Monthly Archives: February 2023

Boys Basketball, Greensburg

Pirates Battle in Nail Biter, Owls get last hoot

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Last Tuesday the Greensburg Pirates traveled to Seymour to take on the Owls and lost with a score of 60-55. Seymour’s Lloyd E. Scott Gym is ranked the second largest in the state to New Castle’s, whose can fit about 200 more people.

In the first quarter the Pirates got off to a super slow start. Ki Dyer scored a 3-pointer with just 3 minutes remaining in the quarter. Dyer also got 2 free throws. Dyer, once again leading the team’s offense, scored a 3-pointer and Bradley Lutz had 2 free throws which put the Pirates in an 11-10 lead.

Seymour once again started the next quarter off, but Dyer again battled back and scored a 2-pointer making the score 13-13. Dyer also scored a 3-pointer. Lutz scored a 2-point goal and got fouled so he got a free throw attempt but missed. Addison Barnes-Pettit had 2 free throws which put the Pirates in the lead. Lutz scored a 3-pointer which put the Pirates up by four going into the half.

In the third quarter Seymour had 2 free throws to get things rolling. Seymour’s offense was great, but the Pirates were slow on both ends of offense and defense. But eventually Barnes-Pettit scored a 2-pointer to get things going. Dyer also had a 2 and 3. Lutz added a basket. This put the score at 41-30 Seymour.

In the fourth quarter Grainger Maxwell got things going scoring a 2-pointer; this led to Jeter Edwards having a free throw and a bucket. Dyer got four free throws off a technical foul. After this, he scored a 3- pointer. Edwards had 2 free throws and Dyer got yet another 3-pointer. Jack McKinsey scored a free throw and Dyer had another 3-pointer. McKinsey followed this up by having a 3-pointer of his own.

The Pirates fought hard in this back-and-forth game but in the end, they lost by just five points.

Dyer led all scorers with 31 points with the Owls’ Jaylan Johnson posting 24. Lutz added 9, McKinsey 6, Edwards 5, Maxwell and Barnes-Pettit 2 each.

The Bucs (15-5) are at South Ripley Saturday evening.

Swimming and Diving

Boys swimming prelim results

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Thursday Evening Boys Swimming Prelims took place at East Central High School. This Saturday the finals will take place at 1PM at East Central. The top swimmers will be competing for a place at state.

