New Haven SS Preview

106

This weight is headlined by sophomore state qualifier, Isaac Ruble of Bellmont. He has 1 loss this year to the 2nd ranked kid in the state. In the top quarter bracket Western’s Anthony Martin and Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger’s Elliott Cornewell should hit in the ticket round. Based on common opponents I can see Cornewell coming away with the win here. In the next quarter bracket down there is a big first round match between Ruble and Oak Hill’s Peytonn Bowland. Both ranked in the state, but I look for Ruble to run away with this one. At the bottom of the bracket, Kokomo’s Harvey Barr, and Hayden Brady, Garrett, should hit in the ticket round. Brady has wrestled tougher competition this year and I think it will show on Saturday.

 

2019 Champ:

Jared Brooks-Wabash

 

Ranked Wrestlers:

#4 Isaac Ruble-Bellmont

#7 Hayden Brady-Garrett

#10 Anthony Martin-Western

#14 Harvey Barr-Kokomo

#20 Peytonn Bowland-Oak Hill

  

Best First Round Match(es):

#4 Isaac Ruble vs #20 Peytonn Bowland

 

Best (Possible) Ticket Round Match(es):

#10 Anthony Martin-Western vs Elliott Cornwell-Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger

#7 Hayden Brady-Garrett vs #14 Harvey Barr-Kokomo

 

HOOSIERMAT TOP 4:

1. Isaac Ruble-Bellmont

2. Hayden Brady-Garrett

3. Elliott Cornewell-Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger

4. Cooper Baldwin-Peru

 

113

East Noble’s Aidan Sprague made a trip to the bank last year and is a favorite to win this weight and get back there. Sprague comes in with 1 loss on the year. He will have a tough Jarred Brooks, Wabash, waiting for him in the ticket round. Brooks has been ranked as high a 3rd this year. A big first round match-up at the bottom of the bracket is between Peru’s Trey Sturgill and Huntington North’s Brady Lewis. Sturgill, a 2018 state qualifier, is looking to make it back in his senior season. Another first round match to watch is at the bottom of the bracket where Garrett’s Colton Weimer, and Maconaquah’s Blake Kinney. Weimer should be the favorite here but be on the look out for an upset. I see Sprague taking this weight this weekend with a win over Sturgill who gets back to the bank. Brantley takes out Weimer for 3rd.

 

2019 Champ

Preston Teusch-Huntington North

 

Ranked Wrestlers:

#10 Aidan Sprague-East Noble

#12 Trey Sturgill-Peru

#14 Blake Kinney-Maconaquah

#15 Jared Brooks-Wabash

#16 Justin Brantley-Western

  

Best First Round Match(es):

#16 Justin Brantley-Western vs Ben Sloffer-Carroll (Fort Wayne)

#12 Trey Sturgill-Peru vs Brady Lewis-Huntington North

Colton Weimer-Garrett vs Blake Kinney-Maconaquah

 

Best (Possible) Ticket Round Match(es):

Brantley/Sloffer Winner vs Ethan Reiley-Jay County

#10 Aidan Sprague-East Noble vs #15 Jared Brooks

 

HOOSIERMAT TOP 4:

1. Aidan Sprague-East Noble

2. Trey Sturgill-Peru

3. Justin Brantley-Western

4. Colton Weimer-Garrett

 

120

Angola senior Jett Boots made it downtown last year and will be looking for more this year. Bots will have a tough ticket round match, facing the winner of Brady Ester, Fort Wayne Snider, and Brandon Kinnick, Daleville. Ester has wrestle some of the best kids in the state, which I see giving him a leg up this weekend. Ethan Higgins, Wabash, comes in with 1 loss and looks to make his first trip to the bank. He should see Jacob Veatch, Leo, in the ticket round. Higgins should win this match and become a state qualifier. Churubusco’s Dominic Heath should cruise to the semis in his section of the bracket. Delta’s John Robinson is the probably the best guy at the weight, but he also has the toughest ticket round match. Robinson should run into Northridge’s Justin Puckett in the ticket round. Both have been tested this year, but I view Robinson a bit better in this match up. In the semifinals here Robinson should beat Heath and Higgins should pick up another win over Ester. Robinson take the title this weekend, and Ester and Heath finish 3rd and 4th respectively.

