The following is a synopsis of what to expect at the Walsh Ironman this weekend. Really, the only problem with this amazing tournament that I have is there are too many great matches to watch at the same time! For Ohio wrestling fans, this is the highlight of the year until the state tournament. Give credit where credit is due -- Tournament Director Bob Preusse has put together the finest tournament in the nation.
103 LBS
SEEDED WRESTLERS
1. David Taylor
2. Logan Stieber (Monroeville)
3. Jamie Clark (Lakewood St. Edward)
4. Sam White (Massillon Perry)
5. Gabe Gomez
6. Cody Libengood (Troy Christian)
7. Tony Buxton
8. James Ingraham (University School)
10. Mike Scavuzzo (Revere)
13. Jerome Robinson (St. Ignatius)
Make no mistake- In spite of all the great match-ups of this tournament; from an Ohio perspective, Logan Stieber versus David Taylor is THE match of the tournament. This is a battle of two wrestler who are nearly a lock to become 4x state champions and will likely go down among the all-time Ohio greats.
David Taylor has not only dominated all comers in Ohio with the exception of the early-season loss to Sergent (avenged the next week) but has completely dominated Fargo for the past two years, with only a fluke touch fall (as he was nearing a tech) in the 2005 Greco Finals keeping him out of the exclusive group of four-time Cadet National Champions. Taylor won the Ironman and Beast of the East last year as a freshman, knocking off highly-rated wrestlers such as Fred Santaite, Boris Novachkov, and Ben Sergent. However, what was really impressive his freshman season is that Taylor won despite being a very small 103. Thinking about it this way: Taylor won Fargo at 91 lbs in the summer before his freshman year, and 98 lbs. in the summer after. If we figure that he grew an equal amount throughout the year that would put his ideal weight class last season at around 95 lbs. In other words, as a percentage of size, Taylor's season was the equivalent of a 140 wrestling 152. Despite being so drastically undersized, Taylor earned the #2 ranking in the nation. By the end of the season you could see a huge difference as Taylor had become a bigger (though still undersized) 103 and dominated a great field at state.
A non-stop attacker with a highly-creative style, Taylor overcame the size disadvantage by never letting up for an instant- in any flurry, he always has one more move and seemingly limitless energy. Taylor is also perhaps the best wrestler in the nation from the top position regardless of grade or weight. This year, Taylor will be wrestling guys his own size- and is a year older and more experienced. In my view there isn't a wrestler in the nation who is within eight points of Taylor this season………with one huge exception.
I forsee Logan Stieber- from tiny Monroeville Ohio- becoming the star that transcends Ohio wrestling over the latter part of this decade in much the way that Alan Fried and Dustin Schlatter did before him. Stieber is a machine who simply destroys top opponents in all phases of the sport- power, speed, and technique. Over the past year Stieber has made a virtual mockery of national competition. In the cadet national finals against a very tough Chris Villalonga, Stieber piled up fourteen unanswered points in less than three minutes of action. That would project to a score of 29-0 over a six minute match. But the thing is- it wasn't just that match- that's every match for Stieber, or should I say, every period of every match. Between FILA Cadet Nationals and Cadet Nationals Stieber scored a "tech" (six point advantage) or pin in every period of every match except one, when he beat the eventual third place finisher 6-0, 4-1. This was the only point allowed by Stieber between the two national tournaments- a run which saw Stieber outscore his opponents 101-1. Included in Stieber's great run was a 6-0,6-0 win over Junior National Runner-up Jon Morrison. There are never any guarantees- and I realize this is a bold prediction before he wrestles his first high school match- but it is my view that Stieber is headed toward becoming one of the all-time greats. This match is chapter one of what could become an epic rivalry.
Jamie Clark is a third cadet national champion here. Clark is almost a
forgotten national champion here with all the hype of the Taylor/Stieber final. Clark is an outstanding talent himself- in fact he went unscored upon in Fargo- but he is still a very light 103 just as Taylor was last year. At this point Sam White (4th place at Cadet Nationals at 105) may be the third best in the field.
Another wrestler to watch is Jerome Robinson of St. Ignatius. Robinson is much better than his #13 seed. A much bigger 103 than Clark, I could see him possibly placing as high as 3rd and no lower than 5th. Robinson took nationally ranked Mark Rappo into overtime at Super 32. Robinson will meet Sammy White on Friday night in the 2nd round.
