CLAYTON – Avon won its sixth consecutive Hendricks County wrestling title Dec. 19, but it was not an easy task as the Orioles (175.5 points) toppled second-place Brownsburg (156.5) and surprisingly strong Danville (147.5).
The remaining order of finish was Plainfield (128.5) in fourth, host Cascade (121.5) fifth, and Tri-West Hendricks (84) sixth.
Avon, the state runner-up to Lawrence North in 2005, put six grapplers in the final round and claimed four individual champions: 13th-ranked Matt Rassbach, an 8-3 decision winner over No. 14 Chris Oakes of Brownsburg) in the day’s marquee championship match at 135, as well as a tech fall at 140 by Blaine Hall, a 75-second pin at 171 by fourth-ranked Cole Brandt, and a second-period pin by Quincy Pirtle at 215.
Danville matched the six finalists but claimed one less winner as the Warriors prevailed in three consecutive lower-weight classes: 112 Brayden Montgomery, 119 No. 8 Neal Molloy, and 125 No. 11 Jordan Judy. Brownsburg had four finalists and took titles at the lightest weight class (103 Austin Arnold) as well as the heaviest (see below).
The highlights of the championship round came at 160 pounds and in the heavyweight division.
At 160, Tri-West Hendricks’ No. 10 Ryan Kolb needed just 28 seconds to pin Cody Blackburn of Cascade. Brownsburg heavyweight Duell Ginter then ended a scoreless match late in the first period with a lightning-quick pin of Jake Williams of Avon.
Team scores
1. Avon 175.5
2. Brownsburg 156.5
3. Danville 147.5
4. Plainfield 128.5
5. Cascade 121.5
6. Tri-West Hendricks 84
Results from the championship round:
103: Austin Arnold (Brownsburg) pin Skyler Pintor (Cascade), 2:45
112: Brayden Montgomery (Danville) dec. Andy Mocherman (Tri-West), 8-6
The HCC
office has released an early season summary of action on the wrestling mats
throughout the conference. Here is a look at the complete rundown.
TEAM RECORDS
and RESULTS
School
Record
Results through December 5, 2009
Avon
1-3
Guerin Catholic (S 72-9), Warren
Central (L 25-34), Cathedral (L 21-52), HSE (L 32-36)
Brownsburg
10-0
Edgewood Invitational – 1st Place;Brownsburg Invitational – 1st Place
Danville (W 39-23), Hammond Clark (W 81-0), Edgewood (W 60-16), Martinsville (W 37-31),
Terre Haute South (W 62-10);
Indpls. Washington (W 71-6)
Fishers
8-3
Shamrock Duals: Mt.Vernon (W 46-27), Evansville Memorial (W 34-28),
Lebanon (W 42-33), Shelbyville (W
42-34),Westfield (L 30-36)
Brownsburg Invitational:Indps.
Washington (W 64-15), North Putnam (W 68-4), Zionsville (L 30-41),
South Putnam (W 70-12), Crawfordsville (L
32-38)
Regular Season Match:Noblesville
(W 37-33)
Hamilton Southeastern
6-0
Northwestern Super Eight – 1st Place: Adams Central (W 36-18),Lafayette
Jeff (W 37-22),
F.W.
Bishop Luers (W 72-3), Avon (W
36-32)
Harrison
15-6
War on the Wabash
Tournament:TC Howe (W 66-16), Madison (W 47-21), Goshen (L 27-43),
Hammond Gavit (W 68-12), Fairfield (W 45-27), West Noble (W51-25), LakeCentral
(W 50-20),
Faith Christian (W
76-0), Jennings County (L 30-35)
New Castle Invitational: New Castle
(L 30-38), Westfield
(L 33-34 on
tie-breaker), Connersville (W 42-28), Milan (W 56-15), Lincoln (W 68-9), Columbus East (W 37-35), JayCounty
(L 30-35)
Lafayette Jeff
7-2
Northwestern Duals
– 2nd Place:Northwestern (W 58-18), Marion (W 49-18),
HSE (L 22-37), F.W. Bishop Luers (W 70-3), Adams Central (W 48-21)
Lawrence Central Invite – 5th Place
Regular Season Matches:Northwestern (L 35-45), Winamac (W 42-26),
Maconaquah (W 48-24), Logansport (W 43-27)
McCutcheon
2-3
LakeCentral Harvest Classic – 3rd Place
Chesterton Invitational – Elkhart Memorial (L 18-50), Chesterton (W
48-19),
Munster (L 29-30), Delphi
(W 58-18)
Duals:Noblesville (L 33-36)
Noblesville
NR
Hagerstown Invitational – 1st Place:Anderson
Highland (W 63-9), Southport (W 48-18),
Randolph Southern (W 78-5), Shenandoah (W
84-0), Tri (W 57-15)
Hamilton Hts. Invitational
– 2nd Place: Guerin (W 84-0), Decatur Central (W 72-12),
Pendleton Hts. (W
44-24), Hamilton
Hts. (W 58-16)
Regular Season Matches:Fishers
(L 33-37), McCutcheon (W 35-33)
Westfield
10-2
New Castle Invitational: Columbus
East (W 50-21), Connersville
(W 52-17), JayCounty
(W 59-12),
CambridgeCity Lincoln (W 74-3), Milan
(W 55-22), New Castle
(L 31-42), Harrison (L 34-33 on
tie-breaker)
Westfield Super Duals:Ben
Davis (W 42-28), Lebanon
(W 47-23),
Shelbyville (W
62-15), Fishers (W 38-32), Evansville
Memorial (L 21-38),
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Cathedral Super Six wrestling tournament held Dec. 5 was an excellent example of how the poor economy is affecting Indiana high school sports.
