Possible rematch shaping up at state wrestling
The rematch Michiana is hoping for appears to be on track.
Mishawaka senior Zar Walker and New Prairie sophomore Jeffrey Huyvaert each won opening-round matches in the 144-pound weight class Friday at the IHSAA state wrestling finals in Evansville.
After a classic championship bout at last week’s East Chicago semistate — a match that Walker won, 4-2 — the two mat stars were seeded into opposite sides of the state meet bracket. They have the opportunity to meet each other again, this time for a state title, Saturday night.
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Each won by major decision Friday. Walker eliminated Marlin Williams of Southmont, 12-4. Huyvaert beat New Palestine’s Bryce Doss, 10-0.
It’s not an easy road, however. In the quarterfinals Saturday morning, Huyvaert (46-1) must wrestle Reese Courtney of Center Grove (36-2), the defending state runnerup from the 138-pound class.
Courtney is the same guy who defeated Huyvaert in overtime at last year’s state finals.
Walker (44-1) next faces Brownsburg’s Parker Reynolds (29-6).
Huyvaert and Walker are two of eight local wrestlers who survived the first day of competition at Evansville’s Ford Center.
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Three of those are from Penn. The Harper brothers, Brady (113 pounds) and Wesley (150 pounds) each advanced fairly easily. Brady won by fall over Indianapolis Cathedral’s Nathan Reyes, and Wesley scored a 9-3 decision against Brock Hagewood of Prairie Heights.
Penn’s Zymarion Hollyfield pinned Terre Haute South’s Cooper McCoy to advance at 175.
Northridge junior Travis Henke (41-1) is the only local wrestler to survive who advanced out of the Fort Wayne semistate. He won his 215-pound opener against Parker Hart of Heritage Hills. He was a semistate champ last week.
Mishawaka senior Beau Brabender (43-1) scored the initial takedown and controlled the rest of his 157-pound opener against Mason Day of Brownsburg. Brabender won, 7-3.
And Plymouth heavyweight Anthony Popi (43-6) elimated Fort Wayne Snider’s Ethan Dodson, 7-1.
On the other side of the ledger, the 190-pound weight class was brutal for local wrestlers. Penn’s Vinny Freeman and Mishawaka’s Trey Dunning were both pinned, while NorthWood’s Keith Miller lost by technical fall.
Similar story at 138, where La Porte’s Josh England, Elkhart’s Cameron Dews and Plymouth’s Wesley Smith were all eliminated.
Plymouth senior Alonzo Chantea was part of an historic match, though not the way he was hoping.
In the 106-pound weight class, New Haven junior Julianna Ocampo (37-2) became the first female ever to earn a medal and a spot on the awards stand at the IHSAA state wrestling finals. She did so by pinning Chantea (45-4) in 5:46.
Chantea — this year’s Penn regional champ — actually scored two takedowns and two nearfalls against Ocampo, and was leading 9-1 after one period.
But Ocampo fought back, scoring a second-period takedown and two nearfalls. A reversal in the third period gave her a 10-9 lead, and she won by fall at the 5:46 mark.
Wrestling resumes at 10 a.m. EST (9 a.m. CST).
IHSAA STATE WRESTLING FINALS
At Evansville
FIRST-DAY RESULTS
(Tribune-area wrestlers)
106: Julianna Ocampo (New Haven) pinned Alonzo Chantea (Plymouth), 5:46.
113: Brady Harper (Penn) pinned Nathan Reyes (Indianapolis Cathedral), 5:18.
126: Bradin Daniels (Union City) dec. Dylan Bennett (Penn), 6-2.
138: Brady Ison (Brownsburg) pinned Josh England (La Porte), 2:19; Gavyn Whitehead (New Castle) pinned Cameron Dews (Elkhart), 5:46; Justice Thornton (Columbus North) dec. Wesley Smith (Plymouth), 7-6.
144: Zar Walker (Mishawaka) maj. dec. Marlin Williams (Southmont), 12-4; Jeffrey Huyvaert (New Prairie) maj. dec. Bryce Doss (New Palestine), 10-0.
150: Wesley Harper (Penn) dec. Brock Hagewood (Prairie Hts.), 9-3.
157: Beau Brabender (Mishawaka) dec. Mason Day (Brownsburg), 7-3.
175: Zymarion Hollyfield (Penn) pinned Cooper McCoy (Terre Haute South), 4:34; Michael White (Lawrence North) pinned Laish Detwiler (Goshen), 3:39.
190: Luke Penola (Zionsville) pinned Vincent Freeman (Penn), 1:09; Noah Weaver (Rossville) pinned Trey Dunning (Mishawaka), 2:50; Gunner Henry (Brownsburg) tech. fall Keith Miller (NorthWood), 16-0 in 4:44.
215: Travis Henke (Northridge) dec. Parker Hart (Heritage Hills), 4-1.
285: Anthony Popi (Plymouth) dec. Ethan Dodson (Fort Wayne Snider), 7-1
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Opening night of IHSAA State Wrestling in Evansville
