Post by charles on Oct 9, 2019 10:12:08 GMT -5
#8 Joziah Fry (Highlighted) 113
Michael Joyce (Mentioned) 120
2019 Super 32 Lightweight Preview
View Full 2019 Super 32 Coverage
Oct 7, 2019
Willie Saylor
Everyone knows Super 32 is one of the toughest high school tournaments in the country. (I'd posit that it's the most difficult open folkstyle tournament in the world.)
And as its field and depth grows, the number of its alumni that go on to do work at the NCAA level becomes more and more correlated; 13 of the 20 NCAA finalist this year were also Super 32 placers.
Additionally the field this year includes 235 of the 600 total Big Boarders for 40% of all the top talent.
From 106 through 145, the brackets will contain more than half of the nation's Top 20 per weight.
Below is the top contenders, notes and picks for the first four weights. Look for the middleweight and upperweight previews coming later in the week. Fill up on all the Super 32 intel and then buckle up to watch it unfold. Pro Tip: don't miss the quarterfinal round on Sunday at 8am. It's perhaps the best round of high school wrestling all year.
Watch Super 32 LIVE on FloWrestling
Saturday & Sunday, October 12 & 13 | Starting at 8:00AM ET
106: Entries - 165
Last Year’s Final: Stevo Poulin (NY) DEC Drake Ayala (IA), 11-8
2009 Final: Joey Dance (VA) dec. Freddie Rodriguez (MI) 6-4
The Ranked:
#1 Cory Land (AL) - NHSCA Champ
#4 Mitchell Neiner (WA) - Fargo Runner-Up
#6 Mason Gehloff (MN)
#7 Danny Sheen (IL) - Fargo Champ
#8 Jore Volk (MN) - Fargo Champ
#9 Carter McCallister (MO) - Fargo 3rd
#10 Brandon O'Brien (IA) - Fargo Runner-Up
#11 Peyton Fenton (OH) - State Champ
#12 Carter Fousek (IA)
#14 Mac Church (PA) - Akron Runner-Up
#15 Kai Owen (FL) - Fargo 4th
#16 Caden Horwath (MI) - Fargo Runner-Up
#17 Clarence Moore Jr (CA)
#18 Tyler Vazquez (NJ)
#19 Charlie Farmer (IL) - Fargo 5th
#20 Joseph Fernau (IL) - Fargo 6th
Other Contenders:
Gary Steen PA
Greyson Clark WI
Dylan Gilcher MI
Cisco Cabrera CA
Maxximus Martinez CA
Camron Phetxoumphone IA
Beau Mantanona CA
Kyle Montaperto NC
Nathanael Jesuroga IA
Koy Buesgens MN
Cam Soda MA
DJ Gillett OR
Jaden Pepe PA
Brayden Sonnentag WI
Brandon Cannon CO
Cael Keck MO
Danny Martinez FL
Gabe Giampietro DE
Bryce Luna CA
Ryder Block IA
Hayden Cunningham PA
Zack Soda MA
Benjamin Aranda IL
Tyler Kasak PA
Jacob Brya MI
Sam Goin IN
Marlon Yarbrough OH
Commentary: Absolutely phenomenal weight with 16 of the 20 ranked wrestlers including #1 guy in Cory Land who won NHSCA’s in a deep bracket, and made Akron finals in both styles. He’s tough and scrappy and you need that to navigate a tournament as deep as S32. He has all the ingredients of a S32 Champ.
He leads almost two dozen Fargo/Akron AA’s with some twists in there as well. Both Gary Steen, who was 3rd at Ironman last year, and Max Martinez, last year’s Akron Runner-Up, have changed weights to 106.
Kai Owen just beat Horwath in the Grappler Fall Classic finals. Volk beat Horwath, another Davison product coached by Paul Donahoe, in Fargo Cadet finals. Sheen beat O’Brien in Fargo Cadet finals.
I really like Fenton, too. Look at the track record of Ohio big school 106 champs. Fenton won a very deep bracket there last year and returns at the same weight.
