4. Top Seniors - Snider Wrestlingsniderwrestling.weebly.com/uploads/1/7/4/1/... · @IndianaMat 2013 IndianaMat Preview Magazine- 3 Above: Yorktown’s Eli Walker and Evansville Central’s

www.IndianaMat.com 2013 IndianaMat Preview Magazine- 3 @IndianaMat

Above: Yorktown’s Eli Walker and Evansville Central’s Brendon Kelley get into

a scramble in the semi-finals last year at 145lbs.

On the cover: Returning state champions Deondre Wilson(center front) from

Warren Central, Cody LeCount(left) from Perry Meridian, Gelen Robinson(center

back) from Lake Central and Stevan Micic(right) from Hanover Central.

Inside front cover: Bobby Steveson of Merrillville defends a single leg from

Riley Lefever of Carroll in the 170lbs championship match.

Inside back cover: Class of 2013 state champions. Top(from left to right): Matt

Hurford– Culver, Nick Crume– Jimtown, Donte Winfield– Perry Meridian, Riley

McClurg– Perry Meridian. Bottom(from left to right): Josh Farrell– Greenfield

Central, Newl Molloy– Danville, Mitch Sliga– Fishers

Below: Muncie South’s Isaiah Bradley tries to escape from Indianapolis

Cathedral’s Vinny Corsaro in the 152lbs semi-finals.

4. Top Seniors

5. Top Seniors

6. Team Rankings 1-6

7. Team Rankings 6-20

8. 106lbs Rankings and Preview














22. Calumet Regional Preview

23. LaPorte Regional Preview

24. Rochester Regional Preview

25. Logansport Regional Preview

26. Goshen Regional Preview

27. Carroll(F.W.) Regional Preview

28. Peru Regional Preview

29. Jay County Regional Preview

30. North Montgomery Regional Preview

31. Pendleton Heights Regional Preview

32. Perry Meridian Regional Preview

33. Richmond Regional Preview

34. Mooresville Regional Preview

35. Bloomington South Regional Preview

36. Jeffersonville Regional Preview

37. Castle Regional Preview

38. Sudden Victory

www.IndianaMat.com 4 - 2013 IndianaMat Preview Magazine @IndianaMat

1. Stevan Micic

Hanover Central

Committed to Northwestern

Career Record: 138-5

2013- State 1st

2012- State 1st

2011- State 3rd

2013 FILA Junior Freestyle 5th

2013 FILA Cadet National Champion

2012 FILA Cadet National Runner-up

2012 USAW Cadet Freestyle 3rd

2011 USAW Cadet Freestyle 1st

2. Cody LeCount

Perry Meridian

Committed to Central Michigan


2013- State 1st

2012- State 2nd

2012 USAW Cadet Freestyle 2nd

3. Gelen Robinson

Lake Central

Committed to Purdue for football


2013- State 1st

2012- State 3rd

4. Vinny Corsaro

Indianapolis Cathedral

Committed to Rutgers


2013- State 2nd

2012- State 2nd

2012- State 6th

2013 USAW Junior Freestyle 6th

2013 FloNationals 5th

5. Deondre Wilson

Warren Central


2013- State 1st


6. Wesley Bernard

Indianapolis Cathedral

Committed to Rutgers


2013- State 3rd

2012- State 7th

2013 USAW Junior Freestyle 4th

2011 USAW Cadet Freestyle 5th

2011 USAW Cadet Greco-Roman 8th

2013 FloNationals 3rd

7. Austin McCloskey

Western Boone

Committed to Purdue


2013- State 2nd

2012- State 3rd

8. Chandler Carroll Yorktown


2013- State 4th

2012- State 5th

2011- State 3rd

9. Zach Davis

Penn


2013- State 2nd

2012- State 6th

2011- State Qualifier

10. Fletcher Miller

Kokomo

Committed to Indiana


2013- State 2nd

2013 USAW Junior Freestyle 3rd

2013 USAW Junior Folkstyle 2nd

Others to watch: Kenny Hughes- Lowell (Q,Q) Tristan Macri- Mishawaka (3)

Brendon Kelley- Evansville Central (4,5)

Eric Hemmelgarn- Jay County (5,3)

Skyler Lykins- Franklin (3,Q) DJ Smith- Franklin (3,Q)

Maximilliano Hernandez- Warren Central (3)

Rhett Hiestand- Yorktown (3,Q)

Brian Wagner- New Palestine (3) Connor Tolley- Franklin (4)

Jacob Cottey- Perry Meridian (5,7)

Dakota Thacker- Bloomington South (5,Q)

Josh Fuqua- Crown Point (6,2)

Ryan Jankowski- South Bend St. Joe (6)

Devin Broukal- Bloomington South (7,7)

Evan Loe- Peru (8,Q) Zach Krumlauf- Dekalb (Q,Q,7)

Kyle Jolas- Huntington North (Q,Q,Q)

Blake Denton- Twin Lakes (Q,Q,Q)


9. Yorktown

Head Coach: Trent McCormick

Sectional Championships: 25

Regional Championships: 5

Semi-State Championships: 3

State Championships: 0

Returning Starters: 10

Returning State Qualifiers: 4

Last Year: IHSAA- State Runner-up

IHSWCA 2A- State Champions

10. East Noble

Head Coach: Keith Hoffar







Last Year: IHSAA- Regional Champions

11. New Palestine

Head Coach: Chad Red







Last Year: IHSAA- State 7th

12. Carroll(F.W.)

Head Coach: Scott Raypole








1. Perry Meridian

Head Coach: Jim Tonte







Last Year: IHSAA- State Champions

IHSWCA 3A- State Champions

2. Evansville Mater Dei

Head Coach: Greg Schaefer








IHSWCA 3A- 5th

3. Merrillville

Head Coach: David Maldanado







Last Year: IHSAA- Semistate Champions

4. Indianapolis Cathedral

Head Coach: Sean McGinley







Last Year: IHSAA- 4th at State

IHSWCA 3A- 8th

5. Penn

Head Coach: Brad Harper








IHSWCA 3A- 3rd

6. Franklin Community

Head Coach: Bob Hasseman








IHSWCA 3A- 2nd

7. Warren Central

Head Coach: Danny Williams








8. Crown Point

Head Coach: Scott Vlink








#4 Ranked Indianapolis Cathedral Fighting Irish #1 Ranked Perry Meridian Falcons


13. Mishawaka

Head Coach: Charles Cornett







Last Year: IHSAA- State 3rd

14. Bloomington South

Head Coach: Mike Runyon








IHSWCA 3A- 4th

15. Portage

Head Coach: Leroy Vega







Last Year: IHSAA- Sectional Champions

16. Lowell

Head Coach: Bobby Howard








17. Lake Central

Head Coach: Ryan Alb








18. Jasper

Head Coach: Jace Brescher








19. Westfield

Head Coach: Terry O'Neill







Last Year: IHSAA- Sectional 3rd

20. Evansville Reitz

Head Coach: Scott Ferguson








#6 Ranked Franklin Community Grizzly Cubs #9 Ranked Yorktown Tigers

Preseason Power Poll

*Rankings based off of individual

rankings.

1. Indianapolis Cathedral- 77

2. Perry Meridian- 69

3. Penn- 67

4. Warren Central- 60

5. New Palestine- 50

6. Lowell- 47

7. Yorktown- 46

7. Franklin Community- 46

7. East Noble- 46

10. Evansville Mater Dei- 42

11. Mishawaka- 37

12. Merrillville- 35

13. Crown Point- 30

13. Bloomington South- 30

15. Fairfield- 26

16. Hanover Central- 25

17. Evansville Central- 24

18. Lake Central- 23

18. Kokomo- 23

20. Western Boone- 22

*IndianaMat Team Rankings

throughout the season will be based

on a dual prospective comparing

each team as related to dual

strength. The Power Poll will be

based off of tournament scoring

potential as how the state

tournament will be scored during

the 2013-2014 season. Point totals

are calculated based off of the

individual rankings with each

ranking assigned a point value then

totaled for each team. These will be

updated throughout the season as

the individual rankings are updated.


1. Drew Hildebrandt- 10- Penn- Hildebrandt appears to be the highest returning state placer at this weight. His experience and success will

make him the early favorite at the weight class. 2. Will Egli- 9- Evansville Mater Dei- Egli comes in a freshman that

with very high expectations after a runner-up performance at middle

school state. He also found his way to the podium at Fargo this summer in Greco-Roman.

3. Paul Konrath- 9- Mount Vernon- Konrath has numerous age-level

state championships to his credit, as well as some very good national credentials. He will have an immediate impact at this weight as a frosh.

4. Jeremiah Reitz- 9- Griffith- Reitz will be an impact freshman in Da’ Region this year after having some solid age-level success. He

finished second at middle school state and will seek even more success

heading into his freshman season.

5. Blake Glogouski- 10- Fairfield- Glogouski returns as a top

contender at this weight class after qualifying for state as a freshman. He is a tough wrestler; one who will give everyone in the weight class

a battle for six minutes.

6. Colton Cummings- 9- Lowell- Cummings is a very talented freshman wrestling for the always tough Red Devil program. Many

‘insiders’ have said that he is one to watch the next four years. 7. Demonte Dawkins- 12- Beech Grove- Dawkins will come in as a

rare senior at the lightest weight class. He will be a contender this year.

8. Breyden Bailey- 9– Indianapolis Cathedral- Bailey may be undersized for the weight, coming off of a middle school state

championship at 90lbs. However, his mat sense and technique will

make up for his lack of size. 9. Karl Wilhelm- 12- Carmel- After qualifying for semistate this past

season, Wilhelm had a solid offseason. His placement at USAW

Folkstyle Nationals could be a springboard to his success this season. CIA honcho and Carmel head coach Ed Pendoski might have a state-

caliber senior in Wilhelm.

10. Ryan Hawkins- 12- Perry Meridian- Hawkins steps into a Falcon

lineup that has produced state qualifiers the past two years at this weight. He will have one shot at Banker’s Life after patiently awaiting

varsity action.

11. Alec White- 9- New Palestine- White will look to continue the recent lightweight success at New Palestine. He comes in with

excellent accomplishments earned in the Schoolboy age group.

12. Tyler Joseph- 10- Portage- Joseph qualified for semistate last year for the Indians. He followed that up with a solid offseason and has

excellent coaching from one of Indiana's greatest lightweight wrestlers. 13. Austin Holmes- 10- Hamilton Southeastern- Holmes had a solid

freshman campaign, qualifying for semistate and making the ticket

round. Look for even more out of him this year. 14. Nathan Weimer- 9- East Noble- Weimer will benefit greatly from

talented wrestling partners at East Noble this year. Look for his age

group success to propel him to a great inaugural varsity season. 15. Isaac Cortez- 12- Hanover Central- Cortez hopes to continue the

long line of studs out of Cedar Lake. He was a semistate qualifier last year and will attempt to go one step further this year.

16. Michael De La Pena- 9- Merrillville – Like a lot of fellow

incoming freshmen 106ers, De Le Pena has some age-level placements and, learning from one of the best coaches, has a high ceiling.

2013 State Placers

1st- Chad Red of New Palestine

2nd- Garrett Pepple of East Noble

3rd- D.J. Smith of Franklin Community

4th- Cael McCormick of Yorktown

5th- Brock Hudkins of Danville

6th- Hayden Lee of Garrett

7th- Jake Sinkovics of Mishawaka

8th- Drew Hildebrandt of Penn

Blake Glogouski(left) starts the season ranked 5th at 106lbs.

Drew Hildebrandt(right) is ranked 1st to start the season at 106lbs.


1. Chad Red- 10- New Palestine- Red was rarely challenged en route to his first state championship last year. Don't expect a sophomore

slump from this extremely talented coach’s son. 2. Garrett Pepple- 11- East Noble- Pepple was one to believe last year

after going from junior varsity to under the lights. His offseason

included many matches all over the country in preparation for another state title match.

3. Sawyer Miller- 11- South Adams- Miller is a tough wrestler leaving

an indelible mark on the Starfire program. He wants to take the next

step and battle under the lights after being denied the past two years. 4. Cael McCormick- 10- Yorktown- McCormick brought home a

fourth place medal in 2013 for perennial power Yorktown. Like Red, he is a coach’s son and it shows. Expect another stellar season in 2014.

5. Brock Hudkins- 10- Danville- Hudkins only suffered one loss last

year en route to a fifth place medal. He will give anyone in this weight a tough match and could legitimately contend for a title.

6. Tyler Ferguson- 11- Evansville Reitz- Ferguson was undefeated

until the ticket round last year, when he lost a heartbreaker to the eventual third place finisher. He put in the time in the offseason and

will be a favorite to place very high in 2014. 7. Jake Sinkovics- 12- Mishawaka- Sinkovics placed 7th last year,

after coming into the state finals undefeated. Look for this tough

Caveman to finish higher on the podium this year. 8. Mike Garza- 12- Merrillville- Garza has made two trips to state,

only to come up short on Friday night both times. This fireball from

The Region will give all of the top guys in the weight fits if they meet up.

9. Jason Crary- 9- Munster- Crary comes into a tough weight, but

will be able to compete from the get-go. Look for this young Mustang to contend for a spot on the podium.

10. Charlie Baker- 12- Indianapolis Crispus Attucks- Baker was a rare state qualifier for Crispus Attucks last season. Look for even more

out of him this year.

11. Isaac Gomez- 10- Plainfield- Gomez lost by one point in the ticket round last year. He will use that as motivation to make it one step

beyond during his sophomore campaign.

12. Eric Peek- 12- Griffith- Peek has had solid success over the past three years. He could easily put together a deep state series run as a

senior. 13. Chris Trent- 11- New Prairie- Trent turned in a solid sophomore

season for the Cougars. He will use his loss in the ticket round as

motivation for an improved result his junior year. 14. Caleb Bocock- 10- Lebanon- A returning state qualifier from the

New Castle Semi state, Bocock will be moving up a weight and looking for a medal in his sophomore season.

15. Austin Slates- 9- Penn- Slates is a tough wrestler for Harper's Army at Penn. He will step right in and benefit from a great program—

one loaded with depth and challenging drill partners. 16. Cody Allmon- 10- Plymouth- Allmon qualified for state last year

for the Pilgrims and put in a great offseason to improve upon that

performance.

2013 State Placers

1st- Stevan Micic of Hanover

2nd- Zachary Davis of Penn

3rd- Sawyer Miller of South Adams

4th- Connor Knapp of East Noble

5th- Jacob Cottey of Perry Meridian

6th- DeLawrence Gayfield of Concord

7th- Gaige Torres of Portage

8th- Damon Kuhn of Evansville Reitz

Garrett Pepple(top) is ranked 2nd to start the season at 113lbs.

Chad Red(top) is ranked 1st to start the season at 113lbs.


1. Zachary Davis- 12- Penn- Davis has improved on every trip he

has made to state. This year he only has one spot to move up, but he

will be challenged by many tough wrestlers. This kid rides many of

his opponents like a horse jockey.

2. Forrest Glogouski- 12- Fairfield- Glogouski will be on a mis-

sion this year after dropping a tough ticket-round match last year.

He will look to finish his career on the top step of the podium.

3. Connor Knapp- 11- East Noble- Knapp is a tough competitor

and will challenge for a state title the next two years. After making

the semifinals last year, he will be a favorite to make the finals.

4. Jacob Cottey- 12- Perry Meridian- Cottey is a gritty competitor

for the three-time defending state champions. He cannot be over-

looked by anyone at this weight.

5. D.J. Smith- 12- Franklin Community- Smith placed 3rd last

year after coming within one point of placing as a sophomore. Look

for this tough Grizzly Cub to make a run for a title this year.

6. Gaige Torres- 10- Portage- Torres had a great freshman season,

bringing home a seventh place medal. He will be in the thick of

things as a sophomore.

7. Jack Chastain- 11- Hamilton Southeastern- Chastain had a

great sophomore year that ended on Friday night at Banker’s Life.

He will be a favorite to bring home a medal as a junior.

8. Jacob Brown- 12- Castle- Brown brought home an eighth place

medal in 2012, but was denied a spot on the podium this past year.

Look for him to make the adjustments needed to be on the awards

stand again.

9. DeLawrence Gayfield- 12- Concord- Gayfield burst onto the

scene last year with a 6th place finish. He is a wildcard and will

pose a tough match for anyone in the weight, especially if he heats

up again.

10. Brad Laughlin- 9- Yorktown- Laughlin will step into a tough

spot in the Tiger lineup this year. Great coaching and practice part-

ners (as well as ability) will make him a force to be reckoned with.

11. Nick Ellis- 10- Roncalli- Ellis has a great pedigree, but will be

looking to make his own mark in 2014. Expect him to be a tough

matchup for all of the top kids in the state.

12. Hunter Fox- 11- Cascade- Fox qualified for state as a freshman

and will look to make a return trip this year as a junior. He is a solid

competitor and should have a deep state series run.

13. Matthew McKinney- 10- Warren Central- McKinney quali-

fied for state out of the always tough New Castle semistate. With

the combination of his pedigree and Warren’s program, don't be

surprised to see him on the podium.

14. Sage Coy- 10- Muncie Southside- Coy is a Greco specialist,

but is just as tough in folkstyle. He will look to shake off last year's

disappointing end to his season.

15. Elliot Molloy- 10- Danville- Molloy had a good freshman sea-

son, but it was his offseason that has many taking notice. He fin-

ished 4th at the IHPO in an absolutely stacked weight class.

16. Griffin Schermer- 11- Bloomington South- Schermer will be

a contender for a spot on the podium this year. His experience at

state last year should yield dividends this year.

2013 State Placers

1st- Deondre Wilson of Warren Central

2nd- Drew Hughes of Lowell

3rd- Schuyler Phillips of Yorktown

4th- Bailey LaHue of Corydon Central

5th- Adam Garcia of Merrillville

6th- Preston Mantel of Zionsville

7th- Andrice Martin of Franklin Central

8th- L.J. Moser of South Adams

Zachary Davis(top) is ranked 1st to start the season at 120lbs.

Forrest Glogouski(top) is ranked 2nd to start the season at 120lbs.


1. Stevan Micic- 12- Hanover Central- Micic proves there is some-thing in the Cedar Lake water that makes outstanding wrestlers. He will

look to become the 26th three-time state champion in state history this year. Quite simply, he is one of the very best wrestlers in the entire

country.

2. Deondre Wilson- 12- Warren Central- Wilson surprised many on his way to a state championship in only his third year of wrestling. It’s

tough to tell where his ceiling is—it could be very high.

3. Tyler Fleener- 12- Center Grove- Fleener brought a seventh place medal back to Center Grove last year. He is sometimes a slow starter,

but he is a tough wrestler and can’t be overlooked. 4. Blake Denton- 12- Twin Lakes- Denton has been to state three

times, but has yet to come home with a medal. Last year, he dropped a

heartbreaker on Friday night. 5. Erique Early- 12- Fort Wayne Snider- Early suffered an injury

late in the season that prevented him from competing in the state series. His offseason work was not limited, however, as he came one match

from placing at the IHPO. He was a state placer two years ago.

