SIAC Preview

The youth movement is real in the SIAC as five favorites are freshmen or sophomores. 15 wrestlers in the field boast state rankings and an additional 12 hold semi state rankings.

106- Freshman sensation Baxter Annakin has thrilled the folks in Paradise with his 12th state ranking and number one seed in the SIAC tourney. Annakin seems likely to begin the post-season with an SIAC title. In his path is Mater Dei's two-seed, Nolan Weidner.

113- Mater Dei's sophomore Kyle Luigs is no longer under radar. Beating three ranked opponents at team state vaulted Luigs to a state ranking of fourth. Memorial's Seth Horty and Central's Carson Willis should battle it out for the other slot in the final.

120- Luig's classmate, Will Egli, begins his post season quest looking for a second SIAC championship. Ranked seventh, Egli has another year of seasoning under his belt and looks to be the best in the field. Kyle McBride (6th SS) and North's Dawson Matherly will lock horns for the other spot in the final.

126- The "Nick Lee Effect" is on display at 126. A 2014 SSQ, Central's Conner Willis could muster no better than a fourth-seed in this deep class. This has the attention of Mater Dei's top-seed, senior Alex Johnson. Willis always wrestles Johnson tough and will do so again in the semi final. Last Saturday, Castle's Braedon Clopton and Reitz's Caleb Craig had a barnburner; expect a semifinal of the same magnitude on January 24.

132- Mater Dei's top-ranked sophomore, Nick Lee, has not been scored upon this year and brings his 18-0 record to the table. Expect him to meet North's Josh Elpers in the final.

138- Joe Lee gets the other end of big brother's effect, competing in the deepest weight class in the field. Leading Mater Dei in takedowns, Lee has built an impressive freshman portfolio, culminating with the top SIAC seed. Memorial's Johny Wargel has drifted in and out of the state rankings and should meet Lee in the semi final. Reitz's AJ Dixon and Castle's Austin Ramsey went to war last Saturday; seven days later, they will do it again in Paradise. The winner gets a slot in the final.

145- Returning SIAC champ, junior Blake Jourdan, is midway through a tremendous junior season with a 15-2 record. Bosse's four-seed, Nigel Buchannan meets Reitz's Tyler Kloenhamer in an interesting first-round bout. The winner will get Jourdan in the semi final. On the other side of the bracket is Castle senior Patrick Schnell and Central senior, Hunter McCormick. Schnell is the favorite to prevail in his semi final match-up with McCormick. Schnell is a proven veteran and is bent on evening the score after dropping an early-season decision to Jourdan.

152- Starting at running back last fall, Central's Isaiah Kemper ran the ball over 50 times against Reitz's vaunted defense. One-on-one on the wrestling mat is no big deal; Kemper will be in the final. Only a sophomore, Castle's Jacob Farmer (5th SS) is already a tested veteran. He will have a showdown with Mater Dei junior Mitch Lehman (7th SS) in the semifinal for the right to face Kemper for an SIAC title.

160- Turner Lockyear has met expectations and delivered a stellar senior campaign, rolling up 30 wins against only two setbacks. Mater Dei's Nick Buedel is a first-year starter. At the end of the day, expect Buedel and Lockyear to mix it up on the center mat.

170- Castle's Blake Jeffress has quietly put together at 22-win season resulting in his top seed. A 2x state qualifier, Mater Dei's Ashton Forzley should meet him in the final. This is my pick for the second-best championship match. North's Justin Naylor meets Memorial's Chris Voegel in the first round, in what should be a good race.

182- Mater Dei senior Sam Bassemier returns to this weight class and looks to a likely rematch of last year's final with Castle's Evan Dowell. This should be a humdinger as Bassemier puts his 12th state ranking on the line against Dowell's 4th SS ranking.

195- Chase Anslinger get the nod for the top-seed at 195. The Mater Dei senior will likely meet Memorial's Marcus Gahagen or Castle's Jake Lamar in the final. Lamar will need to be on his toes the first round. Reitz's Blake Huggins knows how to control the tempo and presents a formidable opponent.

220- LaTerrance Kyles is this year's standard-bearer for Coach Mark Mastison's Harrison Warriors. Kyles leads the entire field in wins with 43. Reitz's Adam Auten and North's Cody Smith will meet in the first round for a very competitive bout. Look for Mater Dei's Kurtis Wilderman to compete with Kyles for the top spot on the podium, my pick for the third-best final.

285- Mater Dei's Adrian Butler (7th SS) get the nod for the top-seed. Danger lurks, as Butler will likely meet Memorial's Will Page in the semi final. Page is very solid and quite capable of an upset. Central's Jordan Libby and Castle's Jake Kough will meet in the other semifinal in what should also be a very good match.

Best First Round Matches: 113 pounds, Reitz's Alec McNeely vs. Castle's Bailey Anderson. McNeely is better than his 13-15 record reflects and is capable of an upset. 145 pounds, Nigel Buchannan of Bosse vs. Tyler Kloenhamer of Reitz. Buchannan has put together a solid season, defeating Reitz's Jacob Pace before he moved to 152. Buchannan/Pace should be a good one!

Best Semifinal Match: 120 pounds, Castle's Kyle McBride vs. North's Dawson Matherly. McBride has put together a solid freshman campaign and seems poised for a break-out performance. Matherly brings a lot of athleticism, 28 wins and an early-season, 2-0 win over McBride. This one is a coin toss.

Best Final: 160 will be a study in contrast. Castle's Turner Lockyear is calculating and rock-solid.

Mater Dei's Nick Buedel is unpredictable and can be wild. Look for a high-scoring, very entertaining affair.

Team- Mater Dei will place a large percentage of their roster en route to a team title, followed closely by Castle. Central and Memorial will battle for third. Reitz is in a position for some upsets. If they perform, they can crack the top four.

Hook and Half's Recommendations: #1- Castle's parking lot can be cold and windy, so park on the south side of the building. It is a short walk to an entrance door. #2- Castle gets an A plus for serving up pizza slices as big as your face. #3- Thank the Castle folks for hosting. They know what they are doing and keep things moving. #4- If you are a Reitz, Central, Mater Dei or North fan, do not be at the intersection of Highway 41 and the Lloyd. I realize it is Saturday; do not chance it. #5- Find WrestleMan or BlueBolt and engage them in an insane wrestling conversation. No, wait. I recommend that you DO NOT do that.