I have two guys to look out for that may not be household names. Tyler Vasquez is gonna be a star. Whether that happens as soon as this weekend is to be determined but trust me, he’s coming. Also give me Cisco Cabrera to make a splash.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Fenton 2. Land 3. Steen 4. Vasquez
113: Entries - 158
Last Year’s Final: Richie Figueroa (CA) DEC Greg Diakomihalis (NY), 5-4
2009 Final: Jerome Robinson (Ohio) dec. Brandon Jeske (Virginia) 3-2
The Ranked:
#3 Jeremiah Reno MO - Returning 3rd
#4 Nico Provo CT - Fargo Runner-Up
#6 Braxton Brown TX - Returning 4th
#8 Joziah Fry RI - Fargo 5th
#9 Yusief Lillie WA - Fargo 4th
#11 Jett Strickenberger CO - Akron 5th
#12 Jacob Rivera CA - State 6th
#13 Brady Hankin CO - Fargo 5th
#14 Blake West MN - Fargo Runner-Up
#15 Eli Griffin OK - Fargo 3rd
#16 Kelly Dunnigan NJ - Returning 5th
#17 Carter Dibert PA - State Champ
#18 Max Black CO
#19 Diego Sotelo IL - Ironman 8th
#20 Joseph Cangro NJ - Journeyman 2nd
Other Contenders:
Andrew Harmon PA
Joe Davi NJ
Aiden Lewis PA
Reid Nelson MN
Jackson Baglio NC
Sulayman Bah NY
Jackson Bond GA
Tryon Kaess WA
Erik Roggie VA
Joseph Manno NJ
Ryan Luna CA
Jordan Soriano NY
Isaiah Gamez CO
Jacob Moon OH
Braxton Appello PA
Richard Treanor NC
Cole Thomas KY
Kenny Sailas CO
Mason Brugh OH
Nathan Roth PA
Christian Decatur NC
Hunter Adrian MA
Jacob Craig PA
Evan Kinney MA
Nolan Gessler OH
Kyle Hauserman PA
Danny Nini FL
Fernando Barreto CA
Weston Dalton CO
Jack Maida NJ
Alexzander Cottey IN
Benjamin Monn PA
Nick Gonzalez IL
Josiah Encarnacion NY
Commentary: Another fantastic weight with 15 of the 20 ranked wrestlers in the country. The field is led by perennial Top 5 Jeremiah Reno who was 3rd at both Fargo and last year's S32 where his only loss was to then-#1 Greg Diakomihalis.
Next up is Nico Provo who had a monster summer. He was 3rd at FloNationals losing only to #1 Richie Figs, and then 2nd at Fargo to Jordan Williams (who is in this field at 120).
Ironman finalist Braxton Brown is next.
The rest of the field is full of parity and incredibly deep. Joziah Fry had a breakout Fargo. And then look at all the Colorado talent. Three ranked at the weight and don't forget about Sailas, who is about as good as their ranked guys, Gamez - another CO state champ, and Dalton - a FR Big Boarder. The Colorado boys will 100% have a say in how this bracket plays out.
One guy I'm really interested in seeing is Selma's Jacob Rivera, who was 6th in Cali last year up at 120 as Selma had Top 5 guys (Figs and Lujan) at 106 and 113.
It's tough to choose a darkhorse at this weight. Anything can happen with so much parity. But give me Ohio's Jacob Moon if you're looking for an unexpected run. Him and Carter Dibert - the Pa State Champ who really hasn't done anything outside of that. I'm looking for him to confirm his elite-ish status.
