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The Best Al Smith Predictions in the State

TysonNisley

By TysonNisley
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TysonNisley NCAA Qualifier

TysonNisley

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It's really nice to have an Al Smith tournament after so long. It feels like forever ago that I was wrestling in this tournament, when in actuality, I competed at the most recent one. COVID is weird like that I guess. Anyways, this tournament looks to be just as interesting as previous ones, with a couple new teams in this year with competitive rosters. For these predictions, I'll be predicting the top 4, and talking about my choices for a little bit:

 

106:

 

Ranked Wrestlers:

#6 Jalen May

#7 Gavin Jendreas

#11 Charlie Larocca

#14 Kaleb Salazar

 

Predictions: 1.) May   2.) Jendreas   3.) Larocca   4.) Salazar

 

Going chalk for this one. Jalen May is someone who hasn't qualified yet, but has some impressive wins under his belt, including one over my boy Ashton Jackson last year. Gavin Jendreas has dominated everyone he has wrestled so far this year, so I expect this match to be very close. Charlie Larocca is also somebody I could see making the finals, and quite honestly could have been a qualifier last year if it wasn't for a brutal ticket round draw. I think the top 3 here are in a tier of their own, with each of these 3 potentially winning the whole thing. Kaleb Salazar then slots in at the 4th place spot for this weight class.

 

113:

 

Ranked Wrestlers:

#1 Ashton Jackson

#2 Evan Dickey

#8 Liam Krueger

#9 Trevor Schammert

#10 Johnny Cortez

#12 Kaptur Nowaczyk

#13 Dylan Bennett

 

Predictions: 1.) Jackson   2.) Dickey   3.) Schammert   4.) Krueger

 

Yeah, yeah, LaPorte bias, blah, blah, give me "Action" Jackson winning the highly anticipated rematch vs. Dickey. I think that these two are well established as the top wrestlers in their weight, and this will most surely be a match we will see again under the lights. I expect this to be a little closer than last season's match at State, but nonetheless, give me Jackson. I chose Schammert over Krueger because Schammert has done historically well at this tournament, placing 2nd at the most recent one. Krueger is obviously tough, and I expect this match to be close, but I think Schammert has the edge here. I should also throw Johnny Cortez's name in the mix, as he stuck Schammert earlier this year. Schammert has then avenged this loss, but Cortez is easily a top 4 threat here.

 

120:

 

Ranked Wrestlers:

#2 Isaac Ruble

#6 Hayden DeMarco

#7 Braxton Vest

#11 Hayden Brady

#14 Aden Reyes

#15 Noah Lykins

#19 Evan Cruz

 

Predictions: 1.) Ruble   2.) DeMarco   3.) Vest   4.) Brady

 

Ruble is the man to beat here, and he is looking very strong this year. Hayden DeMarco is somebody that I think can beat anybody in the state if he's on it though, and I'm sure this match will be a little closer than many people might think. Braxton Vest is also a finals threat, and I expect DeMarco and Vest to be a great semi finals match, but I feel like DeMarco will win that one. Hayden Brady is my pick for the 4th place spot here, although it wouldn't surprise me to see him place a spot, or even two higher.

 

126:

 

Ranked Wrestlers:

#1 Logan Frazier

#2 Matteo Vargo

#11 Josh Johnson

#15 Mikey Kallamani

#17 Beau Brabender

 

Predictions: 1.) Frazier   2.) Vargo   3.) Johnson   4.) Brabender

 

Virginia Tech commit Logan Frazier will be looking for his first Al Smith title, and it will be a #1 vs. #2 match up. Frazier is no stranger to these match ups though, as last year, he wrestled Sergio Lemley a handful of times, and only lost to him in the state finals by 1 point. Frazier is definitely a high caliber wrestler, and Vargo will have to be on point to contend with him. Josh Johnson is my pick to get 3rd here, and then I'm going with Brabender over Kallamani. I know that Kallamani has a 2-0 win over Brabender this season, but I expect the former state qualifier to win the rematch.

 

132.)

