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  1. Chad Hollenbaugh IndianaMat Senior Writer Deep in the heart of Lake County lies East Chicago Central High School and their spectacular gymnasium. The second largest gym in the world will play host after debuting last year and doing an outstanding job. Sightlines and room to stretch for the fans, a warm up location in the same area code for the wrestlers, and a hospitality room for the refs and coaches all make the new location an excellent venue. In honor or our new President, I will be taking a political tact for this year’s preview. For each of the weight classes, I will choose: 1. Trump’s Tremendous Top Dog 2. Pence’s Second Fiddle 3. Sean Spicer to Show 4. Kelly Conway’s Yellow Ribbon Rastler Where appropriate, I will also highlight: 1. Tight Primary Challenges – First round fights 2. 270 to Win – Ticket round tilts. 3. Steve Bannon Death Draw – A likely state qualifier with wrestlebacks. 4. Alternative Facts – A possible sleeper state finalist. Without further ado, let’s start picking the matches and make Da Region Da Greatest Again. 106 As stated in the Google Hangout on Tuesday, the flyweight division is probably not as deep as it usual. However, as usual, it looks like the Region Regionals will dominate the placers. Primary Challenges 1. The bitty Bobcat Giovanni Diaz from Wheeler has put together a fine 33-5 record in his rookie campaign. He has a great practice partner in his state qualifier brother but he will be tested by South Bend Riley sophomore Trevor Penrod. Penrod is a high risk wrestler and always fun to watch. 2. My other early bird special pits Ty Haskins from one of the state’s best programs (Portage) versus Jake Armstrong who hails from one of the most remote schools in the semi-state, Winamac. Haskins has wrestled a brutal schedule and lapse last week at regional put him in a tough quarterbracket. 270 to Win – Blood Round Battles 1. Undefeated Frontier Falcon Colin Reagan might have the entire town of Chalmers in section AA rooting on their favorite son in his attempt to become Frontier’s first state qualifier. He will battle the winner of Penrod and Gio Diaz. I think the winner of that tilt will end young Reagan’s dream season. 2. The very best ticket round match up is at the bottom of the bracket where I see Portage’s Ty Haskins matching up with Lowell’s Shawn Hollis. Hollis is ranked 15th in the state and Haskins is ranked 16th . This should be a tightly contested and heated battle. Steve Bannon Death Draw Ty Haskins or Shawn Hollis – Both of these guys deserve a shot at the state finals. Alternative Facts It would not be surprising at all if either Danny Tolin of Chesterton or Eli Hickman from Rennselaer Central would sneak through their quarter bracket and earned a spot in Indy. Trumps Top Dog – Hollis (Lowell) Pence’s Second Fiddle – Martin Cruz (Merrillville) Sean Spicer to Show – Evan Light (Penn) Yellow Ribbon Rastler – Diaz (Wheeler) 113 This bracket features five state ranked grapplers and the grid appears to be evenly balanced. At least on top 12 wrestler will not be getting in free next week which means there should be some fireworks in the ticket round. Primary Challenge 1. Brayden Ruiz of New Prairie and Garrett Stuckman of Wawasee have put up nearly 75 wins between them and both bring a great deal of athleticism to this round one war. The winner has to like their chances in the ticket round which will drive the intensity meter high early Saturday morning. 270 to Win – Ticket Round Tilts 1. Penn wrestles one of the toughest schedules in the state and their senior 113 pounder, 4th ranked Kory Cavanaugh, has lost to only one other grappler still in the state series (Hunter Watts). He has since avenged that loss. It would seem like he should cruise in the ticket round where he is matched with a freshman with double digit losses. Not so fast my friend. That frosh has the last name is of Maldonado and is the fast improving son of Merrillville head coach David. Expect the Maldonado brain trust to have a game plan ready for the Kingsman. 2. The second ticket round tussle pits the 11th and 12th ranked wrestlers in the state. Just like at 106, it will pit a Red Devil from Lowell, Andres Moreno (12th) against 11th ranked Portage Indian Brock Peele. Peele has had Moreno’s number this year but anything can happen when a trip to Indy is on the line. Steve Bannon Death Draw Jacob Maldonado and Andres “The Big Cat” Moreno both have big talent but might have to wait a year to be seen on the big stage. Alternative Facts Josh Wade of Harrison has found 47 wrestlers to beat this year so he knows how to get his hand raised. A long shot worth keeping an eye on. Trumps Top Dog – Cavanaugh (Penn) Pence’s Second Fiddle – Peele (Portage) Sean Spicer to Show – Jose Diaz (Wheeler) Yellow Ribbon Rastler – Garrett Stuckman (Wawasee) 120 This is hands down, the toughest weight class at East Chicago with multiple exciting first round and ticket round match ups. The top two kids, in terms of ranking, are on opposite sides and should make for a great match under the lights for the second week in a row. Primary Challenges 1. The depth of this weight class has made for a couple of great first round matches. The first one that stands out is the battle between Logansport senior and returning state medalist, Donavon Johnson and Plymouth Rockie, Zane DeVault. Johnson is a veteran with a mean top game and DeVault will be physical and in your face for 6 minutes. 2. In another first round rumble, Penn’s Tanner DeMien will face off with Harrison’s Trey McCartney. DeMien already has two state final appearances as well as a state medal on his resume. McCartney, like most of his Raider teammates, has piled up a slew of wins. 270 to Win – Ticket Round Toughies All four of the potential ticket round matches are nasty and several state worthy grapplers will be sent home unhappy. 1. Leading off in the top quarter bracket is Jeff’s Jon Anderson and his likely opponent Colin Poynter of Portage. Anderson is ranked 9th and Poynter is 5th in the state. 2. Wawasee’s Braxton Alexander is unranked but not unnoticed. He should give Crown Point’s 16th ranked Kaelin Kelly everything he wants. 3. In the bottom half, Tylor Triana of Hobart is ranked 2nd in the state but might have interesting style match up with Donavan “I Choose Top” Johnson. 4. Finally, in the last quarter bracket is the fourth great ticket round match up. Penn’s 10th ranked DeMien has the more impressive resume but Hanover Cental’s Alex Bautista will not be intimidated as he has wrestled Triana as tough as anyone this year. Steve Bannon Death Draw One could make a case for about five guys having a death draw but Jeff’s Jon Anderson is the winner based on his poor fortune at last year’s semi state. Alternative Facts There are no real strong sleeper candidates in this bracket. There are just too many studs for any sleepers to emerge. Trumps Top Dog – Triana (Hobart) Pence’s Second Fiddle – Poynter (Portage) Sean Spicer to Show – Bautista (Hanover Central) Yellow Ribbon Rastler – Braxton Alexander (Wawasee) 126 The 126 class is not quite as deep as the 120 class but it is close and there should be many tough matches and potential state champion in this bracket. Primary Challenge My top first rounder in the 126 class involves a pair of unheralded seniors who will be battling for a place in the ticket round. West Lafayette’s Aaron Casillas has put together a fine 25-4 record for the improving Red Devil program. He will match up with Triton’s Malachi Greene (30-6). Greene has been the cornerstone of the Trojan program that has appeared in two straight team state finals. 270 to Win The most intriguing ticket round battle looks to be located in the bottom quarter bracket where Harrison’s regional champ ,Cody Betourne will try to punch his ticket versus the vicious Viking from Valpo, Ian Dembowski. Betourne has nearly 50 wins and is ranked 19th where Dembowski is ranked 11th and has given Michael Delapena some great matches this season. Steve Bannon Death Draw The dubious honor goes to Harrison’s Cody Betourne. Bringing a 49-2 record and a regional championship to semi-state would seem like a good road to Indy. However, when you draw into the same quarter bracket with Ian Dembowski your chances go down immediately. Many would argue that Dembowski is a top 8 guy at state. Alternative Facts Digging deep into this bracket, I see a potential sleeper in Wawasee’s Geremia Brooks. The transfer from Whiteland has would have to pull of a big upset over Merrillville’s Michael Delapena but crazier things have happened. Trumps Top Dog – Colton Cummings (Lowell) Pence’s Second Fiddle – Ian Dembowski (Valparaiso) Sean Spicer to Show – Delapena (Merrillville) Yellow Ribbon Rastler – Adam Davis (Culver Military) 132 Two division one wrestling recruits and a third that will likely join them at the D-1 level highlight the 132 class at East Chicago. A balanced bracket should set up for excellent semifinal matches. Primary Challenge The best first round battle might have some effect on the team race as two grapplers from powerhouse programs go at it. Penn’s Preston Risner will face off against Merrillville’s Ahzsur Ursery. This should be an evenly matched tilt where Risner will be looking to avenge a 4-2 loss at the Al Smith. 270 to Win 1. I like the potential in top half of the bracket as it could produce two outstanding ticket round slugfests. At the top, Jack Tolin, ranked 13th and from Chesterton might meet up with the unranked Ursery of Merrillville. Tolin has the D-1 offer from Northwestern and an early season win over his Pirate rival but Ursery might just conjure up some Maldonado magic when a trip to Indy is on the line. 2. The second quarter bracket potentially pits 12th ranked Portage Indian, Miguel Prado against Delphi junior and regional champ Ty Watson. Delphi is the one school from the Logansport regional that has consistently been able to qualify wrestlers to Indy over the past 10 year. Watson will be ready. Steve Bannon Death Draw I have to go with Watson drawing the short straw. Prado is tough as nails and would be a regional champ in many regionals but he happens to be in the same regional with an absolute hammer in Jeremiah Reitz. If Watson doesn’t pull the upset, at least he has next year. Alternative Facts Merrillville’s Ahzsur Ursery has little statewide street cred but the boys in the region know he is right there with some of the best 132 pounders in the north. Trumps Top Dog – Jeremiah Reitz (Griffith) Pence’s Second Fiddle – Miguel Prado (Portage) Sean Spicer to Show – Manzona Bryant (Culver Military) Yellow Ribbon Rastler – Jack Tolin (Chesterton) 138 This bracket has excitement written all over with two of the best kids in the state renewing their rivalry as well as two of the best freshmen in the state. Several state worthy grapplers will be paying for their ticket at Banker’s Life next week. Primary Challenges 1. A Duneland Conference rivalry match will take place in the first round between Merrillville’s Aaron Griggs and Crown Point’s Jacob Burford. Both are tough customers but Griggs got the best of Burford at the conference meet and I like him here on Saturday morning 2. A second opening round tilt that promises some fireworks is the match between South Bend St. Joseph’s Jared Kazmierczak and North White’s regional champ, Jake Quasebarth. Kaz placed forth in a loaded Rochester regional and should give the one loss Quasebarth a great match. 