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  1. By STEVE KRAH stvkrh905@gmail.com Following in the footsteps of their father, the Faulkner brothers — senior 182-pounder Austin and junior heavyweight Alex — are looking to leave their mark on the storied Mishawaka High School wrestling program. Mike Faulkner, a 1987 graduate, was an IHSAA state finalist as a junior 185-pounder and state runner-up as a senior heavyweight for Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Famer Al Smith. Mike was bested by Lake Central’s Mike Fross in the ’87 finals then went on to grapple two years at Grand Rapids Junior College (now Grand Rapids Community College), placing eighth and fourth at the National Junior College Athletic Association Nationals for coach Charlie Wells, and two at Ferris State University. The elder Faulkner has coached or officiated the sport ever since. His resume includes a three-year stint as head coach at South Bend Adams High School, one season of leading the John Young Middle School program and many years as an assistant coach for his alma mater, working primarily with the heavyweights. He has more than two decades of experience as an IHSAA-sanctioned wrestling official and member of the St. Joseph Valley Officials Association. A former City of Mishawaka employee (14 of his 18 years were spent as parks superintendent), he served five years as assistant athletic director at MHS and July 1, 2016 became director of operations, overseeing buildings and grounds, transportation and safety. Austin Faulkner, 18, has his sights set high for his final prep wrestling campaign after earning his first Mishawaka Sectional title and second semistate appearance in 2015-16. He also went to semistate as a sophomore. All of this came at 182. A wall in the MHS wrestling room lists the state champions and state placers. Austin notices it at every workout. “I want my name to up there,” Austin Faulkner said. “I’m a Mishawaka wrestler. Mishawaka has had a tradition of great wrestlers. I want to continue that.” Alex Faulkner, 17, is looking to make his mark on the mat this year after placing fourth at sectional and bowing out in the first round of the Rochester Regional as a sophomore heavyweight. One thing Alex did in the off-season was hit the weight room. “I feel like I’m more physical and stronger than I was last year,” Alex Faulkner said. “I feel like I have more movement and will have a much better year. My loss at regionals last year upset me and I’m doing everything I can to make it to state this year.” Austin, who went into last week ranked No. 14 statewide at 195 but intends to be back at 182, knows that the formula for mat success is an offensive mindset. “Sometimes I catch myself being a little bit patient and not going after the guy,” Austin Faulkner said. “My dad tells me all the time just ‘go, go, go and keep attacking.’” That’s the way Mike was during his days as a wrestler and he still believes it. “You can’t win in wrestling unless you attack and go on offense,” Mike Faulkner said. “A lot of times you see wrestlers who are passive and they want to go on the defensive. Any successful wrestler that you have seen over time are those ones who continuously attack.” Those wrestlers also hone their moves repeatedly in the practice room in order to be able to perform them well on the competition mat. And the number of tricks in the bag does not have to be large. “It’s definitely better to perfect a few amount of moves,” Austin Faulkner said. “You see successful collegiate wrestlers who use a double-leg, a single-leg — nothing crazy.” Mike Faulkner is also a fan of repetition. “It becomes muscle memory,” Mike Faulkner. “It’s a reaction rather than a plot. I’m going to go out there and do this. As a wrestler, you can’t do that. It has to be a reaction. Mat time is crucial for the experience and for getting that feel for the flow of the match.” And no matter what, a grappler must commit to what they are doing. “You have to finish your move no matter what it is whether it’s a stand-up or a sit-out, switch, reversal or takedown,” Mike Faulkner said. Scouting reports on opponents are helpful, but not necessary if a wrestler can dictate what goes on inside the circle. “It’s nice to know what another guy does but you’ve got to go out and wrestle your match every time,” Austin Faulkner said. “You can’t let them control the match.” Mishawaka head coach Charlie Cornett counts Austin Faulkner as a leader for the Cavemen. “He comes in the room ready to go,” Cornett said. “He leads by example. He has improved quite a bit on his feet.” Cornett now sees Austin constantly pushing the pace, something he did not always do last season. The Faulkner boys are both multi-sport athletes. They are coming off a football season where fullback Austin (1,274 yards and 13 touchdowns as an all-Northern Indiana Conference first teamer) often followed the blocks of right guard Alex in helping coach Bart Curtis and the Cavemen go 10-3 and place second to Penn in the NIC North. “Football and wrestling go hand-in-hand in a lot of ways,” Austin Faulkner said. “Tackling is the same thing as a double-leg takedown. One of the things I like about being in football is that it makes me hungrier for wrestling season. Some of those kids that wrestle year-round might get tired of it. I can’t wait to get back on the mat. “(Mishawaka head football) coach (Bart) Curtis is big about us going out for other sports. It doesn’t matter what it is.” Cornett has watched Alex Faulkner fill out his frame, which is about 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds. “Alex has definitely picked up a little bit of an edge that he didn’t have last year from playing the interior line in football,” Cornett said. “He wrestled small at heavyweight last year and he got pushed around a little bit. I don’t see that happening this year nearly as much.” What’s the difference between football and wrestling shape? “They’ve finding that out right now,” Mike Faulkner said as his sons are now cutting weight for the mat. It’s something they don’t have to sweat in the fall. “Football shape, you can eat whatever you want,” Monique Faulkner, Mike’s wife and the mother of Austin and Alex, said. “You can’t get into wrestling shape by running the football or tackling the guy with the football,” Mike Faulkner said. “You’ve got to be wrestling live matches and doing those workouts in the wrestling room to get into tip-top wrestling shape. There’s no question.” Austin, who is pondering college offers for football and wrestling, played football at 207 and planned to be at 182 to start the season. Mike typically cut 40 pounds from football and wrestling leading up to his senior season when Coach Smith convinced him to be a heavyweight. Earlier in the year, he went from 190 to 210. “I never looked back,” Mike Faulkner said. “I was a heavyweight the rest of my life. “You can cut weight, but you’ve got to be smart about it. You can’t cut it too quick. There’s a reason the IHSAA and National Federation have implemented these (weight loss) rules. “(Austin’s) eyes are bigger than his stomach. He’ll eat the foods he enjoys the most rather than the ones that will benefit him and give him the protein he needs.” As for officiating, a wrestling background is helpful. “You can anticipate which way they’re going and get yourself in good position to call that near fall or takedown on the side of the mat,” Mike Faulkner said. “Knowing how the flow of wrestling goes is an advantage to an official.” Focus in the face of mental and physical fatigue is also important. Wrestling tournaments can be very long for wrestlers, coaches and the men in stripes. “You have to try to stay sharp and not let the day get the best of you,” Mike Faulkner said. Giving it their best is what Austin and Alex Faulkner indeed to do each day they step on the mat for Mishawaka. “It’s great to have both Faulkner boys on one team,” Cornett said. “They are definitely pillars.”
  2. By STEVE KRAH stvkrh905@gmail.com Following in the footsteps of their father, the Faulkner brothers — senior 182-pounder Austin and junior heavyweight Alex — are looking to leave their mark on the storied Mishawaka High School wrestling program. Mike Faulkner, a 1987 graduate, was an IHSAA state finalist as a junior 185-pounder and state runner-up as a senior heavyweight for Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Famer Al Smith. Mike was bested by Lake Central’s Mike Fross in the ’87 finals then went on to grapple two years at Grand Rapids Junior College (now Grand Rapids Community College), placing eighth and fourth at the National Junior College Athletic Association Nationals for coach Charlie Wells, and two at Ferris State University. The elder Faulkner has coached or officiated the sport ever since. His resume includes a three-year stint as head coach at South Bend Adams High School, one season of leading the John Young Middle School program and many years as an assistant coach for his alma mater, working primarily with the heavyweights. He has more than two decades of experience as an IHSAA-sanctioned wrestling official and member of the St. Joseph Valley Officials Association. A former City of Mishawaka employee (14 of his 18 years were spent as parks superintendent), he served five years as assistant athletic director at MHS and July 1, 2016 became director of operations, overseeing buildings and grounds, transportation and safety. Austin Faulkner, 18, has his sights set high for his final prep wrestling campaign after earning his first Mishawaka Sectional title and second