 

2019 Champ

Evan Beasley-Northridge

 

Ranked Wrestlers:

#10 John Robinson-Delta

 

Best First Round Match(es):

NONE

 

Best (Possible) Ticket Round Match(es):

Brady Ester-Fort Wayne Snider vs Jett Boots-Angola

Ethan Higgins-Wabash vs Jacob Veatch-Leo

#10 John Robinson-Delta vs Justin Puckett-Northridge

 

HOOSIERMAT TOP 4:

1. John Robinson-Delta

2. Ethan Higgins-Wabash

3. Brady Ester-Fort Wayne Snider

4. Dominic Heath-Churubusco

 

126

This weight is loaded with tough matches throughout the bracket. Fort Wayne Snider’s Beau Humphrey will have a tough ticket round match-up, facing the winner of Chandler Ciscell, Western, and Jasper Graber, Northridge. Bluffton’s Landon Bertsch comes in undefeated, but will wrestled Oak Hill’s Harper Dedman, who took his first loss of the season last weekend. 2 kids with a combined 77-1 record, and one goes home. One the bottom side of the bracket, Manchester’s Dylan Stroud looks to continue his undefeated season and capture a semi-state title in the process. He will meet a tough Dominic Litchfield, Bellmont, in the ticket round but should roll past him into the semis. Delta’s Payne Blackburn is a state qualifier from 2018 and looks to make it back as a senior. Blackburn will first have to knock off another tough senior in Huntington North’s Darryn Kuhl. In the semis I see Stroud taking out Kuhl and Bertsch beating Humphrey setting up a match of undefeated wrestlers. I see Stroud handing Bertsch his first loss of the year.

 

2019 Champ

Hunter Watts-Jimtown

 

Ranked Wrestlers:

#11 Harper Dedman-Oak Hill

#12 Landon Bertsch-Bluffton

#14 Beau Humphrey-Fort Wayne Snider

#15 Payne Blackburn-Delta

#16 Dylan Stroud-Manchester

 

Best First Round Match(es):

Chandler Ciscell-Western vs Jasper Graber-Northridge

#12 Landon Bertsch-Bluffton vs Chandler Shearer-Garrett

#15 Payne Blackburn vs Darryn Kuhl-Huntington North

 

Best (Possible) Ticket Round Match(es):

#14 Beau Humphrey-Fort Wayne Snider vs Ciscell/Graber winner

#12 Landon Bertsch-Bluffton vs #11 Harper Dedman-Oak Hill

 

 

HOOSIERMAT TOP 4:

1. Dylan Stroud-Manchester

2. Landon Bertsch-Bluffton

3. Beau Humphrey-Fort Wayne Snider

4. Payne Blackburn-Delta

 

132

Two 1 loss wrestlers come into Saturday at this weight, and I expect for them to be in the finals at this weight. Leo’s Ian Heath comes in as a returning state placer, looking to pick up his first semi-state title. His one loss on the year, however, came to another wrestler at this weight, Western’s Hunter Cottingham. Cottingham has made it downtown every year but has been unable to take home a medal. The biggest ticket round matches are at the top and bottom of the bracket. Rasheek Bonds, Goshen, will wrestle a tough Brody Arthur, Oak Hill, to get downtown. The second one is up top where Delta’s Dillion Tuttle and Fort Wayne Snider’s Reakus Shelton will meet. I see Bonds and Reakus picking up wins there over the underclassmen. In the semis Cottingham and Heath should do their part to set up a rematch. Heath wins the rematch here winning his first semi-state crown.

