Published: November 18, 2008 10:49 pm         

Winter Sports Preview: Valley werstling trio has state final aspirations

TERRE HAUTE — One state finalist from the Wabash Valley is back in action this season, and two more area high school wrestlers are either ranked in the state now or have been in the past.

But that probably means that a number of other talented athletes are ready to step up in their places as the 2008-2009 season begins shortly — as soon as this weekend for some teams.

South Vermillion’s Wade Bohannon was the underclassman among the three state finalists last season, and Northview’s Luke Pingleton is currently in the preseason rankings — although in a weight class he probably won’t compete in during his junior year.

Terre Haute South sophomore Jordan Jensen made the state rankings as a freshman last year and is getting better, coach Gabe Cook says, while North Vermillion’s Eric Houmes and Sullivan’s John Walker are among the wrestlers who could be primed for big years. Three other South Vermillion wrestlers — Brody Millikan, Caleb Arehart and Russ Hoggatt — also have the potential to go far.

Here are the outlooks for Northview and the three Vigo County schools.

• Northview — Between graduation and changes of heart, coach Dan Mikesell’s Knights will be without nine regulars from last season’s team that won the school’s first sectional championship in 23 years. State finalists Beau Pingleton and Zach Stultz were among the graduates, and current senior Kyle McCoy is still healing from a football injury.

“We’ve got our work cut out for us,” Mikesell said this week, looking ahead to the Knights’ Dec. 3 opening dual match with traditional power Bloomington South, “but that gives us a good starting point.”

All is not lost for the Knights, however. McCoy — a semistate qualifer last season — should return soon to join Luke Pingleton among the leaders of a team that also welcomes back regional qualifiers Skyler Hall and Brandon Mikesell, both sophomores, and returning regulars Brady Silvers, Tommy Holifield and Beau Judd — although Judd is another wrestler trying to get over a football injury.

Two promising freshmen, Austin Nicoson and Austin Bell, should shore up the lower weights and three other ninth graders — Baylor Girton, Aaron See and the currently injured Patrick Durkholz — are also in the mix. Others being counted on are sophomore Nathan Duregger, sophomore Austin Sciotto, first-year senior Kyle Pestoff and 215-pounder Junior Hubbard, who is a junior.

Holifield has plenty of company at 189 pounds, Mikesell noted, with three wrestlers challenging him there — sophomore Brandon Pleake, senior Levi Sheese (who has moved back from two years at another school) and senior Michael Duregger.

• Terre Haute North — Coach Mark Frisz has four regional qualifiers returning to his lineup, most at the upper weights. Senior heavyweight Lance Lloyd, sophomore 215-pounder David Knight and junior 189-pounder Doug Collett all advanced last year, as did senior Ethan Page at 152.

Three more senior regulars back are Dan Delisle at 171, Josh Loudermilk at 145 and Brian Grover at 152 (Ethan Page will move up to 160 this year, Frisz said). Two other seniors are Zach Edington, challenging at 189, and first-year wrestler Michael Valledor at 140.

A trio of sophomore regulars back are twins Judd and Nate Page at 119 and 125 respectively — Ethan is their older brother — and Jason Barht at 130.

Two freshmen of note, Frisz said, are 103-pounder Kyle Camp and 112-pounder Conner Curley. Both have extensive club experience already, and Curley’s father Dan was a fourth-place finisher in the 1982 state finals.

“We have a lot of seniors, and that’s always a good sign,” the coach said. “And the underclassmen have experience, which is the real key to be successful.

“If we can add some determination with that, and some good goal-setting, and if we stay healthy,” Frisz added, knocking on wood as he made the latter statement, “we can be real competitive.”

The Patriots open with a Dec. 2 match against Cloverdale. They’ll have a free instrasquad scrimmage at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

• Terre Haute South — Jensen, now wrestling at 119, had a frustrating end to his season one victory shy of a semistate opportunity last year. Three other Braves — seniors Paul Bennett and Eric Joyal and sophomore P.J. Montgomery — also reached the regional a year ago.

Senior Jacob Hills is another Brave with a chance to go a long way this season, Cook predicted, while other returning regulars are led by sophomores Dakota Case and David Padan and junior Austin McClain.

Two more juniors returning are Jordan Chatman, getting his first chance at the varsity 171 spot after two strong junior varsity seasons, and Caleb Manley, who figures in the mix at the upper weights. Finding a regular heavyweight should be fun for Cook, who has eight first-year candidates for the job.

“[Football] coach [Mark] Raetz sent his whole offensive and defensive line,” Cook said with a smile. Two other wide-open spots right now are 103 and 112, where several first-year freshmen and sophomores are competing.