OHIO WRESTLING SITE PROJECTION: LOGAN STIEBER OVER DAVID TAYLOR
DARKHORSE PICK: JEROME ROBINSON
112 LBS
SEEDED WRESTLERS
1. Ben Sergent (Troy Christian)
2. Steve Mitcheff (Elyria)
3. Bo Touris (Lakota West)
4. Dan Genetin (Massillon Perry)
5. Tony Ramos
6. Kyle Lang (Brecksville)
7. Kyle Matheny
8. Chris Keech
13. Zach Neibert (Graham)
This is easily the most wide-open weight class of the tournament. Consider that the #13 seed (Neibert) actually defeated the #1 (Sergent) seed less than two weeks ago.
The top ranked Ohio wrestler in Division I, Bo Touris, will face the equivalent of the state tournament in December on his side of the bracket. He'll be pitted against the dangerous Kyle Lang in the quarterfinals and most likely against state champ Steve Mitcheff in the semis (in theory- there are no sure things at this tournament). Mitcheff defeated Touris at state last year, avenging a prior loss at Brecksville.
It's my belief that Tony Ramos of Glenbard North, IL is the best wrestler in this weight class. Ramos placed only 5th at Cadet National freestyle last year- but that is very deceptive, as he was the third best in his weight but in the far tougher pool. However, Ramos looks to have the toughest draw of the tournament- he'll have to beat a Cadet National Finalist (Villalonga) just to reach the quarterfinals!
There are a number of wrestlers in this wide-open weight who could "shake up" the bracket. The first is #13 seed Zach Neibert of Graham. Ironically, Neibert actually defeated the #1 seeded Sergent in an All-Star match last weekend but earned the #13 seed. Neibert (who placed 6th at state) was a very light 103 this year but is now a full 112. The transfer to Graham has helped him gain David Taylor as a workout partner among others. Neibert's 2nd round match with state runner-up Danny Genetin of Masssillon Perry on Friday Night should be one of the highlights of Friday Nite.
Look for Chris Villalonga of Blair Academy to far outperform his #12 seed; in fact he is a threat to beat anyone at this weight. Villalonga dominated his pool in reaching the finals of Cadet Nationals- where he was Stieber's final victim. Unseeded freshman Nick Sulzer of St. Edward had a nice showing in Fargo and could be a surprise place-winner.
OWS PROJECTION: TONY RAMOS OVER BO TOURIS
DARKHORSE PICKS: ZACH NEIBERT, CHRIS VILLALONGA, NICK SULZER
119 LBS
SEEDED WRESTLERS
1. Nikko Triggas
2. Travis Coffey
3. Chris Sheetz
4. Ryan Fields (Lakota West)
5. Carson Beebe
6. Andrew Williams
7. Ian Squires
8. Joe Waltko
13. Pat Zamaria (Brecksville)
Ohio State bound Triggas is a huge favorite here. Triggas was possibly the most impressive wrestler of the tournament last year, handling the brilliant Collin Palmer. Crushingly powerful and tough in all phases, there is no one here who is much of a threat to him.
Ryan Fields of Lakota West could be the 2nd best guy here. Fields has a relatively clear path to the semifinals, where he will face Triggas. Fields, of course, lost badly to Palmer who lost badly to Triggas. However, look for this match to be closer than the "transitive property" might indicate.
The other side of the bracket features Junior National All-American ranked Travis Coffey and former PA "AAA" state champ Chris Sheetz. I see this one as a virtual tossup. Sheetz was a Pennsylvania state champ in 2005 but was crushed by Triggas in the Ironman semis last year.
Two guys to watch for in my view are Andrew Williams and Pat Zamaria Williams placed 3rd at Beast of the East and was a Virginia State Champion last year at 103. Williams could be a surprise finalist on the opposite side of Triggas. Despite being seeded only #13, look for the underrated Zamaria to crack the top eight.