I also want to see freshmen Sulyaman Bah and Joe Davi.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Provo 2. Reno 3. Rivera 4. Strickenberger
120: Entries - 198
Last Year’s Final: Lucas Byrd (OH) DEC Sam Latona (AL), 6-3
2009 Final: Chris Mecate (CA) dec. Mike Rhone (PA) 3-0
The Ranked:
#3 Maximo Renteria CA - 2x State Champ
#4 Jordan Williams OK - 2x Fargo Champ
#6 Zeke Seltzer IN - Fargo Runner-Up
#7 Jordan Titus NY - 2x State Champ
#8 Nicolar Rivera WI - Fargo Champ
#9 Drake Ayala IA - Returning Runner-Up
#10 Dean Peterson NJ - 2x State Finalist
#11 Anthony Noto NY - Returning 7th
#13 Cooper Flynn TN - Fargo 7th
#14 Dustin Norris OH - Ironman Placer
#15 Tristan Lujan CA - Returning 4th
#18 Vincent Santaniello NJ - State 3rd
#19 Brennan Van Hoecke FL - Fargo 3rd
#20 Nick Kayal NJ - State 4th
Other Contenders:
Dominic Chavez TX
Casey Swiderski MI
Colton Drousias IN
Nicholas Babin NJ
Andrew Chambal MI
Meyer Shapiro MD
Finn Solomon PA
Cole Skinner OH
Paxton Creese MN
Nain Vazquez IL
Chance Lamer OR
Gable Strickland PA
Zachary Espalin AZ
Jacob Mann MO
Jackson Arrington PA
Richard Fedalen MD
Nick Fea NY
Levi Haines PA
Troy Spratley NY
Chris Kim PA
Evan Holloway VA
Kase Mauger ID
Dylan Chappell PA
Stevie Ray Barnes IA
Ethan Fernandez NJ
Kobe Early NC
Kyle Waterman PA
Gregor McNeil PA
Blaine Brenner WI
Matthew Mayer PA
Riley Bettich IN
Brenden Barnes VA
Braden Basile FL
James Joplin NC
Garrett Grice NE
Ethan Sellers GA
Aaron Lucio MI
Rocco Camillaci NY
Christian Moder FL
Trace Ragland VA
Michael Joyce RI
Angelo Lozado CO
Vincent Robinson IL
Michael Atencio CO
Micah Roes NY
CJ Shea CT
James Latona AL
Cole Bayless PA
Dustin Smith VA
Ryan Michaels PA
Commentary:
This weight is just insane. There are 14 of the Top 20 here but it goes so much farther beyond that. The first 23 guys listed under "Other Contenders" were all ranked at some point. Then add in the FR & SO Big Boarders and you have the recipe for one of the deepest brackets I've ever seen.
Seven of the eight medalists from the Fargo Cadet 120 bracket are here. The Top 4 placers - all nationally ranked - from the New Jersey State tournament at 113. Two 3x State finalists from New York. And this year's Fargo 113 JR Champ - Drake Ayala - who made the S32 finals last year.
Maximo Renteria will enter as the favorite for many people. He's on the exclusive path to Cali 4xer status. He had a good start to S32 last year but lost to Cardenas (at 126 now) and then defaulted. Uber talented and savvy, the question will be if he can maintain pace when pushed late. And boy are there a lot of those types he could hit.
Jordan Williams also had a rough go at S32 last year despite being a universally celebrated talent. He won his firs four bouts and dropped the next two, losing to two placers (Chappel and Brown). Like Maximo, there's reason to pause in picking Williams as well. Whereas Maximo's tank might make you second guess, Williams rallies from behind just so often you have to think his magic might run out in a tournament so deep.
There are so many guys that can win, I'll skip the tedium of telling you about Seltzer (who's a whiz) and Titus and the funky Nicolar and fan favorite Drake Ayala. You all know about them.
Instead let me gush a little about Dean Peterson. His status doesn't have him in the stardom category as it does for the aforementioned but I'm here to tell ya that he's just as good. He's a two-time finalist in Jersey and he's been absolutely mashing people.
It's such an awesome bracket that PA finalists are just a footnote. And it makes for picking the placers almost a fool's errand. So I'll say this - I truly believe Maximo is the most talented of the group. If he finishes matches off instead of managing leads I think he can get it done.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Maximo 2. Peterson 3. Seltzer 4. Ayala
126: Entries - 164
Last Year’s Final: Shayne Van Ness (NJ) DEC Ryan Jack (CT), 10-6
2009 Final: Devin Carter (VA) maj. dec. Brandon Wright (IN) 13-4
The Ranked:
#5 Nic Bouzakis PA - Fargo Champ
#6 Wyatt Henson MO - Fargo 3rd
#7 Eddie Ventresca NJ - State Champ
#10 Ethen Miller MO - Fargo Runner-Up
#11 Jacob Rundell IL - FloNationals Champ
#16 Jayden Gomez CA - Fargo 6th
#17 Brayden Littell IN - Returning 8th
#20 Zachary Redding NY - 2x State Finalist
Other Contenders:
Dylan Evans PA
Aiden Riggins IA
Khyler Brewer MO
Chris Arciuolo PA
Nicholas Nardone NJ
Jager Eisch WI
Sam Hrabovsky MO
Jaekus Hines FL
McKenzie Bell NJ
Ismael Ayoub OH
Rocco Welsh PA
Antoine Allen OH
Eli Rocha MO
Mitchel Petersen MN
Cole Homet PA
Adam Allard IA
Noah Horst TN
Nicco Ruiz CA
Gavin Drexler WI
Ivan Garcia NY
Damon McGee Jr. VA
Conor Knopick NE
Cole Wilson PA
Caleb Tanner OK
Aiden Evans IA
Maximilian Leete MA
Luke Lucerne PA
Kurtis Phipps PA
Ethan Oakley NC
Jake Swink GA
David Panone GA
Pierson Manville MN
Colin Dupill VA
Kyren Butler OH
Nicholas Masters GA
Tom Crook FL
Commentary:
Kind of odd that there are 'only' eight ranked kids when the surrounding weights are well in to the double digits. That being said, there's buckets of talent here.