Boys 200 Yard Medley Relay

5 East Central 1) Brogan Wilson FR 2) Francis Strotman SR 3) Michael Doll JR 4) Connor Murray SO

6 Batesville 1) William Johnson SR 2) Ciaran Tyrer SR 3) Matthew Tekulve JR 4) Emiliano Lopez JR

7 Greensburg 1) Christopher Mains SO 2) Jacob Hawkins JR 3) Alexander Walden SO 4) Matthew Reynolds SR  

Swimming for consolation in this division will be

9 Lawrenceburg 1) Brendan Lowe JR 2) Vincent Volz SO 3) Luke Thornton JR 4) Cameron Boyce JR 

11 Oldenburg Academy 1) Dominic Yane SO 2) Santiago Schutte SO 3) Sully Hill SO 4) Noah Schenk JR

Boys 200 Yard Freestyle

8 Dillon Rullman SO, East Central, 3 Kaden Cummins, SR East Central

Swimming for consolation in this division will be

13 Tristen Hostetler SO, Greensburg

15 Collin Wilson SR, East Central

Boys 200 Yard IM

5 Santiago Schutte SO, Oldenburg

8 Brogan Wilson FR, East Central

Swimming for consolation in this division will be

10 Francis Strotman SR, East Central  

11 Christopher Mains SO, Greensburg

14 Connor Murray SO, East Central

Boys 50 Yard Freestyle

1 Ayden Ketchem JR East Central

2 Henry Strotman JR, East Central

5 William Johnson SR, Batesville  

Swimming for consolation in this division will be

11 Emiliano Lopez JR, Batesville

14 Alexander Walden SO, Greensburg

16 Matthew Reynolds SR, Greensburg

Boys 100 Yard Butterfly

3 Kyle Goodwin FR, East Central  

5 Alexander Walden SO GBUR

Swimming for consolation in this division will be

12 Michael Doll JR, East Central

13 Ciaran Tyrer SR, Batesville

15 Connor Murray SO, East Central

Boys 100 Yard Freestyle

3 William Johnson SR, Batesville

4 Kaden Cummins SR, East Central

 5 Henry Strotman JR, East Central

Swimming for consolation in this division will be

9 Dillon Rullman SO, East Central

11 Santiago Schutte SO, Oldenburg

12 Emiliano Lopez JR, Batesville

15 Jacob Hawkins JR, Greensburg

Boys 500 Yard Freestyle

Swimming for consolation in this division will be

12 Collin Wilson SR, East Central

14 Tyler Ketcham SR, East Central

15 James Frensemeier SO, Greensburg

16 Tristen Hostetler SO, Greensburg

17 Kennedy Shuler SO, East Central

Boys 200 Yard Freestyle Relay

1 East Central 1) Dillon Rullman SO 2) Michael Doll JR 3) Connor Murray SO 4) Henry Strotman JR

2 Batesville 1) Matthew Tekulve JR 2) Ciaran Tyrer SR 3) Emiliano Lopez JR 4) William Johnson SR 

5 Greensburg 1) Jacob Hawkins JR 2) Christopher Mains SO 3) Tristen Hostetler SO 4) Matthew Reynolds SR 

7 Lawrenceburg 1) Brendan Lowe JR 2) Jack Vowell JR 3) Cameron Boyce JR 4) Luke Thornton JR  

Swimming for consolation in this division will be

 9 Oldenburg Academy 1) Noah Schenk JR 2) Albert Hudepohl SO 3) Luke Hopkins FR 4) Santiago Schutte SO

10 South Dearborn 1) Jason Hail SR 2) Brady Chambers JR 3) Garrett Collins JR 4) Ariyawuth (Pa Worakulpisuth JR

Boys 100 Yard Breaststroke

7 Francis Strotman SR, East Central

8 Brogan Wilson FR, East Central

Swimming for consolation in this division will be

10 Ciaran Tyrer SR, Batesville

11 Matthew Reynolds SR, Greensburg

Boys 400 Yard Freestyle Relay

2 East Central 1) Henry Strotman JR 2) Dillon Rullman SO 3) Brogan Wilson FR 4) Francis Strotman SR

4 Greensburg 1) Christopher Mains SO 2) Alexander Walden SO 3) Tristen Hostetler SO 4) Jacob Hawkins JR

Swimming for consolation in this division will be

9 Batesville 1) Blake Hon SR 2) Ian Carpenter JR 3) Samuel Richardson FR 4) Tyler Kuntz JR

 10 Oldenburg Academy 1) Luke Hopkins FR 2) Sully Hill SO 3) Dominic Yane SO 4) Albert Hudepohl SO

Boys Basketball, East Central

Trojans overpower Union County

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East Central took over in the first quarter of last nights game against the Union County Patriots. Carson Pieczonka scored on a layup then finished that off with a free throw after getting hacked. Conner Kuhn nailed a three-pointer, Joel Richter hit a jumper, and Pieczonka added two more points, and EC was up 10-0 with less than two minutes off the clock. Logan Harris stopped the EC run with a basket, but Kuhn responded by hitting from downtown again. The Patriots got a basket from Brad Meadows, but Rhys Hofer dropped two baskets from outside the arch and Dylan Maxwell scored to put the Trojans up by 15. Logan Boone hit a three for UC before the frame ended and the Trojans led after one quarter 21-9.

Nick Watterson scored the first basket in the second period for the Patriots to make it a 10-point game. Hofer put EC back up with an old fashioned three-point play, Gavin Davis scored for UC, and Cole Wheat added three-points to put the Trojans up by 14-points. Union County got two three-point baskets from Meadows while Maxwell put up two two-point baskets for EC. The Trojans finished the half strong. Pieczonka scored again for EC, Hofer drained a three, Maxwell put in a layup, and Wheat ended the half with a basket making the score 40-19 at the half.