OWS PROJECTION: TRIGGAS OVER COFFEY
DARKHORSE PICK: ANDREW WILLIAMS AND PAT ZAMARIA
125 LBS
SEEDED WRESTLERS
1. Boris Novachkov
2. Daniel Kolodzik
3. Collin Palmer
4. Anthony Valles
5. Troy Dolan
6. Colin Johnston
7. Seth Horner
8. David Prado
10. Brian Stephens
12. Brian Dean
13. Zack Hancock
I'll say this for the Ironman seeding process- with so many wrestlers having spectacular, yet difficult to compare credentials- there has to be a point system. I can't think of a better way to do it. However, sometimes the formula leads to strange results, as here. Novachkov and Kolodzik are at best the 5th and 6th best here in my view- yet have the top two seeds. This will make for some interesting matchups. Round by Round:
2nd Round: Seth Horner (#2 in Ohio Division I when the rankings get amended to reflect him being at 125) should face Brian Stephens (#1-Div.II) in one of the best matchups of the nite. Horner beat Stephens twice last year. However, Stephens had a great performance at Fargo over the summer and in my view will have the edge over Horner. Brian Dean (#2-Div.II) faces 2x Pennsylvania "AA" state champion Troy Dolan in this round as well. The "AA" divisiohn is much weaker than the "AAA" division in Pennsylvania and in my view the hard-working Dean could possibly pull off an upset here. By way of comparison, Ohio 3rd place finisher Jeremy Espinoza posted a convincing win over Dolan at the Tournament of Champions last spring. However, Dolan did win the Super 32 this fall and has to be viewed as the favorite.
Quarterfinals:
Ironically, we may have the de facto championship match in this round between Collin Palmer and Colin Johnston. Johnston was very dominant in winning the the "AAA" division of the Pennsylvania state tournament and placed 2nd in the cadet national freestyle 125 lb. class.
Daniel Kolodzik faces the winner of the Horner/Stephens battle. I look for Kolodzik to have the slightest of edges- really these three are a virtual tossup. I'm calling an "upset" here- in my view 8th seed David Prado, will beat top-seeded Novachkov. This is an interesting match-up for California fans in that Novachkov was the state champion at 103 and Prado was 4th at 125. Prado could likely surprise people- bear in mind that California has a single division of competition and lightweights that are second to none. Former 2x Cadet National Champion Anthony Valles (#12 in AWN) against Troy Dolan (#8 in AWN) is a virtual toss-up.
Semifinals:
The winner of the "Collins" (look for it to be Palmer) and winner of Valles/Dolan will be favored in their respective semifinals.
Finals:
Palmer majored Valles twice last year and there is no reason to believe Valles has closed the gap. I have a difficult time seeing Dolan beating Palmer either. Look for Palmer to be one of the most dominant wrestlers of the tournament.
OWS PROJECTION: COLLIN PALMER OVER ANTHONY VALLES.
DARKHORSE PICKS: DAVID PRADO/COLIN JOHNSTON
130 LBS
SEEDED WRESTLERS
1. Kellen Russell
2. Chase Skonieczny (Walsh Jesuit)
3. Brandon Wilson
4. Ben Canning
5. Derek Gillespie
6. Neil Birt (Lakewood St. Edward)
7. DJ Weightman
8. Chase Rinderknecht
11. Jordan Thome (Troy Christian)
12. Aaron Sulzer (Holy Name)
The 130 lb. weight class is hands-down the weakest "core" weight class in Ohio this year. The same holds true for the Ironman. Kellen Russell is a huge favorite here after winning Cadet and Junior National titles the past two summers. Chase Skonieczny (#1-Div.II, #20 Nationally www.revwrestling.com) is a solid #2 choice. Don't expect a barnburner here…..both Russell and Skonieczny tend to wrestle conservative matches against other elite opponents. I see it 5-3 Russell.
The parity here is remarkable- in fact the next ten guys are really about even. Frankly, I could see either #12 seed Aaron Sulzer or #13 seed Andrew Saunders of Illinois placing top four.
PROJECTED CHAMPION: KELLEN RUSSELL OVER CHASE SKONIECZNY
DARKHORSE PICKS: AARON SULZER/ANDREW SAUNDERS
135 LBS
SEEDED WRESTLERS
1. Max Shanaman
2. Ben Jordan (Graham)
3. Chris Diaz
4. Casey Thome (Troy Christian)
5. Travis Townsend
6. Ryan Kemmerer
7. Sidney Humphreys
8. Matt Nelson (#10 Rev)
9. Andrew Gasber (Lakewood St. Edward)
13. Ryan Sigurdson (Oak Harbor)
Here we have (on paper) a two-man battle between Shanaman and Jordan. Though it is frankly based on little more than a hunch- I'm calling the upset here and going with Jordan. Jordan has excellent defense and has the same great single his father (2x NCAA Champion) Jim Jordan had. Shanaman is not unbeatable, we saw Pat McLemore beat him at Ironman last year and Germaine Lindsey nearly did as well.
