Mr. Observer’s 2013
AAA State
Tournament
Recap (State Wide
Edition)
By: Mr. Observer
I wanted to thank everyone for being patient with me this season as I juggled master’s classes, teaching,
and covering this great sport. I feel I could have done more in-season, but worked hard to make the
postseason the most eventful coverage out there. Next year provides big (unnecessary) changes to the
postseason format. I will write an article on that later this week. In fact, I have a few more articles I
would like to get out of my system by week’s end. Much to my wife’s chagrin as we are on vacation in
Barcelona this week. So please check back throughout the next week. I do apologize for not having this
out earlier. Trying to balance way too much in my life. But, better late than never… right?? Anyway,
now on to my end of the year recap.
106lb
What I picked correctly: Aloi winning his first title - Tommy Aloi has been impressive all year,
so this did not come as much of a surprise to me. Especially, with Brandon Olsen moving up a
weight class.
Didn’t see that coming: Josh Nail has been a consistent display of talent all season, which is
why he was viewed as one of my sleepers. I mean only losing 6-4 to Matt Asper (who was
considered his toughest challenge to overcome and make the finals), left plenty of room for him
to make improvements. At the end of the day, Josh Nail defeated two regional champions in
Alex Onufriyenko of the Eastern Region and Matt Asper of the Northern Region in route to a
runner-up finish. Not bad for a freshman. Another person I did not see coming was Alex
Onufriyenko of Cox. He suffered an early loss to Nail (12-4) and then battled back to place 3rd.
He wasn’t in my top six to begin the tournament, but he is leaving as the 3rd best in the state.
Final State Rankings:
1. Tommy Aloi – 12 – Forest Park
2. Josh Nail – 9 – Colonial Forge
3. Alex Onufriyenko – 11 – Cox
4. Matt Asper – 10 – Battlefield
5. Greyson Olimpo – 12 – Robinson
6. Connor Grammes – 9 – Mclean
113lb
What I picked correctly: JD Gregory as my sleeper - The sophomore took his game to another
level this season. His ceiling clearly raised up as the season went on. Yet, I didn’t know it would
extend to a 4-3 SV overtime ride out victory over Sean Badua. Once he gained the confidence
in taking down a returning state champion, the finals did not seem quite as daunting.
Didn’t see that coming: Landon LoAlbo was just a name I had seen on the Eastern Region
brackets. I had very little information on the young man. Yet, the junior does come from a
once proud program in Cox. Yet it was still surprising to see LoAlbo jump out of the gates with a
decisive 12-0 win and only lose two matches to defending state champion, Sean Badua (5-1, 53) in route to a 4th place finish. Quite an impressive feat!
Final State Rankings:
1. JD Gregory – 10 – Hanover
2. Sean Badua – 12 – Osbourn Park
3. Brandon Olsen – 11 – Indian River
4. Landon LoAlbo – 11 – Cox
5. Ryan Haskett – 10 – Lake Braddock
6. Bryce Gentry – 12 – Colonial Forge
120lb
What I picked correctly: Cam Timok – I went out on a (small) limb when predicting Cam would
upset the field and claim his first state title. Everything was predicated on the growth and
maturity he displayed this season. He stood out this year and my sources confirmed how well
he looked. One of the best things he had going for him was the cancelled Ocean Lakes
tournament as some of his opponents could have snuck in an early look and game planned.
Yet, that didn’t happen. Instead, Cam walked into the AAA tournament, wrestled his match for
two days, and came away with Hermitages first state champion in 20 years. I also correctly
picked the huge upset of Ibrahim Bunduka over Dalton Henderson in the first round.
Didn’t see that coming: Hunter Manley came into the tournament as a Northern Region
champion and I thought he had an excellent shot taking that next step to advance to the state
finals. Yet, Sean Button had a different idea as he bounced Manley to the consolations via a 2-1
decision. Manley is a talented wrestler and should be back in the mix next year for a state title.
