Blair Academy has finished No. 1 in the final Fab 50 each of the last three seasons (Photo/Rob Preston)Over the last four seasons InterMat has published a Fab 50 list of the top high school wrestling teams in the country. While four years seems like a pretty short period of time, in many ways it can be an eternity in scholastic sports.
Four years reflects the time in which a freshman class goes through to their graduation. In addition, three classes older than that initial group, and three younger than the initial group have partaken in at least one year of high school wrestling.
Given that premise, let's take a look at many aspects of the Fab 50 rankings over the last four seasons. We'll do some of the discussion this week, with a follow-up feature one week from today.
The final rankings from the last four seasons have featured 99 teams in all. Of that group, a subset of 14 squads has ended each of the last four seasons nationally ranked (three of those appearing in the top 10 during each and every season). Here are in my opinion the top 10 performing squads for the 2010-11 through 2013-14 seasons:
1. Blair Academy, N.J.
The Buccaneers have won national titles during each of the last three campaigns and finished second nationally in 2010-11. They have won the Ironman in each of the last three years, finishing as runners-up in December 2011; and won the Beast of the East title in each of those four seasons.
2. Apple Valley, Minn.
The Eagles won the national title in 2010-11, with final rankings of 3rd, 13th, and 5th the three seasons thereafter. They have won The Clash National High School Duals twice, the Cheesehead Invitational two times, and the Minnesota Christmas Tournament in three of those years.
3. Clovis, Calif.
The Cougars have won the single class California state wrestling tournament title during each of the last four seasons. In each season, they have had a major success against national level competition. Most notable of those was a third place finish at The Clash in December 2011, when they beat St. Paris Graham in a classic dual meet for the day one bracket title. They have ended the last four seasons ranked 7th, 5th, 8th, and 3rd.
4. St. Paris Graham, Ohio
During the last four years the Falcons have finished first (beat Blair Academy), third (behind Blair Academy and St. Edward), third (Blair Academy and Wyoming Seminary), and second at the Walsh Ironman (Blair Academy). They also have split dual meets against St. Edward, winning the last two years (each team has one expected win and one upset win in that time span). St. Paris Graham joins Blair Academy and Clovis as the only teams to end the last four seasons all inside the top 10: 4th, 8th, 5th, and 6th.
5. Wyoming Seminary, Pa.
Before this past year's eighth place finish, the Blue Knights were top four (3rd, 4th, 2nd) in the previous three years at the nation's toughest tournament -- the Walsh Ironman. They were also second to Blair Academy at the Beast of the East in December 2010 through 2012 before finishing third this past year. In the year Wyoming Seminary had their worst performance in these two tournaments, they won the National Prep title. The season ending ranking for the Blue Knights each of the last four years: 11th, 9th, 2nd, and 4th.
6. St. Edward, Ohio
Before this past year's major slide backward, the Eagles ended the previous three years inside the top 10 in the country: 5th, 2nd, and 4th. The lynchpin of those seasons was 2011-12 when they ranked second nationally at season end, anchored by a runner-up finish at the Walsh Ironman and a championship at the Clash. The Eagles also won big-school state titles in each of those seasons, and during January 2012 were the squad that most legitimately challenged Blair Academy in dual meet competition during the past four years. They ended the past season ranked No. 50 nationally.
7. Brandon, Fla.
During the three previous seasons, Brandon ended the season ranked within the top 10 nationally (3rd, 6th, and 7th). They finished as runners-up at The Clash during 2010-11 and 2012-13, with a third place finish in 2011-12. This past year the Eagles ended the season ranked 15th nationally.
8. St. Johns, Mich.
The vast majority of teams on this list have a perennial/dynastic feel to them, with the Redwings being the exception. The program rose into a force as Taylor Massa (No. 2 ranked recruit in the Class of 2012) and friends came through high school, and the run has extended through younger brother Logan (No. 2 ranked recruit in Class of 2015) matriculating at St. Johns. Their end of season rankings over the last four years was 13th, 4th, 3rd, and 29th.
9. Massillon Perry, Ohio
Each of the previous three years to this one saw the Panthers finish second at the big-school state tournament to St. Edward, but scored over 100 points in each meet. After nine second place finishes in eleven years, Massillon Perry finally got over the hump as they won a maiden state title for the program. These last four years have seen the Panthers end seasons ranked 19th, 22nd, 16th, and 7th.
10. Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.
The Hawks have been the anchor program of PIAA wrestling over these last four seasons. They have earned the last four state dual meet titles and finished first at the last three individual bracket tournaments. Though in the small-school division, Bethlehem Catholic set the all-division points record this past year in the state tournament with 138-1/2 points. At the end of each season the Hawks were ranked 21st, 12th, 20th, and 13th.
