Six of the 10 Shelbyville and Triton Central wrestlers will face a state-ranked competitor in their quarterfinal-round match Saturday at the Perry Meridian Regional.

It only takes one win to advance to the New Castle Semistate but that win will not come easy.

Triton Central senior Ayden Nufio, 21-8 this season, the only Shelby County wrestler to win a sectional title at the Shelbyville Sectional, opens against Mt. Vernon junior Connor Bayliss, 31-4 and ranked No. 9 in the state. Bayliss was a state qualifier at 106 pounds in 2023 but finished fourth at the Southport Sectional at 113 pounds to set up a match with Nufio.

Bayliss was one of four state-ranked wrestlers to advance out of the Southport Sectional at 113 pounds. The other three were Roncalli sophomore Blake Getz (31-3), Southport junior Keegan Dresslar (32-7) and Perry Meridian senior Hruai Lian (17-8).

Nufio defeated Shelbyville freshman Tripp Garner (18-5) in the sectional championship at Garrett Gymnasium. Garner will face Dresslar, ranked No. 21, in his first regional match.

Shelbyville’s Julian Eads (main photo, left) and Jacob Harker (photo) each finished third in their respective weight classes at the sectional and avoided regional quarterfinal round matches against champions from the Southport Sectional.

At 157 pounds, Eads (16-11), a sophomore and regional qualifier in 2023, will face Lawrence Central senior Kiaun Fields (14-6) with the winner advancing to wrestle either Lawrence North senior Darius Brown (12-19) or Warren Central senior Anthony Cashman (28-3), ranked No. 5 at 157 pounds, in the semifinals.

Harker (24-3), a 2023 semistate qualifier, needs to defeat Beech Grove junior Dusty Miller (20-14) in the regional quarterfinal round at 285 pounds to earn a repeat trip to New Castle. A win over Miller sets up a semifinal round match with either Greenfield-Central’s Brayden Fleener (28-7) or Lawrence Central’s Jaxson Owens (5-10).

The remaining six Golden Bears and Tigers will square off with Southport Sectional champs in their first matches.

• 106 pounds — Triton Central freshman Chance Uhls (17-12) (photo) vs. Roncalli sophomore Peyton Schoettle (32-1, ranked No. 5)

• 126 pounds — Triton Central freshman Conner Phipps (10-12) vs. Mt. Vernon sophomore Eli Broady (33-3, ranked No. 9)

• 150 pounds — Shelbyville sophomore Brady Bryant (29-5) vs. North Central junior Jessie Franklin (11-2)

• 165 pounds — Shelbyville junior Andrew Burton (22-11) vs. Roncalli junior James Dozier (25-7)

• 175 pounds — Shelbyville freshman Reuben Martins-Thomas (16-11) vs. Lawrence North sophomore Michael White (29-5, ranked No. 16)

• 190 pounds — Shelbyville junior Brayden Schultz (19-9) vs. Perry Meridian senior Jaylen Young (26-3, ranked No. 12)

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