Super seven

Dallas Dudelston has been there before.
Tyler Leonhard and Andy Kohler have too.
This year, the Jay County High School trio of wrestlers has a host of teammates who will be going with them — not as spectators, but as competitors.
“It’s pretty neat to be able to keep us coaches busy and have a little company for those guys that went last year,” said JCHS wrestling coach Eric Myers, who leads a contingent of seven Patriots competing Saturday in the semi-state tournament at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne. Action begins at 8:30 a.m.
“We have a great group of guys that have worked really hard,” he said.
South Adams also has a sophomore duo of Wyatt Miller and Isaiah Baumgartner vying for state berths at 106 and 195 pounds respectively.
Leonhard, a 152-pound junior, and senior Dudelston (132) both had their seasons end at the coliseum last year.
Dudelston lost his opening-round match to West Noble freshman Fernando Luevano, who Dudleston could potentially meet in the quarterfinal, or “ticket round,” in which a win punches a ticket to the state finals.
The top four individuals in each weight class reach the state meet at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
On Saturday, Dudelston (30-12) first wrestles Chase Hissong of Leo in the opening round. Should he win, he will face either Wyatt Dyson of North Miami or get a rematch with Luevano, who is ranked 11th in the state.
“Got another chance to get a shot to go to state this year,” said Dudelston, who has been working all week on defending cradles, Hissong’s specialty. “(I’m) going to go in and wrestle my match; wrestle my pace. If I get on the top position I’m going to just do what I do.”
Leonhard (34-8) also lost in the opening round during his sophomore season, and he meets junior Brody Hardcastle (34-8) of Oak Hill in the opening round Saturday. Awaiting him in the ticket round will be either No. 19 Cross Deitrich (35-2) of Columbia City or East Noble’s Xavier Van Allen (26-12).
“It is just who wants it the most and who is on that day,” said Myers, noting that Hardcastle and both of Leonhard’s potential quarterfinal opponents are about equal. To prepare Leonhard, Myers has been telling the junior to wrestle like he is a senior — not that he has another year left, but rather to treat every match Saturday like it will be his last.
Kohler, a 182-pound senior who qualified for state last season, experienced his first loss of the year Saturday at regional during which he dropped a 5-4 decision to Bellmont’s Caleb Hankenson in the championship match.
It was a loss Kohler said he felt like he needed, even if it came as a surprise to him and most of the spectators watching.
“I feel like it is kind of good that I lost so that it resets my mind,” he said. Hankenson, who Kohler beat a week earlier in the sectional championship, scored a takedown moments before the buzzer to end the match and secure the upset. “I feel like it got me refocused.”
The fifth-ranked Kohler (41-1) meets Oak Hill freshman Stewart Mossholder (29-7) in the opening round, with a potential ticket-round rematch against Wyatt Clem (35-6) of Homestead. Kohler beat Clem — he opens against West Noble’s Jonathan Hernandez (23-11) — in last season’s ticket round 7-0, and won 9-3 earlier this season.
Also returning in Kohler’s bracket is fourth-ranked Elkhart Memorial junior David Eli (34-3), who beat Kohler in the semi-state semifinal last season. They could meet again in the semifinal.
The other side of the bracket has Hankenson, who is ranked 10th, and eighth-ranked Joey Blakeley (45-3), a junior from Prairie Heights.
“I’m looking forward to this weekend, I really am,” Kohler said.
Jay County sophomores Kaimen Sanders and Gaven Hare are making their first trip to semi-state, and while their excitement level is high they will have their work cut out for them Saturday.
They both open the tournament against state-ranked opponents.
Sanders (17-10), a 120-pounder, meets fourth-ranked Hunter Langeloh (29-1) of Columbia City, and Hare (25-10) squares off against No. 10 Derek Paz (40-3) of Goshen.
“I know it’s going to be tough because everyone that is going to be at semi-state is going to be tough,” said Hare, a 220-pounder. “Every match is going to be like a sectional or regional final match. (It’s) just trying to prepare yourself to go the extra mile every match.”
Also joining them at semi-state are junior Ivan Hemmelgarn (160) and senior Levi Hummel (170). Hemmelgarn, who is 34-11, has a first-round matchup with Chris Howe (33-6) of Northridge. Sixth-ranked Josh Garman (36-1) of Carroll and Northfield’s Michael Ford (7-8) are potential ticket-round opponents.
Hummel (33-10) meets Eastside’s Tate Burns (38-3) in his first match, with Nick Ritchie (34-2) of Elkhart Memorial or Northwestern sophomore Evan Cardwell (29-8) looming in the next round.
“It feels great,” Hummel, who was third at regional, said of making it this far. “It’s exactly what I’ve been working for all season. To see things coming together at the end of the season ... It just feels good to be in my position.”
Two-time sectional champion Miller, who was runner-up at regional, won his first match at semi-state last season but lost to eventual state medalist Tanner DeMien of Northwood. Miller (30-4) meets Central Noble freshman Tanner Schoeff (38-4) in his first match Saturday, with JC Herring (33-1) of Oak Hill or Josh Smith-Goheen (25-15) of Bishop Dwenger awaiting in the ticket round.
Baumgartner (27-3), who is a first-time semi-state qualifier, meets Fort Wayne North Side’s Tyson Whitner (28-6) in the first round. His potential opponents in the ticket round are Nicholas Babyak (16-7) of East Noble or Eastbrook’s Luke Elliot (35-1).