6. Evan Smiley- 11- Beech Grove- Smiley qualified for state last year out of the tough New Castle semistate. He will be a favorite to make

the podium this year. 7. Aidan Kenny- 12- Perry Meridian- Kenny dropped a heartbreaking

1-0 match in the ticket round at semistate last year. He has the potential

to contend with any of the top wrestlers at this weight class. 8. Josh Davis- 12- Evansville Reitz- Davis has twice made the state

finals and is looking for lucky trip number three this year. Expect the

usual excellence out of this Panther in 2014. 9. Kayla Miracle- 12- Culver Academies- Miracle is a tough wrestler

who has shown she can wrestle against the best boys in the state. She

has already made history once, can she do it again? 10. Alex Johnson- 11- Evansville Mater Dei- Johnson will be jumping

up three weight classes this year after qualifying for state at 113lbs. How much the added weight affects him will play a big factor in his

success this year.

11. Chase Wilson- 12- Maconaquah- Wilson made his first trip to

state last year for the battlin' Braves. He is a tough competitor who is

especially adept in the neutral position. 12. Clarence Johnson- 11- Merrillville- Johnson will have an immedi-

ate impact for the Pirates this year, after being relegated to junior var-

sity action last year. He will surprise many outside of Da’ Region. 13. Nathan Schitter- 12- Jasper- Schitter qualified for state last year

for the Wildcats. His goal will be to climb on to the podium during his senior year.

14. Chandler Moore- 12- Southmont- Moore has been on the cusp of

making the state finals all three years of his high school career. This year could be the year he breaks through and wrestles on the last week-

end of the season.

15. Alston Bane- 9- Richmond- Bane won a middle school state title at 125lbs this past year. He also had solid success as a cadet in ISWA

events. Don't be surprised to see him knocking on the door to go to state.

16. Austin Ward- 12- Floyd Central- Ward had an injury-shortened

junior season, but will come back this year fully healed and ready to roll. He can wrestle with the top guys in the weight when healthy.

2013 State Placers

1st- Nick Crume of Jimtown

2nd- Luke Welch of Castle

3rd- Ben Harvey of Indianapolis Cathedral

4th- Tom Gettinger of Connersville

5th- Brandon James of Perry Meridian

6th- Josh Fuqua of Crown Point

7th- Tyler Fleener of Center Grove

8th- Bailey Schober of Greenwood

Deondre Willson(right) is ranked 2nd to start the season at 126lbs.

Stevan Micic(left) is ranked 1st to start the season at 126lbs.


1. Brandon James- 11- Perry Meridian- James finished a disappoint-ing fifth last year and will look to rebound in 2014. He had another

great offseason, placing at Fargo for the third time in as many tries. 2. Drew Hughes- 10- Lowell- Hughes had a great freshman campaign,

making it all the way to the championship match. This young Red

Devil will be on the hunt for his first title this year.

3. Tommy Cash- 11- Lawrence North- Cash was sidelined in the mid-

dle of the season due to an injury. Don't look for that to affect him this year, as the talented transfer put in a ton of work in the offseason.

4. Nick Lee- 9- Evansville Mater Dei- Lee comes in as a very highly

regarded freshmen; someone who can go with any wrestler in the coun-try. He is a relentless competitor and has proven he belongs with not

only the best in the state, but the country as well. 5. Bailey LaHue- 11- Corydon Central- LaHue made the podium the

last two years and is a legitimate title contender. He will aim to be the

first state champion in Corydon Central's history. 6. Devin Broukal- 12- Bloomington South- Broukal also made the

podium the least two years with identical seventh place medals. This

senior is looking to become the latest in a long line of state champions from Bloomington South.

7. Evan Eldred- 10- Westfield- Eldred's season ended at Banker’s Life, but it did not end with a state placement. Don't be surprised to see

this sophomore on the podium, even in this tough weight class.

8. Preston Mantel- 12- Zionsville- Mantel is a scrappy competitor and is not shy about putting time in during the offseason. That paid off last

year as he brought home a sixth place medal for the Eagles.

9. Dalton Noblitt- 12- Columbus East- Noblitt had a great run to qualify for state last year for the Olympians. Look for that experience

to pay dividends in 2014.

10. Sam Lovejoy- 11- Heritage- Lovejoy sat out the regional due to sickness this past year. Look for him to get back on track this season

and make another run for Banker’s Life. 11. Nick Reel- 12- Warren Central- Reel's season came to an end last

year in the ticket round. Look for added skills and a run at the state

finals during his senior year. 12. Zach Donaldson- 11- Crown Point- Donaldson has patiently been

waiting his turn to break into the Crown Point lineup. He has had some

good wins during this past offseason and should make an immediate impact for the Bulldogs.

13. Mitch Anderson- 11- Mooresville- Anderson's season was unex-pectedly halted at sectional last year in a weight class that featured two

state place winners. Look for him to be a favorite to be wrestling at

Banker’s Life this year. 14. Kegan Kern- 12- Peru– Kern returns to a tough Tiger program for

his senior year. After three semistate appearances he will look to cap his career off at Banker’s Life.

15. Bobby Humphrey- 12- Snider- Humphrey has fallen short of the state finals the past two years for the Panthers. However, he is a tough

wrestler and will give the top wrestlers fits when they meet. 16. Scott Warner- 12- South Bend Riley- Warner dropped a close first

round match at semistate last year. He will be back this year with the

goal of wrestling at state in mind.

2013 State Placers

1st- Cody Lecount of Perry Meridian

2nd- Grant Martsolf of Mishawaka

3rd- Skyler Lykins of Franklin Community

4th- Hugo Perez of Frankfort

5th- Levi Moss of Ben Davis

6th- Mitch Snyder of Hamilton Southeastern

7th- Devin Broukal of Bloomington South

8th- Logan Wedding of Evansville Memorial

Tommy Cash(left) is ranked 3rd to start the season at 132lbs.

Drew Hughes(left) is ranked 2nd to start the season at 132lbs after

placing 2nd last year at 120lbs.


1. Cody LeCount- 12- Perry Meridian- LeCount won his first state championship last year for the team state champion Falcons. This Cen-

tral Michigan commit will be a heavy favorite to repeat this year. 2. Skyler Lykins- 12- Franklin Community- Lykins finished his

season strong, finishing a surprising third for Bob Hasseman's Grizzly

Cubs. He will look to cap his career off with one match under the lights.

3. Zach Krumlauf- 12- DeKalb- Krumlauf has been a steady competi-tor his entire career. He has the ability to wrestle with anyone in the

weight class and could be a bracket buster in 2014.

4. Jordan Lile- 12- Fishers- Lile has been to state the past two years, only to come up short of placing. He certainly has the ability to do

some damage and make a big run at the top spot on the podium. 5. Ben Harvey- 11– Indianapolis Cathedral- Harvey has two state

medals to his credit so far and will be looking for more hardware this

year. He has all the tools to wrestle with the best at any time. 6. Josh Fuqua- 12- Crown Point- Fuqua is looking to make a return

trip under the lights in his senior year. He is a gritty competitor; that

will make him a formidable foe for anyone in this weight class. 7. Jacob Covaciu- 10- Merrillville- Covaciu had a great freshman

season that saw him qualify for the state finals. Even more will be ex-pected out of this young Pirate wrestler during his sophomore year.

8. Blake Jourdan- 10- Evansville Mater Dei- Jourdan will be in the

middle of the tough Mater Dei lineup this year. Look for this sopho-more to improve by leaps and bounds this year.

9. AJ Belden- 12- Westfield- Belden has been a steady competitor his

entire career for the Shamrocks. He has had numerous wins over ranked opponents and this could be the year he makes the trip to

Banker’s Life.

10. Jared Timberman- 10- New Palestine- Timberman has put in an immense amount of time this offseason after a solid freshman year.

Look for him to make great strides during his sophomore year that could end with a spot on the podium.

11. Sam Locke- 12- Greenfield Central- Locke qualified for state at

126lbs last year for the Cougars. He will jump up two weight classes in

hopes of coming home with a state medal. 12. Trent Pruitt- 10- Warren Central- Pruitt is another tough wrestler

in a tough Warren Central lineup. As with any top wrestling program,

he will benefit greatly from topnotch coaching and practice partners. 13. Jake Gross- 12- Lowell- Gross looks to cap his senior season off at

Banker’s Life. Last year, he fell just short, losing to the eventual semistate champion in the ticket round. Gross’s funkiness will make

him a dangerous for every opponent.

14. Jordan Vaughn- 10- Franklin Central- Vaughn is a very game Flash wrestler who qualified for semistate last year. He had a great

offseason, defeating some of the top wrestlers in the state while captur-

ing an ISWA folkstyle state crown. 15. Seth Carithers- 12- McCutcheon- Carithers was another one who

dropped a close ticket round match at semistate. He will look to make the adjustments needed to make a trip to state in 2014.

16. Derek Ellinger- 12- Adams Central- Ellinger has been a staple in

the Jet lineup since his freshman year. He is a tough wrestler and has shown he can wrestle with the top kids in the state.

2013 State Placers

1st- Tommy Forte of Mishawaka

2nd- Luke Blanton of Alexandria

3rd- Tyler Hupp of Indian Creek

4th- Chandler Carroll of Yorktown

5th- Anthony McHugh of Culver Academies

6th- Juwan Bartlett of Lawrence North

7th- Nick Bova of Perry Meridian

8th- Evan Loe of Peru

Skyler Lykins(top) is ranked 2nd to start the season at 138lbs.

Zach Krumlauf(top) is ranked 3rd to start the season at 138lbs.


1. Tommy Forte- 11- Mishawaka- Forte has laid the groundwork for one of the best careers in Caveman history. He was dominant in his run

to the title last year and will look to do more of the same this year. 2. Evan Loe- 12- Peru- Loe is one tough young man; he wrestled all

last season with a torn ACL. The sky is the limit for this Tiger when he

is fully healthy. 3. Darden Schurg- 11- Crown Point- Schurg is making quite a jump

in weight classes this year, but should be able to adjust well. He has

been among the best in his weight classes the past two years and should be again this year.

4. Bailey Schober- 12- Greenwood- Schober pulled off a big upset last year on Friday night, on his way to a state medal. Look for more out of

him this year, as he looks to get even higher on the podium.

5. Patrick Schnell- 11- Castle- Schnell was a state qualifier for the

Bob Harmon-led Knights. As with most wrestlers from Castle, he will

be tough to score on in any position. 6. Jacob Weimer- 11- East Noble- Weimer qualified for state last year

for the Knights. He has the potential to get on the podium this year and

will lead a very talented squad. 7. Derek Noon- 11- Noblesville- Noon is a tough wrestler who won

regionals for the Millers last season. He will aim for one more week of wrestling this season.

8. Phoenix Adams- 12- Terre Haute South- Adams will look to make

it one step further, after dropping a ticket round match last year. He had some good wins last year, which makes him a threat to make the po-

dium this year.

9. Isaac Rentas- 12- Merrillville- Rentas is another solid wrestler out of Merrillville. He made it all the way to Banker’s Life last year and

will not be satisfied unless he brings back a medal this year.

10. Wyatt Seng- 12- Evansville Mater Dei- Seng will be battling it

out with a lot of tough teammates this year, just to make the varsity squad. Look for those battles to help him when he faces opponents

from other schools. 11. Tylor Willms- 12- Fremont- Willms has twice made it to semistate

for the Eagles. He has had great offseason success that will give him a

great shot to make it to state. 12. Michael Thomas- 12- Perry Meridian- Thomas was one of 13

semistate qualifiers for the Falcons last year. He will use that experi-

ence last year to propel him into wrestling one week longer in 2014. 13. Burk Van Horn- 9- Franklin Community- Van Horn is a proto-

typical Grizzly Cub wrestler, with a ‘goer’ mindset and attitude. He will fit in nicely into their lineup and make an immediate impact.

14. Kellen VanCamp- 11- Lebanon- VanCamp is a solid wrestler for

the Tigers and is not shy about hitting up offseason tournaments. That experience should pay dividends this year as he looks to make the short

trip to Banker’s Life.

15. Zach Batts- 12- Cascade- Batts dropped a tough sudden victory match in the ticket round last year. Look for that painful setback to be

the motivation he needs to make it one step further this year. 16. Ruger Kersteins- 12- Jasper- Kersteins is a tough competitor and

was one of eight wrestlers to make it to semistate last year for Jasper.

With many of his practice partners coming back, look for a big season out of him.

2013 State Placers

1st- Neal Molloy of Danville

2nd- Eli Walker of Yorktown

3rd- Tristan Macri of Mishawaka

4th- Brendon Kelley of Evansville Central

5th- Shabaka Johns of Warren Central

6th- Cody Handley of Northeastern

7th- Mitchell Roadruck of Lowell

8th- Robbie Elsea of New Palestine

Bailey Schober(right) is ranked 4th to start the season at 145lbs.

Tommy Forte(right) is ranked 1st to start the season at 145lbs.


1. Vinny Corsaro- 12– Indianapolis Cathedral- Corsaro has three state medals to his credit, but the blue one has been elusive thus far.

This Sizzlin' Sicilian Sensation had a great spring and summer that culminated with him placing at Fargo and committing to Rutgers.

2. Brendon Kelley- 12- Evansville Central- Kelley is arguably one of

the most exciting wrestlers to watch in the state. His high risk style will put points on the board against any opponent.

3. Chandler Carroll- 12- Yorktown- Carroll is the second three-time

medalist at this weight and one of the most decorated wrestlers in York-town’s history. This year could be the year he gets to the top of the po-

dium. 4. Tristan Macri- 12- Mishawaka- Macri broke through to state last

year and brought home the bronze medal. He will have another tough

weight to navigate in 2014 to repeat last year’s result. 5. Nick Borta- 12- North Montgomery- Borta is a tough athlete that

can open up a match at any time with his slick tilt series. He will be dangerous for any of the top guys in this weight class.

6. Alex Reinhart- 12- Penn- Reinhart is another sound wrestler from Penn and has all the skills to make it high on the podium at state. Look

for him to bring back a medal in his senior season. 7. Josh Pierre- 12- Evansville Mater Dei- Pierre will make a huge

jump this year after qualifying for state twice. The added weight did

not seem to affect him at this year's IHPO and that could lead to his first state medal.

8. Chad Gaddis- 12- Kokomo- Gaddis fell in overtime last year at

semistate after winning a regional title. He will be back this year look-ing for a trip to Indianapolis.

9. Seth Ferguson- 12- Martinsville- Ferguson made the trip to

Banker’s Life last year as a junior. This year he has plans of wrestling on Saturday and bringing a state placement back to Martinsville.

10. Cory Troutman- 12- Floyd Central- Troutman is a solid competi-tor from the Highlander program. He has shown he belongs with the

best in the state and will look to cap his career with a trip to state. 11. Garrett Wilson- 11- Perry Meridian- Wilson makes the move to

Perry Meridian and hopes to continue the success he had as a youth

wrestler in their program. He had a great spring and summer, which should help him make his way to state.

12. Chance Brown- 12- Southmont- Brown dropped a 2-1 decision at

semistate to an eventual state placer. He has the skills needed to bring home a medal this year.

13. Dan Reed- 12- Lawrence North- Reed has been a mainstay on the spring and summer circuit the past few years. Look for that to pay off

this year in a run for the state finals.

14. Grant Brescher- 12- Jasper- Brescher was a state qualifier last year and is one of many solid wrestlers returning for Jasper. That

should lead to even more success for not only him, but his teammates

also. 15. Willie Armstrong- 12- Merrillville- Armstrong is one of nine re-

turning semistate qualifiers for the Pirates this year. He will be in the mix for a semistate title this year.

16. Aaron Eicher- 12- Leo- Eicher has been solid for the Lions and

has wrestled with some of the best kids in his area. Don't be surprised to see him have a breakout year and make his way to Banker’s Life.

2013 State Placers

1st- Josh Farrell of Greenfield Central

2nd- Vinny Corsaro of Indianapolis Cathedral

3rd- Isaiah Bradley of Muncie Southside

4th- Conner Brummett of DeKalb

5th- Jackson Bennett of Hamilton Southeastern

6th- Brayden Montgomery of Danville

7th- Nick Borta of North Montgomery

8th- Sebastian Eckert of Huntington North

Chandler Carroll(right) is ranked 3rd to start the season at 152lbs.

Vinny Corsaro(left) is ranked 1st to start the season at 152lbs.


1. Kenny Hughes- 12- Lowell- Hughes will be looking to bring a

state title back to the storied Red Devil program. He will use his

past Friday night losses as motivation to come out on top this year.

2. Rhett Hiestand- 12- Yorktown- Hiestand is another great

wrestler from another top program. He is very dynamic on his feet

and is a tough rider to boot.

3. Kyle Jolas- 12- Huntington North- Jolas has had a stellar

offseason and will look to use that as a springboard to his first state

medal. After a third place finish at the IHPO, he has launched

himself into a state title contender.

4. Jordan Partee- 12- Madison- Partee is a very talented

performer on every athletic field he steps on. His length and agility

will give the top wrestlers in this weight fits.

5. Tristan Wilson- 12- Carroll (F.W.)- Wilson capped his junior

season off with a trip to Banker's Life. He is looking to make a

charge for a high state medal this year.

6. Isaiah Kemper- 11- Evansville Central- Kemper will make the

big jump to 160lbs after qualifying for state at 138lbs last year. The

weight jump could affect him early, but he should be clicking by the

time the state series rolls around.

7. Conner James- 11- Roncalli- James lost a tough ticket round

match 3-2 to the eventual state runner-up. He will look to make his

first trip to Banker's Life one that results in a spot on the podium.

8. Joe Mammolenti- 11- Penn- Mammolenti made the trip to state

last year at 145lbs. He will have a state medal on his mind this year.

9. Ben Stewart- 9- Indianapolis Cathedral- Stewart is a tough

freshman that will be in the mix early. He has had lots of age group

success and will not be fazed by his older counterparts.

10. Ben Krege- 12- Carmel- Krege returns to this weight class

after making the trip to state last year. Look for even more

improvement out of this Pendoski-trained wrestler.

11. Edmond Hogan- 12- Culver Academies- Hogan's season

ended at semistate last year, but that did not deter him from putting

in time this offseason. His placement at NHSCA Junior Nationals

could propel him to a state berth.

12. Kaine Luginbill- 11- Adams Central- Luginbill was the lone

Flying Jet to make the trip to state last year. He is an unorthodox

wrestler and does not give up any easy points.

13. Brendon Helm- 11- Avon- Helm's work in the offseason was

evident with his top-six performance at the IHPO this fall. The

Orioles are expecting big things out of this junior.

14. Ashton Forzley- 11- Evansville Mater Dei- Forzley qualified

for state this past year at 152lbs. He is hoping to join a large

contingent of teammates at state this year.

15. Gabe Koontz- 11- Edgewood- Koontz was a semistate

qualifier last year for the Mustangs. He also had a great IHPO

performance this fall and will be seeking to make his first state

appearance.

16. Cody Steele- 12- Connersville- Steele has been a solid

contributor to the Spartan lineup his whole career. The offseason

work he put in could bring him a trip to the state finals.

2013 State Placers

1st- Riley McClurg of Perry Meridian

2nd- Austin McCloskey of Western Boone

3rd- Rhett Hiestand of Yorktown

4th- Mark Maldonado of Highland

5th- Seth Seitzinger of Bloomington South

6th- Luke Kriech of Franklin Community

7th- Blake Rypel of Indianapolis Cathedral

8th- Johnathan Tredway of Elkhart Central

Kyle Jolas(top) is ranked 3rd to start the season at 160lbs.

