Despite earning an 80-plus point victory (320.5 to 237) at the Rex Whitlach Invitational hosted by Hinsdale Central, Ill. this past weekend, No. 2 Oak Park River Forest, Ill. could not feel fully satisfied with the result. The runner-up Montini Catholic squad, ranked No. 6 nationally, earned victories in three of the five head-on championship finals matches between the two squads.
The Broncos got victories from Chris Garcia (145), No. 12 Xavier Montalvo (160), and No. 16 Edgar Ruano (220); while the Huskies had wins from No. 7 Jason Renteria (106) and No. 8 Isaiah White (138). However, Oak Park River Forest did end up with five champions, a tournament high, with those additional top of the podium finishes coming from Gabe Townsell (120), No. 10 Davonte Mahomes (195), and Andre Lee (195); while Montini Catholic did not get another tournament champion.
Additional nationally ranked wrestlers to win weight class titles were No. 6 Rudy Yates (113) of Brother Rice, No. 2 Bryce Brill (152) of Mt. Carmel, and No. 4 Brian Allen (285) of Hinsdale Central. In the championship final, Allen earned a 4-3 overtime victory over fellow nationally ranked opponent Adarios Jones of Moline. That came after a 2-1 tiebreaker victory in the semifinal round for Jones over Michael Johson, Jr. of Montini Catholic; Jones moves up to No. 7 nationally, while Johnson drops to No. 9.
Rounding out the weight class champions were Alec McKenna (126) of New Trier, Jake Tucker (132) of Mt. Carmel, and Jimmy Mickens (182) of Mt. Carmel. Results
Dvorak to feature preeminent teams in Illinois
The 30 team field (28 from Illinois, along with single entries from Ohio and Wisconsin), scheduled for Friday and Saturday, is led by a trio of Fab 50 squads, No. 6 Montini Catholic, No. 18 Marist, and No. 30 Marmion Academy. Additional teams to watch include Dakota, which is ranked No. 1 in Class 1A (small-school) by Illinois Matmen; as well as top ten teams from Class 3A in Edwardsville, Hononegah, Glenbard North, Libertyville, and Lockport.
The field features 13 nationally ranked wrestlers expected to compete in eleven weight classes. This includes a likely showdown between three-time state champions at 132 pounds, as No. 7 at 126 Josh Alber (Dakota) plans on bumping up one weight class to face No. 1 Jered Cortez (Glenbard North), presuming each wrestler advances to that point. The other weight class with multiple nationally ranked wrestlers is at 113 pounds, where No. 10 Anthony Bosco (Marmion Academy) and No. 11 Michael Cullen (Cary Grove) are expected to compete.
Additional nationally ranked wrestlers are No. 20 Austin Gomez (Glenbard North) at 106 pounds, No. 16 Brian Rossi (Lockport) at 120, No. 16 Johnny Jimenez (Marmion Academy) at 126, No. 19 Vincent Turk (Montini Catholic) at 138, No. 2 Bryce Brill (Mt. Carmel) at 152, No. 12 Xavier Montalvo (Montini Catholic) at 160, No. 13 Tyler Johnson (Lockport) at 195, No. 16 Edgar Ruano (Montini Catholic) at 220, and No. 9 Michael Johnson, Jr. (Montini Catholic) at 285.
Archer stands on top of 40-team Kansas City Stampede field
Even in the midst of horrendous weather that came through the Kansas City, Mo. area on Saturday afternoon, the two-day Stampede was completed. When all was said and done, it was Archer, Ga. finishing on top of the standings with 557.5 points led by a trio of runner-up finishes from Vinny Artigues (106), Daniel Bullard (160), and M.J. Couzan (285). The Tigers had four other top five finishes, with three more earning ninth place; as a result, they move up to No. 15 nationally, all the way from No. 34.
Second place in the team standings went to No. 16 Stillwater, Okla., with 497.5 points, as the Pioneers were led by three finalists: championships were won by No. 9 Joe Smith (152) and No. 6 Chandler Rogers (170), while No. 14 Kaid Brock (132) placed second. Five additional wrestlers placed between fifth and ninth, one in each of the positions.
