IHSAA wrestling: Cathedral advances six to state, defends semistate crown
NEW CASTLE – Tradition, upsets and power in numbers.
The Cathedral Fighting Irish experienced all three Saturday during the New Castle wrestling semistate and fended off rivals Warren Central and Perry Meridian to claim their sixth team title in seven years.
A pair of individual weight-class championships from Dillon Graham (40-4) at 145 pounds and Kyle Harden (40-4) at 170 proved the difference late in the team points standings, but a collective six state-qualifiers supplied Cathedral with the opportunity.
“The numbers really helped us in that round, getting six through. It really helped us in the end,” Cathedral coach Sean McGinley said.
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“You just never know. We had a lot of new kids this year, and you just hope that through the year, they keep getting better and better. We always seem to wrestle well here at the semistate, and it was pretty much the same this year.”
A state championship program four times since 2013-14 and most recently in 2019-20, the Fighting Irish came out firing, pushing three wrestlers into the semistate finals to tally 117.0 points compared to runner-up Warren Central (105.0) and third-place finisher Perry Meridian (82.5).
Warren Central advanced five wrestlers to next weekend’s IHSAA state finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse led by defending state champion Kyrel Leavell (30-1), who is ranked No. 1 in the state at 132 pounds by IndianaMat.
Leavell ran through the semistate with three straight pins in 1 minute, 12 seconds, 5:55 and 1:45 before winning with a 9-3 decision over Perry Meridian’s Keaton Morton (36-6), who is ranked 12th.
“It’s even better the second time around. It’s even harder. A lot of people try to come out to try to get you, but I love and embrace the grind, working harder and harder every day,” Leavell said.
As a freshman, Leavell placed third at state at 113 before he won it all last year at 120.
At state next week, Warren Central’s ninth-ranked Brenton Russell (41-3) will join Leavell as a semistate champion after seizing the 160 title. Christian Arberry (36-4) was third at 138. Seventh-ranked Mike Durham (33-4) was second at 182. Anthony Cashman (30-5) was second at 170, losing to Cathedral’s fourth-ranked Kyle Harden (40-4).
Harden’s title round, head-to-head win over Warren Central locked up Cathedral’s semistate run.
“I didn’t know the score, but they let me know with around three matches to go. That 170 match was big. Being a freshman coming, obviously, we didn’t tell him that, but he came through for us in the end,” McGinley said.
Cathedral’s third-place winners in Gavin Bragg (30-13) at 120 and Josh Johnson (25-9) at 132 padded their team points total, while 10th-ranked Max McGinley (35-9) placed fourth at 138.
The lone setback came in the 126 finals, as fifth-ranked New Castle freshman Tylin Thrine (38-0) upset second-ranked Aden Reyes (34-2) with a quick escape, a takedown and a fall in 1:59.
Reyes led the match 2-0 before the flurry unfolded.
“That guy took advantage of the situation. Only a couple of seconds to go, and he went after it,” McGinley said. “Unfortunately, we took the brunt of it.”
Reyes, a state qualifier in 2022 at 120, plans to use the loss as motivation heading into state.
“I was relaxing at the end, and I just wasn’t wrestling dominant,” Reyes said. “It’s fuel for next week. I’ll be ready, but that team title is more important than the individual titles. Our whole team will be ready for next week.”
Thrine was one of three Trojans that earned a state berth, including Gavyn Whitehead (30-3) at 138 and his older brother Brevan Thrine (36-3), who placed third at 145.
“It’s amazing. I wish I could be up there where he is and just being a freshman, but we both worked for it, and I’m pretty proud of him,” Brevan Thrine said. “Hopefully, he can say the same of me.”
Brevan Thrine, a senior, will make his second state finals appearance after breaking through last season at 132.
“I’m pretty motivated. I didn’t finish where I wanted to, but this is what we can for. Unfortunately, I woke up feeling a little sick today, but can’t make excuses and I have to get it done next week no matter who I draw,” Brevan Thrine said.
Perry Meridian’s 11th-ranked Hurai Lian (34-4) was first at 106. RJ Taylor (32-3), who is ranked 12th, won at 113. Morton and Zach Huckaby (30-9), who took fourth at 160 gave the Falcons four advancers.
New Palestine had one champion at 120 in Bryce Doss (27-2) and a runner-up at 106 in Gunner Butt (26-8).
Carmel’s Jackson Elliott (31-7) was second at 113, along with Nathan Powell (18-2) at 160. Michael Major (25-0), who is ranked sixth at 138, won Carmel’s only semistate title.
Roncalli senior and Indiana University commit Bryce Lowery (40-0) posted three pins and a tech fall to keep his perfect record intact. A four-time state place winner, Lowery was fourth at 106 in 2020, seventh at 126 in 2021 and fifth at 138 last year.
“I know they’re gunning for me, so I just try to stay in the best position I can and do what I do,” Lowery said. “It’s the only thing on my mind to be honest. It’s been a rough couple of years, being undefeated every year except sophomore year going in there, but this year, I’m coming for it.”
Roncalli’s other state qualifier will be a semistate champion in fourth-ranked Luke Hansen (40-0) at 195.
Zionsville’s Luke Penola (38-2), who is ranked fifth in the state, won at 182, while Eli Smith (25-8) was second at 285. Eleventh-ranked Chase Wagner (35-5) took third at 160.
Hamilton Southeastern’s Dom Burgett (35-2) won the 285 title.
Lawrence North’s Brandon Johnson (40-4) pulled off a pair of upsets to win the 220 title. Ranked 10th in the state, Johnson upset Noblesville’s fourth-ranked Austin Hastings (37-4) in the semifinal round by decision 9-2. Johnson beat Mt. Vernon’s seventh-ranked Devin Kendrex (40-4) in sudden-victory overtime in the finals.
“I just had to wrestle my match, and he beat me at regional, so I had to work at practice and work on what he did and try to stop it,” Johnson said. “It took a lot.”
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana high school wrestling: Cathedral defends semistate crown