Final State Rankings:
1. Cam Timok – 11 - Hermitage
2. Sean Button – 11 – Kellam
3. Dalton Henderson – 12 – Ocean Lakes
4. Aaron Bright – 12 – Oscar Smith
5. Josue Beltran – 10 – Mountain View
6. Hunter Manley – 11 – South County
126lb
What I picked correctly: Hayden Felch as a sleeper - Truth is I underestimated Felch’s ability
this past weekend. I have no problem admitting I was wrong. The young man wrestled his
heart out and made a strong showing the entire weekend. I had a feeling Clingenpeel might be
vulnerable, but not to the tune of a 6-1 loss to Felch. Hayden Felch was on his game this
weekend.
Didn’t see that coming: Reminiscent of Neal Richards a year ago, a super athletic and fast
freshman made the most of his first state tournament. Overcoming an early 3-1 deficit after
one period, Bill Adusei of Mount Vernon scored an escape and a takedown in the third period
to take a 4-3 advantage. A 3point nearfall later, and Adusei had his first state title of the 7-3
fashion. I would be a fool to not mention the accomplishments of Sawyer Barksdale. Not only
did the senior take down the state’s number one ranked wrestler in overtime, finishing top five.
He actually went 2-2 against all four regional champions. Losing only by a combined total of
four points to the state champion and 4th place finisher.
Final State Rankings:
1. Bill Adusei – 9 – Mount Vernon
2. Hayden Felch – 12 – Kellam
3. Austin Riggs – 10 – Robinson
4. Michael Flora – 12 – Hanover
5. Sawyer Barksdale – 12 – Lee Davis
6. Eddie Bracy – 12 – Ocean Lakes
132lb
What I picked correctly: Not much - Dennis Gustafson has done what very wrestlers have
done, and that is defeating Brandon Jeske. Yes Jeske hurt his arm pretty badly. But up until
that point, Gustafson had more than held his own. Jeske did not have the upper hand as
Gustafson didn’t whine or complain about his semifinal match-up. Instead, Dennis came into
the match mentally prepared, and walked out the winner as a result. He then soared through
the finals, 9-3, over an extremely tough Eric Merriam.
Didn’t see that coming: Eric Merriam was on fire for most of the tournament. Merriam only
defeated Northern Region Champion, Sean Haskett 7-4 this season. Yet he pinned him this
time around. Merriam lost 14-6 to Kyle Gordon of Matoaca at the Hopewell Classic. This time
though, he trounced Gordon 9-0. He then was able to keep it moderately close against
Gustafson, trailing only 4-2 after two periods. Gustafson ended up prevailing 9-3, but it doesn’t
water down the effort Eric Merriam put up this weekend.
Final State Rankings:
1. Dennis Gustafson – 12 – Forest Park
2. Brandon Jeske – 12 – Cox
3. Eric Merriam – 11 – Great Bridge
4. Sean Haskett – 12 – Lake Braddock
5. Kyle Gordon – 11 – Matoaca
6. Garrett Maged – 12 – Westfield
138lb
What I picked correctly: Neal Richards – Neal Richards has won two state titles in as many
years. In those two championship final matches, Richards has outscored his opponents 40-12.
What makes this even more impressive was he scored a measure of revenge against the only
wrestler who handed Richards a loss this season in the state of Virginia. So when Richards gave
up a late takedown to Corbin Allen at the Hopewell Classic (Losing 6-5), that apparently gave
Richards all the motivation he would need. My question is I wonder who would win a
takedown battle between Blake Roulo the year he won states and Neal Richards?
Didn’t see that coming: Corbin Allen may have finished second place, but no wrestler in the
tournament had a more challenging road to the finals than Corbin. On deck in the first round
was former state runner-up, Dallas Smith. It took overtime to advance 3-2 past the first round.
Then he shook off a pesky Will Inserra, the Northwest Regional Champion, 5-2. Then Allen had
to overcome a battle tested Eastern Region Champion, Tim Antonelli in the semifinals. Kellam’s
Antonelli was the one who defeated Corbin at the Beast of the East, 5-1. So this was a huge
measuring stick for Corbin as he advanced 3-1 in a gritty match. I wasn’t sure if he could pull off
such a daring challenge, but he did. In the process, cementing himself as one of the best young
wrestlers in the state today.
Final State Rankings:
1. Neal Richards – 9 – Matoaca
2. Corbin Allen – 10 – Hanover
3. Derek Arnold – 12 – Westfield
4. Dallas Smith – 12 – Robinson
5. Jerry Ronnau – 12 – Midlothian
6. Tim Antonelli – 12 – Kellam
145lb
What I picked correctly: Beau Donahue over Justus Weaver – Donahue versus Weaver was one
of the safest bets this past weekend. I almost felt guilty for claiming I was correct. Almost!
