DANE FUELLING
WZBD.com
Bishop Dwenger’s football team began with a 3-0 loss to Roncalli in Week One.
They ended it with a wild, 36-29 victory in the 4A state championship game at Lucas Oil on November 29th.
While the accomplishment is well deserved for the North Siders, it will likely mean an incomplete lineup with at least one forfeit Thursday night at the Teepee when they open the Bellmont home wrestling season. The Saints will have had just three days of practice between celebrating and stepping on the scales.
It’s unfortunate for the Braves, who would have liked to get their best look at a Dwenger team that offers some pretty decent competition (when at full strength) in the upper weights.
It is, perhaps, appropriate then that on Thursday the BHS program will be celebrating the “Future of Bellmont Wrestling” in front of the home crowd, as it will be the young lightweights and middleweights on the team who will end up being featured.
Seniors Xavior Palacios and Grady Bakers will miss out on solid bouts with AJ Shefferly and Landon Sorg. Shefferly ran for 800+ yards this year and had 6.5 sacks, while Sorg played on both lines. Combined, the two won 55 varsity matches last year.
In the lightweights, Bradley Baker will face Hudson Trahin, who won 28 matches last year, at 113. Ben Mills is likely to meet up with semi-state qualifier Collum Delaney at 126.
Perhaps the biggest name on the team sheet Thursday is Simon Cornewell. A former ticket-rounder, Cornewell is a four-year starter for the Saints, who are under first-year head coach Michael Nix after the retirement of long-time head coach John Tone. He could go 132 or 138 to start the year. The Braves were set to hold a mid-week wrestle-off to settle the varsity spot at 132 between classmates Landon Sielschott and Luke Ruble.
In other lineup news, Blake Christner will get a shot to prove himself at 215 in front of the home crowd. There’s also competition at 106 and 175 for spots, although no changes have been announced.
The Saints also return solid varsity wrestlers with experience at 138, 150 and 157 to start the season.
Last year’s dual meet between the two teams ended in a 48-20 victory for the Braves, while the previous year saw a Bellmont blowout at 69-6.
| Bellmont Braves (12-0) | Record | vs. | Bishop Dwenger Saints |
| Camron Barger, Fr. | (8-3) | 106 | Thomas Amstutz, Fr. |
| Bradley Baker, Fr. | (10-2) | 113 | Hudson Trahin, So. |
| Oliver Faurote, Fr. | (8-4) | 120 | Noah Gallagher, Jr. |
| #23 Ben Mills, Jr. | (11-1) | 126 | Collum Delaney, So. |
| Luke Ruble, So. or Landon Sielschott, So. | (4-5), (2-1) | 132 | Simon Cornewell, Sr. |
| #9 Henry Faurote, Jr. | (12-0) | 138 | Kevin Szczepanski, Sr. |
| #19 Gabe Myers, So. | (11-1) | 144 | James Schortgen, Sr. |
| #16 Sam Wolpert, Sr. | (10-1) | 150 | Javier Henry, Sr. |
| Charlie Faurote, Fr. | (9-2) | 157 | Isaac Pflueger, Sr. |
| Austin Manley, So. | (8-3) | 165 | Isaiah Bojrab, Jr. |
| Landon Rich, Sr. | (4-5) | 175 | Will Rentschler, Jr. |
| #4 Xavior Palacios, Sr. | (12-0) | 190 | FORFEIT |
| Blake Christner, Jr. | (0-4) | 215 | Jon Holly, Sr. |
| #16 Grady Baker, Sr. | (11-1) | 285 | FORFEIT |
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