Despite missing a nationally ranked wrestler in No. 16 Paxton Rosen (106) and two other starters who were likely to finish top two in their preliminary pool, No. 11 Edmond North, Okla. was still able to muster a fourth place finish with 418 points. The primary drivers for the Huskies were five wrestlers in the back half of the lineup, all of whom finished within the top three: No. 4 Derek White (195) and No. 12 Andrew Dixon (220) won their weight classes, No. 13 Lance Dixon (170) placed second, while Zach Walton (160) and No. 11 Joel Dixon (182) placed third.
Fab 50 members No. 32 Tuttle, Okla. and No. 33 Bettendorf, Iowa finished third and fifth in the tournament with 444 and 404.5 points respectively. Additional nationally ranked wrestlers to win weight class titles were No. 6 Matt Schmitt (106) of Platte County, Mo.; No. 4 Daton Fix (113) of Sand Springs, Okla.; No. 3 Sean Russell (120) of Collins Hill, Ga.; No. 2 Ke-Shawn Hayes (126) and No. 20 Will Erneste (132) of Park Hill, Mo.; No. 2 Fredy Stroker (138) of Bettendorf, Iowa; No. 8 Grant Leeth (145) of Kearney, Mo.; No. 7 Daniel Lewis (160) of Blue Springs, Mo.; No. 1 Bo Nickal (182) of Allen, Texas; and Bailey Sutko (285) of Staley, Mo. Results
Apple Valley dominates the Minnesota Christmas Tournament
No. 4 Apple Valley certainly made a statement to all of Gopher State that their position as not being THE elite team in the state of Minnesota was a one-year thing. At this past weekend's Minnesota Christmas Tournament in Rochester, they lapped the field placing 12 total wrestlers, with seven finalists and scored 292.5 points. Champions for the Eagles were No. 5 Seth Gross (138), No. 14 Dayton Racer (152), and No. 3 Mark Hall (170). Runner-up finishes came from Kyle Rathman (106), Gannon Volk (126), No. 16 Bobby Steveson (182), and Paul Cheney (220).
With a second-place finish in the tournament, though it was more than 100 points back of first place, West Fargo, N.D., jumped into the Fab50 at No. 42 nationally. The Packers scored 179 points on the strength of nine total placers, even though only three finished inside the top three of their weight class. Leading the way was a second place finish by Jordan Shearer (132), with third place finishes coming from Jared Franek (106) and Weston Dobler (160).
Additional nationally ranked wrestlers to win weight class titles included No. 15 Hunter Marko (113) of Amery, Wis.; No. 4 Tommy Thorn (126) of St. Michael-Albertville; No. 20 Brady Berge (145) of Kasson-Mantorville; No. 1 Ryan Blees (160) of Bismarck, N.D., though it was a much tighter match than expected in the final, as Andrew Fogarty of Scott West held him to a 7-6 decision victory; No. 14 Keegan Moore (182) of Jackson County Central, who moved up five spots in the rankings after a 5-3 victory over Steveson in the championship match; No. 1 Lance Benick (195) of Totino-Grace; and No. 3 Sam Stoll (285) of Kasson-Mantorville.
The other notable champion was Griffin Parriott of New Prague, who won the 132-pound weight class. Parriott upended two-time state champion Maolu Woiwor of Apple Valley by 4-2 overtime decision in the semifinal before defeating Jordan Shearer, 3-2, in the final. Shearer was previously nationally ranked. Results
Brecksville Holiday Invitational takes place on Sunday, Monday
Come Sunday morning, and going through Monday evening, a very deep field of wrestlers will assemble in Brecksville, Ohio for the 53rd annual Brecksville Holiday Invitational Tournament. From the field of 46 teams, approximately 110 wrestlers with state tournament experience -- including 11 who are nationally ranked -- are expected to be a part of the tournament. The leading teams in the field are defending tournament champions in No. 27 Brecksville, as well as No. 19 Davison, Mich. Other teams to watch include Delta, Dayton Christian, Perrysburg, and Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Mich.
