​Center Grove claimed its fourth consecutive IHSAA wrestling sectional championship Saturday at Mooresville. The victory celebration included, front row, Ava Hood, Reese Courtney, Xaier Flores, Michael Tharpe, middle row, Gracely Clouser, Charlie LaRocca, Mason Crump, Riley Rust, Drake Buchanan, back row,  Sam Howe, Bryce Rayner, Bryce Crump, Owen Green, Hayden Watson, Hyatt Yeager, Noah Clouser, and Sam Hesser. Individual champions are holding their bracket boards.
Perry Meridian’s wrestling team celebrates the program’s 26th sectional championship and 22nd in a row Saturday at Southport. In front with the Falcons’ latest trophy are individual sectional champions, from left, Alex Cottey, Keaton Morton, and Aiden Warren as they are surrounded by teammates and coaches.

​Falcons, Trojans capture sectional wrestling championships

By Al Stilley
Editor

Perry Meridian and Center Grove claimed IHSAA sectional wrestling championships Saturday.
The Falcons dominated the Southport Sectional with nine individual title-holders with Roncalli second, 317-218, with Beech Grove fourth.
Center Grove edged runner-up Franklin, 241.5-222.5, with four individual champions. Greenwood was ninth in points.

Franklin Central finished second to sectional host Warren Central, 315-214. Lutheran was sixth with 81 points.

Twenty-one wrestlers representing eight different high schools also brought home individual championships. Overall, 68 wrestlers qualified Saturday for regional action.

Reigning 113-pound state champion Alex Cottey of Perry Meridian advanced as well as teammate and 2020 state runner-up Matthew Koontz. Lutheran’s Hayden Filipovich, ranked No. 2 in the state, won the 195-pound weight class title at Warren Central.

Among coaches pleased with their team performances, Roncalli coach Wade McClurg stated, “Overall, we thought our guys did an outstanding job.  We ended up getting all 12 of our wrestlers through to regional competition and finished above our seed in a few weight classes.”

Regionals are Saturday with the top four in each weight class qualifying for semistate competition, Saturday, Feb. 13. Southside wrestlers who qualified from Warren Central and Southport sectionals advance to the Southport Regional and qualifiers from the Mooresville Sectional return to Mooresville for the regional. No spectators are to be admitted due to health protocols.

REGIONAL QUALIFIERS

From Southport Sectional
BEECH GROVE (7) – Champion: Max Comado, 285. Second: Alex Murray, 195. Fourth: Jacob VanHook, 113; Alex Hernandez, 132; Ethan Thompson, 138; Aeden Crawley, 182; Nate Thompson, 220.

EMMERICH MANUAL (1) – Fourth: Michael Church, 126.

PERRY MERIDIAN (14) – Champions: Toby Billerman, 106; Alex Cottey, 113; Keaton Morton, 120; Matthew Koontz, 152; Jakob Sheets, 160; Jajuan Dale, 170; Aiden Warren, 182; Ronin Hammond, 195; Jeffrey McClure, 220.  Second: Brady McKivitz, 145; Kevin Lian, 285. Third: Joseph Kam, 126; Jamason Roll, 132; Ronald Bik, 138.

RONCALLI (12) – Champion: Bryce Lowery, 126; Zach Wilson, 145. Second: Drew Willis, 132; Kody Glithero, 138; Andrew Stuck, 152; Luke Hansen, 160; Sam Peeples, 182; Justin Lewis, 220;  Third: Braden Getz, 106; Tim Oo, 113; Patrick McGinley, 120. Fourth: Hadyn Ball, 170.

SOUTHPORT (11) – Champion: Bryce Pardue, 132; Luke Goodwin, 138. Runner-up: Nathan Smith, 106; Josh Foxworthy, 113; Braden McMillan, 120;  Keegan Logan, 126. Third, Andrew Goodwin, 145; Daunte Hon, 160; Gage Nelson, 170; Ceu Thang, 220. Fourth: Evan Hammond, 152.

From Warren Central Sectional
FRANKLIN CENTRAL (10) Champion: Aataeveon Jordan, 220; Antone Alexander, 285. Second: Ayden Harper, 113; Kyan Sparks, 126; Cayden Shelton, 145; Chase Coleman, 160;  Johnny Weisheit, 182. Third: Cole Dewell;  Ernest Mosconi, 170. Fourth: Gauge Clark, 106.

LUTHERAN (2) – Champion: Hayden Filipovich, 195. Second: Clayton Hughes, 106.
From Mooresville Sectional
​
CENTER GROVE (11) – Champions: Charlie LaRocca, 106; Hayden Watson, 145; Riley Rust, 152; Dale Buchanan, 182. Second: Hyatt Yeager, 120; Michael Tharpe, 126; Noah Clouser, 132; Bryce Crump, 195; Owen Green, 285. Third: Reese Courtney, 113. Fourth: Mason Crump, 160.

By Al Stilley
Editor

Franklin Central senior Rachel Loobie was ecstatic when she got the phone call that she would be on the girls’ Indiana All-Star team.

“It was a dream come true; something I had always dreamed of in middle school and high school.” She said.
“I thanked God for being blessed to be on the team.”

For several weeks, the 6-0 standout was looking forward to playing with many girls on the team who had either played with her or against her during off-season club ball.

“It was to be the last time to play on the court before everyone moved on to college ball,” Loobie pointed out. “It was going to be so cool to be with them one last time.”

The traditional Indiana-Kentucky All-Star games were scheduled June 5-6 at Georgetown, Ky., and at historic Southport Fieldhouse with an exhibition game against Indiana’s Junior All-Stars, June 3. Due to increased restrictions because of the COVID-19 pandemic, one by one traditional senior events went away – no prom, no public graduation ceremony, and no final farewells with schools being shut down across the state. Last week, the two-state series and Indiana’s juniorsenior games were canceled.

“Heartbroken,” Loobie said after being asked about her instant reaction. “You are on the team, so you want to play; no prom, no graduation and no way to showcase the end of my high-school career.”

However, the daughter of a One Mission Society (OMS) missionary recalled the lessons learned about religion and humanity as the impact of COVID-19 pandemic was being felt worldwide.

“Everything happens for a reason,” Loobie said, hiding her original disappointment. “It hit me that there was a lot I would miss out on as a senior but began to look at it as a sign of growth and a learning experience for me. This (COVID-19) was something that had never happened before and that I would be able to look back on it 20 years from now.

“It is an honor to be named as an Indiana All-Star and that cannot be taken away,” she concluded.

The Indiana-Kentucky All-Star games also would have put the final stamp on her total comeback from back surgery that caused her to miss most of her sophomore season on the court. She bounced back in the 2018-2019 season but under new coach Vince Cerbone who succeeded Brian Hacker. The Flashes went a frustrating 2-20, but Loobie averaged 20 points per game, 50 percent of FC’s offensive output. Her senior year was capped with “double doubles” in all three sectional games in leading the Flashes to their first title since 2014.

Loobie averaged 21.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.2 blocks in her final season. She will continue as a studentathlete at Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant. The Chippewas won the regular season Mid-American Conference title and finished 23-7. She plans to major in communications.