Warriors Upset No. 2 Braves
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
DECATUR - No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't make the smiles go away, not for a second.
Then there were the tears. Doggone it, they came at times too.
But on this night, the wrestlers were willing to let their smiles sparkle, willing to let the tears of joy flow.
After all, they earned a trip to the March 1 state finals.
Wawasee, ranked No. 12 with a 13-3 record, stunned No. 2 20-0 Bellmont 31-30 in Wednesday's semistate wrestling match. High school wrestlers being high school guys, they wanted to look tough for their team picture afterward. High school guys don't smile for pictures, don't you know. But this was no time for stone faces.
"All year, our kids believed they were going to be in the state finals," Wawasee coach Scott DeHart said. "We're at Bellmont. We're wrestling Goliath in the lion's den, and here we are, little David, 13-3 Wawasee.
"In their minds, they pictured wrestling Bellmont here and winning the semistate championship."
The Warriors knocked off Bellmont in front of a loud and proud wrestling crowd. A line of Wawasee students marched in right before the start. Athletic director Mary Hurley explained afterward the match drummed up so much interest that Wawasee loaded up a fan bus. The match was held in the gym in front of a varsity-sized basketball crowd.
Where to start?
The end may be as good a place as any. Bellmont clung to a 30-25 lead with one match to go, the "big uglies" as sports commentator Keith Jackson would say. The heavyweights. Wawasee's 17-13 Jamie Salazar met 12-11 Tony Myers.
The bottom line for Wawasee was pin to win. The Warriors trailed by five, and a pin is worth six points. DeHart huddled with Salazar before the match begin.
"A mistake will be made," DeHart told Salazar. "Capitalize on his mistake."
DeHart was right, but Salazar still had to do his part. He did, and when he pinned Myers, only six seconds in the second of three periods were left on the clock.
"Myers went flat," DeHart said. "Jamie went to a near-wrist series. The kid stayed down, Jamie hooked his other arm and took him over."
Salazar said he had help on the mat.
"I wouldn't have done anything without the Lord," he said. "I give all thanks to Him.
"I kind of wished we were ahead a little more, but I knew if it came down to me, I'd give it my all. Whatever God wanted to happen would happen."
Salazar's match was big just because he was at the end. But other matches are wrestled for a reason, too.
Put an asterisk at 135. Tyler Cline gave the Warriors a big win in this weight class.
Cline fell behind 13-6 in a match at last week's regional. He came back to win by pinning his opponent.
DeHart's "Cardiac Kid" was at it again. He fell behind 16-4 this time. No sweat. He pinned Nick Kreischer for the win.
One other thing: Cline is a sophomore with a 4-2 record.
"I don't think you can ever count Tyler out," DeHart said. "He's a scrapper. He doesn't always look pretty on the mat. Somehow, he finds a way to get his hips up. He just waited a little longer this time.
"I didn't expect him to come out with a pin, but I was hoping he could get three points for us.
"I tell you what, that was the key turning point."
The Warriors started the evening by losing four of the first matches to fall behind 12-4. Wawasee's only win came from Kevin Carr in the 125 weight class, a 19-5 major decision.
But the wrestlers who lost at least did what DeHart asked them to do: avoid getting pinned. All four did, losing by decisions that gave Bellmont only three team points each time.
Cline made it 12-10, and he was the first of four wins in a row for the Warriors, who took the 22-12 lead.
Darrell Carr picked up an important win for the Warriors in the 140 weight class. DeHart shifted him there from 135 right before wrestling began last evening. He pinned Jim Mankey with 22 seconds left on the clock. Mankey was ranked No. 2 in the state with a 29-0 record.
Carr improved to 35-1 with the win.
"They had a big win at 135, and then Darrell Carr wrestled a super match against Mankey," Bellmont coach Brent Faurote said. "I take a little of the blame for that. I didn't mentally prepare Mankey for Carr. Coming in, I thought they might switch, but...
"When he lost, I just said it was time for the other guys to come through. Jim had come through for us all year."