Bouzakis is the lead dog and I think he takes it home. At Journeymen two weeks ago he was pounding everyone in the same fashion he was in Fargo. That being said, Henson has been oh-so-close to reaching the finals at a major and he's still down at 126. He should be a title threat if he can remain consistent throughout.
Ventresca had a banner year with big wins at the Beast and a state title in Jersey. He just took a couple losses though, at Waterway Duals. Ethen Miller had a heckuva Fargo run. Let's see if he can keep it rolling, and in folk.
Rundell beat Jesse Ybarra (now #1 at 120) and Nicolar Rivera (once #1 at 106) at FloNationals. But his game there was largely dependent on a front head pinch and other freestyle-specific moves. While not 'freestyle specific', Ismael Ayoub came out of nowhere (0-2 at state tournament) to upset a bunch of good talent in Fargo. I'm keeping an eye on him.
Let's get to some under the radar type guys. Gomez hit the map in Fargo then crushed a very good field at GFC last week. He could be sneaky here. As could Nico Nardone, a returning placer.
In a recurring theme of PA State finalists that need to further confirm their place in the national pecking order (Solomon/Dibert/Arrington), I want to see more of Kurtis Phipps who could certainly be a factor here.
Finally, I've been watching and waiting for Oklahoma's Caleb Tanner to have a breakthrough. Still down at 126, I think this is probably his time to make a little noise.
And finally - what a slew of talented freshmen. Rocco Welsh, Collin Dupill, and Dylan Evans among them. I think they are staples in the rankings going forward.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Bouzakis 2. Miller 3. Henson 4. Welsh
Michael Joyce (Mentioned) 120
2019 Super 32 Lightweight Preview
View Full 2019 Super 32 Coverage
Oct 7, 2019
Willie Saylor
Everyone knows Super 32 is one of the toughest high school tournaments in the country. (I'd posit that it's the most difficult open folkstyle tournament in the world.)
And as its field and depth grows, the number of its alumni that go on to do work at the NCAA level becomes more and more correlated; 13 of the 20 NCAA finalist this year were also Super 32 placers.
Additionally the field this year includes 235 of the 600 total Big Boarders for 40% of all the top talent.
From 106 through 145, the brackets will contain more than half of the nation's Top 20 per weight.
Below is the top contenders, notes and picks for the first four weights. Look for the middleweight and upperweight previews coming later in the week. Fill up on all the Super 32 intel and then buckle up to watch it unfold. Pro Tip: don't miss the quarterfinal round on Sunday at 8am. It's perhaps the best round of high school wrestling all year.
