State Championships Calendar
As we prepare for the start of the season, let's lay out when the state championships in each state will be conducted:
Individual:
12/13 & 12/14 -- Alaska (Class 123A), they conduct a fall season
2/7 & 2/8 -- Alaska (Class 4A)
2/13 to 2/15 -- Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Tennessee, and Utah
2/14 & 2/15 -- Arkansas, Florida, Montana, North Dakota, and Texas
2/20 to 2/22 -- Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, and North Carolina
2/21 to 2/22 -- Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, National Prep, Nevada, New Mexico, Virginia, and Washington
2/27 to 3/1 -- Idaho, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, and Wisconsin
2/28 & 3/1 -- Hawaii, Kansas, Minnesota, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Wyoming
3/6 to 3/8 -- Pennsylvania
3/7 & 3/8 -- California, New England, and Maryland
3/7 to 3/9 -- New Jersey
Dual:
1/9 to 1/11 -- Georgia
1/31 & 2/1 -- Tennessee
2/6 to 2/8 -- Pennsylvania
2/8 -- North Carolina and Ohio
2/11 -- Delaware
2/13 -- North Dakota
2/15 -- Maryland, Oklahoma, and South Carolina
2/16 -- New Jersey
2/19 -- Iowa
2/21 & 2/22 -- Michigan
2/27 -- Minnesota
3/1 -- Illinois and Nebraska
3/7 & 3/8 -- Wisconsin
Football/Wrestling Combos
While winter sports are just beginning in high schools across the country, the football season is still not over for some teams across the country. With certain teams making deep postseason runs, it will take some wrestlers out during the course of the early season. Here is a breakdown of the football successes for programs in the top 25 portion of the Fab50:
No. 3 Montini Catholic, Ill., has its starters in the last four weight classes all on an undefeated 13-0 football team that will be going for an Illinois Class 5A state title on Saturday night. With a win, this would be a fifth consecutive title for the Broncos. Michael Maduko, the starting 182-pound wrestler, is the team's leader in tackles from a linebacker position. Defending state champion Anthony Ferraro, slated to start at 195 pounds this year, also is a starting linebacker. Two-time state placer Edgar Ruano, the projected 220-pound starter and a Junior National double All-American, stars along the defensive line. Michael Johnson, ranked No. 6 in the nation at 285 pounds, is a starter along the offensive line. Two weeks from the state title game is the Walsh Ironman, so it will be interesting to see (1) if they participate (2) what shape they are in.
Nick Nevills (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)No. 11 Detroit Catholic Central, Mich., has two potential starters on a football team that is playing for a Division 1 state title on Saturday. Returning state placer Nick Giese is slated as the 195/215-pound starter, and plays fullback and linebacker on the football team; while Dylan Roney is in contention to start at 285 pounds, and the Naval Academy football commit is a fullback and defensive end on the football team. The Shamrocks open their wrestling season next Saturday with dual meets against No. 24 St. Edward, Ohio and CVCA, Ohio; they also have a showdown with No. 20 Davison, Mich. two weeks from today (December 11th).
No. 13 Cincinnati Moeller, Ohio, has at least four starters on a football team that plays in a Division I state semifinal on Saturday night, as the Crusaders seek to defend the state football title that they won last year. State placer from 2011 Dean Meyer is slated to start at 170 pounds this wrestling season, and is a running back on the football team. Defending state champion Dakota Sizemore, who is ranked No. 15 at 182 pounds, is the starting middle linebacker. Returning state runner-up Quinton Rosser, who will start at 195 pounds, is also a linebacker. Defending state champion Chalmer Frueauf, who is ranked No. 5 nationally at 285 pounds, is a starter on the defensive line. Moeller opens its wrestling season next Saturday with the Moeller Duals, the date of a potential state title game, and the Walsh Ironman is two weekends from now.
No. 15 Broken Arrow, Okla., has two starters on a football team which has advanced to the state semifinals this Friday night in Class 6A. A pair of impact defensive linemen, Gage Kaiser and Quintonio Tolon, is slated to start at 195 and 220 pounds respectively. The Tigers open their season with a dual meet one week from Thursday, a tri-meet the next evening, and the Gardner-Edgerton Invite in Kansas one week from Saturday. The week after that is the Walsh Ironman.
