hook and half

The post-season is here!  For SIAC fans, this means a trip to fabulous Newburgh, Indiana.  Mrs. Hook, Hookticia, Hookert and Hookun have the trusty 1985 Chevrolet Caprice station wagon, cleaned, gassed-up and backed into the driveway.  They even scraped the gum off the seats so that their grandparents, “Big Hook Mama” and “Cool Daddy Hook Bucks” will have a safe place on which to sit.  Our Kool-Aid is stirred; the Lays Stackers (much cheaper than Pringles) are packed.
 
106- Mater Dei’s one-seed Clay “Scrambled” Egli is the favorite.  The Castle Knights counter with freshman Devon “Lightning” Casebolt, who brings a strong, 29-3 record to the party. 
 
113- Baxter “Vader” Annakin is back!  While this is good news for Bob Harmon’s Knights, it bad news for the field.  Recovered from his injury, Annakin could make a deep run in the State Tournament Series.  Seth “Hears a Who” Horty has steadily improved and rolled up an impressive, 31-3 record.  Horty will likely meet Mater Dei’s Blaine “Bring the Pain” Mayer in the semifinal.
 
120- Fifth-ranked Mater Dei junior Kyle “Sweet” Luigs nabs the top seed.  Castle’s Neal “The Real Deal” Bealmer will duke it out with Central’s Cody “Samsonite” Baggett in the semifinal.  Harrison’s Beau “Geste” Barrett, Drew “Little Big” Horn and Reitz’s Chris “Not the Actor” Tucker also expect to compete for podium spots.
 
126- The Knights’ Carson “What You Talkin Bout” Willis has put together an awesome 29-1 record, his only loss to Cathedral’s top-ranked Breyden Bailey.  Reitz’s Caleb “007” Craig and Harrison’s Jay “Spice Boy” Hollowell will likely battle for a spot in the final.  Mater Dei’s Joe “Don’t Worry, Be” Happe will also be in the medal hunt in this deep weight class.
 
132- The North Huskies’ Josh “Hamburger” Elpers has screamed to a 30-1 record and the top seed.  Castle’s Braedon “Slowhand” Clopton is an SSQ, boasting a 20-2 record.  Throw in Memorial’s Jacob “The Rock” Brockman, Reitz’s Kye “Cabinet” Fehrenbacher and Mater Dei’s Kyle “Minogue” Embry and you have yourself the makings of a real donnybrook.  I know Castle’s concession stand is calling…better make a run well before this bracket is wrestled.
 
138- Actually, you had better stock up on concessions; you will not want to miss any 138 action, either.  Castle’s Austin “Pharaoh” Ramsey gets the nod for the top seed.  A senior, the ranked Ramsey will be dissatisfied with anything short of a State berth.  In his way is Mater Dei’s fifth-ranked Blake “Air” Jourdan.  Down from 160, earlier in the season, and from 145 last year, Jourdan looks poised for another spot on the podium at Banker’s Life.  BUT….before he gets there, Jourdan will have to get past North’s Nick “House Of” Burke.  Burke is under the radar but brings a 29-1 record to the meet.  Overlook him at your peril.
 
145- Mater Dei’s Joe “Younger, But Bigger” Lee grabs the spotlight.  Last year’s State Runner-up is the heavy favorite.  Harrison’s Bryce “De Moray” Ransom, North’s Dalton “Battleship” Gray and Castle’s Clay “Almond Joy” McNutt will battle for medals.
 
152- The Wildcats’ journeyman “Abercrombie &” Mitch Lehman gets the nod for the top slot.  Memorial’s talented “Take A” Chance Williams gets the two seed.  Williams has battled non-stop injuries for two seasons.  Here’s hoping Larry Mattingly’s senior stays healthy for a post-season run.  Castle’s freshman, William “Milling” Nunn and Reitz’s Blayd “Runner” Blair will also be in the mix.
 
160- Castle’s Jacob “Old McDonald” Farmer is the favorite here.  Danger lurks, as Farmer will likely meet the Memorial Tigers’ Jack “In the Box” Folz.  On the other side of the bracket, Shawn “P. Diddy” Coane of North meets Mater Dei’s Hunter “Baby, You Can Drive My” Carr in the first round.  The winner of that one meets the winner of Reitz’s Noah “Ark” Reich and Harrison’s Dymond “Legs” Harris.  No bathroom breaks during 160!  I’ll be taking notes.
 
170- Castle’s Evan “Sville” Dowell is a big favorite.  Dowell has a ton of varsity and big match experience.  Look for him to cash some chips.  Bosse’s Raymond “Bradbury” Garnett is the two seed.  Garnett has rolled up 17 wins and looks to bring his gridiron success to the mats.  Memorial’s Mitchell “Encyclopedia” Brown, Mater Dei’s Blake “Bing” Chandler, North’s Marcus “Axle” Eatan, Central’s Kiave “Guerrier & Ives” Guerrier and Reitz’s Jeremy “Ring My” Belli will also look for a medal.  Wrestlebacks will be a blast!  Are you going to make me say it?  Very well.  NO BATHROOM BREAKS.
 
182- Bob Harmon gets another top seed with his junior, Carson “Cougar Mohlercamp” Mohler.  The first-year starter has rolled up an outstanding 29-3 record and looks to top the awards stand in his home gym.  The Tigers’ Conner “Buster” Brown is the two-seed.  Reitz’s Andrew “Dean” Koonce, North’s Justin “Gun” Naylor, Central’s Austin “Monte” Hall and the Wildcats’ Seth “Of Courth” Orth will also battle for medals.  I’m not going to say it three times in a row.  If you have any questions, refer to 160 and 170 for personal instructions.
 
195- Mater Dei’s Coach, Greg Schaefer, is grinning over his top-seed, junior Kurtis “Call of the Wild” Wilderman.  Reitz’s Andrew Shaw “Shank” and Castle’s Will “Rock And” Rolley will battle for a right to meet Wilderman at the center mat.  Do not discount North’s “Captain” Nate Smith or Memorial’s Marcus “Niemen” Gahagen—they will both be in medal contention.
 
220- Schaefer is still grinning!  Why?  Because his sophomore, Michael “Made For Walkin” Boots is the one seed.  Boots will likely meet the Tigers’ Jacob “Cole” Sulawske in the semifinal round.  On the other side of the bracket, Castle’s Brennan “Stormin” Norman should meet Reitz’s Blake “I Need A” Huggins for a right to pursue all of the marbles.
 
285- By now, Schaefer’s smile is ear-to-ear.  Austin “Powers” Fleck is at the top of his bracket.  Reitz’s Brett “Ed” McManus and Castle’s Brock “Lesner” Lofton will meet, with the winner getting Fleck.  Central’s Jordan “On the label, label, label” Libby is the two-seed.  He will likely face the winner of Memorial’s Ryan “Flyin” Ohlen and Harrison’s Davionte “Howard” Hughes.
 
Hookemendations:
 
Don’t miss these first round matches:  113- Harrison’s 21-13 “Mister” Christian Nix and North’s four-seed, Brenton “Fort” Myers.  120- Barrett vs. Tucker.  126- Jacob Brockman is a senior that has seen a lot of battles.  He faces Reitz freshman, Kye Fehrenbacher.  Athletic and tough, Coach Scott Ferguson has a good one in Fehrenbacher.  160- Coane vs. Carr.  Coane is a very solid 23-7, while Carr is 0-3.  Carr is coming off injury and should be ready to present him a stiff challenge.  170- Belli vs. Guerrier; Chandler vs. Garnett.  182- Koonce vs. Naylor.  285- Lofton vs. McManus; Ohlsen vs. Hughes.
 
Best first round match:  182, Austin Hall vs. Seth Orth.  Only at 182 could SSQ Seth Orth not receive a seed!  The senior will face junior Austin Hall for the first time this year.
 
Don’t miss these semifinals:  113- Mayer vs. Horty.  126- Craig vs. Hollowell.  138- Burke vs. Jourdan.  152- Nunn vs. Williams.  160- Farmer vs. Folz.  Carr/Coane vs. Harris.  170- Brown vs. Garnett.  182- Hall/Orth vs. Brown.  195- Shaw vs. Rolley.  220- Norman vs. Huggins.  285- Ohlsen/Hughes vs. Libby; Fleck vs. Lofton/McManus.
 
Best semifinal match:  132, Braeden Clopton vs. Kyle Embry.  Clopton is very strong and solid; he fell in last year’s SS ticket round.  Embry is very strong and solid.  The senior has had four years of battling for a spot in a crowded line-up.  This should be a good one!
 
Best title matches:  113- Annakin vs. Mayer/Horty.  Mayer and Horty are healthy and in supreme condition.  Annakin has five matches—what kind of shape is he in?  We will soon learn.  132- Elpers vs. Embry/Clopton.  Josh Elpers is as muscled-up as any 132-pounder you will find.  However, Embry and Clopton have wrestled super-tough schedules and experience brutal practice partners, on a daily basis.  Who holds the cards?  138- Ramsey vs. Jourdan.  Both are high energy, super-hardnosed grapplers—they are also great kids.  I can’t wait for this one.  285- Fleck vs. Libby.  Fleck owns a win over Libby.  However, the win was narrow and Libby is a wily veteran.  Expect Libby to be coached up for his center mat appearance. 
 
Bold Observations, Questions and Predictions:
 
·         Give Harrison’s coach, Matt Mastison, a week and some plastic sweats.  I’ll wager he can get to 113…again.
·         Central’s coach, Mike Lapadat, will burn more calories coaching than at least half of the 285-pounders do wrestling.
·         Castle’s concessions will wow you with pizza slices that cover an entire paper plate and baked potatoes that resemble, in size and appearance, Wrestleman’s head.
·         IU89 has the scoop.  Trust me on this one.
·         Ask Mater Dei’s coaching staff if they go with light, medium or heavy starch on their shirts for the SIAC meet.  Then, find me and give me the answer.  I want to know.
·         In spite of their heavy Castle bias, 1gold, backtothemat, todddfoxxx (Triple D, Triple X) and bluebolt1 are actually pretty congenial guys that would love to talk wrestling with you.  
·         Bob Harmon will have his beard freshly-trimmed and a stern countenance.
·         My daughter, Hookticia, will be matside complaining about how the yellow mats screw up her photography.
·         Ask Larry Mattingly “What is going on?”  I’ll bet he will have an easy smile and a great story to tell you.
·         Mater Dei’s fans will take issue with at least one of the referee’s calls.  The balance of the fans will take issue with the fact that MD fans have an issue.
·         JonH will be imbibing a libation from a can marked “Ski”, but he will not share.
·         Some folks will be offended by my nicknames.  I have no choice in the matter, as my fan(s) (sometimes one, sometimes two) demand jocular comments and pithy analysis.  Everything I do, I do for my fans.  Or fan.