Two freshmen definitely not first-year wrestlers, however, are 215-pounder Zach Horstman and 135-pounder Tsali Lough, who look ready to win regular spots after plenty of club competition.

“We’ve just got to get these guys healthy,” concluded Cook, who has 44 wrestlers on his roster although several — Hills and Padan among them right now — are on the injured list.

“We’ve got a lot of talent; this is a very competitive [wrestling] room,” Cook added. “The kids are working very hard and having a lot of fun.”

• West Vigo — Coach Scott Rohrbach of the Vikings has just one regional qualifier returning from last year’s team, but has a lot of wrestlers who could advance this season.

Levi Edwards, a junior, reached the regional at 119 pounds last year and is moving up to 125, but the Vikings have experience and talent in a lot of spots.

Sophomore Ryan Roach, for example, was victim of a stacked 125-pound class last year but should be a factor at 135 this season. Two seniors, Jeff Jones and Ian Bolin, are strong at 215 and heavyweight respectively.

Other Vikings back are junior Chris Waller at 112, senior Dima Stott at 130, junior John Burt at 152, senior Cody Little at 145 and junior Dyman Lewellyn at 140.

Other candidates for regular work include sophomore Blake Ray at 189, junior Curtis Wilson at 171 and two freshmen, Ben Bird at 160 and Jared Wilguess at 103, Rohrbach said.

“We’re a little more solid from top to bottom this year,” he noted, “and the incoming freshmen have wrestled a lot.

“We got a late start because of football [the Vikings reached the sectional championship game], but that’s good for everybody,” the coach concluded.



Wrestling schedules

Northview

Dec. 3 — Bloomington South

Dec. 13 — Northview Invitational, 8 a.m.

Dec. 30-31 — At Mooresville Invitational, 10 a.m. each day

Jan. 24 — Western Indiana Conference championships at South Vermillion, TBA

Jan. 31 — Sectional, 9 a.m.

Terre Haute North

Dec. 2 — Cloverdale, 6:30 p.m.

Dec. 5-6 — At Evansville Reitz Invitational, 6 p.m. and 9 a.m.

Dec. 10 — West Vigo, 6:30 p.m.

Dec. 13 — At Northview Invitational, 8 a.m.

Dec. 16 — Sullivan, 6 p.m.

Dec. 20 — Bo Henry Invitational at Bloomington North, 9 a.m.

Dec. 22 — At Evansville Memorial, 8 a.m.

Dec. 26 — At Zionsville Invitational, 8:30 a.m.

Jan. 12 — Owen Valley, 6:30 p.m.

Jan. 15 — At Bloomington South, 6 p.m.

Jan. 17 — At Indianapolis North Central Invitational, 9 a.m.

Jan. 21 — Terre Haute South, 6 p.m.

Jan. 24 — Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference championships at Lawrence North, 8 a.m.

Jan. 31 — At Northview Sectional, 9 a.m.

Terre Haute South

Saturday — At Princeton Invitational, 9 a.m.

Nov. 29 — At Vincennes Lincoln Tournament, 10 a.m.]

Dec. 3 — Edgewood, 7 p.m.

Dec. 6 — At North Knox Invitational, 8:30 a.m.

Dec. 16 — At West Vigo, 6 p.m.

Dec. 27 — At Ben Davis Invitational, 9 a.m.

Dec. 30-31 — At Mooresville Invitational, 10 a.m. each day

Jan. 7 — At Sullivan, 6 p.m.

Jan. 17 — At Indianapolis North Central Invitational, 9 a.m.

Jan. 21 — At Terre Haute North, 6 p.m.

Jan. 24 — Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference championships at Lawrence North, 8 a.m.

Jan. 27 — Owen Valley, 6 p.m.

Jan. 31 — At Northview Sectional, 9 a.m.

West Vigo

Tuesday — Cloverdale, 6:30 p.m.

Dec. 4 — Greencastle, 6 p.m.

Dec. 6 — At Covington Tournament, 9 a.m.

Dec. 10 — At Terre Haute North, 6 p.m.

Dec. 13 — At Northview Invitational, 8 a.m.

Dec. 16 — Terre Haute South, 6 p.m.

Dec. 18 — At Sullivan, 6 p.m.

Dec. 27 — West Vigo Invitational, 10 a.m.

Jan. 10 — At South Vermillion Invitational, 10 a.m.

Jan. 17 — At Edgewood Invitational, 9 a.m.

Jan. 21 — North Knox, 6 p.m.

Jan. 24 — Western Indiana Conference championships at South Vermillion, TBA

Jan. 31 — At Northview Sectional, 9 a.m.