hook and half

WOW! You have outdone yourself. Well done.

great write up!

I'm not sure if this speaks more to MD's JV or the balance of the SIAC...

There was a lot of pre-match smack talk. No one in the SW corner of the state was shocked; Bethel was extremely dangerous.

It was a fall. What was the coaching misconduct about?

In 2017, Evansville Memorial had 13 starting seniors.

Frank DeBusk put a stake in the heart of the Mater Dei nation. The week before the match, Mike Goebel said, "I have heard that Hobart can hurt you in a street fight." Many MD fans will tell you this was their greatest comeback. Wrong! In 1965, the 'Cats were down 21-0 against Franklin Central. MD posted seven straight wins to close out the match a 31-21 victor.

that was one, wild match. half of me wanted ferg to hang on, the other half wanted to see the comeback.

The Ferguson/Smith match was hard to watch. Their were stalling calls along with numerous and sundry coaching complaints/time outs. As I remember, it was a 1-2 point match. Ferguson and Smith were great competitors and the bane of Mater Dei. I'm not sure MD ever notched a win against either.

Three days before the semi state, Mike Goebel was on pins and needles. “I can't even talk about it," said Goebel. "I've been a nervous wreck ever since I saw the pairings. They should be the ones wrestling for the State Title, but this means a great wrestler will be denied a trip to State." Goebel’s anxiety was due to the semi state ticket round match looming between Dan Jankowski and Jeffersonville’s returning State Champion, Robert Rosbottom. How in the world did it come to this? Rosbottom (37-1), lost in the New Albany Regional final to Steve Minton of New Albany. It was quite an upset as Rosbottom had defeated Minton in three previous encounters. "They'd had two close matches and one blowout," said Goebel. "But this time Minton got the takedown and back points and beat Rosbottom, 8-1." Goebel’s anxiety would soon give way to frustration, disappointment and anger. In the ticket round match, Rosbottom drew first blood, scoring a takedown in the first period. Rosbottom was content to ride the balance of the period, never coming off of Jankowski’s hips. He was warned for stalling. Jankowski escaped in the second period. Shot after shot was blocked by Rosbottom, no offensive attempts being made. Wildcats fans were agitated. A growing crescendo of grumbling emanated from the Red and Gold. Jankowski cut Rossbottom in the third period. Working from a 3-1 deficit, Jankowski could tie the match from his feet. Jankowski immediately attacked. Rossbottom was finally called by referee Jim Beeson for stalling with about a minute left to make it 3-2. Jankowski continued a non-stop attack while Rossbottom continued to back up and block. In spite of Goebel’s protestations harmonizing with an angry and howling Mater Dei throng, Beeson would not call another stalling penalty to force overtime. Suffering one of the bitterest defeats in Mater Dei’s wrestling history, Dan Jankowski lost, 3-2. In the third period, Jankowski took a staggering 18 shots compared to Rosbottom’s two. In the loss, Jankowski was gracious. “Rossbottom wrestled a smart match,” he said. “I guess he did what he thought he would have to do to beat me. I just wish there would have been more action.” Mike Goebel took the loss and the events of the day pretty hard. "When you look at taking six to State, that's good, but when you consider that Mater Dei didn't have a (semi state) champion for the first time in I can't remember when, it's tough. Sometimes people take things for granted. They tend to forget how tough it is at this level."

wow, that is really ridiculous. this prices it out of reach for some families.

Castle sectional advances 18

chickenshit post of the year. delete your profile.

Oh yeah! Blake and his side kick, Dane Maurer.

I am not intimate with the rules. As I understand it, a chip whip coupled with a back trip is not legal.

