blueandgold

Ah, gotcha. Thank you for the clarification.

Heard it on the Carmel/CG broadcast last night. If so, how do you think this affects wrestlers’ mat strategy and is it a positive or negative for the sport overall?

I see the latest rankings no longer include Christian Carroll, the #1 ranked wrestler pound-for-pound in the nation. Now, before I go any further, I must acknowledge Carroll potentially not wrestling this season could be out of his hands for a variety of reasons that I do not know. So, I don’t want to assume it’s because of one thing or another, but I would like to discuss a small, but noticeable trend that has occurred in our state over the past few years. While it hasn’t happened a lot, there have been a few examples in recent years of top wrestlers forgoing their senior seasons to get an early start on collegiate training. Some of the most notable wrestlers in recent memory have made the decision including Evansville Mater Dei’s state champion Lee trio of Nick, Joe, and Matt and Mount Vernon’s state runner-up Paul Konrath. If Carroll is the latest to make this decision, how likely do you see it to continue? Wrestlers have begun to turn their focus to national tournaments to build résumés and an identity on the national level for recruiting purposes, and while good schools will call if you win your state tournament, you’ll have a wider variety of options if you place or win at these big regional or national tournaments. In addition, the added spotlight of being featured on FloWrestling can make a lasting impression on a young, wide-eyed talent. So, a solid national résumé and a commitment to a good school may be enough for one to get an early start on collegiate competition. What are your thoughts on this?

Jaylen Young of Perry Meridian is at 182, not 220.

I always forget this. His 2018 title by far is one of the most impressive feats ever in Indiana in my opinion. To have three champions and a two-time runner-up in that weight, with three coming from the same Semi-State, and to WIN… Stuff of legend.

I didn’t even think about that. Hats off to them. Resources and training opportunities go a long way in this sport, and most rural schools don’t have them for many reasons. So, to see so many teams from this site produce a lot of quality, it makes me happy because it says something about the coaches and the wrestlers’ commitment to the sport. I’ll be rooting for them come tournament time.

Are there any state champions we know of that didn’t win any title that season (or their career) prior to the state finals?

I’ve been keeping a close eye on wrestling in the Fort Wayne Semi-State as of late because the guy I learned the most about wrestling and work ethic from is now the head coach at Delta, and after looking at the Jay County Regional, this is quietly the most competitive regional in the state next to Mooresville. Between Bellmont, Delta, and Yorktown as the three historic programs along with quality programs such as Adams Central, Daleville, and Jay County, and rising programs in Bluffton, Monroe Central, Muncie Central, Norwell, and South Adams, I can say that this is a strong regional. I’m excited to see how these programs grow because this regional has the potential to become THE regional in a few years.

NCSS #5 Hruai Lian (Perry Meridian) dominated State #15/NCSS #2 Tamir Halevi (Carmel). Lian was up 8-0 before he pinned Halevi.

Match was fire. Toby came out the gate hot, but Liam battled back and eventually took the lead before Toby, down 11-8, scored an escape, takedown, and 3 near fall from a tilt. Liam got the escape to make it 14-12, and I forgot where Toby’s last point came from though. Worth the price of admission as the saying goes.

When did they finally take interest in Indiana?

Curious to know the toughest conference this year and in recent years. I would be inclined to say the DAC, MIC, or SIAC most years, but with some realignments, I’m wondering what conference features the stiffest competition and likely produces the most state qualifiers.

D.J. Radnovich For those who were around, what was he like as a wrestler? I hear and see his name mentioned a lot but never got the chance to see him.

Has there ever been a time in our state where we’ve had two wrestlers who were BOTH number one despite obvious rankings purposes making them 1 and 2? I feel like the closest would be Chad Red vs. Nick Lee. It’s a rare occurrence in sports and entertainment, but it does happen from time to time and it’s typically the established guy who’s been on top versus the guy who’s hot right then and there to be the top guy. In Basketball, you’ve seen it with LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry/Kevin Durant; in football, Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady or Tom Brady vs. Patrick Mahomes; in professional wrestling, Steve Austin vs. The Rock; in freestyle wrestling, Abdulrashid Sadulaev vs. Kyle Snyder or Jordan Burroughs vs. Kyle Dake; in collegiate wrestling, Kyle Dake vs. David Taylor… You get the point. Who has that been for Indiana, if ever?

