Two of the finest teams in the nation, and according to most the two best in the southeastern part of the United States, Brandon, FL and Collins Hill, GA met on Wednesday at the Kyle Maynard Duals hosted by Collins Hill.
In front of a big home crowd of around 2,000 fans, Collins Hill fell just short against Brandon, 34-24, two days before the Christmas holiday. The dual meet started at 189, and after a 3-2 victory by Joel Smith over Clark Glass at 145, the host squad led 24-22 with three matches remaining. However, a pin by Joey Cozart and two subsequent decisions gave Brandon the close victory. Brandon won eight of the 14 weight classes.
Poway tops Reno field with volume
Despite only one finalist in Victor Lopez -- the champion at 103 pounds -- Poway was able to win the Reno Tournament of Champions in a very close team race with 143.5 points. Three other wrestlers placed for Poway -- Gabe Brown (119) was seventh, Will DeYoung (135) was fourth, and Ian Roy (160) finished fifth. However, the key for their victory was the ability of non-placers to win multiple matches during the course of the event.
Right behind was Easton, PA with 142 points; the Rovers were anchored by champion Mark Hartenstine (140), who defeated Nate Hoffer (Anchorage East, AK) 2-1 in a battle of nationally ranked wrestlers. Their three other placers were Mitch Minotti (130) finishing second, and both Evan Disora (103) and Joey Rizzolino (135) taking fifth place.
Also with a quartet of place-winners was Ponderosa, CO; which was enough to take home third place with 135.5 points. Their lone champion was Jake Snider (145) with Steven Kelly (152), Austin Gabel (171), and Derek Good (189) all taking home third place medals.
Only two teams had multiple champions -- Clovis West, CA with Steven Knoblauch (112) and Zach Zimmer (119) rising to the top of the podium, and Bishop Gorman, NV had titlists in Steven Hernandez (152) and Johnny Field (171). Rounding out the champions were Isaiah Martinez (125) of Lemoore, CA; Louis Trujillo (130) of Rio Rancho, NM; Luke Goettl (135) of Mingus, AZ; Ronnie Balfour (160) of Tulsa Union, OK; Chase Eskam (189) of Carlsbad CA; Tank Knowles (215) of Calvary Chapel, CA; and Travis Morgan (285) of Stillwater, OK).
Two other matches involving ranked wrestlers doing battle in the finals had Goettl defeating Kade Moss (Bingham, UT) 9-2 at 135 pounds, and Hernandez defeating Justin DeAngelis (Jenks, OK) 9-7 at 152 pounds.
Montini repeats at the Dvorak
In a tournament whose depth is ever-growing, and value is consistently underrated nationally, Montini Catholic, IL came home with the title at the 22nd Annual Dvorak Memorial Wrestling Invitational scoring 199.5 points. The event hosted by Machesney Park Harlem included the finest teams from Illinois as well as three out of state teams, two of which were very notable. The Broncos were anchored by their lone champion Kevon Powell (103) and a trio of other finalists in Colton Rasche (130), Stephen Robertson (140), and Frank Baer (145). Ross Ferraro (285) placed third, while five other Montini Catholic wrestlers placed in the top eight.
Despite competing without Walsh Ironman placer Judson Preskitt (103) in the lineup, Bishop Lynch, TX finished a rather close second with 189 points. Tanner Eitel (171) was the Friars lone champion, as he avenged an early round loss from the Ironman against Charles Argue of Mt Carmel, IL -- this time winning a 2-1 decision in overtime. Nationally ranked Stephen McPeek (189) was a runner-up, as he lost by 17-6 major decision against Sterling Hecox of Machesney Park Harlem, IL. Finishing third were a trio of wrestlers -- Case Garrison (130), Troy Silver (135), and Trey Adamson (160). Four other wrestlers placed inside the top six for Bishop Lynch.
One of only three teams to win multiple championships at the Dvorak -- all having a pair -- was Providence Catholic, IL. The Celtics finished in third place with 170 points, as seven wrestlers in all earned placement honors. Champions for Providence Catholic were the nationally ranked duo of Eddie Klimara (119) and Edwin Cooper (130); Cooper defeated Rasche, who is also nationally ranked, 5-2 in the championship final.
Oak Park River Forest, IL and Iowa City West, IA were the other teams to have two champions. Chris (135) and Nick (140) Dardanes, both of whom are nationally ranked, were the champions for OPRF. Nick Dardanes defeated Robertson, a nationally ranked wrestler in his own right, by a 5-3 score in the final. Champions for Iowa City West were Jack Hathaway (112) and Nick Moore (160). Hathaway earned an upset pin in the final against Derek Elmore, a nationally ranked wrestler from the host school; while Moore, the second ranked wrestler in the nation at his weight, dominated the competition in the tournament’s feature bracket -- including a 7-3 victory over a fellow ranked wrestler in Nick Proctor of Providence Catholic.
