Franklin senior Brayden Isley, right, won the 175-pound weight class at last month’s Johnson County tournament.
Rob Baker | For the Daily Journal
A big deal is made of home-court and home-field familiarity in other, more mainstream sports, but a home-mats advantage?
Franklin senior Brayden Isley insists it’s a real thing.
“It’s a really big deal,” said Isley, the Grizzly Cubs’ 175-pounder who brings a 14-3 record into the 12-team IHSWCA Class 3A duals tournament at Franklin today. “You feel more comfortable wrestling at home. It builds more of a confidence.
“You have all these good teams there, but I think we can win. We just need to make sure that nobody gets pinned, and that they score as many points as they can in their match.”
Franklin enters competition as the state’s No. 4 squad in 3A duals, according to IndianaMat.com. Top-ranked Terre Haute South is the favorite, Columbus East sits second and Floyd Central is No. 3.
All will be there, along with Franklin, and 3A’s remaining top duals teams, making for a showcase like few others at this point of the regular season.
Coach Jim Tonte’s Cubs feature a pair of Johnson County champions from last month’s tournament in Isley and another senior, 285-pounder Brody Stephens. Isley won all four of his matches at county, while Stephens was 3-1, the setback coming at the hands of Nate Johnson of Center Grove, a 2023 state finalist at 220 pounds.
The day proved momentum-building for both wrestlers, and for the team in general.
“One hundred percent my goal is to make it to state,” said Isley, who was pinned by Martinsville’s Noah Sumner in the second round of last season’s Mooresville Sectional. “Winning county is a really big deal. It raised my confidence by a lot.”
The Grizzly Cubs continue to be young in most spots in the lineup, but do feature three other senior starters in Ryan Million (126 pounds), Luke Bechert (138) and Lance Jones (190).
Franklin will be getting used to bus rides south due to a postseason restructuring that sends the Cubs to the Jennings County Sectional, Jeffersonville Regional and Evansville for both the semistate and state finals (the latter because of Indianapolis hosting the NBA All-Star Game).
“Coming into the season, we knew we were getting a new sectional, so we’re just trying to go as far as we can,” said Stephens, who didn’t pick up the sport until eighth grade. “I’m definitely a better wrestler than last year. Just the coaches teaching me everything I need to do.
“This has been an up-and-down season for me. I’ve let a couple of matches get away that I probably shouldn’t have. My goal is to make it to semistate, and then just fight to try to get (to state). It would mean a lot to get there.”
Both Isley and Stephens have already succeeded athletically this school year, having made big contributions in football.
Isley, a linebacker, finished the season as one of the county’s leading tacklers. He was named All-Mid-State Conference and honorable mention Class 5A All-State. Stephens, a left guard on offense, was named 5A All-State.
“I consider them leaders in the program. Solid two-year starters. Both are hard-working kids, and two of the better athletes in the school,” Tonte said. “And honestly, just two good all-around kids.
“I know they had a good fall, and they’re continuing to do that into the winter.”
IF YOU GO
IHSWCA Team State Duals
Class 3A
When: Today, 9 a.m.
Where: Franklin Community HS
Teams competing: Franklin, Columbus East, DeKalb, East Noble, Floyd Central, Fort Wayne Snider, Greenfield-Central, Hobart, Mishawaka, New Palestine, Roncalli, Terre Haute South
Admission: $15
Class 4A
When: Today, 9 a.m.
Where: Brownsburg HS
Teams competing: Center Grove, Avon, Brownsburg, Crown Point, Evansville Mater Dei, Penn, Perry Meridian, Warren Central
Admission: $15
