NorthWood wins first wrestling sectional since 2002; New Prairie, Plymouth perform well
New Prairie claimed four individual champs but Chesterton ruled the roost at Saturday’s LaPorte wrestling sectional.
The Trojans, who have won 10 sectional team titles in the last 12 years, had five champs and three other finalists in upending the defending champion Cougars, 247-212.
La Porte was fourth and Glenn fifth.
More: Penn advances all 14 wrestlers while winning 4th straight sectional title
New Prairie is the only other team to claim a championship since 2013. The Cougars won in 2014 and 2023.
Cougar sophomore Jeffrey Huyvaert improved to 39-0 on the season, pinning Chesterton’s Connor Olson in 1:43 for the championship of the 144-pound weight class.
Huyvaert also extended his unofficial state record for takedowns in a season. He now stands at 366 with the Crown Point regional looming just ahead.
New Prairie’s Caleb Halfacre pinned Valparaiso’s Merrick Raphael in the 113-pound finale, while Jayden Lewis won at 150 by pinning Chesterton’s Charlie Shaffer. Chris Johnson won for the Cougars at 285, also by fall.
LaPorte had a pair of champs, Riley Griffith (106) and Samuel Pressler (190). Glenn’s Mason Kobelt finished first at 175.
IHSAA WRESTLING SECTIONAL RESULTS
At LaPorte
TEAM SCORES: Chesterton 247, New Prairie 212, Valparaiso 198, La Porte 193, John Glenn 133, Knox 110, Michigan City 81.
CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
106: Riley Griffith (LP) dec. Ben Seramur (Valpo), 8-4. 113: Caleb Halfacre (NP) pinned Merrick Raphael (Valpo), 1:50. 120: Max Quiroz (Chest) maj. dec. Brody King (Glenn), 19-8. 126: Ayden Campbell (Chest) maj. dec. Brogan Cherepko (Valpo), 12-2. 132: Hayden DeMarco (Chest) dec. Walter Drews (Glenn), 8-7. 138: Luke Reid (Valpo) dec. Josh England (LP), 6-1. 144: Jeffrey Huyvaert (NP) pinned Connor Olson (Chest), 1:43.
150: Jayden Lewis (NP) pinned Charlie Shaffer (Chest), 1:08. 157: Andrew Shaffer (Chest) pinned Jackson Hague (LP) 5:59. 165: Lucas Anderson (Chest) pinned Christian Ford (LP), 0:38. 175: Mason Kobelt (Glenn) dec. Caiden Paredes (NP), 7-5. 190: Samuel Pressler (LP) pinned Aiden Ziegler (NP), 0:52. 215: Parker Gleason (Valpo) dec. Mike Zielinski (Chest), 7-5. 285: Chris Johnson (NP) pinned Dylan McGuire (Valpo), 5:01.
CONSOLATION ROUND
(For 3rd Place)
106: Michael Skaggs (NP) pinned Blake Bryan (Chest), 1:55. 113: Evan Chapman (Glenn) dec. Eugene Scott (Knox), 12-11. 120: Brendan Maas (LP) dec. Theo Blevins (NP), 3-2. 126: Josh Chapman (Glenn) pinned Landyn Hunt (LP), 3:34. 132: Xavier Roberts (Valpo) dec. Porter Ivankovig (LP), 7-4. 138: Connor Wintczak (Knox) pinned Lucas Johnson (Chest), 1:32. 144: Russell Sabando (Mich City) maj. dec. Caleb Bennett (Valpo), 16-6.
150: Isaac Kleist (LP) pinned Amyr Milsap (Mich City), 0:41. 157: Henry Klein (NP) pinned Derrick Fowler (Mich City), 1:23. 165: Henry Hann (Valpo) pinned Gage Caverley (Glenn), 0:17. 175: Ben Fedorchak (Valpo) pinned Patrick Mochen (Chest), 0:54. 190: Thomas Ferrell (Mich City) dec. Ryan Cheek (Valpo), 6-2 in OT. 215: Lucas Marshall (LP) pinned Lucas Nelson (Mich. City), 2:32. 285: Isaiah Jones (Knox) pinned Daniel Rubalcava (Chest), 1:51.