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The Third quarter started, and it was all Pieczonka, he scored the first seven EC points while Ty Elleman added a basket for the Patriots. Maxwell scored for the Trojans to put them up by 28-points with just three minutes played in the quarter. Meadows hit another three for UC and Boone scored again making the score 49-26 midway through the third period. The Patriots added eight more in the frame four from Davis, and a bucket each from Watterson and Elleman. The Trojans added 15 more in the period, Pieczonka led the charge with five-points and Maxwell was just behind him adding four, giving EC a 64-34 lead through three frames. The Trojans outscored UC over the final eight minutes 16-9 to earn their sixth win on the season, and snap a five game skid. The Trojans now sit at 6-15 on the season and have one more game left. They host Greensburg (15-5) next Friday, Feb. 24.        

Unofficial Scoring

East Central– Pieczonka 19, Maxwell 16, Hofer 15, Richter 8, Kuhn 6, Wheat 5, Eli Sehorst 3, Max Moses 3, Noah Mersmann 3, Peyton Hofer 2.

Union County– Meadows 11, Davis 8, Boone 8, Watterson 6, Elleman 4, Harris 4, Rhett Hollen 2

              1            2            3            4            F

ECHS     21          19          24          16          80         

UCHS    9            10          15          9            43

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Boys Basketball, Connersville, Franklin County, Greensburg, Lawrenceburg

Spartans aim for three-peat

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The Connersville Spartans (15-4) are sitting atop the EIAC with two games remaining. Their conference record is currently 5-0, one game ahead of the Greensburg Pirates (15-4) who are 5-1 in the EIAC. The Bucs will be hoping for an upset and waiting for a share of the title if they can pull off one more conference win, and hope for a Spartan loss. They will have to wait until Feb. 24 to get their sixth win, when they face East Central (5-15, 3-3), the final EIAC game left on the schedule … unless EC wants to play spoiler. In the meantime, they will be rooting for a Franklin County (9-11) or Lawrenceburg (17-4) win this weekend. The Tigers winning is more likely than the former; they are sitting in fourth place in the EIAC (3-2) and are winners of five in a row after a 22-point win on Saturday over Rising Sun. Franklin County (2-4) is currently in fifth place in the conference and just snapped a seven-game skid on Saturday with a win over Victory Prep. The Spartans beat FC last season 49-39 in the late-season matchup and have won 29 of the last 38 meetings between the two schools.

Connersville is looking to finish their third season in a row at 7-0 in the EIAC. Their last conference loss in regular season play was to Franklin County Feb 21, 2020, a two-point loss at Spartan Bowl. The Spartans will be tough for any team to beat with one of the toughest defenses in the state; CHS is ranked ninth in points allowed out of 401 teams. Connersville gives up just 41.7 ppg. Coincidentally Lawrenceburg is ranked tenth, allowing just 42.3 ppg. The Saturday matchup at the Spartan Bowl when the Tigers come to town is one that favors CHS. They have yet to lose to Lawrenceburg since they began the yearly match starting in 2013-14. The Spartans are 10-0 in that stretch over the Tigers and have only lost once to LHS in the last 35 years. CHS won the matchup last season, 52-31.

One thing is for sure after this weekend – the EIAC picture might, or might not be, a little clearer.

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Boys Basketball, Connersville

Spartans slay the ranked Dragons

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The Connersville Spartans hosted the #10 Ranked 4-A New Palestine Dragons on Saturday evening. The game was a back-and-forth affair that the Spartans pulled out at the end. The Dragons are the second top ranked team the Spartans have beaten in a week. Coach Kerry Brown’s team looks primed to make a deep run in the 3-A tournament with the Spartan defense playing great and the CHS scorers getting open looks, they will be a tough out.

New Palestine got the first points of the game from Blaine Nunnally with two free throws. CHS scored next with a Braxton Myers basket and a Lucas Barron freebie. NP’s big man Ben Slagley scored the next field goal, then the Spartans went up by three after another Myers basket and a Gavin Pearson score making the score 7-4. NP scored twice in a row before Josh Williams finished the quarter with a basket that put CHS up 9-8.

 An Ian Stephens three-pointer gave the Dragons a lead to start the second quarter, Barron tied the game up, but New Pal started a 6-1 run that put them up 17-12. Williams scored again for CHS, New Pal hit a pair of free throws, then the Spartans went on a 7-0 run with Williams, Myers, and Barron scoring to put Connersville up 21-19 midway through the frame. New Pal scored twice to regain the lead, but a Barron basket and freebie tied it back up. Slagley scored the final three-points of the half and the Dragons led at the break 27-24.