Truth is, Weaver almost didn’t make it out of the quarterfinals as he struggled against a tough
Walter Carlson of Chantilly, winning 9-7. Weaver picked it up in the semifinals, but ultimately
couldn’t overcome Beau Donahue in the finals. Donahue used a strong 1st and second periods
to build a 9-2 lead that was predominately built multiple takedowns.
Didn’t see that coming: Sean Randall-Thompson finished a distant second in the Central
Region tournament. However, he made sure he left his best on the mat for his final state
tournament appearance. A couple of strong day 1 efforts propelled Randall-Thompson into the
semifinals, which guaranteed him a top six finish. That wasn’t enough though as he found his
way into the 3rd place match and a rematch with the Central Region champion Justin Trent.
This is where he exercised an act of redemption and scored a pinfall victory to claim a top three
finish in the state.
Final State Rankings:
1. Beau Donahue – 12 – Westfield
2. Justus Weaver – 11 – Battlefield
3. Sean Randall-Thompson – 12 – LC Bird
4. Justin Trent – 11 – Colonial Heights
5. Tony Neis – 12 – Colonial Forge
6. Andy Hinrichs – 11 – Freedom (South Riding)
152lb
What I picked correctly: Taylor Misuna making the finals – I knew Sean Murphy bested Misuna
earlier this season, but I had a feeling Taylor would bounce back. And bounce back he did with
an impressive 9-2 decision over Sean Murphy in the semifinals. Then in the finals, Jack Bass of
Robinson and Misuna were tied at 1-1 apiece from the neutral position. It was then when Jack
Bass appeared content to head to overtime and Taylor Misuna made a last ditch effort at a shot
and took down a surprised Bass with two seconds remaining. It was a feel good moment for
Taylor Misuna.
Didn’t see that coming: Daniel Dodd of Varina finished 3rd in the Central Region a week ago,
yet he was a top six finisher in the AAA state tournament. We all knew the top three were at
another level and that Dodd has not had much luck against Hanover’s Michael Engels this
season. Yet, Daniel Dodd used the state tournament to demonstrate how his talents compared
on a state level. Overall, he finished with three wins over the Northern Region runner-up and
the Eastern Region’s 2nd and 3rd place finishers to place sixth.
Final State Rankings:
1. Taylor Misuna – 11 – Grassland
2. Jack Bass – 11 – Robinson
3. Sean Murphy – 12 – Colonial Forge
4. Michael Engels – 12 – Hanover
5. Ryan Almond – 12 – Orange County
6. Daniel Dodd – 12 – Varina
160lb
What I picked correctly: Rory Renzi as champion - Lake Braddock’s Renzi has shown for the
last month that he was the man to beat in the 160lb weight class. Renzi put himself in a much
better situation of making the finals at 160lb than possibly not making it out of the quarterfinals
at 152lb. In fact, hi closest match came in the finals, but the score was a decisive 16-7 margin
over my sleeper pick, Stephen Aiello.
Didn’t see that coming: Sean Raftery of Orange County has been on the short end of many
close matches this season. He has lost 7-6 match to Zac Depasquale, an 8-6 match to Mason
Mele, and a 3-2 match to Jared Swan. When it mattered most though, the senior won the
matches he didn’t earlier in the season. After losing a narrow 3-2 match to Depasquale in the
quarterfinals, he knocked off Mele 10-3, Jared Swan 3-1, and Depasquale 7-5 for a 3rd place
finish.
Final State Rankings:
1. Rory Renzi – 12 – Lake Braddock
2. Stephen Aiello – 12 – Westfield
3. Sean Raftery – 12 – Orange County
4. Zak Depasquale – 11 – Robinson
5. Mason Mele – 12 – Hickory
6. Alex Gowers – 12 – Osbourn Park
170lb
What I picked correctly: Brett Stein - If Donahue was the safest pick to claim a state title, then
Stein was my 1a safest pick. Stein wrestled a somewhat close match in the finals 5-2, but never
really seemed out of control of losing the match. Which is no disrespect to Cole Depasquale, it
was just Stein’s time to shine. In fact, Stein’s toughest two matches came from the Northern
Region finalists, wining an 8-4 match over Frank Aiello to go along with his previously
mentioned finals win.