NOTE: Top four finishers in each weight class advance to IHSAA regional at Crown Point on Saturday, Feb. 3.
NorthWood wins first title since 2002
NorthWood claimed his first wrestling sectional championship since 2002 by pushing seven guys into the finals and scoring 213 points during Saturday’s tournament at Elkhart.
The downside is that only one Panther claimed an individual title. Joey Mitschelen pinned Jimtown’s Tristan Harder to finish first in the 150-pound weight class.
Otherwise, six NorthWood wrestlers finished as runners-up.
Northridge, with three individual champs, claimed team runnerup honors with 192 points. Elkhart scored 166 in third.
Travis Henke of Northridge, who has only one loss this season (33-1), won the 215-pound class. Goshen’s Laish Detwiler (36-1) was the champ at 175, while Graysen Beasley of Northridge improved to 31-1 by sweeping the field at 132.
The top four finishers in each weight class advance to next Saturday’s Goshen regional.
IHSAA WRESTLING SECTIONAL RESULTS
At Elkhart
TEAM SCORES: NorthWood 213, Northridge 192, Elkhart 166, Goshen 150, Wawasee 147, Concord 130, Jimtown 118, Fairfield 89.
CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
106: Cole Carper (Jim) pinned Wes Hahn (NWood), 1:53. 113: Kaleb Salazar (Wawa) dec. Cole Hinkel (Gos), 6-3. 120: Aden Hartman (Jim) pinned Morgan Hershberger (Gos) 2:44. 126: Cameron Senter (Wawa) dec. Will Hahn (NWood), 3-1. 132: Graysen Beasley (Nridge) dec. Lynkyn Ratcliff (NWood), 8-4. 138: Cameron Dews (Elk) dec. Matthew Senn (Fair), 8-4. 144: Ethan Rodriguez (Wawa) tech. fall Cohen Lundy (Elk), 17-2.
150: Joey Mitschelen (NWood) pinned Tristan Harder (Jim), 1:05. 157: Brennon Whickcar (Elk) maj. dec. Carson Nine (Wawa), 15-4. 165: Jonathon Flores (Gos) pinned Ashton Hahn (NWood), 5:34. 175: Laish Detwiler (Gos) dec. Cameron Freedline (Elk), 7-1. 190: Donovan Blair (Wawa) pinned Kaullin Price (Elk), 5:56. 215: Travis Henke (Nridge) pinned Brady King (NWood), 2:48. 285: Brody Streeter (Nridge) pinned Bryson Davis (NWood), 5:48.
CONSOLATION ROUND
(For 3rd Place)
106: Adley Yoder (Nridge) pinned Maria Rescalvo (Gos), 1:59. 113: Kaiden Braden (Con) pinned Luke Stuckman (NWood), 4:46. 120: Jaxon Senter (Wawa) dec. Braxton Lechlitner (Nridge), 6-4. 126: Landon Wade (Nridge) dec. Emanuel Collazo Macias (Gos), 5-0. 132: Blake Mock (Elk) dec. Donovan Cunniungham (Con), 4-1. 138: Aisa Khaoucha (Nridge) dec. Jager Bute (NWood), 9-6. 144: Brycen Brosamer (Con) pinned Jasiah Payne (Jim) 4:10.
150: Drew Trigg (Con) pinned Wyland Buck (Nridge), 2:38. 157: Payton Griffin (NWood) pinned Dirk Rumfelt (Fair), 1:39. 165: Chance McCollough (Elk) dec. Aldahir Ortiz-Sanchez (Fair), 3-2. 175: Ryan Noel (Fair) dec. Austin Parks (Nridge), 5-4. 190: Keith Miller (NWood) dec. Breckan Maran (Fair), 6-3. 215: Luis Oseguera (Gos) dec. Logan Whitman (Con), 3-1. 285: Jeremiah Riffel (Con) dec. C.D. McFee (Elk), 2-0 in OT.