The third quarter featured several lead changes and ties with the Spartans scoring 16-points in the period and the Dragons scoring 12 over the eight minutes of play. Connersville led through three quarters 40-39. Myers scored the first four-points in the fourth quarter and the Spartans were up five. New Pal got three more points and so did Barron for CHS, the Spartans led with four minutes to go 47-42. CHS scored again then New Pal hit back-to-back, making it a three-point game. With just one minute remaining the Dragons were forced to foul, Myers went to the line and hit four of four in two trips down the court. The Dragons hit a three-pointer, then fouled Myers again, He again hit both shots. Nullany hit another deep shot, but Williams finished of the game going three of four on his foul shots and the Spartans won 58-52.

Myers led the Spartans in scoring with 20-points, Jo. Williams added 19, Barron 13, James Williams 4, Pearson 2.

Connersville moves to 15-4 on the season with the win and are riding a three-game win streak. The have three games remaining this season, Franklin County on 2/17, Lawrenceburg on 2/18, and Northeastern on 2/21.     

Girls Basketball, Rushville

Panthers run away from Lady Lions at regional

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CHARLESTOWN – Many a Rushville Lady Lions’ fan probably heard the name Ava Weber in their sleep Saturday night.
Hours earlier, the talented Corydon Central forward had dropped 34 points (13 baskets in 14 tries, 8 free throws) before exiting the game two minutes into the fourth quarter of what would be a 68-40 win for the 25-2 Panthers. The Charlestown gymnasium was a stumbling block for coach Melissa Marlow’s squad for a third straight year as a regional title was not to be.
The Panthers, relentless from opening tip, led 17-6 after eight minutes and forced Marlow to call timeout at two intervals. Rushville woke up offensively in the second period but still trailed 39-21 at the midpoint. By the time CC coach Josh Conrad pulled his stars, it was a 65-32 affair.
Weber singlehandedly put the Harrison County group up 5-0 with a traditional 3-point play and steal at halfcourt followed by a conversion. Off a Belle Gossett screen, sophomore Leonie Boyer put the Lions in the scorebook at the 5:51 mark. But Weber answered with a bucket off an inbound set and her runout at 4:34 triggered the game’s first timeout.
Two free throws by Weber and the senior’s assist to teammate Bailey Orme made it 13-2. Boyer then passed to Briley Munchel for two, though quick responses from Orme and Weber led to another play stoppage at 1:47. A pair of Gracie Buzzard foul shots rounded out the frame.


Corydon scored again in transition to open the next stanza. The senior combo of Munchel to Gossett netted a three and made it a 10-point deficit at 19-9, and Gossett hit 1 of 2 at the line to put RCHS within single digits for the final time.
A backdoor cut by Weber sent the Panthers up 11 and sharpshooting Josie Vaughn hit from the arc for a 24-10 CC advantage. Weber then went across the lane, finishing with her left hand. Orme to Weber made it 28-10 and Marlow had no choice but to call time. The lead grew to three touchdowns after three Weber charities.
Rushville found the net with frequency in the half’s last 1:14, though first suffering two more triples by Vaughn and 39-14 margin. Boyer had a 1 of 2 FT trip and Gossett sank two more. Freshman Carly Senour popped a jumper and Boyer scooted in from the baseline for a goal.
The second half start was nearly identical to game’s beginning as Weber got another and-one chance and a Corydon steal made it 43-21. Boyer was first to score again as she completed a 3-point play. It was soon 47-24, however, with Weber driving in with her off hand. Another Weber field goal preceded a Senour triple. A timeout halted play at 51-28.
Vaughn connected for three more at the 3:48 mark of the third, followed by Weber’s fast-break hoop and her impressive fall-away for a 30-point Panther lead. The scoreboard read 61-28 after three complete.
A Boyer drive opened the last period and Marlow called time to get her seniors back in for their last rodeo. Senour hit another jump shot, with Boyer, Gossett, Munchel and Kiley Parsley scoring before the final horn.
Boyer matched Vaughn’s 16 points to go with six rebounds. Gossett 8, Senour 7, Munchel 5, Buzzard 2, Parsley 2 was other Lion scoring.


