Donnie Blair reached the semi-finals of the Al Smith Invite Friday afternoon.

It was a challenging opening day at the Al Smith Invite hosted by Mishawaka High School.

Just one Warrior is still alive in the championship bracket, that being Donnie Blair at 190 pounds, who won all three of his matches to make the semi-finals of that power-packed grid. Blair pulled a pair of falls in his first two matches to set up a showdown against Keith Miller of NorthWood in the quarters. In that will likely preview a series of showdowns in the next couple months, Blair set the tone with a 4-1 decision to reach the semis, now paired against Lowell’s Ken Bisping. On the other half of the 190 card are Luke Penola of Zionsville and Cole Mendex of Bellmont. Blair already holds a 6-3 win over Mendez from the Wawasee-Bellmont dual in November.

Only one other Warrior will work Saturday in the consoles, that will be Kaleb Salazar. The 113-pounder won his first two matches by tech fall and pin, but ran into Garrett’s Abrum Swathwood in the quarters. Able to reverse out of bottom in the third, Swathwood got the two points he needed to knock Salazar out of the championship bracket in a 4-2 decision. Salazar would come back and beat Bellmont’s Ethan Curtis to stay alive in the consolation bracket, where he will take on Portage’s Owen Bunton in the quest for third. Among the 3-1 day for Salazar was his 100th career win, adding to the long line of Wawasee’s history books to accomplish the feat.

A complete rundown of the remainder of Wawasee’s output at the Al Smith is listed below.

Also of note at Mishawaka on Saturday is the IHSGW Girls Regional, which will take place in the west gym, boys action in The Cave, both starting at 9 a.m.

106
Forfeit Wawasee (1-6) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.

  • Champ. Round 1 – Ty Barnhart (Mount Vernon) 17-5 won by forfeit over Forfeit Wawasee (Wawasee High School) 1-6 (For.)
  • Cons. Round 1 – Kai Vaugh (Fort Wayne Snider) 4-5 won by forfeit over Forfeit Wawasee (Wawasee High School) 1-6 (For.)

113
Kaleb Salazar (22-1) placed 8th and scored 9.5 team points.

  • Champ. Round 1 – Kaleb Salazar (Wawasee High School) 22-1 won by tech fall over Jayden Fleming (South Bend Riley HS) 14-12 (TF-1.5 3:51 (16-1))
  • Champ. Round 2 – Kaleb Salazar (Wawasee High School) 22-1 won by fall over Brady Shannon (Western High School) 15-9 (Fall 0:46)
  • Quarterfinal – Abrum Swathwood (Garrett High School) 21-1 won by decision over Kaleb Salazar (Wawasee High School) 22-1 (Dec 4-2)
  • Cons. Round 4 – Kaleb Salazar (Wawasee High School) 22-1 won by decision over Ethan Curtis (Bellmont HS) 17-11 (Dec 6-0)
120
Jaxon Senter (7-10) place is unknown and scored 2.0 team points.

  • Champ. Round 1 – Gavin Jendreas (Crown Point HS) 11-3 won by tech fall over Jaxon Senter (Wawasee High School) 7-10 (TF-1.5 1:57 (22-7))
  • Cons. Round 1 – Jaxon Senter (Wawasee High School) 7-10 won by major decision over Brian Luevano (Northwood High School) 4-8 (MD 13-1)
  • Cons. Round 2 – Wyatt Behnke (Columbus East HS) 6-13 won by decision over Jaxon Senter (Wawasee High School) 7-10 (Dec 9-2)
126
Cameron Senter (21-2) place is unknown and scored 6.0 team points.

  • Champ. Round 1 – Cameron Senter (Wawasee High School) 21-2 won by decision over Coen Kraemer (Plymouth HS) 21-7 (Dec 6-3)
  • Champ. Round 2 – Cameron Senter (Wawasee High School) 21-2 won by fall over Will Franze (Bellmont HS) 17-10 (Fall 1:42)
  • Quarterfinal – Dylan Bennett (Penn High School) 13-2 won by decision over Cameron Senter (Wawasee High School) 21-2 (Dec 5-4)
  • Cons. Round 4 – Gage Rutan (Columbus East HS) 16-4 won by decision over Cameron Senter (Wawasee High School) 21-2 (Dec 5-1)
132
Zeke Spore (2-9) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.

  • Champ. Round 1 – Guillermo Rivera (Lake Central HS) 19-1 won by fall over Zeke Spore (Wawasee High School) 2-9 (Fall 0:45)
  • Cons. Round 1 – Michael Furniss (Carroll High School) 10-9 won by fall over Zeke Spore (Wawasee High School) 2-9 (Fall 2:38)
138
Gaige Boyd (4-6) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.