270 to Win 1. Three tough as nails ticket round tilts highlight the 138 pound bracket. Starting right at the top, Kris Rumph of Portage will have to defeat a game senior from Penn, Trace Manspeaker. Rumph is ranked 3rd and Manspeaker is ranked 7th in the state. 2. The second quarter bracket will pit the winner of Griggs/Burford match against one of the toughest freshmen in the state, Jacob LaPlace of Mishawaka. Don’t expect the young Caveman to be intimidated as he has been around and has plenty of coaches that have been there and done that. 3. The best ticket round match might just be at the bottom of the bracket where Munster veteran, Cody Crary will try to topple Plymouth Rockie rookie, Graham Calhoun for a second time this season. This is a match up between the 15th and 16 ranked kids in the state. Indiana Mudflap gives this match up 4 Golden Eagles!!! Steve Bannon Death Draw 7th ranked Trace Manspeaker most definitely got the toughest draw in bracket. Expect this Kingsman to battle his tail off in an effort to secure that elusive state berth. Kris Rumph is a tough draw. Honorable mention goes to the loser of Calhoun/Crary battle. Alternative Facts The winner of the Griggs/Burford match is probably the best candidate to be a sleeper that advances to Indy. Trumps Top Dog – Brendan Black (Hobart) Pence’s Second Fiddle – Kris Rumph (Portage) Sean Spicer to Show – Graham Calhoun (Plymouth) Yellow Ribbon Rastler – Aaron Griggs (Merrillville) 145 The studs in the 145 pound bracket at East Chicago looks to be evenly distributed across the quarter brackets. Four wrestler are ranked and one ranked kid is in each of the quarter brackets. Primary Challenge One match stands above all the rest in this weight class and that is the Mario Traficanti/Malik Hoover battle. This is another in the long line of rivalry matches between Crown Point and Merrillville. Traficanti looks to have a small edge at this point. 270 to Win The best ticket round match looks like it might be a battle between Hobart’s 12th ranked Dante Colza and small school regional champ, Leevin Ball of North White. I would love to see a Devildog product at state but can’t bet against Colza. Steve Bannon Death Draw A balanced bracket does not set up for bad draws and this line up looks like it will hold chalk with the four ranked kids punching their ticket. Alternative Facts It’s tough to label a Penn kid as a sleeper, only because they are one of the most high profile programs in the state. However, Penn’s Haden Hensley is largely unknown but brings an outstanding 20-3 record into East Chicago. A ticket round match up versus Munster’s Jason Crary is not insurmountable. Trumps Top Dog – Kasper McIntosh (Portage) Pence’s Second Fiddle – Jason Crary (Munster) Sean Spicer to Show – Mario Traficanti (Crown Point) Yellow Ribbon Rastler – Dante Colza (Hobart) 152 The middleweights at 152 promise to put on a great show for the fans as 5 ranked kids will battle the rest of the field. A lot of high energy, explosive and just plain fun kids to watch dot this bracket. Primary Challenge The Crown Point regional was loaded this year so it’s third place finisher, Vince Liggin of Hanover Central is no slouch. He has a first round match with Kassius Breathitt of South Bend Riley that could be a good one. Riley wrestles a good schedule and Breathitt is 30-3 this year. 270 to Win 1. With 5 ranked wrestlers and a couple of other tough cookies from strong programs thrown in the mix there promises to be some great blood round battles. 10th ranked Clay Jones of Jeff is a returning state qualifier with only one blemish on his record. I love his funky style but his probable opponent in the round to go will probably want to brawl with Jones. Valparaiso’s 14th ranked Greg Lichtenberger has navigated the Duneland wars with an outstanding 35-5 record. 2. A second great match in the ticket round pits 8th ranked Kassius Breathitt against Portage’s unranked Zach Nugent. Portage will be gunning for a semi state title and a win here would be huge for the Indians. 3. At the bottom of the bracket, Crown Points 12th ranked Noah Lamore looks to be the strong favorite but Hobart senior Matt Burns will not go down without a fight. Steve Bannon Death Draw Valparaiso’s Greg Lichtenberger earns the death draw label at 152. He is certainly capable of beating Jones. It will probably come down to who imposes their will when it comes to the style of the match. I just feel Jones has too many tools in his bag of tricks. Alternative Facts Hanover Central’s Vince Liggin looks like an interesting sleeper pick. Beating Breathitt in the first round is a tall order but not impossible. He then would likely match up with an eleven loss Zach Nugent of Portage. Trumps Top Dog – Kyle Hatch (Warsaw) Pence’s Second Fiddle – Kassius Breathitt (South Bend Riley) Sean Spicer to Show – Clay Jones (Lafayette Jeff) Yellow Ribbon Rastler – Noah Lamore (Crown Point) 160 160 is another bracket where the four ranked wrestlers are spread across the four quarter brackets. Although it is certainly possible for upsets to happen, I feel the first two rounds will hold chalk. Primary Challengers 1. Two first round matches stand out in the 160 pound bracket that need to be highlighted. The first involves two underclassmen with high ceilings. Brandon Lucero is a sophomore from Merrillville and he will take on the talented Jacob Adkins of South Bend Riley. Looks like a true toss up. 2. Two juniors will face off in another evenly matched first round tilt. Portage will send 27 match winner Drake Guerro out to face Culver Military’s Michael Boland. Guerro has plenty of experience but Boland is strong and tough to score on. Should be a good one. 270 to Win 1. The top ticket round bout looks like a Highway 30 battle between Plymouth’s once beaten senior Micah Calhoun and Valpo’s Mike Lichtenberger. Calhoun comes in with a #17 state ranking and has been able to cruise through the sectional and regional. Lichtenberger, on the other hand, has given top ten wrestlers in the region fits all year. Steve Bannon Death Draw Hobart’s Angelo Guarnero earned the wrath of the bracket gods this week by drawing into the same quarter bracket as Penn’s grinder Rockne Hurley and Crown Point’s top ten stud Oszkar Kasch. No rewards for Angelo after winning the Calumet Regional. Alternative Facts A potential long shot sleeper pick is Freshman Jacob Adkins of South Bend Riley. After watching him frustrate veteran wrestlers last week with his take down defense, I have a hunch that he might just make a run this Saturday. If not, this youngster is one to keep an eye on in the future. Trumps Top Dog – Diego Lemley (Chesterton) Pence’s Second Fiddle – Micah Calhoun (Plymouth) Sean Spicer to Show – Oszkar Kasch (Crown Point) Yellow Ribbon Rastler – Myles Krintz (Harrison) 170 A Division One recruit, an Al Smith finalist and a wide open quarter bracket high light the 170 class at East Chicago. There might not be a state champ in this group but it still should be an exciting and competitive day. Primary Challenges 1. At the top of the bracket one of the top first round matches of the day will take place between 30-5 Plymouth Rockie Colton Schuler and Cade Girgenti of Chesterton. Girgenti is a Duneland Conference runner-up and Schuler had a monster regional to get through. 2. The bottom quarter bracket has two interesting first round matches just because there is no clear favorite in the quartet. Lafayette Jeff’s Garrett Fair and River Forest Ingot Bradley Groover have similar records and both are juniors. This looks like a toss up. The other first rounder pits South Bend Clay’s Amere Dozier versus LaPorte’s young Noah Perez. Perez is improving fast but is a tier below his Duneland rivals while Dozier has only wrestled half a season. Another toss up? 270 to Win 1. Zach Fattore (Hobart) vs. Tavonte Malone (South Bend Adams) – Both of these studs are ranked top 10 in the state and one will be going home with out a ticket to Indy. Steve Bannon Death Draw See above. It’s a shame that there are no wrestle backs. Alternative Facts My sleeper pick for this weight class is none other than Hammond Gavit Gladiator Jamari Washington. Washington has put together a great regular and post season. Inside sources say he will have something ready for Saturday’s ticket round match. Trumps Top Dog – Jarod Swank (Penn) Pence’s Second Fiddle – Zach Fattore (Hobart) Sean Spicer to Show – Ishmael Cornejo (Portage) Yellow Ribbon Rastler – Amere Dozier (South Bend Clay) 182 The 182 bracket introduces us to the first of the two Davison brothers. I expect both brothers to make their presence felt with authority both this weekend and next. Primary Challenge Seth Jones of Lafayette Jeff has regional crown on his resume but the last time he ventured to the region he was beaten by his first round opponent, Jacob Bohling of LaPorte. Jones is riding a wave of momentum but will it be enough to avenge his early season loss. 270 to Win 1. The aforementioned Bohling from Laporte should be matched up with conference rival Tyjohn Lockett of Merrillville. Bohling got the Pirate by a point during their conference 3rd place match a couple of weeks ago. 2. Another quality ticket round battle should be between Mishawaka’s Austin Faulkner and Kankakee Valley’s Logan Nowak. Two solidly built athletes with excellent records should make for an excellent match when a trip to Indy is on the line. Steve Bannon Death Draw Logan Nowak only lost one match in the regular season but his loss to Lucas Davison of Chesterton at regional put him at risk of drawing into Austin Faulkner and that is exactly what happened. Faulkner is wrestling awesome right now and it will take a monster effort out of Nowak to topple the Caveman. Alternative Facts If you like playing the long odds when picking your state qualifiers, I give you Tyjohn Lockett of Merrillville. Sure he has double digit losses, but he made a run to the semi finals at the Al Smith, he is in the most winnable quarter bracket, and he has the Merrillville staff in his corner. Longshot Lockett might make some magic. Trumps Top Dog – Lucas Davison (Chesterton) Pence’s Second Fiddle – Austin Faulkner (Mishawaka) Sean Spicer to Show – Jeremy Torres (Portage) Yellow Ribbon Rastler – Tyjohn Lockett (Merrillville) 195 Michigan recruit Andrew Davison highlights this bracket. He should not be challenged and the race will be for second place. This bracket is loaded with four ranked wrestlers in the bottom half of the bracket which means some talented kids will not qualify for state. Primary Challenges 1. Walker Brummett (Lake Central) vs. Bryson Ford (Benton Central) – This could be a four over a one. Brummett is battle tested and has some nice wins on the season 2. Nick Schoonveld (Kankakee Valley) vs. Nate LaFree – Two physical in your face wrestlers will face off here. Not for the faint of heart. 