By E. Shawn Aylsworth
Managing Editor

Fifth-ranked Indianapolis Cathedral rode the strength of five individual champions to victory Dec. 30-31 at the annual Spartan Classic hosted by Connersville. The Fighting Irish totaled 329.5 points to easily defeat runner-up No. 8 Evansville Reitz (246).

Cathedral’s five highly ranked wrestlers captured crowns in five of six classes from 125 pounds to 152: No. 3 Brandon Wright at 125, No. 5 John Grey at 130, No. 2 Tony McGinley at 140, No. 3 Gavin McGinley at 145, and No. 4 Calvin Sullivan at 152.

Among the day’s standouts, Union County freshman Cody Phillips was named most valuable wrestler after a brutalization of the 103-pound weight class that included a shocking second-round fall over top-ranked Brian Kuhn of Evansville Reitz and a 4-3 quarterfinal win over Cathedral’s No. 10 Brian Harvey.

Cathedral’s Grey looked like a “world beater” according to one witness, who added that Fort Wayne North’s unranked Aris Allen was “an absolute specimen” in getting three Day 1 tech falls, including one over Cathedral's No. 14 Jake Buchanan.

Also of note was fourth-ranked 119-pounder Ethan Raley of Indian Creek, last year’s undefeated 103 state champion who failed to make weight.

The rundown (courtesy of indianamat.com):

Team scores
1. #5 Indianapolis Cathedral 329.5 (Class AA, overall champion)
2. #8 Evansville Reitz 246 (Class AAA champion)
3. Roncalli 212.5
4. South Dearborn 192
5. Mount Vernon (Posey) 173.5
6. Hamilton Heights 163.5 (Class A champion)
7. Pendleton Heights 163
8. North Central (Indianapolis) 138.5
9. Union County 126
10. Centerville 110.5
11. Greenfield-Central 100.5
12. Fort Wayne North 98.5
13. Evansville North 97
14. Franklin County 88.5
15. DeKalb 83.5
16. Western 83
17. Indian Creek 78.5
18. Fort Wayne Snider 77.5
19. Triton Central 75.5
20. Milan 68
21. Richmond 64
22. Connersville 59
23. Batesville 58
23. Lawrenceburg 58
25. Hagerstown 52
26. Indianapolis Broad Ripple 42
27. Talawanda (OH) 37
28. Eastern Hancock 33
29. Bedford North Lawrence 21
30. Northeastern 20

Results from the championship round:

103: #6 Cody Phillips (Union County) def. #12 Mason Todd (Pendleton Heights)
112: #4 Josh Kieffer (Roncalli) def. Moody (Reitz)
119: #8 Justin Kieffer (Roncalli) dec. Charlie McGinley (Cathedral) 9-4
125: #3 Brandon Wright (Cathedral) def. #13 Blake Rueger (Reitz)
130: #5 John Grey (Cathedral) def. Dickey (Roncalli) 5-1
135: Uphaus (Centerville) pin Ward (DeKalb)
140: #2 Tony McGinley (Cathedral) pin Hoehn (Mt. Vernon)
145: #3 Gavin McGinley (Cathedral) pin Manning (SD)
152: #4 Calvin Sullivan (Cathedral) dec. Ritter (Reitz)
160: #3 Matt Todd (Pendleton Heights) def. Holoway (??)
171: #1 Michael Duckworth (Union County) pin V. Hofmeister (Cathedral)
189: #9 Aaron Stevenson (Indian Creek) def. Nichols (Pendleton Heights)
215: Aris Allen (FW North) tech fall (Roncalli) Statt (Franklin County)
Hwt: #4 Alex White (Mt. Vernon) def. Bell (Roncalli)