WESTFIELD —
After last year, the state team wrestling tournament was no more, as it was done away with.
The dilemma was partially solved when 23 invited schools joined at Westfield High School to compete on several different mats in three
different classes for state bragging rights Saturday.
Danville was one of the 23 schools that competed and they placed third in Class AA.
Coach Steve Pugliese was happy with the effort, but he realizes that the Warriors had a tough draw.
“I was pleased,” Pugliese said. “It was unfortunate how it was seeded. We ended up with the fourth seed, which meant that we had to wrestle No. 1-ranked Yorktown in the semis. The kids really wrestled hard.”
In the first round, the Warriors defeated No.6 Heritage Hills 51-24. In that round, Danville only lost four total matches.
However, Danville ran into Yorktown next, falling in a tight battle, 37-26.
“Against Yorktown, they were just a little bit better than us,” Pugliese said. “Our kids competed well. I’m not going to be too upset when they outwrestle us. You have to give them credit.”
Pugliese was also ecstatic about how his team continued to fight,
after the match with Yorktown was already decided.
Danville rebounded to dominate Culver Academy 55-9 to take third place, winning 12 of 14 matches.
When it came to individuals, Pugliese had several grapplers wrestle well. After returning from a broken hand, Brock Hudkins (106) wrestled in his first matches of the season and went 3-0 with three pins. Elliott Molloy (113) remained undefeated, going 3-0 on the day, after winning county last week.
In addition, Neal Molloy (145), Autry Pickens (195), and Mike Williams (heavyweight) each went 3-0 on the day for the Warriors. Pickens and N. Molloy each also won the county event last week.
Pugliese also said that several wrestlers also went 2-1 on the day. In the first year of the event, Pugliese was optimistic about its future and the success it garnered.
“I thought that it was a great tournament,” he said. “It was first class the way that they did it, for as many kids as they have to weigh in and for as quickly and efficiently as they got that done. Once the wrestling started, it really went off without a hitch. We didn’t have too much downtime between the rounds. It was a good tournament and I don’t think that you could tell it was the first time that it had been done.”
In addition, Pugliese was pleased to have the opportunities for the smaller schools in the event.
“I think that this is the best solution,” he said. “Under the old format, where you had to win the team regional, it was going to be awfully hard for us to ever get out of the team regional. We would have had to go through Perry Meridian, Bloomington South, and Franklin. I’m not one to usually say that ‘they are a big school and we can’t compete,’ but the reality is that when you have 2,500 students to 3,500 students, against 850, you’re going to have a chance to have a deeper lineup. They do football like they do for a reason.”
Sports
Wrestling Warriors take third
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Quakers derail Artesians
MARTINSVILLE — Plainfield coach Brad Beaman has told his team all season they needed to play a complete, all-around game and Monday night the Quakers did just that. The defending Class 4A state softball champions rose to the occasion and defeated host Martinsville by the 10-run rule, 12-1.
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Hometown Carpenter wins pole for 97th Indianapolis 500
SPEEDWAY — Ed Carpenter channeled his inner David as he slayed the Goliath teams of Andretti Autosport and Team Penske Saturday for the pole position of the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500.
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Orioles net tennis title
AVON — Winning three matches in four days while overcoming three county rivals, one conference foe and a spot of weather, the Avon Orioles girls’ tennis team won their first sectional title since 2006. Avon won its three matches by a combined 14-1 record and downed Plainfield 5-0 in the finals early Saturday afternoon.
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500 teams ready for qualifications
Saturday should be a fast day for the 33 drivers and teams attempting to qualify for the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500.
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May to coach Warriors next season
Danville Community High School Athletic Director Jon Regashus announced earlier this week that former Avon High School basketball standout and Butler University player Kaley May will take over the reins of the Warriors’ girls’ basketball program next season.
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Avon claims third straight sectional
PLAINFIELD — For the third consecutive year, the Avon Orioles boys’ track team loaded the Plainfield sectional trophy onto their bus and headed home. The Orioles won 9 of 16 events, using depth in many areas to increase their margin of victory.
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Quakers, Orioles advance to sectional final
AVON — With her teammates tensely and nervously awaiting the outcome of every point, Plainfield’s Arden Allen came through for her squad. With the Quakers’ match in Thursday’s tennis sectional semifinal against conference rival Mooresville tied at 2-2, Allen overcame leg cramps and enormous pressure to down her opponent 7-5, 6-4 and advance Plainfield into today’s sectional final.
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Avon repeats as sectional champs
PLAINFIELD — For the second consecutive season the Avon Orioles girls’ track team hoisted a sectional trophy. Avon’s championship at Plainfield last night prolongs a very good year for the Orioles as they were county champions and also placed the highest as an Avon team ever had in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference early last week.
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Orioles capture HCC title
CICERO — For several years the Avon Orioles boys’ golf team fell just short of winning the Hoosier Crossroads Conference title. With six teams ranked in the top 20, Monday afternoon’s HCC tournament at Bear Slide Golf Club was one of the toughest challenges the Orioles had faced all season.
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Orioles, Bulldogs tie for sixth in HCC
BROWNSBURG — For the past two seasons a Hendricks County School has hosted the Hoosier Crossroads Conference girls’ tennis tournament. Last Saturday at Brownsburg, the Bulldogs and Orioles tied for sixth in this year’s tournament.
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