 

Ranked Wrestlers:

#1 Zeke Seltzer

#4 Anthony Bahl

#10 Wyatt Krejsa

#11 Zar Walker

#16 Bryce Denton

#20 Thadeus O'Neil

 

Predictions: 1.) Seltzer   2.) Bahl   3.) Krejsa   4.) Denton

 

I was very surprised a couple weeks ago when I saw the result between Seltzer and Bahl. 113 to 132 is a pretty big jump, and against the #4 in the country, you would think that match would be rough for Bahl. But 6-2 is a very respectable score, and if I know anything about these Crown Point guys, it's that they get a lot better, really quickly. Expect another good match between these two. As for 3rd and 4th, I think Wyatt Krejsa takes the 3rd place spot, but expect Zar Walker and Bryce Denton to contend for this spot last year. Bryce Denton is a returning state qualifier, but similarly to Bahl, is also up from 113 the previous year, and hasn't had enough high tier competition at this weight to really determine how he has adjusted to this weight change. I'm predicting the upset with Denton over Walker, but I think that Krejsa will win the 3rd and 4th bout.

 

138:

 

Ranked Wrestlers:

#1 Jesse Mendez

#8 Drew Mills

#9 Dominic Litchfield

#10 Carson Johnson

#13 Luke Gonzalez

#14 Wesley Harper

 

Predictions: 1.) Mendez   2.) Litchfield   3.) Mills   4.) Harper

 

If it wasn't for COVID, Mendez could be going for a historic 4th Al Smith title, which hasn't been done too many times before. Regardless, I expect Mendez to sweep the field here: no offense to any of the other wrestlers in the field, but Mendez majored the #8 in the country a couple weeks ago. As for the rest of the field, I am predicting a 9 over 8 with Litchfield making the finals. For that last spot, I think any of the three wrestlers not mentioned: Johnson, Gonzalez, and Harper, could place here, and potentially place even higher, but I think Harper is quite good, and has what it takes to outplace these other two.

 

145:

 

Ranked Wrestlers:

#1 Hayden Watson

#3 Aidan Torres

#6 Brac Hooper

#7 Nick Tattini

#11 Sam Levitz

#15 Conner Watts

#17 Dillon Graham

#20 Gavin Davis

 

Predictions: 1.) Torres   2.) Watson   3.) Hooper   4.) Tattini

 

Before anybody gets mad, these are predictions. This isn't about saying what is most likely to happen, but rather, what I think will happen during these two specific days, given a certain set of circumstances. That being said, I think Watson and Torres is a 50/50 bet, and I really like both of these wrestlers. Torres has obviously adjusted well to his weight change, but right now, Watson just barely has the edge. I am predicting Torres to win the rematch though, which would make a trilogy bout at the state finals even more exciting. By the way, this weight class is STACKED. 8 state ranked wrestlers, with 4 in the top 10, is a pretty good torunament for anybody. I think between Hooper and Tattini, Hooper will have the edge here, but I wouldn't be surprised to see this go the other way around. Also don't forget that Dillon Graham placed 4th at state last year. 120 to 145 is a pretty big jump, and he has struggled to get comfortable here so far, but he knows what it's like to wrestle deep in a tournament with many talented wrestlers.

 

152:

 

Ranked Wrestlers:

#1 Sam Goin

#2 Delaney Ruhlman

#8 Chase Leech

#13 Anthony Rinehart

#15 Kenneth Bisping

#18 Grant Mallery

#19 Aidan Costello

#20 Keegan Mabie

 

Predictions: 1.) Goin   2.) Ruhlman   3.) Leech   4.) Bisping

 

It's crazy to see Goin performing so well after going from 106 to 126 to 152. Goin seems like the man to beat right now, despite being a newcomer in the middle weight classes. However, just last year, Delaney Ruhlman made a statement as well, going from 120 to 138 and beating the returning state champ 11-1. I doubt weight is an issue for either of these guys, and this match is going to be fireworks. I think Goin wins it, but Ruhlman is an incredibly talented wrestler who can most definitely make upsets. I think Chase Leech is the 3rd place guy here, with many different guys contending for a top 4 spot. I think Bisping makes the upset over Rinehart for this spot.