 

2019 Champ

Matt Gimson-Jimtown

 

Ranked Wrestlers:

#8 Hunter Cottingham-Western

#9 Ian Heath-Leo

#16 Reakus Shelton-Fort Wayne Snider

 

Best First Round Match(es):

None

 

Best (Possible) Ticket Round Match(es):

Dillon Tuttle-Delta vs Reakus Shelton-Fort Wayne Snider

Rasheek Bonds-Goshen vs Brody Arthur-Oak Hill

 

HOOSIERMAT TOP 4:

1. Ian Heath-Leo

2. Hunter Cottingham-Western

3. Rashseek Bonds-Goshen

4.Reakus Shelton-Fort Wayne Snider

 

138

Bellmont’s Kyle Lawson is a 2018 state qualifier and looks to make a second trip downtown. He should cruise into the semis where he should see New Haven junior Elijah Chagon. Chagon is tough to wrestle and has some good wins this year. With that being said, I do not see him knocking off Lawson in the semis. At the top of the bracket, Cowan’s Toby Abbott has a tough but winnable quarter bracket. He will first see Eastside’s Lane Burns. If he wins that one, he will wrestle the winner of Luke Hetzner, Eastern (Greentown), and Logan Hooley, Northridge. Up to is another tough quarter bracket. First round, Western’s Hayden Shepherd meets Prairie Height’s Sam Levitz. Shepherd should take this match, but do not count out Levitz. The winner here gets a tough senior from Fort Wayne Wayne, Josue Sotero. Shepherd may be a little too much for Sotero, so I see him punching his ticket back to the bank. In the semis, Shepherd picks up a win over Abbott before being stopped in the finals by Lawson. Chagon gets third beating Abbott as well.

 

2019 Champ

Connor Gimson-Jimtown

 

Ranked Wrestlers:

#10 Kyle Lawson-Bellmont

#13 Hayden Shepherd-Western

#16 Elijah Chagon-New Haven

 

Best First Round Match(es):

#13 Hayden Shepherd-Western vs Sam Levitz-Prairie Heights

Logan Hooley-Northridge vs Luke Hetzner-Eastern (Greentown)

Lane Burns-Eastside vs Toby Abbott-Cowan

 

Best (Possible) Ticket Round Match(es):

#13 Hayden Shepherd vs Josue Sotero-Fort Wayne Wayne

Hooley/Hetzner winner vs Burns/Abbott winner

 

HOOSIERMAT TOP 4:

1. Kyle Lawson-Bellmont

2. Hayden Shepherd-Western

3. Elijah Chagon-New Haven

4. Toby Abbott-Cowan

 

145

This weight is filled with great ticket round matches. Starting up top, freshman Kaden Lone, NorthWood, has a chance to punch his ticket in his first high school season. He will see a tough senior in Alex Currie, Adams Central, who looks to get downtown in his final season. Columbia City’s Ryan Sheets should take care of business and get downtown, but must beat a good AJ Dull, South Adams. The most interesting ticket round match in this weight is on the bottom side of this bracket. Tallan Morrisett, Eastern (Greentown), and Evan Ulrick, Carroll (Fort Wayne), are two of the best kids in the state but only one will make it out. Even with 10 loses I feel Ulrick has seen better kids this year and that will be the difference here. Southern Wells’s William Fiechter was 15 seconds from becoming a state placer a year ago. Jimtown’s Landon Buchanan looks to stop him from getting there this year. Neither kid has any bad loses, so this should be a good match. I going to lean on the side of the senior in this match. From there Fiechter and Lone handle business in the semis, meeting in the finals, where Fiechter come out on top. Sheets picks up a win over Ulrick in the 3rd place match.

 

2019 Champ

Logan Macklin-Adams Central

 

Ranked Wrestlers:

#5 William Fiechter-Southern Wells

 

Best First Round Match(es):

NONE

 

Best (Possible) Ticket Round Match(es):

Kaden Lone-NorthWood vs Alex Currie-Adam Central

Tallan Morrisett-Eastern (Greentown) vs Evan Ulrick-Carroll (Fort Wayne)

#5 William Fiechter-Southern Wells vs Landon Buchanan-Jimtown

 

HOOSIERMAT TOP 4:

