The Reporter-Times

Three wrestlers from Martinsville High School and two from Indian Creek High School will be competing at the state finals Friday at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The road won’t be easy.

All four semi-state champions in the 160-pound class are undefeated. Martinsville’s Briar Runyan (39-0) is among them and could go up against Crown Point’s Mark Myers (38-0) in the semi-finals.

“That’s worth the price of admission right there,” Martinsville coach Lee Liden said.

Should he advance to the championship, Runyan could go up against either Northridge’s Ross Powell (40-0) or Pendleton Height’s Matt Todd (43-0).

“It’s stacked,” Liden said. “That’s a stacked weight class.”

First, though, he has to get past McCutcheon’s Cheney Dale (35-9) in the first round on Friday.

“He has to get there, it’s no easy task,” Liden said. “You’re talking about the 16 best guys in the state out of 300 teams (in that class). It’s not going to be easy.”

Runyan’s class, though it is rare to have all four semi-state champions undefeated, is one of several that is extremely deep this year, Liden said.

“They’re all quality guys,” he said. “It’s just unbelievable to see that type of talent.”

Indian Creek’s Ethan Raley has a similar challenge awaiting him.

Jay County’s Casey Kenney (43-2), who Raley beat to win the 103 class championship last year and was the Woodlan semistate champion, also moved up to the 119 class and could go against Raley in the quarterfinals.

The class also includes Alex Johns (49-1) of Evansville Reitz, who beat Raley in the semifinals last week; Camden Eppert (35-4) of Anderson Highland was the state runner-up in the 112 weight class a year ago; undefeated Justin Brooks (with 38 wins) who won the Warsaw semi-state; and Indianapolis Cathedral’s Brandon Wright (45-2), who won the 112 state championship a year ago and was semi-state champion at New Castle this year.

Martinsville’s Jordan Krulik will go against Leo’s Cameron Friend (34-1) in the first round. Liden called Friend a “hard-nosed kid.”

“I think Jordan is going be a better wrestler because of his (state) experience,” Liden said.

A win against Friend would likely set up a match with Culver Academy’s Daniel Young (44-0). Sam Bennett (36-1) of Anderson Highland was the runner-up in the 145 class a year ago and won this year’s New Castle semi-state title.

“Jordan has to really open up,” Liden said. “If he’s static, and waits for the opportunity instead of creating it, we might have some problems.”

The 189 weight class includes the runners-up in both that class and the 171 class from a year ago. Indian Creek’s Aaron Stevenson (42-0) is one of three wrestlers to remain undefeated.

Marchs Shrewsbury of Crown Point (38-0) was the runner-up in the same class last year and won the Merrillville semi-state championship. Drew Graber of Northridge (40-0) finished runner-up in the 171 class a year ago and won the Woodlan semistate championship. The class also includes New Castle semistate champion Andrew Dalton of East Central (44-1) and Huntington North’s Zach Abbott (36-1).

Derek Fisher (36-3) will wrestler Rochester’s Garth Simpson (45-6) in the first round.

I’m pretty excited about his chances,” Liden said. “We’re pretty confident.”

His class includes Crown Point’s Anthon Hawkins (38-0), the semi-state champion at Merrillville; Roncalli’s Josh Kieffer (41-4), the New Castle champion; and Steven Gonzales (36-6) of Delta, the Woodlan champion.

Fisher has to attack and initiate the action, Liden said.

“If that happens, that’d be great,” he said. “We know he has the potential.”

Martinsville has been the only Morgan County representative the past two years to have two or more wrestlers compete, Liden was quick to point out, calling it “quite an honor.”

“To have three who have made it this far is very gratifying as a coach,” he said.