The post-season is here!  For SIAC fans, this means a trip to fabulous Newburgh, Indiana.  Mrs. Hook, Hookticia, Hookert and Hookun have the trusty 1985 Chevrolet Caprice station wagon, cleaned, gassed-up and backed into the driveway.  They even scraped the gum off the seats so that their grandparents, “Big Hook Mama” and “Cool Daddy Hook Bucks” will have a safe place on which to sit.  Our Kool-Aid is stirred; the Lays Stackers (much cheaper than Pringles) are packed.
 
106- Mater Dei’s one-seed Clay “Scrambled” Egli is the favorite.  The Castle Knights counter with freshman Devon “Lightning” Casebolt, who brings a strong, 29-3 record to the party. 
 
113- Baxter “Vader” Annakin is back!  While this is good news for Bob Harmon’s Knights, it bad news for the field.  Recovered from his injury, Annakin could make a deep run in the State Tournament Series.  Seth “Hears a Who” Horty has steadily improved and rolled up an impressive, 31-3 record.  Horty will likely meet Mater Dei’s Blaine “Bring the Pain” Mayer in the semifinal.
 
120- Fifth-ranked Mater Dei junior Kyle “Sweet” Luigs nabs the top seed.  Castle’s Neal “The Real Deal” Bealmer will duke it out with Central’s Cody “Samsonite” Baggett in the semifinal.  Harrison’s Beau “Geste” Barrett, Drew “Little Big” Horn and Reitz’s Chris “Not the Actor” Tucker also expect to compete for podium spots.
 
126- The Knights’ Carson “What You Talkin Bout” Willis has put together an awesome 29-1 record, his only loss to Cathedral’s top-ranked Breyden Bailey.  Reitz’s Caleb “007” Craig and Harrison’s Jay “Spice Boy” Hollowell will likely battle for a spot in the final.  Mater Dei’s Joe “Don’t Worry, Be” Happe will also be in the medal hunt in this deep weight class.
 
132- The North Huskies’ Josh “Hamburger” Elpers has screamed to a 30-1 record and the top seed.  Castle’s Braedon “Slowhand” Clopton is an SSQ, boasting a 20-2 record.  Throw in Memorial’s Jacob “The Rock” Brockman, Reitz’s Kye “Cabinet” Fehrenbacher and Mater Dei’s Kyle “Minogue” Embry and you have yourself the makings of a real donnybrook.  I know Castle’s concession stand is calling…better make a run well before this bracket is wrestled.
 
138- Actually, you had better stock up on concessions; you will not want to miss any 138 action, either.  Castle’s Austin “Pharaoh” Ramsey gets the nod for the top seed.  A senior, the ranked Ramsey will be dissatisfied with anything short of a State berth.  In his way is Mater Dei’s fifth-ranked Blake “Air” Jourdan.  Down from 160, earlier in the season, and from 145 last year, Jourdan looks poised for another spot on the podium at Banker’s Life.  BUT….before he gets there, Jourdan will have to get past North’s Nick “House Of” Burke.  Burke is under the radar but brings a 29-1 record to the meet.  Overlook him at your peril.
 
145- Mater Dei’s Joe “Younger, But Bigger” Lee grabs the spotlight.  Last year’s State Runner-up is the heavy favorite.  Harrison’s Bryce “De Moray” Ransom, North’s Dalton “Battleship” Gray and Castle’s Clay “Almond Joy” McNutt will battle for medals.
 
152- The Wildcats’ journeyman “Abercrombie &” Mitch Lehman gets the nod for the top slot.  Memorial’s talented “Take A” Chance Williams gets the two seed.  Williams has battled non-stop injuries for two seasons.  Here’s hoping Larry Mattingly’s senior stays healthy for a post-season run.  Castle’s freshman, William “Milling” Nunn and Reitz’s Blayd “Runner” Blair will also be in the mix.
 
160- Castle’s Jacob “Old McDonald” Farmer is the favorite here.  Danger lurks, as Farmer will likely meet the Memorial Tigers’ Jack “In the Box” Folz.  On the other side of the bracket, Shawn “P. Diddy” Coane of North meets Mater Dei’s Hunter “Baby, You Can Drive My” Carr in the first round.  The winner of that one meets the winner of Reitz’s Noah “Ark” Reich and Harrison’s Dymond “Legs” Harris.  No bathroom breaks during 160!  I’ll be taking notes.
 
170- Castle’s Evan “Sville” Dowell is a big favorite.  Dowell has a ton of varsity and big match experience.  Look for him to cash some chips.  Bosse’s Raymond “Bradbury” Garnett is the two seed.  Garnett has rolled up 17 wins and looks to bring his gridiron success to the mats.  Memorial’s Mitchell “Encyclopedia” Brown, Mater Dei’s Blake “Bing” Chandler, North’s Marcus “Axle” Eatan, Central’s Kiave “Guerrier & Ives” Guerrier and Reitz’s Jeremy “Ring My” Belli will also look for a medal.  Wrestlebacks will be a blast!  Are you going to make me say it?  Very well.  NO BATHROOM BREAKS.
 
182- Bob Harmon gets another top seed with his junior, Carson “Cougar Mohlercamp” Mohler.  The first-year starter has rolled up an outstanding 29-3 record and looks to top the awards stand in his home gym.  The Tigers’ Conner “Buster” Brown is the two-seed.  Reitz’s Andrew “Dean” Koonce, North’s Justin “Gun” Naylor, Central’s Austin “Monte” Hall and the Wildcats’ Seth “Of Courth” Orth will also battle for medals.  I’m not going to say it three times in a row.  If you have any questions, refer to 160 and 170 for personal instructions.
 
195- Mater Dei’s Coach, Greg Schaefer, is grinning over his top-seed, junior Kurtis “Call of the Wild” Wilderman.  Reitz’s Andrew Shaw “Shank” and Castle’s Will “Rock And” Rolley will battle for a right to meet Wilderman at the center mat.  Do not discount North’s “Captain” Nate Smith or Memorial’s Marcus “Niemen” Gahagen—they will both be in medal contention.
 
220- Schaefer is still grinning!  Why?  Because his sophomore, Michael “Made For Walkin” Boots is the one seed.  Boots will likely meet the Tigers’ Jacob “Cole” Sulawske in the semifinal round.  On the other side of the bracket, Castle’s Brennan “Stormin” Norman should meet Reitz’s Blake “I Need A” Huggins for a right to pursue all of the marbles.
 
285- By now, Schaefer’s smile is ear-to-ear.  Austin “Powers” Fleck is at the top of his bracket.  Reitz’s Brett “Ed” McManus and Castle’s Brock “Lesner” Lofton will meet, with the winner getting Fleck.  Central’s Jordan “On the label, label, label” Libby is the two-seed.  He will likely face the winner of Memorial’s Ryan “Flyin” Ohlen and Harrison’s Davionte “Howard” Hughes.
 
Hookemendations:
 
Don’t miss these first round matches:  113- Harrison’s 21-13 “Mister” Christian Nix and North’s four-seed, Brenton “Fort” Myers.  120- Barrett vs. Tucker.  126- Jacob Brockman is a senior that has seen a lot of battles.  He faces Reitz freshman, Kye Fehrenbacher.  Athletic and tough, Coach Scott Ferguson has a good one in Fehrenbacher.  160- Coane vs. Carr.  Coane is a very solid 23-7, while Carr is 0-3.  Carr is coming off injury and should be ready to present him a stiff challenge.  170- Belli vs. Guerrier; Chandler vs. Garnett.  182- Koonce vs. Naylor.  285- Lofton vs. McManus; Ohlsen vs. Hughes.
 
Best first round match:  182, Austin Hall vs. Seth Orth.  Only at 182 could SSQ Seth Orth not receive a seed!  The senior will face junior Austin Hall for the first time this year.
 
Don’t miss these semifinals:  113- Mayer vs. Horty.  126- Craig vs. Hollowell.  138- Burke vs. Jourdan.  152- Nunn vs. Williams.  160- Farmer vs. Folz.  Carr/Coane vs. Harris.  170- Brown vs. Garnett.  182- Hall/Orth vs. Brown.  195- Shaw vs. Rolley.  220- Norman vs. Huggins.  285- Ohlsen/Hughes vs. Libby; Fleck vs. Lofton/McManus.
 
Best semifinal match:  132, Braeden Clopton vs. Kyle Embry.  Clopton is very strong and solid; he fell in last year’s SS ticket round.  Embry is very strong and solid.  The senior has had four years of battling for a spot in a crowded line-up.  This should be a good one!
 
Best title matches:  113- Annakin vs. Mayer/Horty.  Mayer and Horty are healthy and in supreme condition.  Annakin has five matches—what kind of shape is he in?  We will soon learn.  132- Elpers vs. Embry/Clopton.  Josh Elpers is as muscled-up as any 132-pounder you will find.  However, Embry and Clopton have wrestled super-tough schedules and experience brutal practice partners, on a daily basis.  Who holds the cards?  138- Ramsey vs. Jourdan.  Both are high energy, super-hardnosed grapplers—they are also great kids.  I can’t wait for this one.  285- Fleck vs. Libby.  Fleck owns a win over Libby.  However, the win was narrow and Libby is a wily veteran.  Expect Libby to be coached up for his center mat appearance. 
 
Bold Observations, Questions and Predictions:
 
·         Give Harrison’s coach, Matt Mastison, a week and some plastic sweats.  I’ll wager he can get to 113…again.
·         Central’s coach, Mike Lapadat, will burn more calories coaching than at least half of the 285-pounders do wrestling.
·         Castle’s concessions will wow you with pizza slices that cover an entire paper plate and baked potatoes that resemble, in size and appearance, Wrestleman’s head.
·         IU89 has the scoop.  Trust me on this one.
·         Ask Mater Dei’s coaching staff if they go with light, medium or heavy starch on their shirts for the SIAC meet.  Then, find me and give me the answer.  I want to know.
·         In spite of their heavy Castle bias, 1gold, backtothemat, todddfoxxx (Triple D, Triple X) and bluebolt1 are actually pretty congenial guys that would love to talk wrestling with you.  
·         Bob Harmon will have his beard freshly-trimmed and a stern countenance.
·         My daughter, Hookticia, will be matside complaining about how the yellow mats screw up her photography.
·         Ask Larry Mattingly “What is going on?”  I’ll bet he will have an easy smile and a great story to tell you.
·         Mater Dei’s fans will take issue with at least one of the referee’s calls.  The balance of the fans will take issue with the fact that MD fans have an issue.
·         JonH will be imbibing a libation from a can marked “Ski”, but he will not share.
·         Some folks will be offended by my nicknames.  I have no choice in the matter, as my fan(s) (sometimes one, sometimes two) demand jocular comments and pithy analysis.  Everything I do, I do for my fans.  Or fan.

