Our latest update to the Boys’ High School Wrestling National Preseason Rankings came just before Super 32. This update includes major events such as Super 32, the Brian Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals, and PNL’s Fall Championships as well as various other events from around the country.
As we mentioned in the intro to our latest Girls’ National Rankings, we look in four places every week to sort through results for the rankings - Track Wrestling, Flo Arena, USA Bracketing, and the new Boutboard site. Even with that much effort, we can still miss some results. Some events are not hosted online or have results posted and after hours of pouring over results, fatigue sets in, which can lead to overlooking things.
We click on every tournament we see, so we are tracking the big and small events.
One such small event, BTC’s West Penn Duals in Pennsylvania, reversed an outcome from Super 32 involving two 215-pound Keystone Grapplers, Cooper Roscosky (Kiski Area) and Colton Tupper (Reynolds). Both were at 220 for the duals where Roscosky got the better of Tupper, 4-1, after Tupper downed him, 4-1, at Super 32 as part of a national breakout that saw Tupper place eighth at S32.
Roscosky comes in at No. 26 in our 215-pound rankings with Tupper now manning the 28th position. The disparity in their rankings despite Tupper’s earlier win is based on the exploits of Ohio’s Xander Horak (Massillon Perry), who was also at the West Penn Duals. Horak (No. 27) defeated Tupper, 13-5, at the Tyrant Tussle Duals in September. Roscosky took down Horak at West Penn, 4-2. As you can see, our research goes deep.
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We are looking at events every week. We record all the relevant results on paper. Yes, old school style. Everything is written down on the wrestler’s sheets and updated as we move along. Keeping those sheets updated is very time consuming and that is why this update took so long to compile.
We went over the Super 32 brackets with a fine-tooth comb. So many new wrestlers emerged and that required research going a year back to create sheets for those wrestlers. Keeping these sheets and writing everything down is a valuable tool in our accuracy. All results are easily accessible, and we can place four, five, or as many sheets side by side that we need to as we compare wrestlers and figure out the best way to honor the results that are fair to all involved.
We say it all the time because it’s important: Rankings are not just based off wins. Your losses count, too. If you have five losses against unranked competition, then peel of two wins over ranked guys, it doesn't mean you will make the rankings and certainly not be placed in front of an established guy. The whole body of work counts, so keep that in mind when perusing our list. Be honest with yourself. If you are, you can probably answer your own question about the positioning of the rankings.
Yes, there are instances where we are ordering wrestlers solely on their body of work and accomplishments. But that is rare. When I started these four years ago, one of the biggest things that fascinated me was how interconnected it all really is. I can explain the order of the rankings you see here for any weight class. There are countless numbers of common opponent chains that give these rankings their accuracy.
At Super 32, and the other recent events, new chains emerged that in some cases were subtle, but in a few instances really turned a weight class upside down. Most of the guys in the top spots held serve, but the middle ground is where chaos ensued. From the top ten down in most weights was where a lot of the unpredictable happenings occurred.
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We won’t get into breaking down S32 results here. But on that note, we are keeping the guys at their Super 32 weight class for this update. We will put out another update before the end of November where we begin to move people into their in-season weight classes.
There are several guys we have been told will be up from their Super 32 weight or their track record indicates that. One that stood out was Missouri’s Israel Borge, who is wrestling for Bixby in Oklahoma, down at 132 pounds after last seeing that territory at the Journeymen Fall Classic a year ago and spending his time since then at 138 or 144 pounds.
One other thing we are allowing for this update is the inclusion of Waylon Cressell, who is attending, but not wrestling for, Janesville High School in Iowa after competing for Indiana’s Warren Central. Cressell is said to be sitting out the season and prepping for life at the University of Northern Iowa. The senior showed up for Super 32 and won the whole thing, so since we added him to the rankings ahead of S32, it made sense to leave him in what is essentially a post-Super 32 update. Cressell will be removed from the ranks in the next update.
The Valiant Prep wrestlers from Arizona will also be falling off the list as the season gets underway. Valiant Prep does not compete with other schools during the season since they are not a member of their state’s athletic association. Once we reach the spring, they and Cressell, if he reappears, will be added back in.