Jason Carr (145) and Shaun Belin (152), winners by decisions, gave the Warriors their third and fourth victories in a row.
Bellmont snapped Wawasee's win streak in the 160 weight class. T.J. Hays, 30-0, pinned 0-1 Corey Hardin in 20 seconds. Bellmont cut the Warrior lead to 22-18.
Rob Burke wrestled for the Warriors in the 171 weight class and won a 12-9 decision in a match decided in the last minute. His win pushed Wawasee ahead 25-18 with three matches to go.
Bellmont won the next two by pins, but then Salazar won it for the Warriors.
"Our goal was to get this team to state," Faurote said. "We knew we weren't quite as strong as last year. So many chances, so many opportunities, so many matches could have gone the other way...we lost as a team. It's not one kid."
Faurote wouldn't use it as an excuse, but tragedy rocked his team last weekend. His grapplers wore ribbons on their headgear in memory of Jarrod Werst. Werst wrestled for Bellmont and was second at state in 1994 and fourth at state in 1995. He committed suicide, and his funeral was Monday.
"I told the kids to put it in perspective," Faurote said. "It's wrestling. It's not nearly important as what we went through earlier this week."
The Warriors wrestled the Braves earlier this season and lost by 12 on two forfeits that cost them six points each. Without forfeits this time, DeHart and his grapplers were confident they could beat Bellmont.
For some reason, unknown to DeHart, he and his team had a whale of a time convincing the powers-that-be that Wawasee was for real. The Warriors went 6-0 in the Northern Lakes Conference, but the first time they showed up in the wrestling poll wasn't until after the NLC tournament on Jan. 25. They went from no ranking to No. 14 in the poll, voted on by coaches.
The respect issue gnawed at DeHart and his team throughout the season.
The win at Bellmont, No. 2 Bellmont, 20-0 Bellmont, took care of all that.
"All year, I think people have overlooked us," DeHart said. "I believe they've earned their respect. They earned their place.
"These kids, they knew where they were at all year."
Now they know without a doubt where they're headed: the state finals.
NO. 12 WAWASEE 31, NO. 2 BELLMONT 30
Wawasee: 14-3
Bellmont: 20-1
Individual results, records and running team scores:
103 - Jon Fennig (B, 13-8) def. Chet Wortinger (29-7) 8-3; 3-0 Bellmont
112 - Andy Miesse (B, 27-4) def. Travis Coy (23-13) 7-4; 6-0 Bellmont
119 - Eric Breger (B, 26-5) def. Jacen Hendricks (14-12) 5-2; 9-0 Bellmont
125 - Kevin Carr (W, 36-1) def. Ryan Feasel (26-6) 19-5 (major decision); 9-4 Bellmont
130 - Ben Faurote (B, 21-7) def. Ryan Johnson (19-8) 13-6; 12-4 Bellmont
135 - Tyler Cline (W, 4-2) pinned Nick Kreischer (9-8) 3:38; 12-10 Bellmont
140 - Darrell Carr (W, 35-1) pinned Jim Mankey (29-1) 5:38; 16-12 Wawasee
145 - Jason Carr (W, 35-2) def. Chad Johnson (16-5) 7-1; 19-12 Wawasee
152 - Shaun Belin (W, 36-1) def. Nick Hoffman (16-10) 5-1; 22-12 Wawasee
160 - T.J. Hays (B, 30-0) pinned Corey Hardin (0-1) :20; 22-18 Wawasee
171 - Rob Burke (W, 20-8) def. Jamie Aloisio (14-3) 12-9; 25-18 Wawasee
189 - Darryl Hebble (B, 25-7) pinned Jeremy Walls (10-11) 2:56; 25-24 Wawasee
215 - Brian Wurm (B, 22-5) pinned Jesse Leonard (13-20) 1:19; 30-25 Bellmont
275 - Jamie Salazar (W, 18-13) pinned Tony Myers (12-12) 3:54; 31-30 Wawasee [[In-content Ad]]
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DECATUR - No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't make the smiles go away, not for a second.