The post-season is here!  For SIAC fans, this means a trip to fabulous Newburgh, Indiana.  Mrs. Hook, Hookticia, Hookert and Hookun have the trusty 1985 Chevrolet Caprice station wagon, cleaned, gassed-up and backed into the driveway.  They even scraped the gum off the seats so that their grandparents, “Big Hook Mama” and “Cool Daddy Hook Bucks” will have a safe place on which to sit.  Our Kool-Aid is stirred; the Lays Stackers (much cheaper than Pringles) are packed.
 
106- Mater Dei’s one-seed Clay “Scrambled” Egli is the favorite.  The Castle Knights counter with freshman Devon “Lightning” Casebolt, who brings a strong, 29-3 record to the party. 
 
113- Baxter “Vader” Annakin is back!  While this is good news for Bob Harmon’s Knights, it bad news for the field.  Recovered from his injury, Annakin could make a deep run in the State Tournament Series.  Seth “Hears a Who” Horty has steadily improved and rolled up an impressive, 31-3 record.  Horty will likely meet Mater Dei’s Blaine “Bring the Pain” Mayer in the semifinal.
 
120- Fifth-ranked Mater Dei junior Kyle “Sweet” Luigs nabs the top seed.  Castle’s Neal “The Real Deal” Bealmer will duke it out with Central’s Cody “Samsonite” Baggett in the semifinal.  Harrison’s Beau “Geste” Barrett, Drew “Little Big” Horn and Reitz’s Chris “Not the Actor” Tucker also expect to compete for podium spots.
 
126- The Knights’ Carson “What You Talkin Bout” Willis has put together an awesome 29-1 record, his only loss to Cathedral’s top-ranked Breyden Bailey.  Reitz’s Caleb “007” Craig and Harrison’s Jay “Spice Boy” Hollowell will likely battle for a spot in the final.  Mater Dei’s Joe “Don’t Worry, Be” Happe will also be in the medal hunt in this deep weight class.
 
132- The North Huskies’ Josh “Hamburger” Elpers has screamed to a 30-1 record and the top seed.  Castle’s Braedon “Slowhand” Clopton is an SSQ, boasting a 20-2 record.  Throw in Memorial’s Jacob “The Rock” Brockman, Reitz’s Kye “Cabinet” Fehrenbacher and Mater Dei’s Kyle “Minogue” Embry and you have yourself the makings of a real donnybrook.  I know Castle’s concession stand is calling…better make a run well before this bracket is wrestled.
 
138- Actually, you had better stock up on concessions; you will not want to miss any 138 action, either.  Castle’s Austin “Pharaoh” Ramsey gets the nod for the top seed.  A senior, the ranked Ramsey will be dissatisfied with anything short of a State berth.  In his way is Mater Dei’s fifth-ranked Blake “Air” Jourdan.  Down from 160, earlier in the season, and from 145 last year, Jourdan looks poised for another spot on the podium at Banker’s Life.  BUT….before he gets there, Jourdan will have to get past North’s Nick “House Of” Burke.  Burke is under the radar but brings a 29-1 record to the meet.  Overlook him at your peril.
 
145- Mater Dei’s Joe “Younger, But Bigger” Lee grabs the spotlight.  Last year’s State Runner-up is the heavy favorite.  Harrison’s Bryce “De Moray” Ransom, North’s Dalton “Battleship” Gray and Castle’s Clay “Almond Joy” McNutt will battle for medals.
 
152- The Wildcats’ journeyman “Abercrombie &” Mitch Lehman gets the nod for the top slot.  Memorial’s talented “Take A” Chance Williams gets the two seed.  Williams has battled non-stop injuries for two seasons.  Here’s hoping Larry Mattingly’s senior stays healthy for a post-season run.  Castle’s freshman, William “Milling” Nunn and Reitz’s Blayd “Runner” Blair will also be in the mix.
 
160- Castle’s Jacob “Old McDonald” Farmer is the favorite here.  Danger lurks, as Farmer will likely meet the Memorial Tigers’ Jack “In the Box” Folz.  On the other side of the bracket, Shawn “P. Diddy” Coane of North meets Mater Dei’s Hunter “Baby, You Can Drive My” Carr in the first round.  The winner of that one meets the winner of Reitz’s Noah “Ark” Reich and Harrison’s Dymond “Legs” Harris.  No bathroom breaks during 160!  I’ll be taking notes.
 
170- Castle’s Evan “Sville” Dowell is a big favorite.  Dowell has a ton of varsity and big match experience.  Look for him to cash some chips.  Bosse’s Raymond “Bradbury” Garnett is the two seed.  Garnett has rolled up 17 wins and looks to bring his gridiron success to the mats.  Memorial’s Mitchell “Encyclopedia” Brown, Mater Dei’s Blake “Bing” Chandler, North’s Marcus “Axle” Eatan, Central’s Kiave “Guerrier & Ives” Guerrier and Reitz’s Jeremy “Ring My” Belli will also look for a medal.  Wrestlebacks will be a blast!  Are you going to make me say it?  Very well.  NO BATHROOM BREAKS.
 
182- Bob Harmon gets another top seed with his junior, Carson “Cougar Mohlercamp” Mohler.  The first-year starter has rolled up an outstanding 29-3 record and looks to top the awards stand in his home gym.  The Tigers’ Conner “Buster” Brown is the two-seed.  Reitz’s Andrew “Dean” Koonce, North’s Justin “Gun” Naylor, Central’s Austin “Monte” Hall and the Wildcats’ Seth “Of Courth” Orth will also battle for medals.  I’m not going to say it three times in a row.  If you have any questions, refer to 160 and 170 for personal instructions.
 
195- Mater Dei’s Coach, Greg Schaefer, is grinning over his top-seed, junior Kurtis “Call of the Wild” Wilderman.  Reitz’s Andrew Shaw “Shank” and Castle’s Will “Rock And” Rolley will battle for a right to meet Wilderman at the center mat.  Do not discount North’s “Captain” Nate Smith or Memorial’s Marcus “Niemen” Gahagen—they will both be in medal contention.
 
220- Schaefer is still grinning!  Why?  Because his sophomore, Michael “Made For Walkin” Boots is the one seed.  Boots will likely meet the Tigers’ Jacob “Cole” Sulawske in the semifinal round.  On the other side of the bracket, Castle’s Brennan “Stormin” Norman should meet Reitz’s Blake “I Need A” Huggins for a right to pursue all of the marbles.
 
285- By now, Schaefer’s smile is ear-to-ear.  Austin “Powers” Fleck is at the top of his bracket.  Reitz’s Brett “Ed” McManus and Castle’s Brock “Lesner” Lofton will meet, with the winner getting Fleck.  Central’s Jordan “On the label, label, label” Libby is the two-seed.  He will likely face the winner of Memorial’s Ryan “Flyin” Ohlen and Harrison’s Davionte “Howard” Hughes.
 
Hookemendations:
 
Don’t miss these first round matches:  113- Harrison’s 21-13 “Mister” Christian Nix and North’s four-seed, Brenton “Fort” Myers.  120- Barrett vs. Tucker.  126- Jacob Brockman is a senior that has seen a lot of battles.  He faces Reitz freshman, Kye Fehrenbacher.  Athletic and tough, Coach Scott Ferguson has a good one in Fehrenbacher.  160- Coane vs. Carr.  Coane is a very solid 23-7, while Carr is 0-3.  Carr is coming off injury and should be ready to present him a stiff challenge.  170- Belli vs. Guerrier; Chandler vs. Garnett.  182- Koonce vs. Naylor.  285- Lofton vs. McManus; Ohlsen vs. Hughes.
 
Best first round match:  182, Austin Hall vs. Seth Orth.  Only at 182 could SSQ Seth Orth not receive a seed!  The senior will face junior Austin Hall for the first time this year.
 
Don’t miss these semifinals:  113- Mayer vs. Horty.  126- Craig vs. Hollowell.  138- Burke vs. Jourdan.  152- Nunn vs. Williams.  160- Farmer vs. Folz.  Carr/Coane vs. Harris.  170- Brown vs. Garnett.  182- Hall/Orth vs. Brown.  195- Shaw vs. Rolley.  220- Norman vs. Huggins.  285- Ohlsen/Hughes vs. Libby; Fleck vs. Lofton/McManus.
 
Best semifinal match:  132, Braeden Clopton vs. Kyle Embry.  Clopton is very strong and solid; he fell in last year’s SS ticket round.  Embry is very strong and solid.  The senior has had four years of battling for a spot in a crowded line-up.  This should be a good one!
 
Best title matches:  113- Annakin vs. Mayer/Horty.  Mayer and Horty are healthy and in supreme condition.  Annakin has five matches—what kind of shape is he in?  We will soon learn.  132- Elpers vs. Embry/Clopton.  Josh Elpers is as muscled-up as any 132-pounder you will find.  However, Embry and Clopton have wrestled super-tough schedules and experience brutal practice partners, on a daily basis.  Who holds the cards?  138- Ramsey vs. Jourdan.  Both are high energy, super-hardnosed grapplers—they are also great kids.  I can’t wait for this one.  285- Fleck vs. Libby.  Fleck owns a win over Libby.  However, the win was narrow and Libby is a wily veteran.  Expect Libby to be coached up for his center mat appearance. 
 
Bold Observations, Questions and Predictions:
 
·         Give Harrison’s coach, Matt Mastison, a week and some plastic sweats.  I’ll wager he can get to 113…again.
·         Central’s coach, Mike Lapadat, will burn more calories coaching than at least half of the 285-pounders do wrestling.
·         Castle’s concessions will wow you with pizza slices that cover an entire paper plate and baked potatoes that resemble, in size and appearance, Wrestleman’s head.
·         IU89 has the scoop.  Trust me on this one.
·         Ask Mater Dei’s coaching staff if they go with light, medium or heavy starch on their shirts for the SIAC meet.  Then, find me and give me the answer.  I want to know.
·         In spite of their heavy Castle bias, 1gold, backtothemat, todddfoxxx (Triple D, Triple X) and bluebolt1 are actually pretty congenial guys that would love to talk wrestling with you.  
·         Bob Harmon will have his beard freshly-trimmed and a stern countenance.
·         My daughter, Hookticia, will be matside complaining about how the yellow mats screw up her photography.
·         Ask Larry Mattingly “What is going on?”  I’ll bet he will have an easy smile and a great story to tell you.
·         Mater Dei’s fans will take issue with at least one of the referee’s calls.  The balance of the fans will take issue with the fact that MD fans have an issue.
·         JonH will be imbibing a libation from a can marked “Ski”, but he will not share.
·         Some folks will be offended by my nicknames.  I have no choice in the matter, as my fan(s) (sometimes one, sometimes two) demand jocular comments and pithy analysis.  Everything I do, I do for my fans.  Or fan.