Two weights in the tournament have a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers. No. 9 Rocco Caywood (Perrysburg) and No. 15 Jordan Cooks (Davison, Mich.) are slated to compete at 182 pounds, while No. 14 Patrick Garren (Bishop Ready) and No. 17 Billy Miller (Perry) are slated at 285 pounds. Additional nationally ranked wrestlers include No. 12 Austin Assad (Brecksville) at 120 pounds, No. 15 Anthony Tutolo (Lake Catholic) at 126, No. 16 Nate Limmex (Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Mich.) at 132, No. 15 Justin Oliver (Davison, Mich.) at 138, No. 19 Alex Mossing (Toledo Central Catholic) at 145, No. 3 Jacob Danishek (Dayton Christian) at 152, and No. 15 Tegray Scales (Colerain) at 195.
National No. 1 Blair Academy starts stern dual meet slate
After decisive tournament titles in the nation's two best in-season tournaments, the Walsh Jesuit Ironman and the Beast of the East, No. 1 Blair Academy, N.J. now starts its dual meet season. It will be a stern schedule of dual meets with at least seven Fab 50 teams on the docket, and it starts on Saturday when the Buccaneers play host to No. 20 St. Peter's Prep, N.J., at 2 p.m. Below are the projected lineups:
106: Zach Sherman (Blair Academy) vs. Alec Kelly (St. Peter's Prep)
Sherman was third in Florida last year as an eighth grader, and placed eighth at the Beast of the East; while Kelly was a match away from placing at state last year, and placed third at the Beast.
113: Requir van der Merwe (Blair Academy) vs. Nicholas Santos (St. Peter's Prep)
Van der Merwe qualified for New Jersey state last year and placed eighth at the Beast; while the freshman Santos went 4-2, and was one match away from placing at the Beast.
120: No. 18 Chaz Tucker (Blair Academy) vs. Michael Russo (St. Peter's Prep)
Tucker was a National Prep champion last year, and placed sixth at the Beast; while Russo placed sixth at the state tournament last year, and eighth at the Beast.
126: No. 6 Matthew Kolodzik (Blair Academy) vs. Isaiah McGowan (St. Peter's Prep)
Kolodzik is a three-time finalist at the Ironman, including his title this season, and is a two-time runner-up at the Beast; while McGowan went 0-2 at the Beast this weekend.
132: Jordan Kutler (Blair Academy) vs. Sonny Simonetti (St. Peter's Prep)
Kutler was a National Prep champion in 2012, placed fifth at the Ironman, and was a match away from placing at the Beast; while the junior Simonetti went 3-2 at the Beast.
138: No. 1 Joey McKenna (Blair Academy) vs. Connor Burkert (St. Peter's Prep)
McKenna is a three-time National Prep champion, and pulled off an Ironman/Beast double this season; while Burkert placed seventh at state last year and sixth at the Beast. McKenna pinned Burkert in 1:56 at the Beast.
145: Walker Dempsey (Blair Academy) vs. Ryan Burkert (St. Peter's Prep)
Dempsey was a National Prep runner-up last year, and placed fourth at the Beast; while Burkert placed eighth at state last year, and was one match away from placing at the Beast. Dempsey beat Burkert 7-5 at the Beast.
152: No. 8 Mason Manville (Blair Academy) vs. Manny Ramirez (St. Peter's Prep)
Manville was runner-up at National Preps last year, and won a title at the Beast last weekend; while Ramirez was one match away from placing at the Beast.
160: No. 2 Dylan Milonas (Blair Academy) vs. Stephen Kellner (St. Peter's Prep)
Milonas is a two-time National Prep runner-up, and earned a second Ironman/Beast double in three seasons; while Kellner went 0-2 at the Beast.
170: No. 17 Brandon Dallavia (Blair Academy) vs. Luke Leonard/Dean Helstowski (St. Peter's Prep)
Dallavia was a Cadet freestyle All-American this summer, and placed at both the Ironman and Beast; while projected starter Helstowski is an well-credentialed freshman, but did not compete at the Beast.
182: Nick DiNapoli (Blair Academy) vs. Jordan Fox/Christian Colucci (St. Peter's Prep)
DiNapoli went 1-2 at the Beast; while St. Peter's Prep will start one of two accomplished wrestlers. Fox did not wrestle at the Beast, but placed sixth at state last year; while Colucci was a match away from placing at state last year, and a match away from placing at the Beast at 195 pounds.
