Entering the postseason ranked 13th in the state, Roncalli wrestling is slightly ahead of schedule compared to what second-year coach Wade McClurg envisioned.
He feels it’s a testament to the kind of student-athlete he’s had the good fortune to mentor.
“Did I expect for us to get this good this fast? No. We try to hold our kids to a high standard, and try to keep them focused on the things they can control,” McClurg said.
“We probably should be a top-10 team, but we’ve had some injuries that have held us back. But we don’t put a lot of emphasis on winning and losing. You can control your attitude and effort, and if you have that it’s contagious.”
Six Rebels starters are ranked in their respective weight divisions, led by junior Elijah Mahan, one of five Johnson County residents in McClurg’s lineup. Mahan is No. 10 in the 170-pound class.
Other locals expected to compete for Roncalli in Saturday’s Warren Central Sectional are Sam Slivka (120, Whiteland), Lorenzo Salazar (182, Franklin), Spencer Fears (220, Trafalgar) and John Harris (285, Greenwood).
Before last season, the Rebels hadn’t won a team sectional championship in six years.
“I would say a lot of it has to do with (McClurg),” said Harris, who is 13-9 this season. “He keeps it positive, but he keeps it hard-working, too. It was difficult at first, but he wants Roncalli wrestling to be relevant and to stay relevant.”
Harris and 132-pound sophomore Tyce Frieje sustained injuries in December that sidelined them for the remainder of the regular season.
Both expect to be on the mat at sectional, when the Rebels attempt to win their second straight team championship and 10th in program history. They placed 17th in the State Finals team standings last season on the strength of Alec Viduya capturing the 113-pound title.
Viduya, who became Roncalli’s fourth individual titlist and the program’s first in 32 years, is ranked third this season at 126.
Roncalli was seventh at the IHSWCA Class 3A state duals in Fort Wayne and winning both the Connersville Holiday Classic and Circle City Conference meet. All of that was just a warmup for the postseason, though.
“This is the time of the year that we train for as a program. We are getting everyone healthy at the right time and battle-tested,” McClurg said. “This year we have five guys on paper who are favored to be state finalists and finish in the top eight.
“Roncalli has never placed more than three guys at state in a single season, so we are excited about the opportunity in front of us.”
