Mosconis a dominating presence for Braves

When Indian Creek’s wrestling team is competing, there are always plenty of Mosconis on hand.

Brent Mosconi, 40, is at practices and meets as a Braves assistant coach; his wife, Cindy, is the team mom in charge of compiling all statistical data.

Their sons, Tony and Alex, are two of the state’s best wrestlers at 145 and 120 pounds, respectively.

Factor in siblings — including younger sister AnnaMae, a sixth-grader who holds a 2-2 record this season wrestling for the middle school team — along with other relatives who show up to support Indian Creek and … well, you get the idea.

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“When we get home I try to separate that dad from coach role, but wrestling is kind of an everyday lifestyle,” said Brent, who is factoring in his sons’ workouts, strict dietary regimens and drives to and from the high school.

“It’s God, family and wrestling. We’re a wrestling family, and everyone is involved.”

In the past, Brent’s parents, Fred and Myrna, have run the hospitality room should Indian Creek be hosting a marquee event such as the Johnson County Tournament. The youngest Mosconi boy, Geno, is an eighth-grader likely to join his brothers on the Braves’ varsity team during the 2017-18 season.

The Mosconi boys’ older brother, former Indian Creek standout and former state finalist Elijah Dunn, is a freshman wrestling 149 pounds at Lincoln (Illinois) College, a Division II program.

Cindy, a mother of seven, is a certified IHSAA wrestling official who works high school and middle school matches up until the postseason so that she can watch her sons compete.

“My mom always points out where we can be better. She says I don’t move my feet fast enough,” Tony said. “And my dad never stops pushing me.”

A wrestling family, indeed.

And yet Brent, a 1995 Franklin Central graduate who wrestled for the Flashes as a sophomore and junior before missing his senior season due to an ACL injury, insists that was never the plan.

“We had the kids doing a lot of different sports when they were younger but, really, they’re the ones who wanted to continue wrestling,” he said. “We have three rules in our house — make more ‘A’s than ‘B’s, participate in an activity and stay out of trouble.”

Alex Mosconi, a sophomore, carries a 4.2 grade-point average; Tony, a junior, has a 3.7.

How they’ll test at the Mooresville Regional on Saturday is anybody’s guess.

Alex, the state’s eighth-ranked 120-pounder, takes a 35-0 record to the regional, where he could find himself on a collision course with Brownsburg junior Ty Mills (28-1), who is ranked No. 1 in Indiana.

Tony Mosconi (32-5) is coming off a runner-up finish at sectional and is ranked 16th in the state at 145. He, too, could find himself wrestling a top-ranked opponent in Brayton Lee of Brownsburg. Also in his weight class is Center Grove’s Logan Coyle, ranked eighth.

Separated by only 54 weeks in age, the Mosconi brothers are as different as they are athletically dedicated.

Tony is the comedian, the free spirit, according to his father. Meanwhile, Alex is the consummate perfectionist.

“Everything Alex does has to be done the right way,” Brent said with a laugh. “Everything short of his underwear, he’s ironing.”

As a ninth-grader, Alex qualified for the state finals at 113 pounds, losing to New Palestine’s Alec White, 3-2. Tony is a two-time semistate qualifier, having made it to Evansville at 106 pounds in 2015 and 126 pounds last season.

No matter how deep into the postseason they go, both find comfort being surrounded by family.

“It really helps out, and I’m thankful for it,” Alex said. “It puts a little more pressure on me knowing they’re there, but I like that pressure. Everywhere I turn, we always have the help there.”

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Mooresville Regional

When: Saturday, 9 a.m.

Where: Mooresville High School gymnasium

Admission: $7

County sectional champions: 106 – Owen Sego (Indian Creek); 113 – Alex Petro (Center Grove); 120 – Alex Mosconi (Indian Creek); 126 – Peyton Pruett (Center Grove); 145 – Logan Coyle (Center Grove); 152 – Nick Willham (Greenwood); 160 – Gleason Mappes (Center Grove); 182 – Jake Moore (Franklin); 195 – Ryan Hammond (Whiteland).

Advancement: Top four place winners in each weight class advance to the Evansville Reitz Semistate (at Ford Center) on Feb. 11.

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