Keandre Watson is hoping his third trip to the Evansville Semistate goes a little better than his first two.
The Columbus North senior lost in the first round at semistate as a freshman and sophomore. Last year, he missed making it there after falling in the first round of the regional.
But now, Watson is back, and he’s two wins away from qualifying for the state finals at 138 pounds.
"Last year, it was a big difference because I decided to go up a weight class, so wrestling bigger kids was a lot more of a challenge," Watson said. "But this year, I was a lot happier to be in the weight class I was because it was more my atmosphere. It felt great to be able to make it this year."
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Watson is one of two Bull Dogs to qualify for semistate. Fellow senior Nick Holt will compete at 170.
Watson (18-2) bounced back from last year’s regional defeat to finish undefeated during this regular season and earn a No. 13 state ranking at 138.
"This is definitely my best year with my mentality," Watson said. "Coach (Matt Joyce) this year has kind of helped me see that mentality plays a bigger role than what you think it does. With the program seeing that and a lot of the younger guys getting in here, seeing that through and being able to get that mental, I think that plays a really big role in being able to excel."
Both of Watson’s losses have come by one point to Columbus East’s Jacob Shaver in the sectional and regional finals the past two weeks. In the sectional final, Watson, who has exercise-induced asthma, was fighting for his breath.
"I’ve been trying in practice working around that, getting that mentality that I want to win more than I can breathe," Watson said. "Being prepared for it is probably the biggest part."
Holt, meanwhile, is making his first semistate appearance. He finished third in Saturday’s Jeffersonville Regional.
"When I got in the top four, I was just so happy that I could actually go (to semistate) and not have Keandre be the only one," Holt said.
Holt, who also played football for North, wrestled as a freshman, but not his sophomore year. He returned to wrestling last year and was a regional qualifier.
This year, Holt is 27-6.
"I think I’ve had my best season by far, and that’s all thanks to the program turning around," Holt said. "From my freshman year to my junior year, the program really turned me around. It made me who I am today."
Joyce is happy with the progress of Watson and Holt.
"They’ve worked really hard and done all the right things throughout the season," Joyce said. "They have a lot of talent, and their strength and speed and everything is kind of coming together all at once, which is really fun to see. But that was kind of the expectation — to get to semistate and then push through to state."
That will be a tough task for Watson and Holt, both of which face tough draws. Watson will meet Terre Haute South junior Nathan Recknor (26-9) in the first round, but then would see top-ranked Evansville Mater Dei junior Blake Boarman (32-2) in the quarterfinals, known as the "ticket round."
"I already know how my first kid is," Watson said. "I’ve wrestled him already. Then, it’s just about that second round, being prepared, working all around, making sure I’m ready for any situation."
Holt is paired against Indian Creek senior Owen Sego (24-5) in the first round. If Holt wins, he likely would face second-ranked Castle senior Robert Deters (37-1) in the ticket round.
"I will take it one match at a time and just be prepared for anything that’s thrown my way," Holt said.
Action begins at 9 a.m. CST (10 a.m. EST) Saturday at the Ford Center in Evansville. The top four in each weight class advance to next weekend’s state finals a Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
"Semistate in Indiana is always an exciting time because you never really know what’s going to happen, and you never really know who’s going to have a good day and who’s going to have a bad day," Joyce said. "But I really like our chances at getting both of those guys through."
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Evansville wrestling semistate
When: 9 a.m. CST (10 a.m. EST) Saturday
Where: Ford Center, Evansville
Admission: $12 (for all day) or $10 (final session only)
Advancement: Top four in each weight class qualify for state
Local qualifiers
Columbus East: Liam Krueger (106 pounds), Noah Lykins (113), Jacob Shaver (138), Tyler Williams (145), Kade Law (152), Sam Morrill (160), Noah White (182), Shawn Tyler (220), Ashton Hartwell (285)
Columbus North: Keandre Watson (138), Nick Holt (170)
Jennings County: Cameron Woodard (182)
Brown County: David Tucker (145), Evan Bradshaw (195), Sam Allen (285)
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