LAFAYETTE
Lafayette Jeff sophomore Oscar Trujillo had already missed one big meet
this season for being over his 103-pound weight limit by mere ounces.
So Bronchos coach Tom Miller picked
up at 6 a.m. Saturday, just in case the defending sectional champion
needed to shave some weight before the Lafayette Jeff Sectional.
“He said, ‘I
guarantee you I’m going to make weight,’ ” Miller said of their initial
conversation. “I said, ‘Are you ready to be a champion then?’ “
He was. Trujillo
and three other Bronchos won titles at Crawley Center, and each victory
was crucial as Lafayette Jeff edged Seeger by four points to win its
first sectional team title since 2001.
“It really motivated me to make weight, ”
said of being one-tenth of a pound over weight for the Hoosier
Crossroads Conference tournament. “Once I did, all that hard work
couldn’t have gone wasted. I had to win it.”
Justin Fruits
(140), Zach Arman (171) and Travis Depew (215) also won titles as
Lafayette Jeff collected 230 points. Jacob Cook (125) and Nate Douglas
(160) won championships for Seeger, which totaled 226.
“We sat them
down and we said, we’re seniors and this is our last time ever in this
gym wrestling,” Fruits said of a senior-led team meeting. “Do it for us
and yourselves to win sectional. And they all obviously took it
serious.”
The Patriots had
a chance to win the title with a pin in the heavyweight fifth-place
match. But Lafayette Jeff’s Jordan Fruits scored a 4-3 victory over
Charles Cope.
Entering
the finals round, Seeger led with 210.5 points, followed by Jeff (208)
and Harrison (201.5). After the 152-pound matches, Jeff and Seeger were
tied at 220 with
But
the Raiders lost all four of their matches after freshman Cameron
Vlahos’ victory in the 145-pound title match. Seeger went 1-3 in its
final four matches, while the Bronchos won six of their last eight
finals matches.
Miller jokingly
collapsed in relief on the mat following Jordan Fruits’ victory. The
former Lafayette Jeff wrestler, who earned his 400th career victory
earlier this season, had never finished better than second in his four
years as Broncho coach.
“This is the
only place I’ve ever wanted to be,” an emotional Miller said.
“(Athletic director Maurie Denney) gave me an opportunity, and it’s a
real good feeling because I love this place. The kids mean a lot to me,
and the school did a lot for me.”
Seeger advances
to its first team regional. The Patriots will wrestle Logansport
Sectional champion Winamac on Wednesday at Harrison, with Jeff facing
“I’m definitely
excited by the fact that we got second,” said Cook, who is 37-0 this
season. “I wish we could have gotten first, but at least we’ll have
another chance to beat them Wednesday at team regionals.”
McCutcheon’s
Travis Dale, last year’s state runner-up, repeated as the 189-pound
champion and is 26-0. Matt Bowman (135) also defended as the two-time
defending team champion Mavericks finished fourth.
Benton Central heavyweight Bryan Benner improved to 41-0 by pinning
Nick Jude won the 130-pound title for
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