1. William Fiechter-Southern Wells

2. Kaden Lone-NorthWood

3. Ryan Sheets-Columbia City

4. Evan Ulrick-Carroll (Fort Wayne)

 

152

Returning state qualifier, Cody McCune of Huntington North, headlines this weight. He should have no trouble getting back to the bank again this year. Tri-Central’s Ethan Mason is having a great this year and set himself up to make it to the bank by winning the regional a week ago. Norwell’s Gage Schuckman could derail that though.  On the bottom side of the bracket, I think the match between Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger’s Eli Hilger and Maconaquah’s Aaron Mckinley is the ticket round match in that quarter bracket. The winner here should make it into the semis. At the bottom, 2019 state qualifier, Scottie Saylor of Carroll (Fort Wayne), has been having a very up and down year. I don’t see him beating Aidan Hardcastle, Oak Hill, in the first round, ending his season. The big ticket round match here will be between Hardcastle and Josh Beeks, Goshen. I look for Hardcastle to take out another senior and punches his ticket. McCune and Hardcastle win in the semis, before McCune wins in the finals. Mason finishes his tournament with a win and a 3rd place finish.

 

2019 Champ

Ethan Hicks-Carroll (Fort Wayne)

 

Ranked Wrestlers:

#11 Cody McCune-Huntington North

#15 Eli Hilger-Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger

#16 Josh Beeks-Southern Wells

 

Best First Round Match(es):

Aidan Hardcastle-Oak Hill vs Scottie Saylor-Carroll (Fort Wayne)

#15 Eli Hilger-Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger vs Aaron Mckinley-Maconaquah

 

Best (Possible) Ticket Round Match(es):

Ethan Mason-Tri-Central vs Gage Schuckman-Norwell

Hilger/Mckinley winner vs Oliver Eveler-Northridge

#16 Josh Beeks-Goshen vs Saylor/Hardcastle winner

 

HOOSIERMAT TOP 4:

1. Cody McCune-Huntington North

2. Aidan Hardcastle-Oak Hill

3. Ethan Mason-Tri-Central

4. Eli Hilger-Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger

 

160

This weight brings in four wrestlers with a total of 2 losses on the year. The top side of the bracket will have Isaiah Levitz, Prairie Heights, and Jed Perry, Southern Wells, meeting in the ticket round. I don’t see anyone in their path that can derail them. On the bottom side of the bracket I feel the same way, but those guys have tougher ticket round matches. Elkhart Memorial’s Kamden Goering will wrestle Columbia City’s Jackson Pettigrew in the ticket round. Goering is tough but I don’t see him beating the returning state qualifier. At the bottom of the bracket is the most interesting ticket round match. Undefeated Tytus Morrisett, Eastern (Greentown), and Jacob Werts, Jimtown, should meet in the ticket round. Werts has better wins on the year, but regardless of who you wrestle its tough to stay unbeaten. Morrisett was on the end of an upset a year ago. I don’t see him suffering that same fate here. In the semis, I look for the rankings to hold and for Levitz to meet Pettigrew in the finals. Levitz takes this weight, while Morrissett finishes 3rd.

 

2019 Champ

Jon Ruble-Bellmont

 

Ranked Wrestlers:

#2 Isiah Levitz-Prairie Heights

#5 Jackson Pettigrew

#12 Jed Perry-Southern Wells

#15 Tytus Morrisett-Eastern (Greentown)

#17 Jacob Werts-Jimtown

#20 Kamden Goering-Elkhart Memorial

 

Best First Round Match(es):

NONE

 

Best (Possible) Ticket Round Match(es):

#5 Jackson Pettigrew-Columbia City vs Kamden Goering-Elkhart Memorial

#15 Tytus Morrisett-Eastern (Greentown) vs #17 Jacob Werts-Jimtown

 

HOOSIERMAT TOP 4:

1. Isiah Levitz-Prairie Heights

2. Jackson Pettigrew-Columbia City

3. Tytus Morrisett-Eastern (Greentown)

4. Jed Perry-Southern Wells

 

