By CONOR NICHOLL

cnicholl@dailynews.net

Mike Howell had plenty of praise for Thomas More Prep-Marian sophomore 112-pounder Dylan Schumacher after the Norton regional concluded Saturday. Schumacher rolled through a stacked field that featured the top four wrestlers in 3-2-1A, went 4-0 and permitted just one point. Schumacher won his first two matches by fall in a combined 2 minutes, 22 seconds, then defeated Goodland sophomore Austin Avelar, ranked No. 4, 8-0. In the final, Schumacher beat Hoxie freshman Calvin Ochs, ranked No. 2, 15-1.

"He was untouched at regionals really," Howell, the Monarchs' first-year head coach, said. "He is just on fire, pumping on all cylinders. He looks great."

The regional tournament continued Schumacher's dominance. Schumacher, a sophomore, is 33-1 this season and 62-1 in his career. He is the defending champion at 103 pounds, ranked No. 1 at 112 pounds this winter and is the heavy favorite to pick up his second state title this weekend. He would become the first Monarch in school history to win two state wrestling titles.

"It's art. He doesn't compete with anyone," Monarch senior 189-pounder Preston Werth said. "He just goes out there and does his thing. He doesn't worry about what anyone else thinks and he is wrestling for himself."

Hoxie head coach Mike Porsch said Schumacher is better on his feet than "95 percent" of wrestlers, while Howell has trouble finding Schumacher's greatest strength.

"He is really good on his feet," Howell said. "People don't notice that as much because he turns so many kids with the legs, but that is not necessarily his only strength. He has been taken down, what twice, once this year? You can't say that is not his strength. He has five-pointed people on his feet probably 10 times. It's just kind of a tossup."

Led by Schumacher, TMP-Marian will take four wrestlers into the state meet: freshman 103-pounder Jonathan Walker, senior 285-pounder Jesse Barnes and Werth, ranked No. 2. Last year, the Monarchs finished eighth for the best finish in school history. This winter, TMP-Marian stands ninth in the coaches' rankings and could earn another top-10 finish. Werth, who finished one match from the medals as a junior, is one of the favorites at 189. Werth (27-4), saw his 21-match winning streak end Saturday in the regional final. One of Werth's losses was a 3-2 defeat against Brookville/Ell-Saline junior Tate Omli (30-0), the state's top-ranked wrestler.

"Omli, he hasn't dominated anyone," Werth said. "He has wrestled a lot of close matches, but he wrestles smart enough to win. It just comes down to who is going to be on that day."

Arguably the Monarchs' strongest male athlete, Werth started a heavy weightlifting regimen three years ago and transformed his body. In the spring, Werth lifts every day after school. In season, he heads to the weight room at 6 a.m.

"Just feels like you are missing part of your day if you don't do it," Werth said.

During the fall, Werth's highest clean was 300 pounds, while he could squat 425.

The changes bumped Werth among the best; he didn't qualify for state his freshman and sophomore seasons and didn't even know where the state rankings were online.

This year, he pursued the state rankings and knows the top names -- many of whom Werth has defeated.

"I think lifting throughout the season has significantly helped me compared to other people because I feel like when it comes down to the third period, I just feel like I have the strength and the advantage over everyone I have wrestled so far," Werth said.

Schumacher, formerly an elite wrestler at the kids' and junior high ranks, has also seen an increase in strength (his bench press has jumped 40 pounds to 160), but the sophomore has help from a new coach and his family. About 10 days before wrestling season started, Schumacher learned the Monarchs hired Dan Weigel, a former Plainville wrestler who won the 2009 119-pound state championship, as an assistant coach. Weigel became Schumacher's main wrestling partner.

"I knew that he would really help me out and it has, so it's been good," Schumacher said.

The coaching staff has mainly focused on the little things with Schumacher, who wasn't tested at the state tournament last year and has beaten McPherson sophomore Tim Prescott, ranked No. 4 at 112 pounds in Class 5A, this winter. Schumacher's lone loss, a 4-3 defeat, came against Haysville-Campus' Dalton Miller, 34-0 and ranked No. 1 in Class 6A, in the final of the Bob Kuhn Prairie Senior Classic.

"You got to grip this way," Howell said. "You got to run your half a certain way. Half is a move you learn when you are six. Back to the small things. You do those right, you are going to continue the success you are having. He is doing the same thing he did last year again at a higher weight."

In addition, Schumacher has strong support from his family, including Derek, 24, a former Fort Hays State University wrestler. Derek, who lives in Kansas City, drives home for every major wrestling tournament. For regionals and state, Derek takes a day off from work, comes back Thursday night and helps Dylan "get mentally focused."

"It's awesome how he does that," Dylan said.

After the meet, Dylan will watch each match, usually twice, with Derek and Dustin, his oldest brother, and dad, Brian. The trio generally has tips or notes to pass along. Just like Howell, the family had little advice after watching the Ochs' match -- Dylan was in state championship form.

"The last match, I really didn't do anything wrong, so if just go out and do what I did there, I will be fine, they said," Dylan said.