Rhett Hiestand(top) is ranked 2nd to start the season at 160lbs.


1. Austin McCloskey- 12- Western Boone- McCloskey is a gritty, defensive-minded wrestler looking to become Western Boone's first

ever state champion. He came extremely close last year and will be the favorite to start the year.

2. Blake Rypel- 10– Indianapolis Cathedral- Rypel was a rare upper

weight state placer as a freshman last year, when he placed seventh at 160lbs. Look for added maturity on the mat and off to make him a

legitimate title contender this year.

3. Mike Eldridge- 12- Laporte- Eldridge brought home a sixth place medal for the Slicers at 170lbs last year. He has the ability to place

even higher this year. 4. Jake Rickenbaugh- 12- Heritage Hills- Rickenbaugh dropped to

eighth place last year after injury-defaulting his last two matches. Don't

be surprised to see him in the semifinals or under the lights this year. 5. Jeffrey Scott- 12- Clinton Central- Scott made the trip to state last

year at 170lbs. He will look to add to the long list of past Bulldog state

placers this year. 6. Corey Hinkle- 11- Western- Hinkle fell short of making the trip to

state by one point last year. He put in a great offseason that will give him an excellent shot of making the state finals this year.

7. Dylan Lydy- 11- Ben Davis- Lydy had a breakout summer after

placing fourth at Fargo. His monstrous offseason will make him someone to watch this year.

8. Evan Elmore- 11- Avon- Elmore made the trip to state last year at

170lbs. He had a good spring and summer on the mat, which will give him the edge to bring home a medal in 2014.

9. Jacob Stevenson- 11- Franklin Community- Stevenson qualified

for state at 138lbs as a freshman. This year he will look to make it back and bring a medal with him.

10. Jade Doty- 12- West Lafayette- Doty was a state qualifier out of the tough Merrillville semistate last year. He will look to bring home a

state placement during his senior campaign.

11. Nathan Warman- 12- Perry Meridian- Warman was a semistate qualifier for the state champion Falcons last year. He will be a strong

candidate to make it one week further this year.

12. Chase Herron- 12- Floyd Central- Herron will bump up a weight class after qualifying for semistate last year. Look for him to give the

Highlanders another state finals prospect. 13. Dax Jones- 11- Crown Point- Jones had a solid sophomore season

last year for the always tough Bulldogs. He will have to battle to make

it out of the Merrillville semistate. 14. Klayton Hinshaw- 12- South Adams- Hinshaw is another tough

Starfire wrestler and is looking to make his first state appearance. He is extremely strong and tough to score on.

15. Dalton Escobedo- 12- New Prairie- Escobedo had a great season shortened last year by a loss at semistate. This could be the year he

breaks through to state. 16. Colton Gonzales- 11- Connersville- Gonzales is another talented

wrestler in the Connersville lineup. He will look improve on his

semistate performance last year.

2013 State Placers

1st- Bobby Steveson of Merrillville

2nd- Riley Lefever of Carroll (F.W.)

3rd- Anthony Linnear of F.W. North Side

4th- Jacob Reed of Muncie Southside

5th- Austin Neibarger of Hamilton Southeastern

6th- Michael Eldridge of Laporte

7th- Garett Fentz of Franklin Community

8th- Jake Rickenbaugh of Heritage Hills

Austin McCloskey(right) is ranked 1st to start the season at 170lbs.

He finished 2nd and 3rd the past two seasons.

Blake Rypel(top) is ranked 2nd to start the season at 170lbs after a

freshman year that saw him place 7th.


1. Brian Wagner- 12- New Palestine- Wagner is the top returner at 182lbs and will start the season as the favorite to bring home a state

title. His breakout season last year and offseason work should pay big dividends this year.

2. Ryan Jankowski- 12- South Bend St. Joseph- Jankowski surprised

many with his sixth place finish last year for the Indians. This year he will be a known commodity throughout the state.

3. Scottie Sopko- 11- Hobart- Sopko has twice made the state finals

and has one placement to go with it. This year he will be a contender for a state title during his junior campaign.

4. Katrell Moss- 12- Warren Central- Moss had a great season last year, bringing home an eighth place medal at 182lbs. He gave all of the

top wrestlers in this weight class tough matches last year.

5. Matthew Hollins- 12- Merrillville- Hollins will look to duplicate

his feat of qualifying for state last year. He will also be a heavy favorite to bring another medal back to the tradition-rich Pirate program.

6. Ben Elliott- 12- Noblesville- Elliot lost a narrow 3-2 match in the

ticket round last year at semistate. This could be the year he takes his skills to Banker's Life.

7. Michael Petrole- 12- Franklin Community- Petrole spent many weeks in the rankings last year for the always powerful Grizzly Cubs.

However, a ticket round loss prevented him from testing his skills at

state. 8. Gabe Konerding- 12- Heritage Hills- Konerding is another

wrestler that spent some time in the rankings last season and even

earned a regional championship. He will be back this year looking for one more week of action.

9. Keair Ross- 12- Kokomo- Ross was a regional champion last year

for the Wildkats. However, a tough ticket round match prevented him from advancing to state.

10. Myron Howard- 11- Yorktown- Howard surprised many last year

in qualifying for the state finals. Look for that experience to give him an edge against the top guys this year.

11. Greg Johnson- 12– Arsenal Tech- Johnson qualified for semistate

last year for Tech. He had some good wins last season that make him a contender this year.

12. Jeffery Wiseman- 12- Penn- Wiseman is a solid wrestler for the

perennial powerhouse Kingsman program. Look for him to make a strong push for a trip to state this year.

13. Seth Isaacs- 12- North Central- Isaacs was a semistate qualifier last year losing a tough one point match to the eventual state runner-up.

Look for him to be a contender for a state medal this year.

14. Jeff Brassea- 12- Lake Central- Brassea had a good season last year, making it all the way to semistate for the Indians. This year he

will not be satisfied unless he wrestles at Banker's Life.

15. Sam Bassemier- 11- Evansville Mater Dei- Bassemier was one match from wrestling at Banker's Life last season. This year he will be

a favorite to make it to the state finals. 16. Grant Gough- 12- Winchester- Gough had his season ended at

semistate last year. He will look to be the latest state qualifier for the

Falcons.

2013 State Placers

1st- Matt Hurford of Culver Community

2nd- Jake Masengale of Perry Meridian

3rd- Brian Wagner of New Palestine

4th- Seth Riley of Fishers

5th- Dakota Thacker of Bloomington South

6th- Ryan Jankowski of South Bend St. Joseph

7th- Connor Ludwig of Brownsburg

8th- Katrell Moss of Warren Central

Brian Wagner(top) is ranked 1st to start the season at 182lbs.

Katrell Moss(left) is ranked 4th to start the season at 182lbs.


1. Dakota Thacker- 12- Bloomington South- Thacker is a stout wrestler for the storied Panther program. He is looking to become the

first state champion for them since Reece Freeman in 2007. 2. Noah Perdue- 12- Warren Central- Perdue's season ended at state

last year for the Warriors. He will be a favorite to take a semistate title

and challenge for the state title. 3. Rudy Harris- 12- South Putnam- Harris qualified for state last year

at 195lbs out of the Evansville semistate. He will be looking to make

the podium during his senior season. 4. Randy Scott- 11- Mooresville- Scott qualified for semistate last

year, but it was his offseason that has many around the state talking. He was a double All-American at Fargo, including making the finals in

Greco-roman.

5. Damian Chambers- 12- Edgewood- Chambers was a state qualifier at 182lbs last year for the Mustangs. He will look to make a run at a

high state medal this year.

6. Morgan Kral- 11- Crown Point- Kral had his undefeated season

ended in the ticket round to state last season. Look for this tall and lanky Bulldog to make a push for a high spot on the podium.

7. Brian Salmon- 12- Woodlan- Salmon got hot at the right time last year, pulling off a few upsets en route to a trip to Banker's Life. This

year he will look to build upon that and bring a state medal back to

Woodburn. 8. Jeff Dixon- 12- Hamilton Southeastern- Dixon qualified for

semistate last year for the tough Royals program. He has had a great

offseason that will make him a favorite to end this year on the podium.

9. Tieshawn

Johnson- 12-

Elkhart Memorial- Johnson has been a

steady upper weight performer for the

Mustangs the past

three years, capturing two regional

championships. This

year he is aiming to make the trip to

Banker's Life.

10. Autry Pickens-

12- Danville- Pickens

had a strong junior campaign for Coach

Pugliese's Warriors. He has the ability to

become yet another

state placer for this small school

powerhouse.

11. Tyler Scott- 12-

Hanover Central-

Scott has been to semistate ever year,

including last year's

tough ticket round loss. The recent Indianapolis commit will make a good run at the state finals this year.

12. Gabe Estes- 11- New Palestine- Estes is another tough upper

weight for Chad Red's New Palestine team. He will benefit from great practice partners throughout the season.

13. Blake Brown- 12- Evansville Memorial- Brown was a semistate qualifier last year for the Tigers. He will be a very solid upper weight

that can make his way to Indy this year.

14. Kaz Koehring- 12- Perry Meridian- Koehring made his way to semistate last year, only to draw Mitch Sliga in the first round. He will

be back this year looking to make more noise for the Falcons.

15. Mitchell Sandlin- 12- Madison- Sandlin is another strong wrestler for Tyson Skinner's Madison Cubs. He will look to be making the trip

to Banker's Life this year. 16. Kevin Winkle- 12- Twin Lakes- Winkle made his way to the tough

Merrillville semistate last year, but dropped his ticket round match to

the eventual state runner-up. He has the potential to upset the top kids in the state.

2013 State Placers

1st- Mitch Sliga of Fishers

2nd- Jaylin Allen of South Bend Clay

3rd- Clayton Fiddler of Bloomington South

4th- Kalob Salkill of South Spencer

5th- Jacob Ricks of Benton Central

6th- Kyle Garringer of Jay County

7th- Mason Nickell of Roncalli

8th- Justin Berumen of Delphi

Dakota Thacker(left) is the top ranked wrestlers at 195lbs..

Rudy Harris(right) is ranked 3rd at 195lbs.


1. Gelen Robinson- 12- Lake Central- Robinson is flat-out one of the best athletes to step foot on a mat, court or field the state has ever seen. He will

look to bring home another state title before heading off to Purdue next fall

for football.

2. Fletcher Miller- 12- Kokomo- Miller had a breakout season this year, only dropping the state finals match. This summer he broke into the na-

tional scene by placing at Fargo and garnering attention from national rank-

ing services.

3. Connor Tolley- 12- Franklin Community- Tolley is another top big guy in the state this year after finishing fourth last year. Additionally, he has

numerous national placements that will make him a state title contender.

4. Kobe Woods- 10- Penn- Woods had a stellar freshman season that saw

him pave the way to Banker's Life. He isn't the most technical, but will make up for it with conditioning and grit.

5. Brandon Joest- 12- East Noble- Joest made his way to Banker's Life

last year for the Knights. His unorthodox style will pose match-up issues for many of the top wrestlers.

6. Jacob Aven- 12- Zionsville- Aven recently committed to wrestle for the

Boilermakers next year, after qualifying for state last season. When the

Boilers come calling, that means they see some great potential in the kid.

7. Seth Meyer- 11- Harrison (W.L.)- Meyer qualified for state this past year for the Raiders. This big fella will be looking to make the podium this

year.

8. Brad Sadilek- 12- Carroll (F.W.)- Sadilek was a surprise state qualifier

last year for the Chargers. The experience at Banker's Life will make for a highly motivated youngster this year.

9. Dylan Faulkenburg- 12- Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter- Faulkenburg

was a regional champion last year for the Raiders. He will look to improve

on that and make his way to the state finals this year.

10. Seth Vaughn- 12- Franklin Central- Vaughn's junior season saw him

make his way to the ticket round of semistate. He has the ability to make a

strong push to qualify for state or more.

11. Steven Potoskey- 12- Crown Point- Potoskey was a semistate qualifier

last year for the Bulldogs. He will be looking for more this year in his final

year in a Crown Point singlet.

12. Raja Burt- 12– Indianapolis Cathedral- Burt made the ticket round last year at 195lbs. He will be bigger this year, but will have the same goal

of making the state finals in mind.

13. Travis Williams- 12- Portage- Williams had an up and down junior

season for the Indians. Look for more focus and a good run at the state finals for his final high school season.

14. Shane Corman- 12- Perry Meridian- Corman will hope to help solid-

ify the upper weights for the powerhouse Falcon program. He will have

some big shoes to fill, but has the potential to make a big impact. 15. Maverick Morningstar- 12- South Adams- Morningstar will look to

navigate his way to Indy this year, after qualifying for semistate last year.

He is a gritty competitor that can give any of the top guys a great match.

16. Jarius Perry- 11- Merrillville- Perry surprised many with his first round upset at semistate last year. He will be a dangerous foe for all at this

weight class.

2013 State Placers

1st- Gelen Robinson of Lake Central

2nd- Fletcher Miller of Kokomo

3rd- Maximiliano Hernandez of Warren Central

4th- Connor Tolley of Franklin Community

5th- Alex Lindemann of Milan

6th- Jared Boehm of Heritage Hills

7th- Myron Hamilton of Lawrence Central

8th- Dylan Jones of Avon

Gelen Robinson(left) and Fletcher Miller(right) both return this

year at 220lbs after wrestling in the finals last year.

Brad Sadilek(left) is ranked 8th to start the season at 220lbs.


1. Wesley Bernard- 12– Indianapolis Cathedral- Bernard will take his talents to the Jersey Shore upon graduation, but before that he has

some unfinished business at the Bank. He had a great summer, placing fourth at Fargo, and is the early favorite for a state title.

2. Eric Hemmelgarn- 12- Jay County- Hemmelgarn was tripped up

on Saturday morning last year, en route to a fifth place finish. He is a tough wrestler that could bring Jay County their first state champion

since 1987.

3. Shawn Streck- 10- Merrillville- Streck was a rare freshman state

placer last year for the Pirates. He is a very tough wrestler and pulled off double All-American honors at Fargo this summer.

4. Norman Oglesby- 11- Ben Davis- Stormin' Norman stormed to a semistate title last year for the Giants. He is another young big guy that

will make this weight class fun to watch.

5. Maximiliano Hernandez- 12- Warren Central- After placing third at 220lbs last year, Hernandez is throwing his hat in the ring with the

big guys. His agility and technique will pose danger for the other

heavyweights. 6. Gavan Jolley-Little- 12- Jeffersonville- Jolley-Little has collected

numerous age group national credentials over the past couple years. Look for him to improve upon his trip to state last year.

7. Andre Porter- 12- Hamilton Heights- Porter is a tough wrestler

from the Huskie program who is looking to pave his way to state this year. He put in an extensive offseason that is sure to pay off this winter.

8. Nate Trawick- 11- Richmond- Trawick will look to make his way

to state this year after falling short at semistate last season. He spent many weeks in the rankings and will be one to watch during the state

series.

9. John Duvall- 12- West Lafayette- Duvall had only three losses last year as a junior. His one loss in the ticket round will be added incentive

to make the state finals this year. 10. Ethan Schwoeppe- 12- Southridge- Schwoeppe was a semistate

qualifier last year. He is looking to cap his senior season with a trip to

state. 11. Dalton Miller- 12- Pike Central- Miller qualified for semistate last

year for the Chargers last season. With many departed seniors at the

weight, he will be a favorite to make a trip to Indy this year. 12. Bryce Biddle- 9- Plainfield- Biddle is looking to be a rare heavy-

weight state placer this year after a middle school state title last year. He is a tough foe and has proven he can wrestle with state placers.

13. Roberto Yanez- 12- River Forest- Yanez was a semistate qualifier

at 220lbs last year for the Ingots. He is looking to be a rare Ingot at the state finals this year.

14. Darrius Connell- 12- Muncie Central- Connell is a tough big guy from a school known more for basketball. Don't overlook this Bearcat,

as he will be a favorite to go to state this year.

15. Guss Dajani- 12- Bloomington South- Dajani has steadily im-proved each year as a starter. He will use his semistate experience from

last year as motivation to go further this year. 16. Landon Blackburn- 12- Laporte- Blackburn is a scrappy wrestler

and is poised to have a great senior season. His trip to semistate last

year should pay off this year.

2013 State Placers

1st- Donte Winfield of Perry Meridian

2nd- Joseph Garland of Rushville

3rd- Wesley Bernard of Indianapolis Cathedral

4th- Austin Little of North Posey

5th- Eric Hemmelgarn of Jay County

6th- Joshua Bartoszek of Hanover

7th- Shawn Streck of Merrillville

8th- Shakir Carr of South Bend Clay

Shawn Streck(left) is ranked 3rd to start the season at 285lbs.

Eric Hemmelgarn(top) is ranked 2nd to start the season at 285lbs.


Calumet High School and its head coach, Jim Wadkins, will once

again host Lake County's finest wrestlers to determine who will get

the opportunity to represent their school at the Merrillville Semi

State.

Bobby Steveson's transfer to Apple Valley, Minnesota leaves the

regional, and the state, without one of its top wrestlers, but this re-

gional will still have much quality and depth

Merrillville is clearly the dominant team once again, as they re-

turn ten semi state and five state qualifiers. Lake Central has seven

semi staters and two returning state qualifiers. Portage's move to

this regional has substantially increased the depth at Calumet.

Top 5 Teams

1. Merrillville – Coach David Maldanado's purple Pirates

are once again the cream of the Calumet crop. They were sectional,

regional and semi state champs last year and finished 9th in the

state. A deep and talented senior class will have the Pirates looking

to improve upon that placing this year.

2. Lake Central – The Big Chief, aka Gelen Robinson,

will once again lead the Indians in 2013-14. He will be joined by

fellow state qualifier Brandon Truver and five others with semi

state experience, including regional champion at 152, Cody Chris-

tenson. Portage got the better of Lake Central at last year's re-

gional. Can Lake Central hold them off this year?

3. Portage – Portage lost a lot of firepower, as four seniors

with state experience graduated. Look for the Indians, led by coach

Leroy Vega, to reload behind the strength of sophomore Gaige Tor-

res and three other semistaters. Developing strong upper weights

will be a key for Portage to move up in the Duneland Conference

and state.

4. Hobart – The Brickies, headed by long-time coach Steve

Balash, bring more purple power to Calumet. Junior Scott Sopko

already has two trips to Indy under his belt and will be a likely con-

tender for top honors in 2013-14. Hobart will have to develop some

new blood this year to stay ahead of a couple of schools nipping at

their heels.

5. Hammond Morton – The Governors were a sur-

prise 5th place last year at this regional and they return all of their

heavy hitters from 2013. The renaissance in Hammond wrestling is

centered on brothers Rickie and Ruben Rodriguez. Both brothers

made the ticket round last season and appear primed to make a trip

to Banker's Life in 2014.

Top Individuals (Last Year's Weight)

1. Gelen Robinson – 12 – (220) – Lake Central – Robinson will look to

earn his third state medal and second state title. He will likely make a move to heavyweight, which will add some excitement to that weight class

in 2013-14

2. Shawn Streck – 10 – (285) – Merrillville – A rare state placer at heavy-

weight as a freshman (7th), Streck made a believer of many and his battles with Robinson this year should be instant classics.