270 to Win 1. Tyler Moser (Bremen) vs. AJ Fowler (Calumet) – Two ranked studs should battle for a free trip to Indy. Moser beat Fowler earlier in the year but it was a closely contested battle. Steve Bannon Death Draw Aron Corralez of Merrillville definitely drew the short straw and will have the tall task of defeating Andrew Davison to punch his state ticket. Not likely. Alternative Facts The previously mentioned Walker Brummett of Lake Central has the talent, coaching and draw to make a run to the semi finals despite his double digit losses. Trumps Top Dog – Andrew Davison (Chesterton) Pence’s Second Fiddle – Anthony Maceo (Portage) Sean Spicer to Show – Tyler Moser (Bremen) Yellow Ribbon Rastler – Bryson Ford (Benton Central) 220 Another example of where the ranked wrestlers are split up and spread across the bracket. Three top ten grapplers highlight this group which should make for some nice semi finals and final matches. Primary Challenges 1. The best looking first round match up is down at the bottom of the bracket where Merrillville’s 20th ranked Andrew Vander Woude will face off against Plymouth fireplug Sam Stayton. Vander Woude is the favorite but Stayton brings a physical style that will be tough to deal with. 270 to Win 1. The top ticket round bout will likely occur between Merrillville’s Vander Woude and big Donnie Crider of Harrison. Crider is ranked 6th in the state and is a match up nightmare as he stands about 6 ‘8”. Steve Bannon Death Draw Munster’s Caleb Thomas was the regional champ at Calumet and he got rewarded by drawing the 5th ranked wrestler in the state for a berth to the state finals. It will be a tall order to topple the Al Smith champion, Eli Pokorney. Alternative Facts Chester Swopes of Portage is my sleeper pick for this weight class based on his excellent practice partners and excellent coaching. He would have to upset 18th ranked Will Vakalahi in order to make that magical run to state. Trumps Top Dog – Eli Pokorney (Chesterton) Pence’s Second Fiddle – Donnie Crider (Harrison) Sean Spicer to Show – Jeremy Akers (Crown Point) Yellow Ribbon Rastler – Will Vakalahi (Penn) 285 Two wrestlers appear to have separated themselves from the field and seem like strong candidates to meet in the finals. The real story is who will be in the third and fourth place slots. Primary Challenges 1. Alex Faulkner (Mishawaka) vs Alex Cartwright (LaVille) – The Alex War should will pit the Caveman’s savvy versus the Lancer’s brute strength. 2. Michael Foster (Crown Point) vs Dan “Truck” Clark (Rochester) – The Truck is tough to score on and frustrates his opponents. He has been outstanding this post season. 270 to Win 1. Clark vs. Keion Williams (Lafayette Jeff) – This bout would be a rematch from earlier in the season where Williams squeaked by the big Zebra. 2. Aron Ceglarek (Kankakee Valley) vs. Gio Murillo (Portage) – Murillo is a returning state qualifier who can keep it close with just about anyone. Geglarek is a big thick kid who moves well. Steve Bannon Death Draw Ceglarek, the regional champ, drew into the one ticket round foe he probably would least like to see in Gio Murillo. The Portage warpath will going strong and that momentum might be difficult to deal with. Alternative Facts The big man with the best chance of shocking the semi state is Michael Foster of Crown Point. Both his first round and potential ticket round matches are very winnable for this unheralded Bulldog. Trumps Top Dog – Isiah “Bus” McWilliams (South Bend Washington) Pence’s Second Fiddle – Brendan Streck (Merrillville) Sean Spicer to Show – Gio Murillo (Portage) Yellow Ribbon Rastler – Dan “Truck” Clark (Rochester) Click here to view the article
  2. Chad Hollenbaugh IndianaMat Senior Writer Deep in the heart of Lake County lies East Chicago Central High School and their spectacular gymnasium. The second largest gym in the world will play host after debuting last year and doing an outstanding job. Sightlines and room to stretch for the fans, a warm up location in the same area code for the wrestlers, and a hospitality room for the refs and coaches all make the new location an excellent venue. In honor or our new President, I will be taking a political tact for this year’s preview. For each of the weight classes, I will choose: 1. Trump’s Tremendous Top Dog 2. Pence’s Second Fiddle 3. Sean Spicer to Show 4. Kelly Conway’s Yellow Ribbon Rastler Where appropriate, I will also highlight: 1. Tight Primary Challenges – First round fights 2. 270 to Win – Ticket round tilts. 3. Steve Bannon Death Draw – A likely state qualifier with wrestlebacks. 4. Alternative Facts – A possible sleeper state finalist. Without further ado, let’s start picking the matches and make Da Region Da Greatest Again. 106 As stated in the Google Hangout on Tuesday, the flyweight division is probably not as deep as it usual. However, as usual, it looks like the Region Regionals will dominate the placers. Primary Challenges 1. The bitty Bobcat Giovanni Diaz from Wheeler has put together a fine 33-5 record in his rookie campaign. He has a great practice partner in his state qualifier brother but he will be tested by South Bend Riley sophomore Trevor Penrod. Penrod is a high risk wrestler and always fun to watch. 2. My other early bird special pits Ty Haskins from one of the state’s best programs (Portage) versus Jake Armstrong who hails from one of the most remote schools in the semi-state, Winamac. Haskins has wrestled a brutal schedule and lapse last week at regional put him in a tough quarterbracket. 270 to Win – Blood Round Battles 1. Undefeated Frontier Falcon Colin Reagan might have the entire town of Chalmers in section AA rooting on their favorite son in his attempt to become Frontier’s first state qualifier. He will battle the winner of Penrod and Gio Diaz. I think the winner of that tilt will end young Reagan’s dream season. 2. The very best ticket round match up is at the bottom of the bracket where I see Portage’s Ty Haskins matching up with Lowell’s Shawn Hollis. Hollis is ranked 15th in the state and Haskins is ranked 16th . This should be a tightly contested and heated battle. Steve Bannon Death Draw Ty Haskins or Shawn Hollis – Both of these guys deserve a shot at the state finals. Alternative Facts It would not be surprising at all if either Danny Tolin of Chesterton or Eli Hickman from Rennselaer Central would sneak through their quarter bracket and earned a spot in Indy. Trumps Top Dog – Hollis (Lowell) Pence’s Second Fiddle – Martin Cruz (Merrillville) Sean Spicer to Show – Evan Light (Penn) Yellow Ribbon Rastler – Diaz (Wheeler) 113 This bracket features five state ranked grapplers and the grid appears to be evenly balanced. At least on top 12 wrestler will not be getting in free next week which means there should be some fireworks in the ticket round. Primary Challenge 1. Brayden Ruiz of New Prairie and Garrett Stuckman of Wawasee have put up nearly 75 wins between them and both bring a great deal of athleticism to this round one war. The winner has to like their chances in the ticket round which will drive the intensity meter high early Saturday morning. 270 to Win – Ticket Round Tilts 1. Penn wrestles one of the toughest schedules in the state and their senior 113 pounder, 4th ranked Kory Cavanaugh, has lost to only one other grappler still in the state series (Hunter Watts). He has since avenged that loss. It would seem like he should cruise in the ticket round where he is matched with a freshman with double digit losses. Not so fast my friend. That frosh has the last name is of Maldonado and is the fast improving son of Merrillville head coach David. Expect the Maldonado brain trust to have a game plan ready for the Kingsman. 2. The second ticket round tussle pits the 11th and 12th ranked wrestlers in the state. Just like at 106, it will pit a Red Devil from Lowell, Andres Moreno (12th) against 11th ranked Portage Indian Brock Peele. Peele has had Moreno’s number this year but anything can happen when a trip to Indy is on the line. Steve Bannon Death Draw Jacob Maldonado and Andres “The Big Cat” Moreno both have big talent but might have to wait a year to be seen on the big stage. Alternative Facts Josh Wade of Harrison has found 47 wrestlers to beat this year so he knows how to get his hand raised. A long shot worth keeping an eye on. Trumps Top Dog – Cavanaugh (Penn) Pence’s Second Fiddle – Peele (Portage) Sean Spicer to Show – Jose Diaz (Wheeler) Yellow Ribbon Rastler – Garrett Stuckman (Wawasee) 120 This is hands down, the toughest weight class at East Chicago with multiple exciting first round and ticket round match ups. The top two kids, in terms of ranking, are on opposite sides and should make for a great match under the lights for the second week in a row. Primary Challenges 1. The depth of this weight class has made for a couple of great first round matches. The first one that stands out is the battle between Logansport senior and returning state medalist, Donavon Johnson and Plymouth Rockie, Zane DeVault. Johnson is a veteran with a mean top game and DeVault will be physical and in your face for 6 minutes. 2. In another first round rumble, Penn’s Tanner DeMien will face off with Harrison’s Trey McCartney. DeMien already has two state final appearances as well as a state medal on his resume. McCartney, like most of his Raider teammates, has piled up a slew of wins. 270 to Win – Ticket Round Toughies All four of the potential ticket round matches are nasty and several state worthy grapplers will be sent home unhappy. 