Matt Nelson is easily the third best here- and could possibly pull an upset. Though he has not yet put it together at the state tournament, he has compiled an outstanding career otherwise. Nelson defeated 2x Ohio state champion Kevin Hardy last year among others. Look for unseeded freshman David Habat to place if he receives a favorable draw.
OWS PROJECTION: JORDAN OVER SHANAMAN
DARKHORSE PICK: MATT NELSON/DAVID HABAT
140 LBS
SEEDED WRESTLERS
1. Mario Mason
2. Zack Kemmerer
3. Shawn Harris (St. Edward)
4. Nick Nelson
5. Vince Ramos
6. Germaine Lindsey (Cincinnati Moeller)
7. Cory Casady
8. Tim Miles
9. Zach Toal (Troy Christian)
14. Anthony Wills (Boardman)
This weight class features no less than six nationally ranked wrestlers. However, there is a clear "big three" and clear second tier. Zack Kemmerer is one of the best seniors in the nation in any weight class after a season that saw him win Ironman, Beast of the East, Pennsylvania's "AAA" division, and FILA Cadet Nationals. It says a lot, then, that two wrestlers in this division own records of 1-0 against Kemmerer- Mario Mason and Nick Nelson. Mason defeated Kemmerer in the summer of 2005 at the cadet freestyle national duals. Nelson defeated Kemmerer at state their sophomore seasons. Nelson and Kemmerer track for a rematch in what would be the biggest state final of the year nationwide. Kemmerer has seemingly stepped up his game since those (one-point) losses- most recently placing a very impressive 4th against the collegians at the Michigan State Open- so he is my choice.
Nelson has the dubious distinction of being the best wrestler in the country that has not yet won a state title- placing 3rd and 2nd as a middleweight in what may be the toughest state tournament in the nation. In the past two years Nelson has actually defeated three national champions (Kemmerer, Luke Ashmore, Bubba Jenkins). Both Kemmerer and Nelson are very much "control" wrestlers, I would look for a 3-2 or overtime final should they meet. However, I'm going with Mario Mason to defeat Nelson based on two things: first, this will be Mason's third time competing at the Ironman versus the first for Nelson- always an advantage in any major tournament. Second, Nelson will have a much tougher quarterfinal bout to win shortly before the semis. Obviously, this match-up is a virtual tossup if these are the factors that have swayed me. Mason is a 2005 cadet freestyle national champion, and a 2006 Junior National All-American. He is as smooth with "short offense" and counterattacks off his opponents shots as there is in the entire nation. He and Nelson have never met before to the best of my knowledge.
A huge quarterfinal takes place here in Shawn Harris versus Germaine Lindsey. Lindsey took two of three matches last year, with both wins being relatively decisive . However, Harris seemed to have really made great strides in nearly placing at Fargo, so he has probably closed the gap to a virtual tossup. This quarterfinal is in all likelihood a preview of the Division I state finals at this weight.
Finally, look for either (or both) of two outstanding yet unseeded wrestlers to place: Zach Goins (Elyria) and Joe Newland (Graham). Newland appears to be finally settling into the right spot in the Graham lineup and has the potential to pull off an early round upset should one of the "big guns" overlook him. Goins is an outstanding sophomore who placed at the very tough "Super 32 Challenge."