The post-season is here!  For SIAC fans, this means a trip to fabulous Newburgh, Indiana.  Mrs. Hook, Hookticia, Hookert and Hookun have the trusty 1985 Chevrolet Caprice station wagon, cleaned, gassed-up and backed into the driveway.  They even scraped the gum off the seats so that their grandparents, “Big Hook Mama” and “Cool Daddy Hook Bucks” will have a safe place on which to sit.  Our Kool-Aid is stirred; the Lays Stackers (much cheaper than Pringles) are packed.
 
106- Mater Dei’s one-seed Clay “Scrambled” Egli is the favorite.  The Castle Knights counter with freshman Devon “Lightning” Casebolt, who brings a strong, 29-3 record to the party. 
 
113- Baxter “Vader” Annakin is back!  While this is good news for Bob Harmon’s Knights, it bad news for the field.  Recovered from his injury, Annakin could make a deep run in the State Tournament Series.  Seth “Hears a Who” Horty has steadily improved and rolled up an impressive, 31-3 record.  Horty will likely meet Mater Dei’s Blaine “Bring the Pain” Mayer in the semifinal.
 
120- Fifth-ranked Mater Dei junior Kyle “Sweet” Luigs nabs the top seed.  Castle’s Neal “The Real Deal” Bealmer will duke it out with Central’s Cody “Samsonite” Baggett in the semifinal.  Harrison’s Beau “Geste” Barrett, Drew “Little Big” Horn and Reitz’s Chris “Not the Actor” Tucker also expect to compete for podium spots.
 
126- The Knights’ Carson “What You Talkin Bout” Willis has put together an awesome 29-1 record, his only loss to Cathedral’s top-ranked Breyden Bailey.  Reitz’s Caleb “007” Craig and Harrison’s Jay “Spice Boy” Hollowell will likely battle for a spot in the final.  Mater Dei’s Joe “Don’t Worry, Be” Happe will also be in the medal hunt in this deep weight class.
 
132- The North Huskies’ Josh “Hamburger” Elpers has screamed to a 30-1 record and the top seed.  Castle’s Braedon “Slowhand” Clopton is an SSQ, boasting a 20-2 record.  Throw in Memorial’s Jacob “The Rock” Brockman, Reitz’s Kye “Cabinet” Fehrenbacher and Mater Dei’s Kyle “Minogue” Embry and you have yourself the makings of a real donnybrook.  I know Castle’s concession stand is calling…better make a run well before this bracket is wrestled.
 
138- Actually, you had better stock up on concessions; you will not want to miss any 138 action, either.  Castle’s Austin “Pharaoh” Ramsey gets the nod for the top seed.  A senior, the ranked Ramsey will be dissatisfied with anything short of a State berth.  In his way is Mater Dei’s fifth-ranked Blake “Air” Jourdan.  Down from 160, earlier in the season, and from 145 last year, Jourdan looks poised for another spot on the podium at Banker’s Life.  BUT….before he gets there, Jourdan will have to get past North’s Nick “House Of” Burke.  Burke is under the radar but brings a 29-1 record to the meet.  Overlook him at your peril.
 
145- Mater Dei’s Joe “Younger, But Bigger” Lee grabs the spotlight.  Last year’s State Runner-up is the heavy favorite.  Harrison’s Bryce “De Moray” Ransom, North’s Dalton “Battleship” Gray and Castle’s Clay “Almond Joy” McNutt will battle for medals.
 
152- The Wildcats’ journeyman “Abercrombie &” Mitch Lehman gets the nod for the top slot.  Memorial’s talented “Take A” Chance Williams gets the two seed.  Williams has battled non-stop injuries for two seasons.  Here’s hoping Larry Mattingly’s senior stays healthy for a post-season run.  Castle’s freshman, William “Milling” Nunn and Reitz’s Blayd “Runner” Blair will also be in the mix.
 
160- Castle’s Jacob “Old McDonald” Farmer is the favorite here.  Danger lurks, as Farmer will likely meet the Memorial Tigers’ Jack “In the Box” Folz.  On the other side of the bracket, Shawn “P. Diddy” Coane of North meets Mater Dei’s Hunter “Baby, You Can Drive My” Carr in the first round.  The winner of that one meets the winner of Reitz’s Noah “Ark” Reich and Harrison’s Dymond “Legs” Harris.  No bathroom breaks during 160!  I’ll be taking notes.
 
170- Castle’s Evan “Sville” Dowell is a big favorite.  Dowell has a ton of varsity and big match experience.  Look for him to cash some chips.  Bosse’s Raymond “Bradbury” Garnett is the two seed.  Garnett has rolled up 17 wins and looks to bring his gridiron success to the mats.  Memorial’s Mitchell “Encyclopedia” Brown, Mater Dei’s Blake “Bing” Chandler, North’s Marcus “Axle” Eatan, Central’s Kiave “Guerrier & Ives” Guerrier and Reitz’s Jeremy “Ring My” Belli will also look for a medal.  Wrestlebacks will be a blast!  Are you going to make me say it?  Very well.  NO BATHROOM BREAKS.
 
182- Bob Harmon gets another top seed with his junior, Carson “Cougar Mohlercamp” Mohler.  The first-year starter has rolled up an outstanding 29-3 record and looks to top the awards stand in his home gym.  The Tigers’ Conner “Buster” Brown is the two-seed.  Reitz’s Andrew “Dean” Koonce, North’s Justin “Gun” Naylor, Central’s Austin “Monte” Hall and the Wildcats’ Seth “Of Courth” Orth will also battle for medals.  I’m not going to say it three times in a row.  If you have any questions, refer to 160 and 170 for personal instructions.
 
195- Mater Dei’s Coach, Greg Schaefer, is grinning over his top-seed, junior Kurtis “Call of the Wild” Wilderman.  Reitz’s Andrew Shaw “Shank” and Castle’s Will “Rock And” Rolley will battle for a right to meet Wilderman at the center mat.  Do not discount North’s “Captain” Nate Smith or Memorial’s Marcus “Niemen” Gahagen—they will both be in medal contention.
 
220- Schaefer is still grinning!  Why?  Because his sophomore, Michael “Made For Walkin” Boots is the one seed.  Boots will likely meet the Tigers’ Jacob “Cole” Sulawske in the semifinal round.  On the other side of the bracket, Castle’s Brennan “Stormin” Norman should meet Reitz’s Blake “I Need A” Huggins for a right to pursue all of the marbles.
 
285- By now, Schaefer’s smile is ear-to-ear.  Austin “Powers” Fleck is at the top of his bracket.  Reitz’s Brett “Ed” McManus and Castle’s Brock “Lesner” Lofton will meet, with the winner getting Fleck.  Central’s Jordan “On the label, label, label” Libby is the two-seed.  He will likely face the winner of Memorial’s Ryan “Flyin” Ohlen and Harrison’s Davionte “Howard” Hughes.
 
Hookemendations:
 
Don’t miss these first round matches:  113- Harrison’s 21-13 “Mister” Christian Nix and North’s four-seed, Brenton “Fort” Myers.  120- Barrett vs. Tucker.  126- Jacob Brockman is a senior that has seen a lot of battles.  He faces Reitz freshman, Kye Fehrenbacher.  Athletic and tough, Coach Scott Ferguson has a good one in Fehrenbacher.  160- Coane vs. Carr.  Coane is a very solid 23-7, while Carr is 0-3.  Carr is coming off injury and should be ready to present him a stiff challenge.  170- Belli vs. Guerrier; Chandler vs. Garnett.  182- Koonce vs. Naylor.  285- Lofton vs. McManus; Ohlsen vs. Hughes.
 
Best first round match:  182, Austin Hall vs. Seth Orth.  Only at 182 could SSQ Seth Orth not receive a seed!  The senior will face junior Austin Hall for the first time this year.
 
Don’t miss these semifinals:  113- Mayer vs. Horty.  126- Craig vs. Hollowell.  138- Burke vs. Jourdan.  152- Nunn vs. Williams.  160- Farmer vs. Folz.  Carr/Coane vs. Harris.  170- Brown vs. Garnett.  182- Hall/Orth vs. Brown.  195- Shaw vs. Rolley.  220- Norman vs. Huggins.  285- Ohlsen/Hughes vs. Libby; Fleck vs. Lofton/McManus.
 
Best semifinal match:  132, Braeden Clopton vs. Kyle Embry.  Clopton is very strong and solid; he fell in last year’s SS ticket round.  Embry is very strong and solid.  The senior has had four years of battling for a spot in a crowded line-up.  This should be a good one!
 
Best title matches:  113- Annakin vs. Mayer/Horty.  Mayer and Horty are healthy and in supreme condition.  Annakin has five matches—what kind of shape is he in?  We will soon learn.  132- Elpers vs. Embry/Clopton.  Josh Elpers is as muscled-up as any 132-pounder you will find.  However, Embry and Clopton have wrestled super-tough schedules and experience brutal practice partners, on a daily basis.  Who holds the cards?  138- Ramsey vs. Jourdan.  Both are high energy, super-hardnosed grapplers—they are also great kids.  I can’t wait for this one.  285- Fleck vs. Libby.  Fleck owns a win over Libby.  However, the win was narrow and Libby is a wily veteran.  Expect Libby to be coached up for his center mat appearance. 
 
Bold Observations, Questions and Predictions:
 
·         Give Harrison’s coach, Matt Mastison, a week and some plastic sweats.  I’ll wager he can get to 113…again.
·         Central’s coach, Mike Lapadat, will burn more calories coaching than at least half of the 285-pounders do wrestling.
·         Castle’s concessions will wow you with pizza slices that cover an entire paper plate and baked potatoes that resemble, in size and appearance, Wrestleman’s head.
·         IU89 has the scoop.  Trust me on this one.
·         Ask Mater Dei’s coaching staff if they go with light, medium or heavy starch on their shirts for the SIAC meet.  Then, find me and give me the answer.  I want to know.
·         In spite of their heavy Castle bias, 1gold, backtothemat, todddfoxxx (Triple D, Triple X) and bluebolt1 are actually pretty congenial guys that would love to talk wrestling with you.  
·         Bob Harmon will have his beard freshly-trimmed and a stern countenance.
·         My daughter, Hookticia, will be matside complaining about how the yellow mats screw up her photography.
·         Ask Larry Mattingly “What is going on?”  I’ll bet he will have an easy smile and a great story to tell you.
·         Mater Dei’s fans will take issue with at least one of the referee’s calls.  The balance of the fans will take issue with the fact that MD fans have an issue.
·         JonH will be imbibing a libation from a can marked “Ski”, but he will not share.
·         Some folks will be offended by my nicknames.  I have no choice in the matter, as my fan(s) (sometimes one, sometimes two) demand jocular comments and pithy analysis.  Everything I do, I do for my fans.  Or fan.

