44-0, four to go (02/14/08)

Two days and four matches.

That is all that stands between Casey Kenney and an undefeated, state championship season.

The Jay County High School junior will try to complete the task at the IHSAA Wrestling State Finals at Conseco Fieldhouse this weekend, beginning with the medal round Friday at 6 p.m.

"It's been about 20 years since we've had a state champion," said James Myers, who finished seventh in the state for JCHS in 1997, of his 103-pounder. "We've only had two in the school's history as far as wrestling. But to do it undefeated and to do it in the matter he's done it ... would be an unbelievable feat."

Kenney has been so impressive through the first three rounds of the state tournament that he has made advancing look easy. He has been essentially unchallenged most of the time, pinning sixth-ranked Jacob Armantrout of Muncie Southside in the regional semifinals and scoring wins by a second-period pin and a 10-0 major decision in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds of the semi-state tournament.

His only close matches of the tournament have come against Delta's Steve Gonzalez, a freshman who is ranked ninth in the state.

Gonzalez has stayed close both times, but Kenney has not allowed an offensive point in 3-1 and 2-1 victories.

He seems confident he can continue his tournament domination Friday night.

"My draw is pretty good," Kenney said Wednesday prior to practice. "My Friday night match ... is probably the easiest match I could have gotten."

And that's not meant as an insult to Mount Vernon's Jacob McCarthy, who he will meet in the opening round.

By virtue of his first-place finish at the Woodlan semi-state, Kenney starts against the fourth-place finisher from the tournament at New Castle. McCarthy, at 29-12, has the most losses of anyone left in the 103-pound bracket with the next most coming from Franklin Community's Luke Schofield (24-9).

Also, McCarthy has a history against Kenney's biggest rival thus far as both he and Gonzalez wrestle in the Hoosier Heritage Conference. McCarthy finished third in the HHC tournament behind Gonzalez and fellow state qualifier Cody Stewart (38-6) of Rushville.

"He's a kid we should beat," said Myers, "but he did knock off an undefeated kid last week to qualify for state. He's obviously got some ability and some talent."

If Kenney can defeat McCarthy, which would guarantee him a top-eight finish and a state medal, he has reason to believe he can defeat potential quarterfinal and semifinal opponents as well.

In the quarterfinal round he would meet the winner of the opening-round match between Evansville Harrison's Dylan Hall (40-7) and Mishawaka's Paul Beck (41-3). Beck, the favorite in that match, has lost to Gonzalez this season.

And potential semifinal opponent Brandon Nelson, who placed fourth last year, suffered two of his three losses this season to Beck.

Also in Kenney's favor is the fact that the two other undefeated wrestlers - freshman Ethan Raley (29-0) of Indian Creek and sophomore Anthony Hawkins (38-0) of Crown Point - are on the opposite side of the bracket. They would have to meet each other first before one of them could face Kenney in the state championship match.

"That's what I was hoping for," said Kenney, who could become Jay County's first state medalist in wrestling since James Brewster finished seventh at 215 pounds in 1999. "I feel pretty good about where I'm at in the bracket."

Only two Patriots - Geoff Glogas (98) and Dave Ferguson (105) - have ever won state titles in wrestling. Both finished with 35-2 records in 1987.

The last JCHS athlete to win a state championship in any sport was Kerri McClung in the shot put in 2000.

Wrestling on the big stage could bring nerves for some, especially in a 103-pound bracket that is devoid of seniors and has only two returning state qualifiers from 2007. But Kenney is a bit different than most.

The junior, who got knocked out of the tournament at the regional level last year, has competed on much larger stages in his judo career.

He is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation in his age group in judo, and had won three national titles by the time he was in the eighth grade. He's also competed in the Pan American Championships in the Dominican Republic and has a goal to reach the Youth Olympic Games in 2010.

"When you're fighting internationally in judo and been on the levels that he's been at ... (the pressure) may not get to him as much," said Myers. "His judo has definitely helped his wrestling. He's got great hips, good mat awareness, and usually gets out of any scramble he gets in."

Judo came first for Kenney, when he was 5 years old. A few years later his father, Brian, who wrestled in high school, got him involved the sport through the Blue Jay wrestling club run by the JCHS coaching staff.

Regardless of which sport it is, it's the one-on-one battles that keep Kenney working hard 365 days a year.

"It's just the competition, and winning," he said. "That's what I enjoy the most. I hate losing."

With that being the case, 2007-08 has been quite the enjoyable season for Kenney. Forty-four matches, no losses, and four more to go.

And while the undefeated season isn't all that uncommon for state champions - nine of the 14 winners in 2007 finished with unblemished records - no one in Jay County history has ever accomplished the feat. Glen Glogas came closest in 1982, winning every match before falling in the state championship.

"That would be pretty cool, I guess," said Kenney, nonchalant as usual. "It would be one of my highest goals I've achieved. ... It's been a goal for a while."

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