semistate appearance in 2015-16. He also went to semistate as a sophomore. All of this came at 182. A wall in the MHS wrestling room lists the state champions and state placers. Austin notices it at every workout. “I want my name to up there,” Austin Faulkner said. “I’m a Mishawaka wrestler. Mishawaka has had a tradition of great wrestlers. I want to continue that.” Alex Faulkner, 17, is looking to make his mark on the mat this year after placing fourth at sectional and bowing out in the first round of the Rochester Regional as a sophomore heavyweight. One thing Alex did in the off-season was hit the weight room. “I feel like I’m more physical and stronger than I was last year,” Alex Faulkner said. “I feel like I have more movement and will have a much better year. My loss at regionals last year upset me and I’m doing everything I can to make it to state this year.” Austin, who went into last week ranked No. 14 statewide at 195 but intends to be back at 182, knows that the formula for mat success is an offensive mindset. “Sometimes I catch myself being a little bit patient and not going after the guy,” Austin Faulkner said. “My dad tells me all the time just ‘go, go, go and keep attacking.’” That’s the way Mike was during his days as a wrestler and he still believes it. “You can’t win in wrestling unless you attack and go on offense,” Mike Faulkner said. “A lot of times you see wrestlers who are passive and they want to go on the defensive. Any successful wrestler that you have seen over time are those ones who continuously attack.” Those wrestlers also hone their moves repeatedly in the practice room in order to be able to perform them well on the competition mat. And the number of tricks in the bag does not have to be large. “It’s definitely better to perfect a few amount of moves,” Austin Faulkner said. “You see successful collegiate wrestlers who use a double-leg, a single-leg — nothing crazy.” Mike Faulkner is also a fan of repetition. “It becomes muscle memory,” Mike Faulkner. “It’s a reaction rather than a plot. I’m going to go out there and do this. As a wrestler, you can’t do that. It has to be a reaction. Mat time is crucial for the experience and for getting that feel for the flow of the match.” And no matter what, a grappler must commit to what they are doing. “You have to finish your move no matter what it is whether it’s a stand-up or a sit-out, switch, reversal or takedown,” Mike Faulkner said. Scouting reports on opponents are helpful, but not necessary if a wrestler can dictate what goes on inside the circle. “It’s nice to know what another guy does but you’ve got to go out and wrestle your match every time,” Austin Faulkner said. “You can’t let them control the match.” Mishawaka head coach Charlie Cornett counts Austin Faulkner as a leader for the Cavemen. “He comes in the room ready to go,” Cornett said. “He leads by example. He has improved quite a bit on his feet.” Cornett now sees Austin constantly pushing the pace, something he did not always do last season. The Faulkner boys are both multi-sport athletes. They are coming off a football season where fullback Austin (1,274 yards and 13 touchdowns as an all-Northern Indiana Conference first teamer) often followed the blocks of right guard Alex in helping coach Bart Curtis and the Cavemen go 10-3 and place second to Penn in the NIC North. “Football and wrestling go hand-in-hand in a lot of ways,” Austin Faulkner said. “Tackling is the same thing as a double-leg takedown. One of the things I like about being in football is that it makes me hungrier for wrestling season. Some of those kids that wrestle year-round might get tired of it. I can’t wait to get back on the mat. “(Mishawaka head football) coach (Bart) Curtis is big about us going out for other sports. It doesn’t matter what it is.” Cornett has watched Alex Faulkner fill out his frame, which is about 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds. “Alex has definitely picked up a little bit of an edge that he didn’t have last year from playing the interior line in football,” Cornett said. “He wrestled small at heavyweight last year and he got pushed around a little bit. I don’t see that happening this year nearly as much.” What’s the difference between football and wrestling shape? “They’ve finding that out right now,” Mike Faulkner said as his sons are now cutting weight for the mat. It’s something they don’t have to sweat in the fall. “Football shape, you can eat whatever you want,” Monique Faulkner, Mike’s wife and the mother of Austin and Alex, said. “You can’t get into wrestling shape by running the football or tackling the guy with the football,” Mike Faulkner said. “You’ve got to be wrestling live matches and doing those workouts in the wrestling room to get into tip-top wrestling shape. There’s