DANE FUELLING
WZBD.com
19 individuals from Adams County and Heritage’s Andrew Mirelez remain standing in this 2024 IHSAA postseason for high school wrestling. Each of them will have to win two bouts Saturday at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum to advance to the IHSAA State Finals in Evansville.
Across the Hoosier State, 891 boys and five girls are still alive, but that number will be trimmed down to 224 total over the course of five exciting hours at four different sites across the state.
Girls still remaining in the IHSAA State Tournament
- # 2 Julianna O’Campo – New Haven – 106 lbs. (33-1)
- #9 Joy Cantu – Merrillville – 106 lbs. (19-11)
- Isabel Kaplan – West Lafayette – 113 lbs. (28-6)
- #4 Kendall Moe – Hamilton Heights – 106 lbs. (21-5)
- #3 Heather Crull – Northeastern – 106 lbs. (48-0)
WZBD will have coverage of the entire day at the Fort Wayne site, beginning with the first round on our YouTube channel. WZBD and WPGW, our mother station in Portland, are two of only three stations across the state covering a semi-state Saturday.
To get our mat fans excited for Saturday, here is a breakdown of each of the quarter brackets involving a county wrestler:
106 pounds
#8 Charlie Fleshman (Central Noble) (37-4) vs. Titus Loshe (South Adams) (22-10)
Jiler Gould (Leo) (25-9) vs. Manny Mora (Oak Hill) (28-5)
Fleshman and Loshe met in the semifinals at the ECIC, which was heard on WZBD back in December. Fleshman scored a takedown and a fall in 1:29 in that match, but Loshe has shown a lot of improvement since then and this certainly is not an automatic #1 over a #4, especially considering the strength of the field Loshe had to contend with at the Jay County regional.
#3 Rex Moore (Manchester) (32-0) vs. Boston Blake (Carroll (FW)) (12-8)
#10 Myles Kaehr (Adams Central) (31-9) vs. #7 Cole Carper (Jimtown) (31-5)
Kaehr will match up with a first-round opponent who has nearly an identical build, which should make for a great match early in the morning. Myles was 28-14 last season and has improved exponentially this season, earning a spot in the semi-state rankings for most of the year.
Moore was a state qualifier last season and would be a tough challenge as an undefeated opponent in the ticket round, but AC fans should find hope in the score between Moore and #4 Daigan Barbosa (Cowan) earlier this year. Moore kept his undefeated record with a 4-0 win over Barbosa, whose season ended at regional in a 12-8 loss to Kaehr.
113 pounds
#5 Kaleb Salazar (Wawasee) (37-3) vs. Brady Shannon (Western) (23-18)
Kale Beer (Adams Central) (31-10) vs. #4 Abrum Swathwood (Garrett) (33-4)
The Adams Central freshman has done well to reach this stage of the tournament and will have a chance to really make a name for himself Saturday if he can knock off both Swathwood and Salazar to reach Evansville. Swathwood has a claim to fame this season as holding the only victory over Julianna O’Campo among boys or girls.
Salazar was seeded in the top spot at the Al Smith but was defeated by Swathwood, the #8 seed. They met again the second day and Swathwood won again in the fifth-place match, 17-4.
120 pounds
Blake Byerley (East Noble) (24-4) vs. Kameron Baker (Garrett) (32-5)
#4 Brayden Raber (Maconaquah) (32-5) vs. #5 Henry Faurote (Bellmont) (33-9)
Faurote got into this bracket by knocking off the #2, Kaid Jackson of Delta, so that makes this quarter bracket interesting. Looking at the results of the last two weekends, there’s no doubt that the top two ranked wrestlers (if they would update them for this weekend) would be Tanner Tishner of Western and Jordan Korreckt of North Miami.
Raber has now lost all four matches against Korreckt this season and Faurote has more matches against top opponents than anyone else in this quarter bracket. If Faurote can beat Raber in the opening round, Bellmont fans should be excited about the freshman’s prospects in the ticket round. Henry majored Byerley in the NE8 Duals.
