Bulldogs capture 1st ever team Wrestling title at IHSAA State Meet, 33-25 over Perry Meridian

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

03-02-2009

14th Annual Team  Wrestling State Finals
2-28-9 at Center Grove
Quarterfinals
Indianapolis Cathedral 31, Mishawaka 30.
CROWN POINT (19-1) 48, Roncalli 9.
Perry Meridian 31, Bellmont 27.
Castle 43, Delphi 9
Semifinals
CROWN POINT (20-1) 28, Indianapolis Cathedral 23.
Perry Meridian (25-2) 24, Castle 23.
State Championship
CROWN POINT (21-1) 33, Perry Meridian (25-3) 25.

Crown Point 33, Perry Meridian 25  
State Championship match began with the 119 lb. weight class.

119 (3-0) Josh Manes (CROWN POINT) 5-3 over Jason Simmons
125 (7-0) Jason Tsirtsis (CROWN POINT) 18-5 over Kirk Johnson
130 (7-4)  Sampson Cook (Perry Meridian) over Dallas Schurg
135 (11-4) Eric Roach  (CROWN POINT) 11-3 over Chris Goodwin
140 (11-10) Jacob Tonte  (Perry Meridian) pinned Josh Flamme (2:45)                              
145 (11-13) Jacob Tasseff (Perry Meridian) 5-4 over Tom Renn
152 (11-16)  Blake Wood (Perry Meridian) 10-6 over Jeremy Pogorzelski
160 (17-16)  Mark Myers (CROWN POINT) pinned Cory Hudgins (1:05)
171 (17-19) Jordan Robinson ( Perry Meridian) 3-0 over Jeremy Kooi
189 (23-19)  Marcus Shrewsbury (CROWN POINT) pinned Andre Richards (1:10).                  
215 (23-22) Chris Schaefer (Perry Meridian) 7-2 over Jimmy Bakalik
285 (29-22)  Kyle Marshall (CROWN POINT) pinned Devin Schaefer  (0:26).                           
103 (29-25)  Jared McKinley (Perry Meridian)  6-2 over Cameron Halsted
112 (33-25)  Anthony Hawkins (CROWN POINT) 18-5  major decision over Michael Clem


CROWN POINT 28, Indianapolis Cathedral 23
State semifinal - match began at 112

112 (3-0) Anthony Hawkins (CROWN POINT)  3-1 over Blake Roytek
119 (3-5) Brandon Wright (Cathedral) tech fall over Josh Manes
125 (9-5) Jason Tsirtsis (CROWN POINT) pinned Charlie McGinley (2:47).
130 (9-8) John Grey (Cathedral) 6-5 over Dallas Schurg.
135 (13-8) Eric Roach (CROWN POINT) 13-5 major decision over Dominic Corsaro
140 (13-11) Tony McGinley (Cathedral) 8-6 over Josh Flamme
145 (13-14) Gavin McGinley (Cathedral) 6-4 over Tom Renn
152 (13-17) Calvin Sullivan (Cathedral) 11-7 over Jeremy Pogorzelski
160 (16-17) Mark Myers (CROWN POINT) 8-2 over Tyler Willis.
171 (16-20) Vince Hofmeister (Cathedral) 9-3 over Jeremy Kooi.
189 (22-20)  Marcus Shrewsbury (CROWN POINT) pinned Spencer Poling (1:31).
215 (25-20) Jimmy Bakalik (CROWN POINT) 5-1 over Jake Buchanan.
285 (25-23)  Wesley Stokes (Cathedral) 4-3 over Kyle Marshall
103 (28-23) Cameron Halsted (CROWN POINT) 2-1 over Brian Harvey (Cathedral)


CROWN POINT 48, (Indianapolis) Roncalli 9
State quarterfinal - match began at 103

103 (CP) Cameron Halsted (34-10) 11-4 over Aaron Davis (36-10)
112 (CP) Anthony Hawkins  (43-0) 13-4 over. Nick Ader  (1-1).
119 (Roncalli) Justin Kieffer (47-4) 10-4 over Josh Manes (30-8)
125 (CP) Jason Tsirtsis (41-2) 9-0 over Joe Kieffer (38-11).
130 (CP) Dallas Schurg (31-7) 6-4 over  Coltin Dickey (28-14).
135 (CP) Eric Roach (41-2) 12-4 major decision over Ben Kane (15-16)
140 (CP) Josh Flamme (30-9) 6-0 over  Tim Jackson (11-20)
145 (CP) Tom Renn (15-10) 5-0 over Jake Bartley (17-17)
152 (CP) Jeremy Pogorzelski  (27-10) pinned Kris Williams (21-20) 2:47.
160 (CP) Mark Myers (42-1) pinned Elliott Swhea (9-17)  1:59.
171 (CP) Jeremy Kool  (21-18) 4-1 over Stephen Lutgring (26-16)
189 (CP) Marcus Shrewsbury  (43-0) pinned Jordan Fuller (12-20) 0:24.
215 (CP) Jimmy Bakalik (25-15)  7-6 over Josh Matthews (18-21)
285 (Roncalli) Tony Bell (40-10) pinned Kyle Marshall (24-14)  2:48.