Thrills, chills, spills and surprises abounded at the Evansville North regional. Let’s get to the action! 106- The final match-up that surprised no one found Mater Dei’s Evan Seng vs. North Posey’s Blake Zirkelbach. Seng got an early takedown and increased daylight between the two, eventually counting a 10-4 victory. North’s Joseph Anderson scored the upset of the tournament by dealing Castle’s previously undefeated Leighton Ramsey a 6-5 loss, eliminating him from the state tournament. 113- MD’s Reed Egli survived a tight, 9-6 win over North Posey’s Gavin Wheeler in the semifinal. Egli dominated in the final, pinning Princeton’s Jared Dunn. 120- MD’s Cole Ross, eased the seat back and put the cruise control on 95. Ross chalked two tech falls and a pin to top the podium at 120. All of this and excellent hair. 126- Memorial’s Keegan Williams was at top form and topped the medals stand as the first non-MD champ. Williams was dominant, as he did not give up a score at the quadrangle palace. 132- Nothing to see here. Evidently, MD’s Alec Freeman was on piecework; he spent less than four minutes on the mat against three opponents. 138- MD’s returning State Champ, Blake Boarman, had a bit of a scare in the semifinal. The senior avoided a borderline slam call against Boonville’s Lane Whitsell. The final contained no drama as Boarman drubbed North Posey’s Nick Akers with technical fall. 145- Text will not do this justice; I recommend shelling out $10 for the Track Wrestling replay. As is his way, Mater Dei’s Ashton Hayhurst wrestles like you insulted his mother. Swinging for the fences, Hayhurst hit a chin whip with a back trip and put Mt. Vernon’s Chris Newman to his back for the fall. Not so fast! Mt. Vernon coach Tom Alcorn ordered a referee’s conference, while pointing at the rule book. As it turns out, Hayhurst’s back trip was illegal, resulting in a “no points” exchange. Many minutes later, the action resumed with Hayhurst scoring a takedown. Newman, however, was far from done and scored a reversal with swipes at the end of the period. This time, MD’s Greg Schaefer had a go at the referee, but to no avail. Newman took a 4-2 lead into the second period. What followed was the wildest scramble I have witnessed in the 20/21 season. Hayhurst eventually scored a takedown which was quickly followed by a Newman escape. I take the earlier statement back—the next scramble was THE wildest one I have seen in 20/21. This time, Newman made the fatal mistake of stepping over on a whizzer. Hayhurst was out of tolerance for games and squeezed Newman’s shoulders to the mat for the fall. Wait! It was at the buzzer! Does the fall count? Yes it does! Both of these guys are awesome! I look for them to do damage at the semistate. 152- In a marquee final match up, MD’s Scott Fitts found himself in the championship round facing Memorial’s Aiden Farmer. With the match knotted 1-1 and time winding down, Farmer hit a snap while Fitts attempted a duck under. Fitts was on the wrong side of the exchange and Farmer scored a spin behind for the “two.” Farmer won, 3-1. 160- MD’s Brody Baumann remains unchallenged riding a pin and two technical falls en route to a regional title. This is not to detract from Gibson Southern’s runner-up, Owen Bryant. The Titan senior is a tough out and a bad semi state draw. 170- In this COVID-affected season, one has to question the quality of Castle’s win/loss records. John Purdy put the question to bed, scoring a regional championship with two technical falls and a pin. This was a balanced and tough class; the sophomore Knight was untouched. 182- The other marquee match of the day—MD’s undefeated Gabe Sollars against Castle’s undefeated Evan Reff—was less than scintillating. Sollars counted a quick takedown and back points for an early lead. Sollars put in the power half and the fall at 1:25 for the regional title. Entering the match, Reff was 32-0. Sollars made it look easy. 195- No drama at 195. North Posey’s Wyatt Willman spent six minutes on the mat, while dominating the regional. Willman is strong and slick; he far can he go? 220- F5 tornado, Reitz’s Logan Huggins, continued his path of destruction. 30-0, the senior spent less than four minutes on the mat. I am out of words. 285- Entering the day, MD’s James Ralph was a big favorite. Ralph found his huckleberry in the form of Boonville’s Cordell Heuring. Huering took Ralph to double overtime before Ralph scored an escape and 2-1 win. You are happy if you are a fan of: Mater Dei- The Wildcats claimed nine champions and lapped the field, scoring 261 points to runner-up Memorial’s 88 points. The team race was over at the completion of the first round; mathematically, the Wildcats could not be caught. MD advanced all 14 to the semi state, while claiming nine champions. It is hard to find fault with this edition of the crew from 1300 Harmony Way. Memorial- The Tigers shocked the field with their runner-up performance. Coach Larry Mattingly has peaked his team at the right time. ERMHS takes five to the semi state. North Posey- Coach Cody Moll has it rocking in Poseyville. His Vikings claim six semi states slots and will look to advance to State. Reitz- Coach Scott Ferguson’s Panthers completed an undistinguished season, but turned it on in the regional, claiming a champion and four semi state slots. It’s a mixed bag if you are a fan of: Castle- The Knights saw two of the undefeated wrestlers handed their first loss of the season. Even worse, one of them is done. On the other hand, John Purdy was dominant and remains unblemished. You are not happy if you are a fan of: Boonville- The Pioneers won their first-ever sectional a week ago, defeating their personal evil empire that is Castle. At the Evansville North regional, Boonville crashed to earth, finishing a disappointing ninth.

knock you out!

What time does the first round begin?

yesiree, bob. the young bull needs to kick around the yard, maybe even go to the back 40--take in a couple of sights. ya bethcha.

The Castle sectional will advance no fewer than 13 and no more than 22.

Do you like her over Reed from Reitz? If so, how does she match up with Seng?

Bryant will get a crack at Fulks in the semis. How do you see that going down?

Great write up!