3. Gaige Torres – 10 – (113) – Portage – Torres burst onto the scene as a

freshman and placed 7th at state. In Portage's strong room, look for im-

provement in 2014. 4. Scott Sopko – 11 – (170) – Hobart – Sopko was a state qualifier as a

sophomore and probably thinks it was a disappointing season. He placed 8th

as a frosh and will look to return to the medal stand.

5. Michael Garza – 12 – (106) – Merrillville – Garza made a second trip

to Indy last year, but has yet to medal. Will he be able to stay at 106 for 2014?

6. Matt Hollins – 12 - (160) – Merrillville – This lanky Pirate came on

strong last year in the postseason and made it to Friday night in Indy. He

will want to place in his senior season. 7. Jacob Covaciu – 10 – (132) - Merrillville – The second Merrillville

frosh to qualify for state last year, Covaciu was a regional champ in 2013.

8. Isaac Rentes – 12 – (138) – Merrillville – The rich got richer when

Rentes transferred from River Forest. Rentes was a slight surprise as a state qualifier in 2013.

9. Brandon Truver – 11 – (113) – Lake Central – Truver was a surprise

state qualifier for the Indians, but is hoping the confidence gained from a

state run will pay off in 2014. 10. Ruben & Richie Rodriguez – 12/11 – (120/113) – Morton – This

talented Governors’ tag team will settle for nothing less than a trip to Indy

this year.

Others to Watch Bish. Noll – Mark Feliciano(152). Calumet – Jose Villarreal (106),

Alec Noworul (126), Doriante Bryant (132), Nick Fowler (170), Noah Fowler (182), JJ Novosel (195), Brandon Lolkema (220), Marshawn

Manuel (285). E.C. Central – Robert Rivera (220). Gary Lew Wal-

lace – Larry Lee (160). Gary West – Durante Bell (113). Griffith –

Cedric Fassoth (113), Conner Guizor (138), Ben Stassin (160), Aaron

Metz (182). Hammond – Jondell McGhee (152). Ham. Clark – Chris Diaz (113), Ishmael Quintanilla (132), Rene Zamora (220). Ham. Ga-

vit – Kyle Knoerzer (120. Ham. Morton – Julien Miranda (106), Jor-

dan Stromquist (145), Cavahari Davis (152), Andrew Key (182), Adrian Palacious (195). Highland – Ryne Kijuma (195). Hobart –

Zach Pardus (106), Sergio Castellanos (120), Gio Guarnero (152), Kyle

Schoenborn (195), John Ramirez (220). Lake Central – Kamron Ko-nopasek (106), Jose Vandas (126), Jordan Goodwin (138), Jake Sebahar

(145), Dan Vargas (160), Jeff Brassea (170), Nick Mickema (285). Lake Station – Steve Armes (126), Kyle Thomas (195). Merrillville –

Justin Johnson (113), Michael Martin (126), Willie Armstong (145),

Devan Lee (152), Jarius Perry (220). Munster – Jeremy Saranowski (106), Zach Slosser (138). Portage – Tyler Joseph (106), Louis Esco-

bedo (120), Alex Guerrero (160), Matt Hedrick (195), Travis Williams (220). River Forest – Jermaine Fletcher (113), Roberto Yanez (220).

Whiting – Zack Szmuc (132).

Gaige Torres(top) brought home a state medal as a freshman for

Portage at 113lbs.


The Crown Point regional seem to produce elite level talent every

year. 2013 was no different, as freshman Drew Hughes of Lowell

joined his neighbor from Hanover Central, Stevan Micic, in wres-

tling under the lights. Crown Point had no placers at state for the

first time in many years, but don't look for that drought to last long,

as they return a handful of potential state finalists. Mike Eldridge

of LaPorte, Darden Schurg and Josh Fuqua of Crown Point and

Kenny Hughes of Lowell are the other wrestlers in this field that

boast state level experience.

On the team level, Crown Point will still be the hunted in this

field but look for Lowell and Hanover Central to make strong runs

at the Bulldogs. Valparaiso loses a good deal of talent to graduation

and the top teams from the LaPorte sectional, Chesterton, New

Prairie and LaPorte, do not have quite enough firepower to chal-

lenge for a regional crown.

Top 5 Teams

1. Crown Point – Coach Scott Vlink has carved out an

enviable legacy at Crown Point. That tradition should continue in

2013-14 with names like Josh Fuqua, Darden Schurg, Dax Jones

and Morgan Kral leading the way for this year’s edition of the Bull-

dogs.

2. Lowell – The Red Devils from Lowell might just have

enough firepower to challenge if Crown Point were to stumble a bit.

Led by the Hughes brothers, Kenny and Drew, Lowell also has a

host of young talented wrestlers. Developing upper weights and the

continuing growth of their young guns will be the focus of coach

Bobby Howard.

3. Hanover Central – Coach Petrov and staff continue

to produce outstanding teams at the little school on the lake. Every-

one knows about Stevan Micic but look for the names of Tyler

Scott, Isaac Cortez and Evan Larsen to break out on the state level

this year

4. Chesterton – Last year's edition of the Trojans was hit

hard by an injury to state qualifier Alex Katsafaros and the transfer

of Dax Jones to Crown Point. Coach Joll and the Cheese towners

regrouped nicely and will return ten regional qualifiers for 2014.

Semi staters Matt Estill (120) and Jack Davison (132) will be ex-

pected to lead the charge.

5. New Prairie – The Cougars will once again have a

strong and balanced line-up for regional coach of the year Bob

Whiteneck. Chris Trent was a whisker away from being a state

qualifier at 106. Middleweights Cody McLeod, Dalton Escobedo

and Wade Young will lead this year’s team. The return of upper

weight Miguel Ibarra could really bolster their lineup.


1. Steven Micic – 12 – (113) – Hanover Central – Micic, a two-time state

champ, is the regional’s and state's best wrestler. What weight class he will

land at is the only question. 2. Drew Hughes – 10 – (120) – Lowell – Hughes the Younger lost only

once at the 120 weight class and that was under the lights in the state finals.

What will he do for an encore in 2014?

3. Josh Fuqua – 12 – (126) – Crown Point – This two-time state qualifier is Crown Point's top returning senior and will be counted upon to lead the

Bulldogs in 2014.

4. Mike Eldridge – 12 – (170) – LaPorte – Probably the biggest surprise

of this regional, Eldridge rode his devastating cradle all the way to 7th place in state.

5. Kenny Hughes – 12 – (160) – Lowell – The elder Hughes was clicking

on all cylinders in 2013 until he seemed to hit a wall at the semi state level.

A two-time state qualifier, Hughes will not want to be overshadowed by his little brother in 2014.

6. Darden Schurg – 11 – (138) – Crown Point – It was not a good day for

the Bulldogs at semi state in 2013. Schurg was a state placer in 2012 and

lost a tough ticket round match. He has the ability to place high at state. 7. Morgan Kral – 11 – (195) – Crown Point – The long and lanky Kral

took a 31-0 record and a very high state ranking into the ticket round at

Merrillville, when his dreams of a state title came crashing down. Look for a refocused Kral to dominate in 2014.

8. Tyler Scott – 12 – (182) – Hanover Central – Scott is a talented upper

weight who won 40+ matches last year for Hanover Central. He should be

a contender for state hardware in 2014. 9. Chris Trent – 11 – (106) – New Prairie – This powerful little Cougar

won a regional title and was a ticket rounder. Will he be able to hold 106 in

2014?

10. Jake Gross – 12 – (126) – Lowell - The third best wrestler in the Red Devil line-up, Gross was a ticket rounder last year for Lowell.

Others to Watch Andrean – Mike Krzyston (132), Adam Kopil (220). Boone Grove – Zach

Keilman (285). Chesterton – Kaitlin Loehmer (106), Tony Osorio (113), Mike

Double (126), Sawyer Hallas (152), Tommy St. Germaine (160), Jaycee Jensen

(170), Tyler Gillespie (182), Conner Smith (220). Crown Point – Riley Akers

(106), Austin Torres (113), Steven Potoskey (220). Hanover Central –Adoko

Neil (120), Ronald Strain (160), Ashton Mutuwa (170). Hebron – Gio Phan

(113). John Glenn – Devin Becker (106), Austin Coach (113), Alex Sayler (126), James Frey (132), Adam Dodson (160), Jacob Ayers (220). Kankakee

Valley – AJ Hamstra (120), Andrew Schulties (145), Tim Schoonveld (182).

Knox – Jacob Krause (138), Eric Dan (145), Nathan Lynch (160), Cody

Wieglos (182), Mike Sustaita (195). LaPorte – Shamus Troy (106), Zach Wells

(113), Matias Perez (120), Antwan Wordlaw (138), Landon Blackburn (285).

LaVille – Tristin Weaver (120), Bryant Hunsberger (126), Mitch Henry (132),

Ben Norton (152), Austin Wilson (285). Lowell – Clark Smith (106), Brett

Curry (132), Josh Bottos (138), Isaac James (152), Joe Reed (285). Michigan City – Dee Collins (113). New Prairie – Tyler Kessler (126), Eric Brown

(132), Jaren Young (138), Derek Pflughaupt (195), Wayne Kneifel (285). North

Judson – Gordon Burger (220). Valparaiso – Ricardo Rosario (132), George

Krummel (152), Nick Greco (160), Darius Ginn (182), Derrick Suttles (195),

Ian Suttles (220).

Kenny Hughes(right) has made two trips to the state finals.


Rochester High School's school colors are gold and black, the

same as Penn High School. Penn has made Rochester their home

the past few years with dominating performances at the regional

level. Last year they ran up over 200 points, defeating their

sectional rival Mishawaka by over 50 points.

Last year this regional produced an incredible 2 state champs and

3 runner-ups. Three of these have graduated (Mishawaka's Grant

Martsoff, Clay's Jaylin Allen, and Culver Community's champ, Matt

Hurford). One champ (Tommy Forte) and one runner up (Zach

Davis) return for 2013-14. Four other state-placers and four more

qualifiers also return to this very deep regional. The regional is so

deep, in fact, that two former state finalists, Culver Military's Kayla

Miracle and Penn's Chase Osborn can't even crack the top ten.

On the team level, Penn appears to be widening the gap between

themselves and Mishawaka. Mishawaka is still the clear number

two team in this regional. The biggest change appears to be the drop

off in talent of the South Bend schools, which have allowed schools

like Plymouth and Rochester to work their way into the mix.

Top 5 Teams

1. Penn – The Penn powerhouse under Coach Harper and staff

continues to roll along. 2013 saw Harper coach his first match under

the lights when 113 lber Zach Davis gave Steven Micic his best match

of the year. Penn returns Davis and fellow medalist Drew Hildebrandt (106), along with three others who made the trip to Indy in Alex

Rinehart (138), Joey Mammolenti (145) and Kobe Woods (220). It would not be surprising if five more Kingsmen qualify for state this

season.

2. Mishawaka – The Cavemen must once again deal with

adapting to a new coach as former boss Bryce Hasseman has left town for a college job. The cupboard is far from bare as Mishawaka returns

state champ Forte at 138 as well as the 3rd place finisher Tristan Macri

at 145 and the 7th place medal winner at 106 in Jake Sinkovics.

3. Plymouth – Veteran Hall of Fame Coach Bob Read returns

one his deepest teams in recent memory. The longtime Pilgrims mentor

has state finalist Cody Allmon back at 106, along with semi state participants Kam Markovich at 126 and heavyweight Drew Dodson.

4. Culver Academy – Kayla Miracle returns for her final

high school season along the banks of Lake Maxinkuckee. Two trips to

the ticket round at semi state and a state finals berth are nothing to sneeze at for this talented young lady. The Eagles also return ticket

rounder Edmond Hogan at 160 and semi staters David Zajac (145) and Noah Trevino (132)

5. Rochester – Zebra head man Clint Gard returns the most

talented team of his tenure. Their lower weights can compete with just

about any other team in the regional. Semi state qualifiers Jay Heckathorn (138) and little brother Josh (106) will pave the way for

Rochester.


1. Tommy Forte – 11 – (138) – Mishawaka – Tommy Terrific ran the table in 2012-13 as a sophomore and dominated everyone in his path.

Forte might be the second best wrestler in the state at any weight.

2. Zach Davis – 12 – (113) – Penn – Davis and the Penn staff did a

masterful job managing weight and peaking at the right time. His powerful riding and offensive array from the top position helped, too. The two-time

state medalist will be a force at whatever weight he chooses.

3. Tristan Macri – 12 – (145) – Mishawaka – Macri made his first trip to

state a memorable one and came away with a 3rd place medal. The talented Caveman will likely stand high on the podium again this year.

4. Ryan Jankowski – 12 – (182) – St. Joseph – Jankowski is the front man

for the improving Indian program. He flew under the radar in 2012-13, but

will be the hunted rather than the hunter this season after placing 6th in state 5. Jake Sinkovics – 12 – (106) – Mishawaka – Sinko took a 43-0 record

into Saturday morning of state weekend, when his dreams of a state title

were dashed. He rebounded to place 7th.

6. Drew Hildebrandt – 10 – (106) – Penn – The undersized Kingman pulled off one of the biggest Friday night upsets when he defeated Floyd

Central's Terrence Kennedy. He will again be a force at 106 this year.

7. Kobe Woods – 10 – (220) – Penn – Another undersized Penn grappler

grabs the number 7 ranking as this talented sophomore put in a heavy and fruitful off season.

8. Joey Mammolenti – 11 – (145) – Penn – The Penn parade continues

with Mammolenti, who spent his first full season in the varsity lineup. A

place on the podium is not out of the question. 9. Alex Rinehart – 12 – (138) – Penn – Rinehart joined his practice

partner Mammolenti in Indy last year. A return trip in 2014 would be

Rinehart's third in four years.

10. Cody Allmon – 10 – (106) – Plymouth – The lone representative in the top ten from the Plymouth sectional, Allmon made a run to the state finals

last season.

Others to Watch Bremen – Joey Bailey(120), Tyler Felton(126), Ben Thornton (132), Joel Miller

(170), Wyatt Gordy(182), Caleb Coffel(285). Caston – Braden Moss(138). Culver

Academy – Steven Muthart (106), Collin Pepper(285). Culver Community -

Jarrod Betts (106), Austin Brisette (120). Mishawaka – Ryan Hardesty(113), Jake

Chadwick(120), Daniel Hesch(126), Tanner Bradley(170), Alejandro Hernandez

(195). Mishawaka Marian – William Felix(113), Derek Glon(145). Penn –

Cameron Beam(120), Chase Osborn (160), Jeff Wiseman(170), Mike Chaffee(182),

Clayton Stohler (285). Plymouth – Osman Solis(113), Nolan Wright (145), John

Stillson (152), Aaron Houin (182), Vincente Vasquez (195). Rochester – Justin

Schroder (113), Seth Moon(120), John Hunting (126), Tyler Downhour(152),

Braxton Lee(160). South Bend Adams – Austin Laughlin(106). South Bend Clay –

Cody Shelton (106), Jake Hartman(113), Davendrick Hall (120), Rishod Cotton

(126), Sidney Mainer (152). South Bend Riley – Scott Warner (126), R'zeveon

Teague (138), Brian Shaw(285). South Bend St. Joe – John Wadkins(132), Norm

Hezlip(160). South Bend Washington – Michael Bates(160). Tippy Valley – Wyatt

Nelson (126), Devin Childers (132), Cody Runyon (145), Arron Heller (152), Garrett

Bell (160), Keaton Bell (170), Wes Beck (182), Jaron Kidd (195) Triton – Gage

Waddle (138), Lane Stevens(220). Warsaw – Alec Haines (220). Wawasee – Tristan

Ponsler (113).

Tristan Macri(left) looks to improve on his 3rd place finish at state.


West central Indiana high school wrestling programs will once

again make the trek to the beautiful Berry Bowl in Logansport to

see who gets the chance to represent their schools at the Merrillville

Semi State.

On the team level, Lafayette Harrison returns the strongest lineup

to Logansport, with 9 regional qualifiers, 3 regional champions, 8

semistate qualifiers and 1 state qualifier.

West Lafayette emerged as a sectional power with their 2nd place

finish last season, finishing just 18 points behind sectional champ

Harrison. WestSide returns a strong lineup.

Twin Lakes returns an excellent team, led by veteran coach Ken

Houston. They will make the trip to Westfield in December to com-

pete for the IHSWCA state dual meet championship. With their

balanced lineup, the Indians might just surprise some teams. Twin

Lakes’ best wrestler, Blake Denton, is a three-time state qualifier

and a returning semi state champ, but he has yet to stand on the

podium. If anyone deserves a break this season, it is Denton. .

Top 5 Teams

1. Harrison – The Raiders have dominated this regional in

recent seasons and coach Scott Vander Aa has another strong edi-

tion ready for 2013-14. 220 lb. State qualifier Seth Meyer leads the

charge, but he has seasoned grapplers to help in regional champs

Daniel Davis at 106 and Conner Armuth at 152. Ticket rounders

Kevin Bayley at 126 and Jack Roetker at 138 will bolster the Boys

of Battleground.

2. Twin Lakes – The Mayor of Monticello, coach Ken

Houston, will lead what is possibly the best team in school history

this season. Three-time state qualifier Blake Denton is the unques-

tioned leader, but 5 other semistate qualifiers will back up Denton.

Look for Iziah Metcalf (138), Sam Thomas (152), and Kevin Win-

kle (195) as possible teammates to join Denton in Indy.

3. West Lafayette – The West Lafayette wrestling pro-

gram toiled in relative anonymity for most of its existence. It all

changed in 2013 when they made a run at a sectional championship.

The Red Devils return state qualifier Jade Doty (170), regional

champ Jason VanMeter (145) and talented heavyweight John Duvall

for 2013-14.

4. Delphi – The Oracles have built a fine tradition the past

decade. They might fly under the radar a bit this year, but have an

excellent team coming back, with 4 semi state qualifiers returning

in Aaron Madison (145), Hunter Mote (152), Mason Gray (170) and

Bryer Houston (220). Add sectional champ Walker Alderman (120)

to the mix and they have a nice core of solid kids.

5. Lafayette Jeff – The Bronchos, led by veteran skipper

Tom Miller, narrowly edge regional rivals, Benton Central, Lewis

Cass and West Central for the 5th team spot in this regional. Jeff

will be led by its lightweights. Regional champ Jackie Chambers

(120), along with semi state qualifiers Dustin Miller (106) and

Cordaro Armstead (126), will provide guidance for Miller's troops.


1. Blake Denton – 12 – (126) – Twin Lakes – Denton returns to the top

spot in the regional after a third straight trip to the state finals. He should begin the season as a top-ten wrestler in whatever class he chooses.

2. Seth Meyer – 11 – (220) – Harrison – Meyer was a surprise semi state

runner-up last year. A year in the weight room and Gelen Robinson mov-

ing to 285 might just make this Raider the man to beat for 2014. 3. Jade Doty – 12 – (170) – West Lafayette – Doty came on strong in the

postseason in his run to Banker's Life. A Friday night loss will no doubt

fuel this Red Devil for 2014.

4. John Duvall – 12 – (285) – West Lafayette – Duvall ran the table in 2012-13 until he slipped up at regional. This likely cost him a trip to Indy.

Look for the Red Devil big man to dominate this regional and be a top-8

heavyweight in 2014.

5. Jack Roetker – 12 – (145) – Harrison – Roetker was a regional runner-up and ticket round participant last season, finishing 5th at semistate.

