No. 8 Franklin Regional, Pa. is the defending tournament champion, and one of five nationally ranked teams in the field. The Panthers are joined by two other top ten teams, both of which are newcomers, No. 6 Archer (Ga.) and No. 10 Buchanan (Calif.). The other two nationally ranked teams are relatively local squads, No. 33 Belle Vernon and No. 36 Greater Latrobe.
Top-ranked Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional) is after his second straight Powerade title (Photo/Rob Preston) Lee, Pletcher, and Kemerer are three of the seven wrestlers in this field ranked either first or second in the country at their weight class. The 132-pound weight class features the top two ranked wrestlers in the country, No. 1 A.C. Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa.) and No. 2 Luke Pletcher. Also ranked first nationally is Sam Krivus (Hempfield Area, Pa.) at 138, while Gavin Teasdale (Jefferson Morgan, Pa.) and Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Pa.) are ranked second at 106 and 152 respectively.
Below is a weight-by-weight overview of the field.
106: Freshman sensation Gavin Teasdale (Jefferson Morgan, Pa.), ranked No. 2 nationally in this weight class and also overall for the Class of 2018, is the top seed in the weight class. He is also the clear favorite, as the only nationally ranked wrestler present. Some non-freshmen to note are returning state placer Aaron Burkett (Chestnut Ridge, Pa.) and state qualifier Alan Diltz (Benton, Pa.). Freshmen to note in addition to Teasdale include Logan Macri (Canon-McMillan, Pa.), Patrick Glory (Delbarton, N.J.), and Job Chishko (Penn Trafford, Pa.)
113: Devin Brown (Franklin Regional, Pa.), ranked No. 6 nationally, is the top seed and clear favorite to repeat as Powerade champion. Others in the weight class include National Prep placer Daniel Planta (St. Paul's, Md.) along with state qualifiers Charlie Lenox (Eric McDowell, Pa.) and Cole Manley (Altoona, Pa.)
120: Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.) is arguably best high school wrestler in the country, and the favorite to take home the title in this weight class, which would be a second Powerade title in as many years for the sophomore. Two other nationally ranked wrestlers occupy the second and third seeds, No. 14 Tyler Agaisse (Delbarton, N.J.) and No. 8 Alex Mackall (Walsh Jesuit, Ohio).
Others to note in this weight class include state champions Logan Grass (Huntington, W.Va.) and Kyson Levin (Pleasant Grove, Utah), state runner-up Kennedy Monday (Arlington Martin, Texas), state placers Vinny Artigues (Archer, Ga.) and Trey Chalifoux (Father Ryan, Tenn.), as well as state qualifiers Brendan Howard (Jefferson Morgan, Pa.) and Conner Ziegler (Moeller, Ohio)
126: Gus Solomon (Franklin Regional, Pa.), ranked No. 9 nationally, will enter the Powerade as an un-seeded wrestler. I feel sorry for the first seed that he hits, whomever it is. Other primary contenders along with Solomon are the second seed Ethan McCoy (Greater Latrobe, Pa.), a National Prep runner-up in 2013; three-time National Prep placer Ryan Friedman (St. Paul's, Md.), the fourth seed; and two-time state placer Durbin Lloren (Buchanan, Calif.), the fifth seed.
The top seed in the weight class is returning state placer Jacob Lizak (Parkland, Pa.), while the third seed is another returning state placer in Taylor Ortz (Brookville, Pa.). Joining Solomon as non-seeded wrestlers to watch are returning state placers Mike Stuart (Benton, Pa.) and Seth Hogue (Reynolds, Pa.), along with high profile freshman Justin McCoy (Chestnut Ridge, Pa.)
132: The top two wrestlers in the country are on a crash course to the final in this weight class, for what could be their first of likely many meetings this season. Two-time state and Powerade schampion Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe, Pa.), ranked second nationally, is the first seed; while tops in the nation A.C. Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa.) is seeded second. Also in the mix in this weight class is the third seed George Phllippi (Derry Area, Pa.), who is ranked No. 6 nationally.
Beyond those three, and seeded fourth through eighth are three-time state champion Jordan Allen (Huntington, W.Va.), though he has struggled this season; two-time state runner-up Chris Diaz (Archer, Ga.); two-time state champion Ben Anderson (Pleasant Grove, Utah), who did place at the Ironman; two-time state champion Nic Campbell (Strasburg, Va.); and state champion Eli King (Father Ryan, Tenn.). An additional wrestler to watch is Matt Oblock (Canon-McMillan, Pa.); though not seeded, he did place at the Ironman earlier this month.
138: This weight sets up for yet another showdown between No. 1 Sam Krivus (Hempfield Area, Pa.) and No. 9 Cameron Coy (Penn Trafford, Pa.). The 2013 state champ Krivus beat the 2014 state champ Coy in the finals at the King of the Mountain, so this could be the second of many meetings on the season. Those seeking to spoil this finals showdown, as unlikely as that seems, include: state champions Grant Aycox (Archer, Ga.) and Dylanger Potter (Arlington Martin, Texas), three-time state placer Tyler Vath (Saegertown, Pa.), along with two-time state placer Jacoby Ward (Cincinnati Moeller, Ohio).
