Nine Hamilton County wrestlers will be part of this weekend’s IHSAA state wrestling finals, which take place Friday and Saturday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Two hundred twenty-four wrestlers in all, 16 in each of the 14 weight classes, will begin first round competition on Friday at 6 p.m. First-round winners will return to wrestle on Saturday with quarterfinal action beginning at 9:30 a.m. and semifinal matches to follow after all weight classes have concluded. Consolation bouts begin at 5 p.m. and championship matches under the spotlight are scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Team scoring will begin with Friday night’s preliminary matches. Scoring will go to eight places and, additionally, two advancement points will be awarded per match for a championship bracket victory while one point is earned for advancement in the consolation bracket.
Finally, points will be awarded to the top eight place-winners: 1st place: 16 points; 2nd place: 12 points; 3rd place: 9 points; 4th place: 7 points; 5th place: 5 points; 6th place: 3 points; 7th place: 2 points; 8th place: 1 point.
Eight defending or former state champions are part of this year’s field led by seniors Brayden Curtis (126) of Yorktown and Asa Garcia (132) of Avon. Both will be looking to complete a third state championship season. Curtis is 34-1 on the year after two consecutive undefeated seasons (40-0 at 113 in 2018 and 43-0 at 106 in 2017). Garcia is 42-1 this season having won last year’s 126 pound weight class going 39-4 and the 106 pound bracket as a freshman in 2016 when he finished 36-6.
Other returning champs include Portage’s Jacob Moran (113), Jimtown’s Hunter Watts (126), Roncalli’s Alec Viduya (132), Columbus East’s Cayden Rooks (138), Indianapolis Cathedral’s Jordan Slivka (160) and Columbus East’s Nick South (170).
Defending State Champion
Indianapolis Cathedral is the defending state champion after winning the school’s second wrestling crown last year. The second-ranked Fighting Irish are coached by Sean McGinley and boast four semi-state champions of their five participants this weekend.
TICKETS
General admission tickets are $8 per session or $20 for both days and available at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse Ticket Office. Children 24 months and younger will be admitted free of charge.
GATES OPEN
Gates open to spectators at 4:30 p.m. prior to Friday’s session and at 8 a.m. for Saturday morning’s session. The Fieldhouse will be cleared following the semi-finals and will re-open at 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon.
PARKING
The Virginia Avenue Garage, which charges a fee and is located directly to the east of the venue, connects to the Fieldhouse from the third floor of the garage via walkway over Delaware Street. The entrance to the Virginia Avenue Garage is located off of Maryland Street.
NOTABLES
One hundred and four schools will be represented at this weekend’s state finals, with Brownsburg and Evansville Mater Dei leading the way with nine qualifiers each, followed by Avon with seven. Defending state champion Indianapolis Cathedral and Roncalli led the state with four semi-state champions with Avon, Jimtown and Mater Dei tallying three each. A total of 305 schools and 5,093 were entered into this year’s state tournament at the sectional level.
State Champions in the Field (8)
113: Jacob Moran (12) Portage | 2018 champ at 106
126: Brayden Curtis (12) Yorktown | 2018 champ at 113; 2017 champ at 106
126: Hunter Watts (12) Jimtown | 2018 champ at 120
132: Asa Garcia (12) Avon | 2018 champ at 126; 2016 champ at 106
132: Alec Viduya (11) Roncalli | 2017 champ at 113
138: Cayden Rooks (12) Columbus East | 2017 champ at 120
160: Jordan Slivka (12) Indianapolis Cathedral | 2018 champ at 145
170: Nick South (12) Columbus East | 2018 champ at 160
State Runners-Up in the Field (6)
106: Alexzander Cottey (10) Perry Meridian | 2018 runner-up at 106
126: Hunter Watts (12) Jimtown | 2017 runner-up at 113
138: Cayden Rooks (12) Columbus East | 2018 runner-up at 126
145: Alex Mosconi (12) Indianapolis Cathedral 2018 runner-up at 132
152: Elliot Rodgers (11) Indianapolis Cathedral | 2018 runner-up at 152
152: Sammy Fair (12) Perry Meridian | 2018 runner-up at 120
Undefeated Wrestlers in the Field (13)
106: Alexzander Cottey (10) Perry Meridian (38-0)
120: Brayden Littell (11) Center Grove (40-0)
120: Brayden Lowery (11) Roncalli (39-0)
126: Jesse Mendez (9) Crown Point (38-0)
132: Mathew Gimson (12) Jimtown (43-0)
145: Matthew Lee (11) Evansville Mater Dei (37-0)
145: Jorden Douglass (11) Attica (40-0)
170: Nick South (12) Columbus East (40-0)
182: Carson Brewer (12) Avon (38-0) 195: Will Nunn (12) Castle (41-0)
195: Silas Allred (11) Shenandoah (31-0)
285: Alex Cartwright (12) LaVille (29-0)
285: Jamichael Watts (12) North Central (Indianapolis) (32-0)
2019 Sectional Championship Teams (32)
Adams Central, Bloomington South, Brownsburg, Carmel, Carroll (Fort Wayne), Castle, Centerville, Chesterton, Columbus East, Crown Point, Delta, East Central, Evansville Mater Dei, Franklin Community, Harrison (West Lafayette), Indianapolis Cathedral, Jef ersonville, Leo, Merrillville, Northridge, North Montgomery, Oak Hill, Pendleton Heights, Penn, Perry Meridian, Portage, Prairie Heights, Rensselaer Central, Southridge, Wabash, Warren Central, Wawasee.