OWS PROJECTION: KEMMERER OVER MASON
DARKHORSE PICKS: ZACH GOINS AND JOE NEWLAND
145 LBS:
SEEDED WRESTLERS
1. Alex Meade
2. Jesse Snider
3. Coby Boyd (Graham)
4. Andrew Clement
5. Aaron Nestor
6. Dan Gonsor (St. Edward)
7. Thomas Windom (CVCA)
8. Nick Waldrup
9. Eric Gobin (Cincinnati Moeller)
13. Jesse Stevens (Lakota West)
One of the nation's best juniors towers over the field at this weight. Alex Meade of Ceaser Rodney returns after a year's absence (eligibility snafu due to transferring multiple times). Lightning-fast, two-time cadet national freestyle champion Meade is one guy that you want to make a point to watch this weekend. Meade won his cadet nationals this summer by handling Ohio Division I state runner-up Jedd Moore. He also pushed Lance Palmer hard at junior duals despite being significantly younger. Coby Boyd of Graham must have a relative on the seeding committee- he has as good of a draw as any wrestler in the tournament. The top three wrestlers in this weight other than Boyd in my estimation are Meade, Clement, and Nestor- all three ended up in the opposite bracket.
A key Ohio match-up takes place in the quarterfinals between Boyd and Dan Gonsor. This would be a rematch from last year's bout won easily by Boyd. I would not be stunned to see 7th seeded Thomas Windom of CVCA take out 2nd seed Jesse Snider. Finally, Jesse Stevens is better than his #13 seed and should place in the top eight.
OWS PROJECTION: ALEX MEADE OVER COBY BOYD
DARKHORSE PICK: JESSE STEVENS
152 LBS:
SEEDED WRESTLERS
1. Eric Medina
2. Thomas Straughn (Massillon Perry)
3. Sam Rakes
4. Michael Bressler
5. Dave Ebbott
6. Trey Edmunds
7. Tommy Weinkam (Cincinnati Moeller)
8. Travis Erdmann (University School)
11. Muhammad Abdur-Rahman (Cincinnati Princeton)
13. Jared Kusar (CVCA)
14. Robel Campbell (Troy Christian)
Like 125, this is a very interesting weight that merits a more thorough analysis. Consider: Travis Erdman of University School is seeded considerably higher than state 3rd place finishers Muhammad Abdur-Rahman and Jared Kusar (who just beat #2 seed Thomas Straughn at a preview match 13-8). With all due respect to Erdmann…….does anyone in this state (not on the University School staff or named "Erdmann" really favor him over either of these bona-fide studs? The fur is going to fly starting with the second round…..here is what to expect:
2nd Round: Key Matchups: I think Ohio pulls a clean-sweep here….I look for #11 seed Abdur-Rahman to defeat #6 Trey Edmunds Edmunds is a third place finisher in the Nevada state tournament and cadet national greco-roman champion. Similarly, I look for Jared Kusar- who appears ready to step up into the elite class of wrestlers in this state- to defeat National Prep runner-up Michael Bressler and either #5 seed David Ebbott or (more likely in my view) Bryan O'Connor, a 3rd place finisher in Illinois. The National Preps are probably no tougher than the Ohio Division II state tournament- and both Bressler and Ebbott had some losses last year to wrestlers that I can't see beating Kusar. Look for Weinkam to back up his #7 seed and win here, while Erdman's match to be a tossup. #14 seed Robel Campbell will be an underdog against a tough Sam Rakes.
Quarterfinals: Provided the prior predictions prove correct; Abdur-Rahman would match up with Sam Rakes. Rakes was 4th here last year and should be favored, though the talented Abdur-Rahman could pull an upset. In an important match for the Ohio rankings, #4 ranked (in Ohio) Weinkam should face #1 ranked Straughn. Look for Straughn to win a bout that will be closer than expected.
Semis: Straughn over Rakes in a very close bout. Eric Medina over Kusar by a decisive margin. The outstanding Medina can match Kusar's power and has more speed and ability to scramble.
Finals: 11 months ago Eric Medina was considered the top junior in the nation following dominating performances at the Ironman and Beast. Then, he was inexplicably dominated 15-4 in the National Prep Finals by an unheralded wrestler and failed to place at Fargo. However, Medina is strong, fast, a great scrambler, and tough on top. Look for him to return to form and dominate the field including Straughn.
