points in the third period.
     
    Before that, Waldon reigned at the West Noble Sectional on Jan. 27, pinning Prairie Heights junior Boston Baas in 5:40 for the title.
     
    Waldon placed third in the Northeast Eight Conference meet at Huntington North on Jan. 20. He lost 2-1 to eventual NE8 champion and Leo freshman Nolan Butcher in the semifinals and later came back to best Columbia City senior Dale Cassidy for third.
     
    “That loss was a surprise, but it’s good to learn from these mistakes now,” says DeKalb head coach Justin Wight of his comments at the time. “We make adjustments and come back for (IHSAA) tourney time.”
     
    At the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association Team Duals, Waldon went 2-1 as DeKalb placed 12th in Class 3A.
     
    What’s the best thing Waldon does in the circle?
     
    “I’m pretty equal at everything,” says Waldon, who is heading to his third semi-state in three seasons (He placed third at 113 in 2023 and did not place at 106 in 2022.). “On my top game, I can turn almost anybody.”
     
    As a junior, Waldon embraces a leadership role at DeKalb.
     
    “I try to push my teammates,” says Waldon with a hoarse voice from cheering on his fellow Barons at regional, including sophomore James Hartleroad (who won at 285), junior Jadon Teague (who placed fourth at 144), junior Graham Blythe (who placed fourth at 175), junior Dominic Dunn (who did not place at 165) and junior Brady Long (who did not place at 190). “I want them to be better.”
     
    Hartleroad was a 16U Greco-Roman national champion and ISWA Greco-Roman and Freestyle State winner at 285 in 2023.
     
    Teague made it to semi-state as a freshman at 138 and Blythe was a regional qualifier as a sophomore at 160.
     
    Drew is the middle child of the three born to James and Heather Waldon, behind Jared and Deanna. Little sister grappled in junior high.
     
    “My dad takes me everywhere so does my mom,” says Drew. “It really gave me so many opportunities to get better and advance my skill set.”
     
    Waldon, who took up in the sport in junior high, placed sixth at Frosh-Soph State sixth at 120 in 2023, sixth at Indiana State Wrestling Association Folkstyle State at 113 in 2022 and seventh at ISWA Freestyle State at 100 in 2021.
     
    Wight, who works in industrial refrigeration, is in his second year coaching wrestling at DeKalb after about a 10-year gap when he coached at Homestead. He took over as Barons head coach at midseason.
     
    A piece of coaching advice that resonates with Waldon: “No matter what, keep your head up and keep wrestling.”
     
    Says Wight of Waldon, “He’s one of the most disciplined and hard-working kids. You don’t have to babysit him all the time. He’s going to be doing the right things.
     
    “He wins with grace. He loses with grace. He’s just one of those rare kids. He’s very humble. He’s very polite.”
  6. Like
    Y2CJ41 got a reaction from MUSKEEWRESTLER for a article, 2024 Semi-State Information Center   
    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
     
     
  7. Like
    Y2CJ41 got a reaction from James L for a article, #MondayMatness with Steve Krah: DeKalb’s Waldon heading back to Fort Wayne Semi-State with focus   
    By STEVE KRAH
    stvkrh905@gmail.com
     
    Drew Waldon stepped onto the mat at the 2023 IHSAA State Finals as a 113-pound sophomore.
     
    Now a 126-pound DeKalb High School junior, Waldon will be again be aiming for the state meet — this time Feb. 16-17 at the Ford Center in Evansville instead of Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis — when he represents the Barons on Saturday, Feb. 10 at the Fort Wayne Semi-State at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.
     
    Waldon’s first-round foe in the 16-man bracket is Norwell junior Jason Prough. It takes two victories at semi-state to place in the top four and qualify for the State Finals.
     
    “I’m just trying to stay focused and disciplined,” says Waldon of his pre-semi-state practice week.
     
    Waldon (28-4 in 2023-24 with two losses coming against Ohio foes in the Defiance Border War event on Dec. 28-29) is coming off a second straight Goshen Regional title on Feb. 3. This time around, he topped Wawasee sophomore Cameron Senter 4-2 in the finals. Up 2-1 going into the final period, Waldon allowed an escape then scored two points in the third period.
     
    Before that, Waldon reigned at the West Noble Sectional on Jan. 27, pinning Prairie Heights junior Boston Baas in 5:40 for the title.
     