No. 17 Marist, Ill., had five starters on a football team which was eliminated this past Saturday in the Class 8A state semifinal round. The Red Hawks open their season next weekend with a tri-meet on Friday night and a quad on Saturday at Washington, where they are slated to have a dual meet against No. 2 Oak Park River Forest, Ill. State qualifier Nick Gasbarro is slated to start at 145 pounds this year, and was a defensive back on the football team. Two-time state placer Peter Andreotti, who is ranked No. 14 nationally at 160 pounds, plays the running back position. The starter at 195 pounds was a member of the football team -- either wide receiver/defensive back Flynn Nagel or linebacker Kenny Condon. Offensive linemen Mitch Schleyer and Jake Ford as slated to start at 220 and 285 respectively.
No. 18 St. Peter's Prep, N.J., has starters in the back three weight classes on a football team, which will be playing for a Non-Public Group 4 state title next weekend. Two weekends from that game is the opening date of wrestling in New Jersey, for which the Marauders will be competing in the Beast of the East. Returning state placer Jordan Fox, slated to start at 195 pounds this year, is a linebacker in football. Two-time state qualifier Armond Cox, slated to start at 220 this year, is a defensive lineman. Returning state placer Jose Palomino, slated to start at 285, is an offensive lineman.
No. 24 St. Edward, Ohio, has its back three weight classes manned by wrestlers also on a football team playing in the state semifinals on Saturday night. Projected 195-pound starter Michael O'Malley is a defensive lineman. Junior National freestyle All-American Parker Knapp, projected to start at 220 pounds, is a defensive lineman. Projected starter at 285 pounds Ralph Nichols is a linebacker. The Eagles open their season with a tri-meet one week from Saturday, which would be the day of a state title football game, against No. 11 Detroit Catholic Central, Mich. and CVCA, Ohio. The Walsh Ironman is the next weekend.
Actual wrestling: Moore-Prettyman Invitational
One of the states that start its wrestling season this weekend is Illinois, and there are a couple of notable tournaments in the Land of Lincoln on the docket. One of those events is the Moore-Prettyman Invitational hosted by Barrington High School on Friday and Saturday; finals slated for 4:15 p.m. Eastern Time. No. 19 Marmon Academy and Libertyville, who is ranked seventh in Class 3A by Illinois Matmen, anchor the 21 squad field.
From an individual standpoint, the 113-pound weight class is the one which will merit most attention. Two-time state placer, and Junior freestyle third place finisher Michael Cullen (Cary Grove, Ill.) leads a field that features three other state placers and another state qualifier. Those wrestlers are Travis Piotrowski (Prairie Ridge, Ill.), third at state last year and Cadet freestyle All-American; two-time state placer Anthony Bosco (Marmion Academy, Ill.); state sixth placer Nicholas Koch (Fox Lake Grant, Ill.); and state qualifier Jared Sims (Joliet West, Ill.)
The 126-pound weight class could feature an interesting showdown between three-time state champion Johnny Jimenez (Marmion Academy, Ill.), who is ranked No. 10 nationally; and Stephen Polakowski (Libertyville, Ill.), a Junior freestyle All-American and Preseason Nationals champion. Also likely in this weight class is state qualifier Logan Hanselmann (Cary Grove, Ill.)
It will be a pair of Cadet Nationals runner-up finishers likely to be at 152 pounds, with Joey Gunther (Libertyville, Ill.) and Trace Carello (Marmion Academy, Ill.) both here. Joining them in the weight class is returning state fifth place finisher Justin Maslow (Hinsdale South, Ill.). Finally, at 285 pounds, No. 4 in the nation Brian Allen, a three-time state placer and defending state champion, anchors the weight class. Also here is returning state qualifier Chris McDermand (Libertyville, Ill.)
Blair Academy back in the Ironman
After being ruled out of the Ironman by the National Federation of High School State Associations (NFHS) just under two weeks ago, No. 1 Blair Academy, N.J. is back in the Ironman. After protest from Blair Academy, the NFHS reversed its original decision on Tuesday morning. The Ironman, to be held at Walsh Jesuit High School in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio on December 13th and 14th, now features seven of the nation's top ten teams. For full information, check out http://www.walshironman.com.
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