For years, the Cathedral duals have been a six-team affair with statewide flavor. This season, it was a four-team meet featuring the seventh-ranked host Fighting Irish, No. 15 Warren Central, No. 25 Avon, and Guerin Catholic. Munster, East Central, and Anderson Highland all pulled out of the event in recent months.
The day slowly bubbled to what looked like a climactic finishing confrontation between the Irish and Warren Central after both squads dispersed of their competition in the first two rounds without incident.
Cathedral downed Avon, 52-21, and Guerin, 78-6. Warren was nearly as impressive in crushing Guerin, 80-3, and then disposing of Avon, 34-25.
But the third-round showdown was over nearly as quickly as it began. Wrestling began at 119 pounds, and the Irish used their devastating strength in the lighter weight classes to win five of the first seven matches – four by pin – in setting the tone for Cathedral’s 52-16 rout of the Warriors.
Three-time state finalist Brandon Wright did not wrestle against his old team. Wright, you may recall, spent the last three state finals battling Anderson Highland’s Cam Eppert for the crown at 103, 112, and 119 (Eppert took the series, 2-1, with Wright winning the 112 title in 2008).
Wright transferred to Warren Central prior to this season. The Fighting Irish also lost nine seniors from last year’s highly ranked team that upset Mishawaka before falling to eventual state champion Crown Point in the team state semifinals.
The round-by-round results (no individual results available from host school):
Round 1
#7 Indianapolis Cathedral 52, #25 Avon 21
#15 Warren Central 80, Guerin Catholic 3
Round 2
#7 Indianapolis Cathedral 78, Guerin Catholic 6
#15 Warren Central 34, #25 Avon 25
Round 3
#7 Indianapolis Cathedral 54, #15 Warren Central 16
AVON – Watch out for Danville this season in Class 3A, fans of the 100-year “Hoosier Hysteria” brand of the hardwood. The third-ranked Warriors put on an exhibition of unselfish team play while managing to get three scorers over the 20-point mark Dec 4. in a 80-54 romp past 4A No. 23 host Avon.
Trailing 15-14 after the opening period of play, 11th-year coach Brian Barber’s young men were seven points better than were the Orioles over the second eight minutes en route to a 31-25 halftime lead. The Warriors then busted the game open with a 30-point outburst in the third quarter before eating up Avon’s full-court press with easy bucket after easy bucket down the stretch.
Quite a contrast from last year’s 70-67 Warrior win that needed an overtime at home to get the job done. And quite shocking based on Avon’s 65-32 season-opening win at Plainfield.
With four double-digit scorers in Danville’s starting lineup, it’s no easy accomplishment to keep everybody happy. But that’s exactly what the Warriors (2-0) did on offense, and they did it to perfection as a trio of players scored more than 20 points.
Senior Jordan Weidner, a transfer from defending 4A state runner-up Franklin Central, meshed excellently with his new mates with a game-high 24 points. Purdue-bound 6’10” senior center Travis Carroll patrolled the paint to the tune of 22 points, while junior Tyler Hall added 22 as well.
The 6’2” Weidner, in particular, was special on this night. His nine second-quarter points on four different kinds of shots – a tip-in, fast-break three-point play, layin, and baseline banker – helped fuel a 15-5 run that ended the half with momentum headed in Danville’s favor.
Weidner and Hall then boosted Danville to a 44-32 lead in the third quarter before a 17-6 flurry to end the stanza made it 61-40 after three. The damage had been done – Danville would finish the second half 20 of 25 from the field (80 percent!) – and the Warriors either sliced through Avon’s pressure “D” or waited patiently for just the right shot down the stretch.
So silencing was the Warriors’ whirlwind middle quarters (a 47-25 scoring advantage) that nary a one of the previously fired-up Oriole faithful applauded a Dominique Blackmon free throw with 1:21 to go in the third period.
Junior guard Juan Sarver led Avon with 21 points, while 6’5” junior Kendall Griffin added 13.
Next up for Danville is a Dec. 11 conference game at Southmont, while Avon gets right back into the fire Saturday with a date at 4A No. 8 Pike.
The box score:
Danville 14 17 30 19 – 80 Avon 15 10 15 14 – 54
Danville: Hall 22, Weidner 24, Carroll 22, Humphrey 8, Mackey 4, Chalfant 0, Schaffer 0, Fields 0, Cooper 0, Leonard 0, Pedigo 0, Mitchell 0. 3-pointers: Hall 3. Totals: 32 FG, 13-16 FT
Avon: Sarver 21, Griffin 13, Burgett 7, J. Miller 6, Blackmon 6, Burns 1, Mayberry 0, Dickison 0, Magee 0, L. Miller. 3-pointers: -Sarver 2, Griffin 2, Blackmon. Totals: 20 FG, 9-19 FT
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