It sounds like the name of a law firm, though Bechert, Buchanan and Buttler are three of the wrestlers representing Johnson County at this weekend’s state finals.
Jake Bechert, Drake Buchanan and Joey Buttler, that is.
Their schools, grades and weight classes differ, as do the manner in which they arrived at their sport’s biggest showcase. In all, 10 locals made it to today’s opening round, four of whom are ranked in the top five in the state and three who are immediately paired against the No. 1 wrestler in his division.
Modifications for athletes, coaches, spectators and even media are being made inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse to ensure as much spacing as possible due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The action on the mat, however, is expected to live up to that of the previous 82 state finals.
<strong>Finally here</strong>
As successful as his career had been, Franklin 126-pounder Jake Bechert was starting to think he might not make it to a state finals.
The wait — not to mention the suspense — ended the instant the senior qualified for the semifinals at last week’s Jasper Semistate. Bechert’s 5-1 decision over Keegan Williams of Evansville Reitz in the second round guaranteed him a trip to downtown Indianapolis, where this morning Bechert wrestles Roncalli sophomore Bryce Lowery in the opening round.
“It feels awesome to be able to end my season at Bankers Life,” said Bechert (23-5), who lost to Brownsburg freshman Brady Ison in the semistate semifinal but returned to defeat Center Grove’s Michael Tharpe in the third-place match, 12-3. “I felt this year we were a lot more prepared both as a team and individually.
“Our coaches are amazing preparing us for our opponents.”
Bechert started his Grizzly Cubs career at 106 pounds, advancing to the second round of semistate. He made it to regional as a sophomore and then lost in the first round of semistate last year. Bechert’s career record entering today’s match against Lowery is 101-43.
“My goal is to wrestle my match and do what I do best,” Bechert said. “My goal for now is to win Friday. That’s what I’m focused on.”
<strong>One step at a time</strong>
After winning his first 32 matches this season, it would be human nature for Drake Buchanan to seek revenge for the lone loss.
Center Grove’s stalwart 182-pounder refuses to channel his energy in such a direction — especially if the direction is backward.
“We’re just keeping our minds on one match at a time,” said Buchanan, who lost to Gabe Sollars of Evansville Mater Dei in the championship match of the Jasper semistate. “I’ve been wrestling for a long time. If you lose, you can’t do anything about it. I have to figure out how to improve wrestling my match.”
A sixth-place state finisher last season at 182, Buchanan wrestles Roncalli’s Sam Peeples in a first-round match this evening.
“Obviously, the atmosphere is going to be a lot different, but once you step on the mat, everything else just kind of gets drowned out,” Buchanan said.
<strong>Motivated by near-miss</strong>
As a freshman, Whiteland 113-pounder Joey Buttler lived the difference between being a state finals qualifier and being a spectator.
After losing in the second round of the Evansville Semistate, Buttler chose to attend the finals anyway, an experience that broke his heart while at the same time motivating him.
“It didn’t really hit me until the next weekend and we went,” Buttler remembers. “It was just electric. I started wrestling kind of late, in the seventh grade, so I wasn’t really aware of the finals until last year.”
Buttler has put together a 30-7 record this season, one of the losses coming early in the season to his first-round opponent today, Carmel soph Isaac Ward. The close score (8-7) was one of the matches that made Buttler realize he could be one of the best in his weight class.
“It was a close match. A good match,” Buttler said. “I really feel in my element now and have more confidence.”
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<strong>Scouting the state finals</strong>
A look at the weight classes involving local wrestlers this weekend:
<strong>113 pounds</strong>
Whiteland sophomore Joey Buttler (30-7) and Center Grove freshman Reese Courtney (29-5) are on opposite ends of the bracket, meaning the only way they would meet is in the championship or a consolation match. Courtney, ranked seventh in the state, wrestles today against fourth-ranked Kyrel Leavell, a freshman from Warren Central, in the opening round. Buttler competes against Carmel soph Isaac Ward. Courtney lost a 4-2 decision to Leavell in January, while Buttler lost, 8-7, in his only match against Ward.
<strong>126 pounds</strong>
Franklin senior Jake Bechert (23-5) opens against Roncalli sophomore Bryce Lowery (36-2), the fourth-ranked wrestler in this weight class. Lowery took fourth place at state at 106 as a freshman, while Bechert is at state for the first time. Center Grove junior Michael Tharpe (18-6), who has bounced back strong after sitting out last season due to injury, takes on unbeaten Cathedral junior Zeke Seltzer (29-0), the top-ranked wrestler in the class, in the first round.
<strong>145 pounds</strong>
Third-ranked Hayden Watson of Center Grove (29-4) wrestles South Dearborn senior Elijah Otto (35-3) in the first round, with the winner likely to go up against Elijah Chacon (32-0), a senior from New Haven who is ranked fifth. Two of Watson’s losses this season were to No. 2 Logan Wagner of Zionsville by scores of 8-5 and 13-10. Wagner, though, is on the opposite end of the bracket.
<strong>170 pounds</strong>
Franklin senior Tyler Fuqua (27-2), ranked third, wrestles No. 2 Pete Eastin of Penn (30-0) in the first round — a semifinal or even championship-level match right at the outset. Eastin placed third at 160 at state last season. Top-ranked Bryer Hall of East Central (30-0) is at the top part of the bracketing, the Fuqua-Eastin match at the bottom.
<strong>182 pounds</strong>
Center Grove junior Drake Buchanan (32-1), the sixth-place finisher in this class a year ago, takes on 16th-ranked Sam Peeples of Roncalli (29-4) in the first round. The lone person to defeat Buchanan this season is third-ranked Evansville Mater Dei junior Gabe Sollars (26-0), and the two are on opposite sides of the bracketing. A finals rematch seems like a strong possibility.
<strong>195 pounds</strong>
Sixth-ranked Harris Eason of Franklin (26-5), a senior, takes the mat tonight against Northridge senior Ibrahim Khaoucha (29-1), ranked 16th. Should Eason prevail, he would return Saturday to wrestle the winner of the match between No. 4 Johnny Parker of Cathedral (25-4) and Chesterton junior Gage DeMarco (36-2), ranked 10th.
<strong>220 pounds</strong>
Franklin junior Nolan Skaggs (17-8) will take on the defending state champion, No. 1 Evan Bates of Chesterton (34-0), in tonight’s opening round with the winner likely to wrestle eighth-ranked Aataeveon Jordan (29-5) of Franklin Central in Saturday’s quarterfinal.
<strong>285 pounds</strong>
Like his teammate Skaggs, Franklin junior Jacob Johnson (26-3) is paired against the state’s top wrestler in his weight class. In Johnson’s case, it’s Western senior Braydon Erb (31-1), who finished seventh at state last season in the same division. Johnson qualified for state as a sophomore and is currently ranked fifth.