NOTE: Top four finishers in each weight class advance to IHSAA regional at Goshen on Saturday, Feb. 3.
Rochester edges Plymouth in shootout
After three years of winning wrestling sectionals at Maconaquah and Peru, Rochester returned to the tournament at Plymouth and won a shootout against the host Rockies.
The Zebras, who had six individual champs, won every weight class from 165 to heavyweight and rolled up 256 ½ points. Plymouth, with five champs, scored 238 ½.
There was a huge showdown at heavyweight. Rochester’s Brady Beck — who finished seventh in the state at 220 last season — scored a 5-1 victory over Plymouth senior Anthony Popi, also a returning state finalist.
Plymouth’s champs included Alonzo Chantea in the 106-pound class, Seth Wright at 132, Wesley Smith (138), Chris Firebaugh (145), and Caydn Smith (150).
Wesley Smith and Caydn Smith each improved to 40-1 this season.
Qualifiers from Plymouth's sectional advance to the Penn regional next weekend.
IHSAA WRESTLING SECTIONAL RESULTS
At Plymouth
TEAM SCORES: Rochester 256 1/2, Plymouth 238 ½, Warsaw 205, Winamac 166 ½, Triton 104, Bremen 81, Culver Academies 75, North Judson 66, Caston 58, Culver Community 6.
CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
106: Alonzo Chantea (Ply) pinned Grant Holloway (Roch), 3:31. 113: Bryce McNees (War) pinned Colin Moats (Bre), 0:40. 120: Elias Garza (War) dec. Cole Meiser (Culver Acad), 8-3. 126: Layne Horn (Roc) pinned Coen Kraemer (Ply), 3:08. 132: Seth Wright (Ply) dec. Devin Basham (Roc), 6-2. 138: Wesley Smith (Ply) pinned Willis Dennis (Win), 1:22. 145: Christopher Firebaugh (Ply) pinned Reece Greene (Bre), 3:30.
150: Caydn Smith (Ply) dec. Wyatt Davis (Roc), 8-3. 157: Aaron Ross (War) dec. Ethan Amezquita (Roc), 7-2. 165: Brant Beck (Roc) pinned Vincent Prater (Tri), 1:06. 175: Declan Gard (Roc) dec. Talen Garner (Win), 6-2. 190: Colin Weiand (Roc) pinned Kenny Jones (Tri), 1:12. 215: Alex Deming (Roc) 38-0 maj. dec. Kameron Kauffman (War), 17-3. 285: Brady Beck (Roc) dec. Anthony Popi (Ply), 5-1.
CONSOLATION ROUND
(For 3rd Place)
106: Jackson Robbins (Caston) dec. Donovan Frazier (Warsaw), 8-1. 113: Gavin Riffle (Triton) pinned Jesse Allmon (Plymouth), 2:18. 120: London Beaumont (Ply) pinned Raylon Moats (Bre), 0:49. 126: Isaiah Martinez (War) pinned Rian Shell (Win), 0:39. 132: Gabe Veit (War) dec. Asher Jones (Win), 3-2. 138: Brenton Heckaman (Tri) pinned Alex Vallejo (War), 3:52. 144: Kale Shotts (Roc) dec. Austin Attinger (Win), 7-4.
150: Danny Moon (War) pinned Ryan Bedwell (Win), 1:33. 157: DJ Depke (Win) maj. dec. Braxton White (Ply), 15-3. 165: Tearson Wolford (Win) pinned Aden VanDusen (Ply), 0:59. 175: Trey McGowen (No Jud) pinned Michael Patipe (Culver Acad), 0:23. 190: Pete DuVall (Caston) pinned Cooper Kopka (Win), 3:28. 215: Hunter Redlin (No Jud) pinned Esai Lemler (Tri), 2:52. 285: Job Mavrick (Culver Acad) pinned Eli Matthews (Win), 1:44. NOTE: Top four finishers in each weight class advance to IHSAA regional at Penn on Saturday, Feb. 3.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: NorthWood wins first wrestling sectional since 2002; New Prairie, Plymouth perform well