145: Three of the nation's top seven wrestlers populate this weight class; however, their seeds are first (No. 1 Michael Kemerer of Franklin Regional, Pa.), fourth (Hayden Hidlay of Mifflin County, Pa.) and seventh (Jared Verkleeren of Belle Vernon, Pa.). Two-time state champion Hunter Dean (Strasburg, Va.) is the second seed, though he quite frankly is but a bit player in this weight class. Seeded third is Beast of the East champion Travis Vasquez (Delbarton, N.J.), a returning state placer. Two-time National Prep runner-up Kevin Budock (Good Counsel, Md.) is seeded fifth, while state champion Jose Taylor (Arlington Martin, Texas) is the seven seed.
Given the quality of depth in this weight class, it'll be hard for unseeded wrestlers to make "noise." However, two-time state qualifier and NHSCA Junior All-American Kyler Hansen (Buchanan, Calif.) is just the type of wrestler to do it. Also unseeded, and probably better than a couple of seeds, is two-time state placer Nick Monico (Saegertown, Pa.)
152: This is another deep weight class with three of the nation's top eleven wrestlers manning the top three seed lines. No. 2 Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Pa.) is the top seed, and is followed on the ladder by No. 7 Josh Maruca (Franklin Regional, Pa.) and No. 11 Jake Wentzel (South Park, Pa.). Something interesting to note if it should come to a Maruca vs. Wentzel semifinal is that Wentzel has wins over Maruca the last two years at the Super 32 Challenge. Returning state placers Conner Francis (Buchanan, Calif.) and Joseph Tavoso (Delbarton, N.J.), who also placed at the Super 32 Challenge this fall, occupy the fourth and sixth seed lines.
160: The top four seeds in this weight class are all nationally ranked, and are seeded in order of their weight class ranking: No. 4 Josh Shields (Franklin Regional, Pa.), No. 14 Thomas Bullard (Archer, Ga.), No. 15 Cole Walter (Mifflinburg, Pa.), and then No. 20 D.J. Hollingshead (Altoona, Pa.). Returning Powerade runner-up Devin Austin (Penn Trafford, Pa.), but who failed to make the state tournament at season's end, is the fifth seed; state champion Trapper Hays (Parkersburg, W.Va.) is the six seed; with state placer Paul Dunn (Bethel Park, Pa.) the eight seed. Non-seeded wrestlers to watch include state placer Jimmy Miller (Brookville, Pa.) and Abner Romero (Buchanan, Calif.), Flo Nationals placer Tony Palumbo (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Pa.), and freshman sensation Cody Mulligan (Saegertown, Pa.)
170: No. 16 Daniel Bullard (Archer, Ga.) is the lone nationally ranked wrestler in this weight class, and enters the tournament as the top seed. Other seeded wrestlers to note include state champion Dontae McGee (Farragut Academy, Fla.), Super 32 placer Austin Bell (Belle Vernon, Pa.), state placer Jake Shaffer (Greater Latrobe, Pa.), and 2013 state placer Brendan Burnham (Pine Richland, Pa.)
182: Returning state runner-up Kellan Stout (Mt. Lebanon, Pa.), ranked No. 11 nationally, is the top seed in this weight class and its clear favorite. In what is not one of the tournament's deeper weights, the most notable threat to Stout is two-time state qualifier Josh Colello (Cedar Cliff, Pa.)
195: A pair of nationally ranked wrestlers feature in this weight class as the first and third seeds, No. 14 Dylan Reynolds (Saegertown, Pa.) is the top seed, and a two-time state placer, along with winning the Walsh Ironman earlier this month; while No. 19 Drew Phipps (Norwin, Pa.) placed fourth at state last year, and has placed fourth at the Super 32 each of the last two years. Seeded in between them is National Prep placer Kevin Snyder (Good Counsel, Md.), who did place at the Super 32 this fall. Others to watch include state qualifiers Young Woo An (Buchanan, Calif.) and Garrett Reinwald (Fort LeBoeuf, Pa.)
220: In a weight class with no nationally ranked wrestler, defending Powerade champion Omar Haddad (Parkland, Pa.), who also placed at state this past season, is the top seed. Other contenders include two-time state placer Robert Enmon (Farragut Academy, Fla.), state runner-up Quinn Miller (Archer, Ga.), state placers Fred Mantsch (Hempfield Area, Pa.) and Jacob Robb (Kittanning, Pa.), National Prep placer Nick Miller (Good Counsel, Md.), along with state qualifier Dylan Davis (Greater Latrobe, Pa.) and Kai Dill (Buchanan, Calif.). Another wrestler to watch in this weight class is Walsh Ironman placer Jack Meyer (Cincinnati Moeller, Ohio).
285: Neither of the back two weight classes in this tournament have a nationally ranked wrestler. The top seed though in this weight class is returning state and Super 32 third place finisher Alan Beattie (Burrell, Pa.). Notable challengers include state champion Jacob Lill (Archer, Ga.), state placers Zeynul Zaynullayev (Mt. Lebanon, Pa.) and Gene Ringer (Reynolds, Pa.), along with Joe Hensley (Cincinnati Moeller, Ohio).
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