Friday night the Cougars visit No. 19 Montini Catholic for a quad meet at 5:30 p.m. Central Time; it includes matchups against the host Broncos, No. 31 Marmion Academy, and possibly Washington. Then Saturday morning, Clovis will travel to No. 21 Carl Sandburg for three dual meets starting at 10 a.m. Those matches come against Hononegah, the host Eagles (11:30 a.m. CT), and No. 1 Oak Park River Forest (1:30 p.m. CT).
Projected lineup for No. 4 Clovis this coming weekend:
106: Wyatt Cornelison -- the sophomore is ranked 12th in the state (single classification), and comes off an 8th place finish at the Doc Buchanan this past weekend
113: No. 2 Justin Mejia -- won state last year as a freshman, and is undefeated this season, including a Doc Buchanan title this past weekend
120: Tristan Gilliland -- the senior is ranked 7th in the state, after placing seventh at state last year, but did not place in the Doc Buchanan; however, he did beat one returning state placer, before losing to two other state placers
126: Dylan Martinez -- the junior is ranked 11th in the state, but did not wrestle this past weekend in the Doc Buchanan; he did win the Zinkin Classic last month up at 132 pounds
132: Khristian Olivas/Brandon Martino -- the senior Olivas is ranked 3rd in the state, having placed fourth at the state tournament two years ago; he won the Doc Buchanan this past weekend up at 138 pounds. The sophomore Martino placed fourth at the Doc Buchanan in this weight class
138: Isaiah Hokit/Olivas -- the senior Hokit is a three-time state placer, and ranked 2nd in the state this year; he suffered an upset defeat in the Doc Buchanan semifinals, and then defaulted down to sixth place.
145: Lane Barnes -- the senior and two-time state qualifier is ranked 14th in the state; he failed to place at the Doc Buchanan, reaching the quarterfinal before losing an overtime decision and 1-0 decision to wrestlers ranked ahead of him.
152: Jared Hill -- the junior is a returning state qualifier, and ranked 10th in the state, and placed eighth at the Doc Buchanan this weekend
160: Dominic Kincaid -- the senior and two-time state qualifier entered this past weekend ranked 1st in the state; however, he placed third at the Doc Buchanan after losing an overtime decision in the semifinals to the 5th ranked wrestler
170: Josh Hokit -- the junior placed fifth at state last year, and is ranked 3rd in the state; he was a runner-up at the Doc Buchanan, losing an 11-6 decision to No. 2 in the nation Anthony Valencia
182: A.J. Nevills -- the sophomore placed seventh at state last year, and is ranked 3rd in the state; he was a runner-up at the Doc Buchanan, including a 3-0 win in the semis over Kevin Mulligan (who entered the event ranked nationally)
195: Adam Prentice -- the senior qualified for state last year at 220 pounds, and is ranked 3rd in the state this season; he placed third in the Doc Buchanan
220: Seth Nevills -- the freshman, and younger brother of Penn State freshman Nick Nevills, is ranked 7th in the state; however, he won the Doc Buchanan with victories over those ranked 3rd and 4th along the way
285: Hexton Coronado -- the senior was a state qualifier two years ago, but was unable to crack the lineup last year past Prentice and Nick Nevills; this year he is ranked 5th in the state, and won the Doc Buchanan this past weekend
Looking at possible matchups against Montini:
106/113: No. 19 (at 106) Real Woods and/or Holden Heller. Both of these freshmen can easily make the 106 pound weight class; however, Woods has been down at 106, as he is winning their matchups. Against Clovis, Woods is favored at 106, while Heller is a clear underdog
120: Will Lewan is ranked 9th in Class AA by Illinois Matmen as a freshman; however, Gilliland is a bit too much for him
126: Jimmy Pawleski is ranked 1st in Class AA, and has placed fourth at state each of the last two years. It's been two straight excellent weekends for him, placing second at the Cheesehead, and then earning an upset victory over Gabe Townsell (OPRF) this past Saturday. Look for Pawleski to win here.
132: Dylan Duncan is ranked 1st in Class AA, and was a state champion last year. If the match is Olivas vs. Dunan, that should be a barn-burner; Duncan would be favored to beat Martino.
