MOORESVILLE
With a lineup chock full of experienced talent from 145 pounds up through 220, the Center Grove wrestling team is a classic case of the rising tide lifting all boats.
The Trojans advanced six wrestlers through to regionals and had four individual champions, and as a result laid claim to a fourth consecutive sectional crown at Mooresville on Saturday afternoon.
Center Grove finished with 180 points, topping runner-up Mooresville by 26.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]
“It’s five seniors there from (160) to 220, and we’ve really leaned on those,” Trojans coach Cale Hoover said. “They’ve been the steadying force and kept us pointed in the right direction most of the year.”
Leading the charge for Center Grove was senior Gleason Mappes. Ranked first in the state at 160 pounds, he improved to 36-0 on the year and capped his day with a 13-0 major decision over Will Nix of Martinsville in the final.
Mappes said that having plenty of talent around him in the Trojans’ lineup has paid dividends for all.
“It’s really tough to get quality practice partners in general,” he said, “and it’s easy to take for granted when you have some guy who’s been to state with you before and he’s going to come back in the (practice) room and push you.”
Also earning individual titles for the Trojans were juniors Alex Petro (113 pounds) and Peyton Pruett (145) and senior Shane Stits (195), who earned his first sectional championship by pinning Monrovia’s Clay Whitney.
“I wrestled my heart out the last match,” Stits said. “I started out a little slow the very first period, but toward the end I really picked up speed.”
Jonah Hays (170) and Julius Byrd (182) also advanced to the regional with runner-up performances for Center Grove.
Franklin, which tied for fourth place with 140 points, got seven wrestlers through to regionals and got one individual champion in freshman Tyler Fuqua, who rebounded from a slow start in the 120-pound title match to overtake and pin Decatur Central’s Darrick Price.
“As soon as he took me down, I knew that I definitely had to keep my mind straight and not lose any self-confidence,” Fuqua said. “I just kept wrestling.”
Also moving on to next week for the Grizzly Cubs were Jake Bechert (106 pounds), Wyatt Strain (152), Chandler Mills (160), Ranger Soots (170), Harris Eason (182) and Manny Cheam (285).
Greenwood, which placed sixth with 124.5 points, finished the day with two champions. Jake Schrader dominated at 152 pounds, wrapping up with a pin of Mooresville’s Michael Craig in the final. Meanwhile, at 170, Nick Willham ended perhaps the most exciting title match of the event with an overtime takedown of Hays for a 3-1 win.
“I had scouted him for a while, and I knew that he’d get tired at the end if I kept going strong, and he did,” Willham said. “I’ve been working on a move for something to happen like that all week, and my practice made perfect.”
Besides Schrader and Willham, the Woodmen advanced five other wrestlers to the regional: Keeghan Overton (113 pounds), Juron Franklin (126), Anthony Walker (132), Chris Ping (138) and Jake Stover (195).
Whiteland was eighth in the 10-team field with 92 points, but it still kept four wrestlers alive for another week. The star of the show for the Warriors was senior Ryan Hammond, who stayed unbeaten at 220 pounds with three quick pins. His matches lasted a combined two minutes and 27 seconds.
Hammond (32-0) had to ease into the season due to some lingering injuries sustained during football, but he feels as though he’s rounding into shape at the right time.
“Right now it’s a lot of conditioning and cleaning up moves,” Hammond said. “We’ve just kind of pushed ourselves a lot harder in the room, and I’ve been working out with my coaches on individual stuff that I needed to work on and just getting in shape.”
Joining Hammond at the regional for the Warriors are Kobe King (138 pounds), Isaiah Hurt (182) and Garrett Curtis (285).
Center Grove, which finished third behind Brownsburg and Avon at last year’s Mooresville Regional, didn’t plan to spend much time savoring its sectional victory.
“All in all, we got accomplished what we wanted to do,” Hoover said. “Now it’s celebrate for maybe a night and get back at it and ready to go.”
Braves place fourth in Bloomington
At the Bloomington North Sectional, Indian Creek rode individual championships from Gabe Pitzulo and Grant Goforth to a fourth-place team finish.
Pitzulo claimed first place at 145 pounds, while Goforth earned the 195-pound title. Also earning berths in this Saturday’s Bloomington South Regional were Owen Sego (132 pounds), Brad Trietsch (138), Bryce Woods (152) and Cameron Elmore (285).
Rebels advance 14 to next round
Led by five individual champions, Roncalli placed second at the Southport Sectional and advanced all 14 of its wrestlers to the regional.
Sophomores Brayden Lowery (113 pounds), Alec Viduya (126) and Tyce Freije (132) took first in their respective weight classes, as did senior Sam Hansen (195) and junior John Harris (285).
Also placing in the top four and earning trips to the Perry Meridian Regional were Luke Aldrich (106 pounds), Sam Slivka (120), Brian Keeney (138), Hunter Miller (145), David Page (152), Trent Smith (160), Elijah Mahan (170), Lorenzo Salazar (182) and Spencer Fears (220).
