Meet the Boonville freshmen duo dominating the wrestling mats entering the IHSAA semistate
BOONVILLE, Ind. — Wyatt Ulrey and Sam Howard weren't too fond of wrestling when they joined Boonville's youth program.
They were encouraged to start wrestling by their fathers, who were both high school grapplers — Ulrey's dad is a Pioneers alumnus. But Howard admitted he didn't want to put in the effort it took to be successful.
As they got older and started to win more matches, their attitudes changed. Howard still remembers running over to and getting picked up by his father after he won his first youth tournament in Jasper, and Boonville coach Dusty Marchand always sees Howard smiling whenever he steps onto the mat.
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With a combined record of 91-1 as freshmen, Ulrey and Howard are two of Southwestern Indiana's best wrestlers. Both clinched Pocket Athletic Conference, sectional and regional titles this season as they aim to be the Pioneers' first state qualifiers since 2020.
They also could be the first freshmen in program history to advance to the finals.
"It's always an honor to have some of our guys make it to semistate," Pioneers coach Dustin Wilke said. "We're very excited to have them there and have their dreams of being at state just one step closer."
Howard, ranked No. 9 in the 175-pound class, is one of the four undefeated grapplers competing in Saturday's IHSAA semistate at Ford Center and the only one with 50 wins on the season. The last Boonville wrestler to start a season with 40 or more victories without a loss was Jordan Fulks in 2020. Fulks, now wrestling at Marian University, placed fourth at state that season at 152.
There have been some high expectations placed on Howard since the beginning. But he tries not to think about them. His confidence has skyrocketed, just like his budding high school wrestling career.
"I don't worry about the pressure and just try and do my best," Howard said. "(I just) go out there and wrestle my match."
Although Ulrey isn't a top-10-ranked grappler, he has been outstanding this winter. He picked up one of his biggest wins thus far in the 113-pound regional championship match last weekend as he dominated Mater Dei's Caleb Schaefer in a 10-3 decision.
By defeating the No. 8-ranked Schaefer, who's also a freshman, Ulrey became Boonville's first freshman to win a regional title in program history.
One thing Ulrey has learned as a high school wrestler is to not second guess himself before matches. He's grateful for the instruction he receives from his coaches and the relationships he's developed with his teammates.
"They're all helping us get better. It means a lot having a good room to wrestle with," Ulrey said.
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The road to being a state qualifier will be challenging. There are three wrestlers at 113 in the semistate ranked in the top 10, including the defending state champion and a former runner-up at 106. At 175 are two grapplers ranked in the top five who have lost a combined four matches this season.
Still, Ulrey and Howard embrace the challenge as they hope to return to Ford Center again next week for the state finals. They know they have a community that supports them every step of the way, from packing the stands to cheering loudly when the wrestlers take down their opponents and score points.
They want to continue making Boonville proud.
"It would mean a lot to me setting the standards high for the youth program," Ulrey said. "(I want) to set a good influence for them to make them work hard through their career."
"That would be my goal, trying to make it to state on Saturday night," Howard added. "It means a lot just getting the No. 1 seed."
Marchand and Wilke have coached together at Boonville for more than two decades. They remember the standing ovation Fulks received from the Pioneers' youth wrestlers when he qualified for state. Now they look at Ulrey and Howard as two more role models.
The coaches are eager to see what this standout freshmen duo will accomplish over their careers.
"Some kids wrestle to help their other sports," Marchand said. "But those two kids wrestle because that's what they want to do. Step, step, step."
Courier & Press sports reporter Treasure Washington can be reached via her email, treasure.washington@courierpress.com, and on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Twashington490.
IHSAA wrestling semistate
Saturday at Ford Center
Time: 9 a.m. CST
Admission: $12 per person, children age 5 and under get in free
Streaming: IHSAAtv.org (available for $15)
Brackets and live tracker: TrackWrestling.com
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: IHSAA wrestling: Boonville's standout freshmen Wyatt Ulrey, Sam Howard
