Wrestlers hope to sustain success

The Patriots ran through the Allen County Athletic Conference with relative ease last season.

They were the runners-up at sectional and finished third at regional in their home gym.

The squad was undefeated in dual matches, and won multiple mid-season tournaments.

That team only had two seniors.

So a pair of returning state qualifiers will lead the Jay County High School wrestling team as it defends conference titles and hopes to claim the program’s 15th sectional crown and first since 2001.

“We have a good group coming back,” said JCHS coach Eric Myers. “(There’s) a lot of talent here, we just have to make sure we get it all in the lineup.”

Mason Winner and Gaven Hare both reached the state finals last season.

Winner finished seventh at 145 pounds to become the first freshman state medalist in program history.

Hare, a 220-pounder, didn’t make the podium. But he’s focused on changing that result this year.

“Gaven, he just gained confidence every year,” Myers said. “I think going to state solidified in his mind he’s a top-tier guy. I think early on it may be a little bit of an adjustment with everyone knowing he’s that state-level guy. He’s a guy that loves to step up to a challenge. I look forward to seeing how he progresses through the season.”

Winner, who will bump up to 160 pound this year, is embracing the challenge of moving weights.

“I feel like I’m a lot stronger than I was last year,” the sophomore said. “I’m moving my feet better (and my) transitions are better.”

Myers noticed late in the season that Winner was wrestling with an edge he didn’t have until that point.

“He’s hungry,” Myers said. Winner has his sights set on becoming the school’s first four-time state medalist. “I don’t anticipate a sophomore slump for him at all. I remember going into semi-state after being runner-up at regional and man he had a chip on his shoulder after that and came out and won the whole thing.

“I think people are going to look at him differently this year. I think he’s ready for it.”

Jay County opens its season with a dual meet Tuesday against Centerville, then travels to Dayton, Ohio, for the Franklin Invitational.

It hosts the ACAC dual tournament Dec. 8 and 9 — the individual tournament is Jan. 20 at Woodlan — before a match at Parkway (Dec. 12) and the Carroll Invite (Dec. 16) in Fort Wayne.

Then, two days before Christmas, the Patriots host the East Central Indiana Classic, the first of the three tournaments on their home mats. Their second and final home dual meet is Jan. 16 against North Side.

Winner and Hare, along with semi-state qualifier Thomas Hemmelgarn and regional qualifiers Dylan Racster and Zakk Atkins, helped Jay County go undefeated in dual matches last season. The Patriots are hoping they can repeat the feat this year.

“They take a lot of pride in winning those dual matches,” Myers said. “Our kids are kind of excited … for building off having that undefeated season.”

Aside from the conference tournament, the Carroll Invite and Coldwater Invite (Jan. 13) are also dual formats.

But the ultimate accomplishment is keeping the sectional trophy in Portland.

“We’ve had a goal in mind of winning sectional,” he said. “We’re going to do everything we can to make that goal become a reality.”

Racster will once again be the 106-pounder, and Atkins is returning to 113. Hemmelgarn, who wrestled at 170 pounds last year, will drop as low as 152, but could also wrestle as high as 182 depending on a competition with Chandler Chapman and Mitchell Frasher.

Seth Fugiett and Mitchell Ferguson will likely compete at 126 and 132 pounds respectively, helping out an area that is relatively thin as 2017 semi-state qualifier Kaimen Sanders chose not to wrestle his senior season.

Jordan Schricker or Derek Potter are in line to wrestle at 145. 

Senior Connor Davis is a first-year wrestler and will be the team’s heavyweight at 285 pounds.

“I had been hoping to get him out for quite a while and I’m glad he’s out,” Myers said. “He’ll do well for us.”