Center Grove’s Kaden McConnell, top, wrestles during the final match of the 190-pound weight class Saturday at Mooresville.
Chris Williams | For the Daily Journal
MOORESVILLE
One step taken, three to go.
In pursuit of its first team state championship, third-ranked Center Grove thoroughly dominated the Mooresville Sectional on Saturday, racking up 324.5 points to leave second-place Martinsville (177) far behind.
More importantly, the Trojans qualified a wrestler in all 14 weight classes for this weekend’s Mooresville Regional.
Not counting byes, Center Grove won 39 of 42 matches, advancing 13 of its wrestlers to title matches and crowning 11 champions.
“For the most part, all of our guys wrestled well at some point in the day, if not the whole day,” Trojans coach Maurice Swain said. “(But) none of this will matter if we don’t come ready to go next week.”
Not that the Trojans have a choice. The Mooresville Regional brings in qualifiers from second-ranked Brownsburg and No. 10 Avon, among others.
Bringing home blue ribbons for Swain’s squad in the lighter weight divisions were Charlie LaRocca (120 pounds), Dominic Brown (126), Eddie Goss (132), William Vander Luitgaren (138), Reese Courtney (144), Wyatt Krejsa (150) and Silas Stits (157).
Center Grove’s dominance extended into the heavier divisions through the efforts of Noah Clouser (175), Kaden McConnell (190), Ronnie Thompson (215) and Nate Johnson (285).
Courtney and Krejsa took the mat ranked first in the state in their respective weight classes; McConnell is No. 2, while Goss, Clouser and Johnson all hold fourth-ranked status. Meanwhile, LaRocca is fifth, and Brown and Stits both sixth.
“This is like the biggest week for me right now,” said Brown, a sophomore, who is now 23-7 this season. “I was very motivated for sectional because I knew I can’t slip up. These kids are gunning for me. They’ve got nothing to lose, and I’ve got plenty to lose.”
Added Goss: “The hardest part is the pressure of everyone expecting you to do really well. I know my hard work, and my team’s hard work; I just know it will pay off coming into this tournament.”
Greenwood, which advanced freshman Keagan Murray (126) and junior Jordan Jewell (144) to championship matches, also qualified third-place performers Jackson Frahm (106) and Landon Maxwell (120) for regional competition.
“I think things went about as good as we expected,” Woodmen coach Jay Yates said. “We had some opportunities to do a little bit better, but things worked out about how we thought they could.”
And the objective at regional?
“Win that first match,” Yates said. “Win that first match, and we can maybe make things happen at semistate.”
Whiteland, meanwhile, qualified five wrestlers for regional in Marcus Knapp (third, 132), Jacob Atkins (third, 138), Jaden Farr (fourth, 120), Donnie Lynem (fourth, 150) and Evan Scudder (fourth, 285).
At the Jennings County Sectional, Franklin tallied 193.5 points to place second in the team standings behind Columbus East (223). Indian Creek scored 83 points to finish seventh.
Braves sophomore Oliver Hallet upped his season record to 31-1 by winning the 165-pound division; Grizzly Cub freshman Kellen Fellure stood atop the awards podium after taking the 215-pound class, and the same spot was eventually occupied by senior teammate Brody Stephens, the winner at 285.
Cameron Sommers placed second for Franklin at 150 pounds. Third-place efforts were put in by Aiden Woods (106), Ryan Million (126), Kegan Jochim (132), Owen Trimpe (144) and Lance Jones (190). Also qualifying for the Jeffersonville Regional were fourth-place performers Oscar Garcia (120), Corinthian Tonte (157) and Cory Fuller (165).
Moving on for Indian Creek alongside Hallet are 157-pound runner-up Elijah Guyer and 126-pounder Phoebe Dowty, who took fourth.