The post-season is here!  For SIAC fans, this means a trip to fabulous Newburgh, Indiana.  Mrs. Hook, Hookticia, Hookert and Hookun have the trusty 1985 Chevrolet Caprice station wagon, cleaned, gassed-up and backed into the driveway.  They even scraped the gum off the seats so that their grandparents, “Big Hook Mama” and “Cool Daddy Hook Bucks” will have a safe place on which to sit.  Our Kool-Aid is stirred; the Lays Stackers (much cheaper than Pringles) are packed.
 
106- Mater Dei’s one-seed Clay “Scrambled” Egli is the favorite.  The Castle Knights counter with freshman Devon “Lightning” Casebolt, who brings a strong, 29-3 record to the party. 
 
113- Baxter “Vader” Annakin is back!  While this is good news for Bob Harmon’s Knights, it bad news for the field.  Recovered from his injury, Annakin could make a deep run in the State Tournament Series.  Seth “Hears a Who” Horty has steadily improved and rolled up an impressive, 31-3 record.  Horty will likely meet Mater Dei’s Blaine “Bring the Pain” Mayer in the semifinal.
 
120- Fifth-ranked Mater Dei junior Kyle “Sweet” Luigs nabs the top seed.  Castle’s Neal “The Real Deal” Bealmer will duke it out with Central’s Cody “Samsonite” Baggett in the semifinal.  Harrison’s Beau “Geste” Barrett, Drew “Little Big” Horn and Reitz’s Chris “Not the Actor” Tucker also expect to compete for podium spots.
 
126- The Knights’ Carson “What You Talkin Bout” Willis has put together an awesome 29-1 record, his only loss to Cathedral’s top-ranked Breyden Bailey.  Reitz’s Caleb “007” Craig and Harrison’s Jay “Spice Boy” Hollowell will likely battle for a spot in the final.  Mater Dei’s Joe “Don’t Worry, Be” Happe will also be in the medal hunt in this deep weight class.
 
132- The North Huskies’ Josh “Hamburger” Elpers has screamed to a 30-1 record and the top seed.  Castle’s Braedon “Slowhand” Clopton is an SSQ, boasting a 20-2 record.  Throw in Memorial’s Jacob “The Rock” Brockman, Reitz’s Kye “Cabinet” Fehrenbacher and Mater Dei’s Kyle “Minogue” Embry and you have yourself the makings of a real donnybrook.  I know Castle’s concession stand is calling…better make a run well before this bracket is wrestled.
 
138- Actually, you had better stock up on concessions; you will not want to miss any 138 action, either.  Castle’s Austin “Pharaoh” Ramsey gets the nod for the top seed.  A senior, the ranked Ramsey will be dissatisfied with anything short of a State berth.  In his way is Mater Dei’s fifth-ranked Blake “Air” Jourdan.  Down from 160, earlier in the season, and from 145 last year, Jourdan looks poised for another spot on the podium at Banker’s Life.  BUT….before he gets there, Jourdan will have to get past North’s Nick “House Of” Burke.  Burke is under the radar but brings a 29-1 record to the meet.  Overlook him at your peril.
 
145- Mater Dei’s Joe “Younger, But Bigger” Lee grabs the spotlight.  Last year’s State Runner-up is the heavy favorite.  Harrison’s Bryce “De Moray” Ransom, North’s Dalton “Battleship” Gray and Castle’s Clay “Almond Joy” McNutt will battle for medals.
 
152- The Wildcats’ journeyman “Abercrombie &” Mitch Lehman gets the nod for the top slot.  Memorial’s talented “Take A” Chance Williams gets the two seed.  Williams has battled non-stop injuries for two seasons.  Here’s hoping Larry Mattingly’s senior stays healthy for a post-season run.  Castle’s freshman, William “Milling” Nunn and Reitz’s Blayd “Runner” Blair will also be in the mix.
 
160- Castle’s Jacob “Old McDonald” Farmer is the favorite here.  Danger lurks, as Farmer will likely meet the Memorial Tigers’ Jack “In the Box” Folz.  On the other side of the bracket, Shawn “P. Diddy” Coane of North meets Mater Dei’s Hunter “Baby, You Can Drive My” Carr in the first round.  The winner of that one meets the winner of Reitz’s Noah “Ark” Reich and Harrison’s Dymond “Legs” Harris.  No bathroom breaks during 160!  I’ll be taking notes.
 
170- Castle’s Evan “Sville” Dowell is a big favorite.  Dowell has a ton of varsity and big match experience.  Look for him to cash some chips.  Bosse’s Raymond “Bradbury” Garnett is the two seed.  Garnett has rolled up 17 wins and looks to bring his gridiron success to the mats.  Memorial’s Mitchell “Encyclopedia” Brown, Mater Dei’s Blake “Bing” Chandler, North’s Marcus “Axle” Eatan, Central’s Kiave “Guerrier & Ives” Guerrier and Reitz’s Jeremy “Ring My” Belli will also look for a medal.  Wrestlebacks will be a blast!  Are you going to make me say it?  Very well.  NO BATHROOM BREAKS.
 
182- Bob Harmon gets another top seed with his junior, Carson “Cougar Mohlercamp” Mohler.  The first-year starter has rolled up an outstanding 29-3 record and looks to top the awards stand in his home gym.  The Tigers’ Conner “Buster” Brown is the two-seed.  Reitz’s Andrew “Dean” Koonce, North’s Justin “Gun” Naylor, Central’s Austin “Monte” Hall and the Wildcats’ Seth “Of Courth” Orth will also battle for medals.  I’m not going to say it three times in a row.  If you have any questions, refer to 160 and 170 for personal instructions.
 
195- Mater Dei’s Coach, Greg Schaefer, is grinning over his top-seed, junior Kurtis “Call of the Wild” Wilderman.  Reitz’s Andrew Shaw “Shank” and Castle’s Will “Rock And” Rolley will battle for a right to meet Wilderman at the center mat.  Do not discount North’s “Captain” Nate Smith or Memorial’s Marcus “Niemen” Gahagen—they will both be in medal contention.
 
220- Schaefer is still grinning!  Why?  Because his sophomore, Michael “Made For Walkin” Boots is the one seed.  Boots will likely meet the Tigers’ Jacob “Cole” Sulawske in the semifinal round.  On the other side of the bracket, Castle’s Brennan “Stormin” Norman should meet Reitz’s Blake “I Need A” Huggins for a right to pursue all of the marbles.
 
285- By now, Schaefer’s smile is ear-to-ear.  Austin “Powers” Fleck is at the top of his bracket.  Reitz’s Brett “Ed” McManus and Castle’s Brock “Lesner” Lofton will meet, with the winner getting Fleck.  Central’s Jordan “On the label, label, label” Libby is the two-seed.  He will likely face the winner of Memorial’s Ryan “Flyin” Ohlen and Harrison’s Davionte “Howard” Hughes.
 
Hookemendations:
 
Don’t miss these first round matches:  113- Harrison’s 21-13 “Mister” Christian Nix and North’s four-seed, Brenton “Fort” Myers.  120- Barrett vs. Tucker.  126- Jacob Brockman is a senior that has seen a lot of battles.  He faces Reitz freshman, Kye Fehrenbacher.  Athletic and tough, Coach Scott Ferguson has a good one in Fehrenbacher.  160- Coane vs. Carr.  Coane is a very solid 23-7, while Carr is 0-3.  Carr is coming off injury and should be ready to present him a stiff challenge.  170- Belli vs. Guerrier; Chandler vs. Garnett.  182- Koonce vs. Naylor.  285- Lofton vs. McManus; Ohlsen vs. Hughes.
 
Best first round match:  182, Austin Hall vs. Seth Orth.  Only at 182 could SSQ Seth Orth not receive a seed!  The senior will face junior Austin Hall for the first time this year.
 
Don’t miss these semifinals:  113- Mayer vs. Horty.  126- Craig vs. Hollowell.  138- Burke vs. Jourdan.  152- Nunn vs. Williams.  160- Farmer vs. Folz.  Carr/Coane vs. Harris.  170- Brown vs. Garnett.  182- Hall/Orth vs. Brown.  195- Shaw vs. Rolley.  220- Norman vs. Huggins.  285- Ohlsen/Hughes vs. Libby; Fleck vs. Lofton/McManus.
 
Best semifinal match:  132, Braeden Clopton vs. Kyle Embry.  Clopton is very strong and solid; he fell in last year’s SS ticket round.  Embry is very strong and solid.  The senior has had four years of battling for a spot in a crowded line-up.  This should be a good one!
 
Best title matches:  113- Annakin vs. Mayer/Horty.  Mayer and Horty are healthy and in supreme condition.  Annakin has five matches—what kind of shape is he in?  We will soon learn.  132- Elpers vs. Embry/Clopton.  Josh Elpers is as muscled-up as any 132-pounder you will find.  However, Embry and Clopton have wrestled super-tough schedules and experience brutal practice partners, on a daily basis.  Who holds the cards?  138- Ramsey vs. Jourdan.  Both are high energy, super-hardnosed grapplers—they are also great kids.  I can’t wait for this one.  285- Fleck vs. Libby.  Fleck owns a win over Libby.  However, the win was narrow and Libby is a wily veteran.  Expect Libby to be coached up for his center mat appearance. 
 
