2021 Fort Wayne Semi-State Preview

106

Two returning state qualifiers will meet in the ticket round for another chance to qualify for the state tournament. Keegan Malott, East Noble, will meet Garrett’s Colton Weimer, who was a qualifier at 113 a year ago, for a chance at another trip to Indy. Malott’s ability on top is what I think gives him the edge here in this match. Freshman Tanner Tishner, Western, is the best guy at this weight in my opinion and he should pick up his first semi-state title this weekend. In the finals he will see the winner of Jay County’s Cody Rowles and Goshen senior Vincente Eckman. Eckman picked up a solid win last weekend over Malott but I’m going to go with the freshman in this matchup.

2019 Champ:

Isaac Ruble-Bellmont

Ranked Wrestlers:

#10 Tanner Tishner-Western

#13 Jalen May-Peru

#14 Keegan Malott-East Noble

#16 Colton Weimer-Garrett

Best First Round Match(es):

Gilbert Ruselink, Carrol(Fort Wayne) vs Jalen May, Peru

Raef Keith, Cowan vs Keegan Malott, East Noble

Best (Possible) Ticket Round Match(es):

Vincente Eckman, Goshen vs Bryce Clark, Leo

Tanner Tishner, Western vs Cayden Smithley, Norwell

Colton Weimer, Garrett vs Keegan Malott, East Noble

HOOSIERMAT TOP 4:

1. Tanner Tishner-Western

2. Cody Rowles-Jay County

3. Vincente Eckman-Goshen

4. Keegan Malott-East Noble

113

Bellmont’s Isaac Ruble could find himself under the lights for the second year in a row next weekend. No one at this weight should really push him and he should capture his second semi-state title. In the semis, he should have Garrett’s Hayden Brady, who was a few seconds from making the podium a year ago. Wabash’s Jared Brooks comes in with 1 loss on the year and should have little trouble making it out . Brooks will likely see the freshman from Delta, Neal Mosier, in the ticket round. The last guy making it out here is Elliott Cornewell, Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger. Cornewell dropped a close match to Brady a week ago.

2019 Champ:

Trey Sturgill-Peru

Ranked Wrestlers:

#3 Isaac Ruble-Bellmont

#4 Hayden Brady-Garrett

#11 Anthony Martin-Western

#17 Isaiah McCue-Angola

#19 Jared Brooks-Wabash

Best First Round Match(es):

Beau Brabender, Northridge vs Anthony Martin, Western

Sam Ford, Leo vs Neal Mosier, Delta

Harvey Barr, Kokomo vs Blake Byerley, East Noble

Best (Possible) Ticket Round Match(es):

Elliott Cornewell, Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger vs Martin/Brabender winner

Hayden Brady, Garrett vs Ethan Holloway, Peru

Jared Brooks, Wabash vs Mosier/Ford winner

HOOSIERMAT TOP 4:

1. Isaac Ruble-Bellmont

2. Elliott Cornewell-Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger

3. Hayden Brady-Garrett

4. Jared Brooks-Wabash

120

Returning state placer, East Noble’s Aidan Sprague, headlines this weight class and he should get him a title this weekend. The next best kid in the weight might be Western’s Aiden Belt, but Belt is on the same side as Sprague and should drop down to the 3rd place match. Tony Wood, Jay County, is having a great year this year and should continue that into the finals here at this weight. There’s a tough ticket round match between two seniors with Leo’s Jacob Veatch meeting Northridge’s Justin Puckett for a chance to go to the Bank. Puckett’s resume is why I give him the nod here.

2019 Champ:

Dominic Heath-Churubusco

Ranked Wrestlers:

#6 Aidan Sprague-East Noble

#14 Toby Wood-Jay County

#16 Justin Puckett-Northridge

#20 Jacob Veatch-Leo

Best First Round Match(es):

Mikey Kallimani, Jimtown vs Cole Sailors, Peru

Best (Possible) Ticket Round Match(es):

Jacob Veatch, Leo vs Justin Puckett, Northridge

Aidan Sprague, East Noble vs Silas Loshe, South Adams

Aiden Belt, Western vs Austin Lewis, Bluffton

Tony Wood, Jay County vs Kallimani/Sailors winner

HOOSIERMAT TOP 4:

