Fallon's Blane Aicher is wrestling in his final regional tournament this week.
Fallon’s never won a 3A regional wrestling title but that hasn’t stopped the green and white from qualifying many for the state tournament.
The Greenwave fell short in the last two years of winning the regional tournament but what the team lacked in numbers, it was able to match in quality. Fallon won state two years ago and finished one win away from repeating in last year’s state tournament.
Although this season presents its biggest challenge in Trevor de Braga’s third year leading Fallon, he will look to his veterans to lead the push to qualify as many for next week’s state tournament in Las Vegas. The Northern 3A regional tournament begins today at Spring Creek and concludes on Saturday when the top three in each weight class will advance to state.
“We won’t win a regional title as a team because of our lack of numbers but that’s not a goal of ours,” de Braga said. “We want as many kids as we can to qualify for state next weekend. We need to wrestle like we practice and everything will take care of itself.”
Fallon will send 14 wrestlers to compete in 10 of the 14 weight classes. The Greenwave will have two wrestlers each in the 113-, 120-, 152- and 285-pound classes. De Braga’s hopeful he can get up to 10 to qualify for state.
Juniors Sean McCormick (160) and Ben Dooley (285, 44-5) have been the most consistent wrestlers this season, while seniors Mason Smith (120, 39-11) and Marcel Poracky (170, 39-11), and sophomore Tommy McCormick (132, 37-13) help give the team a concentrated dose in the middleweights.
Sean McCormick and Dooley have been nothing short of dominant and de Braga expects his junior leaders to continue that streak.
“Sean is up there with the best of the best and I honestly feel nothing can stop this train,” de Braga said. “Ben needs to just go out and take care of business. He’s had a great year so far and himself as well has only one goal in mind after last year’s upset (in the state final).”
Smith, Poracky and McCormick have steadily improved throughout the season and are in good position to qualify for state.
Smith has placed second and third at the state meet and de Braga’s excited to see his senior end the year on top, which begins with this weekend’s regional.
“He’s grown tremendously as a wrestler this year and I know he has one goal in mind and that’s to win this weekend’s championship and capture the state title next weekend,” de Braga added.
With only the top three qualifying for state, mistakes are magnified and even more costly. Seniors Leo and Blane Aicher (152, 9-14 and 23-23, respectively), and Mark Moyle (220, 13-26) will wrestle in potentially the final tournament of their high school career.
“They’re long bodied and have a lot of funk to them,” de Braga said of the Aicher brothers. “They have yet to qualify for state but they’re pretty set on making it their senior season. I believe they can. They have to wrestle sound and not force moves that can potentially hurt them. They have to use their length to their advantage.”
Freshmen Case Cornmesser (113, 19-21), Joseph Rosario (113, 5-10), Wyatt Hatch (120, 24-23) and Logan Dixon (126, 7-6) will get their first taste of the postseason. Junior Drew Kramer (138, 8-18) will also compete.
“The 6 a.m. runs and swims, tough schedule, and along with the tough after-school practices, it should pay off and should show this weekend,” de Braga said. “We have grown as a team and I’m excited to see them perform this weekend.”