Bold Observations, Questions and Predictions:
 
·         Give Harrison’s coach, Matt Mastison, a week and some plastic sweats.  I’ll wager he can get to 113…again.
·         Central’s coach, Mike Lapadat, will burn more calories coaching than at least half of the 285-pounders do wrestling.
·         Castle’s concessions will wow you with pizza slices that cover an entire paper plate and baked potatoes that resemble, in size and appearance, Wrestleman’s head.
·         IU89 has the scoop.  Trust me on this one.
·         Ask Mater Dei’s coaching staff if they go with light, medium or heavy starch on their shirts for the SIAC meet.  Then, find me and give me the answer.  I want to know.
·         In spite of their heavy Castle bias, 1gold, backtothemat, todddfoxxx (Triple D, Triple X) and bluebolt1 are actually pretty congenial guys that would love to talk wrestling with you.  
·         Bob Harmon will have his beard freshly-trimmed and a stern countenance.
·         My daughter, Hookticia, will be matside complaining about how the yellow mats screw up her photography.
·         Ask Larry Mattingly “What is going on?”  I’ll bet he will have an easy smile and a great story to tell you.
·         Mater Dei’s fans will take issue with at least one of the referee’s calls.  The balance of the fans will take issue with the fact that MD fans have an issue.
·         JonH will be imbibing a libation from a can marked “Ski”, but he will not share.
·         Some folks will be offended by my nicknames.  I have no choice in the matter, as my fan(s) (sometimes one, sometimes two) demand jocular comments and pithy analysis.  Everything I do, I do for my fans.  Or fan.

By 1956, New Albany, Bloomington, Evansville Central, Reitz and Mater Dei fielded wrestling teams.  The powers of the 17-member Southern Indiana Athletic Conference decided that a field of five was enough to hold a post-season tournament.
 
Bloomington High, a perennial powerhouse and annual State Champion title threat, was coached by Indiana legend, Clifford “Two-Bit” Myers.  The beastly Bloomington team captured the first two team titles.
 
Phil Thrasher’s New Albany spoiled the party for Myers in 1958 and 1959, snatching the title from the Panthers.
 
Thrasher, an Indiana Hall of Fame coach and still second on the State’s all-time wins list, traded wins with Myers until 1965 when Evansville Reitz managed a tie with New Albany.  An expanded field of ten teams did nothing to dent the Bulldogs’ fortunes as Thrasher claimed titles through 1968. 
 
Don Henry’s Reitz Panthers broke through, claiming the SIAC title in 1969 and 1970, becoming the first Evansville school to claim an outright SIAC title.
 
In his 16th year at the helm of Mater Dei, Joe Gossman boldly proclaimed his Wildcats would win the 1971 SIAC title.  Gossman had strength in numbers, as Gossman had 60 boys on his team—in a school with a total male population of 175.  Dave Macke, Tom Jankowski, Gene Scott and Jim Schroeder delivered titles as Mater Dei placed ten wrestlers and nudged second-place Evansville Harrison by 19 points.  Evansville Rex Mundi was third, followed by Bosse, Memorial, Reitz, New Albany, Mt. Vernon, Central, Jasper, Tell City, Castle, Washington, North Knox, Boonville and North.
 
Mater Dei dominated until 1975, when the Jasper Wildcats claimed their first title. 
 
The 1976 SIAC was in the third year of a new conference tourney format.  The old format—a one day tournament with 19 teams—was deemed to be unwieldy.  Four qualifying satellite meets were held, with the winners advancing to a championship event at Central.  The satellite matchups were by blind draw; the two best wrestlers sometimes met in the first round with the loser eliminated.  Gossman and Central’s Tommy Turner did not like it one bit.
 
“All the tough teams are in one bracket,” groused Gossman.  “Mater Dei, North and Central will knock each other off.  Reitz (In the Castle satellite) has a shoo-in.”
“Our thirds and fourths are better than Jasper’s firsts and seconds,” agreed Turner.
 
Under the format, Reitz asserted itself, putting the Panthers back in the winner’s circle. 
 
The 1978 SIAC satellite qualifier at Mt. Vernon began on an ominous note.  En route to Mt. Vernon, the Mater Dei bus, piloted by Joe Gossman, hit an icy patch and spun off the road.
 
“No big deal,” claimed Tim Boots.  “We got out and pushed.”
 
During the meet, the weather continued to deteriorate, rendering roads impassable.  As a result, the teams from Mater Dei, Castle, Harrison and Central—along with 75 fans—spent the evening at Mt. Vernon High School. 
 
“We thought it was going to be a great night,” claimed John Schroeder.  “There were a number of cheerleaders and mat maids for the other schools that had to stay.  Suter enough, they put all of the girls on lock down.  There was no way to get to them.”
 
“The only action we had was Goebel’s (Mike Goebel, the head wrestling coach at Castle) boys throwing buckets of snowball at us,” said Tim Boots.
 
Record snowfall made the Saturday final impossible.  The will to complete the meet was irresistible, therefore, the SIAC coaches decided to hold the final on a Wednesday following the regional.  To add additional spice, the finals were wrestled before the third place matches.  As Mater Dei held a 3.5 point lead over Reitz, after the final, the consolation matches held special importance.  The Wildcats held serve and claimed a 7.5 point win over their arch-rivals.
 
Another blizzard hit Evansville in 1980.  The 1979 meet left a bad taste in the mouths of many, so the coaches decided to scrub the 1980 affair.
 
In 1981, following a mass exodus of SIAC schools, the event returned to a single-day event held at Castle.  Riding titles by Chris Wildeman, Jeff Parkinson, Joe Bassemier and Matt Crowe, Mike Goebel’s Wildcats claimed a 37.5 win over the second-place Reitz Panthers.
 
Winning the SIAC tournament from 1980-1993, the incumbent Wildcats faced a serious challenge it 1994.  The SIAC meet was regarded as the toughest ever, featuring second-ranked Mater Dei, fourth-ranked Central and the sixth-ranked Castle Knights.  “Close, but no cigar” came to an end as Grodie Crick’s Central Bears ended Mater Dei’s hammerlock on the SIAC, edging the ‘Cats 205.5 to 204.5.
 
“This is a tremendous boost for our program,” said Crick, in his first-ever win over Mater Dei.
 
The Bears accomplished the victory in the most dramatic fashion.  Trailing Mater Dei in the team score, Central’s Josh Crick took the mat against Castle’s undefeated Patrick Mayes.  Shaking off two previous losses to Mayes, Crick dominated, winning 8-3 and locking up the team title for Central.
 
Mater Dei won the title back in 1995 and set a new mark for SIAC tournament performance in 2003, winning 13 weight classes.  Claiming 13 champs and a third, the Wildcats lost one match on the day.
 
An extremely tough field entered the 2010 SIAC meet, with Reitz finding itself with a fifth-state ranking while Mater Dei was regarded as sixth and Castle was seventh.  Reitz coach Scott Ferguson was riding high going into the meet.  Ferguson, a former Castle wrestler, had claimed a January dual meet victory over Mater Dei—his first as a wrestler or coach.  Reitz’s depth won the day, as all fourteen wrestlers placed while Bryan Kuhn, Trevor Moody, Derek Dowdy and Blake Rueger claimed titles.
 
On the eve of its 60th annual meet, the SIAC championships are alive and well.  Expect upsets, fiery coaches, long-standing rivalries, surprise domination—and highly partisan fan bases.
 
SIAC Titles:  Mater Dei- 39, New Albany- 8, Reitz- 5, Bloomington High- 5, Central- 1, Jasper- 1.

By 1956, New Albany, Bloomington, Evansville Central, Reitz and Mater Dei fielded wrestling teams.  The powers of the 17-member Southern Indiana Athletic Conference decided that a field of five was enough to hold a post-season tournament.
 
Bloomington High, a perennial powerhouse and annual State Champion title threat, was coached by Indiana legend, Clifford “Two-Bit” Myers.  The beastly Bloomington team captured the first two team titles.
 
Phil Thrasher’s New Albany spoiled the party for Myers in 1958 and 1959, snatching the title from the Panthers.
 
Thrasher, an Indiana Hall of Fame coach and still second on the State’s all-time wins list, traded wins with Myers until 1965 when Evansville Reitz managed a tie with New Albany.  An expanded field of ten teams did nothing to dent the Bulldogs’ fortunes as Thrasher claimed titles through 1968. 
 
Don Henry’s Reitz Panthers broke through, claiming the SIAC title in 1969 and 1970, becoming the first Evansville school to claim an outright SIAC title.
 
In his 16th year at the helm of Mater Dei, Joe Gossman boldly proclaimed his Wildcats would win the 1971 SIAC title.  Gossman had strength in numbers, as Gossman had 60 boys on his team—in a school with a total male population of 175.  Dave Macke, Tom Jankowski, Gene Scott and Jim Schroeder delivered titles as Mater Dei placed ten wrestlers and nudged second-place Evansville Harrison by 19 points.  Evansville Rex Mundi was third, followed by Bosse, Memorial, Reitz, New Albany, Mt. Vernon, Central, Jasper, Tell City, Castle, Washington, North Knox, Boonville and North.
 
Mater Dei dominated until 1975, when the Jasper Wildcats claimed their first title. 
 
The 1976 SIAC was in the third year of a new conference tourney format.  The old format—a one day tournament with 19 teams—was deemed to be unwieldy.  Four qualifying satellite meets were held, with the winners advancing to a championship event at Central.  The satellite matchups were by blind draw; the two best wrestlers sometimes met in the first round with the loser eliminated.  Gossman and Central’s Tommy Turner did not like it one bit.
 
“All the tough teams are in one bracket,” groused Gossman.  “Mater Dei, North and Central will knock each other off.  Reitz (In the Castle satellite) has a shoo-in.”
“Our thirds and fourths are better than Jasper’s firsts and seconds,” agreed Turner.
 
Under the format, Reitz asserted itself, putting the Panthers back in the winner’s circle. 
 
The 1978 SIAC satellite qualifier at Mt. Vernon began on an ominous note.  En route to Mt. Vernon, the Mater Dei bus, piloted by Joe Gossman, hit an icy patch and spun off the road.
 
“No big deal,” claimed Tim Boots.  “We got out and pushed.”
 
During the meet, the weather continued to deteriorate, rendering roads impassable.  As a result, the teams from Mater Dei, Castle, Harrison and Central—along with 75 fans—spent the evening at Mt. Vernon High School. 
 
“We thought it was going to be a great night,” claimed John Schroeder.  “There were a number of cheerleaders and mat maids for the other schools that had to stay.  Suter enough, they put all of the girls on lock down.  There was no way to get to them.”
 
“The only action we had was Goebel’s (Mike Goebel, the head wrestling coach at Castle) boys throwing buckets of snowball at us,” said Tim Boots.
 
Record snowfall made the Saturday final impossible.  The will to complete the meet was irresistible, therefore, the SIAC coaches decided to hold the final on a Wednesday following the regional.  To add additional spice, the finals were wrestled before the third place matches.  As Mater Dei held a 3.5 point lead over Reitz, after the final, the consolation matches held special importance.  The Wildcats held serve and claimed a 7.5 point win over their arch-rivals.
 
Another blizzard hit Evansville in 1980.  The 1979 meet left a bad taste in the mouths of many, so the coaches decided to scrub the 1980 affair.
 