195: David Showunmi (Blair Academy) vs. Fox/Colucci (St. Peter's Prep)
Showunmi placed sixth at National Preps last year, and finished sixth at the Beast; this includes a 3-1 win over Colucci in the consolation round of 12.
220: Neil Putnam (Blair Academy) vs. Armond Cox (St. Peter's Prep)
Putnam was a runner-up in the state of Hawaii last year, and placed seventh at the Beast; while Cox did not compete at the Beast, but was one match from placing at state last year.
285: Will Cooley (Blair Academy) vs. Jose Palomino (St. Peter's Prep)
Cooley placed eighth at the Beast, while Palomino placed eighth at state last year but was one match away from placing at the Beast.
Other highlights of last weekend
No. 1 Blair Academy, N.J., made it fourteen consecutive titles at the Beast of the East, while No. 5 Zeke Moisey (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) earned Outstanding Wrestler honors after winning the 126 pound weight class. Recap and Results
No. 34 Poway, Calif., moved up eight sports after winning the Reno Tournament of Champions. The most notable match result came at 145 pounds, where Tyler Berger (Crook County, Idaho) upended future Nebraska teammate Hayden Tuma (Centennial, Idaho) 2-0 on the way to the title; these wrestlers are now ranked 4th and 5th at that weight class. Recap and Results
No. 18 Marist, Ill., upended No. 30 Marmion Academy, Ill., 37-22, as part of a quad meet hosted by Marist on Saturday. Also in the quad meet, it was a battle of three-time state champions as No. 7 Josh Alber (Dakota, Ill.) upended Johnny Jimenez (Marmion Academy) 3-1 in overtime.
After a dominant title at the Tri-State Invitational at North Idaho College, Kuna, Idaho jumps into the Fab 50 in the No. 50 position.
On Sunday as part of the Agon II event, Lowell upended Davison 34-33 in a battle of top Michigan squads. The teams split the fourteen matches. Davison dropped one spot to No. 19, while Lowell jumps three positions to No. 23.
No. 5 Clovis, Calif., dominated the Zinkin Classic at Buchanan High School near Fresno, as they won the event by almost 100 points. The Cougars had finalists in ten weight classes, and produced five champions: Khristian Olivas (132), Brody Brand (170), A.J. Nevills (195), Matt Weiss (220), and No. 1 Nick Nevills (285).
Horrendous weather in the Hawkeye State caused some chaos with the Battle of Waterloo. However, it did not impact the performance from No. 36 Waverly-Shell Rock, Iowa, as the Go-Hawks won all six matches by 30 or more points.
Additional notes for the week ahead
A separate event-specific preview for the POWERade Christmas Wrestling Tournament was posted today. Two top-ranked wrestlers in the country and four ranked second nationally anchor the field individually, while No. 10 Franklin Regional, Pa., and No. 45 Greater Latrobe, Pa., are the top squads in the tournament that will happen on Friday and Saturday.
No. 3 St. Paris Graham, Ohio and No. 15 Archer, Ga., headline the over 50-team field slated to compete in the GMVWA Wrestling Tournament, which will take place on Friday and Saturday at the Nutter Center near Dayton, Ohio.
No. 4 Apple Valley, Minn., and No. 42 West Fargo, N.D., anchor the almost 70-team Rumble on the Red field. The event takes place Friday and Saturday at the FargoDome.
No. 5 Clovis, No. 39 Gilroy, and No. 48 Vacaville headline the field of approximately 80 teams slated to compete at the California Coast Wrestling Classic on Friday and Saturday at Aptos H.S.
No. 7 Bergen Catholic and No. 31 Don Bosco Prep headline the teams competing at the Bergen County Coaches Association Tournament in New Jersey on Saturday and Sunday.
No. 9 Massillon Perry, No. 17 Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.), No. 21 St. Edward, and No. 38 Claymont lead the field of about 40 teams slated to compete at the Medina Invitational Tournament on Friday and Saturday in Medina, Ohio.
No. 29 Robinson, Va., travels to the Manheim Lions Holiday Tournament hosted by Manheim Central, Pa. on Friday and Saturday. Easton has the status of being perennial champions in this event; however, it is a wide open tournament this year. Joining Easton and Robinson, Va. as contenders are Kiski Area and North Allegheny.
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