The next update will be the last one where we allow more than one rep per team. Once lineups are finalized, we will only feature a team’s starter in the rankings during the season. The exceptions are the few states that do allow teams to have multiple entries in their state tournaments like Michigan. California allows multiple entries through most of the season but tightens it up in the back half to just one.
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Anyone squeezed out of the lineup will be reinserted in the spring. It’s crazy to say that if you think about it. A nationally ranked wrestler not being able to crack his school’s lineup sounds ludicrous. But that’s the reality at powerhouses around the country like Pennsylvania’s Bishop McCort, Florida’s Lake Highland Prep, and some of those loaded California squads, like Buchanan and St. John Bosco.
If we have any eighth-graders in the rankings please let us know, it’s likely we thought they were incoming freshmen. The exception to that will be states or governing bodies that allow eighth graders to compete amongst high schoolers.
Please reach out if you have any questions about our rankings. I will explain my rationale and certainly use any relevant info brought to the table. Ohio now has two No. 1s, while Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, New Jersey and New York all have one each.
Here is a look at some of the top wrestlers by weight class:
106-Pounds
- Ariah Mills (Buford, GA) FR
- Turner Ross (Edmond North, OK) JR
- Kooper Deputy (Chestnut Ridge, PA) FR
- MJ Rundell (Oak Park River Forest, IL) JR
- William Soto (Newburgh, NY) JR
113-Pounds
- Rylan Seacrist (Brecksville, OH) SR
- Justin Farnsworth (Malvern Prep, PA) JR
- Killian Coluccio (Lacey Township, NJ) JR
- Jorge Rios (St. John Bosco, CA) SO
- Sean Kenny (Christian Brothers Academy, NJ) SO
120-Pounds
- Landon Sidun (Norwin, PA) JR
- Rocklin Zinkin (Buchanan, CA) SR
- Samuel Sanchez (Esperanza, CA) SO
- Dominic Munaretto (St. Charles East, IL) SR
- Cam Sontz (Delbarton, NJ) JR
126-Pounds
- Grey Burnett (Perrysburg, OH) JR
- Antonio Mills (Athens Christian, GA) SR
- Ignacio Villasenor (Stillwater, OK) JR
- JoJo Uhorchuk (Signal Mountain, TN) JR
- Revin Dickman (Brownsburg, IN) SR
132-Pounds
- Jax Forrest (Bishop McCort, PA) SR
- Jayden Raney (Union County, KY) SR
- Moses Mendoza (Gilroy, CA) SR
- Keanu Dillard (Bethlehem Catholic, PA) SR
- Ashton Besmer (Buchanan, CA) SR
138-Pounds
- Tyler DeKraker (Lake Highland Prep, FL) SR
- Kellen Wolbert (Oconomowoc, WI) SR
- Sam Herring (Bishop McCort, PA) SR
- Gavin Mangano (Shoreham-Wading River, NY) JR
- Dean Anderson (Valiant Prep, AZ) JR
The Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) holds team wrestling state finals annually. Here’s a recap of some past events:
Perry Meridian's Team Wrestling State Titles
PERRY MERIDIAN WINS SECOND CONSECUTIVE TEAM WRESTLING STATE TITLE
Perry Meridian finished another perfect season (27-0) as head coach Jim Tonte and the Falcons celebrated at center mat with a 43-14 victory over Crown Point (23-1) in the 17th annual IHSAA Team Wrestling State Finals at Center Grove High School in Greenwood. The title is Perry Meridian’s second consecutive team wrestling title. The Falcons championship match was convincing, and the road to the title match was much of the same.
Perry Meridian advanced to the championship round with a 52-19 quarterfinal victory over Warren Central. In the semifinals, Perry Meridian defeated Evansville Mater Dei 40-19. The championship match started with the 106-pound weight class, where Perry Meridian sophomore Jacob Cottey won by first period fall over junior Brett Ervin. Cottey’s fall vaulted Perry Meridian to a 6-0 lead and never trailed in the final match.
