Wawasee’s Derek Morrison has had his hand raised three times at the Al Smith Classic, making the semi-finals at 215. (File photo by Mike Deak)
At one of Indiana’s most prestigious individual wrestling tournaments, Wawasee has one man left standing after the first day of the two-day Al Smith Invite.
Derek Morrison, our 215 pounder, is 3-0 after the first day and is guaranteed to place at the 46th annual tournament hosted by Mishawaka High School.
Morrison won his opening match over Mason Grubb of Bloomington South in a 29-second pin, then took down Westfield’s Jon Stryker with a pin at 1:08 to move to the quarterfinals. In his third match, Mishawaka’s Trey Dunning offered quite a showdown and potential championship preview of an NLC final as the two battled to a 10-10 score after two periods. Morris opened the third with a nearfall on top, then after Dunning escaped, Morrison got a quick takedown to take a 16-11 lead. A Dunning takedown with 18 seconds and immediate cut made it 18-16 Morrison, and that’s where it stood as time ran out.
Morrison will get Garrett’s Aidan Hunt in the semi-finals, opposite the top bracket semi of Aidan Abad of Lowell against Austin Reading of Crown Point.
Wawasee had a handful of wrestler’s work through the consolation bracket, but none were able to backdoor into any podium matches, both Cam Senter at 120 and Ethan Rodriguez at 150 both knocked out in the placement rounds. Of note from Rodriguez’s Friday was his 100th career win, which he attained in a 2:45 pin of Lake Central’s Brady Vance in round one. Rodriguez would get two more wins before bowing out of the consolation bracket.
Here’s a full rundown of day one at the Al Smith:
- Champ. Round 1 – Andrew Elmore (ZIONSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL) 10-8 won by tech fall over Cylus Melching (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 3-2 (TF-1.5 3:07 (22-4))
- Cons. Round 1 – Cylus Melching (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 3-2 won by forfeit over Forfeit Coleast (COLUMBUS EAST HIGH SCHOOL) 0-2 (For.)
- Cons. Round 2 – Cylus Melching (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 3-2 won by decision over Achilles Kanaley (PENN HIGH SCHOOL) 13-8 (Dec 5-3)
- Cons. Round 3 – Vince Mccoy (SB RILEY HIGH SCHOOL) 23-4 won by decision over Cylus Melching (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 3-2 (Dec 7-2)
- Champ. Round 1 – Nathan Reyes (INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL) 15-2 won by fall over Garrett Tittle (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 14-6 (Fall 0:49)
- Cons. Round 1 – Donald Hoffman (MERRILLVILLE HIGH SCHOOL) 9-9 won in sudden victory – 1 over Garrett Tittle (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 14-6 (SV-1 2-1)
- Champ. Round 1 – Cameron Senter (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 20-3 won by fall over Dylan Jones (PLYMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL) 5-10 (Fall 2:09)
- Champ. Round 2 – Porter Temples (WESTFIELD HIGH SCHOOL) 17-1 won by fall over Cameron Senter (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 20-3 (Fall 0:39)
- Cons. Round 2 – Cameron Senter (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 20-3 won by fall over Roman Marquez (SB RILEY HIGH SCHOOL) 16-10 (Fall 2:18)
- Cons. Round 3 – Cameron Senter (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 20-3 won by tech fall over Luke Neid (LAKE CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL) 16-7 (TF-1.5 4:07 (17-1))
- Cons. Round 4 – John Bissmeyer (INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL) 14-4 won by major decision over Cameron Senter (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 20-3 (MD 9-1)
- Champ. Round 1 – Cameron Woods (PORTAGE HIGH SCHOOL) 16-5 won by fall over Isaac Ruff (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 10-11 (Fall 0:35)
- Cons. Round 1 – Isaac Ruff (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 10-11 won by decision over William Douglas (SB RILEY HIGH SCHOOL) 0-5 (Dec 7-1)
- Cons. Round 2 – Max Quiroz (CHESTERTON HIGH SCHOOL) 23-4 won by fall over Isaac Ruff (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 10-11 (Fall 1:45)
- Champ. Round 1 – Gage Rutan (COLUMBUS EAST HIGH SCHOOL) 20-0 won by fall over Mattia Melli (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 5-3 (Fall 1:46)