no question.” Austin, who is pondering college offers for football and wrestling, played football at 207 and planned to be at 182 to start the season. Mike typically cut 40 pounds from football and wrestling leading up to his senior season when Coach Smith convinced him to be a heavyweight. Earlier in the year, he went from 190 to 210. “I never looked back,” Mike Faulkner said. “I was a heavyweight the rest of my life. “You can cut weight, but you’ve got to be smart about it. You can’t cut it too quick. There’s a reason the IHSAA and National Federation have implemented these (weight loss) rules. “(Austin’s) eyes are bigger than his stomach. He’ll eat the foods he enjoys the most rather than the ones that will benefit him and give him the protein he needs.” As for officiating, a wrestling background is helpful. “You can anticipate which way they’re going and get yourself in good position to call that near fall or takedown on the side of the mat,” Mike Faulkner said. “Knowing how the flow of wrestling goes is an advantage to an official.” Focus in the face of mental and physical fatigue is also important. Wrestling tournaments can be very long for wrestlers, coaches and the men in stripes. “You have to try to stay sharp and not let the day get the best of you,” Mike Faulkner said. Giving it their best is what Austin and Alex Faulkner indeed to do each day they step on the mat for Mishawaka. “It’s great to have both Faulkner boys on one team,” Cornett said. “They are definitely pillars.” Click here to view the article
  3. By Chad Hollenbaugh IndianaMat Senior Writer The Al Smith Invite is considered the toughest regular season tournament in the state of Indiana and the 2014 edition should continue that tradition. Last year, the Penn Kingsmen were clicking on all cylinders and ran away with the crown by nearly 90 points. Penn placed in 13 of the 14 weight classes and were never seriously challenged. Five other programs in the IndianaMat Power Poll will be among those trying to topple the Kingsmen. This year the Kingsmen are still considered the favorite but sickness and injuries have plagued Brad Harper’s squad and this fact might open the door to contenders like Merrillville, Warren Central, Lawrence North, and Bellmont. Six champs from last years meet return this year and seven of the states top ranked wrestlers will be in action on the 30th and 31st. Number 1 headliners include Colton Cummings of Lowell at 106, Merrillville’s Jacob Covaciu at 145, hometown boy Tommy Forte at 152, Lowell’s Drew Hughes at 160, Penn’s Chase Osborn and Kobe Woods at 182 and 220 respectively, and finally Merrillville big man Shawn Streck at 285. This tournament is so nasty that a state champ is neither top ranked nor a defending champion. (Tommy Cash) 106 Top ranked Colton Cummings of Lowell appears to be on a collision course with #3 Tylor Triana of Hobart. Graham Rooks of Columbus East and Keyuan Murphy of Warren Central bring strength from the south. Tanner Demein of Northwood and Kyle Mockenstrum of Prairie Heights are potential dark horses. 113 Drew Hildebrandt of Penn is the likely number one see here. He has the resume to be considered the clear favorite. Keep an eye on Michael DeLaPena of Merrillville, he is possibly flying under the states radar but is no doubt improving daily in the Pirate room. 120 The states seventh ranked 120 pounder, Brenden Black of Hobart, returns to the same weight class after finishing fourth last year. He will be the likely number 1 seed. State placer, Kyle Hatch of Warsaw, will probably be on the other side of the bracket. Chesterton’s Jack Tolin, Penn’s Austin Slates, and Elkhart Memorial’s Marcus Meija add depth to this class. A possible spoiler might be junior Issac Castro of Lawrence North. 126 Munster’s third ranked Jason Crary is, in my mind, the clear favorite at 126. He was the champion last year at 113, appears to be healthy and has yet to be tested. A host of contenders will attempt to prove me wrong. #4 Elliot Malloy of Danville, #8 Branden Truver, and #10 Joel McGhee return as place winners in the same weight class. Bellmont mat men always seem to perform at Mishawaka and #11 Jon Becker is dangerous here. 132 A two-man race appears to be brewing at 132. Merrillville’s Clarence Johnson and Warren Central’s Matthew McKinney have nearly identical resumes and seeding them might come down to a flip of the coin. A second tier of contenders includes Daniel Gunsett of Bellmont and NIC rivals Daniel Olsen (SB Adams), Austen Laughlin (SB Riley) and Jarrett Selis (Penn). Those looking for a spoiler might keep an eye on Fernando Luevano of West Noble. 