138: The junior Caleb Fortuna, a returning state qualifier, is a clear underdog to either Hokit or Olivas
145: No. 10 Vincent Turk is tops in Class AA, and also a clear favorite against Barnes in this matchup.
152: The junior Chris Holloway is a clear underdog to Hill.
160: Returning state runner-up Luke Fortuna is tops in Class AA, and was a Junior freestyle All-American this summer; his match with Kincaid should be a barn-burner
170/195/220: Montini did not have wrestlers in these three weight classes at either the Cheesehead or their dual meet against Oak Park River Forest this past weekend.
182: No. 5 Xavier Montalvo is tops in Class AA, and a clear favorite against Nevills in this matchup.
285: Montini has not had a wrestler in this weight class all year; however, there is some noise about Michael Johnson, Jr. making a return to the mats this weekend. If Johnson is back, he would be favored against Coronado, though it's his season debut; otherwise, it's a forfeit win for Clovis.
The matchups suggest Montini should win at least four weight classes (106, 126, 145, and 182) with at least two others possibly in play. However, the dual meet is not really in play, given the major gaps in the Montini lineup.
Looking at possible matchups against Marmion Academy:
106/113: Marmion Academy had to take these weights as forfeits at the Clash and last weekend against Oak Park River Forest. Both starters suffered long-term injuries at the Dvorak Memorial (McKenna placed 7th at 106, while Ortiz made the quarters at 113 before having to default out during that match)
120: Joe Antonelli is a senior in his first year as a starter, after being behind a plethora of good Cadets lightweights. This year, he has placed fourth at the Dvorak, and is ranked HM (i.e. outside the top 12) within Class AAA. This is a match that Gilliland should win, though it will be competitive.
126: Jake Polka is a sophomore, and ranked HM in Class AAA, though he did place third at the Dvorak in this weight class. This is one of the matches that Marmion can win.
132: A.J. Jaffe is a returning state qualifier, and ranked 4th in Class AAA as a junior. His season has been a mix of ups and downs, with the most positive being a third place finish at the Dvorak; would be slightly favored against Martino, and an underdog against Olivas.
138: Anthony Cheloni is ranked HM as a sophomore, placing fifth in the Dvorak this season. He is an underdog against either Hokit or Olivas.
145: Michael Callahan has impressed on the mats as a junior, placing eighth at the Ironman and third at the Dvorak, positioned currently 5th in Class AAA at this weight class. The match against Barnes is a tossup.
152: Matt Ferraro, a 2013 Cadet freestyle All-American, ranks HM in this weight class having placed eighth at the Dvorak earlier this season. The match against Hill is a tossup.
160/170: Trace Carello/Nate Jimenez. The junior Carello placed fourth at state last year, and is ranked 3rd in Class AAA at 160 pounds right now, having placed third at the Dvorak earlier this year. Jimenez is ranked No. 16 overall among freshmen nationally after winning the frosh/soph division title at 160 in the Preseason Nationals, and is likely to be used in this dual meet. Carello's match is a tossup, while Jimenez will be an underdog.
182: Riley DeMoss is ranked 6th in Class AAA at 170, despite missing all of last season with an injury, and has already won the Dvorak down at 170 this year. He will enter the match against A.J. Nevills as a slight underdog.
195: No. 9 (at 182) Nathan Traxler is ranked 1st in Class AAA down at 182, where he placed fourth at Ironman and won the Dvorak. He will be favored against Prentice here.
220/285: Whether Marmion has wrestlers here, possibly Peter Capetillo or Jeremy Daum (or forfeits these matches), they are not ones the Cadets can win. They feel the injury to Lucas Warren very strongly.
Marmion will enter this dual meet favored in just one match, Traxler at 195, but having four or five other matchups they can win. The dual meet is out of reach, given their short-handed state.