1. Aiden Sprague-East Noble

2. Tony Wood-Jay County

3. Aiden Belt-Western

4. Justin Puckett-Northridge

126

This weight is full of tough first round matches. Oak Hill’s Harper Dedman wrestles Brandon Kinnick, Daleville, which in my opinion is their ticket round match as the winner of this should win the next one. Dedman takes this match and continues his run another week. Another first round match to watch is between Wyatt Krejsa, Delta, and Cole Sailors, Peru, with the winner wrestling a very good Nick Olson, Goshen, for a chance to go. At the top of the bracket, you have another weight where the two best kids ended up on the same side of the bracket. Bluffton’s Landon Bertsch is a two-time state qualifier and comes in undefeated for another year. He should remain unbeaten and capture a title here. In the semis he will have another wrestler who has state experience in Wabash senior Ethan Higgins. Higgins has a tough match right away with Adams Central Logan Uhlman in the first round.

2019 Champ:

Dylan Stroud-Manchester

Ranked Wrestlers:

#10 Landon Bertsch-Bluffton

#11 Logan Uhlman-Adams Central

#12 Ethan Higgins-Wabash

#18 Brandon Kinnick-Daleville

Best First Round Match(es):

Ethan Higgins, Wabash vs Logan Uhlman, Adams Central

Landon Bertsch, Bluffton vs Justin Brantley, Western

Cooper Baldwin, Peru vs Wyatt Krejsa, Delta

Harper Dedman, Oak Hill vs Brandon Kinnick, Daleville

Best (Possible) Ticket Round Match(es):

Nick Olson, Goshen vs Krejsa/Baldwin winner

Noah Eberhart, Jimtown vs Landon Bertsch, Bluffton

HOOSIERMAT TOP 4:

1. Landon Bertsch-Bluffton

2. Nick Olson-Goshen

3. Ethan Higgins-Wabash

4. Harper Dedman-Oak Hill

132

We have another weight where two returning state placers meet in the ticket round. Fort Wayne Snider senior Reakus Shelton, 7th at 132 last year, will meet Manchester’s Dylan Stroud, 8th at 126. Looking at who each guys has wrestled this year you have to give Shelton the nod. The best guy at this weight, and maybe the state, is Leo’s Ian Heath. Heath brings in an undefeated record here and will leave that way. A good first round match at this weight is between Garrett’s Brayden Baker and Jay County’s Cameron Clark. I believe that the winner of this advances to state. Bellmont junior Dominic Litchfield and Wabash’s Anthony Long look to meet in the ticket round, where I see Litchfield making his first trip to the Bank.

2019 Champ:

Ian Heath-Leo

Ranked Wrestlers:

#2 Ian Heath-Leo

#16 Dylan Stroud-Manchester

#17 Reakus Shelton-F.W. Snider

Best First Round Match(es):

Cameron Clark, Jay County vs Brayden Baker, Garrett

Best (Possible) Ticket Round Match(es):

Dylan Stroud, Manchester vs Reakus Shelton, Fort Wayne Snider

Dominic Litchfield, Bellmont vs Anthony along, Wabash

HOOSIERMAT TOP 4:

1. Ian Heath-Leo

2. Reakus Shelton-Fort Wayne Snider

3. Dominic Litchfield-Bellmont

4. Cameron Clark-Jay County

138

One guy at this weight comes in with state experience and that’s Oak Hill’s Brody Arthur. He finished 4th a year ago at the semi-state but I expect him to win it all this week. Arthur will have a tough Ben Miller, Lakeland, in the ticket round but Arthur should win there. In the semis he will see the winner of Delta’s Dillon Tuttle and Columbia City’s Jarret Forrester. Tuttle might be better l but with only 6 matches on the year it’s hard for me to pick him here. On the top half of the bracket, Northridge’s Logan Hooley is in a great spot to qualify for state. He will have a tough Peru kid, Alex Legg, but I see Hooley beating him. In the semis he should see Daleville junior Julius Gerencser.

