DANE FUELLING
WZBD.com
GOSHEN – Round One pitted the Braves against Eastside, with the dual meet starting at 175 pounds. The Blazers kept things close with Bellmont last season in this same event, with the Braves prevailing 53-26. Bellmont came out ready to wrestle and Landon Rich set the tone early with a win and the Braves rolled.
Rich scored the opening takedown, then used a cradle in the second period to gain a larger advantage. He chose neutral in the third in a one-point match and used a late takedown and a tilt to put the match away.
Xavior Palacios had little trouble with #19-ranked Job Richman, sticking him with a cradle in just 95 seconds.
At 113, Bellmont got another gritty performance from freshman Bradley Baker, who refused to be turned in the third period and held on for a 10-5 win.
That set the stage for Oliver Faurote, Baker’s classmate, at 120. Trailing for much of the bout, Faurote got a reversal late in the second and the fall to clinch the victory for the team.
Gabe Myers and Kain Carter traded takedowns early in their match at 144, but Myers pulled away for a major decision.
The Braves made a lineup change to start the day, with Sam Wolpert dropping down to 150, pushing Charlie Faurote to 157.
Bellmont 60 Eastside 12
175-Landon Rich (B) d. Corbin Gardner, 13-10
190-Xavior Palacios (B) p. Job Richman, 1:35
215-Connor Mack (E) p. Douglas Hamilton, :45
285-Grady Baker (B) p. Max Clark, 1:01
106-Camron Barger (B) WBF
113-Bradley Baker (B) d. Wyatt Cox, 10-5
120-Oliver Faurote (B) p. Haiden Kintigos, 3:56
126-Ben Mills (B) p. Tommie Trenary, 1:30
132-Luke Ruble (B) p. Trapper Trenary, 5:42
138-Henry Faurote (B) m.d. Noah Dove, 19-7
144-Gabe Myers (B) m.d. Kain Carter, 18-9
150-Sam Wolpert (B) m.d. Braden Gerke, 20-6
157-Charlie Faurote (B) p. Luke Daniels, :55
165-Linkin Carter (E) p. Austin Manley, 3:53
In Round 2, Bellmont took on Lakeland and won convincingly in the main gym.
Ben Mills conceded the opening takedown at 126 but was able to bounce back for a quick fall.
Gabe Myers suffered the first loss of his season against talented Laker freshman Jezra Graber, a state placer at Folkstyle and Middle School State last spring.
#5 Bellmont 62 Lakeland 17
190-Xavior Palacios (B) p. Aidan Givens, 1:34
215-Doug Hamilton (B) WBF
285-Grady Baker (B) p. Dominic Downey, 1:13
106-Camron Barger (B) WBF
113-Bradley Baker (B) p. Matthew Miller, 1:36
120-Oliver Faurote (B) p. Ryder Pierson, 3:19
126-Ben Mills (B) p. Remington Waldron, :42
132-Qwanell Gabriel (L) t.f. Luke Ruble, 17-2
138-Henry Faurote (B) t.f. Quentin Kjendalen, 3:06
144-Jezra Graber (L) p. Gabe Myers, 1:06
150-Sam Wolpert (B) d. Josh Gayheart, 6-1
157-Charlie Faurote (B) p. Patrick Watkins, 4:48
165-Austin Manley (B) p. Douglas Leslie, 1:41
175-Griffin Day (L) p. Braxton Arriaga, 1:46
Round Three saw the Braves head to the auxiliary gym to take on Garrett’s JV team. With three forfeits in the lineup, the Railroaders were no competition for the Braves, who admittedly would have rather wrestled a Varsity A team instead.