2019 Regional Championship Teams (16)
Adams Central, Bloomington South, Brownsburg, Carmel, Carroll (Fort Wayne), Central Noble, Columbus East, Crown Point, Evansville Mater Dei, Harrison (West Lafayette), Indianapolis Cathedral, Merrillville, Oak Hill, Penn, South Dearborn, Warren Central.
2019 Semi-State Championship Teams (4)
Brownsburg, Crown Point, Jimtown, Roncalli.
Brackets involving Hamilton County teams
106 pounds
Alexzander Cottey, Perry Meridian (38-0) vs. Chris Newman, Mount Vernon Posey (36-6)
Stephen Roberson, Crown Point (32-3) vs. Isaac Ruble, Bellmont (36-6)
Alec Freeman, Evansville Mater Dei (37-2) vs. Elijah Anthony, Frankfort (28-4)
Alex Ocampo, Central Noble (18-1) vs. Malik Hall, Merrillville (34-7)
Brennen Cernus, Culver Academies (34-2) vs. Aidan Sprague, East Noble (30-9)
Carlton Perry, Warren Central (36-6) vs. Logan Miller, Brownsburg (31-9)
Jared Brooks, Wabash (33-1) vs. Dominic Skees, Lafayette Central Catholic (42-5)
Blaze Garcia, Avon (26-15) vs. Suhas Chundi, Carmel (27-13)
113 pounds
Preston Teusch, Huntington North (42-1) vs. Jacob Simone, Hamilton Southeastern (39-6)
Gavinn Alstott, Floyd Central (40-2) vs. Martin Cruz, Martinsville (37-4)
Zeke Seltzer, Cathedral (39-1) vs. Jett Boots, Angola (36-7)
Giovanni Diaz, Wheeler (34-2) vs. Kamariyon Nelson, Brownsburg (27-9)
Jacob Moran, Portage (33-1) vs. Cole Ross, Evansville Mater Dei (24-2)
Christian White, New Palestine (33-5) vs. Harper Dedman, Oak Hill (38-5)
Ben Dalton, Monrovia (35-2) vs. Jake Armstrong, Winamac (37-5)
Landon Bertsch, Bluffton (39-2) vs. David Pierson, Warren Central (31-3)
120 pounds
Brayden Littell, Center Grove (40-0) vs. Logan Galbraith, North Central (23-5)
Beau Humphrey, Fort Wayne Snider (30-2) vs. William Finnearty, Culver Academies (27-2)
Brayden Lowery, Roncalli (39-0) vs. Tyler Conley, Avon (29-14)
Jace Alexander, Wawasee (29-10) vs. Kade Zadylak, Norwell (32-2)
Riley Bettich, Crown Point (37-1) vs. John Robinson, Delta (38-5)
Blake Boarman, Evansville Mater Dei (37-1) vs. Christopher Stewart, Warren Central (26-9)
Evan Beasley, Northridge (38-2) vs. Ty Haskins, Portage (18-7)
Carson Eldred, Westfield (35-4) vs. Kysen Montgomery, Brownsburg (31-7)
138 pounds
Cayden Rooks, Columbus East (39-1) vs. Macaiah White, Eastern (32-8)
Gabriel Weeks, Mishawaka (35-11) vs. Kyle Holman, Carmel (26-10)
Connor Gimson, Jimtown (42-1) vs. Colin Kreitzer, Brownsburg (24-6)
Christopher Wilkerson, Mount Vernon (38-6) vs. Anthony Poindexter, Harrison (39-7)
Braxton Alexander, Wawasee (35-1) vs. Gabe Phillips, Centerville (37-2)
Jaden Reynolds, Avon (32-10) vs. Dylan Goudy, Western (42-1)