1. Leading off in the top quarter bracket is Jeff’s Jon Anderson and his likely opponent Colin Poynter of Portage. Anderson is ranked 9 th and Poynter is 5 th in the state. 2. Wawasee’s Braxton Alexander is unranked but not unnoticed. He should give Crown Point’s 16 th ranked Kaelin Kelly everything he wants. 3. In the bottom half, Tylor Triana of Hobart is ranked 2 nd in the state but might have interesting style match up with Donavan “I Choose Top” Johnson. 4. Finally, in the last quarter bracket is the fourth great ticket round match up. Penn’s 10 th ranked DeMien has the more impressive resume but Hanover Cental’s Alex Bautista will not be intimidated as he has wrestled Triana as tough as anyone this year. Steve Bannon Death Draw One could make a case for about five guys having a death draw but Jeff’s Jon Anderson is the winner based on his poor fortune at last year’s semi state. Alternative Facts There are no real strong sleeper candidates in this bracket. There are just too many studs for any sleepers to emerge. Trumps Top Dog – Triana (Hobart) Pence’s Second Fiddle – Poynter (Portage) Sean Spicer to Show – Bautista (Hanover Central) Yellow Ribbon Rastler – Braxton Alexander (Wawasee) 126 The 126 class is not quite as deep as the 120 class but it is close and there should be many tough matches and potential state champion in this bracket. Primary Challenge My top first rounder in the 126 class involves a pair of unheralded seniors who will be battling for a place in the ticket round. West Lafayette’s Aaron Casillas has put together a fine 25-4 record for the improving Red Devil program. He will match up with Triton’s Malachi Greene (30-6). Greene has been the cornerstone of the Trojan program that has appeared in two straight team state finals. 270 to Win The most intriguing ticket round battle looks to be located in the bottom quarter bracket where Harrison’s regional champ ,Cody Betourne will try to punch his ticket versus the vicious Viking from Valpo, Ian Dembowski. Betourne has nearly 50 wins and is ranked 19th where Dembowski is ranked 11th and has given Michael Delapena some great matches this season. Steve Bannon Death Draw The dubious honor goes to Harrison’s Cody Betourne. Bringing a 49-2 record and a regional championship to semi-state would seem like a good road to Indy. However, when you draw into the same quarter bracket with Ian Dembowski your chances go down immediately. Many would argue that Dembowski is a top 8 guy at state. Alternative Facts Digging deep into this bracket, I see a potential sleeper in Wawasee’s Geremia Brooks. The transfer from Whiteland has would have to pull of a big upset over Merrillville’s Michael Delapena but crazier things have happened. Trumps Top Dog – Colton Cummings (Lowell) Pence’s Second Fiddle – Ian Dembowski (Valparaiso) Sean Spicer to Show – Delapena (Merrillville) Yellow Ribbon Rastler – Adam Davis (Culver Military) 132 Two division one wrestling recruits and a third that will likely join them at the D-1 level highlight the 132 class at East Chicago. A balanced bracket should set up for excellent semifinal matches. Primary Challenge The best first round battle might have some effect on the team race as two grapplers from powerhouse programs go at it. Penn’s Preston Risner will face off against Merrillville’s Ahzsur Ursery. This should be an evenly matched tilt where Risner will be looking to avenge a 4-2 loss at the Al Smith. 270 to Win 1. I like the potential in top half of the bracket as it could produce two outstanding ticket round slugfests. At the top, Jack Tolin, ranked 13 th and from Chesterton might meet up with the unranked Ursery of Merrillville. Tolin has the D-1 offer from Northwestern and an early season win over his Pirate rival but Ursery might just conjure up some Maldonado magic when a trip to Indy is on the line. 2. The second quarter bracket potentially pits 12 th ranked Portage Indian, Miguel Prado against Delphi junior and regional champ Ty Watson. Delphi is the one school from the Logansport regional that has consistently been able to qualify wrestlers to Indy over the past 10 year. Watson will be ready. Steve Bannon Death Draw I have to go with Watson drawing the short straw. Prado is tough as nails and would be a regional champ in many regionals but he happens to be in the same regional with an absolute hammer in Jeremiah Reitz. If Watson doesn’t pull the upset, at least he has next year. Alternative Facts Merrillville’s Ahzsur Ursery has little statewide street cred but the boys in the region know he is right there with some of the best 132 pounders in the north. Trumps Top Dog – Jeremiah Reitz (Griffith) Pence’s Second Fiddle – Miguel Prado (Portage) Sean Spicer to Show – Manzona Bryant (Culver Military) Yellow Ribbon Rastler – Jack Tolin (Chesterton) 138 This bracket has excitement written all over with two of the best kids in the state renewing their rivalry as well as two of the best freshmen in the state. Several state worthy grapplers will be paying for their ticket at Banker’s Life next week. Primary Challenges 1. A Duneland Conference rivalry match will take place in the first round between Merrillville’s Aaron Griggs and Crown Point’s Jacob Burford. Both are tough customers but Griggs got the best of Burford at the conference meet and I like him here on Saturday morning 2. A second opening round tilt that promises some fireworks is the match between South Bend St. Joseph’s Jared Kazmierczak and North White’s regional champ, Jake Quasebarth. Kaz placed forth in a loaded Rochester regional and should give the one loss Quasebarth a great match. 270 to Win 1. Three tough as nails ticket round tilts highlight the 138 pound bracket. Starting right at the top, Kris Rumph of Portage will have to defeat a game senior from Penn, Trace Manspeaker. Rumph is ranked 3rd and Manspeaker is ranked 7th in the state. 2. The second quarter bracket will pit the winner of Griggs/Burford match against one of the toughest freshmen in the state, Jacob LaPlace of Mishawaka. Don’t expect the young Caveman to be intimidated as he has been around and has plenty of coaches that have been there and done that. 3. The best ticket round match might just be at the bottom of the bracket where Munster veteran, Cody Crary will try to topple Plymouth Rockie rookie, Graham Calhoun for a second time this season. This is a match up between the 15th and 16 ranked kids in the state. Indiana Mudflap gives this match up 4 Golden Eagles!!! Steve Bannon Death Draw 7th ranked Trace Manspeaker most definitely got the toughest draw in bracket. Expect this Kingsman to battle his tail off in an effort to secure that elusive state berth. Kris Rumph is a tough draw. Honorable mention goes to the loser of Calhoun/Crary battle. Alternative Facts The winner of the Griggs/Burford match is probably the best candidate to be a sleeper that advances to Indy. Trumps Top Dog – Brendan Black (Hobart) Pence’s Second Fiddle – Kris Rumph (Portage) Sean Spicer to Show – Graham Calhoun (Plymouth) Yellow Ribbon Rastler – Aaron Griggs (Merrillville) 145 The studs in the 145 pound bracket at East Chicago looks to be evenly distributed across the quarter brackets. Four wrestler are ranked and one ranked kid is in each of the quarter brackets. Primary Challenge One match stands above all the rest in this weight class and that is the Mario Traficanti/Malik Hoover battle. This is another in the long line of rivalry matches between Crown Point and Merrillville. Traficanti looks to have a small edge at this point. 270 to Win The best ticket round match looks like it might be a battle between Hobart’s 12th ranked Dante Colza and small school regional champ, Leevin Ball of North White. I would love to see a Devildog product at state but can’t bet against Colza. Steve Bannon Death Draw A balanced bracket does not set up for bad draws and this line up looks like it will hold chalk with the four ranked kids punching their ticket. Alternative Facts It’s tough to label a Penn kid as a sleeper, only because they are one of the most high profile programs in the state. However, Penn’s Haden Hensley is largely unknown but brings an outstanding 20-3 record into East Chicago. A ticket round match up versus Munster’s Jason Crary is not insurmountable. Trumps Top Dog – Kasper McIntosh (Portage) Pence’s Second Fiddle – Jason Crary (Munster) Sean Spicer to Show – Mario Traficanti (Crown Point) Yellow Ribbon Rastler – Dante Colza (Hobart) 152 The middleweights at 152 promise to put on a great show for the fans as 5 ranked kids will battle the rest of the field. A lot of high energy, explosive and just plain fun kids to watch dot this bracket. Primary Challenge The Crown Point regional was loaded this year so it’s third place finisher, Vince Liggin of Hanover Central is no slouch. He has a first round match with Kassius Breathitt of South Bend Riley that could be a good one. Riley wrestles a good schedule and Breathitt is 30-3 this year. 270 to Win 1. With 5 ranked wrestlers and a couple of other tough cookies from strong programs thrown in the mix there promises to be some great blood round battles. 10th ranked Clay Jones of Jeff is a returning state qualifier with only one blemish on his record. I love his funky style but his probable opponent in the round to go will probably want to brawl with Jones. Valparaiso’s 14th ranked Greg Lichtenberger has navigated the Duneland wars with an outstanding 35-5 record. 2. A second great match in the ticket round pits 8th ranked Kassius Breathitt against Portage’s unranked Zach Nugent. Portage will be gunning for a semi state title and a win here would be huge for the Indians. 