GREENWOOD (2-28-2009)  If I ruled the world.
Every day would be the first day of spring.
Every man would have a day to be king.
To win everything.
If I ruled the world.

It is very rare for an athlete that on one day, you can wake up and before the sun goes down, you can accomplish something you've wanted to do all your life.

That's what happened to Crown Point Saturday.  As the team bus pulled away from Center Grove high school is the setting sun, Crown Point high school had gone from a school where the boys teams never win anything to the undisputed 2009 champions of the Indiana high school wrestling universe.

Before the sun set Saturday Crown Point defeated state-ranked Indianapolis wrestling powers Roncalli (18-7), Cathedral (26-3) and Perry Meridian (23-3) to become the first Northwest Indiana team to win the state team wrestling title.  This came one week after Crown Point had won three of the 14 individual state championships at the state individual finals in Indianapolis.  Not to mention 38 years after CP's last state boys team title, a tennis championship in the early days of that state tournament, back in 1971.

"Last week was very special," said coach Scott Vlink, who had his day in the south suburban Indianapolis sun after 28 years as the CPHS varsity wrestling coach.  "But we told the kids that we wanted two rings.  We really wanted the individual championship and the team champions.  It's incredible.  It's unbelievable."

It was also very dramatic.  From an area with five boys who either had undefeated regular seasons or won state titles, it was none of that group that won the biggest match of the year.

In the semifinals, Crown Point led fourth-ranked Cathedral 25-23 with only one match to go, the 103-pound battled between CP freshmen Cameron Halsted (35-11) and Brian Harvey (43-12).  As hundreds of fans and friends form both schools roared in the 5,00-seat Center Grove gym, neither ninth grader scored a point through the first two periods as the match was stopped temporarily four times because of Harvey's bloody nose, which had to be taped up.

The winner of the match would get three team points, which meant that the season was over for one side or another.  Halsted had a blank look on his face (you really couldn't see Harvey's face) as he carried the state title hopes on his back.  Harvey scored on an escape for a 1-0 lead and Halsted finally recorded a takedown to give CP a 2-1 edge.  With 10 seconds to go, Harvey appeared to be taking Halsted down and everybody in the gym started screaming.  But Halsted held on for a 2-1 win and a 28-23 team victory for CP.

"How about that," said Vlink.  "That was huge.  He locked up that cradle.  Then he did just enough to keep the ref from calling a stalemate."

CP senior Mark Myers added, "That was awesome.  For a freshman to do that.  That's a lot of heart.  He kept us alive.  He kept all the seniors alive.  He came out to wrestle.  Awesome.  It was awesome."

In the finals, CP led Perry Meridian 23-22 with three matches left.  The last match was at 112, where CP's state champ Anthony Hawkins had not lost all year.  But the next-to-last match was at 103 where PM's Jared McKinley was 50-2 on the season.  So if heavyweight Kyle Marshall (25-15), who had already lost in the quarterfinals and semifinals, did not beat PM's Devon Schafer (26-18), Perry Meridian would take a lead of, at least 25-23.  If the heavily-favored McKinley won a decision (he did), the lead would be at least 28-23 and Hawkins would have had to pin PM's Michael Clem (31-17) and grab six points to win the state title.  Hawkins (45-0) is a champ, but it's not hard for any good wrestler to simply avoid being pinned for six minutes.  Marshall, 0-2 on the day, had to save his team.

What happened next was not to be believed unless you were there.  Marshall grabbed Schaefer in a bear hug, shifted his grip and his footwork a couple of times, lifted the PM sophomore off the mat and slammed him down just like they do on the Monday Night wrestling shows.  Marshall grabbed him and pinned him for a 29-22 CP lead while the CP bench celebrated like they'd just won the state title.

