North Carolina has four nationally-ranked senior wrestlers for the 2011-12 season. All four have claimed success at top national tournaments last spring. They represent each high school classification in the state. These young men come from the foothills of the Appalachians to the sand hills of the eastern part of the state. Most of these wrestlers live along the I-40/I-85 corridor that has become a wrestling hotbed the last several years.
Two of the wrestlers are high school teammates, while two others are former teammates that competed against each other last season. One wrestler is coached by his father. He and his two brothers have earned individual state championships, high placings and most outstanding wrestler honors in state tournament competitions the last several years. Three of these wrestlers have earned Most Outstanding Wrestler honors after winning their ï¬rst high school state championship. Nine have achieved their goal of becoming a state champion. One other, having come up short twice, gets ready for his final attempt to achieve this elusive honor.
Meet North Carolina's Top 10 wrestlers from the Class of 2012.
1. Jesse Doyle (Wheatmore)
Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 182/195
Projected College Weight Class: 197
Jesse DoyleDoyle ï¬nished his freshman season as a state qualiï¬er and earned his ï¬rst All-American honors the following spring as the tournament runner-up in the NHSCA Freshman Nationals. During his sophomore season Doyle had a third-place ï¬nish in the high school state tournament and again earned All-American honors in the spring. During the summer of 2010 Doyle was a Cadet National finalist in Fargo, placing second in Greco-Roman.
In the fall of 2010 Doyle placed eighth in the prestigious Super 32 Challenge. At the conclusion of the 2010-11 season Doyle won his ï¬rst high school state championship and was awarded the Most Outstanding Wrestler award for the 2A state tournament. He ï¬nished the season with a 45-1 record. During the spring Doyle ï¬nished third at the NHSCA Junior Nationals, was a double All-American at FILA Cadets, placing ï¬fth in Greco and fourth in freestyle. At the FILA Cadet Nationals in April Doyle pinned two-time Fargo Cadet freestyle and Greco-Roman champion Mitch Silga of Indiana en route to his fourth-place ï¬nish. Doyle also competed in the FILA Junior Nationals in Cleveland, Ohio. There he wrestled up an age group and earned All-American honors, placing eighth. Last summer Doyle was off to a great start in the Junior Greco-Roman tournament in Fargo, but had to injury default from the tournament after getting a bad cut across his nose while throwing his opponent. Doyle is just now getting back to training from that injury and he plans to start off the season by competing in the Super 32 Challenge in October.
Doyle has received many letters and phone calls from college coaches yearning for his services. His academic accomplishments are on par with his wrestling achievements. He carries a weighted 3.9 GPA and has scored 1150 on the verbal and math portions of the SAT. Doyle recently gave a verbal commitment to Iowa State.
2. Tony Deangelo (Southern Alamance)
Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 138
Projected College Weight Class: 141/149
Tony DeangeloAs a freshman Deangelo was a state qualiï¬er and a NHSCA Freshman Nationals All American, placing eighth. In 2010 he placed fourth at the state tournament then elevated his wrestling six weeks later to win the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals. He defeated New York's three-time state champion Quinton Murphy in the ï¬nals. At the NHSCA Junior Nationals last spring Deangelo again was a ï¬nalist, but dropped a decision to Pennsylvania's state champion Mitch Minotti.
Deangelo comes from a highly-competitive wrestling family. He is coached at Southern Alamance by his father Randy Deangelo. His older brother Joey was a two-time state ï¬nalist, a state champion in 2010, and is currently a wrestler for Nassau Junior College. Deangelo's younger brother Jake has placed third in the state tournament both his freshman and sophomore seasons. Deangelo is still undecided about where to attend college. This fall he plans to take official visits to UNC-Chapel Hill, Missouri, Indiana and Appalachian State. Deangelo plans to compete at the Super 32 Challenge again this fall.
3. Chris Caton (Northside Christain) Academy
Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 126
Projected College Weight Class: 125/133
Chris CatonUntil last spring Caton was a three sport athlete at Northside playing football and baseball along with wrestling. Because of this he did not compete in spring and summer national events. Last spring he gave up baseball and competed in the NHSCA Junior Nationals. Caton breezed to the 125-pound ï¬nals where he lost a hard fought 4-2 decision to four-time Florida state champion Rossi Bruno. Caton is perhaps the most athletic of North Carolina's top ten wrestlers this season. He has a very aggressive style of wrestling and is at his best when in the neutral position. Caton has scheduled four ofï¬cial visits to colleges so far and is inclined to prefer one of the service academies. His top choices are: Air Force, Navy, UNC-Chapel Hill, Virginia and
Appalachian State.