2019 Champ:

Elijah Chacon-New Haven

Ranked Wrestlers:

#15 Brody Arthur-Oak Hill

#20 Logan Hooley-Northridge

Best First Round Match(es):

Elijah Burlingame, Manchester vs Jadyn Gilbert, Garrett

Best (Possible) Ticket Round Match(es):

Logan Hooley, Northridge vs Alex Legg, Peru

Dillon Tuttle, Delta vs Jarrett Forrester, Columbia City

Brody Arthur, Oak Hill vs Ben Miller, Lakeland

HOOSIERMAT TOP 4:

1. Brody Arthur-Oak Hill

2. Logan Hooley-Northridge

3. Julius Gerencser-Daleville

4. Jarrett Forrester-Columbia City

145

Making it to state sometimes changes a kid. New Haven’s Elijah Chacon looks elite this year and should win this weight class. The four guys expected to make it out here will have 5 total losses. Western’s Hayden Shepherd is another guy returning with state expert corn and looks to make his second trip downtown. Cowan’s Toby Abbott looks to make history by becoming his school's first state qualifier. The last guy of this bunch is Sam Levitz, Prairie Heights. Levitz looks to match his brother by qualifying for state as a junior.

2019 Champ:

Alex Currie-Adams Central

Ranked Wrestlers:

#5 Elijah Chacon-New Haven

#13 Toby Abbot-Cowan

#14 Hayden Shepherd-Western

#17 Sam Levitz-Prairie Heights

Best First Round Match(es):

Toby Abbott, Cowan vs Myles Lenoir, Kokomo

Grayson Gard, Rochester vs Garrett Manley, Bellmont

Connor Watts, Jimtown vs Wayne Wells, Garrett

Best (Possible) Ticket Round Match(es):

Elijah Chacon, New Haven vs Manley/Watts winner

Sam Levitz, Prairie Heights vs Luke Hetzer, Eastern(Greentown)

HOOSIERMAT TOP 4:

1. Elijah Chacon-New Haven

2. Hayden Shepherd-Western

3. Toby Abbott-Cowan

4. Sam Levitz-Prairie Heights

152

Aidan Hardcastle, Oak Hill, is the lone undefeated guy in this weight but he will have a tough path to remain that way. Hardcastle won this weight a year ago but will have a tough one right away with another state qualifier first round in South Adams, AJ Dull. In the semis he should wrestle Adams Central’s Alex Curri, who is a returning state placer. Hardcastle has beaten him when they’ve wrestled so I’m picking him here. On the top side, Evan Ulrick, Carroll(Fort Wayne), comes in with a spotless record and was wrestling at Bankers Life a year ago. He should make it into the finals here making it to state again, but will have a tough Tallan Morrisett, Eastern(Greentown), waiting for him in the ticket.

2019 Champ:

Aidan Hardcastle-Oak Hill

Ranked Wrestlers:

#9 Aidan Hardcastle-Oak Hill

#10 Alex Currie-Adams Central

#12 Evan Ulrick-Carroll(Fort Wayne)

#13 AJ Dull-South Adams

Best First Round Match(es):

Reed Brandenburg, Winchester vs Tallan Morrisett, Eastern(Greentown)

Aidan Hardcastle, Oak Hill vs AJ Dull, South Adams

Best (Possible) Ticket Round Match(es):

Brenden Stockman, Concord vs Jonah Jones, Monroe Central

Alex Currie, Adams Central vs Michael Tippmann, Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger

Evan Ulrick, Carroll(Fort Wayne) vs Brandenburg/Morrisett winner

HOOSIERMAT TOP 4:

1. Aidan Hardcastle-Oak Hill

2. Evan Ulrick-Carroll(Fort Wayne)

3. Alex Currie-Adams Central

4. Jonah Jones-Monroe Central

160

There’s brutal first round and ticket round matches here at this weight. Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger’s Eli Hilger wrestles a tough Noah Swango, Rochester, in the first round. The winner wrestles the winner of another tough first round between Isaac Friedt, Bellmont and Kaden Lone, NorthWood. Bryce Buckley, Eastern(Greentown), wrestles Fort Wayne Snider’s Mehki Spencer. Regardless of who wins this match they meet Landon Buchanan, Jimtown, in the ticket round who I think wins this weight. Another guy to watch at this weight is Norwell’s Eli Johnson, who comes in with 1 loss this year. Johnson has a tough Ryan Sheets, Columbia City in the ticket round.