138 Defending state champion Tommy Cash of Lawrence North is the lead dog here. He should cruise to an Al Smith Title unless promising frosh Zach Fattore of Hobart shows he is ready for the big time. Jimtown senior Jay Franko wrestled in the finals last year at 126 and is the probable #2 seed. 145 Another top ranked wrestler, Merrillville’s Jacob Covaciu, headlines the 145 pound class. He is not, however, the clear favorite here. Fellow junior, Trent Pruitt of Warren Central defeated the purple Pirate at last year’s event. Pruitt enters with a state ranking of fifth. Elkhart Memorial’s dangerous Tony Vaughn adds depth to this class. 152 and 160 Both of these weight classes should be dominated by top ranked Tommy Forte at 152 and Drew Hughes at 160. Forte is a former state champ and Hughes has wrestled under the lights at Bankers Life. Both of these studs have an extensive national resume to back up their state credentials. At 152, Lake Central’s Kody Christenson and Penn’s Jarod Swank will try to find a chink in the Forte armor. Forte will be attempting to make history by becoming only the second wrestler to be a four time champ. (Bellmont’s Randy Baker) At 160, Bellmont’s Bryce Baumgartner appears to have the best shot a meeting Hughes in the finals. 170 If everything goes according to Hoyle, the 170 class might have the best finals match of the entire day. Scottie Sopko of Hobart and Joey Mammolenti of Penn have both been on the state’s radar for a number of years but neither has achieved their ultimate goals. These two warriors met three weeks ago and Sopko came away with a narrow 3-1 victory at the Harvest Classic. Whomever is the #2 seed had better not look too far ahead because Lawrence North junior Cameron Jones has the tools to knock of either of the two big dogs. 182 Penn’s top ranked Chase Osborn seems like he has been around for the past decade. That is a testament to the impact he has had on the Kingsmen program since his freshman year. He is a clear favorite here if he is healthy. Chesterton super sophomore Andrew Davison could make a huge splash with an upset here. He already has a convincing win over last year’s fifth place finisher at this weight, Jonathan Morales of Western Boone. 195 Five state ranked wrestlers will sprinkle the bracket at 195 but none of the five has separated themselves from the crowd. This might me the most wide open and unpredictable weight class in the meet. Sixth ranked Nick Fowler of Calumet is unbeaten on the season and eighth ranked Bo Davis of Garrett was a state qualifier last year. Three sport stud Tanner Bradley of Mishawaka will look to give the hometown fans something to cheer about. 220 Penn’s second top ranked wrestler, Kobe Woods, will likely earn the top seen at 220. He will be challenged by fourth ranked Courvoiser Morrow of Warren Central and Northern Lakes Conference rivals Kaleb Summers of Elkhart Memorial and Derek Paz of Goshen. Woods is the man to beat here. 285 Merrillville junior Shawn Streck has wrestled in the finals both years he has competed in the Al Smith. He was runner-up during his freshman campaign but dominated the field last year. Look for more of the same out of the big Pirate. Eighth ranked Cory Christman of Penn probably has the best chance of slowing down the Purple Hulk.
  4. By Chad Hollenbaugh IndianaMat Senior Writer The Al Smith Invite is considered the toughest regular season tournament in the state of Indiana and the 2014 edition should continue that tradition. Last year, the Penn Kingsmen were clicking on all cylinders and ran away with the crown by nearly 90 points. Penn placed in 13 of the 14 weight classes and were never seriously challenged. Five other programs in the IndianaMat Power Poll will be among those trying to topple the Kingsmen. This year the Kingsmen are still considered the favorite but sickness and injuries have plagued Brad Harper’s squad and this fact might open the door to contenders like Merrillville, Warren Central, Lawrence North, and Bellmont. Six champs from last years meet return this year and seven of the states top ranked wrestlers will be in action on the 30th and 31st. Number 1 headliners include Colton Cummings of Lowell at 106, Merrillville’s Jacob Covaciu at 145, hometown boy Tommy Forte at 152, Lowell’s Drew Hughes at 160, Penn’s Chase Osborn and Kobe Woods at 182 and 220 respectively, and finally Merrillville big man Shawn Streck at 285. This tournament is so nasty that a state champ is neither top ranked nor a defending champion. (Tommy Cash) 106 Top ranked Colton Cummings of Lowell appears to be on a collision course with #3 Tylor Triana of Hobart. Graham Rooks of Columbus East and Keyuan Murphy of Warren Central bring strength from the south. Tanner Demein of Northwood and Kyle Mockenstrum of Prairie Heights are potential dark horses. 