Didn’t see that coming: Konner Pritchard held strong in a weight class that saw the Eastern
Region struggle. The Princess Anne wrestler finished second in the region, but was actually
responsible for eliminating Eastern Region Champion from placement before taking down the
Northern Region Champion in route to placing third over Matt Notarangelo of Oakton.
Final State Rankings:
1. Brett Stein – 12 – Forest Park
2. Cole Depasquale – 10 – Robinson
3. Konner Pritchard – 11 – Princess Anne
4. Frank Aiello – 12 – Westfield
5. Matt Notarangelo – 12 – Oakton
6. Codie Bowers – 10 – CD Hylton
182lb
What I picked correctly: Ryland O’Brien – Ryland O’Brien winning the title wasn’t a forgone
conclusion considering the company he shared in the 182lb bracket with. Yet, if the two time
Eastern Regional champion learned anything from his narrow 3-2 loss in last year’s stat final, it
was that he needed to learn how to win the close matches. Well, it is safe to say he
accomplished his goal. O’Brien edged Daniel Mika 5-2 in the quarterfinals, Tyler Love 4-2 in the
semifinals, and then won the championship 2-1 over Zach Martinez. His 2nd period takedown
after a Martinez escape proving to be the difference in this low scoring affair.
Didn’t see that coming: Tyler Love of Centreville was a wrestler I picked as a sleeper. Yet, even
I was surprised to see how high he would finish. I originally picked a top six finish. That wasn’t
good enough for him though. Instead, Love ramped it up in the consolation rounds after a
tough 4-2 loss to the eventual champion in the semifinals. In the consolation semifinals, Love
defeated Tyler Morson 2-1. He lost to Morson 5-1 earlier this season. Then for an encore, he
squeaked by a tough Mathew Reynolds of Great Bridge, 3-2, or third place. Needless to say,
the sophomore has a bright future ahead of him.
Final State Rankings:
1. Ryland O’Brien – 12 – First Colonial
2. Zach Martinez – 12 – Colonial Forge
3. Tyler Love – 10 – Centreville
4. Mathew Reynolds – 12 – Great Bridge
5. Tyler Morson – 12 – Westfield
6. Daniel Mika – 11 – Robinson
195lb
What I picked correctly: Corbin Ramos – Anyone who has watched Corbin Ramos of Matoaca
closely the last two state tournaments has seen this coming. After a surprising top four finish
two years ago, he was clearly the second best wrestler in the state (at 182lb) behind David Reck
a year ago. This year though was his chance to soak up the spotlight. In the finals, the senior
jumped out to a 10-0 lead before pinning opponent in the 3rd period.
Didn’t see that coming: Hayden Mosher was this close to becoming Forest Park’s 4th finalist of
the weekend. Losing 9-7 in overtime to Patrick O’Connor would have crushed a lot of wrestler’s
spirits, yet Mosher didn’t give up in the face of adversity. Instead, he battled back and won a
rematch of the Northwest Regional championship, and then decisioned Tasi Mathias of Mount
Vernon, 7-4; earning the senior a well-deserved top three finish.
Final State Rankings:
1. Corbin Ramos – 12 – Matoaca
2. Patrick O’Connor – 12 – Thomas Jefferson
3. Hayden Mosher – 12 – Forest Park
4. Tasi Mathias – 12 – Mount Vernon
5. Evan Stephens – 12 – Granby
6. Brendan Kammedeiner – 12 – Freedom (South Riding)
220lb
What I picked correctly: Eldon Valery as a finalist – Not a huge leap of faith here considering
Valery was a finalist a year ago. Upon a closer look though, Valery won his first three matches
5-2, 4-3, and 5-2. So his path ended up being much more challenging than originally thought.
In the finals, he gave his best shot, but it seemed Valery was not on top of his game this
weekend as he finished as a runner-up for a second consecutive year.
Didn’t see that coming: William Rupp made a believer out of me and anyone else who knew
very little about him heading into this weekend. He earned his stripes on Friday night with a 32 victory over a tough James Spruill of Indian River. He then raised the bar in the semifinals by
taking down Central Region power, Eric Hess and then blocking a tough Eldon Valery from
claiming the state title, 5-3. In the end, Rupp proved he was the man to beat by defeating the
2nd, 3rd, and 4th place finishers in the state.
