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H.S. wrestling state update: Mishawaka's Walker is only area grappler to advance to final

tim creason
·3 min read

The dream rematch won’t happen this year, but there still could be a Tribune-area champion in the 144-pound weight class at the state wrestling finals.

Mishawaka senior Zar Walker advanced to Saturday evening’s championship round at the Ford Center in Evansville. Walker (46-1) was to take on New Haven’s Easton Doster (38-0) for the individual state title sometime after 9 p.m. (EST).

New Prairie’s Jeffrey Huyvaert hoped to be facing Walker under the spotlight in a rematch of last week’s East Chicago semistate finale. But Huyvaert was eliminated in Saturday morning’s quarterfinals by Center Grove’s Reese Courtney, 7-2.

It was the second year in a row that Courtney defeated Huyvaert at the state meet.

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The quarterfinals were rough on local matmen. Only two made it to the semifinals, Walker and Plymouth heavyweight Anthony Popi .

Some of the losses were heartbreaking. In the 157-pound weight class, Mishawaka’s Beau Brabender was hit with a locked-hands penalty when only three seconds remained on the clock, and he fell to Mitchell Betz of Western, 4-3.

Penn’s Wes Harper was in control almost the entire way against Evansville Mater Dei’s Tyler Vanover in the 150-pound quarterfinals. But with two seconds remaining, Vanover made a desperation move and scored a takedown to come from behind and pull out a 4-3 victory.

Penn’s Zymarion Hollyfield (175-pound weight class) and Brady Harper (113) also fell in the morning round, as did Travis Henke of Northridge (215).

Popi (44-7) beat Hayden Smith of Heritage Hills, 7-2, to reach the semifinals, where he dropped a 9-0 decision to Center Grove’s Nate Johnson.  He was scheduled to wrestle in the third-place consolation match Saturday evening.

Huyvaert, Wes Harper, Brabender and Henke each won in the wrestlebacks, and thus will wrestle for fifth or sixth place.

SEMIFINALS

TRIBUNE-AREA WRESTLERS

144: Zar Walker (Mishawaka) dec. Branson Weaver (Owen Valley), 4-3.

285: Nate Johnson (Center Grove) maj. dec. Anthony Popi (Plymouth), 9-0.

QUARTERFINALS

TRIBUNE-AREA WRESTLERS

113: Revin Dickman (Brownsburg) pinned Brady Harper (Penn), 5:18.

144: Zar Walker (Mishawaka) dec. Parker Reynolds (Brownsburg), 6-0; Reese Courtney (Center Grove) dec. Jeffrey Huyvaert (New Prairie), 7-2.

150: Tyler Vanover (Evansville Mater Dei) dec. Wesley Harper (Penn), 4-3.

157: Mitchell Betz (Western) dec. Beau Brabender (Mishawaka), 4-3.

175: Ethan Farnell (Maconaquah) dec. Zymarion Hollyfield (Penn), 11-6.

215: Brandon Johnson (Lawrence No) dec. Travis Henke (Northridge), 5-1.

285: Anthony Popi (Plymouth) dec. Hayden Smith (Heritage Hills), 7-2.

WRESTLEBACKS

TRIBUNE-AREA WRESTLERS

113: Brayden Volz (Eastern Hancock) dec. Brady Harper (Penn), 4-2.

144: Jeffrey Huyvaert (New Prairie) maj. dec. Dillon Graham (Indianapolis Cathedral), 10-2.

150: Wesley Harper (Penn) dec. Aidan Elkins (New Haven), 2-0.

157: Beau Brabender (Mishawaka) dec. Silas Stits (Center Grove), 5-1.

175: Noah Clouser (Center Grove) maj. dec. Zymarion Hollyfield (Penn), 12-4.

215: Travis Henke (Northridge) dec. Wyatt Woodall (Southmont), 4-2.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Quarterfinals were rough on area wrestlers at IHSAA State finals