 

160:

 

Ranked Wrestlers:

#2 Kade Law

#3 Cody Goodwin

#6 Aaron Steenbeke

#10 Duke Myers

#13 Kaden Lone

#15 Julian Weems

#20 Chase Wagner

 

Predictions: 1.) Law   2.) Steenbeke   3.) Goodwin   4.) Myers

 

I like this weight class a lot. Law is the guy to beat here, being the only returning placer in this weight class. However, Goodwin could have very well placed last year, and is most certainly a threat to win this tournament. Aaron Steenbeke is also very good, and is an incredibly tricky wrestler, and I think that Steenbeke will edge out Goodwin. Duke Myers is also not someone to be taken lightly, and I could see him making a deep run in this tournament as well. Also watch out for Kaden Lone, who I feel like has been right outside the cusp of being one of the top guys in the state, and could break through and make a deep run here.

 

170:

 

Ranked Wrestlers:

#4 Landon Buchanan

#11 JJ Braun

#12 Noah Clouser

#15 Seth Willems

#18 Jordan Sutton

#20 Luke Penola

 

Predictions: 1.) Buchanan   2.) Braun   3.) Willems   4.) Clouser

 

Landon Buchanan is obviously tough, but after seeing him have a one point match with De'Alcapon Veazy, who was formally nationally ranked at 182 (he might still be, but I only check Flo) I think we can throw his name in the conversation for a state title. I expect him to win dominantly in this tournament. JJ Braun is my pick for second, as he has a win over Willems, but I think Willems is still a threat for being in the finals here. I'll take Willems over Clouser. I don't think these two have any history, but Willems has been around this weight for a while, while Clouser is new to this weight class.

 

182:

 

Ranked Wrestlers:

#1 Drake Buchanan

#2 Orlando Cruz

#3 De'Alcapon Veazy

#5 Jacob Simpson

#7 Jake Sues

#12 Austin McClure

#13 Jaden Durnil

 

Predictions: 1.) Buchanan   2.) Veazy   3.) Cruz   4.) Simpson

 

This weight class is nuts. We have the 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 all in one place. I know a certain somebody on this website might not be happy with my prediction, but I think that Drake Buchanan is really good. Out of the top 3 here, Veazy is the only one that has been nationally ranked to my knowledge, but I think Buchanan is right there as well, and if I'm not mistaken, I think he was a bloodrounder at Super 32, which is not an easy feat. Between Buchanan and Veazy, I'll take Buchanan in a very close match. Orlando Cruz is undoubtedly a title threat here too, as the #2 ranked guy in the state, but is a lot newer to the weight than Buchanan and Veazy, so I am curious to see how he fares against the best in the state. I'm going to go Veazy over Cruz, but the upset here would not surprise me. The 4th place will come down to Simpson and Sues, who are one match a piece so far this season. I'll take Simpson here for the trilogy bout.

 

195.)

 

Ranked Wrestlers:

#6 Will Clark

#7 Gage DeMarco

#11 Christian Chavez

#13 Vincent McDonald

 

Predictions: 1.) DeMarco   2.) Clark   3.) Chavez   4.) McDonald

 

Will Clark owns a 7-5 win over DeMarco this season, but DeMarco is a returning placer, and I think that he reverses this decision in the finals at Al Smith. This may not be a 1 vs. 2, but you can expect fireworks out of this match. Chavez and McDonald are both wrestlers who I think are definitely a little underrated, and I can see both of them pulling a crazy upset here, but I think this weight class will go mostly chalk here, with Chavez taking 3rd, and McDonald taking 4th.

 

220.)

 

Ranked Wrestlers:

#4 Juan Grange

#7 Royce Deckard III

#9 Tommy Morrill

#13 Devin Kendrex

#17 Paul Clark

#18 Isaac Benjamin

#20 Michael DeGrado

 

Predictions: 1.) Grange   2.) Deckard III   3.) Kendrex   4.) Morrill

 

Juan Grange fell victim to a brutal ticket round match last year, but he's back and looking to make a statement this year. He will be the guy to beat here, with Royce Deckard III being his main challenger here. Devin Kendrex is my 3rd place pick here, but I think Morrill could very well win here too, although Michael DeGrado does own an off season win against him, which makes this weight class interesting. I could not find too much history between many of the wrestlers in this weight class, but I think that this weight class can go many different ways.

