{"id":31764,"date":"2026-01-02T10:29:01","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T15:29:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/?p=31764"},"modified":"2026-01-02T18:12:57","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T23:12:57","slug":"al-smith-day-1-live-blog-bellmont-wrestling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/02\/al-smith-day-1-live-blog-bellmont-wrestling\/","title":{"rendered":"Al Smith Day 1 – Live Blog – Bellmont Wrestling"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

DANE FUELLING<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

WZBD.com<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

MISHAWAKA – 32 teams and the greatest tournament in the state of Indiana. It’s another edition of the Al Smith Classic at Mishawaka High School. They’ll wrestle down to eight placers in each weight class by the end of the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There’s no stalling allowed on Day One! (Photo by Dane Fuelling)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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There’s no rest between rounds, either. Bradley Baker is shown on the mat in the round ahead of Sam Wolpert. The freshman and the senior wrestled simultaneously for the Braves. (Photo by Dane Fuelling)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We will update you throughout the day on the Bellmont Braves at Mishawaka. Follow our updates, sorted by each wrestler: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Braves were competing with many of the very best teams in Indiana, as well as the other top three teams in 2A. Hanover Central (coaches shown above) will join Bellmont, Garrett and New Prairie at Brownsburg next Saturday. (Photo by Dane Fuelling)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

106 – Jacob Binegar<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Round 1 – Jacob Binegar won by forfeit<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Round 2 – Vince McCoy (SB Riley) m.d. Jacob Binegar, 13-1<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Jacob drops a tough one in his first real action of the day. He’ll receive another forfeit and will be well-rested for what he hopes will be two more wins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consolation Round 2 – Jacob Binegar receives forfeit<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consolation Round 3 – Jacob Binegar p. Zander Treesh (Garrett), 1:21<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-With three wins today, Binegar is now one match away from placing. He will take on Gavin Longoria of Lowell, ranked #18 in Indiana by IndianaMat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blood Round – Gavin Longoria (Lowell) m.d. Jacob Binegar, 12-0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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-Jacob falls just one match short of placing, but he gained valuable mat time in his final two bouts to get him ready for Team State next Saturday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

113 – Bradley Baker<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Round 1 – Maximus Kleeberg (Prairie Heights) p. Bradley Baker, 1:46<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-It was a tough draw for the freshman Baker, who will have a dogfight to stay in the tournament in the consolation bracket. Kleeberg had the opening takedown and rode Baker, stacking him for the fall as the first period neared its end. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consolation Round 1 – Bradley Baker p. Anakin Borkholder (Concord), 4:50<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After a scoreless first period, Baker rode out Borkholder in the second period and then got an early escape in the third. A hard crossface gave Baker the first takedown in the match, but Borkholder gained a reversal with a minute left to make it 4-2. A desperation headlock was unsuccessful and Baker made the Concord junior pay, pinning him with 10 seconds left in the bout. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consolation Round 2 – Tyler Quarles (Lowell) t.f. Bradley Baker, 17-2<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Baker had few answers for the attack of Quarles, dropping the freshman out of the tournament after a 1-2 day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

120 – Oliver Faurote<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Round 1 – Dane Van Veldhuizen (Zionsville) d. Oliver Faurote, 13-3<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Consolation Round 1 – Oliver Faurote t.f. Caleb Jones (Plymouth), 18-1<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Consolation Round 2 – Kaiden Braden (Concord) p. Oliver Faurote, 1:33<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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-Faurote drops out of the tournament after a 1-2 day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

126 – Ben Mills<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Round 1 – Luke Nied (Lake Central) d. Ben Mills, 6-3<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Mills scored the opening takedown but could not free his ankles on scrambles late in both the second and the third period that could have changed the match. He’ll fight back through the consolation round later in morning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consolation Round 1 – Ben Mills p. William Douglass (SB Riley), 1:37<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Consolation Round 2 – Aidan Diaz (Penn) d. Ben Mills, 4-0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Diaz seemed to have all the right answers on all the scramble situations and his one takedown was the only one of the bout, eliminating Ben Mills from contention at the Al Smith. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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132 – Luke Ruble<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Round 1 – Trevor Humburg (Westfield) p. Luke Ruble, :52<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consolation Round 1 – Aidin Witry (Lake Central) m.d. Luke Ruble, 11-1<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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-The sophomore drops out of the tournament. He will take a 5-9 record into Team State for the Braves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

138 – Henry Faurote<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Round 1 – Henry Faurote t.f. Atticus Kaufman (SB Riley), 19-1<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Round 2 – Henry Faurote t.f. Luke Johnson (Chesterton), 16-0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Faurote is one win away from advancing to the second day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quarterfinal – Sonny Sessa (Crown Point) d. Henry Faurote, 12-6<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a matchup of #8 and #10 in the state, it was Sessa who jumped out to an early 7-2 lead and controlled the match, advancing into the semis and dropping Faurote into the blood round. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Blood Round – Henry Faurote t.f. Will Mason, 17-1<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Henry returns to the medal stand with a dominating performance. He’ll have his eyes on third place tomorrow!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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144 – Gabe Myers<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Round 1 – Gabe Myers p. Riley Owen (Hobart), 1:54<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Round 2- Gabe Myers d. Ryan Kochendorfer (Garrett), 7-1<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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-It’s a huge win for Gabe Myers as he upsets #23 Ryan Kochendorfer with a great display on his feet. He’s one match away from the second day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quarterfinal – Teigan Newell (Crown Point) m.d. Gabe Myers, 12-0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Former state placer and #7-ranked Newell booked his spot in the semis with a clean, shutout win in the quarters over Gabe, who will need to come back and win in the blood round to advance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blood Round – Brian Thomas (Cathedral) d. Gabe Myers, 4-3<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Myers was robbed of a takedown in the second period on the edge of the mat and was taken down late in the third period to break a 1-1 deadlock. He falls just short of the second day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