132 pounds
#2 Carter Fielden (Garrett) (33-4) vs. #5 Brason Schortgen (Adams Central) (37-4)
#8 Devon Adkins (Oak Hill) (37-3) vs. Lynkyn Ratcliff (NorthWood) (27-10)
132 was just plain tough at the Jay County Regional, with four of the top six wrestlers in the semi-state advancing to the Coliseum. Unfortunately for Schortgen, he had to settle for fourth place in that group, leaving him with a 2 out of 3 chance of having to wrestle Tye Linser or Carter Fielden in the opening round.
The draw is Fielden and he is a returning state placer, making this an awfully difficult match for the talented AC freshman. Fielden is a pinning machine, but Brason will have a chance to be the bad draw around 9:30 Saturday morning.
138 pounds
#2 Linkin Carter (Eastside) (42-2) vs. Gabrial Newland (Kokomo) (36-14)
#5 Maverick Dubach (Adams Central) (35-6) vs. Matthew Senn (Fairfield) (28-8)
Dubach’s opening-round match looks to be favorable, but he will have a tough matchup against Eastside’s Linkin Carter. The only wrestler in the state of Indiana to beat Carter this year has been Chesterton’s Hayden DeMarco, who is ranked #3 in the state at 132.
Mav will want to be careful, however, not to overlook Senn and falter. Senn has kept it close with Carter both times they wrestled and should not be ignored just because of a lack of a semi-state ranking.
Anyone who has watched Dubach wrestle over the past two years knows that he certainly possesses the talent to compete with anyone in the state in the top ten at 138. Mav will leave it all on the mat and could be a pleasant surprise for those predicting a number of qualifiers from Adams County.
Tyson Kendall (Oak Hill) (38-2) vs. #8 Andrew Mirelez (Heritage) (24-4)
#7 Taiden Chambers (West Noble) vs. #3 Justin Boone (Yorktown) (33-3)
Mirelez could have drawn Tony Wood in this bracket, but instead gets unranked Tyson Kendall of Oak Hill.
It’s been a decade since the Patriots had a state qualifier on the boys’ side and Mirelez will likely have to pull off an upset of Justin Boone of Yorktown to do it.
144 pounds
#5 Colt Bollenbacher (South Adams) (26-3) vs. Aiden Pesick (Concordia Lutheran) (30-8)
Cohen Lundy (Elkhart) (21-8) vs. David Conner (Kokomo) (42-7)
Bollenbacher was rightfully rewarded perhaps the best draw in the tournament after his excellent performance last week at regional.
There’s little analysis to offer in this quarter bracket. It’s Colt’s to win and if he wrestles anywhere near the level he has the last three weekends, then he will be representing the southern half of Adams County in Evansville. The Starfires have been missing from State in the last three years, but they will hopefully be back as Colt follows in the footsteps of his dad, Ramsey, who qualified for state back in 2000 for South Adams.
#9 Emilio Liscano (Oak Hill) (38-2) vs. #7 Jadon Teague (DeKalb) (20-7)
#6 Sam Wolpert (Bellmont) (34-7) vs. #8 Ethan Fike (Eastside) (41-6)
It’s hard to overstate how big of a deal it is for Kolten Rhonemus of Delta to be dropping out of this weight. Instead of facing the #1 and undefeated Easton Doster, Sam Wolpert becomes the favorite to reach the State Finals.
The quarter bracket is wide open. Wolpert and Fike wrestled one of the scrappiest dogfights of the season way back in November at the Goshen Duals and Wolpert escaped with a 2-0 win. Fans should expect much of the same, with Wolpert going after Fike from on top with the legs.
If Sam can advance, he could face Teague in the ticket round. Those two were the top two seeds at the NE8 tournament, but Teague was injured in the quarterfinals and could not continue in the bracket.
Liscano may be the wrestler ranked lowest in the semi-state rankings shown, but Mike Reiser of IndianaMat has Liscano ranked #18 in the state overall, higher than the other three.
This is now, without a doubt, one of the best and most competitive quarter brackets in the tournament. Don’t miss it.
