By PAUL BEITLER
PORTLAND – The Bluffton Tigers and Norwell Knights each will be sending three wrestlers to next Saturday’s IHSAA New Haven semi-state tournament at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne.
Bluffton senior Landon Bertsch and freshman Levi Johns finished Saturday’s Jay County Regional as individual champions, while Norwell senior Eli Johnson captured his second regional championship.
Bertsch led the way by notching his fourth straight regional title, while Johns posted his first.
Bluffton sophomore Juan “Johnny” Cruz placed second.
“I’m real proud of the guys,” said Bluffton head coach Ben Sprunger. “They did what they were supposed to do. They are just studs. They just have a heart to win, and a grittiness that you can’t always teach.”
Norwell junior Smithley was second in the 113-pound weight class, while junior Tyler Luther placed third in the 195-pound class.
“I think you always want to do a little bit better than the way you ended up. I’m proud of the guys. We’ve had a good season,” said Norwell head coach John Johnson. “I’m glad that those three get to keep going. We focused all week that you’ve got to win the first round. We wanted to put all our energy in that first match and see where we would end up.”
Bertsch, who now has a season record of 30-1, defeated Adams Central junior Logan Uhlman (15-5) by a 17-2 technical fall in the 132-pound championship match. Jay County’s Tony Wood, who was the 126-pound champion, was Bertsch’s only loss this 2021-22 season.
Bertsch cruised into the finals by pinning his first two opponents of the day.
Bertsch and Uhlman had met each other six times in the last two seasons, said Bertsch.
“He knows what I am going to do most of the time. So, I just push the pace, and still work my stuff,’’ said Bertsch.
Bertsch, who has qualified for the IHSAA state meet the previous three years, is extremely confident when he steps onto the mat. Winning has become second nature to him.
“I’m expecting myself to do well,” said Bertsch. “I don’t expect anything else.
“I’m preparing for next week. I know I have a good guy coming in, and I’m going to wrestle my best and go for a (semi-state) title,” Bertsch added.
Johns continued his spectacular 36-0 season by downing Delta freshman Ayden Bollinger (31-3) by an 8-0 major decision in the 106-pound finals. Johns had no problems getting to the finals, winning his first two matches by a fall and technical fall.
“He’s done a lot of wrestling. He’s got a lot of mat time. He’s been to a lot of tournaments as a middle school kid. He’s always been wrestling first, and he works hard. He’s a blue-collar kid. He’s just a hard worker,” said coach Sprunger. “He’s eager to learn and eager to compete.”
Johnson kept his perfect 170-pound season intact at 35-0 with a pin of Delta sophomore Braxton Russell (19-3) at 2:17 of the title bout.
“My biggest thing was not to get thrown,” said Johnson about facing Russell, “because he’s a big thrower. I knew that by watching his semifinal match. All he wanted to do was go feet to back. I feel that I was in control of the match the whole time. I just knew that I couldn’t get thrown.
“Wins and losses don’t matter to me. I just want to wrestle the best guys and know how I line up. The record doesn’t matter to me,” said Johnson.
Cruz (32-5) also was going for his first regional title, but he ran into Muncie Central senior Jason Orr (28-2), who pinned Cruz with an opening head lock in 35 seconds of the 285-pound finals.
Smithley (30-6) was pinned by Jay County sophomore Cody Rowles (33-1) in 1:08 in the championship match.
Luther (24-9) downed Adams Central’s Keegan Bluhm (15-5) by a 9-4 in the consolation finals.
Norwell entered the tournament with eight wrestlers, but five were eliminated in the opening round. Bluffton lost two in the first round and Southern Wells one.
In the battle for the team championship, the Bellmont Braves scored 123.5 points to take first place, topping second-place Jay County, which finished with 104.5 points. Adams Central was third with 100.
Bluffton, Delta and Monroe Central tied for fourth place with 62 points, while Daleville was seventh with 60, Cowan eighth with 51.5 and Norwell ninth with 49. South Adams was 10th with 34.
Rounding out the team scoring was Muncie Central with 29, Yorktown 21, Winchester 16 and Blackford 8.
Bellmont will be sending eight wrestlers to semi-state, including three champions, Isaac Ruble at 120, Dominic Litchfield at 138 and Duke Myers at 160. The Braves also had two second-place finishers, one third and two in fourth place.
Jay County had seven advance, including champions Rowles and Wood. The Patriots also had two runners-up, two thirds and one fourth.
Adams Central also had seven move on, including champions Alex Currie at 152 and Blake Heyerly at 220. The Jets also had two seconds, two thirds and one fourth.
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