- Cons. Round 1 – London Beaumont (PLYMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL) 11-12 won by fall over Mattia Melli (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 5-3 (Fall 1:26)
- Champ. Round 1 – Sontonio Sessa (CROWN POINT HIGH SCHOOL) 10-4 won by fall over Gaige Boyd (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 10-4 (Fall 1:05)
- Cons. Round 1 – Jalin England (ZIONSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL) 10-8 won by fall over Gaige Boyd (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 10-4 (Fall 1:55)
- Champ. Round 1 – Carter Fielden (GARRETT HIGH SCHOOL) 17-0 won by decision over Cavan Tom (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 18-4 (Dec 11-6)
- Cons. Round 1 – Cavan Tom (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 18-4 won by major decision over Jacob Pennington (PENN HIGH SCHOOL) 7-2 (MD 12-0)
- Cons. Round 2 – Cavan Tom (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 18-4 won in sudden victory – 1 over Cameron Moyer (JIMTOWN HIGH SCHOOL) 17-3 (SV-1 5-2)
- Cons. Round 3 – Daniel Mcgill (HOBART HIGH SCHOOL) 13-3 won by major decision over Cavan Tom (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 18-4 (MD 8-0)
- Champ. Round 1 – Ethan Rodriguez (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 20-3 won by fall over Brady Vance (LAKE CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL) 6-10 (Fall 2:45)
- Champ. Round 2 – Aaron Durham (WARREN CENTRAL) 15-3 won by decision over Ethan Rodriguez (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 20-3 (Dec 9-4)
- Cons. Round 2 – Ethan Rodriguez (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 20-3 won by tech fall over Graydon Staley (WESTFIELD HIGH SCHOOL) 1-2 (TF-1.5 2:57 (19-4))
- Cons. Round 3 – Ethan Rodriguez (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 20-3 won by fall over Caden Mahaffey (CHESTERTON HIGH SCHOOL) 15-10 (Fall 4:07)
- Cons. Round 4 – Oscar Baca (CROWN POINT HIGH SCHOOL) 6-3 won by tech fall over Ethan Rodriguez (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 20-3 (TF-1.5 4:32 (19-3))
- Champ. Round 1 – Aiden Whitten (PENN HIGH SCHOOL) 14-7 won by fall over Devin Sewell (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 2-6 (Fall 1:49)
- Cons. Round 1 – Tymothy James (LOWELL HIGH SCHOOL) 11-5 won by fall over Devin Sewell (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 2-6 (Fall 0:51)
- Champ. Round 1 – Aidan Costello (HOBART HIGH SCHOOL) 13-1 won by fall over Moses Howard (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 8-5 (Fall 1:16)
- Cons. Round 1 – Jackson Endsley (GARRETT HIGH SCHOOL) 14-13 won by decision over Moses Howard (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 8-5 (Dec 9-2)
- Champ. Round 1 – Emilio Tirado (LAKE CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL) 19-1 won by fall over Alex Dibble (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 10-10 (Fall 1:20)
- Cons. Round 1 – Alex Dibble (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 10-10 won by fall over Jack Van vickle (MOUNT VERNON) 5-12 (Fall 0:35)
- Cons. Round 2 – Eli Turner (WESTFIELD HIGH SCHOOL) 2-2 won by fall over Alex Dibble (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 10-10 (Fall 2:13)
- Champ. Round 1 – Bryce Montgomery (MERRILLVILLE HIGH SCHOOL) 11-8 won by fall over Trayvon Senders (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 5-13 (Fall 1:33)
- Cons. Round 1 – Edwin Garcia (SB RILEY HIGH SCHOOL) 11-7 won by fall over Trayvon Senders (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 5-13 (Fall 4:48)
- Champ. Round 1 – Derek Morrison (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 20-1 won by fall over Mason Grubb (BLOOMINGTON SOUTH HS) 6-9 (Fall 0:29)
- Champ. Round 2 – Derek Morrison (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 20-1 won by fall over Jon Stryker (WESTFIELD HIGH SCHOOL) 11-4 (Fall 1:08)
- Quarterfinal – Derek Morrison (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 20-1 won by decision over Trey Dunning (MISHAWAKA HIGH SCHOOL) 20-2 (Dec 18-16)
- Champ. Round 1 – Kendal Schaffer (PENN HIGH SCHOOL) 7-7 won by forfeit over Forfeit Wawasee hs (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 0-2 (For.)
- Cons. Round 1 – Dace Mcneil (ZIONSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL) 9-7 won by forfeit over Forfeit Wawasee hs (WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL) 0-2 (For.)