By E. Shawn Aylsworth
Managing Editor
Top-ranked host Mishawaka crowned five champions and also snagged second-place and fourth-place finishes Dec. 27-28 at the Al Smith Invitational in rolling to the team title. That means the Cavemen got podium performances from half their team – amazing considering the competition.
Mishawaka (11-0) scored 274.5 points to easily outdistance seventh-ranked Bellmont (182) for the crown. No. 11 Elkhart Memorial took third place with 180.5 points, while No. 10 Lawrence North (165.5) placed fourth and No. 12 Merrillville (157.5) finished fifth.
Sixth-place Peru (151), meanwhile, made the strongest showing of any of the 26 unranked schools, scoring a second-place finish (George Markou, a 5-2 finals loser to Hobart’s Cosgrove at 145), a third (Sam Mitchel, a 2-0 winner over LaPorte’s Mike Roberts at 152), and a fourth (Aaron Garretson, a 1-0 loser to Elkhart Memorial’s Stahl at 119).
“We are wrestling really well thus far, but it is such a long season,†said Mishawaka coach Darrick Snyder, whose Cavemen appear to be the class of the state along with No. 3 Perry Meridian just four weeks before sectionals. “On a side note, Mater Dei (the defending state champion from Evansville) is still undefeated in Indiana – we aren’t forgetting about them!
“We are pleased so far, but know we must continue to improve. This weekend will be a great test.â€
Indeed. Mishawaka is one of five ranked teams that will compete Jan. 5 at the Bellmont Super Duals. In addition to the No. 7 host Braves, No. 13 Evansville Memorial and No. 14 Bloomington South also will be in action … as will Perry Meridian.
Can you say SHOWDOWN?
Back at the Al Smith Invitational, the last two rounds of the tournament were highly competitive for the most part. The finals saw four pins and 10 decisions, while the consolation round had three pins, 10 decisions, and a major decision.
But the host Cavemen were the dominant story in this prestigious event. All five Mishawaka champions defeated opponents that were ranked in the Top 10 in the finals, with Trent Reinoehl registering perhaps the day’s standout performance.
Reinoehl was the only unranked wrestler to win a title, and his route to the top of the 130-pound weight class was capped by an 8-6 overtime upset of Bellmont’s Will Sheets, ranked No. 7 at 125.
“Trent wrestled an outstanding tournament,†Snyder said. “His conditioning and focus definitely showed. His overtime victory in the finals might have been the best match of the entire tournament.â€
The other Cavemen champions were No. 6 Paul Beck (a 4-0 winner over No. 7 Brandon Nelson of Lawrence North at 103), top-ranked Josh Harper (who pinned Lawrence North’s Cashé Quiroga, the state’s No. 3 at 119, in 3:05 at 125), No. 5 Caleb Norville (an 8-4 upset winner over No. 4 Ben Bultemeier of Bellmont at 171), and No. 2 heavyweight Randy Morin (who pinned No. 10 Mike Palmer of South Bend Riley in 4:55).
“I am really happy for and proud of Caleb Norville,†Snyder said. “We have always said the ceiling is so high for him. We feel like he is reaching close to his full potential now.â€
Mishawaka’s runners-up were both victims of an upset, although how large could certainly be argued since each faced a very quality Warsaw opponent. Top-ranked Steven Sandefer was felled 6-4 by Warsaw’s No. 2 Matt Elvidge in a 1 vs. 2 showdown at 140, while No. 5 Brandon Mersich dropped a 5-2 decision to Warsaw’s No. 7 Andy Keener at 152.
“Matt Elvidge is an awesome wrestler who spends a ton of time in our open rooms during the off-season,†Snyder said. “It was great to see a kid we know so well succeed, but also hard to see Steven lose. Sandefer will refocus and look for those two to meet up again!
“Keener is a HUGE and talented 152-pounder. Brandon wrestled better as the match went on and made it very exciting with a near-turn at the end.â€
Meanwhile, Mishawaka 160-pounder Tim Forte took fourth after dropping a 3-0 consolation match to Quinn Kurtz of Prairie Heights.
Bellmont, which just nosed out Elkhart Memorial for second place in the team standings, finished with one champ, two runners-up, and a fourth-place. No. 6 Ryan Baker downed Rochester’s Jordan Schultz 14-7 to win the Braves’ only crown at 160, while Sheets (130) and Bultemeir (171) both lost to finals foes from Mishawaka. No. 7 Billy Baker, meanwhile, dropped a 4-3 consolation match at 189 to No. 3 Jake Salas of Merrillville.
Elkhart Memorial got second-place finishes from a pair of wrestlers who lost in the finals to No. 1-ranked opponents – No. 15 Zack Corpe, a 10-4 victim of Hobart’s Eric Galka at 135, and unranked Steve Stahl, a 3-2 victim of top-ranked Ryan Konrath of Jimtown at 189. The Chargers also scored two third-place finishes (No. 12 Ryan Stahl, a 1-0 winner over No. 19 Aaron Garretson of Peru at 119, and 130-pound Jake Leitch, who pinned No. 16 Jacob Plesac of Hobart in 1:58). And Brandon Harvey placed fourth after falling to No. 8 Frankie Porras of Hobart 6-4 in the 125 conso.
