BLOOMINGTON – Bedford North Lawrence’s Ethan Stancombe advanced to the IHSAA semistate for the second straight season, winning a coveted regional championship during high school wrestling action on Saturday at Bloomington South.
Stancombe (24-3 this season) finished first in the 157-pound weight class. The top four in each division advanced to the semistate, which meant an opening-round victory (in a field of eight in each division) was required to qualify for the third stage of the state tournament series. He went way beyond that.
The championship match victory was a replay of the sectional final last week. Stancombe, who lost to South’s Hunter Fender by a 15-8 decision in the sectional final, flipped that script to post a 15-9 triumph over his nemesis. He also became only the fourth BNL wrestler to record 100 career wins.
“I was wrestling with a chip on my shoulder,” said Stancombe, who also avenged a regular-season loss to Fender. “I had to let it fly, let it all out. I was aggressive coming after him, giving it all I’ve got. I don’t think he expected what I was going to do. I learned to keep the pressure on, keeping coming after him.”
In the quarterfinal, Stancombe pinned Tell City sophomore Brandon Casebolt (19-21) at 1:48. In the semifinal, Stancombe faced a rematch (from the Hoosier Hills Conference tournament) with Floyd Central’s Graham Ehringer. Stancombe posted a 17-2 technical-fall triumph after two periods.
“He put together the best day of wrestling that I have seen him wrestle,” BNL coach Mike Branam said. “And to see him put together a regional championship, and his 100th win, is monumental for him. This will put him in a great position for semistate.”
BNL’s Wyatt Philpott (18-8) lost his first-round match at 120 to Jasper’s Nolan Mullins, who recorded a pin in 1:27.
Mitchell’s Gabe Brazzell (11-8) suffered a technical fall loss at Terre Haute South’s Noah Fields in the first round at 144. Fields owned a 17-2 lead at the 3:24 mark.
The semistate is set for Feb. 15 in Evansville. The top four in each class will qualify for the state finals in Indianapolis on Feb. 21.