 

285.)

 

Ranked Wrestlers:

#5 Mihail Platonov

#7 Ashton Hartwell

#9 Theodore Sparks

#10 Nate Johnson

#11 Hosia Smith

 

Predictions: 1.) Sparks   2.) Hartwell   3.) Platonov   4.) Johnson

 

I feel like Platonov could surely win here, and I am letting a couple of early in season losses affect my predictions, but I also think that Hartwell and Sparks are really good and have the potential to win this weight class. I decided to go with Sparks over Hartwell, as Merriville is known to produce some killer heavyweights (again, these are predictions, these don't have to be based on results), but the top 3 here is really tough, and it wouldn't surprise me to see any of them in. In fact, add a fourth contender, because Nate Johnson's lone loss of the season is an overtime loss to the #3 in the state, and he can surely contend with anybody in this weight class.

 

I'd like to note before I release this to the public that I wrote this up before brackets came out. I know that not every wrestler I mention here will wrestle, due to many different circumstances, especially in these times, and also, I may have said a thing or two in here that is not factual, as I try to fact check everything I say on here, but people make mistakes, and there was a person behind this screen of letters you are reading that took time out of his limited free time during college two-a-days to write this up, so, if I messed up a result or a ranking, let me know, but don't bash me for it.

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TeamGarcia World Champion

TeamGarcia

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152- 3rd Freshman A. Rinehart

 

put TeamGarcia down for a wager 12,500 bananas for A-Train to finish 3rd or higher . In his 1st Al Smith . I think he’s ranked to low.  @ontherise219 keep a eye on it . He’s a pinner ! Don’t act like I didn’t tell ya . Betting Stop Motion GIF by Adult Swim

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TeamGarcia World Champion

TeamGarcia

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160- Goodwin in the Finals 

 

Put TeamGarcia down for a wager of 12,500 bananas that Goodwin takes 2nd or better . To good, will give Law fits might even come out Champion. Double down on that 12,500 x2 bananas ! 
 

Burt Reynolds Reaction GIF by Saturday Night Live
Making all the gutsy calls like Turd Ferguson 😂

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Bigtoe19 Olympian

Bigtoe19

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Ty Great write-up. Love seeing other input! This Sport is Awesome , it is 

totally up to the Wrestler !!(99.9%) I see Law is Giong 170 today.

 

Looking at Brackets 152 is Crazy!!  20 - wrestlers w/ Double digit Wins and 

only 6 under .500% .  This will be worth your price of Admission alone. 

 

Well Good luck to all the Wrestlers , Lets get it ON!!!!!!  🤼‍♂️

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TeamGarcia World Champion

TeamGarcia

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2 hours ago, Bigtoe19 said:

Ty Great write-up. Love seeing other input! This Sport is Awesome , it is 

totally up to the Wrestler !!(99.9%) I see Law is Giong 170 today.

 

Looking at Brackets 152 is Crazy!!  20 - wrestlers w/ Double digit Wins and 

only 6 under .500% .  This will be worth your price of Admission alone. 

 

Well Good luck to all the Wrestlers , Lets get it ON!!!!!!  🤼‍♂️

Lets Go Start GIF

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TeamGarcia World Champion

TeamGarcia

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18 hours ago, TeamGarcia said:

152- 3rd Freshman A. Rinehart

 

put TeamGarcia down for a wager 12,500 bananas for A-Train to finish 3rd or higher . In his 1st Al Smith . I think he’s ranked to low.  @ontherise219 keep a eye on it . He’s a pinner ! Don’t act like I didn’t tell ya . Betting Stop Motion GIF by Adult Swim

I’m seeing A-Train is doing his thing there . #pinning 

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busstogate NCAA Champion

busstogate

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Just now, gsmith58 said:

 

 

Definitely worth it. Days off and nothing better to do than scan this board, have a couple of trackwrestling tabs, one flo, and one ihsaatv open. Only thing that could make it better is to add Colts game.

Agreed.  Just made a new thread for those not in this one. The IHSAA should cut me a check.

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