NEW CASTLE — Two wins. That’s all that separated three area wrestlers from a berth in the wrestling state finals Friday.
Southmont’s Gerald Hutson and Zayden Dunn and Fountain Central’s Waylon Frazee all competed at the IHSAA Wrestling Semi-State at New Castle on Saturday, but didn’t advance.
Southmont sophomore Wyatt Woodall was supposed to join his two senior teammates, but was forced to withdraw late in the week as he was still recovering from a knee injury that he suffered at the regional last week.
Both Hutson (138) and Dunn (285) would lose their opening matches by a pin-fall. Hutson fell to East Central’s Dylan Lengerich and Dunn was defeated by Cathedral’s Hosia Smith.
Smith would go on to place second overall and advance to the state finals.
“Both of those guys (Hutson and Dunn) have stepped up fantastically this year,” said Southmont coach Jamie Welliever. “They’ve had a great career in general and were able to step it up another level this year. Their leadership and what they did on the mat with being county, conference and sectional champions, then also to get here to semi-state. They’re both also going to be academic all-state and you just can’t ask for much more out of those guys.”
Along with Hutson and Dunn, the Mounties also will graduate seniors Collin Martin (220) and Noah Benge (120).
While the Mounties share their success as a team, it has been led by the four seniors who have paved the way and built the foundation for the success Southmont has had over the last four years.
“They set the tone in practice all year long,” Welliever said. “The accomplishments that we’ve had as a team, a lot of that goes through what these guys have done. I’ve think they’ve left a great impression behind for us to continue to build with our young guys.”
Southmont will return a bulk of its roster next season. Wrestlers like Woodall, sophomores Brier Riggle, Maddox Cade and Marlin Williams will be relied upon to carry on the program’s success.
“We had a total of eight freshman and sophomores qualify for the regional and that’s big time,” Welliever said. “That’s pretty exciting to have that coming back and we’ll just try and build off of that and see what next year brings.”
While both Dunn and Hutson fell in the opening match, Frazee (126) was able to pick up a 5-2 decision over Franklin Central’s Ashton Brandon to advance to the quarter-finals.
However, Frazee his quarter-final match against the No. 1 126-pounder in the state in East Central’s Blake Wolf was cut short as Frazee would have to forfeit due to injury.
The talented sophomore’s season would end for the second straight year at the semi-state.
Despite the tough ending to his season, FC’s coach Jason Oakley was proud of the way Frazee battled.
“His first opponent was ranked 15th in the state and he was able to beat him and wrestled his best,” Oakley said. “He’s been a back to back sectional champion and now back to back semi-state qualifier and I’m just really looking forward to see what he can do these next two years.”
Frazee’s physical style of wrestling is one of the main reason’s for his early success in his career. The work ethic he’s developed already has Coach Oakley in awe.
“He’s the most physical wrestler I’ve ever had,” he said. “He puts extra work in almost every single day and does things like push ups and sit ups after practice. He goes to the extreme and he has an engine of his own and it never stops.”