Rounding out the event’s champions were Joey Gosinski (125) of Glenbard North, IL; Demetrios Mitchell (145) of Hersey, IL; Joey Kielbasa (152) of Crystal Lake Central, IL; Robby Bain (215) of Bolingbrook, IL; and Lavelle Howard (285) of Plainfield Central, IL.
Garden State best to convene on Sunday at Brick Memorial
This coming Sunday is the Brick Memorial Mustang Classic, which is annually the best in-state regular season tournament for New Jersey. Seven of the top 17 teams statewide in the preseason Star Ledger poll will convene together for the one-day competition. This includes High Point, the number one team statewide; No. 4 Brick Memorial, the two-time defending Group 4 state champions; No. 7 Eastern Regional, just finished sixth at the Beast of the East; and No. 12 Paulsboro, champions of small-school Group 1 in 25 of the last 26 seasons.
Two weight classes are projected to feature a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers. Mike Morales (Brick Memorial) and Jordan Beverly (Point Pleasant Boro) both project to the 135 pound weight class, the pair met in last year’s 130 pound state final with Morales victorious. John Guzzo (High Point) and Preston Keiffer (Eastern Regional), a pair of Junior National freestyle All-Americans, are slated to compete at 160 pounds.
Another pair of weights has a nationally ranked wrestler in them against another wrestler that is incredibly close to earning a national ranking. A battle of returning state champions at 119 pounds will feature Robert Deutsch (Eastern Regional) and Nick Francavilla (High Point), with Deutsch currently ranked 13th by InterMat. At 215 pounds, 20th ranked Zach Greenwald (Paulsboro) and Kevin Innis (St Peter’s Prep) are both projected to be present; Innis was runner-up at the Reno TofC this past weekend.
Three other nationally ranked wrestlers are slated to be a part of this field -- Joe Duca (Paulsboro) at 125 pounds, Hank Stinson (Eastern Regional) at 140 pounds, and Anthony Baldosaro (Eastern Regional) at 145 pounds.
Wildcats remain King(s) of the Mountain
Central Mountain, PA was unkind hosts this past weekend in the midst of unkind weather in the Lock Haven area. The Wildcats dominated during Saturday’s wrestling to separate from the field and score 246.5 points. Jordan Rich (135), Andrew (145) and Dylan (152) Alton, and Cody Dolan (215) were champions for the host squad, which was the only team to have more than one wrestler atop the podium.
Despite not having a single finalist, it was Massillon Perry, OH finishing in second place with 154.5 points. The Panthers had seven wrestlers finish between third and sixth, and a 5-2 record in the placement round. Six teams were within 17 points for third place -- Greater Latrobe, PA with 142 took third; Benton, PA had 141; Parkland, PA had 139; Reynolds, PA had 133.5; while Council Rock South, PA and High Point, NJ were tied for seventh with 125.5 points.
Most Outstanding Wrestler honors went to repeat champion Mitchell Port (Bellefonte, PA) at 125 pounds with two pins and two majors prior to a 10-4 finals victory over Cameron Throckmorton (South-Western, PA). The other two highlight finals were at 119 where Walsh Ironman champion Mason Beckman (Reynolds, PA) upended state champion Nick Francavilla (High Point, NJ) 6-2 in a battle of very tough unranked wrestlers; and at 285 pounds it was Evan Craig (Abington Hts, PA) pinning Tyler Demott (Benton, PA) in a battle of top ten wrestlers in the nation.
Other weight class champions included Zane Retherford (Line Mountain, PA) at 103 pounds; Billy Gould (High Point, NJ) at 112; Tyler Zymroz (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, PA) at 130; Matt Martoccio (Council Rock South, PA) at 140; Eric Hess (Benton, PA) at 160; Nathaniel Brown (Lewisburg, PA) at 171; and Eric Shaffer (Greater Latrobe, PA) at 189.
Apple Valley doles out lumps of coal at MN Christmas Tournament
Even without ace wrestler Destin McCauley (152) in the lineup, it was Apple Valley emerging as champion of the Minnesota Christmas Tournament held this past weekend in Rochester, MN with 265.5 points. The Eagles accomplished the title on the strength of six top three finishers; four champions, one runner-up, and one third place finisher.
Despite only one finalist in Dylan Wright, the champion at 119 pounds, it was Simley finishing relatively close behind with 243 points. Key to that feat was six wrestlers finishing in third place.