    Waldon placed third in the Northeast Eight Conference meet at Huntington North on Jan. 20. He lost 2-1 to eventual NE8 champion and Leo freshman Nolan Butcher in the semifinals and later came back to best Columbia City senior Dale Cassidy for third.
     
    “That loss was a surprise, but it’s good to learn from these mistakes now,” says DeKalb head coach Justin Wight of his comments at the time. “We make adjustments and come back for (IHSAA) tourney time.”
     
    At the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association Team Duals, Waldon went 2-1 as DeKalb placed 12th in Class 3A.
     
    What’s the best thing Waldon does in the circle?
     
    “I’m pretty equal at everything,” says Waldon, who is heading to his third semi-state in three seasons (He placed third at 113 in 2023 and did not place at 106 in 2022.). “On my top game, I can turn almost anybody.”
     
    As a junior, Waldon embraces a leadership role at DeKalb.
     
    “I try to push my teammates,” says Waldon with a hoarse voice from cheering on his fellow Barons at regional, including sophomore James Hartleroad (who won at 285), junior Jadon Teague (who placed fourth at 144), junior Graham Blythe (who placed fourth at 175), junior Dominic Dunn (who did not place at 165) and junior Brady Long (who did not place at 190). “I want them to be better.”
     
    Hartleroad was a 16U Greco-Roman national champion and ISWA Greco-Roman and Freestyle State winner at 285 in 2023.
     
    Teague made it to semi-state as a freshman at 138 and Blythe was a regional qualifier as a sophomore at 160.
     
    Drew is the middle child of the three born to James and Heather Waldon, behind Jared and Deanna. Little sister grappled in junior high.
     
    “My dad takes me everywhere so does my mom,” says Drew. “It really gave me so many opportunities to get better and advance my skill set.”
     
    Waldon, who took up in the sport in junior high, placed sixth at Frosh-Soph State sixth at 120 in 2023, sixth at Indiana State Wrestling Association Folkstyle State at 113 in 2022 and seventh at ISWA Freestyle State at 100 in 2021.
     
    Wight, who works in industrial refrigeration, is in his second year coaching wrestling at DeKalb after about a 10-year gap when he coached at Homestead. He took over as Barons head coach at midseason.
     
    A piece of coaching advice that resonates with Waldon: “No matter what, keep your head up and keep wrestling.”
     
    Says Wight of Waldon, “He’s one of the most disciplined and hard-working kids. You don’t have to babysit him all the time. He’s going to be doing the right things.
     
    “He wins with grace. He loses with grace. He’s just one of those rare kids. He’s very humble. He’s very polite.”
  8. Like
    Y2CJ41 got a reaction from Tcarter for a article, #MondayMatness with Steve Krah: DeKalb’s Waldon heading back to Fort Wayne Semi-State with focus   
    By STEVE KRAH
    stvkrh905@gmail.com
     
    Drew Waldon stepped onto the mat at the 2023 IHSAA State Finals as a 113-pound sophomore.
     
    Now a 126-pound DeKalb High School junior, Waldon will be again be aiming for the state meet — this time Feb. 16-17 at the Ford Center in Evansville instead of Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis — when he represents the Barons on Saturday, Feb. 10 at the Fort Wayne Semi-State at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.
     
    Waldon’s first-round foe in the 16-man bracket is Norwell junior Jason Prough. It takes two victories at semi-state to place in the top four and qualify for the State Finals.
     
    “I’m just trying to stay focused and disciplined,” says Waldon of his pre-semi-state practice week.
     
    Waldon (28-4 in 2023-24 with two losses coming against Ohio foes in the Defiance Border War event on Dec. 28-29) is coming off a second straight Goshen Regional title on Feb. 3. This time around, he topped Wawasee sophomore Cameron Senter 4-2 in the finals. Up 2-1 going into the final period, Waldon allowed an escape then scored two points in the third period.
     
    Before that, Waldon reigned at the West Noble Sectional on Jan. 27, pinning Prairie Heights junior Boston Baas in 5:40 for the title.
     
    Waldon placed third in the Northeast Eight Conference meet at Huntington North on Jan. 20. He lost 2-1 to eventual NE8 champion and Leo freshman Nolan Butcher in the semifinals and later came back to best Columbia City senior Dale Cassidy for third.
     
    “That loss was a surprise, but it’s good to learn from these mistakes now,” says DeKalb head coach Justin Wight of his comments at the time. “We make adjustments and come back for (IHSAA) tourney time.”
     
    At the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association Team Duals, Waldon went 2-1 as DeKalb placed 12th in Class 3A.
     
