Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Seeing the empty chair, that's how Isaac Perry knew.
"It happened on a Friday," Perry says. "Clif wasn't in his seat in science class Monday. That's when it hit me."
'Clif' was Clifton Wease, a 14-year-old who died in a 1996 car wreck during his freshman year that claimed 16-year-old sister Kimberly as well. Perry was a freshman at the time, and Wease was a close friend.
"I didn't believe it at first," Perry explains. "I went through the denial thing. I thought it was some other Clif."
Now Perry is a Warsaw senior, a wrestler with a 29-1 record and No. 5 state ranking in the 160-pound weight class. Perry and Joey Navarro, another senior wrestler, have dedicated their final season to Wease.
Navarro, Perry and Wease became friends as middle-school wrestlers.
"None of us knew each other," Navarro says, "but we became close when we started wrestling. He was one of my best friends."
"Clif was really aggressive," Perry says, clasping his hands behind his head as he leans back in a swivel chair, staring at the floor. "He was tough. He had a pretty good record in eighth grade. He had a good work ethic, practiced hard, always had a positive attitude and was the type of person you couldn't keep down."
This season it's been tough to keep Navarro or Perry down.
Like Perry, Navarro owns a 29-1 record and is ranked in the top five.
Perry's loss came when he was pinned by Bellmont's Randy Baker, who is ranked No. 4. Navarro's loss was a 4-2 overtime decision to Wawasee's Tom Bryan. Navarro has beaten Bryan, who is 27-3, two times since then.
Navarro, who weighs 236 pounds, has wrestled in the heavyweight bracket since his sophomore year. Then he weighed 210 pounds and often faced wrestlers 50 to 70 pounds heavier. Even now at 236, he's a lightweight in the 275-pound weight class. He and Anthony Boley lead the team with 16 pins each. He was a state qualifier last year.
Perry leads Warsaw with 72 takedowns, 29 more than anyone else on the team. He qualified for semistate last year.
The two talented wrestlers were talking before the season when Navarro proposed the idea of dedicating the year to Wease. That Navarro showed this kind of compassion is not surprising; he plans to go on a two-year missions trip soon after high school.
"There was a bond we had," Navarro says. "I said, 'Isaac, there's supposed to be three of us here. We're missing one person.'"
To remember that person, Navarro came up with the idea of having the initials 'CW' sewn on their black socks. He cleared it with Wease's family and with coach Tony Boley. His mom made the socks for the senior wrestlers.
The socks are serious business to Navarro. Only senior wrestlers are allowed to wear them. And if he feels like he's turning in a subpar match, he looks at the initials 'CW.'
"Then I get another wind," Navarro says. "I remember a recent match I was down 4-1, I looked at my socks, came back and tied it 4-4, looked at them again and got out with a win.
"The inspiration the socks gives me keeps me going harder and harder. I know Clif is with me on the mat."
Ask Perry and Navarro their goals, and both say not advancing to state but "winning the state championship." The road to the state championship begins with Saturday's Warsaw Sectional.
Navarro fondly recalls the time in middle school that he, Perry and Wease talked about each of them wrestling in state championship matches.