Final State Rankings:
1. William Rupp – 12 – Western Potomac
2. Eldon Valery – 12 – Landstown
3. James Spruill – 11 – Indian River
4. Eric Hess – 12 – Deep Run
5. Aaron Vaughan – 11 – Dinwiddie
6. Austin Flanagan – 12 – West Springfield
285lb
What I picked correctly: Jake Pinkston - The third time was the charm for Robinson junior, Jake
Pinkston. After finishing as a runner-up for his first two trips to the state tournament, he held
strong in the face of adversity and came out with that elusive state championship.
Didn’t see that coming: Anthony Helms of Matoaca for not only making the finals, but coming
so close to an upset. The freshman phenom defeated wrestlers he would have lost to earlier in
the season. Yet, with each match he seemingly gained more confidence. Helms propelled this
confidence into an extremely tough showing in the championship. Helms wrestled his style of
match. In fact, it was costly mistake of selecting an optional start that proved to be the
difference. I cringed when I saw him request it, as I thought to myself that Pinkston would be
too quick for him to do that. As it turned out, Pinkston’s quickness took advantage and swung
the match into his favor with a four point swing. So really that speaks volumes about Anthony
Helms that he gave up a four point swing and still only lost by one point to a 3x state finalist.
Cosby’s Tyler Powell also shocked many. He went from a virtual unknown to a top four finisher.
In the process, he knocked off better known big men, including two of the top three
heavyweights from the highly regarded Eastern Region quartet.
Final State Rankings:
1. Jake Pinkston – 11 – Robinson
2. Anthony Helms – 9 – Matoaca
3. Tyler Fain – 11 – Indian River
4. Tyler Powell – 11 – Cosby
5. Caleb Repko – 11 – Nansemond River
6. Vika Mathias – 12 – Mount Vernon
.
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(Keep Scrolling Down)
An In-depth review of 2012-2013
- A Mix Bag for returning champions/finalists – One of the more interesting elements I found
intriguing from this past state tournament was the return of 10 finalists from the 2012 State
Tournament. Four of the ten finalists ended up winning the prestigious state title. Unfortunately
though, only two of returning champions were able to reclaim the title. Thus proving how challenging
winning a title a second time can be. You can cite experience of being under the spotlight as the reason
six of the 10 finalists won a title in their second trip to the state finals, and chances are you would be
correct. Yet, that was not always the case. Eldon Valery was not able to overcome the hurdle and
Dalton Henderson and Sean Badua were unable to stand atop the podium for the second year in a row.
However, if you look closer you would see that Badua and Henderson, both returning champions, lost to
two returning finalists. Next year the state is returning 15 AAA State Finalists. With the division split on
deck, there is a great chance many of them will return to the finals, if not take the championship.
Wrestler’s Name
Tommy Aloi
Sean Badua
Dalton Henderson
Eric Merriam
Neal Richards
Taylor Misuna
Beau Donahue
Ryland O’Brien
Eldon Valery
Jake Pinkston
Team
Forest Park
Osbourn Park
Ocean Lakes
Great Bridge
Matoaca
Grassland
Westfield
First Colonial
Landstown
Robinson
Weight
106lb
106lb
113lb
113lb
120lb
138lb
152lb
170lb
220lb
285lb
2012 Finish
Runner-up
Champion
Champion
Runner-up
Champion
Runner-up
Champion
Runner-up
Runner-up
Runner-up
2013 Finish
106lb Champion
113lb 3rd Place
120lb 3rd Place
132lb Runner-up
138lb Champion
152lb Champion
145lb Champion
182lb Champion
220lb Runner-up
285lb Champion
- The Effects of an Emotionally Draining Tournament – The state tournament is always an emotionally
draining event. It comes at the end of a long and physically demanding season. This state tournament
seemed even more demanding than previous tournaments. The excitement level associated with key
quarterfinal and semifinal matches can drain even the most battle tested wrestlers. The semifinals
especially can prove to be a daunting challenge mentally and emotionally. Too many times I have seen
the winners of the semifinal matches ride the wave of momentum of winning a big match into a state
title. I have also seen wrestlers who make the semifinals, only to lose, fall hard all the way to a sixth
place finish. Often the consolation round that happens immediately after the semifinal round, come so
fast that in many cases wrestlers do not have time to recover mentally. Seemingly still adjusting to the
shock of being so close to reaching their dream, wrestlers often falter in there next match. That is just
