Senior wrestlers Olson, Johnson, Mahaffey, Strickland, Mochen and Anderson dominate Valparaiso opponents on senior night, lead Trojans to 46-31 victory

Tom Keegan
Onwardtrojans.com

The wrestling dual meet between visiting Valparaiso and Chesterton was senior night in more than just ceremonial ways.
The wrestlers and parents were honored in a pre-event ceremony and then several senior wrestlers honored their parents and their school with stellar performances in Chesterton’s 46-31 win.
The senior wrestlers who performed in varsity matches went 6-2, all six wins coming on pins. The seniors outscored Valparaiso’s wrestlers 36-9.
Senior heavyweight Connor Olson started the night by scoring a pin over Valpo’s David Casteel in 2:32.
The Trojans didn’t have another senior going until Luke Johnson pinned Cameron Cruz in 5:51 at 138. Caden Mahaffey needed just 57 seconds to pin Ashden Minor-Perez at 150. Getting it done one second quicker than that, Greyson Strickland pinned Mateo Dominguez. Patrick Mochen, wrestling at 175, kept the senior dominance theme going by pinning freshman Hunter Kneifel in 1:27. And Lucas Anderson finished his 190-pound match vs. Ryan Cheek in 50 seconds.
Anderson did not get the opportunity to avenge his one-point loss to Benjamin Fedorchak at last week’s DAC meet because Fedorchak moved up to 215 and defeated senior Keegan Gibbons, 4-1. Had Fedorchak wrestled Anderson, he would have put the seeding advantage he’ll have at risk.
The meet with Valpo took place a week after it was postponed because of slick roads. That sets up a rare back-to-back for the Trojans, who travel to LaPorte tonight for a dual match with the Slicers.
That’s not soon enough for Johnson, who wants revenge for a loss to LaPorte sophomore Matthew Kurzydio in a semifinal match at last Saturday’s DAC meet, an upset.
Johnson was limping after defeating Cruz, but he said there is no chance he would want to sit out the LaPorte match.
“I’ll wrestle,” he said. “I want my redemption for getting my defensive pin. I got robbed or I would have been in the finals with (Crown Point’s Sonny) Sessa. So, it was upsetting. I lost my temper.”
Johnson’s win over Cruz in the Valpo match gave him a measure of redemption as well. It was Cruz who knocked him out of the postseason by pinning him in 2:34, sending Johnson to the fifth-pace match at the LaPorte sectional, where only four wrestlers from each weight advanced to the regional round.
Johnson said he thinks he improved his career record vs. Cruz to 4-1, the four wins coming in dual meets with Valpo.
In sectional wrestling, the athletes have a chance to wrestle back to finish as high as third place, no matter at what point in the bracket they lost for the first time.
Johnson lost in his semifinal match to LaPorte’s Josh England and was sent to the consolation bracket. Cruz lost his opening-round match and was pitted against Johnson next and pinned him in 2:38.
“I lost to Josh England and gave up on myself, which is a bad thing to do in wrestling,” Johnson said. “But that’s not the plan this year. I want to go as far as I can. I’ve been wrestling a lot better this year.”
Johnson said that he and Cruz “have been going at it all these years.” The loss at sectionals showed Johnson that “he can sneak up on you.”
Johnson shifts his attention tonight’s match vs. Kurzydio.