"Our seventh grade year, Clif, Isaac and me said, 'One of these days, we'll be under the lights at the state meet,'" Navarro says. "I'll try my hardest under the lights."
WARSAW SECTIONAL
9:30 a.m. Saturday
Competing schools: Plymouth, Tippecanoe Valley, Triton, Warsaw
Last year's team champion: Warsaw
First-round matches with wrestlers and their records
103 pounds - Anthony Boley (22-6/WAR) vs. Justin Scott (9-20/TRI); Brandon Shanks (12-10/PLY) vs. Ben Vanlaningham (17-14/TV)
112 -ÊErrik Lemler (25-6/TRI) vs. forfeit; Tanner Connealy (9-17/WAR) vs. Glenn Ringer (8-10/PLY)
119 - Tim Miller (16-11/TV) vs. forfeit; Rusy Heckaman (5-14/TRI) vs. Alex Uceny (9-6/PLY)
125 -ÊRyan Clewell (5-8/PLY) vs. Chasity Harding (2-4/TV); Chris Riley (7-15/WAR) vs. William Anderson (9-17/TRI)
130 - Chris Hutchinson (4-2/PLY) vs. Nathan Vining (3-21/TRI); Kevin Day (20-10/TV) vs. Adam Bott (11-16/WAR)
135 -ÊChris Glaub (18-5/PLY) vs. Rodney Kreft (4-29/TRI); Trenton Plummer (5-19/WAR) vs. Nathan Shewman (22-9/TV)
140 - Tate Chapman (17-11/TRI) vs. David Sumpter (7-11/WAR); Jared Baker (3-4/PLY) vs. Nathan Strohschein (12-15/TV)
145 -ÊMicah Siesennop (8-12/WAR) vs. Nathan Warner (2-19/TRI); Wes Ramsey (8-7/TV) vs. Keegan Campbell (7-16/PLY)
152 -ÊJohn Funk (21-2/PLY) vs. forfeit; Chad Bradley (7-17/TRI) vs. Nick McKinley (6-9/WAR)
160 -ÊIsaac Perry (29-1/WAR) vs. forfeit; Eric Williamson (1-25/TRI) vs. Chris May (6-17/PLY)
171 -ÊRichard Wolfe (20-10/WAR) vs. Mark Smith (0-11/TRI); Joe Quintana (6-7/PLY) vs. Jake Long (17-16/TV)
189 -ÊMatt Arveson (22-0/PLY) vs. Lee Ulmer (13-18/TRI); Tyler Miller (7-7/WAR) vs. Tyler Kottcamp (24-6/TV)
215 -ÊKris Hueber (28-2/WAR) vs. forfeit; Mark Palbykin (15-7/PLY) vs. Eddie Sexton (17-6/TV)
275 -ÊJoey Navarro (29-1/WAR) vs. forfeit; Shay Beaver (9-8/PLY) vs. Ryan Trieschman (16-11/TRI)
MANCHESTER SECTIONAL
9:30 a.m. Saturday
Competing schools: Northfield, North Miami, Peru, Wabash, Whitko
Last year's team champion: Peru
First-round matches with wrestlers and their records
103 pounds -ÊMark Hileman (24-1/NM) vs. Grant Eberly (14-13/MAN); Jason Loe (18-11/WHI) draws a bye; Lane Keaffaber (21-6/NF) vs. Nathan Weidner (15-19/WAB); Nic May (29-6/PERU) draws a bye
112 -ÊShaun Hayden (23-2/NM) draws a bye; Josh Bennett (5-9/NF) vs. Jim Clay (11-12/PERU); Joe Zapf (14-13/MAN) vs. Mike Pettingill (12-19/WAB); Joel Schrader (19-11/WHI) draws a bye
119 -ÊNathan Hartinger (37-1/PERU) draws a bye; Jared Ford (15-17/NF) vs. Jacob Roland (15-8/WAB); Dustin Burke (18-9/MAN) vs. Russ Mynhier (6-13/WHI); Tyler Smith (17-8/NM) draws a bye
125 -ÊBrett Nye (24-1/PERU) draws a bye; Jared Mann (13-12/NF) vs. Doug White (17-14/WAB); Gabe Halverson (16-4/MAN) draws a bye; Tom Renn (5-14/NM) vs. Keith Bird (19-4/WHI)
130 -ÊMatt Birner (37-1/PERU) vs. Paul Deeds (4-13/NM); Drew Shilling (16-10/WHI) draws a bye; Shawn Miracle (13-5/WAB) vs. Ryan Shockey (5-23/MAN); Eric Highley (24-10/NF) draws a bye
135 -ÊBen Jamison (33-5/PERU) vs. forfeit; Gabe Langohr (WHI/8-13) draws a bye; Nick Werner (13-10/NM) vs. Micah Parman (0-5/WAB); Tyler Niccum (20-9/NF) draws a bye
140 -ÊDavid Hoover (36-2/PERU) vs. forfeit; Andy Johnson (13-19/NF) draws a bye; Kyle Evans (15-12/WAB) vs. Ryan Kendall (2-7/NM); Jordan Schrader (25-6/WHI) draws a bye
145 -ÊJim Baumgartner (22-10/WHI) draws a bye; Josh Staton (7-19/MAN) vs. Dan Galbraith (9-19/PERU); Mike Bain (10-19/WAB) draws a bye; Nick Good (5-15/NF) vs. Chris Mullins (10-7/NM)
