Montgomery County will be well represented at the historic New Castle Fieldhouse on Saturday when eight county wrestlers compete at the New Castle Semi-State and look to punch their ticket to the state finals. In order to do that wrestlers must win their first two matches of the day. Let’s take a look at the path of all eight wrestlers as the brackets were released earlier this week.
Southmont will have four wrestlers competing and all of them seniors. Maddox Cade at 138, Marlin Williams at 144, Tyler Davis at 190, and Wyatt Woodall at 215. Both Williams and Woodall won Regional titles last Saturday and will be top seeds. Cade finished second and will be a No. 2 seed while Davis will be seeded third.
In the opening round Cade, who is ranked sixth at the semi-state with a 30-3 record will take on Centerville’s Kale Creech (29-10). If Cade is victorious in his first match he’ll take on either Pendleton Heights Jaylen Covington (35-3) who is ranked eighth or North Central’s Evan Smith (29-12) who is ranked ninth in the ticket round. Williams enters the semi-state with a 32-1 record and is ranked eighth. He’ll wrestle Greenfield Central’s Nate Miller (23-16) in the opening round. In the ticket round, Williams could see either Richmond’s Gavin McFarland (20-13) or Pendleton Heights Jack Todd (28-1). Todd is ranked No. 2 coming into the semi-state. Davis has a record of 25-10 on the year for the Mounties and will wrestle New Castle’s Nathan Shafer (23-9) in round one. In the ticket round either Frankton’s Jonah Ellis (21-10) or Brody Heidelberger (18-15) awaits Davis if he’s victorious. Woodall who placed third at the semi-state a year ago, is ranked fourth at 215 with a perfect 27-0 record takes on Greenfield Central’s Tristen Lanum (28-9). Lanum is ranked seventh at 215. In the ticket round either Frankton’s Garek Ellis (27-10) or Northeastern’s Zane Schneider (37-4) will be Woodall’s opponent.
Woodall is seeking another trip to the state finals while Williams, Cade, and Davis are all looking for their first appearance.
Crawfordsville is sending three to the semi-state in Taiga Koyanagi (106), Landon Vaught (138), and Braeden Hites (165). Koyanagi and Hites are both seeded fourth while Vaught is seeded third. In the opening match of the day Koyanagi ((27-6) will square off against Northeastern’s Heather Crull who is 48-0 on the season and ranked third. Perry Meridian’s Colin Clark (18-13) and Tipton’s Zane Emberton (22-6) will face the winner of Koyanagi and Crull in the ticket round. Vaught who is 30-3 on the season takes on South Dearborn’s Landon Walton (26-12) in his opening match. Warren Central’s Kyrel Leavell who is 33-1 and the No. 1 ranked wrestler at 138 takes on Cathedral’s Brian Thomas with the winner facing either Vaught or Walton in the ticket round. Hites will be making his second straight semi-state appearance and holds a record of 32-2 on the year. Hits will get a stiff test in the opening round with No. 1 ranked Warren Central’s Waylon Cressell (33-1) in the first round. Noblesville’s Carter Richardson (34-8) or Milan’s Kayden McClellan (31-15) will take on either Hites or Cressell in the ticket round.
North Montgomery will be represented by junior Nolan Yarger at 132 pounds. Yarger will be making his first semi-state appearance and comes in with a record of 25-10. In his opening match of the day Yarger will square off with Southport’s Josh Foxworthy (35-9) who is the ninth ranked wrestler at 132. In the ticket round Yarger or Foxworthy will wrestler the winner between Cathedral’s Owen Reyes (18-14) or New Castle’s Tylin Thrine (31-0) who is the No. 1 ranked wrestler at 132.
Wrestling begins at New Castle at 9 a.m. JR_Sports on twitter will have live updates after each match.
