Warsaw Wrestlers Clinch 4th IHSAA?Sectional Title
January 31, 2021 at 11:45 p.m.
Warsaw Wrestlers Clinch 4th IHSAA?Sectional Title
By Chip Davenport-
Sectional 6 Host Plymouth closed to within a 213.5-201 deficit heading into Saturday afternoon’s championship matches. The Warriors had eight finalists while the Rockies had 5. Three of those finalists from each team would meet head-to-head. The Rockies needed the perfect storm to overtake Wawasee due to sheer numbers alone, but the Warriors success in the final round spread out the lead to 241.5-213. They qualified eleven wrestlers to next Saturday’s IHSAA Regional at Penn.
The area fared very well in the nine-team sectional. Tippecanoe Valley finished third with 200 points and XX champions. The Vikings qualified five wrestlers to the regional. A young Warsaw squad starting to gain confidence on the mat finished fourth with 186 points and qualified eight wrestlers. Triton finished 6th with 76 points with three wrestlers surviving and advancing to next Saturday’s tournament.
The Warrior wrestlers were tournament-ready due to their tough schedule and wrestling in the competitive Northern Lakes Conference season and tournament; the latter is a meat grinder of sorts.
“This is our fourth straight week back (due to COVID gaps” Wawasee head coach Frank Bumgardner said., “We’re just starting to get momentum. They did a great job making some adjustments. Logan Stuckman came in 5-8 today but wrestled to a title. All his losses were to semi-state and state qualifiers.”
Bumgardner enjoyed the team’s traditional victory angel food cake while talked about what lie ahead for his squad.
He said, “Our (physical) style feeds well into the semi-state. This is a combat sport. We got focused on what we do that makes us best.”
Standing at the top tier of the podium for Wawasee were freshman Kaleb Salazar (106 lb. weight class),
Sophomore Hunter Miller (113), junior Dylan Tom (120), sophomore Logan Stuckman (132), senior Jace Alexander (138), and sophomore Gavin Malone (145).
Two of the five Tippecanoe Valley Viking finalists earned championships. Juniors Branson McBrier (152), and Brandon Hammer (182) brought home blue ribbons. McBrier had the afternoon’s most exciting win.
The Viking grappler trailed Wawasee’s Landen Dilley 6-1 in the third period when he scored a reversal, then used his upper back to begin a move resulting in a pin for the victory in the match’s final 20 seconds.
McBrier said, “I was wrestling really sloppy when I got in there, and I knew I’d have to stick him in the third period. He came in too high on my hips and grabbed him with a double-underhook that put him on his back.”
Valley’s Drake Montelongo, a junior two-time semi-state qualifier with a 24-2 won-loss record, entered the sectional as a heavy favorite. Wawasee’s Tom, however, surprised the audience with the 4-3 win at 120 lbs. preventing Montelongo’s last-second attempt to escape in hopes of tying the match.
Warsaw’s Jacob Linky, a senior, (24-1 at 170 lbs.) to championship honors defeating Zach Truitt for the third time this season pinning him in in 1:50. Linky shared his thoughts through his interpreter Mrs. Black on match preparation.
Linky said, “I feel like I’m getting better, but nothing stays the same in life. So, I need to work harder, ask more questions, and I warm up better before my matches. I usually have to wait longer than expected for my match, so my muscles have to stay warm.”
The Tigers had three finalists and wrestled six freshmen and two sophomores in Saturday’s action. This included uncustomary underclassmen at upper weights. Head coach Kris Hueber’s goal in the Warsaw program is to keep underclassmen in the program, and continuously improving through their junior and senior seasons.
“I thought we had a good day.” Hueber said. “I though we focused on the process. We’ve tried to focus on wrestling quality matches, wins or losses, and presenting ourselves the right way, we’ll have future success. Doing what it takes to compete in this sport makes you special. Our kids are starting to realize that, win or lose.”
Triton sent only six wrestlers to Plymouth, but two of wrestled to titles in the upper-weight classes. Freshman Anthony Schuh (220), and senior Caleb Lemler (285) were the Trojans’ titlists.
Other area regional qualifiers not previously mentioned by school, place and weight class are:
Wawasee – Branden Dilley (2nd-126), Tim Shortt (3rd-160), Cameron Zimmerman (3rd-170), Wyatt Slusher (4th-182).
Tippecanoe Valley – Galvin Shambaugh (2nd-106), Barrett Heller (3rd-113), Jacob Manns (4th-138), Darren Crump (4th-145), Jadyn Virgil (4th-160), Bazel Owens (2nd-195), Dalton Alber (4th-220), and Ian Becker (4th-285).
Warsaw – Bryce McNees (3rd-106), Elias Garza (2nd-113), Aaron Ross (3rd-126), Jose Martinez (3rd-132), Andrew Ross (2nd-138), Brandon Estepp (3rd-182), William Roberts (3rd-285)
Triton – Elijah Cox (3rd-152)
Next Saturday’s regional wrestling action at Penn High School begins at 9:00 a.m.