152 -ÊRyan Horton (27-6/PERU) draws a bye; Lee Hall (12-16/NM) vs. Tim Hendry (4-5/NF); Lucas Zapf (8-4/MAN) vs. Mike Berry (6-25/WAB); Troy Grube (22-10/WHI) draws a bye
160 -ÊBrandon Whitcraft (2-2/MAN) draws a bye; Colin Gray (4-16/PERU) vs. forfeit; Brandon Gill (6-21/NF) vs. Zach Week (4-16/WAB); Bryan Bartoo (2-2/WAB) draws a bye
171 -ÊMatt Rhodes (16-6/MAN) vs. Chris Arnett (2-24/WAB); Jim Mounts (6-22/NF) draws a bye; Brandon Cooley (13-15/PERU) draws a bye; Isaac Harp (4-18/NM) vs. Nick Sprunger (15-14/WHI)
189 -ÊTravis Drudge (5-4/NF) draws a bye; Eric Duhamell (0-5/WAB) vs. Chris Juricak (6-17/WHI); Derrick Kellems (9-16/PLY) draws a bye; Falk Borchert (5-20/MAN) vs. Max Click (13-14/NM)
215 -ÊNick Rush (4-6/PERU) vs. Brent McKillip (9-14/NF); the other four schools forfeited this weight class
275 -ÊChris McKinney (29-8/PERU) vs. forfeit; Phil Ringle (20-11/WHI) vs. Nick Winters (13-3/MAN); three schools forfeited this weight class
EAST NOBLE SECTIONAL
9:30 a.m. Saturday
Competing schools: Central Noble, DeKalb, East Noble, Wawasee, West Noble, Westview
Last year's team champion: Wawasee
First-round matches with wrestlers and their records
103 pounds -ÊJustin May (20-6/DK) vs. Cris Castetter (6-12/WV); Cody England (15-17/WN) draws a bye; Eric Vallejo (15-13/WAW) draws a bye; Josh McGrew (3-11/EN) vs. Brian Buchmeier (28-6/CN)
112 -ÊAndy Uhl (22-1/EN) vs. Mike Scoglietti (12-24/WV); Ben Byall (4-10/WN) draws a bye; Josh DeGood (22-9/WAW) vs. Mike Buchmeier (29-4/CN)
119 -ÊKevin Rouch (15-4/EN) draws a bye; Michael Ratton (0-8/WN) vs. Brandon Porbynski (3-10/DK); Vernon Yoder (10-16/WV) vs. Mark Speakman (16-6/WAW)
125 -ÊJohn Ratton (23-0/WN) vs. Dillon Hammett (2-13/EN); Alex Sauceda (7-17/WV) draws a bye; Justin Rust (9-7/DK) vs. Josh Wetli (2-6/CN); Mike Hanlin (15-13/WAW) draws a bye
130 -ÊPaul Rough (10-15/EN) vs. Joe Thompson (3-19/WAW); Eric Moore (12-16/CN) draws a bye; Isaac Reed (16-16/WV) vs. Brock Ungerer (2-19/DK); Tyler Smith (16-10/WN) draws a bye
135 -ÊMatt Buchs (22-4/DK) vs. Dustin Petre (2-20/WN); Grant Gibson (14-10/WAW) draws a bye; Chris Ragan (20-13/CN) vs. Ryan Stickler (9-23/WV); Matt Dice (24-5/EN) draws a bye
140 -ÊJosh Roa (20-9/WAW) draws a bye; Chase Deisler (14-13/WV) vs. Miguel Rodriguez (6-22/WN); Jasper Hurst (19-7/CN) draws a bye; Joe Riecki (6-13/DK) vs. Andy Acker (14-13/EN)
145 -ÊJustin Scheuman (18-8/DK) vs. Mike Gingerich (5-23/WV); Mark Click (14-14/WN) draws a bye; Anthony Mangona (10-14/EN) vs. Jeremy Nicodemus (6-18/CN); Lucas Speakman (10-9/WAW) draws a bye
152 -ÊJed Frey (12-2/CN) vs. John Wiley (5-15/DK); Daniel Tackett (8-24/WV) vs. Logan Pilcher (3-19/WAW); Chad Christlieb (24-7/WN) draws a bye
160 -ÊKevin Replogle (25-0/WN) draws a bye; Chris Carpenter (7-16/EN) vs. Brandon Duhamell (9-14/DK); Matt Stump (15-15/CN) vs. Matt Heimann (5-11/WAW); Kevin Castetter (27-6/WV) draws a bye
171 -ÊMing Ling (25-0/DK) vs. Dana Stickler (16-13/WV); Shane Heimann (27-5/WAW) vs. Heath Lash (11-17/EN); Josh Trowbridge (20-0/WN) draws a bye
189 -ÊJoe Stuckey (15-10/DK) vs. Nich Hoover (11-14/WN); Keith Gingerich (11-8/WV) vs. Matt Kostielney (14-10/EN)
215 - Thad Conley (22-4/EN) vs. Austin Pender (4-21/CN); Lamar Yoder (28-9/WV) draws a bye; Billy Pratt (23-6/WN) draws a bye; Justin Haverstock (11-14/DK) vs. Craig Jensen (15-8/WAW)
275 -ÊTom Bryan (27-3/WAW) vs. Josh Sager (5-10/CN); John Fleckinstein (8-11/EN) draws a bye; Pat Frain (16-10/WN) draws a bye; Taylor Treesh (13-11/DK) vs. Josh Tackett (31-4/WV)
