NEW PALESTINE — With 10 wins in 14 matches, including eight pins and a major decision, there was a lot to be impressed with in the New Palestine boys wrestling team’s 55-18 Senior Night victory over Lawrence North Wednesday.
One of the wins from the senior class was, arguably, the most impressive of all.
In a battle of high-ranked wrestlers in the 215-pound class, New Palestine senior Shaun Glass defeated Lawrence North’s Brandon Johnson 12-2. Glass nearly had the ninth pin of the night, getting Johnson on his back twice in the second period and scoring six near-fall points. It was the first loss of the season for Johnson, who placed sixth in the state last season in the 225-class.
In the most recent rankings of 215-class wrestlers coming out of the New Castle Semi-State, Johnson is No. 1. Glass is No. 6. Glass has just one loss this season, to Mt. Vernon’s Devin Kendrex.
“That was a huge match going in,” New Palestine head coach Andrew Frey said. “That just has to be good for his confidence. We’ve been telling him all year he can hang with these kids. He lost earlier in the year to Kendrex… [Johnson] who has beaten Kendrex, to go out there and show he could take him down, he could turn him, he could escape, he can wrestle with the best. It was nice to see him wrestle like that tonight. I’m happy for him.”
Glass said it was all about having confidence when he’s up against the state’s higher-ranked wrestlers.
“It was a very big match for me,” Glass said. “I’ve been looking forward to [it]. I’ve had it marked on my calendar all year. I saw [Johnson] last year wrestle one of my teammates and ever since then I’ve been trying to gun towards him and try to do my best against him.
“I think it’s all been my mindset. I’ve had the skills for a long time but I’ve never had got into that mindset where I could compete with these top-ranked guys. At Connersville [in the Spartan Classic] I finally got my first big win and it really set my mindset that I can actually compete with these higher-ranked guys.”
At the Spartan Classic, Glass beat Chatard’s Andrew Troy, ranked No. 7 out of New Castle, by fall in 1:25 in the semifinals. He defeated Jasper’s Tyson Ruhe, one of the top-ranked wrestlers out of the Evansville Semi-State, by major decision, 9-1, in the championship match.
The Glass-Johnson contest was one of two head-to-head contests with high-ranked wrestlers feeding into the state meet from the New Castle Semi-State.
Ranked No. 3 and No. 5, respectively, at 138, New Palestine freshman Peyton Hornsby pinned Blake Jones with just 21 seconds remaining in the match.
Hornsby got two nearfall points in the second period, but Jones was able to get a reversal. It was a close 4-2 battle heading into the final period.
New Palestine’s Gunner Butt (126), Bryce Doss (144), Gabe Flick (165), Colin Whetsel (190), William Glesing (285), Blake Doss (106) and Wes Harbert (120) earned the Dragons six points each with wins by fall.
Blake Doss had the quickest night of all with a pin in just 36 seconds, edging brother Bryce Doss, whose evening came to a close after just 53 seconds.
New Palestine senior Jaedyn Jeffries earned a 7-5 decision in the 157-pound match.
“Lawrence North is always a good, hard-nosed competitive team. I’m glad we were able to make the score look the way we did,” Frey said.
