DANE FUELLING
WZBD.com
Head coach Tim Myers will welcome and honor the youngest wrestlers in the Bellmont Wrestling family Friday night, kicking off another season for the program, but it will be some of the youngest wrestlers on his high school team who will have to carry much of the burden with just four seniors in this year’s opening lineup.
Ranked #2 in 2A to start the season, last year’s state runners-up are likely to see as many as six freshmen take to the mat to take on the Warriors, who challenged Bellmont greatly when the two sides last met at the Teepee, rekindling an old rivalry.
The five heaviest weights will be where coach Myers and his staff bring the experience and it could bode awfully well for the Braves, with Wawasee likely to send out a set of heavier weights with little varsity experience.
The Friday night dual, something coach Myers strove for when re-working the BHS schedule some years ago, will kick off a very busy opening ten days to the season. Many of the junior varsity wrestlers will weigh in Friday night, pick up a match in front of the home crowd, then board the bus in the morning for a JV meet at Jay County. The team will then weigh in again Tuesday at Fort Wayne Snider before attempting to avoid the turkey and the stuffing over the holiday to be prepared for ten duals at Goshen on Black Friday and Saturday.
Five captains were chosen for this year’s squad, with all five reaching semi-state last year. Gavin Davis will be the headline name in the Braves’ lineup after qualifying for state the last two seasons. His career record of 87-13 puts him in the Top 25 of the program’s all-time win percentage list and it would be a shock if he did not improve that 87% rate in his final season, which he begins ranked #6 in the state. Davis is slated to wrestle 165 this year and looks as mean and tough as ever, but more importantly, he also is as healthy as ever, leading this team into 2025.
Three juniors join Davis as captain with hopes of taking the next step and reaching Indianapolis as 11th graders. Xavior Palacios, Grady Baker and Sam Wolpert each wrestled at the Coliseum last season, with Palacios and Wolpert reaching the ticket round. Xavior will wrestle up at 190 this season, while Baker will retain his role as the team’s heavyweight. Wolpert is recovering from injury and will not be ready to toe the line in the season’s opening week.
The final captain is sophomore Henry Faurote, a state qualifier a year ago. Only three wrestlers in program have ever won more matches (35) in their ninth-grade season and Faurote should be even better this season wrestling closer to his natural weight.
Leaders from last year’s middle school team also have this Bellmont coaching staff excited. The ninth graders on the team bring plenty of mat time and experience and many of them have spent the offseason training for wrestling. Jacob Binegar is likely the team’s only option at 106, but should be a great option considering the success he’s already had.
Luke Ruble will slot into the lineup at 120, as will Gabe Myers at 132. Two more freshmen, Kade Cutler and Austin Manley, will represent the middle of the BHS lineup at 150 and 157. Manley figures to retain his spot, while Cutler will give the Braves cover until Wolpert is healthy and ready to come in at 150.
Ben Mills has the spot at 113 after some impressive wins as a freshman. He won 24 matches a year ago at 106.
Ethan Curtis will finish his BHS career as a four-year starter and has won the spot at 120. He has 55 wins in his career and is a guy that the Braves coaches hope will have 30+ this year.
Another senior, Will Franze, returns as a starter at the 144 spot. His experience over the last two seasons as a varsity wrestler and his athleticism will make him a positive in the BHS lineup.
Landon Rich won the toughest wrestle-off on Madison Street Plaza and is the Braves’ man at 175, while senior Ryne Fawbush is excited to see regular time as the guy at 215 for the Braves this year.
The Wawasee Warriors return a couple of guys with big names. Cameron Senter was a state qualifier two years ago and is likely to wrestle 126 Friday night, according to the Wawasee coaches. He made the preseason state rankings (#17) at 132.
Senior Ethan Rodriguez is a three-time semi-state qualifier and has twice wrestled in the ticket round. He is slated to go 150 in the Wawasee provisional lineup and will be glad to see Sam Wolpert’s name out of the lineup after Wolpert handled him last year with a first-period pin.
Carson Nine would be a difficult first varsity match for Austin Manley at 157. Nine won 25 matches a year ago.
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