4. Garrison White (JR Robinson)
Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 126/132
Projected College Weight Class: 125/133
Garrison WhiteLast spring white earned All-American honors placing third in the FILA Cadet tournament in Akron, Ohio. He was a USA Wrestling Southeast Regional champion in Atlanta, Georgia and was a champion at the Brockport, New York tournament. In the Southeast Regional he defeated Fargo National third place winner Sammy Jones of Louisiana. White lost his ï¬rst match in the FILA Cadet tournament in Akron, Ohio, but then won ï¬ve straight matches to ï¬nish third. Since this was a world team trail tournament, he next defeated Fargo Greco All-American Jacob Scmitt of Michigan for true second. This earned White ï¬rst alternate status for the FILA Cadet World Team. At Fargo White had a sold 4-2 record in freestyle.
White is a very good technical wrestler that stays in good position and is always looking to score points. White, a member of the Arrichion Wrestling Club, wrestles and practices year round. He is also an excellent student. He carries a 4.8043 weighted GPA, unweighted 3.9348. He has 1930 SAT and 30 ACT scores. He plans to take his talents to either Stanford or Northwestern next year.
5. Cameron King (Trinity)
Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 195/220
Projected College Weight Class: 197
Analysis: King placed third in the state tournament at 171 pounds his sophomore season. As a junior he was a 215-pound state champion. When King was a freshman he was a teammate of Jesse Doyle at Trinity. The next year a new school was opened in their county and Doyle started going to this school. Last season Doyle bumped up to 215 pounds to wrestle King in an important dual meet. King won a hard-fought decision, giving Doyle his only loss of the year. King went on to win his ï¬rst state championship and ï¬nish with a 50-3 record. Last spring King earned All-American honors at the NHSCA Junior Nationals, placing seventh. King is a dedicated wrestler with good takedown skills. He has been a NCUSA Fargo team member a couple of times, but has yet been able to break into those tournaments All-American ranks. King is a year-round wrestler, traveling to many off season tournaments with his Arrichion team members and coaches throughout the year.
6. Joey Moon (Southern Alamance)
Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 145
Projected College Weight Class: 149
Analysis: There is a saying in wrestling circles that most great wrestling champions have great wrestling workout partners. At Southern Alamance this holds true. Joey Moon and Tony Deangelo have been friends and workout partners for some time now. Last season both won their ï¬rst state championships and both were NHSCA Junior National All-Americans. Moon placed fourth in the NHSCA Junior Nationals last spring. Moon was a North Carolina high school state fourth-place winner in 2010. Last season he dominated in the state tournament, scoring a tech fall and three major decisions. During the 2010-11 season, Moon lost only one match where he ï¬nished the year with a 41-1 record and the 4A 135-pound high school state championship. His only loss was a 3-2 decision to 4A senior 130-pound state champion Jovontae Coleman. Both Deangelo and Moon compete for the Hurricane Wrestling Club in the offseason.
7. Dustin Roemer (Pinecrest)
Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 152
Projected College Weight Class: 149/157
Analysis: Roemer was a state qualifier his freshman year and placed sixth as a sophomore. Last season he won his first state championship and finished the season with a 49-1 record. Roemer is an old school "pinner." He scored 33 pins and four tech falls last season. In the state tournament he dominated scoring a tech fall, a pin and a major decision. In the state finals match he won by a decision, avenging his only loss of the season. Roemer should make a nice addition to most any college wrestling team.
8. J.J. LaPlante (West Wilkes)
Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 132
Projected College Weight Class: 133
Analysis: Another good prospect, LaPlante is a solid wrestler with good technical skills. He has a lean body style with good reach and balance. He was a state runner-up as a freshman and has won his ï¬rst state championship as a sophomore. Last season, competing at 125 pounds, Laplante won his second state championship and ï¬nished the season with a 41-4 record.
9. John Sparks (Green Hope)
Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 120
Projected College Weight Class: 125
Analysis: Sparks was a state qualiï¬er as a freshman and again as a sophomore. As a junior, Sparks had a dominating season. He won his ï¬rst state championship and ï¬nished the season with a 47-0 record. Of these he scored 30 pins. Only four of Sparks' wins this past season were decisions. Sparks wrestled at 112 pounds his junior season. He could be a career 125-pounder in college.
10. Joseph Anders (Trinity)
Projected 2011-12 High School Weight Class: 132
Projected College Weight Class: 133
Analysis: Anders placed sixth in the state tournament as a freshman. He was a state runner-up as a sophomore and again as a junior. The state ï¬nals was his only loss of the year. He ï¬nished the season with a 32-1 record.
Honorable Mention:
Carson Joyce (Chatham Central), Two-time state champion
Hayden Albert (Fred T Foard), State runner-up
Tyrone Mason (Cedar Ridge), Two-time state runner-up
Alex Cabrera (South Caldwell). Placed third as sophomore, runner-up 2011
John Grigg (East Gaston), Has been fourth, state qualifier, and was third last season
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