6. Sam Thomas – 12 – (152) – The second Indian to break into the re-

gional top-10, Thomas parlayed a 40 win season into the ticket round at

Merrillville. 7. Seth Carithers – 12 – (132) – McCutcheon – Carithers had an injury-

filled 2013 campaign, but was able to win two matches at semistate on his

way to a 6th place finish.

8. Kevin Bayley – 11 – (126) – Harrison – Bayley is the third Raider to make the top-ten on the strength of his ticket round trip at semi state.

9. Justin Atkinson – 11 – (132) – Benton Central – The cupboard is cer-

tainly not bare at Benton Central. Atkinson was a regional champ in 2013

and will lead a strong core for the Bison in 2014. 10. Daniel Davis - 12 – (106) Harrison – Davis is a two-time regional

champ who will no doubt be working to punch that elusive ticket to Indy.

Others to Watch Benton Central – Cole Lukaszka(113), Blake Strawsma(120), Kiko Jones(220),

Bailey Luce(285). Carroll – Brad Leonard (138). Delphi – Dean Hampton(106),

Wyatt Rummell(113), Johnny Little (132). Frontier – Tyler Pruitt (182). Harrison –

Chaz Kruger(113), Raven Hedden(160), Dan Wright(170), Ishmael Rivera(182).

Lafayette Central Catholic – No Program in 2013. Lafayette Jeff – Avery Grimes

(113), Matt Grammer(138), Teddy Martin(195). Lewis Cass – Zach Layer (106),

Jarrett Carden (113), Kolbie Cox(138), Gabe Welch(145), Brenden McGehee(152),

Blaine Elliott(195), Brock Reish(220). Logansport – Justin Porter (113), Josh

Brandt(126), Ryan Schrock(132). McCutcheon – Cole Maxwell(152). North New-

ton – Leo Espino(113), Justin Funk(170). North White – Austin Inman (120), Dus-

tin Hardeback (132), Louis Escobar(170), Kody Emrich(182), Bryan Bowman (285).

Rennselaer Central – Brady White(106), Tanner Stone(160), Clay Martin(170).

Rossville – Adam Easterday (132. Twin Lakes – Cody Widner(120), Avery Randle

(160), Alex Wade (182). West Central – Tyler Wireman(120), Wyatt McIlvain(126),

Cody Denton(132), Parker Fritz(145), Brice Watts(195), Rodney Oliver(220), Laz

Conley(285). West Lafayette – Jeff Cassell(106), Earl Anderson(120), Brendan

Adams(126), Ian McLuckey (138), Ty Edmond(182), Chase Crowe(195), Brad

Krause (220). Winamac – Jordan Bitterling(138), Gage Garpow(145), Quest Fritz

(285).

Blake Denton(top) will return after qualifying for state last season.


East Noble rode the strength of six regional champions to take

home the Goshen Regional crown in 2013. They will return four of

those titlists in 2014 in hopes of repeating as champions. They will

be pushed by a host of local rivals in this very competitive regional.

As with the team race, the individuals are sure to make this a

tough regional once again. This regional returns eight wrestlers that

have wrestled at the state finals, including five that have state med-

als during their careers. Look for the competition to be deep and

talented in this regional.

Top 5 Teams

1. East Noble – With seven wrestlers returning with re-

gional experience, the Knights will be the favorites once again at

Goshen. Led by state placers Garrett Pepple and Connor Knapp, the

lightweight Dynamic Duo, East Noble will look to take another

strong contingent to state.

2. Jimtown – Hall of Fame coach Mark Kerrn will have yet

another solid squad in Baugo this year. Gone is state champion

Nick Crume, but don’t let that fool you; the Jimmies will return five

wrestlers who wrestled at regional or beyond.

3. Fairfield – The Falcons are another small school that will

be led by talented lightweights. The Glogouski brothers are as

tough and as scrappy as they come and will both be favorites to be

on the podium in February. Look for the rest of the lineup to be

filled with other solid wrestlers.

4. Elkhart Memorial – Elkhart Memorial has had

some of the most consistent teams, top to bottom in the regional

over the past five years, and this year looks to be more of the same.

New head coach Jim Iannarelli will not have big name superstars,

but he will have solid kids in every weight class. Don’t be surprised

to see the likes of Tieshawn Johnson, Tony Vaughn or Eugene

Moody-Nuekom at Banker’s Life.

5. Fremont – The Eagles came out of nowhere last year to

capture a conference crown and took four wrestlers to semistate.

Three of those wrestlers return and will lend some big-time fire-

power to a team on the rise. They will be led by senior Tylor

Willms, sophomore Austin Maggart and sophomore Hunter

Leswyak, who will all be looking for a ticket to state in 2014.


1. Garrett Pepple – 11- (106) – East Noble – Never say never when talk-

ing about Pepple, who went from junior varsity as a freshman to wrestling under the lights his sophomore year. Could he end up with a blue medal in

2014?

2. Connor Knapp – 11- (113) – East Noble – Knapp is a solid grappler

that captured his first semi state title in 2013 en route to a 4th place State finish. He could join Pepple under the lights in 2014.

3. Forrest Glogouski – 12- (120) – Fairfield – Forrest suffered his only

loss last year in the ticket round at semistate. Look for that painful loss to

motivate a return trip to the podium in 2014. 4. Blake Glogouski – 10 – (106) – Fairfield – The smaller Glogouski

brother had an incredible freshman campaign, culminating with a trip to the

state finals. He will once again be at 106lbs and will be a favorite for a high

state medal. 5. Delawrence Gayfield – 12 – (113) – Concord – Gayfield brought back

a medal to Concord in 2013 and will build upon that success during his

senior year. He will not be able to fly under the radar this year—the state

knows who Gayfield is now.

6. Zach Krumlauf – 12 – (132) – Dekalb – This talented Baron is no

stranger hard work and that has led him to three trips to the state finals. He is a stingy wrestler defensively and will pose a tough challenge for anyone

in the state.

7. Jacob Weimer – 11 – (138) – East Noble – Weimer surprised many

folks with a trip to the state finals in 2013. On the heels of that success, look for even more improvement his junior season.

8. Brandon Joest – 12- (220) – East Noble – Joest captured his first re-gional crown this past year and also qualified for the state finals. He is an

unorthodox wrestler and is not afraid to go toe to toe with the toughest big

guys. 9. Tieshawn Johnson – 12 – (195) – Elkhart Memorial – Johnson has

two regional crowns to his credit and will be a solid leader for the Chargers

in 2014. He will look to avenge two straight losses in the ticket round for

his final high school season. 10. Sterling Lutter – 12 – (120) – East Noble – Lutter is a very underrated

wrestler wrestling in the shadows of Pepple and Knapp. Look for him to

utilize his practice partners even more in a run for the state finals.

Others to Watch Angola- Andrew Bauer(106), Logan Hensely (120), Austin Bauer(145), Chris Clute (170), Beau Hammer(220), Skylar Winters (285). Central

Noble- Kaleb Mooney(120), Patrick Wood (152), Justin Lee(285). Con-

cord- Leandro Rodriguez(145). DeKalb- Logan Williams (145). East No-

ble- Mason Diffenderfer(132), Jesse Maley(160). Elkhart Central- Jake Egnor(113), Eliseo Guerra(220). Elkhart Memorial- Eugene Moody-

Neukom(106), Tony Vaughn(113), Tyler Weisweaver(120), Phillip Mathiak

(132), Chris Morris(152), Jon Osoria(160). Fairfield- Trevor Yoder(132),

Jacob Curry(138), Tony Zook(152), Morgan Cosby(160). Fremont- Kyle Lowe(106), Hunter Price (113), Hunter Leskowyak(120), David

Schmucker (132), Tylor Willms (138), Brad Owen(152), Austin Maggert

(170), Adam Dossett(220). Goshen- Scotty Huff(106), Victor Flores(132),

Christian Horton(138), Evan smith(170), Ramiro Hernandez(182), Derek Paz(195). Jimtown- Konner Chafin(120), Marquis Schieber(138), Caleb

Spires(145), Cody Spurgeon(220), Ben Davis(285). Lakeland- Lukas

Long(106). Northridge- Ryan Baxter(138), Dylan Swank(182), Lucas

Wickey(285). Northwood- Lucas Hostetler(106). Prairie Heights- Kyle Mockenstrum(113), Doug Levitz(126), Bensen Benally(195), Kade Ger-

bers(220).West Noble- Keaton Taylor (160). West Noble- Taylor Grim

(132), Chandler Hyndman(138). Westview- Kegan Watson(170), Michael

Yankosky(285).

Connor Knapp(right) returns East Noble after finishing 4th last

year. He will look for his third regional title.


Carroll has not been a gracious regional host the past few years,

absolutely dominating the event, especially in 2013 when they ran

away with the title by almost double the points for the second place

team. The Chargers will need to replace three regional champions if

they hope to repeat as champions in 2014.

Last year’s regional had an impressive 13 representatives at the

state finals, but only four of them return this season. Leading the

way is three-time state qualifier Kyle Jolas of Huntington North,

who will look to end his career on the podium after three near-

misses. Also look for Woodlan’s Brian Salmon to continue the hot

streak he was on at the end of last season. The host Chargers will

return two state qualifiers in Brad Sadilek and Tristan Wilson.

Top 5 Teams

1. Carroll – Coach Scott Raypole had to say good-bye to a

stellar senior class in 2013, but the cupboard isn’t bare in

Huntertown. Ten regional qualifiers will return, including seven that

made it to at least semistate. The Chargers are projected to have six

seniors in the lineup this year and will look to ride last year’s

success into 2014.

2. Leo – Last year the Lions were very young, but now, a year

older, they will have much needed varsity experience under their

belts. Lead by the Eicher brothers and returning regional champion

Ryan Fawcett, the Josh Dommer-led Lions will look to spoil the

Chargers’ hopes of repeating as regional champions.

3. New Haven – Longtime Bulldog mentor Barry Humble

has handed the reins over to assistant coach Jimmy Linn, and he

looks to continue the proud tradition in New Haven. Gone are two

state qualifiers, but they will return four semistate qualifiers from

last year’s 3rd place team.

4. Huntington North – The Vikings had a great day in

their first Carroll regional competition, bringing home three

regional championships in 2013. Two of those champions return

and new coach Kyle Wood will look to build around both Tanner

Shipley and Kyle Jolas this year.

5. Columbia City – The home of former Vice President

Thomas Marshall is back on the rise in the wrestling world under

the tutelage of alum Blane Culp. The Eagles will return regional

champion Russell Hazelet, along with semistate qualifier Hunter

Langloh this season. Look for Columbia City to keep improving

and evolving into a regional contender in the near future.


1. Kyle Jolas – 12 - (145) – Huntington North – Jolas’ third time to state

was not the charm, as he came away without a medal once again. With one

more shot left, he will look to get to the highest possible step on the podium. He had a great performance at the IHPO that shows his work in

the off-season has paid off.

2. Brad Sadilek – 12 - (220) – Carroll – Sadilek had a breakout campaign

last year and will continue to ride the wave of success that took him all the way to Banker’s Life Fieldhouse in 2013. Expect this Charger to be one of

the area’s premier big guys.

3. Tristan Wilson – 12 - (152) – Carroll – Wilson took his lumps

throughout the season last year, and that seemed to pay off when it counted during the tournament series. Wilson has a great combination of slick

takedowns and big moves that will pose danger for any middle weight

wrestler in the state.

4. Brian Salmon – 12 – (195) – Woodlan – Salmon peaked at the right time last year, securing a spot at Banker’s Life after an up and down regular

season. He will be fishing for a state medal in his senior season.

5. Russell Hazelet – 12 – (182) – Columbia City – This Eagle grappler

captured his first regional championship in 2013, but was upended in the opening round of semistate. That will serve as motivation for Hazelet to

come back strong for his senior year.

6. Tanner Shipley – 11 – (132) – Huntington North – Shipley’s season

ended in heartbreaking fashion, as he fell in a 1-0 match in the ticket round. This Viking should make great strides as a junior.

7. Logan Aldrich – 12 – (113) – Northrop – Aldrich brought sectional and

regional titles to Cook Road in 2013, and will look to go one step further

this year. He has had a great offseason and will look to finish his season at Banker’s Life.

8. Ben Cauffman – 11 - (106) – Carroll – This talented Charger little guy

will look to continue his improvements going into his junior season. Cauffman will use his loss in the ticket round last year as motivation for the

upcoming season.

9. Bobby Humphrey – 12 – (126) – Snider – Humphrey’s past two

seasons have ended one win shy of the state finals, but don’t be surprised to see this Panther take it a step further in 2014. He is talented and will have

extra motivation to break through this year.

10. Chase Downing – 11 – (120) – Churubusco – Downing will be relied

on to lead the Busco Bad Boys in 2014, on the heels of his second straight semistate appearance in 2013. Look for even more improvement under the

tutelage of Sam Riesen during his junior season.

Others to Watch Bishop Dwenger- Dominic Garrett(120). Carroll- Kobe Raypole (113), Joe

Israbian(120), Josh Garman(138), Alex Arney(145), Kayne Duncan (182),

Corey Rickman(195), Ty Douglas(285). Churubusco- Travis Glick(160).

Columbia City- Hunter Langeloh (106), Kyle Egolf(132), Landon Hodges

(152). Concordia- Marcus Swift(106). Eastside- Codey Ross(113), Brandon

Miller(120). Garrett- Bo Davis(195). Heritage- Kyle Rothgeb(106), Sam

Lovejoy(126), Woody Kline(285). Homestead- Jack Franklin(106), Drake

Rhodes(113), Eli Scherrer(120). Leo- Eddie Loraine(106), Ryan Fawcett

(120), Isaac Eicher(132), Aaron Eicher(152), Bryce Hager(285). New Haven

- Owen Doster(113), Ryan Shaffer(126), Luis Chacon(170), David Escalante

(285). North Side- Tyson Whitner(152). Northrop- Bryce Woenker(126).

Snider- Erique Early(126), Dustin Wells(145), Matt Schwartz (195), Noah

Maisonneuve(220). South Side- Tyree Elkins(195). Wayne- Rashaam Hill

(113), Shaun Johnson(152), Immanuel Bunch(182), Kanez Omar(195).

Whitko- Lane Wolf(120), Evan Cozad(126), Cole Findley(138). Woodlan-

Nik Hoot(113), Shaun Snyder(120), Jay Knepp(132)

Tristan Wilson(right) qualified for state last year for Carroll.


Taking place in the Circus Capital of the World, this regional

should be as exciting as a three ring circus this year. Defending

regional champion Peru will return state placer Evan Loe and seven

other semistate qualifiers. However, along Highway 26, the Western

Panthers return all seven semistate qualifiers from last season.

This regional will return three state qualifiers, including state

runner-up Fletcher Miller of Kokomo and 8th place finisher Evan

Loe of Peru, along with state qualifier Chase Wilson of

Maconaquah. Also returning are six other regional champions

looking to end their season at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse.

Top 5 Teams

1. Western – The Panthers return 12 regional qualifiers and

seven that have semistate experience. Look for the Hinkle brothers,

Dustin and Corey, along with Caleb Maddox, to lead them a long

way in the state series.

2. Peru – The host Tigers won regional once again last year on

the strength of 12 semistate qualifiers. Eight of them return,

including state placer Evan Loe, who will be a middle-weight

contender for a state title in 2014.

3. Kokomo – The Wildkats had a great year last year,

qualifying two wrestlers for state, including junior Fletcher Miller,

who wrestled under the lights. The big guy will return for his senior

season looking for a state title and looking to lead the other five

returning semistate qualifiers to a team regional title.

4. Oak Hill – Ten Eagle wrestlers return with regional

experience from 2013 to make this another team that will have a

solid shot at the team regional title. Seniors Riley Johnson and

Ethan Bowland will look to use their semistate experience to lead

the team to another solid season.

5. Manchester – The Squires will look to build off of

eight returning regional qualifiers in 2014. Neil Snep, Clayton

Moore and Bryce Zook all have semistate experience, and will look

to bring more friends along to the Coliseum this year.


1. Fletcher Miller – 12 - (220) – Kokomo – Miller burst onto the scene in

2013, making it all the way to the championship match. Look for even

more growth this year, as this Indiana Hoosier commit will look to go out on top.

2. Evan Loe – 12 - (138) – Peru – Loe made his second straight

appearance at state last year, capping it with an 8th place medal. He did all

this while wrestling with a torn ACL. With his knee fixed he will be someone to watch this year at the state finals.

3. Chase Wilson – 12 - (120) – Maconaquah – Wilson made his first trip

to the state finals last year for the battlin’ Braves. Look for even more out

of him in his senior year. 4. Corey Hinkle – 11 – (182) – Western – Hinkle had a great season last

year while basically wrestling up a weight class. Look for the bigger

version to do even better this year.

5. Keair Ross – 12 – (170) – Kokomo – Ross is a tough wrestler who had a rough draw at semistate in 2013. He’ll look to build off his 43 wins from

last season and take his season one week longer.

6. Chad Gaddis – 12 – (152) – Kokomo – After capturing a regional title,

Gaddis dropped an overtime match in the ticket round to end his junior season. Look for that to be the motivation he needs to make it one step

further.

7. Luke Akers – 12 – (170) – Northwestern – Akers was two points from

making a trip to state last year for the Tigers. With another year of experience, he will be one to watch in 2014.

8. Caleb Maddox – 11 - (113) – Western – Maddox has made two trips to

semistate and two trips to the ticket round in his two seasons. This could be

the year he breaks through the ticket round. 9. Kegan Kern – 12 – (126) – Peru – This tough Tiger has two regional

crowns to his credit, along with three trips to semistate. Look for him to

add a trip to the state finals in 2014.

10. Christian Hall – 12 – (132) – Kokomo – Hall won his first regional title in 2013, but was upended in the ticket round. This tough Wildkat has

the ability to take the next step this year.

Others to Watch Eastbrook- Will Bratcher(113), Joe Little(195). Eastern- Ty Swisher(106), Taylor Arnold(145), Andrew Turner(152), Christian Biddle(160). Kokomo-

AJ Nelson(113), Scotty Barbary(126), Brenton Etherington(195).

Maconaquah- Matt Gunion(106), Chord Disalvo(126), Wesley Willson

(138), Jimmy Sunday(152), Nick Ingram(195), Dylan Akshar(285). Manchester- Bryce Zook(106), Tristan Burnette(113), Jerod Gable(120),

Clayton Moore(126), Ryan Kendall(132), Neil Snep(182), Jacob Casper

(195), Thad Miller(220). Marion- Jordan Bledsoe(106), Salvador Puente

(120), Hunter Williams(126), Jason McMullen(132), Jordan Feuerstein(138), Trevor Hiles(182), Tom Jones(220). Mississinewa- Jamison Smith

(120), Andrew Smelser(195). North Miami- Evan Beech(285). Northfield-

Jake Stephens(285). Northwestern- Owen Odell(152), Austin Foreman

(160). Oak Hill- Travis Davenport(106), Nick Horsley(113), Shane Curtis(132), Breighton Mullinix(138), Chris Cunningham(145), Riley Johnson

(152), Aaron Hiles(160), Jake Mullinix(182), Keegan Scott(220), Ethan

Bowland(285). Peru- Shane Garretson(106), Connor Quin(113), Dylan

Blue(120), Peyton Sturgill(132), Nick Cress(182), Danny Fisher(195), Erik Hobbs(220). Southwood- Brandon Simpson(106), Colton Dawes(113),

Zach Gunter(120), Chance Enyeart(132), Nicholas Rebholz(145), Brenden

Schleining(160), Nick McCown(182). Taylor- Stephan Sholty(132), Logan

Sarber(160), Preston Hendrickson(182). Western- Tanner Heady(106), Robert Pinkham(120), Liam Page(126), Cody Stout(138), Dustin Hinkle

(145), Skylar Braden(152), Ben Lenahan(160), Tait Sanders(170), Russell

McDorman(195), Dante Graham(220), Sydney Allen(285).