Highlight wrestlers for Washington:
Trey Keeley -- ranked 3rd at 106 in Class AA
Dack Punke -- ranked 3rd at 113, third at state last year
No. 8 Elijah Oliver -- ranked 1st at 120, three-time state champion
Ethan Reel -- ranked 2nd at 126, returning state runner-up
Blaize Punke -- ranked 9th at 132
Ryder Punke -- ranked 8th at 138
Randy Meneweather -- ranked 2nd at 160, returning state champion
Jacob Warner -- ranked 1st at 170, returning state runner-up
Jake Godinez -- ranked 2nd at 220
There are mixed reports on if this matchup is occurring. The Washington athletic department website indicates a matchup, while the Clovis wrestling website does not suggest a match. If there is a match, Clovis will be clearly favored in all five weight class where Washington does not have a notable wrestler (145, 152, 182, 195, and 285); as well as in four others (106, 113, 132, and 138). The only weight class where Washington would be a clear favorite is at 120, and that is if Oliver makes his return to the lineup from injury.
Highlight wrestlers for Hononegah:
Alex Rader -- HM (outside the top 12) in Class AAA at 113, 7th at Dvorak
Keegan Powers -- ranked 8th at 132
Anthony Silva -- HM at 138, 3rd at Dvorak
Fernie Silva -- ranked 2nd at 145, state runner-up last year
Christian Fausel -- HM at 152
Jake Flower -- HM at 170
No. 16 Tyler DeMoss -- ranked 3rd at 182, state runner-up last year
Jordan Shahrikian -- HM at 195
Blake Zalapi -- ranked 9th at 220, Preseason Nationals champ in frosh/soph division
Tony Cassioppi -- ranked 9th at 285, 3rd at Dvorak
The four weight classes where Hononegah does not have a ranked or HM wrestler (106, 120, 126, and 160) are obviously advantage Clovis, as are the five weight classes with an HM wrestler. Hononegah will enter this dual meet favored to win at 145 and slightly favored at 182, with possibility of pinching another match somewhere.
Looking at possible matchups against Carl Sandburg:
106: Louie Hayes is ranked 3rd in Class AAA by Illinois Matmen in this his junior season. He was champion of the Preseason Nationals in the junior/senior division at this weight class. Hayes will be favored in his match with Cornelison.
113: Robbie Precin is ranked 6th as a freshman, and finished third in the Rex Whitlach Invitational last month. Precin's time to thrive will come, but not in this one against the nationally ranked Mejia.
120: Kevin Sterans is HM as a junior, and finished sixth at the Whitlach. Gilliland will be the favorite here.
126: No. 12 Rudy Yates is ranked 2nd, and won the Whitlach, also with a win over No. 7 Mitch McKee at the Clash. Yates is a two-time state placer, won state two years ago as a frosh, and the obvious favorite in this bout.
132: Colin Glascott is HM as a junior, and finished seventh at the Whitlach. He is an underdog against either Clovis opponent.
138: Christian Robertson placed fifth at state in the 126 pound weight class last year as a sophomore, but is ranked 12th this year. He placed sixth at the Whitlach, and is an underdog in this matchup.
145: Ben Schneider is HM as a junior, and finished fourth at the Whitlach. He is a likely underdog here.
152: John Prieto is HM as a junior, and finished fifth at the Whitlach. He is a likely underdog here.
160: Tom Slattery is ranked 5th in the state in this weight class, and the senior placed third at the Whitlach. He'll enter the match with Kincaid as a slight underdog.
170: Brian Krasowski placed sixth at state last year as a sophomore, and is ranked 3rd in the state this year. He finished runner-up at the Whitlach, and will enter his match with Hokit as a slight underdog.
182: Patrick Brucki is ranked 7th in the state as a sophomore, and was runner-up at the Whitlach earlier this year. He enters the match against A.J. Nevills as an underdog.
195: Cole Bateman is HM as a junior, and placed third at the Whitlach. He enters this match aginst Prentice as an underdog.
220/285: Matt Frostman, Jack Hart, and/or Malik Scates. Frostman is HM as a senior, and placed fourth at the Whitlach in the 220 class; while neither Hart nor Scates are ranked state-wise. Carl Sandburg will be the underdog in both bouts.
Like when the Eagles faced OPRF at the Clash, their undoing in this dual meet against Clovis will be their lack of "high-end" talent beyond Yates, and to a lesser extent Hayes. While Carl Sandburg is solid in every weight class, Clovis fits the same description; but the Cougars' "solid" is a better wrestler than the solid for Carl Sandburg in the majority of cases. The Eagles will be favored in two bouts, 106 and 126, with around three other opportunities to pinch a weight lass win.