the nature of the beast though. It doesn’t happen often, but it happened more so this year than in
2012. In fact, in 2012 wrestlers who lost their semifinal match went 20-8 in the consolation round. A
71% success rate. However, in 2013, the wrestlers who lost their semifinal match went 16-12, which
equates to a 57% success rate. Yet, among the wrestlers who struggled to recover were some notable
names. Eddie Bracey, the states number one ranked wrestler and teammate Dalton Henderson
(Returning state champ) were bit by the upset bug and were victims of a talented weight class. Hunter
Manley an Aaron Bright were a couple of other talented wrestlers who dropped their next match after
their semifinal match. Brandon Jeske obviously forfeited out due to injury, and Tim Antonelli of Kellam
looked emotionally spent in his final two consolation matches. A tough break for these two amazing
senior wrestlers. Aside from Bracey, who was not fortunate to place this year after finishing top 4 a year
ago, Great Bridge’s Jalen Slaughter lost a heartbreaker when he allowed a 4 point move at the very end
of his match with Hayden Mosher. The difference in that 15 second span of that quarterfinal match was
a wrestler who finished 3rd (Mosher) and one who lost his next match 3-2. It just goes to show you that
getting hot at the right time can carry through to surpassing your goal. On the other hand, losing a
tough match can have a long lasting effect in a tournament that demands a wrestler be at his best every
single match to continue on in the tournament.
- Forest Park Makes History – Forest Park knew it was in store for a big tournament. They may not
have had the depth of Robinson or Westfield (9 and 7 placers respectively), but they had star power and
understood it could be a special moment for their program. This didn’t happen overnight though as
Coach Cameron, his staff, and his wrestlers have all devoted countless hours over the years to prepare
for this moment. The truth is that in his eight years as head coach, Coach Cameron has slowly built this
program into a consistent winner. In his 8 years with the Bruins he has coached 44 District Champs, 14
Northwest Region Champs and 26 All-State Wrestlers. Last year, Coach Cameron had two finalists, and
another 3rd place finisher. Yet, he still came up just short of having his first state champion under his
watch. What did occur though were the wrestlers started to believe they could accomplish more. So it
shouldn’t be a surprise that Forest Park had three finalists (Tommy Aloi, Dennis Gustafson, and Brett
Stein) and nearly one more who took third (Hayden Mosher). Each of the finalists took turns providing
Coach Cameron with his first, second, and third state champions of his eight year coach stretch at Forest
Park. Thus raising the number of individual champions in Forest Park school history to a total of four.
Yet, there was more to celebrate. With the help of four wrestlers who finished top 3 or higher (and 7
state qualifiers overall), Forest Park finished a school record 3rd place (tied with Colonial Forge) as a
team in the team standings. This night will no doubt go down in school history as one of the most
memorable moments in school history. A great way to close the chapter on the AAA State Tournament!
- Return of the Heavyweight Division – Every year, the heavyweight bracket seems to be senior
heavy. Especially, in the top 8 placers. This year was the exception. Of the top eight medal winners in
this year’s state tournament, five are underclassmen. Upon further review, the top five place winners
are juniors or younger. Some of these wrestlers will benefit from the division split next year and claim
their first state title. Meanwhile, others will continue to butt heads to claim the 2014 state title. Either
way you look at it though, four seniors (to be) and one very talented sophomore (to be) are going to
make the heavyweight division of the best battles for state supremacy if they cross paths during the
regular season next year.
- Is the Central Region the Second Best Region? – There is no debating the fact the Northern
Region had the best crop of state qualifiers this year. The question remains though as to which region
was the second best. Looking at the statistics below, you can see it is very even between the rest of the
regions. The Central had the most champions, but tied for last with a total of six finalists. The Eastern
Region had 7 finalists, but managed to only come away with two champions. The Northwest region had
the lowest total of top four placers. Yet, they ended up having the second most total placers with 29.
