By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Bedford North Lawrence, building its overall program with youth and inexperience, lacks the complete arsenal of weapons to compete for team titles. That’s still a lot of matches, bruises and bloody noses in the future.
That doesn’t mean the Stars lack firepower. Quite the contrary. In various weight classes, among the 14 required for a full lineup, BNL has individuals capable of making a lot of noise on the road to the postseason. Two of them were on display Tuesday night during BNL’s clash with Scottsburg.
One of them, everyone knows. Ethan Stancombe is a cunning veteran, currently undefeated as a scoring dynamo at 157 pounds. The other, nobody knows. But he’s about to be introduced.
Dorian Couchman, a first-year senior at 138, transferred from Shoals for his final year of high school. Nobody moves to BNL to wrestle, in fact just the opposite has occurred in recent years. But his dream was to compete on the mat, and he’s making a big splash.
While Scottsburg powered its way to a 59-24 victory over the Stars in the team scoring during the dual-meet battle, Stancombe and Couchman were shining stars. Stancombe pinned his opponent in the second period after scoring at will in the first. Coachman flattened his foe in only 12 seconds. If he wants the world to know who he is, he’ll need to slow down for the cameras to record the event.
Coachman’s record is now 4-2, but that’s not the interesting part. He’s a second-degree brown belt in judo, he’s versed in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and those martial arts have translated to success on the mat. Once he builds up his stamina to last six minutes over three periods, he will be a force.
“I’ve always wanted to wrestle,” Couchman said. “No one out here knows my name. I want everyone to know my name, so when I go out there I want to rip their head off. I’m out here to make a statement. I’m ready.”
Couchman decked Jayden Rooks with a fast takedown and single move for the quick pin. Rooks had that what-just-happened look on his face.
“No one knows about him,” BNL coach Mike Branam said. “His past experience is helping him on the mat. He just finds a way to win.”
Stancombe’s strategy is just the opposite. He wants matches to last longer, so he can work on scoring and locking down superior technical moves. After that, he goes for the kill.
“It requires a lot of hustle,” Stancombe said. “You have to be in a rush to put points on the board. I’m trying to get as many points as possible in the first period, then get the pin in the second. That was my mission. I’ve always loved takedowns. Any time I can get one, I like it.”
So far, only one of Stancombe’s six matches this season has gone the distance. The competition level will come later.
“He is a machine,” Branam said. “We just need to work with him on not getting sloppy, hitting his moves perfectly. When he knows he has an advantage, he tends to try things he shouldn’t be trying. As long as we can keep him focused, he will go a long way.”
BNL’s Wyatt Philpott is also off to a fast start at 120, but he was awarded a forfeit win against the Warriors. Scottsburg won the other five contested battles, with four pins and a technical fall victory.
The Stars will compete in the Bloomington South Invitational on Saturday.
SCOTTSBURG 59, BNL 24
106 – Kayden Heil, S won by forfeit
113 – Beau Carter, S d. Alex Johnson 17-2
120 – Wyatt Philpott, BNL won by forfeit
126 – Saeben Arce, BNL won by forfeit
132 – Logan Sakeld, S p. Clayton Schaefer 0:53
138 – Dorian Couchman, BNL p. Jayden Rooks 0:12
144 – Parker Cory, S won by forfeit
150 – Gavin Curley, S won by forfeit
157 – Ethan Stancombe, BNL p. Cole Salkeld 2:41
165 – Luke Hamilton, S p. Asher Arce 3:34
175 – Gavin Bottorff, S p. Spencer Dralle 0:26
190 – Hayden Wycliffe, S p. Reese Ritter 0:36
215 – Mason Coulter, S won by forfeit
285 – Josue Telles, S won by forfeit