Evan Loe(right) returns for Peru after finishing in eighth place at

the state meet.


The Jay County regional is always one of the best in the state and

this year looks to be more of the same. Led last year by state runner

-up Yorktown, this regional had 18 state qualifiers, with seven of

them returning for this season. Adams County will once again have

a trio of teams and a host of individuals that will be tough to handle.

On the individual side, this regional will have five wrestlers with

previous semi-final experience in South Adams’ Sawyer Miller, Jay

County’s Eric Hemmelgarn and Yorktown’s Chandler Carroll, Cael

McCormick and Rhett Hiestand. Other returning state qualifiers are

Myron Howard of Yorktown and Kaine Luginbill of Adams Central.

Look for this regional to be one of the toughest in the semistate.

Top 5 Teams

1. Yorktown – Once again, Tigers put together a great season in

finishing runner-up for the second time in four years. Coach Trent

McCormick will once again lead a team that will push for a state title, led

by four returning state qualifiers, including three that have finished in the top four. Replacing three semistate champions will be a tough task, but, as

in the past, Yorktown does a great job reloading.

2. South Adams – Barry Humble’s retirement was short-

lived, as he has once again returned to Adams County for his 44th season as

a head coach. Humble will step into a program that has been on the rise the past five years and will continue that way in 2014. They will be led by

junior sensation Sawyer Miller and senior Klayton Hinshaw.

3. Adams Central – The Flying Jets won last year’s

IHSWCA Class A state title and will look to build upon that success in

2014. Coach Doug Schultz always puts a great product on the mat in Monroe. Key wrestlers to watch will be returning state qualifier Kaine

Luginbill and Derek Ellinger.

4. Bellmont – The 2013 season saw the Braves’ streak of 22

straight sectional titles come to a halt due to their neighbors to the south.

Coach Brent Faurote will look to reload the room in Decatur after losing

his lone state qualifier in Brad Busse. Word on North Adams Drive is that

this year’s Braves will sport a very tough freshman class.

5. Muncie South – The Rebels will welcome new head

coach AJ Bradley this year and he takes over a program going in the right direction. He will have to replace two state qualifiers this year, but the

cupboard is not bare with two-time Greco All-American Sage Coy

returning this year.


1. Sawyer Miller – 11 - (113) – South Adams – This Starfire is rewriting the

South Adams history books with two top-four finishes in two years. He has a

relentless work ethic and will continue to be a contender for a top spot on the

podium in 2014.

2. Chandler Carroll – 12 - (138) – Yorktown – The first of four Tigers on

the list, Carroll has three state medals entering this season. He is a stud both

on the wrestling mat and on the gridiron, as a running back. Carroll is as

technically sound as they come.

3. Rhett Hiestand – 12 – (160) – Yorktown – Hiestand continues the long

line of tough wrestlers in the family. Last year’s 3rd place finish will propel

him to a top early ranking and a legitimate shot at wrestling under the lights

this year.

4. Cael McCormick – 10 - (106) – Yorktown – Being the son of a head

coach can be tough, but McCormick seemed to embrace it last year, finishing

4th in his inaugural campaign. Look for more out of the youngster in 2014 as

he continues to develop.

5. Eric Hemmelgarn – 12 – (285) – Jay County – Not many big guys have

two state medals coming into their senior years, but this Patriot big man

does. Hemmelgarn will be another contender for a title out of this regional

and could bring a state title back to Portland for the first time in over 30

years.

6. Myron Howard – 11 – (182) – Yorktown – Howard took the route less

traveled to qualify for state last year, defeating a regional champion in the

first round of semistate. He will not sneak up on his competitors as he did

last year.

7. Kaine Luginbill – 11 – (160) – Adams Central – The younger Luginbill

made it two years in a row that the family has been represented at the state

finals. Look for even more improvement out of the young upper weight this

season.

8. Derek Ellinger – 12 - (138) – Adams Central – Ellinger has been a tough

competitor for the Jets during his first three campaigns. He has been on the

cusp of qualifying for state the past two years, but this year he will likely be

wrestling at Banker’s Life.

9. Klayton Hinshaw – 12 – (170) – South Adams – Another big guy that

had great success last year after wrestling a more natural weight, Hinshaw is

a tough customer that will give the best wrestlers fits with his strength.

10. Darrius Connell – 12 – (285) – Muncie Central – Connell dropped a

tough ticket-round match last year and will come in with one of the best shots of dethroning regional and semi state champion Hemmelgarn. He is an

athletic big man and will pose a tough task for every one of his opponents.

Others to Watch Adams Central- Eli Hill(106), Andy Oliver(113), Hunter Bates (132), Luke Liter(152), Mason Call(170), Isaiah Bollenbacher (220), Joe Fuelling

(285). Bellmont- Trevor Gray(106), Daniel Gunsett(113), Brock Braun

(132), Logan Neher(152), Brett Baker (160), Corey Coshow(170), Cody

Fields(285). Blackford- Darren Dubois(170), Donny Green(182). Delta- Brock House(106), Devin Lawson(113), Charles Evans(170), Montana

Brees(220). Jay County- Alex Abbott(113), Conner Ray(120), Jesse

Finnerty(145), Donnie Miller(220). Monroe Central- John Gillespie(120),

Robert Ford(138). Muncie Central- Nathan Hershberger(113). Muncie

Southside- Sage Coy(106), Anthony Wills(120), Excuse Brown (126),

Cody Shaw(132), Micah Hill(182). Norwell- Luke Fillers (106), Paul

Jensen(120), Tony West(195). South Adams- Eric Pimentel(126), Matt

Nussbaum(132), Boaz Marbach(138), Maverick Morningstar(220), Mason Morningstar(285). Southern Wells- TC Perry(120), Paul Renner(126),

Daniels Beeks(138). Union City- Isaac Harris(106), Kyle Anguiano(160).

Wapahani- Jared Coats(120), Colton Guy(152). Wes-Del- Daniel Cassel

(106), Devin Gill(132), Trevor Spencer(138), Evan Bishop(145). Winchester- Grant Gough(170), Dustyn Hangen(195), Logan Williams

(285). Yorktown- Konner Campbell(113), Logan Campbell(126), Dillon

Jackson(152), Hunter Hiestand(170), Noah Little(220).

Sawyer Miller(right) will return after a third place state finish.


North Montgomery again produced a ton of successful teams and

individuals last season. Although not the strongest regional in the

state, it is highly consistent and features some of the best coaches in

the state. Despite this regional losing all-time great Mitch Sliga,

there is still a lot of talent competing in this area. There are a num-

ber of returning state placers and qualifiers, and McCloskey is a

strong favorite to win a state title. Unlike last year, the best team is

difficult to gauge. HSE starts the year as the favorite, but the margin

between the top half-dozen teams isn’t large, so surprises are not

only possible, but likely.

Top 5 Teams

1. Hamilton Southeastern – Last year’s clear cut

best team in the regional is again deep and talented. Coach Poyer

won’t have quite as many big guns as last year, but it’s a solid team

from top to bottom. This regional is more wide open than last year,

but HSE is the early favorite. Holmes, Chastain and Dixon are the

nucleus of a very good team.

2. Westfield – Coach O’Neill continues to keep the Sham-

rock train rolling, replacing top competitors each year with worthy

new varsity performers. It seems like his teams almost always ex-

ceed expectations on paper, and this year should be more of the

same. Look for big seasons from Eldred, the Steele brothers and

Belden.

3. Zionsville – Coach Brennan’s Eagles were the runner-up

squad in the regionals, and had a fine year in many regards. Return-

ing state medalist Preston Mantel returns, along with title contender

Jacob Aven. As usual, Zville will roll out a strong, sound team.

4. Carmel – The improvement was noticeable last year. A

season after a very poor postseason showing, the Hounds qualified

one wrestler for state and took 4 kids to semistate, all of whom re-

turn this year. Coach Pendoski’s turn-around has already begun, and

Carmel will be very tough this year.

5. North Montgomery – Coach Swain returns a hand-

ful of semistate qualifiers, including state placer Nick Borta. This is

a talented, dangerous team, and could provide more than one wres-

tler for the field at Banker’s Life. Lebanon, Southmont and Fishers

should also compete for this spot as well.


1. Austin McCloskey – 12 – (160) – Western Boone – The two-time

state placer enters the season as the #1 wrestler in his class. This Boiler commit is always tough to score on, and is a real grinder on top of his

opponent. Anything less than winning a state title, especially after the disappointment of last season’s final match, will be seen as a disap-

pointment. Expect him to be WeBo’s first ever state champ.

2. Jordan Lile – 12 – Fishers (132) – If not for a Friday night matchup with the eventual state runner-up, the two-time state qualifier likely

would’ve placed last year. The third time should be a charm for this

talented senior. 3. Preston Mantel – 12 – (120) - Zionsville – Mantel finally broke

through the semistate and took full advantage, winning two matches at state to finish 6th. He wrestles a tough schedule and will be battle-ready

when the postseason arrives.

4. Nick Borta – 12 – (152) – North Montgomery – This Charger grappler turned it up a notch at Banker’s Life, winning two matches

and placing 7th. He will be championship contender this year.

5. Jack Chastain – 11 – (113) – Hamilton Southeastern – Chastain lost his first match of the season at semistate, and lost his next match

Friday night at state. He has shown he is at an elite level and should be a weight class favorite this year.

6. Evan Eldred – 10 – (120) – Westfield – Last year’s impressive

freshman is this year’s more experienced and more dangerous sopho-more. Another state qualification won’t suffice for Eldred.

7. Jeffrey Scott – 12 – (170) – Clinton Central – Misfortune visited Scott in the form of 3rd place finisher Linnear as a Friday night oppo-

nent at state last year. With improvement and a better opening matchup

this year, expect a high placement. 8. Chandler Moore – 12 – (126) – Southmont – Only a brutal

semistate stood in Moore’s way of making it to Banker’s Life last year.

He has shown that he is right there with the cream of the crop. 9. A.J. Belden – 12 – (126) – Westfield – Like Moore, Belden has

been on the cusp of making it to the biggest stage. Also like Moore, Belden has the ability and experience to make a deep state run.

10. Jacob Aven – 12 – (220) – Zionsville – A tough draw at state pre-

vented this Boiler-to-be from placing last season. He has a legit shot at wrestling under the lights this year.

Others to Watch Carmel – Karl Wilhelm (106), Morgan Pruitt (113), Eli Carlson (145),

Ben Krege (160), Vic Roe (285). Clinton Central – Adam Miller (182). Crawfordsville – Robert Manns (170). Fishers – Kweisi Mak-

Dawson (145), Josh Sutcliffe (152). Hamilton Southeastern –Austin Holmes (106), Keegan Stansberry (126), Jeff Dixon (195). Lebanon –

Caleb Bocock (106), Kellen VanCamp (126). North Montgomery –

Zach McCoy (113), Jamie May (120), Clay Chastain (126), Cody Mi-chael (132), Wesley Boone (170), Jesse Archer (182). North Vermil-

lion – Robert Davis (220). Rockville – Jacob Thurman (138). Seeger –

Caleb Hanthorne (120), Jordan Horath (152). Southmont – Chance Brown (145), Zach Worm (160). South Vermillion – Tanner Bishop

(106). Western Boone – Jonathan Morales (182). Westfield – Zachary Steele (106), Dillon Eldred (132), Jacob Sanburn (138), Michael Steele

(145). Zionsville – Shane Haverson (152).

Preston Mantel(left) returns for Zionsville after finish sixth at the

state meet last year.


Despite the graduation of two individual state runners-up, this re-

gional is solid, as it is year in and year out. While Cathedral barely

edged Noblesville at the regional level, they appear to be even more

loaded than last year. Noblesville is very strong again this season as

well. It should be a two-team race again between the Irish and the

Millers. The Irish have enough high end talent to compete with just

about every team in the state, and the potential duel with Perry Me-

ridian could provide serious fireworks.

On the individual wrestler side, there are several state title con-

tenders, including Cathedral’s Vinny Corsaro, Wesley Bernard, Ben

Harvey and Blake Rypel. Obviously, the Irish are stacked with elite

level individuals. Outside of Coach McGinley’s crew, there are a

handful of highly regarded wrestlers, including Hamilton Heights’

big fella, Andre Porter, Lawrence North’s Tommy Cash and Nobles-

ville’s Derek Noon and Ben Elliot.

Top 5 Teams

1. Indianapolis Cathedral – Although there are few

down years for Cathedral, there are also not a lot of Irish squads quite

as loaded as this one. They might be one of the few teams able to match

Perry Meridian’s lineup and scoring ability. Bernard and Corsaro are pretty strong favorites to bring home titles to the northeast side of Indi-

anapolis. Rypel, Harvey, Stewart, Burt and Bailey are all strong candi-

dates to place at state, if not place very high.

2. Noblesville – Coach Knotts’ Millers have rolled out some

very solid teams in recent years, with an emphasis on the team concept.

This year, Noon and Elliot will have to score a lot of points to lead the team to past levels of success. Look for Noon and Elliot at Banker’s

Life.

3. Pendleton Heights – There are no Mason Todds in

this lineup, but there are a number of returning semistate qualifiers in Coach Cloud’s lineup. Look for the host Arabians to push several wres-

tlers through to New Castle.

4. Lawrence North – The Wildcats suffered some tough

losses to graduation, but they received a very welcome transfer in jun-

ior stud Tommy Cash. Cash and senior Dan Reed should help lift LN’s

younger wrestlers and make the ‘Cats a team that improves a lot as the season progresses. Coach Seltzer has his work cut out for him, though.

5. Lawrence Central – Coach Tom Corbett faces a re-

building project this season, as several tough seniors graduated, includ-

ing state placer Myron Hamilton. The Bears always seem to manage to produce some strong individuals, and they are adept at fielding pretty

full teams, so the hope in Lawrence is that some new faces step up.


1. Vincent Corsaro – 12 – (152) – Cathedral – The ever-improving Cor-saro beat one state champ and lost a one point match to last year’s state

champ in the final match. He followed that up with a sterling summer. He

looks primed to grab a championship.

2. Wesley Bernard – 12 – (285) – Cathedral – The heavily decorated and technically sound Bernard finished third in a stacked heavyweight division,

dropping his one match in the semis by a point and pinning all other oppo-

nents. He’s solid on his feet and very good in par terre; he has all the mak-

ings of another Irish champ. 3. Blake Rypel – 10 – (160) -Cathedral– That Rypel was able to survive

the New Castle semistate speaks volumes to his success as a freshman.

Rypel not only competed with the best in the state, he pushed the best in the

state to the edge. He is fully capable of beating anyone in the state, and he

should be a finalist this year.

4. Ben Harvey – 11 – (126) – Cathedral – Much like his older brother (Brian, wrestling at Army), Harvey is the consummate well-rounded wres-

tler. He’s adept in all facets of wrestling and should add a third state medal

this year.

5. Tommy Cash – 11 – (120) – Lawrence North – Only an injury kept Cash ‘out of the money’ last season. Cash has showed that he can go at an

elite level, with national and in-state accomplishments aplenty. If he’s

healthy, he will be among the state’s elite again.

6. Derek Noon – 11 – (145) – Noblesville– Noon had an uneven postsea-son, winning the regional and then stumbling at semistate. If he puts it all

together, he will be competing at Banker’s Life.

7. Ben Elliot – 12 – (182) – Noblesville – Elliot finished second at region-

als, lost a one point ticket match at New Castle, and opens this season in the top-10. The Millers are expecting a lot from him.

8. Seth Isaacs – 12 – (182) – North Central – Isaacs earned an impressive

regional title, and fell just short at New Castle. His past experience should

serve him well this season—expect a state berth Jake Masengale isn’t in his way this year.

9. Andre Porter – 12 – (285) – Hamilton Heights – Porter is a big, strong

heavy and has progressively gotten better and better each year. Will this be

the year he puts it together and runs with the bulls at Banker’s Life? 10. Ben Stewart – 9 – (160) - Cathedral – Stewart arrives at Cathedral

with a lot of middle school hype, but he seems to have the right combina-

tion of ability and intelligence to succeed in an upper weight as a freshman.

His potential is substantial..

Others to Watch Alexandria –Nate Ryan (145). Anderson – Zach Saylor (195). Brebeuf –

Eddie Barks (182). Cathedral – Breyden Bailey (106), Bryce Lewis (106),

John Devine (132), Brant Larson (145), Raja Burt (195), Ryan Guhl (220). Elwood – Dakota Cole (120), Sammy Mireles (170). Frankton – Chance

Carpenter(113), Jarrett Simon (126), Jake Fix (145). Hamilton Heights –

Sam Staebler (132), Cole Leininger (220). Lapel – Ian Lamb (106). Law-

rence Central – Jonathan Folson (138), Quentin Rabin (182). Lawrence

North –Isaac Castro (106), Nick Smith (113), Dan Reed (145), Tremayne

Perryman (195). Noblesville – Jack Wishart (113), Niko Barrantes(120),

Stephen Kitko (138), Jacob Wormuth (160). North Central – Kylan Seats

(120), Jhonatan Pasten (126), Michael Vaulx (132), Javier Reyes (170). Pendleton Heights – Tyler Flood (106), Jeremiah Roosa (113), Wesley

Robinson (120),Gabe Closser (138), Travis Gooding (152), Spencer

McCool (160). Tipton – Nate Long (120), Nate Hein (182). Tri-Central–

Trezdon O’Neal (106), Darius Stanley (220).

Ben Harvey(top) returns this year for the Cathedral Fighting Irish.


The three-time defending team state champions, Jim Tonte’s

mighty Perry Meridian Falcons, show no signs of letting off the gas.

Despite significant losses to graduation, the South Side Bullies are

again the team to beat in the state of Indiana. Despite Perry’s loaded

room and lineup, this is one tough regional and nothing will be

handed to the Falcons. Warren Central, Roncalli and New Palestine

are all loaded with a ton of candidates to compete at Banker’s Life.

This is an absolutely loaded regional; of the six returning state

champs in the entire state, three are from this regional.

Top 5 Teams

1. Perry Meridian – Yet again, Coach Tonte loses a

cornucopia of elite-level wrestlers; also, yet again, he will roll out a

deep and talented team and will wrestle a brutal schedule. Led by

senior standouts Cody LeCount, Aiden Kenny and Jacob Cottey, as

well as elite junior Brandon James and a slew of studly newcomers

to the lineup, anything less than another state title would be a

disappointment for Indiana’s current gold standard team.

2. Warren Central – Last year’s 6th place team will be

loaded again this year. Led by last year’s undefeated state champion

Deondre Wilson, 3rd place finisher Maximiliano Hernandez, 8th

place finisher Katrell Moss and state qualifiers Matt McKinney and

Noah Perdue, Coach Williams’ Warriors can hang with anyone,

whether in a points tournament or a duel.