The North Regional promises top-notch Indiana talent, fireworks and what could be an interesting team race. Since spectators will not be allowed—this year only—I will omit snarky comments about the tournament being moved from Castle. 106- The wee ones will start us off with a bang. Castle’s freshman phenom, Leighton Ramsey, tops the bracket with a 29-0 record. Trouble lurks in the semis, when he faces the wily junior from North Posey, Blake Zirkelbach. For their trouble, the winner will be rewarded by a date with Mater Dei’s fourth-ranked Evan Seng. Whoa, Nellie! 113- I like the semis match up of Heritage Hills’ Garrett Forler and Jared Dunn of Princeton. Mater Dei’s Reed Egli graduated from gladiator school this season and looks to top the Huskie podium. 120- Central’s Ayden Amento put together a brilliant season and a 23-4 record. The bad news is that three of his losses are to two, Mater Dei wrestlers. The worse news is that 3x SQ Cole Ross is on the other side of the bracket. I do not expect a Ross meltdown in this all-Central sectional final. 126- There will be upsets at 126! Memorial’s Keegan Williams tops the bracket and carries a 27-1 record for Larry Mattingly’s Tigers. Williams will face a savvy and improving wrestler in the form of Reitz’s Zach Traylor. On the other side of the bracket, sectional champ Jacob Pierre will square off against Harrison’s Kaliq Boyd. Pierre is studied and measured while Boyd is wide-open. At the end of the day, I expect Pierre to try to avenge an early-season loss to Williams. I could be wrong on every pick at 126! 132- Two words: Alec Freeman. The MD senior is ranked number one in Indiana and looks tougher each week. Freeman will take the center mat against the winner of Harrison’s Devin Heneisen and North Posey’s Camden Lupfer. 138- It is hard to bet against MD’s returning State Champ, Blake Boarman, so I will not. I like the semis match at the bottom of the bracket where Memorial’s Eli Weurth will face Nick Akers of North Posey. 145- I expect another all-Central sectional final at 145 where MD’s Ashton Hayhurst will square off against Mt. Vernon’s Chris Newman. Hayhurst dished out a beat-down at the sectional. Can Newman re-group and crack the Hayhurst code? 152- Memorial’s Aiden Farmer tops the northern half of the bracket and brings a 23-4 record to the quadrangle palace. MD’s Scott Fitts sports an 11-6 record against a slate of who’s who. Fitts will square off against a solid Pat Mayes of Boonville. If Fitts can get past Mayes, he will get an opportunity to avenge an early-season loss to Farmer. 160- In the marquee match of the tournament, Boonville’s Jordan Fulks will meet MD’s Brody Baumann. Both are returning State Placers, technically solid, dynamic and in supreme condition. Somebody put ‘em on a leash! 170- The adrenalin rush continues at 170. Castle’s sophomore sensation, John Purdy, sports a perfect 24-0 record for Bob Harmon’s Knights. Purdy will need to keep his eyes on the road, as he will face MD’s 17-3 Blake Weidner in the semis. Mt. Vernon’s Brady Hook will coast to the final. Hook is slick and smart; the final should be epic! 182- Caught your breath yet? Too late! In a battle of unbeatens, I expect Castle’s 30-0 Evan Reff to go heads up with MD’s 19-0 Gabe Sollars. Castle and MD did not meet in this COVID-infected season, so we have no history on which to draw. Someone help me out, here! 195- This is a tough pick. Castle’s Jason Palamarchuck rolled up a 24-5 record, en route to his sectional title. Danger lurks in the first round in the form of Reitz’s Reid Brickey. Brickey defaulted his third-place match in the sectional. If Brickey is healthy for the regional, you could see an upset at the EVSC School Board’s monument to themselves. Should Palamarchuck get past Brickey, he will face Mt. Vernon’s very tough, 26-2 Blake Ritzert. Slobber Knocker City! Another great first round match will go down when Tecumseh’s Jared McKinley faces MD’s Clay Martin. McKinley missed out on a sectional title by a 7-6 loss to Palamarchuck. Sophomore Clay Martin is a 12-1 wrestler—that no one wants to wrestle. While there is a lot of drama in the lead-up, there will be not be much drama in the final. North Posey’s Wyatt Willman is 25-0 and is the class of the field. You will see Ritzert vs. Willman, Part II. 220- Memorial’s Kelton Farmer tops the northern half of the bracket. In the semis, he will meet MD’s Nick Boots. MD coach Greg Schaefer typically has his team peaking in February; Boots will look to avenge an early season loss. Reitz’s Logan Huggins, with his 27-0 record, will skate to the final. 285- Boonville senior, Cordell Heuring stomped the field at the Castle sectional and tops the bracket. Heuring should not look past North’s senior, Gage Sales. The Huskie is 23-2 and wrestling on his home mat. MD junior James Ralph has blossomed this season and should walk to the final. Look for Ralph to top the podium. Top Semi-Final Matches: 106- Zirkelbach vs. Ramsey; 113- Forler vs. Dunn; 126- Williams vs. Traylor, Pierre vs. Boyd; 132- Lupfer vs. Heneisen; 138- Weurth vs. Akers; 152- Fitts vs. Mayes; 170- Purdy vs. Weidner; 195- Palamarchuck/Brickey vs. Ritzert; 220- Boots vs. Farmer; 285- Heuring vs. Sales Top Final Matches: 106- Zirkelbach vs. Seng; 126- Williams/Traylor vs. Pierre/Boyd; 152- Farmer vs. Fitts; 160- Baumann vs. Fulks; 170- Weidner/Purdy vs. Hook; 182- Reff v. Sollars Team Race: This is a race for second. Mater Dei has zero weak spots, will put at least ten in the finals and should advance all 14 to the semi state. I like North Posey for second place, Castle for third and Boonville fourth.