Sectional wrestling: New Prairie eyes breakthrough; Penn, Mishawaka on collision course

Tim Creason
·4 min read

Not exactly, but after playing second fiddle to Chesterton the past eight years, New Prairie’s wrestling team may be circling in on a sectional championship this Saturday at LaPorte.

Coach Bobby Whitenack’s Cougars, who last won a wrestling sectional in 2014, have just enough stars and depth to potentially knock off the Trojans, who have dominated this tournament for pretty much the last decade. Chesterton was state runner-up twice during that run.

New Prairie enters the sectional with five wrestlers seeded No. 1, while Chesterton has four. Each team has four  No. 2 seeds.

More:Mishawaka claims NLC wrestling crown with ease

It looks to be close, but Whitenack said his mind will be focused on whichever wrestler is on the mat Saturday.

“I don’t worry about the team score, I just want each individual kid to do the best he possibly can, and the team score takes care of itself,” said Whitenack, whose squad finished 30-6 in the regular season.

“We know (a sectional title) could be out there but my first goal is to get 14 kids to the regional,” he said.

New Prairie’s Jayden Lewis and Penn’s Evan Eutsey wrestle in the 145 lb. championship Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023, at Elkhart High School. Lewis won.
New Prairie’s Jayden Lewis and Penn’s Evan Eutsey wrestle in the 145 lb. championship Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023, at Elkhart High School. Lewis won.

The top four finishers in each weight class advance to regional tournaments on Saturday, Feb. 4. Sectionals are also taking place at Mishawaka, Elkhart and Plymouth.

New Prairie surpassed expectations this season after losing a pair of IHSAA medal winners from last year, including the school’s first-ever state champion, Christian Carroll.

Carroll was only a junior when he won the state 220-pound title last February, and he was the top-ranked overall college prospect in the nation. His odd high school journey — which saw him transfer from Penn to New Prairie, and then from New Prairie to Jimtown — ended just as his senior season began.

He committed to Oklahoma State University, currently ranked No. 10 in the NCAA college wrestling poll, and ended his high school career as he prepares for the next level.

More:Penn claims 13th straight NIC wrestling crown as fascinating storylines emerge

New Prairie also lost a state medal winner in Hunter Whitenack, now playing football for the University of Illinois. But the Cougars have a philosophy of “next man up,” and they’ve successfully filled any holes.

Freshman Jeff Huyvaert, the top seed at 138-pounds, has a season record of 39-0.

New Prairie’s Caleb Halfacre, a sophomore, is top seed at 106. Hayden Whitenack, also a sophomore, is seeded No. 1 at 152. Neil Johnson, a senior with a 37-1 record, is favored at 195.

“We have a really good feeder program and a bunch of good young kids,” said Whitenack. “If you look, we’ve only got three seniors this year.

“Every point matters,” the coach added.  “I don’t know what will happen but our kids know what to do.”

The La Porte sectional, which starts at 8 a.m. (CST), also features Slicer senior Ashton Jackson in the 120-pound class.  Arguably the best wrestler in the area, the undefeated Jackson (40-0) is seeking his third consecutive state championship.

Kingsmen and Cavemen headline Mishawaka field

Mishawaka has won 25 sectional wrestling team titles in its history. Penn has 24.

It has always been that kind of tournament, and this year looks no different.

Only one wrestler seeded No. 1 — John Aronowski of Saint Joseph in the 220-pound weight class — comes from a school other than Penn or Mishawaka.

Penn’s Zymarion Hollyfield, left, and Elkhart’s Ethan Freedline wrestle in the 170-pound Northern Indiana Conference championship Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023, at Elkhart High School. Hollyfield won.
Penn’s Zymarion Hollyfield, left, and Elkhart’s Ethan Freedline wrestle in the 170-pound Northern Indiana Conference championship Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023, at Elkhart High School. Hollyfield won.

The Kingsmen have won 11 sectionals in the past 12 years, interrupted only by the Cavemen in 2020.

Penn enters this year’s event with eight top seeds, while Mishawaka has five.  The Cavemen can claim the only undefeated wrestler in the tournament, senior Christian Chavez at 195.

Key matchups? Too many to count. Try the 113-pound class, where Penn’s Ryann Schmidtendorff (22-8) and Mishawaka’s Joshua Kite (24-9) are potential finalists.

The 152-pound class could be a dandy if Mishawaka’s Beau Brabender (31-3) and Penn’s Bryce Denton (18-1) end up in the finals. At 170, Mishawaka’s Isaac Valdez (24-7) could meet Penn’s Zymarion Hollyfield (20-6).

IHSAA SECTIONAL WRESTLING TOURNAMENTS 

  • WHEN: Saturday

  • ADMISSION: $7 per person. Children age 5-and-under are free.

  • ADVANCEMENT:  Top four finishers in each weight class advance to regional meets on Saturday, Feb. 4.

At MISHAWAKA

  • Wrestling starts:  9 a.m. (EST)

  • Teams: Adams, Clay, Marian, Mishawaka, Penn, Riley, Saint Joseph, Washington.

  • Qualifiers advance to: Penn regional

At LAPORTE 

  • Wrestling starts: 8 a.m. (CST)

  • Teams: Chesterton, John Glenn, Knox, La Porte, Michigan City, New Prairie, North Judson-San Pierre, Valparaiso.

  • Qualifiers advance to:  Crown Point regional

At PLYMOUTH 

  • Wrestling starts:  8 a.m. (EST)

  • Teams: Bremen, Culver Academies, Culver Community, LaVille, Plymouth, Tippecanoe Valley, Triton, Warsaw, Wawasee.

  • Qualifiers advance to:  Penn regional

At ELKHART 

  • Wrestling starts: 8 a.m. (EST)

  • Teams: Concord, Elkhart, Fairfield, Goshen, Jimtown, Northridge, NorthWood.

  • Qualifiers advance to: Goshen regional

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: IHSAA sectional wrestling preview at LaPorte, Mishawaka, Elkhart