RCHS finished at 14-14, Gossett and Munchel exiting the program as major cogs in three postseason runs.
Coach Marlow stated “”Our last game does not define what these young ladies have accomplished this season. These ladies have overcome a season of ups and downs this year. They worked hard last summer and have stayed together throughout the season encouraging each other and striving to achieve success. I have always said it is not where you start but where you end in a season that matters. I am nothing but proud of these young ladies! Our seniors (Belle Gossett, Briley Munchel, Regan Padgett and Tracie Stanley) have left their marks on the Lady Lion Program. They have been totally committed and bought into the Lady Lion Basketball Program. It is the job of our young kids to carry on the tradition!”

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Boys Basketball, Franklin County

Cougars scratch Wildcats on senior night

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Franklin County’s boys had one of their toughest senior night opponents in recent memory Friday night as the once-beaten Greenfield-Central Cougars paid a visit to Brookville. A top-15 team in the state, GC built an insurmountable 30-3 lead in the first half and coasted to a 57-25 victory to hand the Wildcats their eighth consecutive loss.


Playing without top senior Brant Ertel, the Cats had a devilish time finding the hoop in the first 14-minutes of the contest. Senior Landen Wuestefeld finally gave the near-capacity crowd a thrill with a 3-pointer at the 6:23 mark of the second period – not before the Cougs had reeled off 16 points for openers. Late in the half, senior Brady Morehead scored twice with an assist from Wuestefeld. Junior Eli Butt’s drive with a fraction of a second left made it a 33-9 game at intermission. The third quarter saw FC add seven tallies, with nine coming in the last stanza.
On their special night, coach Mark Foster inserted Morehead, Tanner Weartz and Xander Rodriguez into his starting lineup. Neither side could deliver a point until there was 4:39 left in the first. Dylan Moles did the honors with a successful drive. The next two buckets (three and a two) were courtesy of sophomore Braylon Mullins, a Cougar on Indiana head coach Mike Woodson’s radar. A fluid game saw the first foul called with under two minutes left. Seconds later, Mullins unleashed a deep triple from the top of the key. Moles went in from the left side late in the quarter to put GC up 12-0 at the first stop. In the opening minute of period two, the Cougars went up two touchdowns (Moles in transition) and committed their first foul. A reverse layup for Owen Anderson made it 16-0, with Wuestefeld answering. The visitors then went on a commanding 14-0 run with five different Cougars scoring. After back-to-back treys by Tyler Kerkhof and Anderson and a fast-break bucket from Mullins, Foster called timeout at 3:57 of the half. Morehead later scored on a stickback, quickly answered by Will DeJarnett’s dribble drive. DeJarnett scored first when second-half play began. He couldn’t complete the 3-point play but teammate Braden Robertson did soon after, leading to a 38-9 game. Mullins came up lame on a rebound scramble and would not return to action. His mates picked him up as Moles and DeJarnett notched lay-ins to make it a 33-point spread. Senior Jace Lee scored for the Cats and sophomore Quinn Gillman took his cue to get two more. Anderson and Robertson makes led to a deep three for Wuestefeld after the Cougars had forced a running clock at 48-13. Anderson and Wuestefeld swapped three balls as the fourth quarter got underway, then Moles and Wuestefeld traded bunnies. Lee and Rodriguez finished the evening’s scoring. Wuestefeld led FC with 11 points, followed by four apiece for Morehead and Lee and two each by Gillman, Butt and XRod. Anderson and DeJarnett put in a dozen each for GC, with Mullins’ 10 all coming in the first half.
FC improved to 9-11 with Saturday’s 54-45 win at Victory College Prep of Indianapolis. It was the Cats’ first win since Jan. 6 against Union County.

Friday is the annual Beat Cancer in 4 Quarters game against conference rival Connersville, FC playing host this time. The Wildcats are the last EIAC team to beat the Spartans in regular season competition, that coming in February 2020.

Batesville, Connersville, East Central, Franklin County, Greensburg, Lawrenceburg, Rushville, South Dearborn, Wrestling

Spartans’ Foster to rep EIAC at state

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NEW CASTLE – There were 22 representatives from the Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference at Saturday’s New Castle wrestling semistate and after all was settled, just one is moving on to Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis this coming weekend for the state finals – Connersville’s 195-pounder, Orlan Foster.