Sectional 6 Host Plymouth closed to within a 213.5-201 deficit heading into Saturday afternoon’s championship matches. The Warriors had eight finalists while the Rockies had 5. Three of those finalists from each team would meet head-to-head. The Rockies needed the perfect storm to overtake Wawasee due to sheer numbers alone, but the Warriors success in the final round spread out the lead to 241.5-213. They qualified eleven wrestlers to next Saturday’s IHSAA Regional at Penn.
The area fared very well in the nine-team sectional. Tippecanoe Valley finished third with 200 points and XX champions. The Vikings qualified five wrestlers to the regional. A young Warsaw squad starting to gain confidence on the mat finished fourth with 186 points and qualified eight wrestlers. Triton finished 6th with 76 points with three wrestlers surviving and advancing to next Saturday’s tournament.
The Warrior wrestlers were tournament-ready due to their tough schedule and wrestling in the competitive Northern Lakes Conference season and tournament; the latter is a meat grinder of sorts.
“This is our fourth straight week back (due to COVID gaps” Wawasee head coach Frank Bumgardner said., “We’re just starting to get momentum. They did a great job making some adjustments. Logan Stuckman came in 5-8 today but wrestled to a title. All his losses were to semi-state and state qualifiers.”
Bumgardner enjoyed the team’s traditional victory angel food cake while talked about what lie ahead for his squad.
He said, “Our (physical) style feeds well into the semi-state. This is a combat sport. We got focused on what we do that makes us best.”
Standing at the top tier of the podium for Wawasee were freshman Kaleb Salazar (106 lb. weight class),
Sophomore Hunter Miller (113), junior Dylan Tom (120), sophomore Logan Stuckman (132), senior Jace Alexander (138), and sophomore Gavin Malone (145).
Two of the five Tippecanoe Valley Viking finalists earned championships. Juniors Branson McBrier (152), and Brandon Hammer (182) brought home blue ribbons. McBrier had the afternoon’s most exciting win.
The Viking grappler trailed Wawasee’s Landen Dilley 6-1 in the third period when he scored a reversal, then used his upper back to begin a move resulting in a pin for the victory in the match’s final 20 seconds.
McBrier said, “I was wrestling really sloppy when I got in there, and I knew I’d have to stick him in the third period. He came in too high on my hips and grabbed him with a double-underhook that put him on his back.”
Valley’s Drake Montelongo, a junior two-time semi-state qualifier with a 24-2 won-loss record, entered the sectional as a heavy favorite. Wawasee’s Tom, however, surprised the audience with the 4-3 win at 120 lbs. preventing Montelongo’s last-second attempt to escape in hopes of tying the match.
Warsaw’s Jacob Linky, a senior, (24-1 at 170 lbs.) to championship honors defeating Zach Truitt for the third time this season pinning him in in 1:50. Linky shared his thoughts through his interpreter Mrs. Black on match preparation.
Linky said, “I feel like I’m getting better, but nothing stays the same in life. So, I need to work harder, ask more questions, and I warm up better before my matches. I usually have to wait longer than expected for my match, so my muscles have to stay warm.”
The Tigers had three finalists and wrestled six freshmen and two sophomores in Saturday’s action. This included uncustomary underclassmen at upper weights. Head coach Kris Hueber’s goal in the Warsaw program is to keep underclassmen in the program, and continuously improving through their junior and senior seasons.
“I thought we had a good day.” Hueber said. “I though we focused on the process. We’ve tried to focus on wrestling quality matches, wins or losses, and presenting ourselves the right way, we’ll have future success. Doing what it takes to compete in this sport makes you special. Our kids are starting to realize that, win or lose.”
Triton sent only six wrestlers to Plymouth, but two of wrestled to titles in the upper-weight classes. Freshman Anthony Schuh (220), and senior Caleb Lemler (285) were the Trojans’ titlists.
Other area regional qualifiers not previously mentioned by school, place and weight class are:
Wawasee – Branden Dilley (2nd-126), Tim Shortt (3rd-160), Cameron Zimmerman (3rd-170), Wyatt Slusher (4th-182).
Tippecanoe Valley – Galvin Shambaugh (2nd-106), Barrett Heller (3rd-113), Jacob Manns (4th-138), Darren Crump (4th-145), Jadyn Virgil (4th-160), Bazel Owens (2nd-195), Dalton Alber (4th-220), and Ian Becker (4th-285).
Warsaw – Bryce McNees (3rd-106), Elias Garza (2nd-113), Aaron Ross (3rd-126), Jose Martinez (3rd-132), Andrew Ross (2nd-138), Brandon Estepp (3rd-182), William Roberts (3rd-285)
Triton – Elijah Cox (3rd-152)
Next Saturday’s regional wrestling action at Penn High School begins at 9:00 a.m.
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