Center Grove junior Kaden McConnell, top, takes a 35-1 record into the Evansville Semistate.
Daily Journal file photo
Kaden McConnell had a feeling his junior season would play out the way it has.
Center Grove’s 195-pounder, ranked seventh in the state with a record of 35-1, is one of 12 Trojans qualified for the Evansville Semistate on Saturday inside the spacious Ford Center.
A significant stride forward in productivity, to be sure, considering the program’s deep pool of talent and a hint of bad luck prevented McConnell from taking part in previous postseasons.
As a sophomore, McConnell split time between junior varsity and varsity, his progress often unseen beyond the closed doors of the Trojans’ practice room.
However, when you’re wrestling every day against since-graduated 182-pound state champion Drake Buchanan (now a freshman wrestler at the Air Force Academy) and current teammate and fellow semistate qualifier Julian Weems, improvement is inevitable.
McConnell competed at 126 pounds as a ninth-grader, losing a wrestle-off to since-graduated Michael Tharpe in an attempt to make the sectional lineup.
“I bumped up for a good reason,” McConnell said. “Down at the lower weights, there’s a lot more mobility and a lot more depth within kids. I bumped up, got my strength and am doing pretty good.”
McConnell captured the 195-pound division at last weekend’s Mooresville Regional with three wins.
He pinned Ben Davis junior Carlos Villaverde in 1 minute, 15 seconds, in the opening round, and Martinsville senior Stevie Drake at 1:54 in the semifinal match. McConnell then scored a 5-2 decision over Gunner Henry of Brownsburg, ranked second in the state, in the championship match.
McConnell’s lone loss this season is a 5-3 setback at the hands of Mishawaka senior Christian Chavez, who is ranked fifth.
His success is a combination of opportunity intersecting with a growth spurt.
“Kaden was kind of between 170 and 182 last season,” Trojans coach Maurice Swain said. “He came from football and got sick midway through the season. By the time he got back, he really wasn’t able to get his body back in shape (for the postseason).”
Everything is clicking this school year.
McConnell was a starting linebacker for Center Grove’s Class 6A state championship football team in the fall, its third consecutive title. He finished fourth on the team in tackles with 61 and will be one of coach Eric Moore’s most experienced defenders returning for the 2023 season.
He insists he benefits from competing in both sports.
“Wrestling really helps with tackling on the football field. Getting low,” McConnell said. “Just positioning with my body helps me tremendously in football. With football, it’s getting big. Getting strong.
“I’ve gained about 10 pounds since football season.”
Football game programs during the fall promoted McConnell at 6-foot-2, though at this point that seems a conservative line of type.
This leverage is another reason he’s proving so difficult to defeat.
“We knew coming into the season that Kaden was going to be really tough,” Swain said. “Even since last year, his body has changed. He’s probably two to three inches taller than he was last season.
“Kaden works hard every day. We knew we had a guy who could be top five in the state.”
IF YOU GO
Evansville Semistate
When: Saturday, 9 a.m. EST
Where: Ford Center
Admission: $12 (children 5 and under free)
Advancement: The top four wrestlers in each weight class will advance to the state finals.
Local qualifiers
Center Grove — Charlie LaRocca (113 pounds), Eddie Goss (120), Hyatt Yeager (126), Reese Courtney (138), Wyatt Krejsa (145), Silas Stits (152), Andre Merritt (160), Noah Clouser (170), Julian Weems (182), Kaden McConnell (195), Nate Johnson (220), Tyler Schott (285); Greenwood — Gavin Rice (145); Indian Creek — Jude Heaston (106),Jackson Heaston (113); Whiteland — Joey Buttler (132), Vince Tinoco (170), Blake Driver (195), Jakarrey Oliver (220), Cooper Williams (285)