The other four teams to end the last four seasons ranked within the Fab 50:
Montini Catholic, Ill. -- 28th, 26th, 12th, and 18th
Bettendorf, Iowa -- 12th, 10th, 50th, and 21st
Broken Arrow, Okla. -- 29th, 19th, 36th, and 12th
Detroit Catholic Central, Mich. -- 49th, 15th, 18th, and 17th
Another 14 teams have been ranked at the end of three of the last four seasons:
Canon-McMillan, Pa. -- 18th, 7th, 6th, NR
Oak Park River Forest, Ill. -- NR, 31st, 11th, 3rd
Southeast Polk, Iowa -- NR, 13th, 17th, 22nd
Simley, Minn. -- 6th, 11th, 39th, NR
Central Dauphin, Pa. -- 15th, 17th, 29th, NR
Marmion Academy, Ill. -- 16th, NR, 26th, 27th
Carl Sandburg, Ill. -- 26th, 36th, 9th, NR
Allen, Texas -- 36th, 23rd, 15th, NR
Poway, Calif. -- NR, 21st, 23rd, 32nd
Marist, Ill. -- NR, 46th, 25th, 19th
South Plainfield, N.J. -- 41st, 29th, 22nd, NR
Tuttle, Okla. -- NR, 28th, 41st, 31st
Blue Springs, Mo. -- 42nd, 37th, 38th, NR
McDonogh, Md. -- NR, 41st, 31st, 48th
Another 31 squads have been ranked at the end of two of the last four seasons.
Ten of those squads were ranked in both of the last two seasons:
Franklin Regional, Pa. -- 33rd and 8th
Bergen Catholic, N.J. -- 34th and 9th
Edmond North, Okla. -- 30th and 14th
Brecksville, Ohio -- 19th and 26th
Archer, Ga. -- 48th and 10th
Don Bosco Prep, N.J. -- 37th and 23rd
Bound Brook, N.J. -- 40th and 20th
Collinsville, Okla. -- 14th and 47th
Davison, Mich. -- 43rd and 30th
Vacaville, Calif. -- 49th and 44th
The rest of those squads ranked in two seasons (21 total):
Bakersfield, Calif. -- 8th, 16th, NR, NR
Iowa City West, Iowa -- 9th, 27th, NR, NR
Christiansburg, Va. -- 24th, 14th, NR, NR
Cincinnati Moeller, Ohio -- NR, 18th, 21th, NR
Lowell, Mich. -- NR, 24th, NR, 16th
Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. -- 10th, 33th, NR, NR
Waverly-Shell Rock, Iowa -- 17th, NR, NR, 34th
Tulsa Union, Okla. -- 31st, 20th, NR, NR
St. Michael-Albertville, Minn. -- NR, 42nd, 10th, NR
Perry Meridian, Ind. -- NR, 25th, 28th, NR
Nazareth, Pa. -- 32nd, NR, NR, 25th
Easton, Pa. -- 20th, 38th, NR, NR
Glenbard North, Ill. -- 22nd, 39th, NR, NR
Collins Hill, Ga. -- 34th, 34th, NR, NR
Kasson-Mantorville, Minn. -- 44th, NR, 24th, NR
Scott West, Minn. -- 39th, 32nd, NR, NR
Shenendehowa, N.Y. -- 35th, 45th, NR, NR
Roseburg, Ore. -- 38th, 49th, NR, NR
Hermiston, Ore. -- 43rd, NR, 46th, NR
Christian Brothers, Tenn. -- NR, 47th, 47th, NR
Kearney, Mo. -- NR, 50th, 45th, NR
Forty other squads have appeared in end of season Fab 50 rankings. Sixteen of those squads ended this past season in the Fab 50, 13 of those squads were in at the end of the 2010-11 season, 6 in at the end of the 2011-12 year, and 5 in the end of the 2012-13 year.
25 out of the 49 states with high school wrestling have had a native squad appear in one of the last four end of season Fab 50 rankings. Pennsylvania high schools have the most different high schools to be ranked at the end of a season with 13, while New Jersey and Ohio are next in line with eight each. Illinois is next with seven, while six squads from Oklahoma and California follow.
Rounding out the list is the following:
Five -- Georgia, Iowa, Minnesota
Four -- Michigan, Missouri
Three -- Idaho, Maryland, New York, Oregon, Virginia, and Wisconsin
Two -- Florida, Utah
One -- Arizona, Delaware, Indiana, Nebraska, Tennessee, and Texas
These states have yet to have a squad appear within the end of season Fab 50 rankings: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
Note that teams from Colorado, North Dakota, and Washington (at least) have appeared in an in-season edition of the rankings, but not at season's end.
Next week's feature will explore some of the Fab 50 programs and environments in more depth.
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