Not exactly predictions, but comparisons of results against top New England competitors, most of whom will be competing today. Where I give the place-winner's finish it's from their State open championship unless otherwise noted. Weight in parentheses are weight at time of match, or finish weight of out-of-state wrestler. This list is extensive but not exhaustive; please add any other results you know against other state place-winners or corrections you know of.
106: Caltagairone, L CT 2; Williams, L ME 2; Holland, L MA 1. So no quality wins I know of. Two talented RI frosh here, but with Ferri MA, Holt NH and Craig of ME, plus Richards MA I think they're a year from placing. We'll see, but Mass. alone is deep.
113: Mountain, L CT M 3; Young, W CT S 6, L NH 2 (120), L CT L 2 (120); Watts, ? Not sure any quality wins here, but Young has been tested and been to NE's before. Not as deep a class as in past years but Camacho of Danbury CT is a New England champ-in-waiting.
120: Hussy, L CT LL2; Wheeler, ?; Mountain, L CT LL 3 (106). No quality wins but Hussey has been wrestling even better as the season went on. This is a fairly deep N.E. class topped by an absolute beast of a freshman in McGonigle of Timberlane, plus Derosa and Morris of Mass, Opsal of Conn and Delgado and Shorey of Maine. Very tough to get a place-winner here.
126: Disano, W MA 3,4; Brown, W CT LL 6; Leite, ? Now it gets interesting. I don't know that Disano has lost in N.E. (he had a dual against Moynihan of Xavier who CT #1 but didn't compete in State Open; I don't know how that turned out). I don't that Brown has lost to NE competition except Disano, and he's a previous NE placer. One MassWrestling prognosticator has Disano winning it all, and as these things go his bracket is somewhat favorable. Could be two RI plaecers here.
132: Bloom, W CT 1 (126/120), L CT 4 (120); Celico, W MA 1,6, L NH 1, W NH 2; Stamas, W MA D1 3, L CT 1, L NH 2, L CT LL 2. Lots of talent and NE power and experience here; if only I could figure out Bloom. No quality wins at 132, well, uh, except for Celico who's taken on all comers this year and beaten them all except a last second OT loss to NH Open champ. And Stamas is battle-tested against quality NE competition. I would be extremely disappointed if one or more of this trio didn't place, and one or both finalist is entirely possible. Big but though: Kane of New Fairfield, CT.
138: Rivet, W MA 6, L MA 6, W NH 2; Soto, ?, McGill, ? Get's interesting here. Rivet has been tested but split with Costa of New Bedford, though picked on MassWrestling as possible champ (he beat MA previous #1 Lee). Soto missed some of the season but has the experience and strength, and McGill has NE tourney experience. Good chance for a place-winner, especially since no one named Kane is in the bracket.
145: Jerez, ? Teves, W VT 5; McCarron, L ME 1. Tougher group to call since Jerez has stayed in state and Teves' success came outside NE. Solid weightclass with returning champ Kane at the top, but good RI representation could eke out a place.
152: Sangare, W CT LL 2, L MA 2 (160), L ME 3 (160); Duran, ?; Salazar, ? Sangare has a quality win and quality losses were up a weight. Duran had a terrific season, and with defending champ Peters of NH out for the season due to injury there's no heavy favorite here, though plenty of tough guys from Mass and Conn, again.
160: Francis, W MA 2, W CT S 2, L CT LL 4; Jarrell, W VT 3; Johnson, L MA 7. Some love for Francis on MassWrestling, and there's no Odell or Reyes here. I think he also has a close loss in NH tourney, but this is his do-or-do-not time. Jarrell is an up-and-comer and Johnson has the experience to take a match or two.
170: Peoples, L CT 2 (182); Wrzesien, W CT S 4, L CT S 2; O'Hara, W MA D1 2. Some good talent and experience here, but this class does have Odell and Reyes. Tough to get a place-winner here, but Peoples is a talent with experience, and he's at his own weight.
182: Sauro, W MA 2, L NH 1, W NH 2; Lundsten, W CT S 4 (170); Balon, ? Finally, Sauro in the New England tournament. Two 4th places and sore ribs kept him out til now. In 2014 I noted he beat 5-6 guys in the NE's that season, including the runner-up. As a reward he gets Settles again in the quarters (lost in MA finals on illegal slam) and the indomitable Falbo of Conn in the semis. One predictor has Lunsten in the finals, but I don't see him getting past CT 2 Caffey. 3rd and 4th wouldn't be bad at all here.
195: Skawinski, W CT 4, L MA 1; Moreira, L CT 4, Haskell, ? I like Skawinski's chances, but I felt the same about Giorgi. The loss to Whitley was a bad one, and Barreiro of NH is back to defend, but I don't think there's anyone else he can's hang with. We'll see.
220: Fenwick,
Burdick, W CT 6, L CT M 1, L NH 2; Martino, L MA 2. I don't know what to say. Fenwick is a completely blank slate, but he did beat Martino and Burdick in the same day going the distance, and I pretty sure the three guys that finished ahead of him at NE's last season are gone. He could win it all or get gassed early. Both Burdick and Martino could squeak in. A real boom or bust class for RI. Fusco of Mass will be a test.
285: Torbio, ? Cole, L MA 5, L NH 2,3; Brown, L VT 1. No quality wins here, and with Sokol, Carnavale and others from MA and Heald of NH back I don't see our big guys breaking through, but I'd love to be wrong.
Burdick, W CT 6, L CT M 1, L NH 2; Martino, L MA 2. I don't know what to say. Fenwick is a completely blank slate, but he did beat Martino and Burdick in the same day going the distance, and I pretty sure the three guys that finished ahead of him at NE's last season are gone. He could win it all or get gassed early. Both Burdick and Martino could squeak in. A real boom or bust class for RI. Fusco of Mass will be a test.