Warsaw certainly picked its spots with three podium finishers – all champions. In addition to the aforementioned Mishawaka conquerors (Elvidge and Keener), No. 4 Justin Brooks pinned Chesterton’s No. 6 Ben Williams in 5:31 at 112.
Elsewhere, Hobart’s pair of top-ranked wrestlers captured crowns – Galka at 135, Brennan Cosgrove with a 5-2 decision over No. 8 George Markou of Peru at 145. The Brickies also registered two thirds and a fourth.
Jimtown’s Konrath was one of five No. 1-ranked studs to win a title, joining Hobart’s Galka and Cosgrove as well as Mishawaka’s Harper by downing Stahl at 189 in a great match with tons of action, according to Snyder.
“I wouldn’t want to meet Stahl or Konrath in a dark alley – they are both scary individuals,†Snyder said.
The other top-ranked champ was South Bend Riley’s George Malone, a 4-2 winner over No. 3 Jeremy Steinhart of Jasper at 215.
Merrillville, which ended with two thirds and a fourth, had the day’s final champion in No. 20 Anthony Napules, who pinned No. 17 Caleb Smith of Princeton in 1:43 at 119.
Team scores
#1 Mishawaka 274.5
#7 Bellmont 182
#11 Elkhart Memorial 180.5
#10 Lawrence North 165.5
#12 Merrillville 157.5
Peru 151
#19 South Bend Riley 150
Hobart 147.5
Warsaw 128
Jimtown 114
Prairie Heights 106.5
Chesterton 103.5
East Noble 98
LaPorte 96.5
Jasper 80
Valparaiso 80
Lowell 74
Lake Central 69
Rochester 69
Penn 68
Lawrence Central 64.5
New Prairie 62.5
Princeton 57
Goshen 56
Benton Central 52.5
South Bend Adams 52
Calumet 45.5
Southport 38.5
Wawasee 37
South Bend Clay 36
Bremen 32
Fort Wayne Luers 20
Individual results from the championship round:
103 – #6 Paul Beck (Mishawaka) dec. #7 Brandon Nelson (LN), 4-0
112 – #4 Justin Brooks (Warsaw) pinned #6 Ben Williams (Chesterton), 5:31
119 – #20 Anthony Napules (Merrillville) pinned #17 Caleb Smith (Princeton), 1:43
125 – #1 Josh Harper (Mishawaka) pinned #3 (at 119) Cashé Quiroga (LN), 3:05
130 – Trent Reinoehl (Mishawaka) dec. #7 (at 125) Will Sheets (Bellmont), 8-6 (OT)
135 – #1 Eric Galka (Hobart) dec. #15 Zack Corpe (Elkhart Memorial), 10-4
140 – #2 Matt Elvidge (Warsaw) dec. #1 Steven Sandefer (Mishawaka), 6-4
145 – #1 Brennan Cosgrove (Hobart) dec. #8 George Markou (Peru), 5-2
152 – #7 Andy Keener (Warsaw) dec. #5 Brandon Mersich (Mishawaka), 5-2
160 – #6 Ryan Baker (Bellmont) dec. Jordan Schultz (Rochester), 14-7
171 – #5 Caleb Norville (Mishawaka) dec. #4 Ben Bultemeier (Bellmont), 8-4
189 – #1 Ryan Konrath (Jimtown) dec. Steve Stahl (Elkhart Memorial), 3-2
215 – #1 George Malone (SB Riley) dec. #3 Jeremy Steinhart (Jasper), 4-2
Hwt – #2 Randy Morin (Mishawaka) pinned #10 Mike Palmer (SB Riley), 4:55
Individual results from the consolation round:
103 – Travis Barroquillo (Prairie Heights) major dec. #18 Zach Stevens (Merrillville), 8-0
112 – #19 Carlo Martinez (Merrillville) pinned #5 Miguel Perez (SB Riley), 4:01
119 – #12 Ryan Stahl (Elkhart Memorial) dec. #19 Aaron Garretson (Peru), 1-0
125 – #8 Frankie Porras (Hobart) dec. Brandon Harvey (Elkhart Memorial), 6-4
130 – Jake Leitch (Elkhart Memorial) pinned #16 Jacob Plesac (Hobart), 1:58
135 – #12 Tom Churchard (Valparaiso) dec. #14 (at 130) Jeremiah Edwards (LN), 10-5
140 – #16 Johnny Dillon (Hobart) dec. Matt Goodwin (LN), 5-2
145 – #13 David Oviatt (LaPorte) dec. Braden Barkes (Goshen), 7-5
152 – Sam Mitchel (Peru) dec. Mike Roberts (LaPorte), 2-0
160 – Quinn Kurtz (Prairie Heights) dec. Tim Forte (Mishawaka), 3-0
171 – Derick Nesvold (LaPorte) pinned Damon Jones (Lawrence Central), 0:52
189 – #3 Jake Salas (Merrillville) dec. #7 Billy Baker (Bellmont), 4-3
215 – Dylan Forbes (Prairie Heights) dec. #18 Braxton Riley (Wawasee), 8-2
Hwt – #17 Ben Bugay (Southport) dec. #18 Nick Polson (LN), 5-2
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