3. At the bottom of the bracket, Crown Points 12th ranked Noah Lamore looks to be the strong favorite but Hobart senior Matt Burns will not go down without a fight. Steve Bannon Death Draw Valparaiso’s Greg Lichtenberger earns the death draw label at 152. He is certainly capable of beating Jones. It will probably come down to who imposes their will when it comes to the style of the match. I just feel Jones has too many tools in his bag of tricks. Alternative Facts Hanover Central’s Vince Liggin looks like an interesting sleeper pick. Beating Breathitt in the first round is a tall order but not impossible. He then would likely match up with an eleven loss Zach Nugent of Portage. Trumps Top Dog – Kyle Hatch (Warsaw) Pence’s Second Fiddle – Kassius Breathitt (South Bend Riley) Sean Spicer to Show – Clay Jones (Lafayette Jeff) Yellow Ribbon Rastler – Noah Lamore (Crown Point) 160 160 is another bracket where the four ranked wrestlers are spread across the four quarter brackets. Although it is certainly possible for upsets to happen, I feel the first two rounds will hold chalk. Primary Challengers 1. Two first round matches stand out in the 160 pound bracket that need to be highlighted. The first involves two underclassmen with high ceilings. Brandon Lucero is a sophomore from Merrillville and he will take on the talented Jacob Adkins of South Bend Riley. Looks like a true toss up. 2. Two juniors will face off in another evenly matched first round tilt. Portage will send 27 match winner Drake Guerro out to face Culver Military’s Michael Boland. Guerro has plenty of experience but Boland is strong and tough to score on. Should be a good one. 270 to Win 1. The top ticket round bout looks like a Highway 30 battle between Plymouth’s once beaten senior Micah Calhoun and Valpo’s Mike Lichtenberger. Calhoun comes in with a #17 state ranking and has been able to cruise through the sectional and regional. Lichtenberger, on the other hand, has given top ten wrestlers in the region fits all year. Steve Bannon Death Draw Hobart’s Angelo Guarnero earned the wrath of the bracket gods this week by drawing into the same quarter bracket as Penn’s grinder Rockne Hurley and Crown Point’s top ten stud Oszkar Kasch. No rewards for Angelo after winning the Calumet Regional. Alternative Facts A potential long shot sleeper pick is Freshman Jacob Adkins of South Bend Riley. After watching him frustrate veteran wrestlers last week with his take down defense, I have a hunch that he might just make a run this Saturday. If not, this youngster is one to keep an eye on in the future. Trumps Top Dog – Diego Lemley (Chesterton) Pence’s Second Fiddle – Micah Calhoun (Plymouth) Sean Spicer to Show – Oszkar Kasch (Crown Point) Yellow Ribbon Rastler – Myles Krintz (Harrison) 170 A Division One recruit, an Al Smith finalist and a wide open quarter bracket high light the 170 class at East Chicago. There might not be a state champ in this group but it still should be an exciting and competitive day. Primary Challenges 1. At the top of the bracket one of the top first round matches of the day will take place between 30-5 Plymouth Rockie Colton Schuler and Cade Girgenti of Chesterton. Girgenti is a Duneland Conference runner-up and Schuler had a monster regional to get through. 2. The bottom quarter bracket has two interesting first round matches just because there is no clear favorite in the quartet. Lafayette Jeff’s Garrett Fair and River Forest Ingot Bradley Groover have similar records and both are juniors. This looks like a toss up. The other first rounder pits South Bend Clay’s Amere Dozier versus LaPorte’s young Noah Perez. Perez is improving fast but is a tier below his Duneland rivals while Dozier has only wrestled half a season. Another toss up? 270 to Win 1. Zach Fattore (Hobart) vs. Tavonte Malone (South Bend Adams) – Both of these studs are ranked top 10 in the state and one will be going home with out a ticket to Indy. Steve Bannon Death Draw See above. It’s a shame that there are no wrestle backs. Alternative Facts My sleeper pick for this weight class is none other than Hammond Gavit Gladiator Jamari Washington. Washington has put together a great regular and post season. Inside sources say he will have something ready for Saturday’s ticket round match. Trumps Top Dog – Jarod Swank (Penn) Pence’s Second Fiddle – Zach Fattore (Hobart) Sean Spicer to Show – Ishmael Cornejo (Portage) Yellow Ribbon Rastler – Amere Dozier (South Bend Clay) 182 The 182 bracket introduces us to the first of the two Davison brothers. I expect both brothers to make their presence felt with authority both this weekend and next. Primary Challenge Seth Jones of Lafayette Jeff has regional crown on his resume but the last time he ventured to the region he was beaten by his first round opponent, Jacob Bohling of LaPorte. Jones is riding a wave of momentum but will it be enough to avenge his early season loss. 270 to Win 1. The aforementioned Bohling from Laporte should be matched up with conference rival Tyjohn Lockett of Merrillville. Bohling got the Pirate by a point during their conference 3 rd place match a couple of weeks ago. 2. Another quality ticket round battle should be between Mishawaka’s Austin Faulkner and Kankakee Valley’s Logan Nowak. Two solidly built athletes with excellent records should make for an excellent match when a trip to Indy is on the line. Steve Bannon Death Draw Logan Nowak only lost one match in the regular season but his loss to Lucas Davison of Chesterton at regional put him at risk of drawing into Austin Faulkner and that is exactly what happened. Faulkner is wrestling awesome right now and it will take a monster effort out of Nowak to topple the Caveman. Alternative Facts If you like playing the long odds when picking your state qualifiers, I give you Tyjohn Lockett of Merrillville. Sure he has double digit losses, but he made a run to the semi finals at the Al Smith, he is in the most winnable quarter bracket, and he has the Merrillville staff in his corner. Longshot Lockett might make some magic. Trumps Top Dog – Lucas Davison (Chesterton) Pence’s Second Fiddle – Austin Faulkner (Mishawaka) Sean Spicer to Show – Jeremy Torres (Portage) Yellow Ribbon Rastler – Tyjohn Lockett (Merrillville) 195 Michigan recruit Andrew Davison highlights this bracket. He should not be challenged and the race will be for second place. This bracket is loaded with four ranked wrestlers in the bottom half of the bracket which means some talented kids will not qualify for state. Primary Challenges 1. Walker Brummett (Lake Central) vs. Bryson Ford (Benton Central) – This could be a four over a one. Brummett is battle tested and has some nice wins on the season 2. Nick Schoonveld (Kankakee Valley) vs. Nate LaFree – Two physical in your face wrestlers will face off here. Not for the faint of heart. 270 to Win 1. Tyler Moser (Bremen) vs. AJ Fowler (Calumet) – Two ranked studs should battle for a free trip to Indy. Moser beat Fowler earlier in the year but it was a closely contested battle. Steve Bannon Death Draw Aron Corralez of Merrillville definitely drew the short straw and will have the tall task of defeating Andrew Davison to punch his state ticket. Not likely. Alternative Facts The previously mentioned Walker Brummett of Lake Central has the talent, coaching and draw to make a run to the semi finals despite his double digit losses. Trumps Top Dog – Andrew Davison (Chesterton) Pence’s Second Fiddle – Anthony Maceo (Portage) Sean Spicer to Show – Tyler Moser (Bremen) Yellow Ribbon Rastler – Bryson Ford (Benton Central) 220 Another example of where the ranked wrestlers are split up and spread across the bracket. Three top ten grapplers highlight this group which should make for some nice semi finals and final matches. Primary Challenges 1. The best looking first round match up is down at the bottom of the bracket where Merrillville’s 20 th ranked Andrew Vander Woude will face off against Plymouth fireplug Sam Stayton. Vander Woude is the favorite but Stayton brings a physical style that will be tough to deal with. 270 to Win 1. The top ticket round bout will likely occur between Merrillville’s Vander Woude and big Donnie Crider of Harrison. Crider is ranked 6th in the state and is a match up nightmare as he stands about 6 ‘8”. Steve Bannon Death Draw Munster’s Caleb Thomas was the regional champ at Calumet and he got rewarded by drawing the 5th ranked wrestler in the state for a berth to the state finals. It will be a tall order to topple the Al Smith champion, Eli Pokorney. Alternative Facts Chester Swopes of Portage is my sleeper pick for this weight class based on his excellent practice partners and excellent coaching. He would have to upset 18th ranked Will Vakalahi in order to make that magical run to state. Trumps Top Dog – Eli Pokorney (Chesterton) Pence’s Second Fiddle – Donnie Crider (Harrison) Sean Spicer to Show – Jeremy Akers (Crown Point) Yellow Ribbon Rastler – Will Vakalahi (Penn) 285 Two wrestlers appear to have separated themselves from the field and seem like strong candidates to meet in the finals. The real story is who will be in the third and fourth place slots. Primary Challenges 1. Alex Faulkner (Mishawaka) vs Alex Cartwright (LaVille) – The Alex War should will pit the Caveman’s savvy versus the Lancer’s brute strength. 2. Michael Foster (Crown Point) vs Dan “Truck” Clark (Rochester) – The Truck is tough to score on and frustrates his opponents. He has been outstanding this post season. 270 to Win 1. Clark vs. Keion Williams (Lafayette Jeff) – This bout would be a rematch from earlier in the season where Williams squeaked by the big Zebra. 2. Aron Ceglarek (Kankakee Valley) vs. Gio Murillo (Portage) – Murillo is a returning state qualifier who can keep it close with just about anyone. Geglarek is a big thick kid who moves well. Steve Bannon Death Draw Ceglarek, the regional champ, drew into the one ticket round foe he probably would least like to see in Gio Murillo. The Portage warpath will going strong and that momentum might be difficult to deal with. Alternative Facts The big man with the best chance of shocking the semi state is Michael Foster of Crown Point. Both his first round and potential ticket round matches are very winnable for this unheralded Bulldog. Trumps Top Dog – Isiah “Bus” McWilliams (South Bend Washington) Pence’s Second Fiddle – Brendan Streck (Merrillville) Sean Spicer to Show – Gio Murillo (Portage) Yellow Ribbon Rastler – Dan “Truck” Clark (Rochester)