#5 Bellmont 67 Garrett (B) 12
215-Jake Howard (G) p. Blake Christner, :42
285-Grady Baker (B) WBF
106-Burke Lantz (G) p. Cam Barger, 1:02
113-Bradley Baker (B) WBF
120-Oliver Faurote (B) p. Blake Riccius, 1:50
126-Ben Mills (B) WBF
132-Landon Sielschott (B) p. Greg Freeze, 3:00
138-Henry Faurote (B) t.f. Brennon McCartney, 15-0
144-Gabe Myers (B) WBF
150-Sam Wolpert (B) t.f. Kale Westropp, 18-1 (1:57)
157-Owen Shane (B) m.d. Noah Hess, 19-5
165-Austin Manley (B) t.f. Blake Lewis, 17-1
175-Landon Rich (B) p. Kolton Martinez, 2:31
190-Xavior Palacios (B) p. Treyvin Gialella, :22
The toughest test of the opening day was always going to be the Chesterton Trojans and that held true just before the lunch break, but the Braves prevailed with Xavior Palacios acting as the hammer.
#5 Bellmont 43 Chesterton 30
285-Grady Baker p. Connor Olson, 1:08
106-Camron Barger (B) WBF
113-Bradley Baker (B) p. Lucas Bafia, 3:29
120-Emmet Burkus (C) m.d. Oliver Faurote, 16-6
126-Ben Mills (B) m.d. Emeric Ritter, 11-2
132-Max Quiroz (C) p. Landon Sielschott, 1:46
138-Henry Faurote (B) t.f. Luke Johnson, 2:39
144-Gabe Myers (B) m.d. Tyler Santiago, 15-4
150-Cadan Mahaffey (C) p. Sam Wolpert, (OT) 6:26
157-Charlie Faurote (B) p. Jacob Moore, 1:16
165-Greyson Strickland (C) m.d. Austin Manley, 18-7
175-Lucas Anderson (C) t.f. Landon Rich, 16-0
190-Xavior Palacios (B) p. Patrick Mochen, :40
215-Keegan Gibbons (C) t.f. Doug Hamilton, 20-3
In Round Five, Bellmont wrestled one of the weaker opponents in the field – East Chicago Central.
106-Camron Barger (B) WBF
113-Bradley Baker (B) WBF
120-Oliver Faurote (B) WBF
126-Ben Mills (B) WBF
132-Luke Ruble (B) inj. def. Jace Lloyd, 1:05
138-Henry Faurote (B) WBF
144-Gabe Myers (B) p. Zabdi Esteban, :37
150-Sam Wolpert (B) p. Antonio Besil, :57
157-Charles Faurote (B) p. Sergio Soto, 1:02
165-Austin Manley (B) p. Roberto Romero, 1:20
175-Braxton Arriaga (B) p. Elijah Tate, :38
190-Xavior Palacios (B) WBF
215-Douglas Hamilton (B) WBF
285-Grady Baker (B) p. Alexander Underwood, 1:19
Tournament organizers moved the sixth round from the start of the second day to the end of the first day in order to get everyone on their way Saturday ahead of the Winter Storm Warning, which covered basically every school district involved in the tournament. That meant the Braves would wrestle LaPorte to end their day.
#5 Bellmont 51 LaPorte 26
113-Bradley Baker (B) p. Lucas Kurzydlo, 1:55
120-Oliver Faurote (B) p. Brody Griffin, :32
126-Ben Mills (B) t.f. Colin Wathen, 19-4 (2:29)
132-Porter Ivankonig (L) t.f. Luke Ruble, 17-2
138-Henry Faurote (B) p. Matthew Kurzydlo, 2:35
144-Gabe Myers (B) t.f. Ethan Birkmeyer, 20-5
150-Sam Wolpert (B) t.f. Justin Dieken, 20-4
157-Grant Uhlemann (L) d. Charles Faurote, 10-6
165-Austin Manley (B) WBF
175-Christian Ford (L) p. Landon Rich, 5:14
190-Xavior Palacios (B) p. Christian Siebert, :46
215-Aiden Osborn (L) p. Blake Christner, 1:44
285-Bryice Fain (L) p. Grady Baker, 1:04
106-Camron Barger (B) p. Lane Strefling, 2:47
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