The tournament is typically dominated by a handful of teams from Marion County (Indianapolis) and the surrounding donut counties … and Saturday was no different. Spots one through six were taken by Indy metro squads, including winning Indianapolis Cathedral with 117 points, followed by the host NC Trojans in seventh and all Indy teams from 8-15. Connersville, with the help of Foster’s run, took 17th.

Champions followed the same pattern; Cathedral, Perry Meridian, Warren Central and Roncalli each had two titlists while New Palestine, Carmel, Zionsville, Lawrence North and Hamilton Southeastern had one apiece. Crashing the party was NC’s unbeaten freshman Tylin Thrine at 126.

East Central sent eight competitors to the Trojans’ fieldhouse, Franklin County five, Connersville and Lawrenceburg three each and one each for Rushville, South Dearborn and Batesville. Greensburg’s Preston Merritt had qualified but was replaced by alternate Carson Whitley of Union County in the 132 division.

Of FC’s quintet, a pair got through to the second round – nicknamed the ticket round that allows wrestlers a ‘ticket’ to state. Cole Freese (113) pinned Elwood’s Kaleb Colwell late in the second period before suffering a 2nd-period fall to Porter Temples of Westfield. Colin Troyer (120) also earned a second-period pin early in the morning, putting North Vermillion’s Aden Rangel on his back. Troyer went the distance against Guerin Catholic’s Peter Nguyen, taking a 10-2 major decision loss – just his second of the year as he finished 39-2. Freese ended with a 39-4 mark.

Breck Bohman at 170 had an early 5-2 lead over Hamilton Heights’ Jimmy Lacey before giving up the lead and getting stuck 32 seconds into the second frame. Bohman posted a 14-6 mark. Senior Wildcats were Hayden Newell and Lendon Sizemore at 160 and 220, respectively. Both had tough opening matches, with Newell being pinned in 1:26 by Southport’s Daunte Hon and Sizemore lasting 63 seconds versus Roncalli’s Royce Deckard. Newell’s final year netted a 32-10 ledger while Sizemore went 27-12.

Foster is now 42-3 after going 3-1 at the meet. The Spartan senior pinned his first three foes in the opening stanza, then took a pin at the hands of Roncalli’s undefeated Luke Hansen. Teammate Levi DeGroat (220) fell 9-3 in his first match. Another Spartan, Aric Fox, was pinned late in his bout with fellow 138-pounder Christian Arberry of WC.

Brayden Rouse of EC also fell victim to Hansen by pin in round 2; he had earlier majored Anderson’s Clayton Stephens. Teammate Grayson Hylton defeated Mt. Vernon’s Elijah Kiner 8-4 at 152 lbs. but was majored 11-2 by HSE’s Zach Lang as the bracket shrank. Trojan Blake Wolf at 126 got by Lebanon’s Ethan Coffman ahead of being pinned by runner-up Aden Reyes of Cathedral.

Five other EC grapplers fell early on. Tyler Stenger (113) was majored, Nyden Euson pinned at 132, Dylan Lengerich lost a 4-2 affair to Heights’ Carson Fettig at 145, Brayden Huber pinned late in a 170 bout with Indianapolis Bishop Chatard’s Kade Rickard and Brendin Kolter pinned in the opening period at 182.

LHS’ Colton Roth was still unbeaten at heavyweight following a late pin of North Montgomery’s Dylan Braun; his first and only loss of the year came against Franklin Central’s Andrew Just, who posted a 10-3 win. Tiger teammate Drake Rorabacher was at the wrong end of a technical fall in his 170-pound opening match while Brayden Tudor did slightly better at 145, losing by major decision.

Rushville’s Tuff Tackett (132) ended a nice career for the Lions with a 1st-round pin loss to Heights’ Isaac Kuhn; Tackett went 29-13 this year. Batesville heavy Max Amberger took a 13-5 major decision defeat to Carmel’s Jack Milligan. Amberger finished 33-8 in his sophomore campaign. Liam Hubbartt of SD was pinned by 106-lb runner-up Gunner Butt of New Pal. Hubbartt was 28-13 in his debut season.

State action in Indy starts Friday night.