Apple Valley wrestlers were involved in both of the evening’s finals matches involving a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers, and the Eagles split those matches. Jake Waste defeated Joe Latham (Bismarck, ND) at 171 pounds; while Ben Morgan (Forest Lake, MN) upended Matt Kelliher 6-3 in the most recent revisit of their rivalry at 130 pounds. Also winning titles for Apple Valley were Dakota Trom (125), Brandon Kingsley (140), and Steven Keogh (160).
West Fargo, ND was the one of two other teams with multiple champions -- Tyler Lehmann (189) and Scott Schiller (189) -- which enough to propel them to third place with 157 points, outlasting the 154 point total put up by Bismarck, ND. The squad from Bismarck lost all three championship matches, as Latham, Joe Schumacher (140), and Drew Spauling (145) fell short in their bouts.
Along with Morgan, Kevin Nelson (135) also earned a Minnesota Christmas Tournament title for Forest Lake, MN. Other weight class winners were Nate Thomas (Kasson Montourville, MN) at 103 pounds; Cody Paulsen (Totino Grace, MN) at 112; Dylan Ness (Bloomington Kennedy, MN) at 145; Tucker Freeman (Jackson County Central, MN) at 152; and Donny Longendyke (White Bear Lake, MN) at 285 pounds.
Power of the Peach
Despite the dominance shown by Park Hill, MO at the Toshiba Midwest Classic -- 6 finalists, 4 champions -- it was Collins Hill, GA that came out on top at the end of the tournament in Kansas City, MO this past weekend by more than 100 points (649.5-531). Finishing third was Blue Springs, MO with 443 points; while Tuttle, OK was fourth with 409.5 points.
Key to the Eagles’ tournament title was the squad’s overall depth. Joel Smith (140) and Jamie Hertica (152) won championships, while TJ Mitchell (125) came in second place. However, Collins Hill had eight more placers inside the top seven (one third, three fourth, two fifth, one sixth, and one seventh). On the other hand, Park Hill only had one other in such a position, and that was a seventh place finisher.
Three championship matches involved a ranked wrestler falling in defeat. At 112 pounds, Bricker Dixon (Park Hill, MO) defeated No. 15 Thomas Gilman (Skutt Catholic, NE) 7-4; No. 6 Alan Waters (Park Hill, MO) defeated No. 17 TJ Mitchell (Collins Hill, GA) 2-0 at 125 pounds; while Jace Bennett (Canyon Randall, TX) earned a 10-2 major decision over No. 20 John Eblen (Park Hill, MO) at 189 pounds. Other title winners for Park Hill were Skylar Wood (119) and Kaleb Friedley (145), while Hayden Bock (215) took home second place.
Despite no champions, Blue Springs, MO had three runners-up on the way to a third place team finish; Keenan Hagerty (135), Josh Howk (140), and Derick Sanders (171) were one step short of first place. On the other hand, fourth place Tuttle, OK was the only team other than Collins Hill, GA and Park Hill, MO to have multiple champions as Cole Gracey (171) and Shane Woods (215) stood atop the podium.
Other champions at the Toshiba Midwest Classic were Brad Perkins (Oak Park, MO) at 103 pounds; Daniel Baucke (Christian Brothers, TN) at 130; Ian Fisher (Perry, OK) at 135; Drake Houdashelt (Fort Zumwalt West, MO) at 160; Jace Bennett (Canyon Randall, TX) at 189 and Jake Hasz (Skutt Catholic, NE) at 285.
Lake Stevens wins at the Tri-State
Lake Stevens, WA affirmed its status as the best team in Washington State, and one of the best in the northwestern United States with its win at the Tri-State Tournament hosted by Northern Idaho College this past weekend. It was a team effort anchored by two titles and two third-place finishers, leading to a total of 191 points. Champions for Lake Stevens were Josh Heinzer (112) and Josh Villani (152).
With three in the finals, University, WA took home second place as they totaled 170 points. Anchoring the effort was champion Jake Mason (160), as Ryan Zumwalt (152) and Jake Laden (285) finished as runners-up. Finishing third in the tournament despite three champions -- Steven Hopkins (103), Tyler Lamb (140), and Konner Knudtson (215) -- was Tahoma, WA with 165.5 points; they also had Nick Bayer (189) take home second place honors.
The only other team with multiple champions was Orting, WA -- as Antonio Brown (125) and Taylor Meeks (189) earned championships. Other top of podium performances came from Martin Mesa (119) of Caldwell, ID; Kurtis Giberson (130) of Kelso, WA; Casey George (135) of Lewistown, ID; Scotty Bacon (145) of Republic, WA; Dylan Rutledge (171) of Auburn, WA); and Shawn Burton (285) of Deer Park, WA.
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