Tyce Freije, Roncalli (36-2) vs. Cameron Worley, Lafayette Jefferson (33-6)
William Fiechter, Southern Wells (36-7) vs. Treyton Mucker, Tell City (37-6)
170 pounds
Clayton Fielden, Garrett (37-3) vs. Jason Streck, Merrillville (33-10)
Kyle Saez, Westfield (37-4) vs. Macartney Parkinson, Evansville Mater Dei (35-3)
Graham Calhoun, Plymouth (37-1) vs. Bryce Buckley, Eastern (34-8)
Derek Blubaugh, Bloomington South (39-4) vs. Logan Hart, Carmel (28-12)
Elijah Mahan, Roncalli (37-1) vs. Thierry Jean-Baptiste, Brownsburg (32-11)
Colin Kwiatkowski, Valparaiso (32-8) vs. Zane Gilbreath, Rochester (33-6)
Nick South, Columbus East (40-0) vs. Josh Lowe, North Montgomery (37-3)
Delton Moore, Manchester (35-6) vs. Joseph Walker, Mishawaka (30-3)
182 pounds
Jalen Morgan, Elwood (40-3) vs. Austin Leech, Garrett (31-7)
Zachary Flynn, Jasper (31-6) vs. Andrew Donahue, Culver Academies (36-2)
Mason Winner, Jay County (40-2) vs. Devontay Moore, North Central (26-12)
Noah Perez, La Porte (39-7) vs. Levon Bellemy, Edgewood (35-1)
Carson Brewer, Avon (38-0) vs. Noah Brown, Penn (20-6)
Jon Farrell, Fishers (26-4) vs. Jake Lone, NorthWood (36-4)
Evan Bates, Chesterton (45-2) vs. Trizton Carson, Danville (29-4)
Bradley Rosman, Oak Hill (41-2) vs. Jacob Combs, Hagerstown (38-5)
220 pounds
Lawson Aiken, Brownsburg (31-4) vs. Reese Wicker, Churubusco (28-8)
Joey Kidwell, West Lafayette (43-2) vs. Kyle Cornwell, Elwood (37-3)
Levi Leffers, Central Noble (39-1) vs. Josh Howell, Terre Haute South (33-6)
Andrew Irick, Hamilton Southeastern (33-2) vs. Drew Bailey, Merrillville (38-2)
Arthur Fowler, Calumet (39-2) vs. Cullen Browning, Northeastern (38-4)
Will Stewart, South Spencer (40-2) vs. Jayden Elwood, Leo (37-3)
Drew Webster, North Montgomery (39-1) vs. Damari Dancy, Portage (21-12)
Christian Graft, Huntington North (28-12) vs. Jacob Bolte, Columbus East (40-1)
285 pounds
Alex Cartwright, LaVille (29-0) vs. Samuel Littlejohn, Perry Meridian (11-13)
AJ Jones, Madison-Grant (34-3) vs. Muhammad Sidibe, Ben Davis (23-4)
Jamichael Watts, North Central (32-0) vs. Anthony Atria, Merrillville (19-5)
Matthew Munoz, Jeffersonville (39-9) vs. Vincent Yoder, Fairfield (32-6)
Dorian Keys, Brownsburg (35-4) vs. Logan Swallow, Monroe Central (36-5)
Crae Kunkleman, Hamilton Southeastern (36-8) vs. Yehezquel DeVault, Penn (39-2)
Holden Parsons, Yorktown (37-2) vs. Aidian Rea, Heritage Hills (37-10)
William Crider, Harrison (40-4) vs. John Harris, Roncalli (35-3)
Westfield’s Kyle Saez is one of nine Hamilton County qualifiers for the IHSAA state wrestling meet, which takes place this weekend at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. (Richie Hall/File photo)