The Versailles Republican Sports

January 21, 2010

Milan Indians capture 2010 SIWC Championship Title

Gary Franklin, Sports Writer

The 2009-2010 Milan High School Wrestling Team entered into their new season understandably not knowing just where they might find themselves a few months down the road. With many new faces on the team, new challenges for the coaches and an uncertainty as to just who would return from last season's team. Every aspect meant a challenge to all concerned, and hard work to create a positive from a very uncertain beginning.
Facing the challenge openly, long time MHS Head Wrestling Coach Roy Adams and Assistant Coach Bob Riley grasped the bull by the horns (if you will) and gave the new team every possible advantage they could.
Granted, you make it in the sport of wrestling by applying many grueling hours of practice while learning the positive and negative of specific moves. Learning the how and when to do what to escape and by using your strength to your best advantage regardless of the stature of your opponent. When it comes together, it is quite rewarding.
A solid effort by the young men on the team to listen and learn from two of the best around has paid large dividends for the tribe. Most recently, with their capturing of the coveted SIWC (Southern Indiana Wrestling Conference) Tournament crown.
SIWC Tournament,
Saturday, January 16
The SIWC team tournament matches are an annually held event hosted by Southwestern Hanover High School with a 13 team venue.
Schools included in the SIWC conference are Anderson, Charlestown, Eastern, Forest Park, Milan, Mitchell, New Washington, Paoli, Providence, Salem, Southwestern Hanover, Christian Academy and Crawford County.
During this year's matches, the Milan Indians stepped up and performed proudly, leading at every juncture of the scoring process through the day long affair, meaning at all four scoring tabulation intervals that team scores were announced, Milan led.
Weigh-ins began at 8 a.m. with the wrestling bouts commencing on one of the three mats on SwH HS gym floor around 9 a.m.
Planned breaks throughout the day were taken, however, endurance is key to wrestling, not only for the contender, but for the follower, as the final championship bout was completed near 6:30 p.m.
Seven Milan Indian wrestlers earned championship bids
103 # Tyler Money,
won his bout to become SIWC champion
112# Colten Halbig, wrestled to the runner-up spot during championship action
125# Jared Huff,
won his bout to become a SIWC champion
130# Nick Huff,
wrestled to the runner-up spot during championship action
135# Matt Yatsko, wrestled to the runner-up spot during championship action
215# Nate Haugh,
won his bout to become SIWC champion
285# Ben Jackson,
won his bout to become SIWC champion
At 215#, Milan Indian senior Nate Haugh captured the "Quickest Pin Award" for the day long event with his 15 second pinning of Charlestown's Harlington Rodriguez.
In Coach Adams words:
The Milan Varsity and Reserve wrestling teams brought home dual honors of All-Conference after competing in the 13 team Southern Indiana Wrestling Conference Tournament this past Saturday. "We needed to wrestle a flawless tourney in order to win and that's just what the boy's did! It was, without a doubt, the best conference tourney we have wrestled. Almost every wrestler finished as high or higher in the placing as expected, noted Coach Adams"
Milan finished the tourney with 261 points, just 15 points ahead of nearest rival Charlestown. Hanover Southwestern, Anderson and Forest Park followed close behind.
A dramatic pin by Indian senior Nate Haugh over Trevor Phillips of Mitchell in the 215# class and Indian senior Ben Jackson's pin over Southwestern Hanover's Dakota Tatum in the heavyweight class put Milan over the top.
Milan had two other champs, Tyler Money and Jared Huff. Money defeated Cory O'Neal of Southwestern by a pin and in possibly the most outstanding victory, Indian senior Jared Huff defeated the ninth ranked 125#'er in the state, Jeff Stotridge of Charlestown, 11-8. As a freshman, Indian Tyler Money completely destroyed all competitors earning 30 points for the team.
Runner-up honors went to Nick Huff @ 130#, Matt Yatsko @ 135# and freshman Colten Halbig @ 112#. Matt Arkenberg finished third @ 189#, with Zeth O'Neal @ 145#, Cody Marsee @ 152# and Adam Ison @ 160# earning 4th place finishes.
As a bonus, Milan took home the Reserve Team Championship Title with six champions. Mitchell Meyer @ 103#, DJ Rogers @ 135#, Jason Hawkins @ 145#, Cory Jewett @ 189#, Alex Lindeman @ 215# and John Halcomb @ 285#.
"Overall, it was an exciting day for wrestlers, coaches and fans. The seniors showed a great deal of leadership, led by 8th ranked heavyweight Ben Jackson and 12th ranked 125#'er Jared Huff. The freshmen, especially Tyler Money and Matt Yatsko show that the future is bright as well, Coach Adams concluded"
The tribe will host a Six-Way on Saturday, January 23, at Milan High School beginning at 8 a.m., with sectional action to take place the following Saturday, January 30, at Franklin HS.

GARY FRANKLIN PHOTO Pictured above, Naudia Solis presents the 2010 SIWC Tournament Championship Trophy to the Milan Indians on behalf of hosting Southwestern Hanover High School. Members of the Milan Indian wrestling team pictured from left include: Ben Jackson, Nate Haugh, Jared Huff, Cody Marsee, Bryan Lacey and Zeth O'Neal. Milan sealed the victory on Saturday, January 15, after earning 261 points to outscore the other 12 teams in the tournament.