Which means that 52% of their state qualifiers placed in the state. Only the Northern Region had a
higher percentage. The Central Region had the lowest of total placers with 22, but received virtually no
help from the 160lb weight class through the 195lb weight class, where only two placers were
accounted for. Not surprising as the Central Region’s strength has long been the lower and middle
weights. So while the Central Region staked its claim as the second best region in terms of state placers
and just one off from second place in total top four placers, they are still lagging behind in uppermiddleweight, and upper-weight depth. Thus, bringing down their overall ranking. The Central Region
160-195’s weren’t the only eye catching stats from the state tournament. At 106lb, the Central Region
only had one placer, 8th. Same for 113lb weight class, with a first place finish. The 120lb weight class
saw the Eastern Region claim 3 of the top 5 spots, while the 132lb weight class only crowned one state
placer with Gustafson. With the 145lb weight class, no Eastern Region wrestlers placed, while, all of the
wrestlers from the Northwest Region placed. The 152lb weight class saw the Northern Region only
secure a 2nd place finish. At 160lb, no Central Region wrestlers placed, the Northwest Region placed all
four of their wrestlers, but it was the Northern Region who placed 3 of the top 4 in the state. The
Northern Region dominated the 170lb weight class with 3 of the top 5 placers. They also scored 3 of the
top 6 placers for 182lb. Interesting enough, no Northwest Region wrestlers placed at 285lb.
Returning State Placers by Region
Total
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Top 4
5th
6th
7th
8th
Total
Place Place Place Place Placers place Place Place Place Placers
Eastern
Region
Central
Region
Northern
Region
Northwest
Region
% of
State
Qualifiers
Who
Placed
2
5
5
2
14
3
3
2
5
27
48%
4
2
1
6
13
3
1
2
3
22
39%
5
4
4
4
17
5
4
5
3
34
58%
3
3
4
2
12
3
6
5
3
29
52%
- Congrats to VHSL for Streaming the Tournament – VHSL and the tournament staff struggled to
give the outside world live scoring and results. They should make live scoring on trackwrestling.com a
mandatory requirement for all future state wrestling tournaments. Yet, they did score big bonus points
for bringing in the crew from playonsports.com to showcase the quarterfinal round and all of the day 2
wrestling. This tournament deserved to be showcased and so I tip my hat to that decision. You just get
a feel for the action that in the past has only been possible from being there live and in person. Perhaps
next year they can stream the first round and first round of consolations as well and make it a total
tournament experience.
- Why Winning a State Title Meant More This Year Than it Will Next Year –Winning a state title
is something only a combined 42 young men, out of 672, accomplish each year between AAA/AA/A.
Next year, the total number of champions will double while the total number of state qualifiers will
remain the same. Whether you agree with the upcoming changes or not, one thing is for sure. Winning
a state championship just became a lot easier. Now I realize that there will be some good matches next
year at the state tournament, but the days of running the overall gauntlet of winning four matches has
expired for now. Winning three matches in two days is a lot easier to prepare for than four. Not to
mention the competition for some of these levels will be significantly less challenging. Maybe not as
much for the upper divisions, but even divisions 5 and 6 will feature a lighter level of competition. Such
is to be expected. Wrestlers who may not have qualified under normal situations will now be looked
upon as state qualifiers. Not that they won’t have earned it but would they have made the tournament
under the current system? I guess we will never know. After all, to a wrestler, coach, and his parents, a
state title is a state title. The wrestlers name will forever be synonymous with achievement. Still, I
wonder how many underclassmen who won titles this year will take more pride in this title than the one
they could earn next year. All things considered, the champions from this year achieved their goal with
a higher degree of difficulty. And for that they should be congratulated.
Dear wrestling fans,
I wanted to thank you for your patience and support of my wrestling coverage. It is an honor
to cover this great sport for so many of you. This was my first time covering wrestling from a
different continent. However, it was made possible through two tremendous websites in
www.virginiawrestling.com and my home-base website www.centralregionwrestling.net. A
website that has graciously allowed me to cover high school wrestling for the last seven years.
Down the road, I will eventually find my way back to the states. In the meantime, I will continue
to devote my time to such a great cause for as long as I can make a difference. Thank you for
your interest.
Respectfully,
Mr. Observer
Mrobserver06@gmail.com