INDIANAPOLIS — Gainbridge Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis was the place to be Feb. 21. Nine Delaware County athletes were competing in the opening round of the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) Boys Wrestling State Finals.

The final four rounds of the tournament are the last of two sports in which all athletes in the state compete against each other, regardless of school enrollment or success. Athletes from the biggest to smallest schools, all compete on one grand stage.

Of the 95 high schools that were represented Friday, three Delaware County schools sent wrestlers. Delta sent five athletes, Cowan three and Yorktown one. 224 total athletes make it to the Finals, 16 in each of the 14 weight classes.

There was no shortage of action, as there were wrestlers from Delaware County in all but one of the opening weight classes. Eight of 14 weight classes were represented by area wrestlers and six advanced to the quarterfinals.

106 lbs weight class

Kicking things off was Delta freshman Reed Wicker (34-4) at 106 lbs. Wicker is coming off first-place finishes at the Sectional, Regional and Semi-State levels.

Wicker continued to dominate in his opening match. He led 10-1 after the first period behind a series of takedowns and a handful of near-fall points. Wicker scored one more takedown in the second period to take a 13-2 lead into the final period. Wicker was able to technical fall his opponent in the third period with a score of 20-2.

Wicker will wrestle Center Grove’s Daniel Brown Jr. (33-7) in the quarterfinals Feb. 20 in bout No. 116. Brown Jr. is the No. 2 ranked wrestler in the weight class.

113 lbs weight class

113 lbs saw another Delta wrestler win to advance to the medal rounds. Junior Kaid Jackson (34-7) topped Indian Creek’s Jude Heaston (20-6) to move on. Jackson trailed 3-1 after the first period and 4-2 after the second.

It was not until the final period when Heaston was called for a stalling, that Jackson took the lead. The stall call on Heaston made it a 4-3 match, Jackson was then able to score the three-point takedown in the final three seconds of the match to advance.

Delta got off to a quick start with back-to-back rounds of wrestlers advancing to the placement rounds. Jackson will face Roncalli’s Payton Schoettle (40-0) in bout No. 119 Feb. 20. Schoettle is the No. 2 ranked wrestler in the weight class.

120 lbs weight class

The 120 lbs weight class, again, showcased a talented Delta wrestler. Senior Ayden Bollinger (39-3) took on Cathedral’s John Bissmeyer. Bollinger, who is tabbed the No. 4 wrestler in the weight class, made quick work of his opponent.

Bollinger pinned Bissmeyer 1:55 into the match. Before allowing the bout to make it out of the first period, Bollinger had made it a 3-for-3 showing of Delta wrestlers advancing.

Bollinger will face Brownsburg’s Revin Dickman (25-1) in bout No. 121 with a chance to advance to the semi-final round. Dickman is ranked as the No. 1 wrestler at 120 lbs.

132 lbs weight class

After taking a quick break for the 126 lbs weight class, Delta sophomore Sam Mosier (35-4) took on Merrillville’s Warren Brown (34-10).

Mosier, the No. 10 wrestler in the weight class, advanced to the quarterfinals after a hard-fought bout. He won a tight 4-3 match, which saw no scoring until the third period.

He will wrestle Warren Central’s Donald Bowie (43-2) in bout No. 130 Feb. 22.

138 lbs weight class

Cowan freshman Ashton Goney (35-5) saw an incredible freshman campaign come to an end at the hands of Evansville Mater Dei senior Isaiah Schaeffer (40-3).

Schaeffer, the No. 2 ranked wrestler in the weight class, advanced with a technical fall of the young Goney. Schaeffer had Goney on his back in the first period but was unable to stick him for the pin.

Goney was unable to make much progress against Schaeffer and was beaten 15-0 just over four minutes into the match.

144 lbs weight class

This weight class saw two Delaware County wrestlers compete. The first, Cowan sophomore Jacob Unger (16-9).

Unger wrestled Brownsburg junior Tommy Gibbs (31-4). Gibbs is the No. 2 ranked wrestler at 144 lbs and showed that rank. Gibbs had Unger on his back within the first 20 seconds of the match and the whistle was blown at the 38-second mark.

Yorktown junior Wyatt Hoppes (38-3) came into the day ranked No. 7 at 144 lbs. He lost a tough match to Columbus North sophomore Cohen Long (30-7). Long was able to secure the lone takedown of the match in the first period, which proved to be the difference maker.

157 lbs weight class

Cowan junior Jackson Bradley (32-0) competed against Milan senior Kaleb Wilburn (41-4). Bradley, the No. 5 ranked 157-pounder, came out on top in the first period.

Bradley made quick of Wilburn, pinning him 1:21 into the match. With the pin, Bradley will advance to the quarterfinals where he will wrestle Mason Day (29-8) of Brownsburg in a No. 5 vs No. 6 match. They will wrestle in bout 148 Feb. 21.

175 lbs weight class

Delta senior Kaeb Stebbins (35-4) is the No. 5 wrestler at 175 lbs, and he showed why in his opening match against East Central’s Broday Wingate (32-6).

Stebbins, a state placer last season, and the Sectional, Regional, and Semi-State champion, beat his opponent by fall in the first period. Stebbins had Wingate pinned just over one minute into the match to advance to the quarterfinals.

Stebbins will wrestle the No. 6 wrestler at 175 lbs, Terre Haute South’s Coy Bender (32-6), in bout No. 154.

Contact Logan Connor via email at logan.connor@bsu.edu or via X @_loganconnor

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