Watch Super 32 LIVE on FloWrestling
Saturday & Sunday, October 12 & 13 | Starting at 8:00AM ET
106: Entries - 165
Last Year’s Final: Stevo Poulin (NY) DEC Drake Ayala (IA), 11-8
2009 Final: Joey Dance (VA) dec. Freddie Rodriguez (MI) 6-4
The Ranked:
#1 Cory Land (AL) - NHSCA Champ
#4 Mitchell Neiner (WA) - Fargo Runner-Up
#6 Mason Gehloff (MN)
#7 Danny Sheen (IL) - Fargo Champ
#8 Jore Volk (MN) - Fargo Champ
#9 Carter McCallister (MO) - Fargo 3rd
#10 Brandon O'Brien (IA) - Fargo Runner-Up
#11 Peyton Fenton (OH) - State Champ
#12 Carter Fousek (IA)
#14 Mac Church (PA) - Akron Runner-Up
#15 Kai Owen (FL) - Fargo 4th
#16 Caden Horwath (MI) - Fargo Runner-Up
#17 Clarence Moore Jr (CA)
#18 Tyler Vazquez (NJ)
#19 Charlie Farmer (IL) - Fargo 5th
#20 Joseph Fernau (IL) - Fargo 6th
Other Contenders:
Gary Steen PA
Greyson Clark WI
Dylan Gilcher MI
Cisco Cabrera CA
Maxximus Martinez CA
Camron Phetxoumphone IA
Beau Mantanona CA
Kyle Montaperto NC
Nathanael Jesuroga IA
Koy Buesgens MN
Cam Soda MA
DJ Gillett OR
Jaden Pepe PA
Brayden Sonnentag WI
Brandon Cannon CO
Cael Keck MO
Danny Martinez FL
Gabe Giampietro DE
Bryce Luna CA
Ryder Block IA
Hayden Cunningham PA
Zack Soda MA
Benjamin Aranda IL
Tyler Kasak PA
Jacob Brya MI
Sam Goin IN
Marlon Yarbrough OH
Commentary: Absolutely phenomenal weight with 16 of the 20 ranked wrestlers including #1 guy in Cory Land who won NHSCA’s in a deep bracket, and made Akron finals in both styles. He’s tough and scrappy and you need that to navigate a tournament as deep as S32. He has all the ingredients of a S32 Champ.
He leads almost two dozen Fargo/Akron AA’s with some twists in there as well. Both Gary Steen, who was 3rd at Ironman last year, and Max Martinez, last year’s Akron Runner-Up, have changed weights to 106.
Kai Owen just beat Horwath in the Grappler Fall Classic finals. Volk beat Horwath, another Davison product coached by Paul Donahoe, in Fargo Cadet finals. Sheen beat O’Brien in Fargo Cadet finals.
I really like Fenton, too. Look at the track record of Ohio big school 106 champs. Fenton won a very deep bracket there last year and returns at the same weight.
I have two guys to look out for that may not be household names. Tyler Vasquez is gonna be a star. Whether that happens as soon as this weekend is to be determined but trust me, he’s coming. Also give me Cisco Cabrera to make a splash.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Fenton 2. Land 3. Steen 4. Vasquez
113: Entries - 158
Last Year’s Final: Richie Figueroa (CA) DEC Greg Diakomihalis (NY), 5-4
2009 Final: Jerome Robinson (Ohio) dec. Brandon Jeske (Virginia) 3-2
The Ranked:
#3 Jeremiah Reno MO - Returning 3rd
#4 Nico Provo CT - Fargo Runner-Up
#6 Braxton Brown TX - Returning 4th
#8 Joziah Fry RI - Fargo 5th
#9 Yusief Lillie WA - Fargo 4th
#11 Jett Strickenberger CO - Akron 5th
#12 Jacob Rivera CA - State 6th
#13 Brady Hankin CO - Fargo 5th
#14 Blake West MN - Fargo Runner-Up
#15 Eli Griffin OK - Fargo 3rd
#16 Kelly Dunnigan NJ - Returning 5th
#17 Carter Dibert PA - State Champ
#18 Max Black CO
#19 Diego Sotelo IL - Ironman 8th
#20 Joseph Cangro NJ - Journeyman 2nd
Other Contenders:
Andrew Harmon PA
Joe Davi NJ
Aiden Lewis PA
Reid Nelson MN
Jackson Baglio NC
Sulayman Bah NY
Jackson Bond GA
Tryon Kaess WA
Erik Roggie VA
Joseph Manno NJ
Ryan Luna CA
Jordan Soriano NY
Isaiah Gamez CO
Jacob Moon OH
Braxton Appello PA
Richard Treanor NC
Cole Thomas KY
Kenny Sailas CO
Mason Brugh OH
Nathan Roth PA
Christian Decatur NC
Hunter Adrian MA
Jacob Craig PA
Evan Kinney MA
Nolan Gessler OH
Kyle Hauserman PA
Danny Nini FL
Fernando Barreto CA
Weston Dalton CO
Jack Maida NJ
Alexzander Cottey IN
Benjamin Monn PA
Nick Gonzalez IL
Josiah Encarnacion NY
Commentary: Another fantastic weight with 15 of the 20 ranked wrestlers in the country. The field is led by perennial Top 5 Jeremiah Reno who was 3rd at both Fargo and last year's S32 where his only loss was to then-#1 Greg Diakomihalis.
Next up is Nico Provo who had a monster summer. He was 3rd at FloNationals losing only to #1 Richie Figs, and then 2nd at Fargo to Jordan Williams (who is in this field at 120).