150 pounds
#1 Brock Hagewood (Prairie Heights) (35-2) vs. Daniel Espinosa (Leo) (17-15)
Isaiah Korba (Peru) (17-17) vs. #7 Blake Luginbill (Bellmont) (32-9)
It is quite frankly poetic justice that Luginbill will have an opportunity to avenge his loss to Isaiah Korba of Peru Saturday. Luginbill had his sights set on advancing through the consolation bracket at 150 at the Al Smith when he was knocked off by Korba on the first day. Luginbill had a lead and a tight cradle that looked like a sure fall, but didn’t get the call, then was suddenly pinned by Korba.
This will be Blake’s third trip to the Coliseum. He reached the ticket round as a sophomore and if he does it again as a senior, he will likely face the top-ranked wrestler in the semi-state in Brock Hagewood. The only two blemishes on Hagewood’s season are a pair of close decision losses at the Al Smith. If that match does happen, Luginbill will attempt to keep the match as low-scoring as possible to have a chance.
#6 Aidan Elkins (New Haven) (36-3) vs. #10 Porter Kleeberg (Central Noble) (30-12)
Max Byerly (Adams Central) (26-14) vs. Ty Galvin (Maconaquah) (29-7)
Byerly and Galvin met at New Haven and Galvin controlled the match, winning 8-3. Coach Currie will no doubt have watched the tape several times with Byerly in order to close that gap. If Byerly can avenge that loss, he will wrestle Elkins or Kleeberg for the first time.
Max has had a knack for sticking around all season long and will likely not be given much of a chance to advance by the others in this group, but that may be exactly what he wants. If the Jets have pulled off some upsets earlier in the morning by the time Max has stepped on the mat, he could use that to his advantage.
157 pounds
#3 Kevon Russell (Snider) (34-5) vs. Riley Cearbaugh (Prairie Heights) (18-16)
Conner Kissell (Marion) (21-3) vs. #5 Isaiah Meyer (South Adams) (30-4)
Meyer may be ranked lower than Russell, but this is, without a doubt, one of those great potential toss-up ticket round matches of two guys who can wrestle on their feet. Both will need to win in the first round, of course, but Meyer should be aided by the euphoria that will come when Bollenbacher wins in the ticket round, taking the Starfire pressure off the sophomore 157.
The winner of this quarter bracket also has the added incentive of a potential route to the finals, with Mitchell Betz and Gavin Davis on the opposite half of the bracket.
This could be a memorable bracket for Starfire fans.
#2 Gavin Davis (Bellmont) (25-0) vs. Ty Korporal (Eastbrook) (25-11)
#7 Brennon Whickcar (Elkhart) (27-5) vs. #8 Luke Gleave (Bishop Dwenger) (26-7)
Gavin has not wrestled any of these three opponents this season, but he will still be a heavy favorite to advance back to the State Finals. Concerns will remain surrounding his shoulder, but Davis looked on top of his game in the semifinals and finals last week.
There has been some discussion in some circles about what steps Davis may take to protect his shoulder, but it is likely that Davis will leave it all on the mat if he does qualify for state again. Would he help himself by defaulting against his nemesis, Betz? That doesn’t seem to be a likely option for Davis, who will have already accomplished his major season goal.
One thing is certain: when the rumors came out in November that Davis may go under the knife and miss this season, every Bellmont fan would have happily taken 26 matches from Gavin. He’s put himself in position, through all the pain, to qualify for state again, and we should all be thankful he’s been toughing out these wins, because he is a joy to watch on the mat.
165 pounds
#2 Duke Myers (Bellmont) (40-3) vs. Luca Hubley (Bishop Dwenger) (16-13)
Jordan Simon (North Miami) (28-10) vs. #9 Dallas Plattner (East Noble) (29-8)
The Braves will wrestle Dwenger in back-to-back weights when Myers faces Hubley. Duke pinned him in the second period in the December dual and he has dispatched Plattner with bonus point victories twice already this season.
