Columbus East High School

The Orange Pit had a pulse Wednesday night—and it felt like electricity. Under a single spotlight and in front of a packed Youth Night crowd, the 3A No. 2 Columbus East Olympians powered into the new season with authority, rolling past Whiteland 48–18 in a Thanksgiving-eve dual that delivered on every ounce of hype. From the charged walk-outs to the intense face-off moments, it was a made-for-prime-time atmosphere. And the Olympians fed off it. Freshman Cameron Cooper delivered one of the night’s most dramatic finishes. Trailing late in the third period, Cooper dug deep and surged for a last-second takedown, sealing a 9–8 thriller that brought the gym to its feet. Columbus East stacked bonus points throughout the lineup, showcasing depth and poise for an opening-night performance. Pins from Ethan Poling (132), Lincoln Cooper (175), and Colin McMahon (190) set the tone, while tech falls from senior Caleb Kirkpatrick (150) and Caleb Cooper (157) kept the scoreboard humming. Freshman Kohl Dorrough also made his varsity debut count with a fall at 113, and senior heavyweight Hank Redman closed the night with a forfeit win to lock in East’s dominant margin. Dual Results 106 – Landon Smith (WHCO) MD Joel Smith (COEA), 18-6 113 – Kohl Dorrough (COEA) Fall Boden Fleming (WHCO), 4:09 120 – Gage Pacek (COEA) Dec Demetrius Gilmore (WHCO), 4-1 126 – Liam Wechsler (WHCO) Fall Ty Brueche (COEA), 3:47 132 – Ethan Poling (COEA) Fall Braydon McWherter (WHCO), 0:49 138 – Henry Mawia (WHCO) TF Brian Findley (COEA), 21-5 (5:55) 144 – Cameron Cooper (COEA) Dec Nicholas Atkins (WHCO), 9-8 150 – Caleb Kirkpatrick (COEA) TF Carnell Baker (WHCO), 18-2 (6:23) 157 – Caleb Cooper (COEA) MD Nolan Thomas (WHCO), 13-0 165 – Jared Guevara (WHCO) Dec Aiden Miller (COEA), 4-2 175 – Lincoln Cooper (COEA) Fall Isaiah York (WHCO), 2:25 190 – Colin McMahon (COEA) Fall Anthony Montinard (WHCO), 3:07 215 – Clayton Miller (COEA) Dec Camden Williams (WHCO), 8-1 285 – Hank Redman (COEA) Win by Forfeit Final: Columbus East 48, Whiteland 18 The season’s just getting started, but on a night built for memories, East showed why they carry the No. 2 ranking—and why the Orange Pit is never a quiet place when the spotlight hits the mat.