Panthers’ grapplers finish 3rd, Cougars 4th at sectional
By Brandon Miniard, Sports Writer, [email protected]
As the snow and ice began to slowly melt Saturday, Jeffersonville High School played host to 13 local wrestling teams as part of the Indiana High School Athletic Association sectional 30.
Multiple area grapplers made their mark in the tournament, including the likes of Crawford County’s Donnie Feeler and North Harrison’s Seth Kendall winning sectional titles at their respective weight classes.
Corydon Central had the best finish of the three area teams involved, crowning three sectional champions as the Panthers finished third in the 13-team field.
Out of the four grapplers the Wolfpack fielded, Feeler easily had the best finish in a light field at 106. After advancing through the first two rounds via forfeit, Feeler’s first official match saw him pin Providence’s Kalob Manning in just 1:35. In the championship round, the 2021 state qualifier needed 12 fewer seconds to pin New Washington’s A.J. Franklin to secure his second straight sectional title.
Kendall had a similar day for the Cougars at 220, breezing into the semifinals via forfeit. He took the floor for the first time in the tournament against the host Red Devils’ Dillon Mouser, pinning the latter in 2:32. Kendall had an easier time in the championship round against Charlestown’s Malachi Rios, pinning the latter in 1:44, becoming just the second sectional champion in the program’s short history.
The Panthers continued their strong season with a trio of individual champions. The first of these titles came on the shoulders of senior Bryson Rowley at 113, who waltzed into the semifinals before defeating Jeffersonville’s Aiden Stellato via technical fall. One of his toughest matches of the season came in the championship against Providence’s Eli Theobald.
Rowley needed almost the entire match before finally pinned Theobald in 5:41 to secure another sectional crown.
After falling to Feeler via decision in last year’s championship at 106, Panthers’ junior Zane Schreck had a dominant showing of his own at 120. After drawing a first-round bye and advancing via forfeit, Schreck needed only 1:21 to pin Salem’s Harley Schocke in the semifinals. The championship round was hardly any tougher for Schreck as he pinned Providence’s Henry Lovan in 1:53 for his first sectional crown.
After advancing on a first-round bye at 160, Panthers senior Kaeden Owen began his day in the quarterfinals by pinning Clarksville’s James Lemke in 1:10. After doing the same to North Harrison senior Parker Rhodes in 1:06, Owen confronted Jeffersonville’s Nathan Eihusen in the championship round. Owen needed almost the entire match to get the victory, eventually pinning Eihusen in 5:55 to earn the Panthers their third sectional champion of the year.
Johnson Arena is not through with postseason action as it will also be the site of the IHSAA regional 15 on Saturday. As they finished third in the 13-team field, the Panthers will advance as a team. Alongside Kendall, the Cougars will send six other grapplers in Jackson Emerson (runner-up in 195), Rhodes (third in 160), Ashton McGinnis (fourth in 126), Gunner Pate (fourth in 132), Noah Phelps (fourth in 182) and Landon King (fourth in 285).