170

Garrett’s Clay Fielden is back at the same weight looking to defend his title. The 2019 runner-up should have little trouble with this field, and I look for him to run away with it here. On the bottom half of the bracket are two good potential ticket round matches. The first being between Matthew Morris, Fort Wayne South Side, and Brodie Porter, Eastern (Greentown). Porter comes in with 1 loss, looking to make his first trip downtown. At the bottom of the bracket is the best ticket round match. Elkhart Memorial’s Clayton Lundy will run into returning state qualifier, Joe Parrish of Homestead. Lundy comes up short here and Parrish make it back downtown. In the semis the guys who have been there keep winning, setting up a match between Fielden and Parrish in the finals. Fielden wins this weight like he did a week ago, while Jacob Duncan. Southern Wells, falls to Porter for 3rd place.

 

2019 Champ

Clay Fielden-Garrett

 

Ranked Wrestlers:

#4 Clay Fielden-Garrett

#8 Joe Parrish-Homestead

#14 Clayton Lundy-Elkhart Memorial

 

Best First Round Match(es):

NONE

 

Best (Possible) Ticket Round Match(es):

Brodie Porter-Eastern (Greentown) vs Matthew Morris-Fort Wayne South Side

#14 Clayton Lundy-Elkhart Memorial vs #8 Joe Parrish-Homestead

 

HOOSIERMAT TOP 4:

1. Clay Fielden-Garrett

2. Joe Parrish-Homestead

3. Brodie Porter-Eastern (Greentown)

4. Jacob Duncan-Southern Wells

 

182

3-time state placer, Mason Winner of Jay County, is a heavy favorite to pick up another semi-state title this weekend. Winner should cruise into the finals, after picking up a win over Peru’s Zion Constable in the semis. At the top of the bracket Jake Lone, NorthWood, looks to get downtown for the 3rd straight year and should have little trouble doing so. Lone Should meet Winner in the finals after beating Norwell’s Sam Walker in the semifinals. Sophomore Blake Heyerly, Adams Central, is probably the 4th best kid in the weight, but has Lone waiting for him in the ticket round. Winner takes out Lone in the finals and Constable picks up a win over Walker in the 3rd place match.

 

2019 Champ

Mason Winner-Jay County

 

Ranked Wrestlers:

#4 Mason Winner-Jay County

#5 Jake Lone-NorthWood

#17 Blake Heyerly-Adam Central

 

Best First Round Match(es):

#17 Blake Heyerly-Adams Central vs Kyle Cardwell-Northwestern

 

Best (Possible) Ticket Round Match(es):

#5 Jake Lone-NorthWood vs #17 Blake Heyerly-Adams Central

 

HOOSIERMAT TOP 4:

1. Mason Winner-Jay County

2. Jake Lone-NorthWood

3. Zion Constable-Peru

4. Sam Walker-Norwell

 

195

Bellmont senior Caden Friedt, comes in a slight favorite to win this wide-open weight. Friedt has a tough Ashton Moore, Jasper, in the ticket round but he should get past him. Matt Leeper, Carroll (Fort Wayne), really showed up this year and has put himself in a great spot to make it downtown. NorthWood’s Jaden Miller has had a good season as well this year and I look for their ticket round match to be close, but I think Leeper is a bad match-up for Miller. Kyler Funk, Mississinewa, is a 2018 state qualifier, and looks to get back this year. He will wrestle a tough Tyson Enis, Yorktown, in the ticket round. Funk has been here before and I look for him to get back to the bank. Ibrahim Khaoucha, Northridge, and Christian Summersett, South Adams. Khaoucha was an Al Smith runner-up and has seen much tough competition throughout the year. That will be the difference in this match. In the semis I see Friedt beating Leeper, who finishes 3rd. On the other side, Funk beats Khaoucha to reach the finals. In the finals, Friedt puts himself in a good spot next Friday coming in as a semi-state champion.