Ironman finalist Braxton Brown is next.
The rest of the field is full of parity and incredibly deep. Joziah Fry had a breakout Fargo. And then look at all the Colorado talent. Three ranked at the weight and don't forget about Sailas, who is about as good as their ranked guys, Gamez - another CO state champ, and Dalton - a FR Big Boarder. The Colorado boys will 100% have a say in how this bracket plays out.
One guy I'm really interested in seeing is Selma's Jacob Rivera, who was 6th in Cali last year up at 120 as Selma had Top 5 guys (Figs and Lujan) at 106 and 113.
It's tough to choose a darkhorse at this weight. Anything can happen with so much parity. But give me Ohio's Jacob Moon if you're looking for an unexpected run. Him and Carter Dibert - the Pa State Champ who really hasn't done anything outside of that. I'm looking for him to confirm his elite-ish status.
I also want to see freshmen Sulyaman Bah and Joe Davi.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Provo 2. Reno 3. Rivera 4. Strickenberger
120: Entries - 198
Last Year’s Final: Lucas Byrd (OH) DEC Sam Latona (AL), 6-3
2009 Final: Chris Mecate (CA) dec. Mike Rhone (PA) 3-0
The Ranked:
#3 Maximo Renteria CA - 2x State Champ
#4 Jordan Williams OK - 2x Fargo Champ
#6 Zeke Seltzer IN - Fargo Runner-Up
#7 Jordan Titus NY - 2x State Champ
#8 Nicolar Rivera WI - Fargo Champ
#9 Drake Ayala IA - Returning Runner-Up
#10 Dean Peterson NJ - 2x State Finalist
#11 Anthony Noto NY - Returning 7th
#13 Cooper Flynn TN - Fargo 7th
#14 Dustin Norris OH - Ironman Placer
#15 Tristan Lujan CA - Returning 4th
#18 Vincent Santaniello NJ - State 3rd
#19 Brennan Van Hoecke FL - Fargo 3rd
#20 Nick Kayal NJ - State 4th
Other Contenders:
Dominic Chavez TX
Casey Swiderski MI
Colton Drousias IN
Nicholas Babin NJ
Andrew Chambal MI
Meyer Shapiro MD
Finn Solomon PA
Cole Skinner OH
Paxton Creese MN
Nain Vazquez IL
Chance Lamer OR
Gable Strickland PA
Zachary Espalin AZ
Jacob Mann MO
Jackson Arrington PA
Richard Fedalen MD
Nick Fea NY
Levi Haines PA
Troy Spratley NY
Chris Kim PA
Evan Holloway VA
Kase Mauger ID
Dylan Chappell PA
Stevie Ray Barnes IA
Ethan Fernandez NJ
Kobe Early NC
Kyle Waterman PA
Gregor McNeil PA
Blaine Brenner WI
Matthew Mayer PA
Riley Bettich IN
Brenden Barnes VA
Braden Basile FL
James Joplin NC
Garrett Grice NE
Ethan Sellers GA
Aaron Lucio MI
Rocco Camillaci NY
Christian Moder FL
Trace Ragland VA
Michael Joyce RI
Angelo Lozado CO
Vincent Robinson IL
Michael Atencio CO
Micah Roes NY
CJ Shea CT
James Latona AL
Cole Bayless PA
Dustin Smith VA
Ryan Michaels PA
Commentary:
This weight is just insane. There are 14 of the Top 20 here but it goes so much farther beyond that. The first 23 guys listed under "Other Contenders" were all ranked at some point. Then add in the FR & SO Big Boarders and you have the recipe for one of the deepest brackets I've ever seen.
Seven of the eight medalists from the Fargo Cadet 120 bracket are here. The Top 4 placers - all nationally ranked - from the New Jersey State tournament at 113. Two 3x State finalists from New York. And this year's Fargo 113 JR Champ - Drake Ayala - who made the S32 finals last year.
Maximo Renteria will enter as the favorite for many people. He's on the exclusive path to Cali 4xer status. He had a good start to S32 last year but lost to Cardenas (at 126 now) and then defaulted. Uber talented and savvy, the question will be if he can maintain pace when pushed late. And boy are there a lot of those types he could hit.
