CP dominates; Lowell, HC advance
By Mark Smith msmith@post-trib.com February 7, 2012 2:44PM
Crown Point's Matt Langbehn (left) holds down Ryan Patterson of Lowell in the 195-pound championship match during the individual wrestling regional in Crown Point, Ind. Saturday February 4, 2012. Langbehn won the match to take first place in his weight c
Crown point Wrestling Regional
2-4-12 @ CPHS (top 4 go to Merrillville Semistate
106 pounds
1st (HC) Steven Micic (39-0) pinned (CP) Brett Ervin (26-8) 1:27
3rd (Portage) Eric Peek (17-8) pinned (Glenn) Andrew Frey (34-9) 2:36
113 pounds
1st (CP) Dardy Schurg (34-1) pinned (New Prairie) Brad Freestone (38-9) 2:14
3rd (Chesterton) Jack Davison (26-15) pinned (JG) Andrew Frey (34-9) 2:36
120 pounds
1st (HC) Paul Petrov (39-0) 15-2 over (CP) Josh Fuqua (30-5)
3rd (LOWELL) Josh Bottos (22-13) over (Valpo) Chris Gallo (30-17)
126 pounds
1st (Por) Julian Torres (30-5) 8-2 over (CP) Trevor Burlison (28-5)
3rd (MC) Kenny Smith (34-9) over (JG) Ryan Ishmael (28-12)
132 pounds
1st (LOWELL) Alex Mavros (25-9) pinned (CP) Brett Ervin (26-8) 1:27
3rd (Por.) Eric Peek (17-8) pinned (JG) Andrew Frey (34-9) 2:36
138 pounds
1st (LOWELL) Mithc Roadruck (31-5) over (Chesterton) Joe Kelly (16-2)
3rd (Por) Danny Roach (27-10) over Jimmy Marich (KV)
145 pounds
1st (CP) Jason Tsirtsis (34-0) pinned (HC) 21-6 over Charlie Mavros (32-2)
3rd (Por) Zach Thorn (23-11) over (Chesterton) Alex Katsafaros (30-12)
152 pounds
1st (Chesterton) Chris Katsafaros (30-4) pinned Jake Fuqua (CP) 1:55
3rd (LOWELL) Kenny Hughes (31-5) 11-1 MD over (North Judson) Brenner Cruce (30-6)
160 pounds
1st (CP) Dusty Schurg (31-3) pinned (No. Newton) Casey Sonaty (33-4) 1:01
3rd (Chesterton) Dax Jones (16-16) over Robert Espinosa (Portage)
171 pounds
1st (LOWELL) Jeremy Crocker (35-2) 19-4 over (LaPorte)
Mike Eldridge (23-11)
3rd (HANOVER) Tyler Scott (30-9) over (Por) Jake Wright (12-22)
182 pounds
1st (CP) Morgan Kral (31-6) over (MC) Andrew Schroeder (27-9)
3rd (Por) Exvonte Jones (22-16) over (Prairie) Migel Ibarra (23-8)
195 pounds
1st (CP) Matt Langbehn (26-5) over (LOWELL) Ryan Patterson (22-13)
3rd (Valpo) Luke Davis (27-13) pinned (LaP) Ben Sandifer (14-14)
220 pounds
1st (CP) Tyler Kral (33-1) pinned (LOWELL) Tyler Wright (20-14)
3rd (KV) Matt Berdine (37-9) over (Prairie) Don Standish (37-8)
HEAVYWEIGHT
1st (CP) Josh Swope (30-7) 1-0 over (LaP) Cody Mullican (24-10)
3rd (LOWELL) Scotty Pitrowski (28-3) over (KV) Kyle Dalka (38-5)
Article Extras
Updated: February 7, 2012 2:44PM
CROWN POINT — Much like the Crown Point Sectional seven days earlier, last Saturday’s CP wrestling regional was a celebration of the three south Lake County powers Crown Point, Lowell and Hanover Central.
Only this time it was a tad less Lowell and HC and a bit more of the host school.
In a dominating performance, Crown Point had seven champions, four runners-up and a fourth place finisher (Cameron Halsted) who was only trying to place fourth in front of about 500 fans in the CP gym.
Placing first at the regional definitely gives you the best chance to reach the state finals heading into, in this case, the Merrillville Semistate. But nothing was decided last Saturday. All the top wrestlers advanced.
Saturday turned into a showcase for second ranked Crown Point in what, for seniors, was their final home event.
“It’s kinda weird,” said three-time state champ Jason Tsirtsis (40-0) after he won a fourth consecutive 145-pound regional championship. “I’m undefeated here. I like it here. It’s been a good four years. A fun four years.”