  3. By Chad Hollenbaugh IndianaMat Senior Writer From Lake Station to Logansport, from Lowell to LaVille, the northwest quadrant of the state’s finest wrestlers will congregate in the gym at Merrillville High School to determine the fifty-six athletes that will qualify for the big show. The team race should be dominated by Penn, Portage and Merrillville. Crown Point could add some spice into the team race if they have an outstanding day. 106 The bracket gods started off by playing a cruel joke on regional champ Kory Cavanaugh of Penn. The 15th ranked 106 pounder in the state got put in the same quarter bracket with #13 Collin Poynter of Portage and #11 Alex Bautista from Hanover Central. Poynter and Baustista meet right off the bat in the second match of the morning. The winner will likely have Cavanaugh in the the ticket round. Cavanaugh has a narrow win over Poynter but was handled by Bautista 10-1 earlier in the season. A brutal group of four no matter how you slice it. The second set of four is also tough as nails. One loss Jon Anderson has piled up forty-four wins and a regional championship for Lafayette Jeff. He will be severely tested in the second round where he will likely face fourteenth ranked Ian Dembowski of Valparaiso. The bottom half of the bracket will be low on ticket round drama but high on talent. Number one ranked Colton Cummings of Lowell and fifth ranked Tylor Triana of Hobart should cruise through the first two rounds and set up a semi final slugfest. FIRST ROUND FISTICUFFS – Alex Bautista – Hanover Central (26-5) vs. Colin Poynter – Portage (32-6). TOP TICKET ROUND TILT – Jon Anderson – Lafayette Jeff (44-1) vs. Ian Dembowki – Valpo (39-6). FAB FOUR Cummings – Lowell Poynter – Portage Triana – Hobart Dembowski - Valpo 113The top half of the 113 bracket also appears to hold the greatest amount of early round drama while the bottom half seems to be more settled. Third ranked and undefeated Drew Hildebrandt from Penn should cruise to finals and be marginally tested in the semis by Rickie Rodriguez of Hammond Morton. The Kingman pinned the Governor earlier in the season. The top half features some interesting early round matches. Munster’s Cody Crary, Culver Academy’s Adam Davis and Lafayette Jeff’s Dustin Miller will battle it out in the top quarter while Crown Point’s John Moran and Merrillville’s Michael DeLaPena will likely reprise their Duneland Conference rivalry in the ticket round. FIRST ROUND FISTICUFFS – Cody Crary – Munster (38-7) vs. Adam Davis – Culver Academy (31-6). Two talented frosh meet for the right to battle Miller in the quarterfinals. TOP TICKET ROUND TILT – Austin Line – Valpo (32-8) vs. Rickie Rodriguez – Hammond Morton (31-2). Two seasoned veterans look for spot in state finals. FAB FOUR Hildebrandt – Penn DeLaPena – Merrillville Rodriguez – Morton Miller – Lafayette Jeff 120This 120 class might be one of the most evenly matched and exciting to watch this Saturday. Great storylines, state ranked wrestlers and tough match ups are littered throughout this bracket. Returning state champ Jeremiah Reitz of Griffith finished second at his regional in one of this year’s best rivalries with Hobart’s Brendan Black. Reitz is the definition of a death draw to regional champ Jack Tolin of Chesterton. Returning state placer Kyle Hatch of Warsaw will have his hands full with Portage’s conference champion Miguel Prado. Hobart’s Brendan Black and South Bend Clay’s Jake Hartman will probably face off in the ticket round. The final ticket punched in this bracket is a real toss up with Rensselaer Central’s one loss regional champ Brady White squaring off with the winner of Mishawaka’s Ryan Hardesty and Crown Point’s Austin Torres. FIRST ROUND FISTICUFFS – Ryan Hardesty – Mishawaka (29-7) vs. Austin Torres – Crown Point (25-7). Studs from two tradition rich programs should provide early fireworks. TOP TICKET ROUND TILT – Brendan Black – Hobart (26-3) vs. Jake Hartman – South Bend Clay (43-1). Hartman suffered his first lost of the season at regionals and will be extra focused in his last attempt to wrestle in Indy. FAB FOUR Reitz – Griffith Hartman – South Bend Clay Hatch – Warsaw Torres – Crown Point 126The sale of Pepto Bismol reached an all time high last Saturday as upsets were occurring all over the place. This put the 126 bracket at Merrillville in jumbled mess. It is quite possible that no regional champs will move onto Bankers Life next week. Wawasee’s Tristan Ponsler got toppled at regional and now has a likely ticket round match with the red hot Branden Truver. In the second quarter bracket, Plymouth’s Cody Allmon is in a great situation to earn his second trip to state. On the bottom half of the slate, Rochester’s John Hunting got the death card dealt to him when Truver upset second ranked Gaige Torres of Portage. Munster’s talented Jason Crary is the clear favorite in final set of four and has a major decision win over regional champ and likely ticket round foe Tristan Dembowski. FIRST ROUND FISTCUFFS – Zac Wells – LaPorte (23-9) vs. Tristan Ponsler – Wawasee (40-2). Ponsler looks to rebound and Wells is wrestling very well right now. TOP TICKET ROUND TILT – Cody Allmon – Plymouth (30-8) vs. John Ragan – Delphi (31-9). Allmon looks to topple a fairly unheralded regional champ in Ragan. FAB FOUR Torres – Portage Truver – Lake Central Crary – Munster Allmon – Plymouth 132The 132 weight class lacks wrestlers with many state-wide credentials and that makes it very difficult to handicap. Tippy Valley’s Devin Childers has state experience but must get through the top ranked kid in the bracket. Crown Point’s Zach Donaldson. Benton Central regional champ Blake Strawsma has a great chance to break through to the state level. Portage’s Tyler Joseph must deal with the funky Austen Laughlin early on Saturday and will likely run into Bremen’s Joey Bailey in the semi finals. FIRST ROUND FISTICUFFS – Tyler Joseph – Portage (25-6) vs. Austen Laughlin – South Bend Riley (42-6). The physical Joseph and the lanky Laughlin should present an interesting style match up. TOP TICKET ROUND TILT – Devin Childers – Tippy Valley (39-2) vs. Zach Donaldson – Crown Point (33-2). Two senior studs meet up in the ticket round. FAB FOUR Donaldson – Crown Point Joseph – Portage Strawsma – Benton Central Bailey - Bremen 138Merrillville’s Clarence Johnson looks to be the front runner at 138 largely on strength of his major decision win over Riley Akers in the Duneland conference championship. Akers is the likely survivor of the second quarter bracket. Penn’s cagey Cameron Beam is the Jason Tsirtsis of this bracket. Three straight close wins put the Kingman in great shape to advance to Indy. The last quarter bracket has possibly the most compelling potential ticket round match where Logan champ Cole Lukaszka should square off with Culver Community’s Triston Rodriguez. FIRST ROUND FISTICUFFS – Tarvis Evans – South Bend Adams (29-8) vs. Diego Lemley – Chesterton (30-8). The long and athletic Evans faces talented frosh Lemley in this battle of third(Lemley) and fifth(Evans) placers at the Al Smith. TOP TICKET ROUND TILT – Cole Lukaszka – Benton Central (39-1) vs. Triston Rodriguez – Culver Community (35-2). FAB FOUR Johnson – Merrillville Akers – Crown Point Lukaszka – Benton Central Beam - Penn 145After looking over this bracket, it appears that there are pretty strong favorites in each of the quarter brackets. The fact that the first and third ranked kids in the state are from the same regional means that someone got the death draw and Logansport senior Ryan Schrock drew the short straw and will likely face Steven “Bam” Lawrence in the ticket round. Lawrence will likely face South Bend Adams talented Tavonte Malone in the semis. The other side of the bracket is dominated by Merrillville junior and last years state runner up, Jacob Covaciu. Crown Point’s Daylan Schurg will probably face South Bend Riley’s Kassius Breathitt in an entertaining ticket round match. FIRST ROUND FISTICUFFS – Ryan Schrock – Logansport (37-3) vs. Dustin Hochstetler – Penn (25-13). Don’t let the thirteen losses by Hochstetler fool you, he will give regional champ Schrock all he wants. TOP TICKET ROUND TILT – Daylan Schurg – Crown Point (33-5) vs. Kassius Breathitt – South Bend Riley (40-9). The contrast in styles should make for an exciting match. If the match is boring look for Breathitt’s dad giving a loud play by play account of the action. FAB FOUR Covaciu – Merrillville Lawrence – Portage Schurg – Crown Point Malone – South Bend Adams 152One young man clearly stands above the rest of the field at 152. Mishawaka’s Tommy Forte should cruise to a semi state crown on Saturday. The University of Buffalo bound senior is looking healthy and ready to win a second state title. The rest of the field contains four serious contenders for the remaining three tickets to Indy. Mike Krzyston will like make his second trip to Indy for the 59ers. Lake Central’s Kodie Christenson has wins over higher ranked kids in this bracket and a relatively easy quarter bracket to navigate. That leaves one spot left and it will likely be battled for by Lafayette Harrison’s Connor Armuth and Penn’s Jarrod Swank. Swank is ranked forth and has a slim overtime win over the ninth ranked Armuth five weeks ago on his ledger. It is the only loss on an otherwise spotless record for Armuth. FIRST ROUND FISTICUFFS – Brendan Makowski – South Bend St. Joseph (20-14) vs. Oszkar Kasch – Crown Point (18-7). TOP TICKET ROUND TILT – Jarod Swank – Penn (29-4) vs. Connor Armuth – Lafayette Harrison (50-1). The margin is razor thin for these two titans. This will be one of the very best ticket round battles. FAB FOUR Forte – Mishawaka Swank – Penn Christenson – Lake Central Krzyton – Andrean 160Scary. Anyone looking at the bottom half of the 160 bracket at Merrillville has to cringe at prospect of trying to survive and advance this group of eight. Five of the state’s top ten are in this bracket and four of them are located in the bottom half. In the top half of the bracket, Lowell’s Drew Hughes should make short work of his opponents on his way to his third semi state crown. The second set of four is wide open. Regional champ Parker Fritz of West Central must defeat dangerous foes if he wishes to return to the state finals. Now the bottom half has returning state runner up and third ranked Darden Schurg of Crown Point in a probable match up with Hobart hammer Scottie Sopko who is ranked fifth. The other quarter bracket is not much easier as seventh ranked Adam Dodson of John Glenn will go to war with ninth ranked Denzyl Prentice of Penn. Scary depth at this class. FIRST ROUND FISTICUFFS – Evan Larsen – Hanover Central (35-6) vs. Parker Fritz – West Central (32-3). Larsen is a pinner and Fritz is an outstanding athlete. Look for lots of points scored in this one. TOP TICKET ROUND TILT – Take your pick between the Schurg/Sopko or Prentice/Dodson matchups. FAB FOUR Hughes – Lowell Prentice – Penn Schurg – Crown Point Goering – South Bend Riley 170Three of the four quarter brackets look to have fairly strong frontrunners. Penn’s Joey Mammolenti is the top dog here. He is undefeated at this weight and has wins over many of the other contenders. Undefeated Hunter Mote will attempt to keep the streak of Delphi state qualifiers alive while Lowell’s third regional champ, Isaac James will look to qualify for the first time. Hammond Morton upstart Andrew Key won the Calumet regional but he will likely be tested by LaVille’s gritty Ben Norton. FIRST ROUND FISTICUFFS – Ben Norton – LaVille (29-5) vs. Nate Spangle – Triton (35-4). Two small