 

2019 Champ

Charlie Agnew-Huntington North

 

Ranked Wrestlers:

#9 Kyler Funk-Mississinewa

#11 Caden Friedt-Bellmont

#13 Matt Leeper-Carroll (Fort Wayne)

#19 Jaden Miller-NorthWood

#20 Ibrahim Khaoucha-Northridge

 

Best First Round Match(es):

NONE

 

Best Ticket Round Match(es):

#13 Matt Leeper-Carroll (Fort Wayne) vs #19 Jaden Miller-NorthWood

#11 Caden Friedt-Bellmont vs Ashton Moore-Manchester

#20 Ibrahim Khaoucha-Northridge vs Christian Summersett-South Adams

#9 Kyler Funk-Mississinewa vs Tyson Enis-Yorktown

 

HOOSIERMAT TOP 4:

1. Caden Friedt-Bellmont

2. Kyler Funk-Mississinewa

3. Matt Leeper-Carroll (Fort Wayne)

4. Ibrahim Khaoucha-Northridge

 

220

There are 2 undefeated wrestlers in this weight class. Returning placer Cale Gray, Norwell, and Fred Durben, Oak Hill come in a combined 68-0. Cale Gray is the heavy favorite here and even with this tough field he should roll to his first semi-state title. A big ticket round match at this weight is between Gray, returning state qualifier Reece Wicker, Churubusco. Wicker took his first loss last weekend at the regional to Tristan Martz, New Haven. Martz should make the finals with his draw. He will have to get past Durben in the semis to do so. At the top of the bracket, Sea Davis of Elkhart Central, Keegan Miller of Eastside, and Grant Warmuth, Wabash are all about the same level so it will just come down to who shows up Saturday. In the semifinals Martz z hands Durben his first loss of the year, while Gray stay undefeated, beating Davis. Martz falls to Gray in the finals, while Durben bounces back in the 3rd place match.

 

2019 Champ

Levi Leffers-Central Noble

 

Ranked Wrestlers:

#3 Cale Gray-Norwell

#13 Reese Wicker-Churubusco

 

Best First Round Match(es):

Keegan Miller-Eastside vs Grant Warmuth-Wabash

 

Best (Possible) Ticket Round Match(es):

Sea Davis-Elkhart Central vs Warmuth/Miller Winner

#3 Cale Gray-Norwell vs Reese Wicker-Churubusco

Fred Durben-Oak Hill vs Omar Khaoucha-Northridge

 

HOOSIERMAT TOP 4:

1. Cale Gray-Norwell

2. Tristen Martz-New Haven

3. Fred Durben-Oak Hill

4. Sea Davis-Elkhart Centrtal

 

285

Logan Swallow, Monroe Central, is a returning state qualifier and the lone undefeated kid at this weight. Swallow also has the toughest quarter bracket at this weight. Swallow will first have to beat Rhent Addis, Northridge, and in the ticket round he has a tough senior in Manchester’s Bryce Kamphues. I am leaning towards the guy that has won in the ticket round before. In the other 3 quarter brackets, the other three regional champs should all make it out. Last Year I picked Reeve Muncie, Carroll (Fort Wayne), to make it out and that didn’t happen. I am picking him again but this heavyweight so anything can happen, and a lot of these matches will be super close. Jose Rosales, Goshen, and Braydon Erb, Western, are the other 2 semi-finalists. In the semis, Erb beats Muncie sending him to the 3rd place match, and Swallow stays unbeaten on his way to the finals. In the finals Erb hands Swallow his first loss on the year, and Muncie finishes his weekend with a win.

 

2019 Champ

Holden Parsons-Yorktown

 

Ranked Wrestlers:

#3 Logan Swallow-Monroe Central

#6 Reeve Muncie-Carroll (Fort Wayne)

#12 Braydon Erb-Western

#19 Bryce Kamphues-Manchester

 

Best First Round Match(es):

NONE

 

Best (Possible) Ticket Round Match(es):

#3 Logan Swallow-Monroe Central vs Bryce Kamphues-Manchester

 

HOOSIERMAT TOP 4:

1. Braydon Erb-Western

2. Logan Swallow-Monroe Central

3. Reeve Muncie-Carroll (Fort Wayne)

4. Jose Rosales-Goshen