  • Champ. Round 1 – Joshua England (LaPorte High School) 18-5 won by fall over Gage Boyd (Wawasee High School) 4-6 (Fall 3:51)
  • Cons. Round 1 – Gabe Oliger (Bloomington South HS) 1-3 won in sudden victory – 1 over Gage Boyd (Wawasee High School) 4-6 (SV-1 3-1)
144
Ethan Rodriguez (14-4) place is unknown and scored 6.0 team points.

  • Champ. Round 1 – Michael Ortega (Portage High School) 20-4 won by major decision over Ethan Rodriguez (Wawasee High School) 14-4 (MD 14-5)
  • Cons. Round 1 – Ethan Rodriguez (Wawasee High School) 14-4 won by fall over Hudson Wright (Peru High School) 1-2 (Fall 0:44)
  • Cons. Round 2 – Ethan Rodriguez (Wawasee High School) 14-4 won by fall over Dalton Rhodes (Fort Wayne Snider) 4-7 (Fall 1:29)
  • Cons. Round 3 – Caleb Cooper (Columbus East HS) 16-4 won by decision over Ethan Rodriguez (Wawasee High School) 14-4 (Dec 7-5)
150
Brody Young (9-11) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.

  • Champ. Round 1 – Wyatt Krejsa (Center Grove HS) 18-2 won by fall over Brody Young (Wawasee High School) 9-11 (Fall 1:31)
  • Cons. Round 1 – Drew Ginter (Mishawaka High School) 7-9 won by fall over Brody Young (Wawasee High School) 9-11 (Fall 1:18)
157
Carson Nine (17-6) place is unknown and scored 5.0 team points.

  • Champ. Round 1 – Carson Nine (Wawasee High School) 17-6 won by fall over Dominic Rivera (Hobart High School) 8-9 (Fall 0:41)
  • Champ. Round 2 – Silas Stits (Center Grove HS) 19-3 won by tech fall over Carson Nine (Wawasee High School) 17-6 (TF-1.5 1:39 (16-1))
  • Cons. Round 2 – Carson Nine (Wawasee High School) 17-6 won by decision over Andrew Mathis (Bloomington South HS) 9-7 (Dec 7-0)
  • Cons. Round 3 – Andrew Shaffer (Chesterton HS) 20-10 won by decision over Carson Nine (Wawasee High School) 17-6 (Dec 3-2)
165
Alex Dibble (5-14) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.

  • Champ. Round 1 – Duke Myers (Bellmont HS) 26-0 won by fall over Alex Dibble (Wawasee High School) 5-14 (Fall 1:08)
  • Cons. Round 1 – Liam Smith (Warsaw Community HS) 9-14 won by fall over Alex Dibble (Wawasee High School) 5-14 (Fall 4:59)
175
Will Hoy (3-7) place is unknown and scored 3.0 team points.

  • Champ. Round 1 – Brandt Gamble (Western High School) 8-9 won by fall over Will Hoy (Wawasee High School) 3-7 (Fall 3:01)
  • Cons. Round 1 – Will Hoy (Wawasee High School) 3-7 won by forfeit over Forfeit Warsawcom (Warsaw Community HS) 8-14 (For.)
  • Cons. Round 2 – Hunter Jones (Westfield HS) 13-7 won by fall over Will Hoy (Wawasee High School) 3-7 (Fall 0:24)
190
Donnie Blair (21-1) placed 6th and scored 13.0 team points.

  • Champ. Round 1 – Donovan Blair (Wawasee High School) 21-1 won by fall over Samuel Pressler (LaPorte High School) 13-14 (Fall 0:45)
  • Champ. Round 2 – Donovan Blair (Wawasee High School) 21-1 won by fall over Mason Grubb (Bloomington South HS) 8-12 (Fall 1:48)
  • Quarterfinal – Donovan Blair (Wawasee High School) 21-1 won by decision over Keith Miller (Northwood High School) 9-2 (Dec 4-1)
215
Derek Morrison (10-11) place is unknown and scored 3.0 team points.

  • Champ. Round 1 – Devin Kendrex (Mount Vernon) 20-1 won by fall over Derek Morrison (Wawasee High School) 10-11 (Fall 2:38)
  • Cons. Round 1 – Derek Morrison (Wawasee High School) 10-11 won by fall over Mike Zielinski (Chesterton HS) 12-12 (Fall 1:48)
  • Cons. Round 2 – Terrelle Elmore (Merrillville High School) 14-7 won by fall over Derek Morrison (Wawasee High School) 10-11 (Fall 1:29)
285
Forfeit Wawasee (0-2) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.

  • Champ. Round 1 – Jacari Markey (Warren Central High School) 2-2 won by forfeit over Forfeit Wawasee (Wawasee High School) 0-2 (For.)
  • Cons. Round 1 – Daniel Rubalcava (Chesterton HS) 8-14 won by forfeit over Forfeit Wawasee (Wawasee High School) 0-2 (For.)
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