Who wins in a Best of 3 series? 106 - Jake Hockaday vs. Colton Cummings 113 - Alex Cottey vs. Jarred Brooks 120 - Kyrel Leavell vs. Deondre Wilson 126 - Stevan Micic vs. Josh Harper 132 - Zeke Seltzer vs. Nick Lee 138 - Devon Jackson vs. Alex Tsirtsis Catchweight 140 - Jesse Mendez vs. Jason Tsirtsis 145 - Matt Lee vs. Cody LeCount 152 - Brayton Lee vs. Joe Lee 160 - J Conway vs. Jordan Slivka 170 - Brody Baumann vs. Drew Hughes 182 - Drake Buchanan vs. Blake Rypel 195 - Gabe Sollars vs. Silas Allred 220 - Christian Carroll vs. Mason Parris 285 - Shawn Streck vs. Chico Adams

One of the greatest matches in recent memory and a CERTIFIED BANGER! It's a shame a full crowd didn't get a chance to see that one. Was there for it live and dem boyz THREW DAHN!!!!! Clocked an immediate 4.75/5 star rating (Generational Performance) from me. Brody Baumann's lat drop at the end was the cherry on top and solidified him as one of my favorite wrestlers to watch. One of the best state finals and overall wrestling matches I've ever seen. So fun with so many back and forth momentum swings. Dem boyz took us back to the Attitude Era with that one! Just going out there to bang!!!!

Random fantasy match-up I'd been thinking about. Haven't been here in awhile. Marion County All-Stars 2010s 106: Alex Cottey (Perry Meridian) 113: Zeke Seltzer (Cathedral) 120: Deondre Wilson (Warren Central) 126: Breyden Bailey (Cathedral) 132: Jared McKinley (Perry Meridian) 138: Brandon James (Perry Meridian), Tommy Cash (Lawrence North), Zach Melloh (Cathedral) 145: Cody LeCount (Perry Meridian) 152: Elliott Rodgers (Cathedral), Trent Pruitt (Warren Central) 160: Brian Harvey (Cathedral) 170: Dylan Lydy (Ben Davis), Noah Warren (Perry Meridian) 182: Blake Rypel (Cathedral) 195: Tristen Tonte (Warren Central/Perry Meridian), Katrell Moss (Warren Central) 220: Courvoisier Morrow (Warren Central), Dylan Faulkenburg (Cardinal Ritter) 285: Donte Winfield (Perry Meridian), Wesley Bernard (Cathedral) Evansville Mater Dei 106: Alec Freeman 113: Greg Schaefer 120: Kevin Head 126: Craig Macke, Scott Schaefer 132: Nick Lee 138: Blake Boarman 145: Matt Lee, Craig Weinzapfel 152: Matt Coughlin, Joe Lee, Dustin Nosko 160: Brody Baumann, Sam Wildeman, Eli Dickens 170: Blake Maurer 182: Gabe Sollars 195: Dane Maurer 220: Nathan Critchfield 285: Bill Trainer, Justin VanWinkle ...I'm not going to lie, as a Marion County guy, I'd be worried about this dual from just about start to finish. Heavyweight is the only weight I'd feel comfortable funny enough. Cottey has taken down Freeman in real life, but it was always close. Never saw Coach Schaefer wrestle, but from what I've been told, it was nasty, but Zeke is an absolute buzzsaw. Didn't see Kevin Head, but witnessed Deondre Wilson in real time, so I'll give the nod to the champ. Bailey versus Macke or Schaefer I'm sure would be gold considering Bailey's funkiness and supreme top game as compared to the scrappiness I've heard about the others. 132 would be a spectacle. 138, although Boarman is a champ, Brandon James, while not unstoppable, was the closest thing to it when he was on; Cash, a two-time champ with an unpredictable style, and Melloh is tough as nails, but Boarman is still a state champion who gave Jesse Mendez his closest battle in Indiana maybe in his entire career aside from Seltzer. 145, I have to give the nod to LeCount. Dude could adjust to anyone and was supreme in every position. 152, I don't see how EMD loses any of those match-ups, same with 160. 170 goes to the four-time champion. 182 I'll give Rypel, two-time champion and Super 32 champion. 195, I'll give slight edge to Marion County as Moss is a champion and Tonte is a three-time runner-up between two schools. 220 is Critchfield all day. Heavyweight, it's hard to bet against Winfield or Bernard. Lots of toss-up matches, but the ones EMD wins, I'm sure come with bonus because boy can them boys down south rack 'em up. All love to the homies in Vanderburgh County. Nothing but respect for the Wildcat program.