school studs will face off for the right to get to the ticket round. TOP TICKET ROUND TILT – Isaac James – Lowell (31-4) vs. Ismael Cornejo – Portage (26-6). Expect a physical brawl in this matchup. This might be a preview of the championship next year. FAB FOUR Mammolenti – Penn Mote – Delphi James – Lowell Norton – LaVille 182Penn’s Chase Osborn has gone wire to wire so far as the state’s top ranked 182 wrestler. He has been tested a couple of time by fellow regional champs Andrew Davison of Chesterton and Jake Kleimola of Lake Central. A finals match between Osborn and Davison would be one of the highlights of day. The final spot in Indy will like come down to a ticket round match up between Winamac’s Gage Garpow and Portage’s Alex Guerrero. Garpow has a fine record but Guerrero wrestles one of the state’s toughest schedules. FIRST ROUND FISTICUFFS – Jeremy Splix – Plymouth (31-6) vs. Daniel Wright – Lafayette Harrison (48-3). Wright is a returning state qualifier who was upset in the regional finals. Splix is a fast improving junior for Bob Read’s Rockies. TOP TICKET ROUND TILT – Gage Garpow – Winamac (34-2) vs. Alex Guerrero – Portage (30-6). Will it be the Warrior or the Indian that comes out on top? Expect a tight low scoring six minuts. FAB FOUR Davison – Chesterton Osborn – Penn Kleimola – Lake Central Guerrero – Portage 195Upsets at regionals make the 195 class another one that is tough to predict. It also makes for many very interesting match ups in the first two rounds. The bracket gods continue to be nice Coach Vega and the Portage squad. Fourth place at regional has put senior Indian Matt Hedrick in a quarter bracket with a regional champ that he majored earlier in the year. Hedrick did injury default at regional so hopefully he gets healthy by Saturday. Calumet’s burly Nick Fowler has taken on all comers in the region and is still undefeated. One point separated Merrillville’s Jarius Perry and Mishawaka’s Tanner Bradley at the Al Smith so their ticket round battle is likely to be tight. FIRST ROUND FISTICUFFS – John Bigbie – Lowell (31-7) vs. Matt Hedrick – Portage (23-6). TOP TICKET ROUND TILT – Tanner Bradley – Mishawaka (23-3) vs. Jarius Perry – Merrillville (32-3). Bradley is wrestling with a lot of confidence after is first period pin of Wes Beck at regional. FAB FOUR Fowler – Calumet Perry – Merrillville Hedrick – Portage Kidwell – West Lafayette 220Gelen Robinson has graduated so this class is an open shot for new blood to rise to the top. The new king of hill will likely be either Penn’s Kobe Woods or Crown Point’s Morgan Kral. Woods has remain unscathed on the season and is the state’s top ranked grappler in this class. Kral is the fourth ranked wrestler and has a lone loss on his record. Duneland rivals Alex Kukurugya of Valpo and Brandon Majewski of Portage will be likely opponents in the top quarter bracket. Lafayette Harrison’s Seth Meyer looks to make his third trip to the big dance in the final quarter bracket. FIRST ROUND FISTICUFFS – Jesus Lowe – Bishop Noll (35-4) vs. Andrew Brock – Warsaw (33-9). While either is unlikely to knock of Kral, this should be a nice battle. TOP TICKET ROUND TILT – Alex Kukurugya – Valpo (38-9) vs. Brandon Majewski – Portage (28-6). Can Kukurugya solve the Majewski puzzle? FAB FOUR Woods – Penn Kral – Crown Point Majewski – Portage Meyer – Lafayette Harrison 285Merrillville’s top ranked Shawn Streck is head and shoulders above the rest of the heavyweight crowd. Nothing less than a state title will satisfy Big Purple. I expect the rest of the bracket to hold chalk with regional champs winning and punching their ticket to state. Valpo’s Ian Suttles is a little undersized but is a superior athlete. Mammoth Cody Christman from Penn will finalize the strong Kingmen crowd at state. The final slot should be manned by Lafayette Harrison strongman FIRST ROUND FISTICUFFS – Andrew Hansen – John Glenn (28-6) vs. Brian Shaw – South Bend Riley (26-10). Riley wrestlers are always entertaining to watch and Shaw will work relentlessly to jack up big man Hansen and try to throw him. TOP TICKET ROUND TILT – Michael Kern – Lafayette Harrison (47-4) vs. Jordan Shafer – Rochester (36-5). Will the athletic Shafer be able to withstand the pressure of the burly Kern. FAB FOUR Streck – Merrillville Christman – Penn Suttles – Valpo Kern – Harrison TEAM QUALIFIERSPenn – 8 Portage – 7 Crown Point - 6 Merrillville – 5 Lowell – 3 Lake Central - 3 Benton Central – 2 Lafayette Harrison - 2 Valparaiso – 2 Bremen - 1 Calumet – 1 Chesterton - 1 Griffith – 1 Warsaw – 1 West Lafayette – 1 Hammond Morton – 1 South Bend Clay – 1 Hobart – 1 Lafayette Jeff – 1 Munster – 1 Plymouth – 1 South Bend Adams – 1 Andrean – 1 Delphi – 1 South Bend Riley – 1 LaVille – 1 Mishawaka - 1 Click here to view the article
  4. By Chad Hollenbaugh IndianaMat Senior Writer From Lake Station to Logansport, from Lowell to LaVille, the northwest quadrant of the state’s finest wrestlers will congregate in the gym at Merrillville High School to determine the fifty-six athletes that will qualify for the big show. The team race should be dominated by Penn, Portage and Merrillville. Crown Point could add some spice into the team race if they have an outstanding day. 106 The bracket gods started off by playing a cruel joke on regional champ Kory Cavanaugh of Penn. The 15th ranked 106 pounder in the state got put in the same quarter bracket with #13 Collin Poynter of Portage and #11 Alex Bautista from Hanover Central. Poynter and Baustista meet right off the bat in the second match of the morning. The winner will likely have Cavanaugh in the the ticket round. Cavanaugh has a narrow win over Poynter but was handled by Bautista 10-1 earlier in the season. A brutal group of four no matter how you slice it. The second set of four is also tough as nails. One loss Jon Anderson has piled up forty-four wins and a regional championship for Lafayette Jeff. He will be severely tested in the second round where he will likely face fourteenth ranked Ian Dembowski of Valparaiso. The bottom half of the bracket will be low on ticket round drama but high on talent. Number one ranked Colton Cummings of Lowell and fifth ranked Tylor Triana of Hobart should cruise through the first two rounds and set up a semi final slugfest. FIRST ROUND FISTICUFFS – Alex Bautista – Hanover Central (26-5) vs. Colin Poynter – Portage (32-6). TOP TICKET ROUND TILT – Jon Anderson – Lafayette Jeff (44-1) vs. Ian Dembowki – Valpo (39-6). FAB FOUR Cummings – Lowell Poynter – Portage Triana – Hobart Dembowski - Valpo 113 The top half of the 113 bracket also appears to hold the greatest amount of early round drama while the bottom half seems to be more settled. Third ranked and undefeated Drew Hildebrandt from Penn should cruise to finals and be marginally tested in the semis by Rickie Rodriguez of Hammond Morton. The Kingman pinned the Governor earlier in the season. The top half features some interesting early round matches. Munster’s Cody Crary, Culver Academy’s Adam Davis and Lafayette Jeff’s Dustin Miller will battle it out in the top quarter while Crown Point’s John Moran and Merrillville’s Michael DeLaPena will likely reprise their Duneland Conference rivalry in the ticket round. FIRST ROUND FISTICUFFS – Cody Crary – Munster (38-7) vs. Adam Davis – Culver Academy (31-6). Two talented frosh meet for the right to battle Miller in the quarterfinals. TOP TICKET ROUND TILT – Austin Line – Valpo (32-8) vs. Rickie Rodriguez – Hammond Morton (31-2). Two seasoned veterans look for spot in state finals. FAB FOUR Hildebrandt – Penn DeLaPena – Merrillville Rodriguez – Morton Miller – Lafayette Jeff 120 This 120 class might be one of the most evenly matched and exciting to watch this Saturday. Great storylines, state ranked wrestlers and tough match ups are littered throughout this bracket. Returning state champ Jeremiah Reitz of Griffith finished second at his regional in one of this year’s best rivalries with Hobart’s Brendan Black. Reitz is the definition of a death draw to regional champ Jack Tolin of Chesterton. Returning state placer Kyle Hatch of Warsaw will have his hands full with Portage’s conference champion Miguel Prado. Hobart’s Brendan Black and South Bend Clay’s Jake Hartman will probably face off in the ticket round. The final ticket punched in this bracket is a real toss up with Rensselaer Central’s one loss regional champ Brady White squaring off with the winner of Mishawaka’s Ryan Hardesty and Crown Point’s Austin Torres. FIRST ROUND FISTICUFFS – Ryan Hardesty – Mishawaka (29-7) vs. Austin Torres – Crown Point (25-7). Studs from two tradition rich programs should provide early fireworks. TOP TICKET ROUND TILT – Brendan Black – Hobart (26-3) vs. Jake Hartman – South Bend Clay (43-1). Hartman suffered his first lost of the season at regionals and will be extra focused in his last attempt to wrestle in Indy. FAB FOUR Reitz – Griffith Hartman – South Bend Clay Hatch – Warsaw Torres – Crown Point 126 The sale of Pepto Bismol reached an all time high last Saturday as upsets were occurring all over the place. This put the 126 bracket at Merrillville in jumbled mess. It is quite possible that no regional champs will move onto Bankers Life next week. Wawasee’s Tristan Ponsler got toppled at regional and now has a likely ticket round match with the red hot Branden Truver. In the second quarter bracket, Plymouth’s Cody Allmon is in a great situation to earn his second trip to state. On the bottom half of the slate, Rochester’s John Hunting got the death card dealt to him when Truver upset second ranked Gaige Torres of Portage. Munster’s talented Jason Crary is the clear favorite in final set of four and has a major decision win over regional champ and likely ticket round foe Tristan Dembowski. FIRST ROUND FISTCUFFS – Zac Wells – LaPorte (23-9) vs. Tristan Ponsler – Wawasee (40-2). Ponsler looks to rebound and Wells is wrestling very well right now. TOP TICKET ROUND TILT – Cody Allmon – Plymouth (30-8) vs. John Ragan – Delphi (31-9). Allmon looks to topple a fairly unheralded regional champ in Ragan. FAB FOUR Torres – Portage Truver – Lake Central Crary – Munster Allmon – Plymouth 132 The 132 weight class lacks wrestlers with many state-wide credentials and that makes it very difficult to handicap. Tippy Valley’s Devin Childers has state experience but must get through the top ranked kid in the bracket. Crown Point’s Zach Donaldson. Benton Central regional champ Blake Strawsma has a great chance to break through to the state level. Portage’s Tyler Joseph must deal with the funky Austen Laughlin early on Saturday and will