OWS PROJECTION: ERIC MEDINA OVER THOMAS STRAUGHN
DARKHORSE PICKS: JARED KUSAR, MUHAMMED ABDUR-RAHMAN
160 LBS:
SEEDED WRESTLERS
1. Sean Nemec (Lakewood St. Edward)
2. Jason Welch
3. Mike Mahon (Cincinnati Moeller)
4. Patrick Armstrong
5. Matt Ryan
6. Daniel Tolbert
7. Brian Letters
8. Karl DeCiantis
9. Keith Witt (Oak Harbor)
11. Zac Thomusseit (Graham)
12. Matt Coleman (Massillon Perry)
13. Nick Mills (University School)
This match will be an interesting test for Ohio's top ranked senior, Sean Nemec. 17 months ago Nemec met #2 seed Jason Welch in the fifth place match at junior nationals. Welch bested him 11-2 that day. Do not look for a repeat of history here. First of all, Welch was absolutely "on fire" the entire tournament; second, strange results can happen in medal round matches once both wrestlers have wrestled about ten matches- guaranteed All-American status but are no longer in the title hunt. Last year Welch was flat-out destroyed by Medina at this tournament (in all fairness he had just come out of football). Nemec lost a very close match to Medina in their first meeting and won convincingly against him in their second. Welch is already a state champ and state runner-up as a middleweight in the very tough single division California state tournament and is only a junior. In contrast to Nemec's more controlled approach- Welch has a wide-open attacking style, so this match should come down to which wrestler is able to set the "pace" of the match.
If Nick Nelson is the best wrestler in the nation that has not won state, Brian Letters (cousin of NCAA Champ Troy) is by far the best that has not yet qualified for the state tournament. According to his Ironman biography, in his career thus far Letters has twice placed third in the very tough "Super 32 challenge" won the Powerade (one of the nation's top five tournaments), defeated a wrestler ranked #6 in the nation, beating the state Pennsylvania state runner-up and lost to the champion by a point, and placed 7th in Cadet Nationals. Letters also defeated 3x Illinois State Champion Mike Benefiel at Junior Duals last summer (sort of- Benefiel actually outscored Letters 10-3 but "lost" under the freestyle rules du jour). Letters is probably the third best here- unfortunately, his #7 seed pitts him against Jason Welch in the quarterfinals.
Mike Mahon of Cincinnati Moeller has got to like both his seed and his draw. Despite never having placed higher than 7th in the state tournament or placed in any nationally competition, Mahon is seeded #3- ahead of a NHSCA sophomore national champ, a Pennsylvania state runner-up, and Letters. He has the sophomore national champ (Danny Tolbert) in the quarterfinals, but that's a better quarterfinal opponent to draw than either Ryan or Letters in my view. Following a stellar preseason, look for sophomore Nick Mills of University School to be a surprise top eight finisher. Possibly the state's best upperweight freshman, Riley Kilroy of Padua, kicks off his career at this weight.
OWS PROJECTION: SEAN NEMEC OVER JASON WELCH
DARKHORSE PICKS: BRIAN LETTERS, NICK MILLS
171 LBS:
SEEDED WRESTLERS
1. Mike Benefiel
2. Brian Roddy (St. Edward)
3. Rob Waltko
4. Lawrence Beckman
5. David Thompson (Graham)
6. Cory Peltier
7. Cody Magrum (Oak Harbor)
8. Jared Rupp
9. Dean Gaier (Cincinnati Moeller)
11. Kurt Wolff (Genoa Area)
This is one of the deepest and most interesting fields of the tournament. You've got a very solid group wrestlers returning from last year mixed with a number of guys moving up from 152 or 160- making it very difficult to tell how they will match up.
The favorite has to be Mike Benefiel of Montini Catholic (IL). Benefiel is now a three-time state champion, growing from a 112 to a 171 in his career without missing a beat. To put it in perspective- Benefiel bumped up from 160 to 171 for the Illinois-Ohio match at junior duals last summer and outscored David Thompson 14-0. Two years ago Benefiel was champion of this tournament, winning a nailbiter over Sean Nemec in the finals (though Nemec has beaten Benefiel as well) Benefiel has to be the favorite here.
The one guy who could knock off Benefiel in my view would be Brian Roddy. The constantly attacking Roddy placed 5th at Junior Nationals last summer and should hold a significant strength advantage over Benefiel. The third contender is former cadet national champion Rob Waltko of North Allegheny (PA) High School. Waltko and Roddy willl be on a collision course for a rematch of one of the best bouts of Ironman last year. The slick Waltko jumped out to an early lead only to have Roddy mount a comeback and eventually pin Waltko in a very tight "near-side" cradle. Waltko can be very good- he actually technical falled state champion Cody Magrum in the consolation bracket last year.