Myers will be the favorite to become just the eighth wrestler in school history to qualify for the State Finals in all four years. Having already defeated the other top wrestlers in the semi-state rankings last week, he is likely to face a rematch in the finals, where he could win a second consecutive semi-state title.
175 pounds
#3 Laish Detwiler (Goshen) (39-1) vs. Vince Lepera (New Haven) (25-18)
#7 Xavior Palacios (Bellmont) (35-9) vs. #6 Hartley Hoover (North Miami) (34-4)
Is anyone willing to count out Palacios at this point in the season? His cradle has been his equalizer and he will likely need to score with it to beat Hoover.
If X can advance, he will need to find a way to get out from underneath Detwiler, who was pretty dominant on the ride back in November when the two met the first time.
Palacios has wrestled his best this year against top competition. His fifth-place finish at the Al Smith was behind #1, #2, #3 and #10 in the state. Don’t count out the sophomore here as he follows up Davis and Myers potentially.
190 pounds
#3 Trevor Currie (Adams Central) (37-4) vs. Connor Leins (East Noble) (25-13)
#1 Chad Washburn (Kokomo) (50-2) vs. #2 Eli Coolman (Leo) (31-1)
There’s only one word that is appropriate to describe TC’s draw for Saturday: cruel.
After defeating Bryce Wenk three straight weekends to win three straight titles, Currie was rewarded with a quarter bracket that included the two guys ranked ahead of him in our semi-state.
Washburn took Currie down in the first period when they met in December and rode him out. Currie chose bottom and was pinned by Washburn in the second period.
In a different draw, these three boys are all medalists in Evansville. Instead, only one will survive.
Knowing the pain Currie has felt at previous semi-states and having watched him wrestle the last three weekends, Currie has a shot to survive this bracket.
215 pounds
#2 Keagan Martin (Bellmont) (41-1) vs. Aiden Hunt (Garrett) (22-12)
Andrew Cavasos (Eastern Greentown) (30-6) vs. #4 Jaxon Copas (Central Noble) (32-4)
Martin reached the finals at the Al Smith, while Hunt won just one match. In a potential ticket-round match with Copas, Martin would be a heavy favorite.
Martin has rarely been pushed in matches where he has been favored. He will look to take care of business and work his way to a rematch in the semi-state semis against Northrop’s Julante Hinton. That match will likely determine the semi-state title.
#7 Preston Duffy (Manchester) (25-3) vs. Brady King (NorthWood) (21-7)
#10 Matt Poiry (New Haven) (35-10) vs. #6 Keegan Bluhm (Adams Central) (13-3)
Whereas Currie was punished with his draw, Bluhm was given a path forward and he is the highest-ranked wrestler in his quarter. He will also be on the opposite side from the two favorites. This gives him a great shot of reaching the finals. Bluhm’s only losses this year are to two top-five guys in the state: Martin (twice) and Alex Deming of Rochester.
285 pounds
#2 James Hartleroad (DeKalb) (28-4) vs. Conner Fernandes (Oak Hill) (31-9)
#9 Vincent Parke (Columbia City) (34-8) vs. #4 Zac Wurm (Adams Central) (26-5)
Hartleroad was the story of the heavyweight bracket last season when he knocked off Juan Cruz. The sophomore went unchallenged through sectional and regional, while Wurm has wrestled in high stakes matches against Cruz for three straight weekends.
Wurm has not seen any of these three this season, but no matter his opponent, he will find the task easier than wrestling Cruz. That should be to Zac’s advantage as he looks to reach the State Finals again, cementing his legacy as one of the best athletes to ever graduate from Adams Central.
#1 Isaiah Coolman (Leo) (24-2) vs. Grady Baker (Bellmont) (22-17)
Kolten Sisk (Tippy Valley) (21-9) vs. Brody Streeter (Northridge) (28-9)
Baker did an outstanding job to advance to the semi-state as a sophomore out of last week’s regional. His task is enormous this week, with Isaiah Coolman no doubt being on the same level of size and strength of Cruz, who pinned Grady in just 11 seconds last week.
Baker will grow with this experience and be one of the top returning wrestlers on next year’s Bellmont team.