    What’s the best thing Waldon does in the circle?
     
    “I’m pretty equal at everything,” says Waldon, who is heading to his third semi-state in three seasons (He placed third at 113 in 2023 and did not place at 106 in 2022.). “On my top game, I can turn almost anybody.”
     
    As a junior, Waldon embraces a leadership role at DeKalb.
     
    “I try to push my teammates,” says Waldon with a hoarse voice from cheering on his fellow Barons at regional, including sophomore James Hartleroad (who won at 285), junior Jadon Teague (who placed fourth at 144), junior Graham Blythe (who placed fourth at 175), junior Dominic Dunn (who did not place at 165) and junior Brady Long (who did not place at 190). “I want them to be better.”
     
    Hartleroad was a 16U Greco-Roman national champion and ISWA Greco-Roman and Freestyle State winner at 285 in 2023.
     
    Teague made it to semi-state as a freshman at 138 and Blythe was a regional qualifier as a sophomore at 160.
     
    Drew is the middle child of the three born to James and Heather Waldon, behind Jared and Deanna. Little sister grappled in junior high.
     
    “My dad takes me everywhere so does my mom,” says Drew. “It really gave me so many opportunities to get better and advance my skill set.”
     
    Waldon, who took up in the sport in junior high, placed sixth at Frosh-Soph State sixth at 120 in 2023, sixth at Indiana State Wrestling Association Folkstyle State at 113 in 2022 and seventh at ISWA Freestyle State at 100 in 2021.
     
    Wight, who works in industrial refrigeration, is in his second year coaching wrestling at DeKalb after about a 10-year gap when he coached at Homestead. He took over as Barons head coach at midseason.
     
    A piece of coaching advice that resonates with Waldon: “No matter what, keep your head up and keep wrestling.”
     
    Says Wight of Waldon, “He’s one of the most disciplined and hard-working kids. You don’t have to babysit him all the time. He’s going to be doing the right things.
     
    “He wins with grace. He loses with grace. He’s just one of those rare kids. He’s very humble. He’s very polite.”
  9. Like
    Y2CJ41 got a reaction from Misty Kendrex for a article, 2024 Semi-State Information Center   
    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
     
     
  10. Like
    Y2CJ41 got a reaction from KLH for a article, 2024 Semi-State Information Center   
    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
     
     
  11. Like
    Y2CJ41 got a reaction from HeadLocksWinChampionships for a article, 2024 Semi-State Information Center   
    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
     
     
  12. Like
    Y2CJ41 got a reaction from Cricket21 for a article, 2024 Semi-State Information Center   
    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
     
     
  13. Like
    Y2CJ41 got a reaction from HCman for a article, 2024 Semi-State Information Center   
    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
     
     
  14. Like
    Y2CJ41 got a reaction from bbell for a article, #WrestlingWednesday with Jeremy Hines: Volz rewriting Eastern Hancock record books   
    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.
  15. Like
    Y2CJ41 got a reaction from John Thornton for a article, #WrestlingWednesday with Jeremy Hines: Volz rewriting Eastern Hancock record books   
    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.
  16. Like
    Y2CJ41 got a reaction from HCman for a article, McCutcheon’s Dynamic Duo: Dallinger and Chicoine Build Each Other, Maverick Program Up   
    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.”
  17. Like
    Y2CJ41 got a reaction from Esorsirac2014 for a article, #WrestlingWednesday with Jeremy Hines: Volz rewriting Eastern Hancock record books   
    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.
  18. Like
    Y2CJ41 got a reaction from HCman for a article, #WrestlingWednesday with Jeremy Hines: Volz rewriting Eastern Hancock record books   
    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.
  19. Like
    Y2CJ41 got a reaction from ThatFan06 for a article, McCutcheon’s Dynamic Duo: Dallinger and Chicoine Build Each Other, Maverick Program Up   
    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.”
  20. Like
    Y2CJ41 got a reaction from Lawdiggity for a article, McCutcheon’s Dynamic Duo: Dallinger and Chicoine Build Each Other, Maverick Program Up   
    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.”
  21. Thanks
    Y2CJ41 got a reaction from Jimtown 138 for a article, #MondayMatness with Steve Krah: Fairfield’s Maran bound for regional again — this time as a lighter competitor   
    By STEVE KRAH
    stvkrh905@gmail.com
     
    Breckan Maran, a 190-pound junior at Fairfield High School, is heading to the Goshen Regional for the third time in his prep wrestling career.
     