To get to Waltko, Roddy will first have to get past state champion Magrum in the quarterfinals. Roddy handled Magrum fairly easily in their semifinal bout last year at Ironman. However, both have seemingly made great strides since that match.
A wrestler to match here is Cody Cheatham of Walsh Jesuit. Cheatham put together a great off-season of wrestling and looks to be one of the most improved wrestlers in the state despite moving up from 152 to 171. Look for Cheatham to possibly sneak into the top eight despite not receiving a seed. Other very good possibilities from Ohio to place in the top eight are Dean Gaier, Kurt Wolff, David Thompson, and possibly John Sinchok (CVCA).
OWS PROJECTION: MIKE BENEFIEL OVER BRIAN RODDY
DARKHORSE PICK: CODY CHEATHAM, CODY MAGRUM
189 LBS:
SEEDED WRESTLERS
1. John Weakley (CVCA)
2. Andy Thomas
3. Chris Honeycutt (Lakewood St. Edward)
4. David Marone
5. Nick Purdue (Genoa Area)
6. Scott Cust
7. Charles Weber
8. Mike Pushpak (Brecksville)
9. Rick Weatherholt (Lakota West)
10. Ryan Nelisse (Elyria)
12. Dustin Schilling (Massillon Perry)
Here we should have a rematch of one of the best matches of last season. Chris Honeycutt was the one wrestler who was able to defeat John Weakley last year. Honeycutt is a "gamer" but I would not look for him to repeat that win. Even in that match, Weakley scored three of the four takedowns in regulation, but was hampered by a series of mental miscues which resulted in penalty points for Honeycutt. I was very impressed with the poise and mental toughness Honeycutt showed in outlasting Weakley in overtime, however.
Honeycutt will have his hands full in the semifinals. Andy Thomas put together a very nice season as a freshman 160 capped by dominating the cadet nationals that summer. However, he was injured early last year and although he won his second state title he did not compete at Fargo either, meaning he has not competed against significant national competition since winning cadet nationals in July of 2005. It is very difficult to project how he compares to Honeycutt at this point.
OWS PROJECTION: JOHN WEAKLEY OVER CHRIS HONEYCUTT
DARKHORSE PICK: SCOTT CUST
215 LBS:
SEEDED WRESTLERS
1. Cody Gardner
2. Jared Platt
3. Jamey Srock (Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary)
4. Ethan Winel
5. Justin Powell (Youngstown Boardman)
6. Ryan Oddo (CVCA)
7. Gene Beatty
8. Sean Chichester
9. Jim Neumanitis (Brecksville)
10. Ben Rios (Lakewood St. Edward)
12. Ross Quehl (Cincinnati Moeller)
Outside of 103, there isn't a weight in the nation that has such a clearly defined top duo as 215. Cody Gardner is the only wrestler to beat Jared Platt in the past year, and Platt is the one guy that has pushed Gardner. This will be a rematch of the junior national finals from last summer won by Gardner.
Justin Powell is the third best here in my view. Jamey Srock is a tough wrestler but a very light 215.
OWS PROJECTION: CODY GARDNER OVER JARED PLATT
DARKHORSE PICK: JUSTIN POWELL
285 LBS:
SEEDED WRESTLERS
1. Ben Kuhar (Lakewood St. Edward)
2. Garrett Goebel
3. Frank Becker
4. Matthew Richardson
5. Adam Walls
6. Trey Dillon
7. Ira Winn
8. Zach Nolan
10. Aaron Simms (Holy Name)
The questions to be answered is whether Ben Kuhar will be back on track from his injury. Heading into Kuhar's junior season he was on pace to become one of the all-time great Ohio heavyweights. By that point he had finished 2nd in the state as a sophomore and won two cadet national freestyle titles. Then, a football injury wiped out his entire junior season. He returned for Fargo but was not the Kuhar of old, losing his first two matches to unheralded wrestlers. However, given that this is not a particularly strong field, Kuhar I think is as solid a choice as anyone. Garrett Goebel has placed 4th and 5th in the Illinois state tournament at 215 the past two years and could be the champion should Kuhar falter. The underrated Frank Becker (2nd last year) is one of three virtual co-favorites at this weight.
OWS PROJECTION: BEN KUHAR OVER GARRETT GOEBEL
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