3. New Palestine – With the team race decided by

individual scoring at the state finals, Coach Red’s big point-scorers

(Red and Wagner), combined with their talented youngsters, like

freshman Alec White, sophomore Jared Timberman and more-than-

capable upperclassmen like Ryan McCarty and Gabe Estes, the

Dragons will be dangerous at Banker’s Life. They were 7th last year

and could improve on that impressive result this season.

4. Roncalli – In some other regionals, Roncalli would be

among the favorites. In this one, their lack of top-end firepower

hurts them more than their solid, complete lineup helps them.

However, the cupboard isn’t bare for Coach Ellis. They are led by

Conner James, Nick Ellis and Ethan Briggeman and, as usual, they

will wrestle smart and compete in every match.

5. Franklin Central – The Flashes get the nod over

Greenfield Central, as they are led by the Vaughn boys, Jordan and

Seth, and Evan Rigel, Coach Fox’s squad has a shot to put one or

more wrestlers deep in the state series.


1. Cody LeCount – 12 – (132) – Perry Meridian – For the second straight

year, LeCount is the top-ranked athlete in this regional. The rugged senior

will be a strong favorite to grab another state title, and he will seek to

dominate the field again in doing so…he’s an absolute beast. 2. Chad Red, Jr. – 10 – (106) – New Palestine – Red ran the table last

season, garnering a state title in the process. The uber-talented sophomore

impressed many by showing great poise against more experienced foes in

the state finals. He will be very tough to beat in-state by anyone. 3. Deondre Wilson – 12 – (120) – Warren Central – Wilson’s story is

almost unprecedented. With only a few years of wrestling experience, the

dynamic Warren star beat the field, finishing as an undefeated state champ

as a junior. What can he pull off as an encore? The sky is the limit for this very talented young man.

4. Brian Wagner – 12 – (170) – New Palestine – Heating up when it

mattered most led this stout Dragon into the semis of the state finals last

year. He beat several tough customers on his way to a very impressive 3rd place finish. He should compete under the lights this year.

5. Brandon James – 11 – (126) – Perry Meridian – Despite a

disappointing (for him) 5th place finish last year, James is a solid choice for

5th in this regional due to his entire body of work. James is topnotch locally and nationally. Don’t be surprised to see him under the lights on the final

Saturday night of the season.

6. Maximiliano Hernandez – 12 – (285) – Warren Central – Last year’s

impressive 3rd place finisher at 220, Hernandez moves up this year to go after the big fellas. Although he might be at a size disadvantage, he is

plenty strong and is very nimble for the weight.

7. Jacob Cottey – 12 – (113) – Perry Meridian – The very solid Cottey, a multiple-time state placer, is a contender to win it all. With PM’s rugged

schedule, he will be unafraid of any competitor.

8. Katrell Moss – 12 – (182) – Warren Central – Despite sustaining an

injury, Moss placed at state as a junior. With a taste of success, plus a healthy body, Moss should be a semifinalist at least.

9. Dylan Faulkenberg – 12 – (220) – Cardinal Ritter – This very talented

senior had one bad match last year, when he was upset in a ticket round

match at semistate. Outside of that one match, he beat a who’s who of the best 220s, including Hernandez more than once.

10. Noah Perdue – 12 – (195) – Warren Central – A state qualifier a year

ago, Perdue had a subpar semistate, which forced him to face Clayton

Fiddler on Friday night. Otherwise, he likely would’ve placed. Expect him

to right that wrong this year.

Others to Watch Beech Grove – Demonte Dawkins (106), Evan Smiley (126). Broad

Ripple – Jordan Clay (285). Crispus Attucks – Charlie Baker (113).

Franklin Central – Cornelius Elliott(113), Jordan Vaughn(132), Evan Rigel(152), Jacob Imbro(182), Seth Vaughn(220). Greenfield-Central –

Garrett Mullins(126), Sam Locke(132), Shawn Fogle(138), Cameron

Nuckols(182), Tyler Beeson(285). Howe – Michael Hendon(145). New

Palestine – Alec White(106), Ryan McCarty (113), Jared Timberman(132), Logan Hunt(152), Nick Brickens (160), Gabe Estes(220). Perry Meridian

– Brett Johnson(106), Aidan Kenny(120), Michael Thomas(145), Nathan

Warman(170), Kaz Koehring(195). Pike – Antoneo Warren(152), Kalen

Patterson (170). Roncalli – Ethan Briggeman(106), Nick Ellis(113), Conner James(160). Scecina – Mitchell Donlan(120). Shelbyville – Ben

Lock(120). Southport – Dameion Rutledge(106). Speedway – Robbie

Sears(132), Colby Ward(138). Warren Central – Matt McKinney(106),

Joel McGhee(113), Nick Reel(126), Trent Pruitt(132)

Jacob Cottey(top) is a key returner for Perry Meridian this year.


2013 was a banner year for the Richmond Regional. East

Central Indiana produced four state medalists including

heavyweight runner-up Joe Garland of Rushville. It could have

been even better had a couple of other returning state finalists not

decided to hang up their singlets.

Last year the seniors dominated this regional, so don't expect a

similar performance at Banker's Life in 2014. The lack of state

level studs is a perfect opportunity for young grapplers to make a

name for themselves. Expect Lawrenceburg's Adam Oyler (120),

Franklin County's Layne Harnishfeger (182), Connersville's Cody

Steele (152) and Colton Gonzalez (170), as well as Richmond's big

man Nate Trawick, to be the most likely to break through.

On the team level it appears that New Castle returns enough to be

the preseason favorites. Connersville won this regional last year

but graduated a ton of talented seniors.

Top 5 Teams

1. New Castle – The Trojans appear ready to reclaim their

customary perch atop the Richmond regional. Sectional champs

Tim Anderson (120), Brad Broyles (126), Luke Decker (152), Caleb

Hoots (160), and Tri High transfer Spencer Sargent (170) will all be

expected to help lead Coach Peckinpaugh's squad in 2014.

2. Connersville – Regional coach of the year Mike

Bottomley must do a bit of reloading in 2014, but the Spartan

program appears to be on firm ground. Look for regional champs

Cody Steele (152) and Colton Gonzalez (170) to provide

leadership.

3. East Central – The Trojans, like many teams in this

regional, face a major rebuilding effort. Look for coach Derek

Rehege to rally the troops behind the efforts of semi state qualifiers

Jake Salatin (132) and Max Dole (145).

4. Franklin County – The boys from Brookville will be

ready to maintain their top-5 regional spot if they can develop some

talent to put around regional champs Gage Pace (106) and Layne

Harnishfeger (182).

5. Centerville – Centerville leads a host of schools that

could battle for a top-5 spot at regional. Wayne County's west-

siders will be led by regional champ at 113, Alston Jenkinson. Five

other regional qualifiers will strap it up for Centerville in 2014.


1. Adam Oyler – 11 – (120) – Lawrenceburg – The lil’ Tiger bumped up

two weight classes last season to great success. A regional title and ticket

round appearance last year should be a springboard for greater success in

2014 2. Layne Harnishfeger – 12 (182) – Franklin County – Harnishfeger

came out of nowhere for Franklin County last year and won a regional title.

He should be in contention for a state berth in 2014.

3. Cody Steele – 12 – (152) – Connersville – Steele was a regional champ

in 2013 and will be asked to lead the Spartans this season.

4. Colton Gonzalez – 11 – (170) – Connersville – Gonzalez had a

breakout sophomore season which included a regional win over state

qualifier KC Hedger. 5. Austin Jenkinson – 11 – (113) – Centerville – Jenkinson piled up

nearly 40 wins on his way to a regional title. A lot of fine lightweights

return to the New Castle semi state and Jenkinson would love to be

amongst those battling for a state berth.

6. Christian Cox – 12 – (138) – Hagerstown – Cox was a regional champ

last season and has an excellent chance to reach the big dance as 138 and 145 clear out at the semi state level.

7. Luke Decker – 12 – (152) – New Castle – The top Trojan was a ticket

round participant in 2014 and finished with an excellent 35-4 record.

8. Gage Pace – 11 – (106) – Franklin County – The second returning regional champ for Franklin County, Pace has a chance to do some real

damage if he holds 106 in 2014.

9. Nathan Boggs – 10 – (113) – South Dearborn – Boggs had a

tremendous freshman campaign, piling up over 30 wins on his way to a 6th place finish at semi state.

10. Nate Trawick – 11 – (285) – Richmond – Trawick was a regional

runner up last season behind the state's runner-up. He should roll through

this regional in 2014

Others to Watch Batesville – John Moody(106), Neal Nobbe(152), Will Amberger (170),

Jarrett Hooten(195). Blue River Valley – Noah Pope(160). Cambridge

City – Jesse Newton(106), Aaron Isaacs (113), Gustav Rihm(152), Austin

Shank (285). Centerville – Dakota Tipton (120), Isaiah Michaels(126),

Bryce Robinson (182), Enrique Calderon (195), Cameron Deloney(220).

Connersville – Brooke Bunch (106), Will O'Farrow (132), Caleb Day (160). East Central – Tyler Moore(195). Eastern Hancock – Nathan Kell

(138), Hunter Knopp(170), Josh Ramage(195). Franklin County – Phillp

Orschell(126), Tim Selm (285). Hagerstown – Dakota Roach(120).

Knightstown – Adam Bundy(106), Drew Jessup(126), Brennain Harper (170). Lawrenceburg – Adam Oyler (120). Milan – Nathan Hand(113),

Trevor Lonnemann (120), Jake Cavins(182). New Castle – Nathan Flowers

(106), Trenton Whitaker(113), Billy Decker(138), Johnny Luna(145), Chris

Flynn(182), Ross Phillips(195), Dakota Myers (285). Northeastern – Braxton Brush(126) . Oldenburg Academy – Taylor Reed(126).

Richmond – Blake Hillard(113), Titus Twine (138), Jacob Haworth(160),

Kendrick Kreider(220). Rushville – Bailey Ford (113), Blake Wood(138),

Garrett Hittle (170). Shenandoah – CJ Corbett(106), Dylan Kelly (132), Chandler Hale (145), Austin Hensley (182) Matt Alamillo(285). South

Dearborn – Zak Brown(106), Nathan Boggs(113), Brandon Manning

(145). Tri – Wes Craft(120), Travis Isaacs(126), Dylan Gorman(145).

Union County – Cole Bowers(120), Emilio Aquino-Morales(152).

Nate Trawick will help lead the Richmond Red Devils.


Traditionally, the Mooresville regional produces some of the best

talent in the state and this was proven again in 2013. Double-digit

state place-winners and a state champion, in Danville's Neal

Molloy, came out of this regional. Molloy has taken his talent to

Bloomington to wrestle in the Big Ten, but the well is certainly not

dry south of Indianapolis.

The Franklin Grizzly Cubs have some outstanding individuals

returning in 2014 and it would certainly not be surprising to see

veteran coach Bob Hasseman coach under the lights come February.

Danville graduated some top talent but seems to have reloaded with

a couple of young studs in the lineup.

The team battle appears to be Franklin's to lose. Danville nar-

rowly defeated Franklin in 2013 but does not appear deep enough to

make it two in a row. New coaches will be welcomed at Ben Davis

and Brownsburg where Ted Bearman and former Mishawaka men-

tor Darrick Snyder take over, respectively.

Top 5 Teams

1. Franklin – The Grizzly Cubs return one of the strongest

lineups in the state for 2013-14. Three state placers in Skyler

Lykins, DJ Smith and Connor Tolley will lead the charge, and they

will be backed up by semi state qualifiers Peyton Reese (120),

Jacob Stevenson (152), and Michael Petrole (182)

2. Danville – Coach Pugliese led the Warriors to its first

regional wrestling title in school history last year with a ten point

victory over Franklin. While a repeat performance is unlikely in

2014, Danville, behind the firepower of lightweight sophomores

Brock Hudkins (5th at state) and Elliot Molloy (ticket round), should

remain a force to be reckoned with.

3. Avon – Despite losing two-time state-placer Dylan Jones

and two-time state finalist Jonah Zorninger, the Orioles will still be

a regional power behind the 1-2 punch of sectional champ Brendon

Helm (160) and state qualifier Evan Elmore (170).

4. Center Grove – Coach Cale Hoover faces a rebuilding

job on Indy's south side, but expect the Trojans to reboot behind the

wrestling of state medalist Ty Fleener (126) and semi state qualifier

Matt Kelly. 5. Ben Davis – Will new coach Ted Bearman be able to

wake the sleeping Giants? The state's second largest school cer-

tainly has the raw materials to be a state power. State qualifier

'Stormin' Norman Oglesby had a breakout sophomore season.


1. Skyler Lykins -12 – (132) - Franklin – Lykins caught fire at Banker's

Life and went from a probable fringe placer all the way to the number three

spot on the podium.

2. DJ Smith – 12 – (106) – Franklin – Franklin's smallest stud also had an outstanding weekend at state, defeating studs Mike Garza and Hayden Lee

on his way to a 3rd place medal. He’s a sure contender for the top spot if he

is at 106 this season.

3. Connor Tolley – 12 – (220) – Franklin – Yet another Grizzly Cub that will be a threat for a state title is big man Tolley. He was 4th last year and

will enter 2014 as a nationally-ranked grappler.

4. Brock Hudkins – 10 – (106) – Danville – Hudkins came off an injury in

his freshman year to place 5th in state. With victories over Smith at re-gional and semi state, Hudkins is a state title contender.

5. Ty Fleener – 12 – (126) – Center Grove – The physical Fleener picked

up state hardware in 2013 and will look to move up the podium while pro-

viding leadership for the Trojans. 6. Bailey Schober – 12 – (126) – Greenwood – Schober put together one

of the best postseasons in recent memory. He was a sectional runner-up,

and fourth at both regional and semi state before placing 8th at state.

7. Norman Oglesby – 11 – (285) – Ben Davis – The storm rising on Indy's west side is Giant big man Oglesby. He powered his way to regional and

semi state crowns before a narrow loss to the eventual state runner-up on

Friday night at state.

8. Rudy Harris – 12 – (195) – South Putnam – Harris was somewhat of an underdog in 2013 but this Eagle stud should be highly ranked and on

everyone's radar after a state qualifying effort last year.

9. Evan Elmore – 12 – (170) – Avon – Coach Blevins and staff will have

state qualifier Elmore back for 2014. A loss on Friday night will no doubt motivate this Oriole to stand on the podium.

10. Seth Ferguson – 12 – (145) – Martinsville – The Artesians made a

return to Banker's Life after a couple year absence with Ferguson’s state

qualifying effort.

Others to Watch Avon – Bailey Chatterton(106), Brian Rassbach(113), Nick Etienne (120), Quinn Harris(126). Ben Davis – Daniel McCarty(106), Jacob Wynkoop

(113), Jaylen Roth(126), Dylan Lydy(145), Dakota Williams(220).

Brownsburg – Johnny Cimmerman(138), CJ Damler(152), Stone Neese

(170), Brandon Weber(195). Cascade – Hunter Fox(113), Zach Batts(138), Casey Fox(152). Center Grove – Zach Blevins(113), Chapman Johnson

(170). Cloverdale – Jake Wyatt(126), Wade Warren(152). Danville – Kyle

Smith (120), Isaiah Scherrer(145), Kody Caudle(182), Autry Pickens(195).

Decatur Central – Josh Denny(220). Franklin – Shane Wilkerson(113), Matt Wyrick(145), Jacob Brownfield(195), McBrian Groler(285). Green-

castle – Ryley Cook(106), Aaron Langdon(160). Greenwood – Jon

Schrader(170). Indian Creek – Devin Hupp(113), Spencer Hensley(120),

Elijah Dunn(145), Austin Wethington(182) Martinsville – Isaac Under-wood(152), Levi Hess(160), Ben Schoolcraft(195), Tyler Able(285). Mon-

rovia – Rowan Gast-Bray(113). Mooresville – Blake Davis(106), Brody

Boles(120), Trace Rooks(138), Randy Scott(195),Braxton Croley(220).

North Putnam – Trae Straziscar(106). Plainfield – Isaac Gomez(106), Corin McKee(132), Dayton Clements(152), Tristan Southwood(195), Cam-

eron Lusk(220), Justin Massie (285). South Putnam – Nick Owen(120),

Chris Migliana(160), Jacob Williams(220). Tri-West – Rick Perry(145).

Whiteland – Dezman Goddard(145).

DJ Smith(right) is a key returner for the Franklin Grizzly Cubs.


The Bloomington South Panthers have been the bullies in this

regional for some time. Last season was no different as they won

by nearly 100 points over Jasper. The Panthers lose some heavy

hitters from last year's squad but return enough to be considered

preseason front-runners. Jasper will likely close the gap and is

probably the only team in this regional to have a shot at upsetting

Bloomington South, should the Panthers falter.

Six state qualifiers and two state-placers return in this regional.

Dakota Thacker is the highest returning placer after finishing 5th last

season. Devin Broukal's move to the Panthers’ lair has been fruitful

and he has two 7th place medals to prove it. Our dark horse state

champion candidate is Edgewood's Damien Chambers. If he is at

182 this season, he has an excellent chance to wrestle under the

lights.

Behind South and Jasper, there are several teams that return a

slew of talent. Terre Haute South, Southridge and Washington will

all vie for third place in the team race.

Top 5 Teams

1. Bloomington South – The Bloomington South

Panthers rode a wave of success in 2013. They picked up sectional,

regional and semi state team titles and finished ninth in the state.

With new head coach Mike Runyon, there is plenty of talent to keep

them among the state’s elite. Leading the charge will be seniors

Dakota Thacker (182) Devin Broukal (132) and Gus Dajani (285)

2. Jasper – Coach Rick Stenftenagel has stepped down, but

the cupboard is far from bare for new coach Jace Brescher. The

Wildcats return a whopping seven grapplers who advanced to the

Evansville semi state. Senior state qualifiers Nathan Schitter (120)

and Grant Brescher (145) will be working hard to be state placers

this year.

3. Terre Haute South – The Braves finished second to

Bloomington South in the sectional and return a very strong core of

grapplers for 2014. Senior Phoenix Adams (138) was one match

away from a berth in the state finals

4. Southridge – The Raiders finished second behind rival

Jasper in last year's sectional and appear to be the second best team

in the sectional this year as well. Eight regional qualifiers and three

semi staters return for 2014. Heavyweight Ethan Schwoeppe, and

fellow seniors Jacob Mundy and Andy Fischer will pace the

Raiders.

5. Washington – The Hatchets have put together solid

teams over the past few years, but have yet to have that

breakthrough wrestler at the state level. Will 2013 semi state

qualifiers Ryan Koerner (113) or Richard Osha (145) be able to

make an appearance in Indy?


1. Dakota Thacker – 12 – (182) – Bloomington South – This burly

Panther senior has already qualified for state twice and finished 5th last year; a real threat for a state title.

2. Devin Broukal – 12 – (132) – Bloomington South – Broukal already

has two 7th place medals to his credit. He will be aiming for even more in

2014. 3. Damien Chambers – 12 – (182) – Edgewood – Chambers is a stud on

the track as well as the mat. He has beaten Thacker and will look to bring

home hardware this

year.

4. Griffin Schermer –

11 – (182) –

Bloomington South –

The third Panther in the

top ten is also the third returning state qualifier.

Schermer won't be

satisfied with just a

Friday night appearance this year.