2019 Champ:

Isiah Levitz-Prairie Heights

Ranked Wrestlers:

#9 Landon Buchanan-Jimtown

#16 Kaden Lone-NorthWood

#18 Eli Hilger-Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger

#19 Bryce Buckley-Eastern(Greentown)

Best First Round Match(es):

Noah Swango, Rochester vs Eli Hilger, Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger

Isaac Friedt, Bellmont vs Kaden Lone, NorthWood

Bryce Buckley, Eastern(Greentown) vs Mekhi Spencer, Fort Wayne Snider

Best (Possible) Ticket Round Match(es):

Hilger/Swango winner vs Friedt/Lone winner

Austin Jones, Cowan vs Logan Farnell, Maconaquah

Landon Buchanan, Jimtown vs Buckley/Spencer winner

Ryan Sheets, Columbia City vs Eli Johnson, Norwell

HOOSIERMAT TOP 4:

1. Landon Buchanan-Jimtown

2. Eli Hilger-Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger

3. Eli Johnson-Norwell

4. Austin Jones-Cowan

170

Bellmont’s Duke Myers is my pick to win this weight. I know the accomplishments of Brodie Porter, Eastern(Greentown), but Myers was expected to be really good coming in and he seems like he’s healthy now and if that’s the case he wins it here. Porter was a state qualifier a year ago and comes in with a perfect record as well. In the ticket round, two seniors in Elkhart’s Clayton Lundy and Fort Wayne Snider’s Jacob Kreager will meet for a chance to wrestle next weekend. Lundy qualified at this weight a year ago. Kainen Malone-Johnson, Marion, has a good shot to qualify with Fort Wayne South Side’s Matthew Morris likely to be his ticket round opponent.

2019 Champ:

Clayton Fielden-Garrett

Ranked Wrestlers:

#6 Clayton Lundy-Elkhart

#9 Brodie Porter-Eastern(Greentown)

#20 Jacob Kreager-Fort Wayne Snider

Best First Round Match(es):

Matthew Morris, Fort Wayne South Side vs Trever Currie, Adams Central

Alton Mullinax, Columbia City vs Lucas Fox, Delta

Best (Possible) Ticket Round Match(es):

Kainen Malone-Johnson, Marion vs Morris/Currie winner

Duke Myers, Bellmont vs Kymani Howard, Kokomo

Brodie Porter, Eastern(Greentown) vs Fox/Mullinax winner

Clayton Lundy, Elkhart vs Jacob Kreager, Fort Wayne Snider

HOOSIERMAT TOP 4:

1. Duke Myers-Bellmont

2. Brodie Porter-Eastern(Greentown)

3. Clayton Lundy-Elkhart

4. Matthew Morris-Fort Wayne Southside

182

This weight can be won by a few guys this weekend. Isaiah Brege, Norwell, brings in the only undefeated record at this weight and is the on paper favorite to win this weight. He will have a tough field in front of him to win this weight class. Andrew Lockwood, Northridge, has wrestled a much tougher schedule than a lot of the guys at this weight and that might be the difference here. A good ticket round match to watch is between Jacob Saylor, New Haven, and Christ in Summersett, South Adams. Adams might just be too much for him here.

2019 Champ:

Jake Lone-NorthWood

Ranked Wrestlers:

#11 Christian Summersett-South Adams

#12 Isaiah Brege-Norwell

#13 Jacob Saylor-New Haven

#15 Andrew Lockwood-Northridge

Best First Round Match(es):

Jett Thompson, Oak Hill vs Jackson ingenito, Daleville

Best (Possible) Ticket Round Match(es):

Andrew Lockwood, Northridge vs Hunter Page, Monroe Central

Jacob Saylor, New Haven vs Christian Summersett, South Adams

HOOSIERMAT TOP 4:

1. Andrew Lockwood-Northridge

2. Isaiah Brege-Norwell

3. Christian Summerset-South Adams

4. Jett Thompson-Oak Hill

195

Matt Lepper, Carroll(Fort Wayne), is one of the two returning state qualifiers in this weight class. He and the other state qualifier Ibrahim Khaoucha, Northridge, should make their second trip downtown. Blake Heyerly, Adams Central, comes in with the only undefeated record into this tournament and has to be right there in the conversation to win it here this weekend. The last kid to watch, and who I expect to make it out, is Fort Wayne Snider’s South Side Keaton Grider. Some ticket round matches to watch are between Lepper and Tim Hunter, Jimtown. Hunter has shown he can go with some of the best kids in the state.