Drop ‘em here. We always hear about the champions, but I want to learn more about some of Indiana’s best teams and what they were like at the time. Brownsburg ‘22 – Most points scored by a runner-up team ever and lost to Crown Point in a dual by a single point. Even down a key wrestler, they still managed to push nine through with eight medalists and a champion. Chesterton ‘21 – Runners-up with SEVEN Semi-State champions and multiple nationally-ranked wrestlers. Perry Meridian ‘21 – Most points scored by a third place team with nine qualifiers and six semi-finalists led by two-time state champion Alex Cottey. Warren Central ‘20 – Seven state qualifiers and another regional championship for the Warriors. Warren Central ‘19 – State Duals runners-up with fourteen Semi-State qualifiers. Brownsburg ‘18 – Runners-up with a controversial finish at 138 lbs that essentially lost them the race. An undefeated and nationally-ranked dual team, this Brayton Lee-led squad was the real deal. Perry Meridian ‘18 – A nationally-ranked squad led by senior state champion Noah Warren. The team had two losses (both to Brownsburg) and finished fifth in the team race at Bankers Life that year. Perry Meridian ‘17 – A top-ranked team heading into the postseason. This squad avenged their lone loss to Brownsburg on their Senior Night and broke the top ten at Bankers Life. Evansville Mater Dei ‘15 – Undefeated as a dual team and Semi-State champions. Finished third at Bankers Life with a champion in sophomore Nick Lee. Perry Meridian ‘15 – A one-loss dual team who also were ranked at the top of the IndianaMat Power Poll with eleven ranked wrestlers. Despite their nightmarish Semi-State meltdown, the team still managed to finish seventh at Bankers Life the next weekend. Franklin Community ‘14 – An undefeated dual team who knocked off the reigning Perry Meridian 27-26 in a wild dual at Team State. The Grizzly Cubs finished the season as Runners-Up at Bankers Life with two champions and four medalists total. Perry Meridian ‘14 – A nationally-ranked defending state championship squad who despite their shocking loss to Franklin managed to lead the team race with only three medalists the entire day at Bankers Life, ultimately finishing fourth with a champion in Cody LeCount.

I wish I had been present that day to watch. I saw the highlights on Flo of Ty Mills’ pin and Brayton Lee’s overtime takedown. I can only imagine the atmosphere inside of Brownsburg that day.

It's hard to narrow down, but I'll give a solid few. IHSWCA Team State Duals (2015) | Highlight(s): Evansville Mater Dei vs. Perry Meridian, Perry Meridian vs. Penn The third ever IHSWCA Team State Duals headed to Muncie for the first time, leaving its old grounds at Westfield, and the best the state had to offer in three classes were set to do battle. In Class 3A in particular, it was a three-team race between top-ranked Perry Meridian, second-ranked Evansville Mater Dei, and third-ranked Penn. After pool play had finished, Perry Meridian and Penn went to war in an all-time classic dual meet that swayed in momentum from start to finish. Complete with upsets, surprises, and one of the most incredible comeback sequences ever, Perry Meridian was able to escape Penn by the skin of their teeth, winning 33-32 on the sixth criteria for which team had the most bonus points which was ultimately decided on Brandon James' technical fall. With a Falcon victory, the two most storied programs of the 21st century in Indiana collided in a showdown of epic proportion when the Nick Lee-led Wildcats took on the Brandon James-led Falcons. The Wildcats took the lead early, but the ever-resilient Falcons kept finding a way to sway the momentum until the gas ran out. The Wildcats narrowly won 31-27, upsetting the top-ranked Falcons to earn their first IHSWCA Team State Dual Championship after finishing runner-up the year prior. Al Smith Classic Wrestling Invitational (2018) | Highlight(s): Jesse Mendez vs. Hunter Watts, Brayden Littell vs. Riley Bettich Something was in the air at Mishawaka that day. Everyone was competing at an extremely high level. The finals matches were a treat to behold, though. Matt Gimson vs. Geremia Brooks, Alex Mosconi vs. Aiden Warren, Jordan Slivka vs. Brooks Davis, and Nick South vs. Joe Walker were all phenomenal, but the two matches of the tournament were Brayden Littell vs. Riley Bettich and Jesse Mendez vs. Hunter Watts. With the former, we saw two elite grapplers go toe-to-toe in an overtime thriller that was won by Littell's high mat IQ, and in the latter we saw the birth of a legend in a freshman Jesse Mendez effectively controlling a returning state champion in Watts, an elite competitor in his own right. IHSAA Semi-State Championship at New Castle (2014) | Highlight(s): Brandon James vs. Deondre Wilson Perry Meridian's stranglehold on the state had been broken a month prior as the Falcons suffered their first defeat in over three years at the IHSWCA Team State Duals to the Bob Hasseman-led Grizzly Cubs of Franklin Community. That didn't discourage Coach Jim Tonte, however, as he put his Falcons in position to reclaim their place on the top of the mountain after winning their regional a week prior, but what stood in the way was a stubborn Cathedral team looking to win their first state championship in program history, and with no better way to make a statement, the Fighting Irish wanted to make a statement to the rest of Indiana at New Castle. Although, the Falcons qualified more wrestlers, Cathedral walked away with more champions led by top-ranked Wes Bernard at heavyweight, thus winning by a narrow 3½ point margin over Perry Meridian, 117.5-114.0, and had placed themselves in position to capture the gold next weekend at Bankers Life. The New Castle Fieldhouse was no short of great matches either, headlined by a Deondre Wilson and Brandon James rematch from the prior weekend in the 132-pound championship that saw Wilson prevail in an ultimate tiebreaker thriller. IHSAA Regional Championship at Mooresville (2022) | Highlight(s): Logan Miller vs. Reese Courtney, Gunner Henry vs. Drake Buchanan This year's state tournament series was unforgettable. The always brutal and unforgiving Mooresville regional didn't disappoint either and started out the gate hot with a ranked match-up between Martinsville's Trevor Hott and Brownsburg's Braiden Haines. Brownsburg, who took the title in dominant fashion, had some great finals match-ups with runner-up Center Grove, including the 120-pound and 182-pound championship contests. Logan Miller, in his final career victory, found a way to upend Center Grove's Reese Courtney in overtime with a beautiful surfboard that saw him take the crown with a 7-2 decision. The 182-pound match and this year's match of the year saw the arrival of Gunner Henry. The Brownsburg freshman was able to be the first and only wrestler all season to knock off the top-ranked Trojan and returning state runner-up in Drake Buchanan. A carefully wrestled match-up that told a great story, Henry was able to smell blood as the bout progressed and Buchanan waned, eventually pulling off the upset in spectacular fashion that sent Mooresville up to the point the event could be measured on the Richter scale.