5. Nathan Schitter – 12

– (120) – Jasper – This

Wildcat had an outstanding junior

season, which ended

with a Friday night loss

at Banker's Life.

6. Grant Brescher – 12

– (145) – Jasper –

Schitter wasn't lonely at

state, as teammate Brescher also qualified.

Both will be aiming

higher in 2014.

7. Phoenix Adams – 12

– (138) – Terre Haute

South – The top gun in

South's room, Adams

piled up nearly 40 wins on his way to the ticket round at Evansville.

8. Ben Auberry – 12 - (132) – North Knox – Auberry got hot in the

postseason and nearly earned a state berth. With added confidence, look for big things from him.

9. Cory “Mr. Wonderful” Orndorff – 12 – (120) – Sullivan – Orndorff

won a regional title last year and no doubt has his sights set on Indy in

2014 10. Gus Dajani – 12 – (285) – Bloomington South – The Panther big man

won a regional title on his home mat and is a real threat to join his

teammates in Indy this year.

Others to Watch Bedford North Lawrence – Dylan Robertson(106), Jesse Knoblaugh(145),

Jason Main(152), Nick Joyner(220). Bloom. North – Morgan McGlothlin

(106), David Ray(126), Hunter Dalton(152). Bloom. South – Ross Abram

(145). Crawford County – Andrew Patton(120). Edgewood – Dillon

Deckerd(132), Gabe Koontz (160). Forest Park – Josh Thomas(106),

Landon Fleck(113), Winston Glenn(126), Phillip Rogier (132). Jasper –

Dillon Hurst(106), Tommy Brock(113), Ruger Kersteins(138), Cole Kreilein

(160), Ian Songer(1820, Moises Valenciano(195). Mitchell – Tanner

Simpson(106), Trevin Grissom(132), Michael Tedrow(145), Devin Cobb

(160), Caelan England(285). Northview – Cale McCoy(106), Shane Ryan

(113), Stephen Gibson(120). North Knox – Jon Brown(138), Joey Thomas

(145), Austin Miller(182), Ethan Edington(220), Noah Miller(285). Owen

Valley – William Newforth(145), Ethan Yates (160). Paoli – Tristan Murphy

(126), Nathan Burton(120), Mark Miles(285). Salem – Ian Fetz(145).

Southridge – Mitchell Mundy(126), Michael Boyd(132), Aiden Michel

(160), Bryce Harter(170), Alex Merkel(220). Sullivan – John Sullivan

(160). Terre Haute North – Gavin John(113), Tyler Gilmore(152), Evan

Bedwell(220). Terre Haute South – Darin Pemberton(113), David Lewis

(120), Ian Newton (145), Duane Deerwester (170), Ryan Moshak(182).

Washington – Edgar Meza(132), Isaac Drew(138), Jake Owens(160),

Cameron Meade(182), Edwin Revolorio(195). West Vigo – Doug Wilkins

(126), Dakota Short(195).

Devin Broukal(right) will be looking to

bring his third state medal back this year.


2013 was a good year for the Highlanders of Floyd Central.

They were finally able to top their conference and neighborhood

rivals, Jeffersonville, at both the sectional and regional levels.

Floyd Central's closest competition came from Columbus East.

Without a doubt, these two programs will be in the mix for a re-

gional crown in 2014.

The top individual in the regional will once again be Corydon

Central's Bailey Lahue. Can the two-time medalist bring a title to

the Old Capitol city? Madison's Jordan Partee and Jeffersonville's

Gavin Jolly-Little appear to be additional good bets for a spot on

the podium.

In the team race, there are really no clear cut favorites this year.

All of the top five teams return essentially the same number of

grapplers to their line-ups. Incoming freshmen and the amount of

off season work will likely be the difference in 2014.

Top 5 Teams

1. Columbus East – The Olympians return state quali-

fier Dalton Noblitt (126) and regional champ Jimmy Fisher (170) to

the room for 2014. Will they find the supporting cast to upend

Floyd Central for the regional crown?

2. Floyd Central – Coach Sisson rode a fine senior class

to both sectional and regional crowns in 2013. The Highlanders

face a rebuilding effort, but should not drop off drastically, thanks

to the efforts of semi state ticket-rounder Chase Herron (160) and

regional champ Cory Troutman (138).

3. Madison – Led by regional top-tenners Jordan Partee

(152) and Mitchell Sandlin (195), Coach Skinner's Cub squad will

be a threat in this regional. Semi state qualifier Chris Tingle (138)

also returns.

4. Jeffersonville – The Red Devils also graduated a deep

senior class last year, but the deepest team in the regional will have

adequate replacements. State qualifier Gavan Jolly-Little and fel-

low seniors David Fridley (160) and Brandon Spangler (182) return

to help Coach Struck's squad return to the top of the heap.

5. Columbus North – The Bulldogs might return the

most of any team in this regional, but lack the top end studs to make

a run for the regional crown. That is, unless semistate qualifiers

Evan Speaker (106), Andrew Jones (152), Luke Teague (182) and

Brandon Woods (220) can prove us wrong.


1. Bailey Lahue – 11 – (120) – Corydon Central – There was certainly no

sophomore slump for Lahue, as he moved up one podium spot to 4th in

2013. Lahue can challenge for a state title. 2. Jordan Partee - 12 - (152) – Madison – One of the state's premier long

jumpers, Partee qualified for state in 2013 and only a narrow Friday night

loss separated him and state hardware.

3. Gavan Jolly-Little – 12 – (285) - Jeffersonville – The big Red Devil is a nationally-decorated freestyle wrestler who qualified for state in 2013. A

place on the Banker’s Life podium is likely in 2014.

4. Dalton Noblitt – 12 – (126) – Columbus East – Noblitt put together a

fine 39-9 record and qualified for state. This Olympian will strive for a spot on the podium in 2014.

5. Chase Herron – 12 – (160) – Floyd Central – Herron is the first of two

returning Highlanders that appear on the top ten list. He was a ticket round

participant and will lead Floyd Central in 2014. 6. Matt Ruddick – 12 – (145) – Seymour – Ruddick had a nice postseason

run for the Owls and placed 6th at the semi state.

7. Mitchell Sandlin – 12 – (195) – Madison – Mad town places their sec-

ond grappler in the top-10. Sandlin was a regional champ and could make a run for state in '14.

8. Cory Troutman – 12 – (138) – Floyd Central – Troutman joins team-

mate Herron in the top ten as a regional champ and will lead the High-

lander's defense of their sectional and regional crown. 9. Jacob Franklin – 12 – (160) – New Washington – Franklin was NW's

first regional champ and will be working hard to become their first state

finalist in 2014.

10. Jimmy Fisher – 12 – (170) – Columbus East – Fisher fashioned a fine

28-10 record on his way to a regional crown in 2013. He will be looking

for bigger and better results in 2014

Others to Watch Brown County – Austin Ely(113), Austin Walsh(120), Cody Leeper(132), Aaron Lanfair(145). Charlestown – Luke Woods (106), Bryant Haynes

(120), Zach Higdon(160), Dakota Stevenson (285). Christian Academy –

Daniel Doty(126). Columbus East – Will Conner(106), Jake Martindale

(113), Cody Reichenba(138), Maurice Dantzier(160). Columbus North –

Will Speaker(113), Cody Speaker(120) Jacob Lashley(138). Corydon Cen-

tral – Mason Kaufer(106), Ezra Paden(132), Wyler Taylor(182), Tristen

Blake(195). Eastern(Pekin) – Jordan Gray(113), Brayton Brading (152),

Brian Arnold(220). Floyd Central – Sean Brown(113), Austin Ward(126), Franklin Korte(285). Greensburg – Brandon Butz(113), Jordan Smiley

(126), Joe Buening(152), Colton Blake (182), Drew Neisius(195), Nathan

Hayes(285). Jeffersonville – Stevie Jones (106), Xavier Weekley(126),

Brandon Spangler(182), Gary Gaines(220). Jennings County – Kyle Lewis(106), Ethan Herrin(132), John Flynn(145), Jacob Cheesebrew(170),

Dakota Bott(182), Colton Castetter(220). Madison – Trenton Dempler

(120), Chayce Young(132), Tanner Young(160), Hunter Sego(170). New

Albany – Damon Dillon(113), Bryce Peavler(120), Randall Lynch(132), Hunter Castleberry(145), Hunter Langley(152), David Harrison(182). New

Washington – James Wise(126), Yancey Crase(145). Providence – Brett

Kempf(145), Matt Hayes(182), Robbie Logsdon(220). Scottsburg – Zach

Adams(132), Kolby Mount(285). Southwestern – Austin Spray(138). Switzerland County – Tylor Thomas(220). Seymour – Matt Scheumann

(220).

Bailey Lahue(top) is the top returner in this regional.


The Castle Regional retains its status as one of the toughest region-

als in the state. This is especially true at the lighter weights. 2012-

13’s top wrestler from this regional was Castle's Luke Welch. He

has graduated and taken his talents to West Lafayette, where he will

join his brothers on the Purdue squad.

Nine state-qualifying grapplers return in 2013-14 and tops among

these is two-time medalist Brenden Kelley of Evansville Central.

Castle's Jacob Brown and Heritage Hills' Jake Rickenbaugh also

have state medals on their resume. All eyes will be on Mater Dei's

heralded freshman Nick Lee. No frosh will likely make a bigger

impact in the entire state in 2014.

Top 5 Teams

1. Evansville Mater Dei – The storied Mater Dei

program has not been a major factor in the state-wide scene in a few

years and last year was the first in memory where they did not have

a state placer. The Wildcats were still deep enough to win team

sectional, regional and semi state titles, and they return enough

horsepower to put themselves back on the state's radar in a hurry.

Senior Josh Pierre (132), juniors Ashton Forzley (152) and Alex

Johnson (120) return with state experience. Frosh Nick Lee has the

skills to wrestle under the lights.

2. Evansville Central – In 2013-14 Evansville Central

will be loaded for “bear” (no pun intended). Led by the 1-2 punch

of Brendon Kelley (145) and Isaiah Kemper (138), the Bears will

look to rise in the regional team rankings. Semi state qualifiers

Keenan McDaniel (126), Jacob Smith (152) and Caleb Hart (195)

bring plenty of extra firepower to their lineup

3. Evansville Reitz – Some doubted the Panthers’ abil-

ity to reload last year and they proved doubters wrong with a sec-

tional title. They must replace a large part of their lineup again and

will do so with the help of senior state streeter Josh Davis (120).

Ticket round junior Tyler Ferguson (106) could make some noise if

he is at 106 again. Ferguson’s classmate Alex Riegel (138) also

returns as sectional champ and semi state qualifier.

4. Heritage Hills – The boys from Santa Claus have

most definitely not been fat and jolly these past few years. They

have developed a very solid wrestling program. The Patriots return

a fine nucleus which includes state placer Jake Rickenbaugh (170)

and fellow senior and regional champ Gabe Konerding (182).

5. Castle – Longtime Knights head honcho Bob Harmon

must rebuild much of his lineup for 2013-14, but the cupboard is

never bare on Evansville's east side. Jacob Brown (120) has the

experience and past results to be a leader as a senior. Junior Patrick

Schnell (138) was also a state qualifier.


1. Brenden Kelley – 12 - (145) – Evansville Central – Kelley has been

the front man for an up-and-coming Bears program. His two state medals

and unorthodox style make him a threat to wrestle under the lights in 2014.

2. Nick Lee – 9 - (126) – Mater Dei – Lee comes into his first year of high school wrestling with high expectations. His success on the national level

warrants the fanfare. He has been a champ at Tulsa, a FILA Cadet runner-

up and a Flo All-American.

3. Jacob Brown – 12 - (113) – Castle – The torch has been passed from the Welch clan to Brown when it comes to leading the Castle program.

4. Jake Rickenbaugh – 12 – (170) – Heritage Hills – The stout Rick-

enbaugh broke out at the state level after winning sectional, regional and

semi state crowns. An injury Saturday morning at state prevented a higher placing in 2013.

5. Isaiah Kemper – 11 – (138) – Evansville Central – Kemper joined his

practice partner Kelley at state in 2013. Another year of practicing daily

with a stud should prepare Kemper for more in '14. 6. Josh Davis – 12 – (120) – Reitz – Another in a long line of talented

Reitz lightweights, Davis piled up over 50 wins on his way to a Friday

night appearance at state in 2013.

7. Ashton Forzley – 11 – (152) – Mater Dei – Forzley came on strong in

the postseason and won a regional title. He parlayed this into a state berth

and will strive for a medal in 2013

8. Patrick Schnell – 11 - (138) – Castle – Schnell also got hot in the post-season and, despite a 3rd place finish at regional, he was able to place 4th at

semi state to secure his first trip to state.

9. Josh Pierre – 12 – (132) – Mater Dei – Pierre is a former state qualifier

for the Wildcats who battled through an injury-plagued season. Look for him to return to form in 2014.

10. Gabe Konerding – 12 – (182) – Heritage Hills – Konderding was a

regional champ with only one loss on his record, unluckily obtained when

he ran into a deep field of talented 182s at semi state. A state medal is likely this year.

Others to Watch Boonville – Jarrod Hemmings (126), Charlie Allen (138), Damon Buxton

(170), Andy Smith(195). Castle – Luke Doud (126), Turner Lockyear(170),

Kale McCormick(285). Evansville Bosse – Tyson Nesbitt (195). Evansville

Central – Lake Phillips(106), Hunter McCormick (120), AJ Dixon(132).

Evansville Harrison – Christian McNett(106), Terrance Kyles(285). Evans-

ville Mater Dei – Josh Clem(106), Mitch Lehman(113), Blake Jourdan(126),

Logan Weinzapfel(145), Sam Bassemier(182), Kyle Dennis(220). Evansville

Memorial – Hunter Arney(120), Luke Petrig (145), Tyler Stotlar (182) Blake

Brown (195), Jeremy Barnes (220). Evansville North – Josh Elders(120),

Ryan Francis(170). Evansville Reitz – Kyle Todrank(126), Will VanHook

(152). Gibson Southern – Logan Dilbeck(106), Christian Pellacer (113),

Kaleb Greenwell (120), Hunter Baehl (126), Alex Huelsman(138), Cory

Klem(195). Heritage Hills – Garret Vaal(106), Levi Schulz (132), Cordell

Miller (138), Ryan Fisher (195). Mount Vernon – Noah Keller(113), Julian

Suar(120), Dane Wilson(126), Payton Whoberry. North Posey – Shane

Martin (170). Princeton – Korbin Karges (132). South Spencer – Jason

Davis(106), Jake Burden (160), RJ Shaw(220). Tecumseh – Zach Graham

(113), Adam Lytle (195). Tell City – Cody Osborne (285). Vincennes Lin-

coln – Joel Nawl (106), Rashawn Jefferson (195). Wood Memorial – Lane

Stocker(113).

Brenden Kelley(left) is one of the top returners in the state this year.


Unlike any other sport wrestling is not just something that you do

for a few hours a day, it is a lifestyle. The wrestling lifestyle is

something that once you are hooked, you are hooked for life. When

I see a lot of my past wrestlers they always tell me how they miss

wrestling the most of all the sports they played. I graciously smile

and tell them once it is in your blood it never comes out. For people

outside of the sport they cannot even come close to comprehending

what this sport is about. Trying to explain to them how a takedown

is scored or how a pin occurs is easy, but explaining how we are

one big family…well that is futile. There are many people around

myself that know the passion I have for the sport, but in all honestly

they don’t know the PASSION I have for the sport.

Just last week my wife and I had the opportunity to attend a

college teammate’s wedding. This was the first time my wife was

exposed to a big group of my former college teammates. Was I a

little nervous? Of course, I wasn’t sure which stories she would get

to hear. When we were driving home she told me how she was

surprised at how much of a family we were. She could tell just from

those few hours that we each had each other’s backs and would do

anything for one another. She then got to hear about how close we

really were. During the season the only people we hang out with are

wrestlers because no one else can understand what we are going

through. No one else can understand why we do crazy things like

cut weight or wake up at 6am for a run. No one else can understand

that you and your teammate exchanged punches an hour ago, yet

now you are both going for a run to drop those last couple pounds.

Even after being around this sport for five years my wife gained a

new understanding for what it means to be a wrestler.

There was no better example of how big and how powerful the

wrestling family is, when the IOC announced they were eliminating

wrestling from the Olympics. The week of the state finals we were

dealt a blow that would change us not only presently, but in the

future. The outpouring of support from all across the globe and

even here domestically was astounding. People that had never

wrestled before even would bring it up to me and ask how the

oldest sport could be dropped from the Olympics. As with many of

you I was dumbfounded and bewildered at the IOC decision.

Through great efforts by many people however, it was announced

that we are back in the Olympics. As a sport we learned a lot about

ourselves and even more so came together to fight for one common

goal. That is what the wrestling family is all about.

As the season gets underway our family will have a few

disagreements along the way, but never forget that the common

bond of being a wrestler will not be broken. After going through the

magazine and putting the pages together I get antsy thinking about

the practices, meets and even those last 14 matches under the

spotlight. The season is here and before we know it we will be

crowning 14 new state champions. This season has the makings of

some great action from the beginning to the end. Looking through

the rankings I can’t wait to see how the weight classes shake out.

Along with the individual races, it looks like the team state title is

going be a doozy.

Lastly, I need to hand out several thank yous for this great

magazine. The first thing you see is the cover and that was done by

Rich Ramirez at Cinemagic Sportsline. They obviously do

outstanding work and are more than your average team pictures.

The guts of the magazine were the handiwork of Chad

Hollenbaugh, Cameron Drury and I. Chad does a bulk of the

regionals and has done a spectacular job with them in each version

of the magazine. Cameron is an awesome writer that has the ability

to captivate and excite you in only a couple sentences. He has also

proofread and corrected every item in the magazine. Our ranking

guys are second to none and they definitely deserve lots of credit.

Dane Fueling has done a wonderful job with the team rankings

since day one of the website. Being able to analyze team results

from all over the state takes an immense amount of time on top of

teaching and raising a herd of Decbells. Mike Reiser has yet again

started the season out with a great set of individual rankings. He is a

huge fan of the sport and loves to discuss it with all of the fans

across the state. Don’t hesitate to contact him if you have some

information that would help with the rankings. He takes them very

seriously and will use every bit of information to put out each set of

rankings. The pictures in the magazine are also top notch and I

would not be able to put such a great magazine together without

Paul Tincher. He took almost every picture that is in here other than

a couple and does a great job. If you see him at a meet snapping

shots, don’t hesitate to say hi and thank him. Also thanks go to the

Northwest News’ Ryan Schwab for the two pictures he provided.

One last thank you goes to my family. My wife has been nothing

but supportive of this little website endeavor I took on five years

ago. She has even become quite a little tournament assistant. That

isn’t too shabby considering the first time she attended a wrestling

match was a little over five years ago. Of course everyone has seen

our great gear model, Annabella. She does a great job modeling all

our gear and even does it with a smile on her face. Watch out

though, she does have a mean double leg!

I hope you enjoy this year’s magazine and enjoy this great season

of wrestling.

Prepared by MagCloud for david mohr. Get more at jtcaprino.magcloud.com.

Documents

4. Top Seniors - Snider Wrestlingsniderwrestling.weebly.com/uploads/1/7/4/1/... · @IndianaMat 2013 IndianaMat Preview Magazine- 3 Above: Yorktown’s Eli Walker and Evansville Central’s