Jordan Williams also had a rough go at S32 last year despite being a universally celebrated talent. He won his firs four bouts and dropped the next two, losing to two placers (Chappel and Brown). Like Maximo, there's reason to pause in picking Williams as well. Whereas Maximo's tank might make you second guess, Williams rallies from behind just so often you have to think his magic might run out in a tournament so deep.
There are so many guys that can win, I'll skip the tedium of telling you about Seltzer (who's a whiz) and Titus and the funky Nicolar and fan favorite Drake Ayala. You all know about them.
Instead let me gush a little about Dean Peterson. His status doesn't have him in the stardom category as it does for the aforementioned but I'm here to tell ya that he's just as good. He's a two-time finalist in Jersey and he's been absolutely mashing people.
It's such an awesome bracket that PA finalists are just a footnote. And it makes for picking the placers almost a fool's errand. So I'll say this - I truly believe Maximo is the most talented of the group. If he finishes matches off instead of managing leads I think he can get it done.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Maximo 2. Peterson 3. Seltzer 4. Ayala
126: Entries - 164
Last Year’s Final: Shayne Van Ness (NJ) DEC Ryan Jack (CT), 10-6
2009 Final: Devin Carter (VA) maj. dec. Brandon Wright (IN) 13-4
The Ranked:
#5 Nic Bouzakis PA - Fargo Champ
#6 Wyatt Henson MO - Fargo 3rd
#7 Eddie Ventresca NJ - State Champ
#10 Ethen Miller MO - Fargo Runner-Up
#11 Jacob Rundell IL - FloNationals Champ
#16 Jayden Gomez CA - Fargo 6th
#17 Brayden Littell IN - Returning 8th
#20 Zachary Redding NY - 2x State Finalist
Other Contenders:
Dylan Evans PA
Aiden Riggins IA
Khyler Brewer MO
Chris Arciuolo PA
Nicholas Nardone NJ
Jager Eisch WI
Sam Hrabovsky MO
Jaekus Hines FL
McKenzie Bell NJ
Ismael Ayoub OH
Rocco Welsh PA
Antoine Allen OH
Eli Rocha MO
Mitchel Petersen MN
Cole Homet PA
Adam Allard IA
Noah Horst TN
Nicco Ruiz CA
Gavin Drexler WI
Ivan Garcia NY
Damon McGee Jr. VA
Conor Knopick NE
Cole Wilson PA
Caleb Tanner OK
Aiden Evans IA
Maximilian Leete MA
Luke Lucerne PA
Kurtis Phipps PA
Ethan Oakley NC
Jake Swink GA
David Panone GA
Pierson Manville MN
Colin Dupill VA
Kyren Butler OH
Nicholas Masters GA
Tom Crook FL
Commentary:
Kind of odd that there are 'only' eight ranked kids when the surrounding weights are well in to the double digits. That being said, there's buckets of talent here.
Bouzakis is the lead dog and I think he takes it home. At Journeymen two weeks ago he was pounding everyone in the same fashion he was in Fargo. That being said, Henson has been oh-so-close to reaching the finals at a major and he's still down at 126. He should be a title threat if he can remain consistent throughout.
Ventresca had a banner year with big wins at the Beast and a state title in Jersey. He just took a couple losses though, at Waterway Duals. Ethen Miller had a heckuva Fargo run. Let's see if he can keep it rolling, and in folk.
Rundell beat Jesse Ybarra (now #1 at 120) and Nicolar Rivera (once #1 at 106) at FloNationals. But his game there was largely dependent on a front head pinch and other freestyle-specific moves. While not 'freestyle specific', Ismael Ayoub came out of nowhere (0-2 at state tournament) to upset a bunch of good talent in Fargo. I'm keeping an eye on him.
Let's get to some under the radar type guys. Gomez hit the map in Fargo then crushed a very good field at GFC last week. He could be sneaky here. As could Nico Nardone, a returning placer.
In a recurring theme of PA State finalists that need to further confirm their place in the national pecking order (Solomon/Dibert/Arrington), I want to see more of Kurtis Phipps who could certainly be a factor here.
Finally, I've been watching and waiting for Oklahoma's Caleb Tanner to have a breakthrough. Still down at 126, I think this is probably his time to make a little noise.
And finally - what a slew of talented freshmen. Rocco Welsh, Collin Dupill, and Dylan Evans among them. I think they are staples in the rankings going forward.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Bouzakis 2. Miller 3. Henson 4. Welsh