Pirate Grappler Haynes is Headed to State

BryantHaynesCharlestown Pirate Wrestlers Senior Bryant Haynes and Junior Zach Higdon competed in Saturday’s Indiana High School Wrestling Semi-State Round in Evansville.  Higdon’s season ended in an opening round 7-0 decision to eventual Semi-State Champion Evan Elmore or Avon High School.  Higdon finished the season with an excellent overall record of 40-6, in the 182 pound weight class.  Haynes, wrestling in the 145 pound weight class, opened Saturday’s Semi-State tournament with a 5-2 decision over Brownsburg’s Troy Owen in the quarterfinal round.  Haynes then defeated Evansville Central’s Hunter McCormick in a 7-5 decision before falling to Evansville Mater Dei’s Blake Jourdan 16-6 major decision.  Haynes then defeated Castle’s Patrick Schnell in a 4:21 fall for the Semi-State Tournament’s 3rd place, qualifying him to advance to next Saturday’s Indiana High School Wrestling State Finals in Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.  Bryant Haynes currently advances to State with a record of 46 wins and 6 loses.  Haynes began the State Tournament with a Sectional Championship and Regional Runner-up in the 145 pound class for the second straight year.  In 2014, Haynes advanced to the Semi-State and State Finals, however did not place.  When asked what it felt like to return to the State Finals in comparison to last year, Haynes commented “It’s so much better, more satisfying having the 3rd place Semi-State finish coming into it.”  Haynes stated the he felt his biggest challenge Saturday will be winning the opening match, allow him to place at the State level; which has been a personal goal.  Click here for more information about Bryant Haynes’ wrestling records.  Bryant is the tenth Charlestown Pirate to wrestle in the Indiana State Finals, Saturday he will attempt to become the third to ever place at the State Finals following Chad Tisdale (4th) and Richard Lanham (7th) in 1990.  Congratulations to Bryant Haynes and Zach Higdon, not only for their accomplishments in this season’s Wrestling State Tourney, but also for their outstanding representation of Pirate Nation.