Meska, James lead semi-state hopefuls

Two Patriots will be favored to earn semi-state berths. Adding a third will be a difficult task.

Drake Meska and Matt James have favorable first round match-ups and will try to give host Jay County High School two semi-state qualifiers for the third straight season when they compete in Saturday's regional.

Both JCHS and South Adams, which has five strong chances at reaching the semi-state round, will have eight wrestlers in the regional competition. No. 4 Yorktown and No. 14 Bellmont, which won sectional titles at Delta and Jay County respectively, will have wrestlers competing in all 14 weight classes.

The top four wrestlers in each weight class advance to the semi-state round, meaning the first-round poses and advance-or-go-home situation.

With just two losses on the season, one of which came in Saturday's sectional championship match, the 130-pound Meska enters the regional as the Patriots' best chance at earning a semi-state berth. He is 37-2 and will take on Zack Douthitt (14-19) of Muncie Southside in the opening round.

The road would become much tougher for Meska in the semifinals as he would likely have to do battle with third-ranked Devon Jackson (41-0) of Yorktown.

James, who wrestlers at 215 pounds, is also a first-round favorite despite a third-place sectional finish. At 35-4, he will take on Yorktown's Scott Neff (29-12) in his first match.

An interesting rematch looms if James advances as he could meet Seth Biberstine (33-2) in the semifinals. James defeated Biberstine in the East Central Indiana Classic championship match, but lost to the Southern Wells sophomore in the sectional semifinal round Saturday.

Josh Ehr, who is undefeated a 37-0 and ranked eighth in the state, leads South Adams' group of semi-state hopefuls. He meets Muncie Southside's Brady Turner (8-14) in the first round.

Jim West, the fourth-ranked heavyweight in the state, struggled to a third-place finish for the Starifres in the sectional, but also looks primed for a semi-state berth. With a 35-1 record, the senior will open his day against Winchester's Justin Hersberger (21-15).

John Striker and Nick Taylor, both of whom were sectional runners-up for SAHS, will be favorites in their opening-round regional matches as well.

Striker (32-6) will take on Zachery Sterling (20-14) of Delta in the 125-pound bracket, and Taylor (25-9) will wrestle Taylor Mock (22-14) of Winchester at 171 pounds. T.J. Burnfield (35-5), a 140-pounder, could give the Starfires a fifth semi-state qualifier if he can get past Wes-Del's Austin Quinn (24-5) in the first round.

Jay County's Kyle Garringer (25-13) was the sectional runner-up at 189 pounds, but faces no easy task in the opening round as he will face Josua Folkner (20-5) of Wes-Del. And at 145 pounds, Nick Leonhard (17-13) will start his regional action against Winchester's Zach Boyd (21-15).

The remaining four Patriots who qualified for regional action will all face wrestlers ranked in the top 15 in the state in the first round.

Kyler Blowers (22-7), who lost to West in the sectional third-place match, gets the touchest assignment as he meets third-ranked Ross Janney (39-0) of Yorktown in the heavyweight bracket. Nathan Drumm (15-11) will face another third-ranked wrestler from Yorktown at 135 pounds as he meets Andrew Hiestand (37-1).

In other matches against ranked opponents, Chase Louck (18-12) will wreslter No. 14 Isiaha Bradley (29-3) of Muncie Southside at 119 pounds and Kyle Davidson (5-2) will battle 14th-ranked Josh Martiin (23-) of Randolph Southern at 140 pounds.

The Starfires drew just a single ranked first-round opponent, coming in the 112-pound bracket. L.J. Moser (19-9) will wrestler Delta's Steven Gonzales (26-1).

South Adams' other two wrestlers will start with opponents from Yorktown as Todd Batt (26-8) meets Jake Anderson (30-7) at 119 pounds and Isaac Werst (20-18) faces Caleb Smith (28-10) at 152 pounds.[[In-content Ad]]