150 – Sam Wolpert<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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New storefront open in Decatur!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Round 1 – Sam Wolpert p. David Bolen (Jimtown), 1:16<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Round 2 – Joe Paun (Hanover Central) d. Sam Wolpert, 8-3<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-The Hanover Central freshman showed why he was so highly touted, dropping Bellmont senior Sam Wolpert to the consolations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Consolation Round 2 – Sam Wolpert t.f. Kaiden Houston (Plymouth), 18-1<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sam gets back in the win column with an efficient victory in the consolations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consolation Round 3 – Sam Wolpert m.d. Jacob Scott (Western), 12-2<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sam is one match away from reaching the second day of the Al Smith for the first time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Blood Round – Sam Wolpert d. Preston Hammond, 11-4<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A seven-point move at the end of the third period gave Sam Wolpert a much-deserved Al Smith medal Friday night. (Photo by Dane Fuelling)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

157 – Charlie Faurote<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Round 1 – Charlie Faurote d. Judd Phenicle (Zionsville), 8-7<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-It’s a huge win for Faurote against a very good opponent from Zionsville. He’ll take on the #5 seed next. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Round 2 – Lincoln Underwood (Portage) p. Charlie Faurote, 2:16<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-The #10-ranked wrestler looked awfully good against Charlie in the second round. Faurote will drop to the consolation bracket, where he will need three wins to survive day one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consolation Round 2 – Charlie Faurote m.d. Zander Martin (Garrett), 17-6<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-A late flurry of points helped Faurote pull away for an extra team point and another victory for the Braves over a Garrett opponent. Faurote will need two more wins to advance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consolation Round 3 – Charles Faurote t.f. Blake Roberts (Jimtown), 16-0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Faurote built a big lead, then overcame a risky situation at the start of the third, where Roberts had a double wing in. Chuck will wrestle the blood round next against senior Caleb Cooper of Columbus East, ranked #19 in Indiana. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blood Round – Caleb Cooper (Columbus East) t.f. Charlie Faurote, 15-0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A returning Al Smith medalist, senior Caleb Cooper knocked Charlie Faurote out of the tournament. The freshman will head to Team State with a 20-5 record. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

165 – The Braves were forced to forfeit 165 Friday morning with Austin Manley unavailable to wrestle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Your home for kitchen cabinetry, bathrooms, windows and doors, right in the heart of Decatur! Check out their website to see how they can help you remodel your home. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

175 – Owen Shane<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Round 1 – Owen Shane t.f. Jasiah Payne (Jimtown), 16-1<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Shane scored a tech fall for the first win in the big boy gym for the Braves in less than three minutes. He’ll take on undefeated senior Israel Sinnott of Hanover Central in the next round. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Round 2 – Israel Sinnott (Hanover Central) p. Owen Shane, 1:29<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Shane falls to the #4-ranked wrestler in the state and drops into the consolation bracket. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consolation Round 2 – Patrick Mochen (Chesterton) p. Owen Shane, 2:12<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Shane’s day comes to an end with his second loss, but he did score points for the Braves in his Al Smith debut. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

190 – Xavior Palacios<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Proudly supporting local athletes and their coverage on WZBD.com!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Round 1 – Xavior Palacios p. Manny Galeano (Plymouth), 1:00<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Palacios wins his 134th career varsity match with a bundle in just one minute. The #2 seed will face a freshman from Bloomington South next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Round 2 – Xavior Palacios p. Da’shawn Potts (Bloomington South), :20<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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-Palacios is just one win away from the semifinals and another Al Smith medal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quarterfinals – Xavior Palacios p. Jon Stryker (Westfield), 3:50<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Palacios is the first Brave through to the second day with his win in the quarters. Palacios scored the opening takedown and took a 3-0 lead into the second period, then scored another takedown before pinning #25 Stryker with yet another cradle. He’ll wrestle a very familiar foe in #6 Collin McMahon in the semifinals. The two met twice last year at the Al Smith, with McMahon knocking X into the consolation, but it was Palacios who had the last laugh, winning the 5th\/6th match in the placement round over the Columbus East stud. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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215 – Blake Christner<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Round 1 – Keegan Gibbons (Chesterton) t.f. Blake Christner, 16-0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Consolation Round 1 – Lincoln Schneider (Lowell) p. Blake Christner, 2:36<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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-Christner has been eliminated after an 0-2 day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

285 – Grady Baker<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Round 1 – Grady Baker t.f. Hayden Dillinger (Western), 16-0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Grady scored a couple of takedowns against a pretty strong opponent and used his athleticism to score enough nearfall to get the tech fall early in the third period. He will take on a young man from Cathedral in the next round. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Round 2 – Grady Baker d. Lazarus Tipton (Cathedral), 1-0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Baker got his escape, then rode out Tipton for the entire third period to advance to the quarterfinals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quarterfinal – Jacob Reynolds (Garrett) p. Grady Baker, 1:10<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a rematch of last year’s semi-state first round, Reynolds gets the pin again against Baker and Grady will have to wait ’til the final bout of the day to reach the second day, just like last year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blood Round – Grady Baker p. Kyle Sommer (Elkhart), 3:00<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grady is back in the second day with a fall!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

DANE FUELLING WZBD.com MISHAWAKA – 32 teams and the greatest tournament in the state of Indiana. It’s another<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":31765,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[13,15,26,12],"class_list":["post-31764","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","tag-bellmont","tag-featured","tag-sports","tag-wrestling"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_2886-1-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1920&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31764","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31764"}],"version-history":[{"count":36,"href":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31764\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31912,"href":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31764\/revisions\/31912"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31765"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31764"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31764"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31764"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}