2019 Champ:

Kyler Funk-Mississinewa

Ranked Wrestlers:

#8 Matt Lepper-Carroll(Fort Wayne)

#10 Blake Heyerly-Adams Central

#13 Ibrahim Khaoucha-Northridge

#18 Keaton Grider-Fort Wayne South Side

Best First Round Match(es):

Tim Hunter, Jimtown vs Matt Lepper, Carroll(Fort Wayne)

Hunter Prahl, Leo vs Henry Kukelhan, Bellmont

Best (Possible) Ticket Round Match(es):

Blake Heyerly, Adams Central vs Jacob Behn, Fremont

Ibrahim Khaoucha, Northridge vs Prahl/Kukelhan winner

HOOSIERMAT TOP 4:

1. Matt Lepper-Carroll(Fort Wayne)

2. Ibrahim Khaoucha-Northridge

3. Blake Heyerly-Adams Central

4. Keaton Grider-Fort Wayne South Side

220

Rochester freshman Brady Beck has a tough match right away against Kyler Bills, Carroll(Fort Wayne). Bills is solid but not the most physically imposing guy at the weight and I think at this stage of the game it’s tough when you’re missing that part especially at 220. Freshman Julante Hinton has a great draw and should make the trip in his first year on the mat. RJ Dilbone, Fremont, has a tough sophomore who should be waiting for him in the ticket round in Fort Wayne Concordia’s Chance Harris.

2019 Champ:

Cale Gray-Norwel

Ranked Wrestlers:

#11 Isaac Benjamin-NorthWood

#14 Kyler Bills-Carroll(Fort Wayne)

#17 Julante Hinton-Fort Wayne Northrop

#18 Chance Harris-Fort Wayne Concordia

Best First Round Match(es):

Micah Higgins, Northfield vs Julante Hinton, Fort Wayne Northrop

Brady Beck, Rochester vs Kyler Bills, Carroll(Fort Wayne)

Best (Possible) Ticket Round Match(es):

RJ Dilbone, Fremont vs Chance Harris, Fort Wayne Concordia

Coy Brames, Angola vs Beck/Bills winner

HOOSIERMAT TOP 4:

1. RJ Dilbone-Fremont

2. Ian Clifford-Columbia City

3. Brady Beck-Rochester

4. Julante Hinton-Fort Wayne South Side

285

We may get another rematch of what could be the state final match next weekend. Reece Muncie, Carroll(Fort Wayne), and Western’s Brayden Erb. Erb won their first match this year and I have to go with the guy that won last. The two other guys that look to be favorited to make it out come in with 1 loss between the two of them. Brandon Villefuerte, Angola, has a tough ticket round match with New Haven’s Jon Louden, who only has 2 losses himself. Up top, Jason Orr, Muncie Central has a tough match with Jacob Sommer, Elkhart, in the ticket.

2019 Champ:

Logan Swallow-Monroe Central

Ranked Wrestlers:

#1 Brayden Erb-Western

#2 Reeve Muncie-Carroll(Fort Wayne)

#8 Brandon Villefuerte-Angola

#15 Blake Herr-NorthWood

Best First Round Match(es):

Blake Herr, NorthWood vs Marshall Fishback, Rochester

Best (Possible) Ticket Round Match(es):

Jason Orr, Muncie Central vs Jacob Sommer, Elkhart

Reeve Muncie, Carroll(Fort Wayne) vs Fishback/Herr winner

Brandon Villafuerte, Angola vs Jon Louden, New Haven

HOOSIERMAT TOP 4:

1. Brayden Erb-Western

2. Reeve Muncie-Carroll(Fort Wayne)

3. Brandon Villafuerte-Angola

4. Jason Orr-Muncie Central

Qualifiers by Team:

Western(4)

Northridge(4)

Oak Hill(4)

Jay County(3)

Bellmont(3)

Wabash(3)

Carroll(Fort Wayne)(3)

Adams Central(3)

East Noble(2)

Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger(2)

Bluffton(2)

Daleville(2)

Cowan(2)

Norwell(2)

Fort Wayne South Side(2)

Prairie Heights(1)

Goshen(1)

Goshen(1)

Garrett(1)

South Adams(1)

Angola(1)

Muncie Central(1)

Eastern(Greentown)(1)

Elkhart(1)

Monroe Central(1)

Jimtown(1)

Leo(1)

Fort Wayne Snider(1)

Columbia City(1)

New Haven(1)