Griffith senior claims fourth state championship<\/p>\n
HANK LOWENKRON<\/p>\n
INDIANAPOLIS – Seniors Angel Escobedo of Griffith and Reece Humphrey of Lawrence North claimed positions in Indiana high school wrestling’s history book Saturday night.<\/p>\n
Escobedo, who plans to wrestle for Indiana next season, became the seventh wrestler in state history to win four individual championships with three victories Saturday in 135-pound competition. He completed his run by overpowering Portage’s Mike Leucuta 18-6 in the title match at Conseco Fieldhouse.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Humphrey became the state’s 22nd three-time individual champion by defeating Andrew Howe of Hanover Central 5-1 in a 130-pound showdown between two undefeated wrestlers.<\/p>\n
“It’s the best feeling ever, “said Escobedo, who moved into third place on Indiana’s all-time individual match victory list with quarterfinal, semifinal and championship matches.<\/p>\n
Two other 2004 champions claimed their second state title as the Indiana High School Athletic Association’s 67th annual title meet concluded before 10,783 fans.<\/p>\n
Escobedo allowed his challenger to escape several times and then scored with takedowns. “That’s what I like to do, take a guy down, cut him and break him down, “he said.<\/p>\n
Escobedo defeated Michael Albert of Lawrence North 21-9 in the quarterfinal round and then pinned Blake Kenny of Indianapolis North Central just 90 seconds into their semifinal match.<\/p>\n
Escobedo, who won at 112 pounds as a freshman, 125 as a sophomore and 130 last year, moved past Mac Taylor of New Castle on the all-time list with 223 wins and one loss. Only former Griffith teammates Alex Tsirtsis and Andrae Hernandez ended their high school career’s with more victories than Escobedo.<\/p>\n
Tsirtsis, who never lost a match in winning four state titles, heads the list with 236 and Hernandez finished his career at 229-5 last year.<\/p>\n
“The first championship was definitely the sweetest, “said Humphrey (48-0), who had to overcome a tear in his right leg suffered in semistate competition the previous week. “I just had to stay solid and score whenever their was an opportunity.”<\/p>\n
Earlier, Humphrey defeated Merrillville sophomore Jamal Lawrence 7-2 in the quarterfinals and then ousted Matt Irwin of Bellmont 6-0 in a rematch of last year’s 125-pound finalists.<\/p>\n
In a 145-pound semifinal match of undefeated wrestlers, Bloomington South’s Kurt Kinser pinned Thomas Jefferson of Lawrence North at the 4:35 mark. Kinser (49-1) then dropped a 4-0 decision to Merrillville junior Wesley English (41-1).<\/p>\n
Senior Matt Coughlin of Evansville Mater Dei won the 152-pound championship for a second consecutive year in his fourth straight trip to a title match. A runner-up as a freshman and sophomore, Coughlin (42-0) pinned junior Bryan Deutsch of Columbia City (42-1) at the 1:47 mark in the title match.<\/p>\n
In another title match, Hobart freshman Eric Galka (47-0) edged senior Justin LaFlower of Indian Creek (48-1) 1-0 at 103-pounds. Only five seconds remained in the regulation six-minute match when the champion managed to escape LaFlower’s grasp.<\/p>\n
Beech Grove sophomore Ethan Harris (42-0) beat Jacob Wise 6-2 for 112-pound championship honors and Anthony Williams (46-2) needed overtime to get past Aaron Sessa of Lake Central 3-1 at 119 pounds.<\/p>\n
Carmel senior Scott Kelly (46-0) also needed overtime to decision previously undefeated Alexander Warren (35-1) of Mooresville 9-7. And Bloomington South’s Pat Young claimed the 160-pound championship 4-3 in double overtime.<\/p>\n
In another title match between undefeated wrestlers, Orrin Kleinhenz of Columbus North (49-0) defeated Kenneth Caldwell of Union County 11-5 at 189 pounds. At the end of the meet, Caldwell became the first student-athlete in his school’s history to receive an IHSAA mental attitude award.<\/p>\n
In the night’s final match, Winamac’s Christopher Kasten added the 275-pound championship to the 215-pound crown he won last year. Kasten edged Merrillville’s Dexter Lanimore 3-2 in the title match.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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