Hanover star Stevan Micic (39-0) and Paul Petrov (39-0) moved on as their coach Nick Petrov expected.
“We got four to the semistate,” said Nick Petrov. “We lost a couuple of close matches in the first round. We thought we’d get a couple more out. We’ve got to take one match at a time and not overlook anybody. I dont even know who’s strong at 106 and 120. All I know is that our guys should be in the mix. At this point, we’re just going to prepare like every guy we see is a state champ.”
Lowell had three champions in 170 pounder Jeremy Crocker (35-2) and 132 pounder Alex Mavros (259), who won as expected, and 138-pounder Mitch Roadruck (31-5), whose win in the finals over Chesterton’s Joe Kelly (16-2) was a surprise. Roadruck pinned Glenn’s Dakota Rudynski (29-12) and Portage’s Danny Roach (27-10) to reach the championhip match.
“It was a tough match,” said Roadruck, who topped Jimmy Marich seven days earlier for the sectional championship.
“The big thing is: I’ll face a fourth place guy next week (at the semistate) who lost twice today. So this puts me in the best position I can be in to reach the state finals.”
Roadruck is a junior who did not get out of the regional the last two years. He’s aware that his new coach this season, former Lowell state champ Bobby Howard, wrestled at a similar weight when he won state 12 years ago.
“I have an older brother and he remembersd Bobby Howard and Marcus Schontube winning state titles,” Roadruck said. “Coach Willam (former Lowell coach Joe William, who is now Howard’s assistant coach) has a wife and a baby now so he has to stay home more.
“We changed to coach Howard’s style this year but they were about 80 percent the same.”
Crocker (34-2) is a returning state qualifier but he did not reach the final eight. It will be important for him and all regional champs to reach the title match at this week’s semistate to insure a good slot in the state finals the weekend of Feb. 17-18.
Among seniors, Crown Point’s Tyler Kral (33-1) and Josh Swope (30-7) won at the highest two weights. Kral defeated Lowell’s Tyler Wright in the 220-pound finals after his brother, freshman Morgan Kral, won the 182-pound bracket.
But Swope won his first title and it was a long. long journey to this day.
“No, I never thought I’d get this,” Josh said after winning the final match of the day 1-0 over 6-foot-8 LaPorte senior Cody Mullican (24-10). “Especially with someof these guys being so big. What do you do against him? I don’t know. Slide bys. Body locks. He’s just so tall. I just tried to keep a low center of gravity.
“My goal was to be a state qualifier. I was 20-17 last year. And now just got my 30th win, just working hard. Lots of morning sprints and wrestling (220-pound state No. 1 ) Tyler (Kral).”
CP’s Matt Langbehn won three matches at 195 with a heavily bandaged left hand.
“I punched the wall last week,” said Langbehn with a smile, “after I lost to the Lowell kid (Ryan Patterson). It hurts, but what am I going to do? Not wrestle and let my teamates down?”
Langbehn is 0-3 against Merrillville star Kourtney Berry (23-0) and 26-2 against everybody else. He expects to see Berry at the Merrillville semistate.
“Am I getting closer to beating him?” Langbehn thought. “I almost had a take down last time (before he pinned me).”
Langbehn knows that, being a regional champ, he can’t face Berry until the semistate semifinals.
“I’m in a good position to go downstate,” he said.
The mood changes at the semistate, where most of the wrestlers in the building will be ending their season.
“I just have to take it one match at a time,” he said, “and I probably will have never faced the guy I’ll face in the first round next week at Merrillville. Even though it’s getting closer, I’m trying to keep a cool head about the fourth state title. I’ve got to get there; I’ve got to set myself up for the best Friday night match up. But I’ve got to win semistate first.”
REGIONAL NOTES: Crown Point’s 132-pounder, senior Cameron Halsted, who won his quarterfinal match 19-5 over Eric Dan of Knox, forfeited his final two matches due to an injured shoulder he’s battled much of the year.
Winning your first match in the regional advances you to semistate competition.
At the Merrillville Semistate Halsted (19-7) will have to win three matches including one against a champion of another regional. Even though he is still in the tourney Halsted is now a long shot. Only the top three finishers at the semistate reach the state finals.
If Halsted can survive his first two matches at Merrillville and win, you might see him forfeit the semifinal to give him a few hours rehab time and go for the third place state finals berth late in the evening.
Merrillville had nine regional champions at the Calumet Regional Saturday including Al Padilla (132), Zack Sandefur (152), Bobby Steveson (160), Darryl Peppers (171) and Kourtney Berry (195).
All of the Merillville champions obviously feed into the Merrillville semistate this week.
That makes brackets like 195 significantly more difficult. Kourtney Berry (22-0) is undefeated this season at 195 pounds.
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