113 Drew Hildebrandt of Penn is the likely number one see here. He has the resume to be considered the clear favorite. Keep an eye on Michael DeLaPena of Merrillville, he is possibly flying under the states radar but is no doubt improving daily in the Pirate room. 120 The states seventh ranked 120 pounder, Brenden Black of Hobart, returns to the same weight class after finishing fourth last year. He will be the likely number 1 seed. State placer, Kyle Hatch of Warsaw, will probably be on the other side of the bracket. Chesterton’s Jack Tolin, Penn’s Austin Slates, and Elkhart Memorial’s Marcus Meija add depth to this class. A possible spoiler might be junior Issac Castro of Lawrence North. 126 Munster’s third ranked Jason Crary is, in my mind, the clear favorite at 126. He was the champion last year at 113, appears to be healthy and has yet to be tested. A host of contenders will attempt to prove me wrong. #4 Elliot Malloy of Danville, #8 Branden Truver, and #10 Joel McGhee return as place winners in the same weight class. Bellmont mat men always seem to perform at Mishawaka and #11 Jon Becker is dangerous here. 132 A two-man race appears to be brewing at 132. Merrillville’s Clarence Johnson and Warren Central’s Matthew McKinney have nearly identical resumes and seeding them might come down to a flip of the coin. A second tier of contenders includes Daniel Gunsett of Bellmont and NIC rivals Daniel Olsen (SB Adams), Austen Laughlin (SB Riley) and Jarrett Selis (Penn). Those looking for a spoiler might keep an eye on Fernando Luevano of West Noble. 138 Defending state champion Tommy Cash of Lawrence North is the lead dog here. He should cruise to an Al Smith Title unless promising frosh Zach Fattore of Hobart shows he is ready for the big time. Jimtown senior Jay Franko wrestled in the finals last year at 126 and is the probable #2 seed. 145 Another top ranked wrestler, Merrillville’s Jacob Covaciu, headlines the 145 pound class. He is not, however, the clear favorite here. Fellow junior, Trent Pruitt of Warren Central defeated the purple Pirate at last year’s event. Pruitt enters with a state ranking of fifth. Elkhart Memorial’s dangerous Tony Vaughn adds depth to this class. 152 and 160 Both of these weight classes should be dominated by top ranked Tommy Forte at 152 and Drew Hughes at 160. Forte is a former state champ and Hughes has wrestled under the lights at Bankers Life. Both of these studs have an extensive national resume to back up their state credentials. At 152, Lake Central’s Kody Christenson and Penn’s Jarod Swank will try to find a chink in the Forte armor. Forte will be attempting to make history by becoming only the second wrestler to be a four time champ. (Bellmont’s Randy Baker) At 160, Bellmont’s Bryce Baumgartner appears to have the best shot a meeting Hughes in the finals. 170 If everything goes according to Hoyle, the 170 class might have the best finals match of the entire day. Scottie Sopko of Hobart and Joey Mammolenti of Penn have both been on the state’s radar for a number of years but neither has achieved their ultimate goals. These two warriors met three weeks ago and Sopko came away with a narrow 3-1 victory at the Harvest Classic. Whomever is the #2 seed had better not look too far ahead because Lawrence North junior Cameron Jones has the tools to knock of either of the two big dogs. 182 Penn’s top ranked Chase Osborn seems like he has been around for the past decade. That is a testament to the impact he has had on the Kingsmen program since his freshman year. He is a clear favorite here if he is healthy. Chesterton super sophomore Andrew Davison could make a huge splash with an upset here. He already has a convincing win over last year’s fifth place finisher at this weight, Jonathan Morales of Western Boone. 195 Five state ranked wrestlers will sprinkle the bracket at 195 but none of the five has separated themselves from the crowd. This might me the most wide open and unpredictable weight class in the meet. Sixth ranked Nick Fowler of Calumet is unbeaten on the season and eighth ranked Bo Davis of Garrett was a state qualifier last year. Three sport stud Tanner Bradley of Mishawaka will look to give the hometown fans something to cheer about. 220 Penn’s second top ranked wrestler, Kobe Woods, will likely earn the top seen at 220. He will be challenged by fourth ranked Courvoiser Morrow of Warren Central and Northern Lakes Conference rivals Kaleb Summers of Elkhart Memorial and Derek Paz of Goshen. Woods is the man to beat here. 285 Merrillville junior Shawn Streck has wrestled in the finals both years he has competed in the Al Smith. He was runner-up during his freshman campaign but dominated the field last year. Look for more of the same out of the big Pirate. Eighth ranked Cory Christman of Penn probably has the best chance of slowing down the Purple Hulk. Click here to view the article
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