Then there were the tears. Doggone it, they came at times too.
But on this night, the wrestlers were willing to let their smiles sparkle, willing to let the tears of joy flow.
After all, they earned a trip to the March 1 state finals.
Wawasee, ranked No. 12 with a 13-3 record, stunned No. 2 20-0 Bellmont 31-30 in Wednesday's semistate wrestling match. High school wrestlers being high school guys, they wanted to look tough for their team picture afterward. High school guys don't smile for pictures, don't you know. But this was no time for stone faces.
"All year, our kids believed they were going to be in the state finals," Wawasee coach Scott DeHart said. "We're at Bellmont. We're wrestling Goliath in the lion's den, and here we are, little David, 13-3 Wawasee.
"In their minds, they pictured wrestling Bellmont here and winning the semistate championship."
The Warriors knocked off Bellmont in front of a loud and proud wrestling crowd. A line of Wawasee students marched in right before the start. Athletic director Mary Hurley explained afterward the match drummed up so much interest that Wawasee loaded up a fan bus. The match was held in the gym in front of a varsity-sized basketball crowd.
Where to start?
The end may be as good a place as any. Bellmont clung to a 30-25 lead with one match to go, the "big uglies" as sports commentator Keith Jackson would say. The heavyweights. Wawasee's 17-13 Jamie Salazar met 12-11 Tony Myers.
The bottom line for Wawasee was pin to win. The Warriors trailed by five, and a pin is worth six points. DeHart huddled with Salazar before the match begin.
"A mistake will be made," DeHart told Salazar. "Capitalize on his mistake."
DeHart was right, but Salazar still had to do his part. He did, and when he pinned Myers, only six seconds in the second of three periods were left on the clock.
"Myers went flat," DeHart said. "Jamie went to a near-wrist series. The kid stayed down, Jamie hooked his other arm and took him over."
Salazar said he had help on the mat.
"I wouldn't have done anything without the Lord," he said. "I give all thanks to Him.
"I kind of wished we were ahead a little more, but I knew if it came down to me, I'd give it my all. Whatever God wanted to happen would happen."
Salazar's match was big just because he was at the end. But other matches are wrestled for a reason, too.
Put an asterisk at 135. Tyler Cline gave the Warriors a big win in this weight class.
Cline fell behind 13-6 in a match at last week's regional. He came back to win by pinning his opponent.
DeHart's "Cardiac Kid" was at it again. He fell behind 16-4 this time. No sweat. He pinned Nick Kreischer for the win.
One other thing: Cline is a sophomore with a 4-2 record.
"I don't think you can ever count Tyler out," DeHart said. "He's a scrapper. He doesn't always look pretty on the mat. Somehow, he finds a way to get his hips up. He just waited a little longer this time.
"I didn't expect him to come out with a pin, but I was hoping he could get three points for us.
"I tell you what, that was the key turning point."
The Warriors started the evening by losing four of the first matches to fall behind 12-4. Wawasee's only win came from Kevin Carr in the 125 weight class, a 19-5 major decision.
But the wrestlers who lost at least did what DeHart asked them to do: avoid getting pinned. All four did, losing by decisions that gave Bellmont only three team points each time.
Cline made it 12-10, and he was the first of four wins in a row for the Warriors, who took the 22-12 lead.
Darrell Carr picked up an important win for the Warriors in the 140 weight class. DeHart shifted him there from 135 right before wrestling began last evening. He pinned Jim Mankey with 22 seconds left on the clock. Mankey was ranked No. 2 in the state with a 29-0 record.
Carr improved to 35-1 with the win.
"They had a big win at 135, and then Darrell Carr wrestled a super match against Mankey," Bellmont coach Brent Faurote said. "I take a little of the blame for that. I didn't mentally prepare Mankey for Carr. Coming in, I thought they might switch, but...
"When he lost, I just said it was time for the other guys to come through. Jim had come through for us all year."