    For the first time since 2017, the Falcons will be represented by more than two grapplers.
     
    It’s fitting that Maran has more teammates sharing the experience with him in 2024. The meet on Saturday, Feb. 3 will also feature juniors Matthew Senn (138), Dirk Rumfelt (157) and Aldahir Ortiz-Sanchez (165) and senior Ryan Noel (175).
     
    His head coach — 1992 Fairfield graduate Gene Willard — has noticed how Maran cares about the others around him.
     
    “Breckan always has been a team player,” says Willard of an athlete who ended the football season weighing 216. “At the beginning of the season he thought he was going to go at 215. The week before we started competing, he said, ‘I want to go 190. Am I OK?’ I said, ‘Why?’ He said, ‘(senior) Ethan (Hochstetler) can go 215 and (sophomore) David (Almiray) is the heavyweight and I can fill 190.
     
    “Mentally, (Breckan) is very tough but that’s the team aspect of it. He just holds things together.”
     
    Says Maran, “Going to semistate last year and regional the year before and knowing a lot about wrestling, I’d say my teammates look up to me.”
     
    Willard, who is in his second season as Falcons head coach and eighth in the program after stints at Whiteland Community and Lakeland, said there was an adjustment period to the lighter weight, then Maran began rolling again.
     
    “He’s been looking really good,” says Willard, who saw Maran win the 190 title at the 2024 Northeast Corner Conference meet after placing second at 220 in both 2022 and 2023.
     
    The coach also recognizes a leadership style. It’s one he had himself as a Fairfield athlete.
     
    “Breckan is one that leads by example,” says Willard. “If you ask most unless he’s around he’s around his friends he’s very soft-spoken.
     
    “If someone needs correction or motivation he’s there to support them. He holds everything near and dear to his heart. Sometimes he puts a lot of pressure on himself to succeed and carry the team when he doesn’t have to.”
     
    The past two wrestling postseasons, Maran competed at 220.
     
    As a sophomore in 2022-23, he placed second at both the Elkhart Sectional and Goshen Regional and lost in the second round at the Fort Wayne Semistate.
     
    As a freshman in 2021-22, he finished second in the Elkhart Sectional and did not place at the Goshen Regional.
     
    Maran is 29-5 during his junior wrestling season at Fairfield High School.
     
    Two of those defeats came at the Elkhart Sectional as he was pinned in 3:00 by Elkhart junior Kaullin Price in the semifinals and beaten 6-3 by NorthWood senior Keith Miller — a wrestler he had beaten by a point during the regular season — in a consolation match.
     
    “I couldn’t quite come back,” says Maran of the second-round fall. “That’s my thought on the mental side.”
     
    The Elkhart Sectional is sending champion Donovan Blair of Wawasee, runner-up Price of Elkhart, third-placer Miller of NorthWood and fourth-placer Maran to the Goshen Regional.
     
    “We knew that was going to be a tough weight class coming in,” says Willard. “He got caught (against Price) and that happens.
     
    “Hopefully, (Breckan) will be able to rebound and the Elkhart Sectional can advance all four 190-pounders to semistate.”
     
    Maran started wrestling as a seventh grader. In the eighth grade, he was 207 pounds. He started playing tackle football in the third grade. There was a time that he was too big to carry the ball by Prairie Football League rules and was assigned to a spot on the line.
     
    As a high schooler, he runs over and around tacklers as a fullback and also uses his gifts to bring ball-carriers down as a middle linebacker.
     
    “That’s part of his mentality: If you don’t get out of the way I’m going to go through you,” says Willard, who coached a freshman Maran in that sport. “He’s always worked his butt off.
     
    “His work ethic got him where he is today.”
     
    Says Maran, “I’m pretty quick and I’ve got some decent muscles. With wrestling, I just like the physicality.”
     
    One of the strongest kids in the school, Maran enjoys his time in the weight room. You can often find him there during the spring when he’s not staying in-shape with wrestling workouts and some competitions. He placed fourth at 220 at the 2023 Frosh-Sophomore State meet.
     
    “Before I dropped the weight by bench (press) was 325, my squat was 475 and my clean (and jerk) was 265,” says Maran. “Since I’ve cut down to like 187 I haven’t tried to max.”
     