I have not played Tecmo Bowl, but you know what? It sounds interesting lol And on the games, they do these packs for Ultimate Team. Not set by region or era, just at random. You build your own based on who’s card is available. It’s kind of unique. I just try to bring these ideas to the board.

I think some of you misunderstood the concept, which shows my age lol. This is an ultimate team like they do in the Madden NFL or NBA 2K video games. You pick who you would want for your team. This is not an all-time team.

Not an all-time team. It’s your ultimate team. This is just who I would pick for mine.

What does your ultimate team look like? Coach: Jim Tonte - IHSWCA Hall of Fame, 5× State Champion, 6× State Runner-Up 106: Stevan Micic '12 - State Champion, Ranked in the nation 113: Jarred Brooks '12 - State Champion, Super 32 Champion, Ranked #1 in the nation 120: Zeke Seltzer '20 - State Champion, Ranked #5 in the nation 126: Chad Red '15 - State Champion, Super 32 Champion, Cadet Freestyle National Champion, Ranked #1 in the nation 132: Nick Lee '15 - State Champion, Cadet Freestyle National Champion, Ranked #5 in the nation 138: Jesse Mendez '22 - State Champion, Junior World Team Member, Junior Hodge Trophy, Ranked #2 P4P in the nation 145: Cody LeCount '14 - State Champion, Ranked #8 in the nation 152: Brayton Lee '18 - State Champion, Junior Freestyle National Champion, Ranked #2 in the nation 160: Drew Hughes '15 - State Champion, Ranked #9 in the nation 170: Nick South '19 - State Champion, Super 32 Finalist, Ranked #4 in the nation 182: Blake Rypel '16 - State Champion, Super 32 Champion, Ranked #2 in the nation 195: Lucas Davison '18 - State Champion, Junior Freestyle National Champion, Junior Greco National Champion, Super 32 Finalist, Ranked #2 in the nation 220: Mason Parris '18 - State Champion, FloNationals Champion, Junior Freestyle Nationals 3rd, Ranked #2 in the nation 285: Chico Adams '08 - State Champion, Ranked in the nation Team goes undefeated and might break every record possible.

Burroughs asked on Twitter who the oldest person was competing in the NCAA tournament, and many people said Logan Massa, but it has to be Micic right? He's been in college for eight years. 2014-15: Freshman 2015-16: Redshirt Freshman 2016-17: Redshirt Freshman 2017-18: Redshirt Sophomore 2018-19: Redshirt Junior 2019-20: Redshirt Junior 2019-20: Redshirt Senior 2020-21: Redshirt Senior