Jason Carr (145) and Shaun Belin (152), winners by decisions, gave the Warriors their third and fourth victories in a row.
Bellmont snapped Wawasee's win streak in the 160 weight class. T.J. Hays, 30-0, pinned 0-1 Corey Hardin in 20 seconds. Bellmont cut the Warrior lead to 22-18.
Rob Burke wrestled for the Warriors in the 171 weight class and won a 12-9 decision in a match decided in the last minute. His win pushed Wawasee ahead 25-18 with three matches to go.
Bellmont won the next two by pins, but then Salazar won it for the Warriors.
"Our goal was to get this team to state," Faurote said. "We knew we weren't quite as strong as last year. So many chances, so many opportunities, so many matches could have gone the other way...we lost as a team. It's not one kid."
Faurote wouldn't use it as an excuse, but tragedy rocked his team last weekend. His grapplers wore ribbons on their headgear in memory of Jarrod Werst. Werst wrestled for Bellmont and was second at state in 1994 and fourth at state in 1995. He committed suicide, and his funeral was Monday.
"I told the kids to put it in perspective," Faurote said. "It's wrestling. It's not nearly important as what we went through earlier this week."
The Warriors wrestled the Braves earlier this season and lost by 12 on two forfeits that cost them six points each. Without forfeits this time, DeHart and his grapplers were confident they could beat Bellmont.
For some reason, unknown to DeHart, he and his team had a whale of a time convincing the powers-that-be that Wawasee was for real. The Warriors went 6-0 in the Northern Lakes Conference, but the first time they showed up in the wrestling poll wasn't until after the NLC tournament on Jan. 25. They went from no ranking to No. 14 in the poll, voted on by coaches.
The respect issue gnawed at DeHart and his team throughout the season.
The win at Bellmont, No. 2 Bellmont, 20-0 Bellmont, took care of all that.
"All year, I think people have overlooked us," DeHart said. "I believe they've earned their respect. They earned their place.
"These kids, they knew where they were at all year."
Now they know without a doubt where they're headed: the state finals.
NO. 12 WAWASEE 31, NO. 2 BELLMONT 30
Wawasee: 14-3
Bellmont: 20-1
Individual results, records and running team scores:
103 - Jon Fennig (B, 13-8) def. Chet Wortinger (29-7) 8-3; 3-0 Bellmont
112 - Andy Miesse (B, 27-4) def. Travis Coy (23-13) 7-4; 6-0 Bellmont
119 - Eric Breger (B, 26-5) def. Jacen Hendricks (14-12) 5-2; 9-0 Bellmont
125 - Kevin Carr (W, 36-1) def. Ryan Feasel (26-6) 19-5 (major decision); 9-4 Bellmont
130 - Ben Faurote (B, 21-7) def. Ryan Johnson (19-8) 13-6; 12-4 Bellmont
135 - Tyler Cline (W, 4-2) pinned Nick Kreischer (9-8) 3:38; 12-10 Bellmont
140 - Darrell Carr (W, 35-1) pinned Jim Mankey (29-1) 5:38; 16-12 Wawasee
145 - Jason Carr (W, 35-2) def. Chad Johnson (16-5) 7-1; 19-12 Wawasee
152 - Shaun Belin (W, 36-1) def. Nick Hoffman (16-10) 5-1; 22-12 Wawasee
160 - T.J. Hays (B, 30-0) pinned Corey Hardin (0-1) :20; 22-18 Wawasee
171 - Rob Burke (W, 20-8) def. Jamie Aloisio (14-3) 12-9; 25-18 Wawasee
189 - Darryl Hebble (B, 25-7) pinned Jeremy Walls (10-11) 2:56; 25-24 Wawasee
215 - Brian Wurm (B, 22-5) pinned Jesse Leonard (13-20) 1:19; 30-25 Bellmont
275 - Jamie Salazar (W, 18-13) pinned Tony Myers (12-12) 3:54; 31-30 Wawasee [[In-content Ad]]