DANE FUELLING
WZBD.com
Tuesday night’s match between two Adams County rivals will be a treat for local wrestling fans, who have rarely had the opportunity to ever see the Bellmont wrestling program wrestling in Berne.
The Braves are unbeaten all-time against South Adams, but the history between the two schools is short in the dual meet format. A pair of three-year series, one in the 1970s and the other in the 2010s, were all that existed in the rivalry until coach Tim Myers set up a dual between the two schools last year. Much of that came from the new format for both the NE8 and the ACAC, where teams now wrestle this coming weekend against all their conference foes.
This Tuesday night date was long the placeholder for a clash between the Braves and the New Haven Bulldogs.
On the mat, the Braves have plenty of momentum and mat time on their side, having knocked off then-#1 Delta Saturday night. The Eagles will be wrestling Jay County at the same time the Starfires host the Braves.
The Starfires, on the other side, have just gotten started in their season, kicking off 2023-24 with a big win over Cowan and then losing to that same Delta team on Thursday night.
The two teams are very familiar with one another as the two middle school teams have wrestled each other regularly for decades. Additionally, new SA head coach Robert Loshe was the middle school coach for years until this season and Bellmont coach Tim Myers is the BMS AD.
South Adams’ talented sophomore class will provide challenges for the Braves, including at 120, where Bellmont frosh Henry Faurote came off a satisfying loss Saturday, taking one for the team and clinching the dual against the Eagles by staying off his back. A match with Dakota Sprunger, who was not in the lineup Thursday against Delta, would be a fun one for the fans, especially when the two young wrestlers are on their feet.
The young Starfires will challenge more experienced Bellmont wrestlers in all the other lightweights until 144, which could be the bout of the night at the StarDome.
At 144, either Sam Wolpert or Colton Bollenbacher will suffer a first loss of the season. Wolpert has been outstanding, but Bollenbacher is a very experienced grappler with hopes of finally breaking through to the State Finals this season.
157 will also be a match to watch with two explosive wrestlers hungry for a victory. Both Bellmont’s Gavin Davis and SA’s Isaiah Meyer are ranked in the Fort Wayne semi-state rankings.
Potential Lineups
(rankings shown are IndianaMat’s Fort Wayne Semi-State rankings)
106-#4 Ben Mills, Fr. (11-2) vs. Titus Loshe, Fr. (0-2)
113-Ethan Curtis, Jr. (8-5) vs. Daniel Rupp, Fr. (1-1)
120-#4 Henry Faurote, Fr. (12-1) vs. Dakota Sprunger, So. (1-0)
126-Will Franze, Jr. (9-4) vs. Braxton Kirchner, So. (1-1)
132-Keven Loshe, Sr. (9-4) vs. Will Patterson, Fr. (0-2)
138-Chandler Thomas, Jr. (6-7) vs. Wyatt Mann, So. (0-2)
144-#4 Sam Wolpert, So. (13-0) vs. Colt Bollenbacher, Sr. (2-0)
150-#7 Blake Luginbill, Sr. (12-1) vs. Mark McKinley, Sr. (0-2)
157-#2 Gavin Davis, Jr. (2-0) vs. #7 Isaiah Meyer, So. (1-1)
165-#1 Duke Myers, Sr. (13-0) vs. Wes Summersett, Fr. (1-1)
175-Xavior Palacios, So. (10-3) vs. Luke Bauman, Jr. (1-1)
190-Cole Mendez, Sr. (10-1) vs. Ethan Riley, Fr. (0-1)
215-#2 Keagan Martin, Sr. (13-0) vs. Bryan Roll, Sr. (2-0)
285-Grady Baker, So. (9-2) vs. Phoenix Boxell, Sr. (1-1)
Tuesday’s match will be broadcast live on WZBD, 92.7 FM.
All-time meetings between Bellmont & South Adams
January 1969 – Bellmont 44 South Adams 10
January 1970 – Bellmont 51 South Adams 0
January 1971 – Bellmont 42 South Adams 10
December 2011 – Bellmont 45 South Adams 29
December 2012 – Bellmont 45 South Adams 33
January 2014 – Bellmont 63 South Adams 12
Last Season – Bellmont 62 South Adams 18