In 1981, following a mass exodus of SIAC schools, the event returned to a single-day event held at Castle.  Riding titles by Chris Wildeman, Jeff Parkinson, Joe Bassemier and Matt Crowe, Mike Goebel’s Wildcats claimed a 37.5 win over the second-place Reitz Panthers.
 
Winning the SIAC tournament from 1980-1993, the incumbent Wildcats faced a serious challenge it 1994.  The SIAC meet was regarded as the toughest ever, featuring second-ranked Mater Dei, fourth-ranked Central and the sixth-ranked Castle Knights.  “Close, but no cigar” came to an end as Grodie Crick’s Central Bears ended Mater Dei’s hammerlock on the SIAC, edging the ‘Cats 205.5 to 204.5.
 
“This is a tremendous boost for our program,” said Crick, in his first-ever win over Mater Dei.
 
The Bears accomplished the victory in the most dramatic fashion.  Trailing Mater Dei in the team score, Central’s Josh Crick took the mat against Castle’s undefeated Patrick Mayes.  Shaking off two previous losses to Mayes, Crick dominated, winning 8-3 and locking up the team title for Central.
 
Mater Dei won the title back in 1995 and set a new mark for SIAC tournament performance in 2003, winning 13 weight classes.  Claiming 13 champs and a third, the Wildcats lost one match on the day.
 
An extremely tough field entered the 2010 SIAC meet, with Reitz finding itself with a fifth-state ranking while Mater Dei was regarded as sixth and Castle was seventh.  Reitz coach Scott Ferguson was riding high going into the meet.  Ferguson, a former Castle wrestler, had claimed a January dual meet victory over Mater Dei—his first as a wrestler or coach.  Reitz’s depth won the day, as all fourteen wrestlers placed while Bryan Kuhn, Trevor Moody, Derek Dowdy and Blake Rueger claimed titles.
 
On the eve of its 60th annual meet, the SIAC championships are alive and well.  Expect upsets, fiery coaches, long-standing rivalries, surprise domination—and highly partisan fan bases.
 
SIAC Titles:  Mater Dei- 39, New Albany- 8, Reitz- 5, Bloomington High- 5, Central- 1, Jasper- 1.

By 1956, New Albany, Bloomington, Evansville Central, Reitz and Mater Dei fielded wrestling teams.  The powers of the 17-member Southern Indiana Athletic Conference decided that a field of five was enough to hold a post-season tournament.
 
Bloomington High, a perennial powerhouse and annual State Champion title threat, was coached by Indiana legend, Clifford “Two-Bit” Myers.  The beastly Bloomington team captured the first two team titles.
 
Phil Thrasher’s New Albany spoiled the party for Myers in 1958 and 1959, snatching the title from the Panthers.
 
Thrasher, an Indiana Hall of Fame coach and still second on the State’s all-time wins list, traded wins with Myers until 1965 when Evansville Reitz managed a tie with New Albany.  An expanded field of ten teams did nothing to dent the Bulldogs’ fortunes as Thrasher claimed titles through 1968. 
 
Don Henry’s Reitz Panthers broke through, claiming the SIAC title in 1969 and 1970, becoming the first Evansville school to claim an outright SIAC title.
 
In his 16th year at the helm of Mater Dei, Joe Gossman boldly proclaimed his Wildcats would win the 1971 SIAC title.  Gossman had strength in numbers, as Gossman had 60 boys on his team—in a school with a total male population of 175.  Dave Macke, Tom Jankowski, Gene Scott and Jim Schroeder delivered titles as Mater Dei placed ten wrestlers and nudged second-place Evansville Harrison by 19 points.  Evansville Rex Mundi was third, followed by Bosse, Memorial, Reitz, New Albany, Mt. Vernon, Central, Jasper, Tell City, Castle, Washington, North Knox, Boonville and North.
 
Mater Dei dominated until 1975, when the Jasper Wildcats claimed their first title. 
 
The 1976 SIAC was in the third year of a new conference tourney format.  The old format—a one day tournament with 19 teams—was deemed to be unwieldy.  Four qualifying satellite meets were held, with the winners advancing to a championship event at Central.  The satellite matchups were by blind draw; the two best wrestlers sometimes met in the first round with the loser eliminated.  Gossman and Central’s Tommy Turner did not like it one bit.
 
“All the tough teams are in one bracket,” groused Gossman.  “Mater Dei, North and Central will knock each other off.  Reitz (In the Castle satellite) has a shoo-in.”
“Our thirds and fourths are better than Jasper’s firsts and seconds,” agreed Turner.
 
Under the format, Reitz asserted itself, putting the Panthers back in the winner’s circle. 
 
The 1978 SIAC satellite qualifier at Mt. Vernon began on an ominous note.  En route to Mt. Vernon, the Mater Dei bus, piloted by Joe Gossman, hit an icy patch and spun off the road.
 
“No big deal,” claimed Tim Boots.  “We got out and pushed.”
 
During the meet, the weather continued to deteriorate, rendering roads impassable.  As a result, the teams from Mater Dei, Castle, Harrison and Central—along with 75 fans—spent the evening at Mt. Vernon High School. 
 
“We thought it was going to be a great night,” claimed John Schroeder.  “There were a number of cheerleaders and mat maids for the other schools that had to stay.  Suter enough, they put all of the girls on lock down.  There was no way to get to them.”
 
“The only action we had was Goebel’s (Mike Goebel, the head wrestling coach at Castle) boys throwing buckets of snowball at us,” said Tim Boots.
 
Record snowfall made the Saturday final impossible.  The will to complete the meet was irresistible, therefore, the SIAC coaches decided to hold the final on a Wednesday following the regional.  To add additional spice, the finals were wrestled before the third place matches.  As Mater Dei held a 3.5 point lead over Reitz, after the final, the consolation matches held special importance.  The Wildcats held serve and claimed a 7.5 point win over their arch-rivals.
 
Another blizzard hit Evansville in 1980.  The 1979 meet left a bad taste in the mouths of many, so the coaches decided to scrub the 1980 affair.
 
In 1981, following a mass exodus of SIAC schools, the event returned to a single-day event held at Castle.  Riding titles by Chris Wildeman, Jeff Parkinson, Joe Bassemier and Matt Crowe, Mike Goebel’s Wildcats claimed a 37.5 win over the second-place Reitz Panthers.
 
Winning the SIAC tournament from 1980-1993, the incumbent Wildcats faced a serious challenge it 1994.  The SIAC meet was regarded as the toughest ever, featuring second-ranked Mater Dei, fourth-ranked Central and the sixth-ranked Castle Knights.  “Close, but no cigar” came to an end as Grodie Crick’s Central Bears ended Mater Dei’s hammerlock on the SIAC, edging the ‘Cats 205.5 to 204.5.
 
“This is a tremendous boost for our program,” said Crick, in his first-ever win over Mater Dei.
 
The Bears accomplished the victory in the most dramatic fashion.  Trailing Mater Dei in the team score, Central’s Josh Crick took the mat against Castle’s undefeated Patrick Mayes.  Shaking off two previous losses to Mayes, Crick dominated, winning 8-3 and locking up the team title for Central.
 
Mater Dei won the title back in 1995 and set a new mark for SIAC tournament performance in 2003, winning 13 weight classes.  Claiming 13 champs and a third, the Wildcats lost one match on the day.
 
An extremely tough field entered the 2010 SIAC meet, with Reitz finding itself with a fifth-state ranking while Mater Dei was regarded as sixth and Castle was seventh.  Reitz coach Scott Ferguson was riding high going into the meet.  Ferguson, a former Castle wrestler, had claimed a January dual meet victory over Mater Dei—his first as a wrestler or coach.  Reitz’s depth won the day, as all fourteen wrestlers placed while Bryan Kuhn, Trevor Moody, Derek Dowdy and Blake Rueger claimed titles.
 
On the eve of its 60th annual meet, the SIAC championships are alive and well.  Expect upsets, fiery coaches, long-standing rivalries, surprise domination—and highly partisan fan bases.
 
SIAC Titles:  Mater Dei- 39, New Albany- 8, Reitz- 5, Bloomington High- 5, Central- 1, Jasper- 1.

By 1956, New Albany, Bloomington, Evansville Central, Reitz and Mater Dei fielded wrestling teams.  The powers of the 17-member Southern Indiana Athletic Conference decided that a field of five was enough to hold a post-season tournament.
 
Bloomington High, a perennial powerhouse and annual State Champion title threat, was coached by Indiana legend, Clifford “Two-Bit” Myers.  The beastly Bloomington team captured the first two team titles.
 
Phil Thrasher’s New Albany spoiled the party for Myers in 1958 and 1959, snatching the title from the Panthers.
 
Thrasher, an Indiana Hall of Fame coach and still second on the State’s all-time wins list, traded wins with Myers until 1965 when Evansville Reitz managed a tie with New Albany.  An expanded field of ten teams did nothing to dent the Bulldogs’ fortunes as Thrasher claimed titles through 1968. 
 
Don Henry’s Reitz Panthers broke through, claiming the SIAC title in 1969 and 1970, becoming the first Evansville school to claim an outright SIAC title.
 
In his 16th year at the helm of Mater Dei, Joe Gossman boldly proclaimed his Wildcats would win the 1971 SIAC title.  Gossman had strength in numbers, as Gossman had 60 boys on his team—in a school with a total male population of 175.  Dave Macke, Tom Jankowski, Gene Scott and Jim Schroeder delivered titles as Mater Dei placed ten wrestlers and nudged second-place Evansville Harrison by 19 points.  Evansville Rex Mundi was third, followed by Bosse, Memorial, Reitz, New Albany, Mt. Vernon, Central, Jasper, Tell City, Castle, Washington, North Knox, Boonville and North.
 
Mater Dei dominated until 1975, when the Jasper Wildcats claimed their first title. 
 
The 1976 SIAC was in the third year of a new conference tourney format.  The old format—a one day tournament with 19 teams—was deemed to be unwieldy.  Four qualifying satellite meets were held, with the winners advancing to a championship event at Central.  The satellite matchups were by blind draw; the two best wrestlers sometimes met in the first round with the loser eliminated.  Gossman and Central’s Tommy Turner did not like it one bit.
 
“All the tough teams are in one bracket,” groused Gossman.  “Mater Dei, North and Central will knock each other off.  Reitz (In the Castle satellite) has a shoo-in.”
“Our thirds and fourths are better than Jasper’s firsts and seconds,” agreed Turner.
 
Under the format, Reitz asserted itself, putting the Panthers back in the winner’s circle. 
 
