Foursome earns berth to semi-state

With head coach Richard Clipp back on the sidelines, Corydon Central High School made a strong showing Saturday at the Jeffersonville Regional.
The Panthers had 10 wrestlers enter the free-for-all and four advanced to this weekend’s Evansville Reitz Semi-state at Roberts Stadium. Two ‘ senior Bryan Eads and junior Chris Paulley ‘ were crowned regional champions.
Clipp thanked his assistant coach, Regan Gusler, for stepping in for head-coaching duties over recent weeks after Clipp was forced out of action due to an ailment that doctors were unable to diagnose.
‘He took over, and our guys didn’t miss a beat,’ Clipp said. ‘He’s loyal, loyal, loyal. He’s definitely true to the program.’
Eads’ amazing afternoon in the 130-lb. weight class got started with a 5-2 victory over North Knox’s Bryan Payne.
Eads (30-4) held a 5-0 advantage until Payne was able to score a reversal late in the third period.
In the second round, Eads way-laid Jasper’s Jeff Miller, 15-0, with a first period technical fall.
The championship bout against New Albany’s Chris Pelkey was undoubtedly Eads’ toughest bout of the day.
Pelkey, a senior who sported a record of 26-11 coming into the match, had a take-down in the first 16 seconds, but Eads was able to record an escape before the first frame ended.
Corydon’s senior had a reversal with 1:25 showing in the second stanza and late in the third round scored a take-down to post the final, 5-2 score.
Paulley, wrestling at 135, pushed his season mark to 30-1 as he rolled through three opponents.
Corydon’s grappler stuck Paoli’s Kyle Terrell in 46 seconds in the first round and held on for a 7-5 win over Jasper’s Mitch Riley.
In the championship, Paulley had a take-down with 15 seconds remaining to hold a 5-4 lead after the first period against Southridge’s Erik Mathews (35-5). The evenly-matched athletes were tied at 7-7 after the second period, but Paulley scored a take-down and a trio of back points to post a 12-7 victory to claim the championship.
Jason Ward, who battled at 140, advanced to the final round before falling, 4-2, to Forest Park’s Garrett Atkins.
Ward (28-8) humbled Toby Moore of Vincennes Lincoln, 16-1, in the opener and then shut out Brock Mathews of Southridge before succumbing to Atkins.
The final round was scoreless after the first frame, with the senior Ranger taking a 3-2 lead into the third period. Atkins had an escape midway through the quarter for the final margin.
The only other Panthers wrestler to advance to Saturday’s semi-state was senior Tyler Williams (29-6).
Williams carded an 11-4 victory against Lincoln’s Derek Cox, but was edged by eventual 160-lb. champion Jared Steckler, 7-6, in the semifinal round.
Corydon’s senior bounced back in the consolation round and had little trouble scoring an 11-1 win over Charlestown’s Bo Roberts.
Dustin Graham, a junior wrestling in the 145-lb. division, was a 13-9 winner over Southridge’s Richard Meiring, but was stuck in the second round by Bobby Jenks of Floyd Central.
In the consolation against Jeffersonville’s Daniel Rosbottom, Graham hit his head and was forced to the sidelines, giving up an injury default victory to the Red Devil junior.
Senior Zac Robson saw a strong season come to an end in the consolation bracket of 171-lb.
Robson (22-7) knocked off Zach Abell of Forest Park in the first round, 11-7, but was stuck by Lincoln’s Cody Boger in the second period of the semifinal round.
In the consolation, Southridge’s Tyler Wendholt moved to the semistate with a 10-6 triumph over Robson.
Corydon’s R.J. Snyder was stuck in the first round by Pike Central’s Andrew Schoultz in 112; Kyle White was stuck by Southridge’s Calvin Bueltel in 152; Terhune was defeated by a score of 11-3 by Lincoln’s Taylor Vieck at 189, and David Camp was taken down in the first minute of his opener against Washington’s Drake Wuertz at 215.