likely run into Bremen’s Joey Bailey in the semi finals. FIRST ROUND FISTICUFFS – Tyler Joseph – Portage (25-6) vs. Austen Laughlin – South Bend Riley (42-6). The physical Joseph and the lanky Laughlin should present an interesting style match up. TOP TICKET ROUND TILT – Devin Childers – Tippy Valley (39-2) vs. Zach Donaldson – Crown Point (33-2). Two senior studs meet up in the ticket round. FAB FOUR Donaldson – Crown Point Joseph – Portage Strawsma – Benton Central Bailey - Bremen 138 Merrillville’s Clarence Johnson looks to be the front runner at 138 largely on strength of his major decision win over Riley Akers in the Duneland conference championship. Akers is the likely survivor of the second quarter bracket. Penn’s cagey Cameron Beam is the Jason Tsirtsis of this bracket. Three straight close wins put the Kingman in great shape to advance to Indy. The last quarter bracket has possibly the most compelling potential ticket round match where Logan champ Cole Lukaszka should square off with Culver Community’s Triston Rodriguez. FIRST ROUND FISTICUFFS – Tarvis Evans – South Bend Adams (29-8) vs. Diego Lemley – Chesterton (30-8). The long and athletic Evans faces talented frosh Lemley in this battle of third(Lemley) and fifth(Evans) placers at the Al Smith. TOP TICKET ROUND TILT – Cole Lukaszka – Benton Central (39-1) vs. Triston Rodriguez – Culver Community (35-2). FAB FOUR Johnson – Merrillville Akers – Crown Point Lukaszka – Benton Central Beam - Penn 145 After looking over this bracket, it appears that there are pretty strong favorites in each of the quarter brackets. The fact that the first and third ranked kids in the state are from the same regional means that someone got the death draw and Logansport senior Ryan Schrock drew the short straw and will likely face Steven “Bam” Lawrence in the ticket round. Lawrence will likely face South Bend Adams talented Tavonte Malone in the semis. The other side of the bracket is dominated by Merrillville junior and last years state runner up, Jacob Covaciu. Crown Point’s Daylan Schurg will probably face South Bend Riley’s Kassius Breathitt in an entertaining ticket round match. FIRST ROUND FISTICUFFS – Ryan Schrock – Logansport (37-3) vs. Dustin Hochstetler – Penn (25-13). Don’t let the thirteen losses by Hochstetler fool you, he will give regional champ Schrock all he wants. TOP TICKET ROUND TILT – Daylan Schurg – Crown Point (33-5) vs. Kassius Breathitt – South Bend Riley (40-9). The contrast in styles should make for an exciting match. If the match is boring look for Breathitt’s dad giving a loud play by play account of the action. FAB FOUR Covaciu – Merrillville Lawrence – Portage Schurg – Crown Point Malone – South Bend Adams 152 One young man clearly stands above the rest of the field at 152. Mishawaka’s Tommy Forte should cruise to a semi state crown on Saturday. The University of Buffalo bound senior is looking healthy and ready to win a second state title. The rest of the field contains four serious contenders for the remaining three tickets to Indy. Mike Krzyston will like make his second trip to Indy for the 59ers. Lake Central’s Kodie Christenson has wins over higher ranked kids in this bracket and a relatively easy quarter bracket to navigate. That leaves one spot left and it will likely be battled for by Lafayette Harrison’s Connor Armuth and Penn’s Jarrod Swank. Swank is ranked forth and has a slim overtime win over the ninth ranked Armuth five weeks ago on his ledger. It is the only loss on an otherwise spotless record for Armuth. FIRST ROUND FISTICUFFS – Brendan Makowski – South Bend St. Joseph (20-14) vs. Oszkar Kasch – Crown Point (18-7). TOP TICKET ROUND TILT – Jarod Swank – Penn (29-4) vs. Connor Armuth – Lafayette Harrison (50-1). The margin is razor thin for these two titans. This will be one of the very best ticket round battles. FAB FOUR Forte – Mishawaka Swank – Penn Christenson – Lake Central Krzyton – Andrean 160 Scary. Anyone looking at the bottom half of the 160 bracket at Merrillville has to cringe at prospect of trying to survive and advance this group of eight. Five of the state’s top ten are in this bracket and four of them are located in the bottom half. In the top half of the bracket, Lowell’s Drew Hughes should make short work of his opponents on his way to his third semi state crown. The second set of four is wide open. Regional champ Parker Fritz of West Central must defeat dangerous foes if he wishes to return to the state finals. Now the bottom half has returning state runner up and third ranked Darden Schurg of Crown Point in a probable match up with Hobart hammer Scottie Sopko who is ranked fifth. The other quarter bracket is not much easier as seventh ranked Adam Dodson of John Glenn will go to war with ninth ranked Denzyl Prentice of Penn. Scary depth at this class. FIRST ROUND FISTICUFFS – Evan Larsen – Hanover Central (35-6) vs. Parker Fritz – West Central (32-3). Larsen is a pinner and Fritz is an outstanding athlete. Look for lots of points scored in this one. TOP TICKET ROUND TILT – Take your pick between the Schurg/Sopko or Prentice/Dodson matchups. FAB FOUR Hughes – Lowell Prentice – Penn Schurg – Crown Point Goering – South Bend Riley 170 Three of the four quarter brackets look to have fairly strong frontrunners. Penn’s Joey Mammolenti is the top dog here. He is undefeated at this weight and has wins over many of the other contenders. Undefeated Hunter Mote will attempt to keep the streak of Delphi state qualifiers alive while Lowell’s third regional champ, Isaac James will look to qualify for the first time. Hammond Morton upstart Andrew Key won the Calumet regional but he will likely be tested by LaVille’s gritty Ben Norton. FIRST ROUND FISTICUFFS – Ben Norton – LaVille (29-5) vs. Nate Spangle – Triton (35-4). Two small school studs will face off for the right to get to the ticket round. TOP TICKET ROUND TILT – Isaac James – Lowell (31-4) vs. Ismael Cornejo – Portage (26-6). Expect a physical brawl in this matchup. This might be a preview of the championship next year. FAB FOUR Mammolenti – Penn Mote – Delphi James – Lowell Norton – LaVille 182 Penn’s Chase Osborn has gone wire to wire so far as the state’s top ranked 182 wrestler. He has been tested a couple of time by fellow regional champs Andrew Davison of Chesterton and Jake Kleimola of Lake Central. A finals match between Osborn and Davison would be one of the highlights of day. The final spot in Indy will like come down to a ticket round match up between Winamac’s Gage Garpow and Portage’s Alex Guerrero. Garpow has a fine record but Guerrero wrestles one of the state’s toughest schedules. FIRST ROUND FISTICUFFS – Jeremy Splix – Plymouth (31-6) vs. Daniel Wright – Lafayette Harrison (48-3). Wright is a returning state qualifier who was upset in the regional finals. Splix is a fast improving junior for Bob Read’s Rockies. TOP TICKET ROUND TILT – Gage Garpow – Winamac (34-2) vs. Alex Guerrero – Portage (30-6). Will it be the Warrior or the Indian that comes out on top? Expect a tight low scoring six minuts. FAB FOUR Davison – Chesterton Osborn – Penn Kleimola – Lake Central Guerrero – Portage 195 Upsets at regionals make the 195 class another one that is tough to predict. It also makes for many very interesting match ups in the first two rounds. The bracket gods continue to be nice Coach Vega and the Portage squad. Fourth place at regional has put senior Indian Matt Hedrick in a quarter bracket with a regional champ that he majored earlier in the year. Hedrick did injury default at regional so hopefully he gets healthy by Saturday. Calumet’s burly Nick Fowler has taken on all comers in the region and is still undefeated. One point separated Merrillville’s Jarius Perry and Mishawaka’s Tanner Bradley at the Al Smith so their ticket round battle is likely to be tight. FIRST ROUND FISTICUFFS – John Bigbie – Lowell (31-7) vs. Matt Hedrick – Portage (23-6). TOP TICKET ROUND TILT – Tanner Bradley – Mishawaka (23-3) vs. Jarius Perry – Merrillville (32-3). Bradley is wrestling with a lot of confidence after is first period pin of Wes Beck at regional. FAB FOUR Fowler – Calumet Perry – Merrillville Hedrick – Portage Kidwell – West Lafayette 220 Gelen Robinson has graduated so this class is an open shot for new blood to rise to the top. The new king of hill will likely be either Penn’s Kobe Woods or Crown Point’s Morgan Kral. Woods has remain unscathed on the season and is the state’s top ranked grappler in this class. Kral is the fourth ranked wrestler and has a lone loss on his record. Duneland rivals Alex Kukurugya of Valpo and Brandon Majewski of Portage will be likely opponents in the top quarter bracket. Lafayette Harrison’s Seth Meyer looks to make his third trip to the big dance in the final quarter bracket. FIRST ROUND FISTICUFFS – Jesus Lowe – Bishop Noll (35-4) vs. Andrew Brock – Warsaw (33-9). While either is unlikely to knock of Kral, this should be a nice battle. TOP TICKET ROUND TILT – Alex Kukurugya – Valpo (38-9) vs. Brandon Majewski – Portage (28-6). Can Kukurugya solve the Majewski puzzle? FAB FOUR Woods – Penn Kral – Crown Point Majewski – Portage Meyer – Lafayette Harrison 285 Merrillville’s top ranked Shawn Streck is head and shoulders above the rest of the heavyweight crowd. Nothing less than a state title will satisfy Big Purple. I expect the rest of the bracket to hold chalk with regional champs winning and punching their ticket to state. Valpo’s Ian Suttles is a little undersized but is a superior athlete. Mammoth Cody Christman from Penn will finalize the strong Kingmen crowd at state. The final slot should be manned by Lafayette Harrison strongman FIRST ROUND FISTICUFFS – Andrew Hansen – John Glenn (28-6) vs. Brian Shaw – South Bend Riley (26-10). Riley wrestlers are always entertaining to watch and Shaw will work relentlessly to jack up big man Hansen and try to throw him. TOP TICKET ROUND TILT – Michael Kern – Lafayette Harrison (47-4) vs. Jordan Shafer – Rochester (36-5). Will the athletic Shafer be able to withstand the pressure of the burly Kern. FAB FOUR Streck – Merrillville Christman – Penn Suttles – Valpo Kern – Harrison TEAM QUALIFIERS Penn – 8 Portage – 7 Crown Point - 6 Merrillville – 5 Lowell – 3 Lake Central - 3 Benton Central – 2 Lafayette Harrison - 2 Valparaiso – 2 Bremen - 1 Calumet – 1 Chesterton - 1 Griffith – 1 Warsaw – 1 West Lafayette – 1 Hammond Morton – 1 South Bend Clay – 1 Hobart – 1 Lafayette Jeff – 1 Munster – 1 Plymouth – 1 South Bend Adams – 1 Andrean – 1 Delphi – 1 South Bend Riley – 1 LaVille – 1 Mishawaka - 1
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