2012 High School Wrestling Preview: Indian grapplers have high expectations
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By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
The Hillsboro wrestling team wants more of the same success from last season and even more as they return four of five state qualifiers and even more experienced wrestlers from one season ago.
Coach Nathan Horne, who is entering his eighth season as coach, welcomes back an experienced group of grapplers with three things on their mind … to compete for a South Central Ohio League championship, to compete for a district title and to not only qualify more wrestlers to the state championships, but place in the tournament as well.
It won't be easy, but Coach Horne and his staff feel the Indians have the talent to achieve those goals.
"We have a good core group of kids," Horne said. "We have a lot of experience, and the SCOL this year will be a barnburner. Miami Trace and Washington have a lot of state qualifiers back too, so this league will be even tougher than it normally is."
Last season, the Washington Blue Lions won the SCOL, sectional and district tournaments, while the Indians were second to them in all three.
"The league is real balanced," Horne said. "It will come down to who wrestles their best at the right time of the year and who will be healthy."
Returning to the Indians who qualified in the state tournament last season are seniors Brandon Carter (35-7) and Connor Johnston (25-16) and juniors Dillon Hunick (35-16) and Kordell Ford (44-5). The fifth state qualifier from last year, Kaleb West (31-14), graduated.
[[In-content Ad]]Ford was the most successful of the five state qualifiers last year as he placed fourth in Division II at 160 pounds, as he went 3-2 in the state tournament. Ford was also a district champion last season as a sophomore.
Carter, who wrestled at 103 last season, won once at the state championships and was third in the district. Hunick won a sectional championship and was fourth at districts in the 138-pound weight class, while Johnston wrestled at 170 where he was fourth in districts.
"It helps the program to have this many state qualifiers returning," Horne said. "It helps with everything, and the experience this group brings back this year is huge for them and the rest of the team.
"They aren't shell-shocked and that is a big advantage headed into the season. All the kids feed off their success, and they want to gain that type of success, too."
Another wrestler who stands out this season will be junior Ryan Kelley, who will wrestle in the lighter weight divisions as Coach Horne said they are still finalizing the weights his wrestlers will be at this season. Others who Horne is looking for big success this year are Matt West and Toby Warrington.
"All three of those kids will be key to our success for our team this year," Horne said. "We also have some freshmen who we are looking at to fill the void of graduated seniors.
"Again, success in the league will be about timing and health. We have to wrestle to our abilities. The league has been an even battle the past few years. We lost to Washington by one point at our place last year, so every match counts."
More strong spots for the Indians will be their mid-weight classes, along with upper weight class wrestlers in Drew Huffman and Skylar Murphy.
Coach Horne said it is no secret this group has high expectations.
"We want all of our state qualifiers to not only return to state, but to place," he said. "We want more kids to make it this year, but we are shooting for a league title, and we expect to compete for it.
"We are also in the running for a district title, and if Graham isn't in our district this year (Graham is a perennial power on the wrestling scene), we'll have a shot at competing for that as well."
HHS will open the season on Dec. 1 at Franklin, and on Dec. 21, there will be an in-school dual at 1 p.m. with HHS hosting Greeneview.
Besides Coach Horne, the coaching staff for HHS this season will include Jeremy Ratcliff, James Jones, Doug Couch, Greg Rhodes and Brett Horne.
HHS wrestlers this season include: Jesse Hale, Darian Schumacher, Brandon Carter, Connor Johnston, Craig Jackson, Kristian Lovlie, Stanley Burns, Jed Asmus, Chase Willoughby, Chase Berry, Lane Hester, Toby Warrington, Cody Whaley, Matt West, Ryan Kelley, Jacob Schlater, Chase Vance, Skylar Murphy, Evan Risley, Jared Truman, Jarrod Mosley, Dillon Hunick, Kordell Ford, Chase Williamson, Jacob Lerch, Curran Butler, Jordan Mosley and Connor Lowe.
Coach Nathan Horne, who is entering his eighth season as coach, welcomes back an experienced group of grapplers with three things on their mind … to compete for a South Central Ohio League championship, to compete for a district title and to not only qualify more wrestlers to the state championships, but place in the tournament as well.
It won't be easy, but Coach Horne and his staff feel the Indians have the talent to achieve those goals.
"We have a good core group of kids," Horne said. "We have a lot of experience, and the SCOL this year will be a barnburner. Miami Trace and Washington have a lot of state qualifiers back too, so this league will be even tougher than it normally is."
Last season, the Washington Blue Lions won the SCOL, sectional and district tournaments, while the Indians were second to them in all three.
"The league is real balanced," Horne said. "It will come down to who wrestles their best at the right time of the year and who will be healthy."
Returning to the Indians who qualified in the state tournament last season are seniors Brandon Carter (35-7) and Connor Johnston (25-16) and juniors Dillon Hunick (35-16) and Kordell Ford (44-5). The fifth state qualifier from last year, Kaleb West (31-14), graduated.
[[In-content Ad]]Ford was the most successful of the five state qualifiers last year as he placed fourth in Division II at 160 pounds, as he went 3-2 in the state tournament. Ford was also a district champion last season as a sophomore.
Carter, who wrestled at 103 last season, won once at the state championships and was third in the district. Hunick won a sectional championship and was fourth at districts in the 138-pound weight class, while Johnston wrestled at 170 where he was fourth in districts.
"It helps the program to have this many state qualifiers returning," Horne said. "It helps with everything, and the experience this group brings back this year is huge for them and the rest of the team.
"They aren't shell-shocked and that is a big advantage headed into the season. All the kids feed off their success, and they want to gain that type of success, too."
Another wrestler who stands out this season will be junior Ryan Kelley, who will wrestle in the lighter weight divisions as Coach Horne said they are still finalizing the weights his wrestlers will be at this season. Others who Horne is looking for big success this year are Matt West and Toby Warrington.
"All three of those kids will be key to our success for our team this year," Horne said. "We also have some freshmen who we are looking at to fill the void of graduated seniors.
"Again, success in the league will be about timing and health. We have to wrestle to our abilities. The league has been an even battle the past few years. We lost to Washington by one point at our place last year, so every match counts."
More strong spots for the Indians will be their mid-weight classes, along with upper weight class wrestlers in Drew Huffman and Skylar Murphy.
Coach Horne said it is no secret this group has high expectations.
"We want all of our state qualifiers to not only return to state, but to place," he said. "We want more kids to make it this year, but we are shooting for a league title, and we expect to compete for it.
"We are also in the running for a district title, and if Graham isn't in our district this year (Graham is a perennial power on the wrestling scene), we'll have a shot at competing for that as well."
HHS will open the season on Dec. 1 at Franklin, and on Dec. 21, there will be an in-school dual at 1 p.m. with HHS hosting Greeneview.
Besides Coach Horne, the coaching staff for HHS this season will include Jeremy Ratcliff, James Jones, Doug Couch, Greg Rhodes and Brett Horne.
HHS wrestlers this season include: Jesse Hale, Darian Schumacher, Brandon Carter, Connor Johnston, Craig Jackson, Kristian Lovlie, Stanley Burns, Jed Asmus, Chase Willoughby, Chase Berry, Lane Hester, Toby Warrington, Cody Whaley, Matt West, Ryan Kelley, Jacob Schlater, Chase Vance, Skylar Murphy, Evan Risley, Jared Truman, Jarrod Mosley, Dillon Hunick, Kordell Ford, Chase Williamson, Jacob Lerch, Curran Butler, Jordan Mosley and Connor Lowe.