"I just had to do it," said Marshall, who drew three penalty points for stalling in the 4-3 semifinal loss to Cathedral's Wesley Stokes.  "The first two matches (losses in the quarterfinals and semifinals), I just wasn't wrestling as hard as I could.  After the second loss, the 4-3 loss, I just sat and I reflected.  I just decided I've just got to wrestle my way.  Like I know how.  Wrestle my match.  I thought that this is possibly the last wrestling match of my life.  I could not go out with a loss."

"He slammed him," said teammate and 112-pound champion Anthony Hawkins, with some amazement.  "He picked him up and slammed him.  I was so happy.  I thought he was just going to get two points and then maybe he'd go on and get a win."

"Whatever led to that," said Vlink, "whatever got into him, I was glad that it did.  I can't explain it."

CP led 28-25 going into the final match, but Hawkins, the undefeated 119-pound state champ, wasn't going to lose.

Cathedral won as many matches (seven) in the finals as CP did, but Crown Point got pins from Myers and Marcus Shrewsbury, the undefeated state champ at 189 pounds.  Shrewsbury (45-0) was fun to watch because he was so casual.  At times, the Northwestern University-bound senior almost appeared to be sleeping, waiting for his turn.  But when the time came, he went out and quickly pinned his opponent, giving CP a crucial six points in each match.

"Ever since I've known him," said Hawkins, who, like Shrewsbury won an undefeated state title, "we've been friends for, I don't know how long, and he's just like that.  He just does not get excited.  That's how he does it."

Assistant coach Tom Renn explained.  "He just knows what he's doing and he knows who he's facing.  He doesn't have to worry about it.  He's confident and I think it rubs off on the rest of the team."

Senior Mark Myers, who suffered the 'disappointment' of placing third in the individual meet on Feb. 21, won three and pinned two to score big points for his team.

"Its crazy," he said.  "All the work we put in.  It's exciting to see all this.  Out there on the mat it's an individual thing, but what you do affects how the team performs.  They're going to have to rearrange the trophy case at the high school.  We've got a lot of hardware to put in there."

"Crown Point's never won state in anything," said Marshall.  "It's amazing.  We worked so hard all year and finally you understand what you've been working for.  It's something you can keep forever.  You get the medals.  The ring.  You accomplished something.  Nobody can take it away from you."

Assistant coach Tom Renn, who watched his junior son Tommy go 2-1 and get the state title medal said, "This is great for Crown Point.  I cant say enough about Scott Vlink and how much he deserves this.  It's great for the program, the school and the whole town."

Hawkins, whose dad placed second for CP and coach Vlink in 1992, said he thought the Bulldogs could come close to this moment.

"I always joked around, even when my dad (Bill) was coaching, saying 'We're going to win state.'  Everybody said, 'Yeah. Sure. Right.'  But then some other guys started coming into the feeder program and we started to do well and they said, 'Maybe you're right, Anthony.  Maybe we can.'"

FINALS NOTES:  Kyle Marshall, who got the crucial win in the state championship match, was not on the Crown Point roster last season.

"I was wrestling as a freshman and a sophomore," said Marshall.  "Last year I couldn't wrestle because I had health issues and grade issues.  I got my health back up and my grades back up and got back out there."

Coach Scott Vlink reminded everyone that CP had unofficially already won one state title.

"Before they had the team format," he said.  "The state title was decided by who scored the most points at the individual final.  We did that last week.  The coaches association still gives a state title award to the team that scores the most points."

CP athletic director Bill Dorulla explained how the state team finals came to be.

"Back in 1989," he began, "Chesterton scored the most points at the state finals with three wrestlers.  They qualified four for the state finals and three won.  Everybody said, 'Wait a minute. They're not the best team.'"

The IHSAA then began the state team format which brings eight teams to the finals for a second state finals.  Which one is the real state title?

"I don't know," said Dorulla.  "But this does show who has the best team."

The finals event was well-run except for one thing.  There is not nearly enough parking for eight high schools at Center Grove.  Some of us had to walk a small distance down the highway from the only available parking spots.  Indoors, the gym was crowded during the quarterfinals, but once the field was whittled down to four, there was plenty of room and the gym was comfortable.

Crown Point's focus was split Saturday with the state boys swim finals in Indianapolis and the Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) gymnastic finals being held for the first time ever at CP.

Still, Dorulla, ex-Crown Point athletic director Jerry Caravana, football coach Chip Pettit and his father, former CPHS legend Jack Pettit and many others were on hand to watch CP win a boys state team title for the first time in 38 years.