Jeffersonville Captures Fourth Consecutive Sectional Title, Advances All 14 to Regionals JEFFERSONVILLE, IN – The Jeffersonville High School wrestling team continued its dominance on Saturday, securing its fourth consecutive IHSAA sectional title. This marks the program’s sixth championship in the last seven years, the 12th under Coach Danny Struck since 2007, and the 14th in school history. “We set a number of goals and said, ‘Let’s reach them and see who wins. If we achieve these goals and don’t win, that’s okay because we know we put in the work.’ But we also knew that striving for these goals would likely lead to the outcome we wanted,” said Coach Struck. Jeffersonville’s goals included securing the most pins in the tournament, a feat they accomplished with 22 falls—tying last year’s total. Another goal, placing wrestlers at or above their seeds, was also met as the Red Devils had wrestlers finish an impressive eight spots ahead of their original placements. “We wrestle an extremely tough schedule,” Struck added. “Some of our sectional champs had losing records coming in, yet they pulled off titles by jumping two to three spots over their seed. That’s always my favorite stat to look at.” Jeffersonville led the tournament in multiple categories, including total match points (260), technical falls, and number of wrestlers advancing to regionals (14). The team also placed the most wrestlers in the finals (10) and had the most champions (6), edging out Charlestown’s five. Individual Highlights 106 lbs - Tim Wilkins (Freshman): Placed third in his first-ever sectional appearance. 113 lbs - Will Honaker (Sophomore): Went 3-1 on the day and put in a gutsy finals performance. 120 lbs - Jon Steele (Freshman): Reached the finals and, despite losing by fall, gained valuable experience that sets him up for future success. 126 lbs - Aidan Stellato (Senior): The four-time regional qualifier won his first sectional title by pin, overcoming a 7-0 deficit in the first period. “I just thought, ‘Man, I gotta get off my back!’” Stellato said after the win. 132 lbs - Brandon Chestnut (Senior): Battled through a painful elbow injury to place third, earning two technical falls and a pin. “We gave Brandon the option to injury default, but he refused, knowing the team needed him.” 138 lbs - Elijah Snow (Senior): Finished third with three pins, outperforming his fourth-place seeding. 144 lbs - Isa Santos (Senior): Won his second sectional title, pinning his way through the competition. 150 lbs - Quintin Smith (Junior): Entered as the No. 5 seed and pulled off the biggest upset of the finals, defeating two wrestlers who had beaten him earlier in the season to claim his first sectional title. Smith also made history as the first grandson-grandfather sectional champion duo in JHS history, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Scott Slaughter (1978 champion). 157 lbs - Mekhi Cooper (Senior): Climbed from fourth seed to first, winning his final 10-6 against a Charlestown opponent. 165 lbs - Adrian Carillo (Senior): Put in a courageous performance, wrestling an opponent who had pinned him twice before. “Adrian rose to the occasion—he was exactly the man I wanted to test himself against a strong opponent.” 175 lbs - Xander Hobbs (Senior): Won his first sectional title and will be a two-time Academic All-State honoree. 190 lbs - Siyour Miniggia (Sophomore): Placed second before heading straight to the regional choir competition, where he earned three gold medals for JHS. “Siyour is becoming such a well-rounded young man,” Struck noted. 215 lbs - James Dyer (Senior): Overcame a week-long battle with the flu to finish fourth, despite entering as the No. 6 seed. 285 lbs - Ben Land (Senior): Secured his third sectional title in dominant fashion, winning by a 19-4 technical fall in the first period. A Program Built on Selflessness After celebrating their fourth straight sectional crown, the Red Devils didn’t take the day off. Instead, they spent Sunday coaching the next generation at the Team Jeff Folkstyle event. “We have a special group of selfless young men who work hard for others, and that helps them gain accolades for themselves,” Struck said. With regionals set for next Saturday at JHS, Jeffersonville looks to continue its momentum. All 14 wrestlers will have a chance to punch their ticket to semistate, and with the way they’re performing, the Red Devils are primed for even more success.