ST. JOHN | You know it's a tough school when the assistant principal regularly mixes it up with the varsity wrestling team's 220-pounder.

"He's still a pretty good wrestler," Lake Central head coach Rod Wartman said of school administrator Sean Begley, who often rolls with sophomore star Gelen Robinson. "He can give our big guys a good challenge."

Robinson didn't have to face his assistant principal in his championship match at the Lake County Wrestling Tournament held Saturday at Hanover Central. In fact, he didn't have to face anybody as his would-be opponent bowed out due to an injury.

"I guess I'll take it. A win is a win," said Robinson, who was one of three Indian individual champions at the tournament, "but I wanted to wrestle more than just two matches that day."

The other titlists for LC included 195-pound junior Isaac Popovich, and two-time state champion Kyle Ayersman, who won the 126-pound bracket before being honored as the tournament's "Most Outstanding Wrestler."

The Indians didn't have as many individual champions as host Hanover Central -- Issac Cortez (106), Stevan Micic (113), Paul Petrov (120) and Charlie Mavros (145); or Hobart -- Tony Vasquez (138), Tony Morales (152), Scottie Sopko (160), Tony Rodriguez (170) and Gerald Valenzuela (285). Nonetheless, they won handily with 306 team points, well ahead of the runner-up Wildcats (255) and the third-place Brickies (240.5).

"It was a true team effort," Wartman said. "All 14 of our wrestlers scored points for us.

"To get 306 points in a big tournament like that ... you need everyone to contribute."

For Lake Central, which earlier this season won their Harvest Classic, it was the first "outright" Lake County title. Last year, the Indians tied Munster for top honors.

"Going into the finals, we were in pretty good shape," said Ayersman, who broke the string of three-straight Wildcat titles. "We still had to wrestle, but I didn't feel much pressure."

There is no time break out the champagne for the Indians. Today, they face a formidable Pirates team in a Duneland Athletic Conference in Merrillville. And this weekend, they will participate in the DAC meet in Valparaiso.

"We'll get an idea where we stand after this week," Ayersman said.

For Popovich, who took sixth at last year's Lake Country Tournament, this has been a breakout year.

"I'm going to keep pushing my limits," said Popovich, who often spars with Robinson when they're not sparring with their assistant principal. "I just got to keep working on my conditioning."