Greensburg — The Greensburg wrestling team bounced back and went into the new year with two solid performances in six days.

After a competitive showing in the Ben Davis Giant 16 tournament, the Pirate grapplers celebrated Senior Night Thursday. Greensburg defeated visiting Franklin County 42-28 before honoring John Cook, Justin Dance and Chaz Smiley.

Dance wrestled his final home match as the team’s lone four-year wrestler. Cook and Smiley have competed all season despite injuries.

“They’ve shown strong leadership in the room,” said head coach Matt Cochran of the trio’s value in practice and during meets. “John and Chaz have shown a lot of heart. Chaz has been working through an injury. John has been trying to find his way in to the lineup.”

Greensburg jumped out on the Wildcats and built a quick 15-0 advantage after three matches. Junior Joel Chase won by a pin over Matt Pompell at 138 pounds.

Freshman Dakota Deiwert at 145 pounds followed with a 6-2 decision to put the Pirates up 9-0.

Junior Joe Buening recorded a second-period pin just 2:36 into his match, making it 15-0.

Cook fell by major decision, 12-2, but the Pirates still led 15-4.

Dance recorded a first-period pin to put his team up 21-4.

Junior Colten Black lost his 182-pound match in a 6-2 decision, but junior Drew Neisius pinned his 195-pound opponent in the first period to make it 27-7.

Junior Matt Scheumann tallied a pin in 3:44 to increase the lead to 33-7, and sophomore Nathan Hayes won by forfeit to make it 39-7.

Freshman Travis Gauck was pinned in the 106-pound class. Freshman Brandon Butz at 113 pounds made it 42-13 with a 10-3 win, after leading 4-0 at the end of round two.

Chaz Smiley was pinned at 120 pounds, and sophomore Jordan Smiley fell 4-2 at 126 pounds.

Franklin County won the 132-pound match by forfeit to end the evening.

Still, the Pirates recorded eight individual victories and five pins.

“It was a good match and a good effort from start to finish,” said Cochran afterward. “It’s building the momentum from the Ben Davis tournament as we hit the home stretch of the season.”

Next for Greensburg is the Brown County Invitational Saturday to compete against Oldenburg Academy, Indianapolis Arlington, Indian Creek, Northview and Brown County. The Pirates then travel to Batesville Tuesday for a dual meet against their Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference rivals.



Pirates compete at Ben Davis Invite

The Greensburg grapplers finished eighth out of 17 teams in the Ben Davis Varsity Invitational Saturday, Dec. 29.

“Overall, we wrestled well today,” said coach Cochran.

The Pirates’ lineup turned in solid results, according to Cochran, as 10 grapplers posted winning records and 13 tallied multiple wins.

Juniors Colten Black and Matt Scheumann went 4-1 on the day. Sophomore Nathan Hayes, junior Drew Neisius, senior Justin Dance, junior Joe Buening, freshman Dakota Deiwert, junior Joel Chase and freshmen Brandon Butz and Travis Gauck, all went 3-2.

Chaz Smiley, Jordan Smiley and John Cook each added two wins.

“I was pleased with our effort,” said Cochran. “We had a slow start, but we picked it up and wrestled really well the final three rounds of the tournament and finished a very respectable eighth place. It was very close to seventh, but we’re definitely getting better.”



Contact Nick Gonnella at (812) 663-3111, x7003.