The 1978 SIAC satellite qualifier at Mt. Vernon began on an ominous note.  En route to Mt. Vernon, the Mater Dei bus, piloted by Joe Gossman, hit an icy patch and spun off the road.
 
“No big deal,” claimed Tim Boots.  “We got out and pushed.”
 
During the meet, the weather continued to deteriorate, rendering roads impassable.  As a result, the teams from Mater Dei, Castle, Harrison and Central—along with 75 fans—spent the evening at Mt. Vernon High School. 
 
“We thought it was going to be a great night,” claimed John Schroeder.  “There were a number of cheerleaders and mat maids for the other schools that had to stay.  Suter enough, they put all of the girls on lock down.  There was no way to get to them.”
 
“The only action we had was Goebel’s (Mike Goebel, the head wrestling coach at Castle) boys throwing buckets of snowball at us,” said Tim Boots.
 
Record snowfall made the Saturday final impossible.  The will to complete the meet was irresistible, therefore, the SIAC coaches decided to hold the final on a Wednesday following the regional.  To add additional spice, the finals were wrestled before the third place matches.  As Mater Dei held a 3.5 point lead over Reitz, after the final, the consolation matches held special importance.  The Wildcats held serve and claimed a 7.5 point win over their arch-rivals.
 
Another blizzard hit Evansville in 1980.  The 1979 meet left a bad taste in the mouths of many, so the coaches decided to scrub the 1980 affair.
 
In 1981, following a mass exodus of SIAC schools, the event returned to a single-day event held at Castle.  Riding titles by Chris Wildeman, Jeff Parkinson, Joe Bassemier and Matt Crowe, Mike Goebel’s Wildcats claimed a 37.5 win over the second-place Reitz Panthers.
 
Winning the SIAC tournament from 1980-1993, the incumbent Wildcats faced a serious challenge it 1994.  The SIAC meet was regarded as the toughest ever, featuring second-ranked Mater Dei, fourth-ranked Central and the sixth-ranked Castle Knights.  “Close, but no cigar” came to an end as Grodie Crick’s Central Bears ended Mater Dei’s hammerlock on the SIAC, edging the ‘Cats 205.5 to 204.5.
 
“This is a tremendous boost for our program,” said Crick, in his first-ever win over Mater Dei.
 
The Bears accomplished the victory in the most dramatic fashion.  Trailing Mater Dei in the team score, Central’s Josh Crick took the mat against Castle’s undefeated Patrick Mayes.  Shaking off two previous losses to Mayes, Crick dominated, winning 8-3 and locking up the team title for Central.
 
Mater Dei won the title back in 1995 and set a new mark for SIAC tournament performance in 2003, winning 13 weight classes.  Claiming 13 champs and a third, the Wildcats lost one match on the day.
 
An extremely tough field entered the 2010 SIAC meet, with Reitz finding itself with a fifth-state ranking while Mater Dei was regarded as sixth and Castle was seventh.  Reitz coach Scott Ferguson was riding high going into the meet.  Ferguson, a former Castle wrestler, had claimed a January dual meet victory over Mater Dei—his first as a wrestler or coach.  Reitz’s depth won the day, as all fourteen wrestlers placed while Bryan Kuhn, Trevor Moody, Derek Dowdy and Blake Rueger claimed titles.
 
On the eve of its 60th annual meet, the SIAC championships are alive and well.  Expect upsets, fiery coaches, long-standing rivalries, surprise domination—and highly partisan fan bases.
 
SIAC Titles:  Mater Dei- 39, New Albany- 8, Reitz- 5, Bloomington High- 5, Central- 1, Jasper- 1.

Can someone send me Trent McCormick's email address? Or, Trent, can you confirm that you read this?
 
Ashley Vezzoso, Director of Sales for the Evansville Visitors and Convention Bureau, has contacted me about hosting next year's event.  The EVCB is extremely aggressive about attracting new events.
 
The University of Southern Indiana has a fieldhouse that is the size of three basketball courts which features retractable and portable seating.  Also available is the Ford Center, our 3-year old, 150MM facility.  It is large enough to host a 3-ring circus and seats 11,000.
 
Our Convention center has 38,000 square feet, which is roughly the size of four basketball courts.
 
Evansville has a vibrant downtown, the Tropicana casino and many historical attractions.  Historic Franklin street contains a plethora of bars, restaurants and a micro brewery.  Ask anyone who attended semi state if they had fun at the Gerst Haus reception...
 
With the near-completion of I-69, it is very easy to get Evansville.  One can be in downtown Indy in 2:40;  We drove from my home to Fort Wayne in 4:20.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Did Nick Lee tell you he was "back"? Did greg Schaefer tell you that? I defy anyone to name their "source".
 
I sat with nick's dad yesterday and spoke with him on the phone today. There was no mention of Nick being "back".
 
Anyone not naming their source is creating a story where there is none.

I stood for 12 hours in the balcony, no seat provided, BUT I was able to watch every mat clearly. In hindsight i want to say THANK YOU to all those fans / teams holding seats even though they were asked multiple times to stop the practice.

You probably should just crown whoever wins the C pool the champion because obviously they will be the best team. No other team will face any type of competition in their pools. The three best teams there are definitely Penn, Perry Meridian, and Cathedral. How can anyone see that with 7 ranked guys a team isn't the best in the state is absolutely sickening.
 
 
Thanks for the jab, we were seeded 5th and placed 6th last year losing to #7 seed Avon.

I sat in the mater dei section and heard no such comment. I heard not one person make a single intimation to minimize timberman. 
I did see and hear md fans clap for timberman when he was awarded his medal.
 
Hate on!

1proud, I think the coaches missed the call on the outstanding match (Timberman vs. Lee).  Regardless of who you supported in the match, you have a big gripe with the referee.  Coach Red certainly did.  Literally, every fan in the building was upset--during the match.
 
On top of that, out of bounds resets and blood time-outs were too numerous to count.  I cannot remember a match that has required more time to reach a conclusion.  Zero momentum.  
 
Timberman and Lee are tremendous;  if you are 145-pounds, you do not want to wrestle either of them.  
 
Meanwhile, the 120 title match provided a ton of action, excitement and stress--in a 3-1 decision.  Two great kids and a match that eventually turned on a gutsy, last second escape in the second period.  Hats off to Union County's champ, Saul Ervin, and Mater Dei's Kyle Luigs.  
 
As a Mater Dei fan, I was disappointed with both outcomes.  Under the same circumstances, I would sit at home for another Lee/Timberman match-up;  I would pay $8 just see Luigs/Ervin, part 2.

1proud, I think the coaches missed the call on the outstanding match (Timberman vs. Lee).  Regardless of who you supported in the match, you have a big gripe with the referee.  Coach Red certainly did.  Literally, every fan in the building was upset--during the match.
 
On top of that, out of bounds resets and blood time-outs were too numerous to count.  I cannot remember a match that has required more time to reach a conclusion.  Zero momentum.  
 
Timberman and Lee are tremendous;  if you are 145-pounds, you do not want to wrestle either of them.  
 
Meanwhile, the 120 title match provided a ton of action, excitement and stress--in a 3-1 decision.  Two great kids and a match that eventually turned on a gutsy, last second escape in the second period.  Hats off to Union County's champ, Saul Ervin, and Mater Dei's Kyle Luigs.  
 
As a Mater Dei fan, I was disappointed with both outcomes.  Under the same circumstances, I would sit at home for another Lee/Timberman match-up;  I would pay $8 just see Luigs/Ervin, part 2.

Holy smokes!  How do i get access to the Maligned wrestling super-computer?!?!
 
I have a date with my wife tonight...can you run some scenarios and probabilities for me?
 
#malignedeatspaintrainsforbreakfast

Indy-
 
You make a very good point.  The fortunate (or unfortunate) thing about message boards is that the very vocal minority become the de facto spokespersons for their school's fan base.  
 
Witness the 13-14 season, a certain Hobart coach's non-stop drum beating predicting a "Black-Out" state podium run.  Remember?  What did that do for Hobart's reputation?  What did that do for the freshman wrestler?  Did it help him, or hurt him?
 
This year's Warren Central team is a force of nature. I have vivid memories of Caliboy.  Somewhere, right now, between his Crayola snacks, Cailboy is adjusting his drool bucket and contemplating a new screen name.
 
Brownsburg has a tremendous team and looks to be a player for the foreseeable future.  This is great for Indiana wrestling and a model for programs that wish to take the step.  That being said, #paintrain, #bringthepain, #bringthepaintrain, #atbrowsburgwebringthepaintrain....is exhausting.  You want a lot of attention; be careful what you ask for.  
 
On the other hand, I could be wrong.  Drum-beating, whining, self-promotion and smack talk could be the key to intimidating the opposition and putting your team over the top.
 
Pardon, the "over the top" pun.  Completely unintentional.

Indy-
 
You make a very good point.  The fortunate (or unfortunate) thing about message boards is that the very vocal minority become the de facto spokespersons for their school's fan base.  
 
Witness the 13-14 season, a certain Hobart coach's non-stop drum beating predicting a "Black-Out" state podium run.  Remember?  What did that do for Hobart's reputation?  What did that do for the freshman wrestler?  Did it help him, or hurt him?
 
This year's Warren Central team is a force of nature. I have vivid memories of Caliboy.  Somewhere, right now, between his Crayola snacks, Cailboy is adjusting his drool bucket and contemplating a new screen name.
 
Brownsburg has a tremendous team and looks to be a player for the foreseeable future.  This is great for Indiana wrestling and a model for programs that wish to take the step.  That being said, #paintrain, #bringthepain, #bringthepaintrain, #atbrowsburgwebringthepaintrain....is exhausting.  You want a lot of attention; be careful what you ask for.  
 
On the other hand, I could be wrong.  Drum-beating, whining, self-promotion and smack talk could be the key to intimidating the opposition and putting your team over the top.
 
Pardon, the "over the top" pun.  Completely unintentional.

I
I predict that md gets blown out by a browns burg/perry/penn/portage all star team.

I
I predict that md gets blown out by a browns burg/perry/penn/portage all star team.

The ihsaa does not actively police these situations, they are invited into them. We see "it" all around us in our culture and the "it" is the willingness to make others suffer in order to satisfy our own selfish DESIRES. Denying the transfer was the 1st punch that was thrown.

Is that the woulda/coulda/shoulda championship ?

An upset, but not a huge one.
 
Joe wrestled a very conservative match at team state. At the end of the match, James was exhausted and joe was fresh. A big win, to be sure, but MD fans are neither shocked nor surprised.

Newcaliboy
 
It's been an expensive weekend. Have any more tips for MD fans who wish to save time and $$$, if ya want?