    Tom and Tosha Maran have two sons — Braedon and Breckan. Brandon Maran played football and basketball at Fairfield.
  22. Like
    Y2CJ41 got a reaction from Tcarter for a article, 2024 IHSAA Regional Brackets   
    **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
     
  23. Like
    Y2CJ41 got a reaction from Patrick Mangan for a article, 2024 IHSAA Regional Brackets   
    **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
     
  24. Thanks
    Y2CJ41 got a reaction from RAJR for a article, 2024 IHSAA Regional Brackets   
    **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
     
  25. Like
    Y2CJ41 got a reaction from Anthony Cashman for a article, Iron Sharpens Iron: Rossville’s Noah and Jacob Weaver Look to Make Hornets History   
    By Anna Kayser
     
    Eleven months after securing their respective tickets to become Rossville’s first IHSAA state wrestling qualifiers since head coach Thomas Lynch in 2002, brothers Noah and Jacob Weaver are working towards a new feat for their school’s record books.
     
    The Weaver brothers are two of four total state qualifiers in school history. In a little over a month, in what could be their penultimate year donning the same school colors, Noah and Jacob will look to build on recent winter success to become the Hornets’ first state place winners.
     
    “It’s definitely been a unique experience, being able to be alongside Jake and see his growth over time, just being able to be watching him during practice or drilling with him and being able to help him out,” Noah said. “It’s just this back-and-forth advice, feedback between each other. I really like it’s a really neat experience and it’s cool to have.”
     
    It’s an “iron sharpens iron” mentality, Jacob said so himself, that drives the two family-oriented brothers to help each other succeed. Close in age with one school year between the two – Noah as the No. 4-ranked 190-pound wrestler as a junior and Jacob, a sophomore ranked No. 6 at 150 pounds (rankings by IndianaMat as of Dec. 27) – the two’s bond through wrestling extends far beyond just the Hornets’ wrestling room.
     
    “I’ve always been Noah’s partner throughout all the years even though there’s a size difference,” Jacob said. “Iron sharpens iron, we’re both always trying to make each other better whether it comes to mindset, technique or just training. We always try to motivate each other because we know we can do better.”
     
    As sons of former Purdue wrestler Matthew Weaver, getting into wrestling around 5-6 years old and sticking with it was always about their love for the sport. A skill difference in the beginning transferred into a size difference, fostering a teammate-like relationship of collaboration between the two.
     
    Where there wasn’t direct competition on the mat – they have always and continued to be in each other’s corner at home, practice and official matches – they made up for in brotherly battles like comparing the number of takedowns in a single season.
     
    “Initially, around elementary school, there wasn’t very much competition,” Noah said. “I didn’t really understand wrestling very well, and at that time Jacob had a much better grasp on the fundamentals and he was much more aggressive than me.
     
    “We did still have the same goal to eventually become high school state champions.”
     
    That goal might not be far off for the two. On Dec. 13 at the Clinton Prairie Invitational, both brothers took home first-place finishes. Noah recorded three consecutive pins for the title, and his six wins logged on IndianaMat in December were via fall. At the same tournament, Jacob tallied two pins, a major decision and a 9-7 title match victory over No. 17 Jayden Jett of Cowan.
     
    Although their roles have changed for each other in tournaments from wrestling unattached to as a team, Jacob and Noah are always in each other’s corners.
     
    “When we didn’t carry a team with us, Noah was just my teammate through that,” Jacob said. “We would always cheer on each other and try to work with each other. We’d always be a warmup partner, grilling partner, we were kind of bonded with each other no matter what weight we were at.
     
    “Even though now when we go to tournaments there’s a 40-pound difference, we still make each other sweat and work hard.”
     
    As workout and practice partners, the brothers continuously strive to grow through each other’s guidance.
     
    “There have been a couple times when we’ve helped each other be our best,” Noah said. “[One time], we were getting a practice in at our house, and Jacob was just really struggling through it. It was just one of those off days. I was drilling with him and was just trying to encourage him and keep up his attitude. He just pushed through and got through the practice.”
     
    Following the 2024-25 season, Noah and Jacob will go their separate ways – for a year, at least – as Noah heads to college and Jacob finishes out his high school career.
     
    Regardless of where their futures take them, through wrestling or not, their relationship will continue to grow with the same teammate foundation it’s had since they were kids.
     
    “Jacob and I are very family-oriented individuals… so I feel like depending on where we go to college, I don’t believe [our relationship with each other] will change too much,” Noah said. “If we do wrestle, we’ll still probably have that competitive spirit to see who could keep the highest GPA or who could score the most points. I feel like we’ll still keep that competitive spirit, but it’d still be friendly and loving.”
     
     
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