The main event: No. 1 Oak Park River Forest vs. No. 4 Clovis
This dual meet is the last "realistic" challenge standing in the way of a likely national title for the Huskies. They'll compete against a solid field in their home tournament next weekend, compete in an un-scored individual state tournament series, and then likely see at least one nationally ranked team in the dual meet series. However, odds are Oak Park River Forest navigates those cleanly.
While not wanting to put "the cart before the horse", should Clovis sweep this weekend of dual meets, there is a compelling case for the Cougars to be ranked No. 1 nationally come Wednesday 1/21. All that said, let's break down the likely bouts.
106: No. 16 Anthony Madrigal (OPRF) vs. Cornelison (Clovis) -- the freshman Madrigal was a Cadet freestyle All-American, placed at the Ironman, and is the favorite here.
113: No. 3 Jason Renteria vs. No. 2 Mejia -- the pair of sophomores have both committed to Iowa already, and this is the definition of a tossup. The wrestlers met in the Southwest Kickoff Classic final fifteen months ago with Mejia winning; however, that result is as relevant as a preseason NFL contest.
120: No. 14 Alex Madrigal vs. Gilliland -- this is a battle of state placers, though Madrigal will enter this bout favored, having placed at the Ironman already this year. Madrigal, an Old Dominion signee, is arguably one of the most improved wrestlers in the country from last year.
126: Gabe Townsell vs. Martinez -- Townsell is a returning state place-winner, and has been ranked nationally at various times this season. He is the favorite here, though last week, he was upset by Pawleski in the dual meet against Montini.
132: Jamie Hernandez vs. Olivas/Martino -- Hernandez was a surprise Cadet freestyle runner-up last summer. Having Olivas down in this weight class is important for Clovis having a path to victory in the dual meet, as he's favored here while a Martino/Hernandez bout could go either way.
138: Savonne Bennette vs. I. Hokit -- Bennette is a resturning state qualifier, while the three-time state placer Hokit is the clear favorite in this bout; should Olivas be here for Clovis, he's favored too.
145: No. 4 Larry Early vs. Barnes -- Early has been in-and-out of the OPRF lineup this season. The defending state champion gives the Huskies a sure fire win here, while backup wrestler Bryce Scott would be an underdog.
152: No. 1 Isaiah White vs. Hill -- White is one of the nation's best juniors, a defending state champion, and the clear favorite in this matchup.
160: Matthew Rundell vs. Kincaid -- Rundell enters this match as the slight favorite, having placed at state twice and placing this year at the Ironman, while Kincaid has yet to place at state; however, one of the paths to victory for Clovis would involve an upset in this bout.
170: No. 7 Kamal Bey vs. J. Hokit -- Returning state champion Bey, a Cadet Nationals double runner-up, is also one of the nation's best juniors. He'll be favored in this match, though if fellow junior Hokit was to somehow steal this match, it would provide massive momentum for the Cougars upper-weights.
182: Max Metzger vs. A.J. Nevills -- The sophomore Nevills, a returning state placer, is the clear favorite in this match against the senior Metzger.
195: Ben Bergen vs. Adam Prentice -- This battle of seniors could play an important role in the dual meet. Bergen placed eighth at the Ironman, while Prentice was a state qualifier last year. This match is a true tossup.
220: Allen Stallings vs. Seth Nevills -- The junior Stallings is a two-time state qualifier, while Nevills is a freshman sensation. Yet another crucial tossup bout in the course of the dual meet.
285: Adam Lemke-Bell vs. Hexton Coronado -- The senior Lemke-Bell is an extreme athlete and talent, though he has yet to make the state tournament. His two-and-out performance at the Ironman was a crucial disappointment, while an opening weekend win over the top-ranked 285 in Illinois suggests high end potential. Yet again, this is a crucial tossup, and a battle of seniors.
The end game analysis suggests that OPRF is favored in seven matches, Clovis in three, with four tossups. However, there are a couple of matches where each team's edge is slight. If OPRF was to wrestle very well, this could be a one-sided outcome in the 10-4 range. Conversely, Clovis can find a way to get this to a 7-7 dual meet, or even steal it on eight wins. The more than likely result is OPRF winning something in the 8-6 to 9-5 match count range.
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now