After a scoreless first period at the 120-pound weight class, Perry Meridian sophomore Aidan Kenny broke the tie with a reversal in the second period. Crown Point sophomore Trevor Burlison and Perry Meridian sophomore Cody LeCount at the 126-pound class went the distance with Falcon Cody LeCount coming out on top with a 8-4 decision. At 132-pound weight individual state champion Perry Meridian senior Jared McKinley jumped out to an 8-3 first period lead over Bulldog senior Cameron Halsted. 152-pound junior Paul Matthews of Perry Meridian went the distance with Crown Point senior Trevor Blue. At 182-pound C.J. Crown Point junior Matt Langbehn and DeVante Ash a senior at Perry Meridian met in the 195-pound weight class. The 285-weight class pitted Falcon junior Donte’ Winfield against Bulldog senior Josh Swope.
Quarterfinals Results:
- Match 1: Indianapolis Cathedral 37, Penn 24. Penn finishes 24-4.
- Match 2: Crown Point 46, Kokomo 15. Kokomo finishes 35-6.
- Match 3: Perry Meridan 52, Warren Central 19. Warren Central finishes 21-8.
- Match 4: Evansville Mater Dei 45, Bellmont 19.
Semifinals Results:
- Match 5: Crown Point 36, Indianapolis Cathedral 21. Indianapolis Cathedral finishes 25-4.
- Match 6: Perry Meridian 40, Evansville Mater Dei 19.
Championship:
- Match 7: Perry Meridian 43, Crown Point 14.
PERRY MERIDIAN CAPS PERFECT SEASON WITH TEAM WRESTLING STATE TITLE
Perry Meridian capped a perfect 28-0 season in overwhelming fashion with a 44-21 victory over Lawrence North (20-5). While the Falcons championship match was convincing, the road to the title match was much tougher. Perry Meridian advanced to the championship round with a close 35-27 quarterfinal victory over the sixth-ranked Roncalli.
The championship match began with the 285-pound weight class, where sophomore Donte Winfield won by fall in the third period over junior Deon Lockhart. 103-pound freshman and individual state champion, Nathan Boston (Lawrence North), started strong with two takedowns in the first period followed by three more in the second. At 119-pounds, Lawrence North junior Robert Boston defeated Falcon freshman Aidan Kenny, 4-0. Senior Jordan Johnson of Lawrence North defeated Perry Meridian sophomore and 2011 individual state finalist, Nick Bova, to capture the 130-pound class with a 6-0 victory.
Johnson jumped out to a 4-0 lead with a takedown and near fall in the first period and held Bova in check during the scoreless second period. Daulton Capps of Perry Meridan and Corey Gorman of Lawrence North headlined the matchup at the 145 lbs. Falcon junior Kirk Johnson, the state’s 4th place wrestler at last week’s individual state tournament, and Lawrence North’s Nestor Castillo duked it out for the 152-pound class in the team state finals. In the 160-pound weight class, Perry Meridian senior Derek Harz was on a mission and defeated junior Damon Brooks of Lawrence North with a fall at 0:52. The 171-pound match pitted Falcon sophomore Jacob Masengale of Perry against Lawrence North senior Brandon Douthitt.
In semifinal action, Lawrence North and Coach Jared Williams advanced to the championship round defeating Evansville Mater Dei, 36-35.
Quarterfinals Results:
- Lawrence North 52, Delphi 18
- Penn 35, Bellmont 20
- Perry Meridian 35, Roncalli 27
Here's a summary of team champions in Indiana High School Wrestling from 1975 to 2024:
| Year | Champion |
|---|---|
| 1975 | Highland |
| 1976 | Elkhart Memorial |
| 1977 | Elkhart Memorial |
| 1978 | Calumet |
| 1979 | Calumet |
| 1980 | Calumet |
| 1981 | Calumet |
| 1982 | Calumet |
| 1983 | Calumet |
| 1984 | Calumet |
| 1985 | Hobart |
| 1986 | Hobart |
| 1987 | Hobart |
| 1988 | Hobart |
| 1989 | Hobart |
| 1990 | Hobart |
| 1991 | Hobart |
| 1992 | Hobart |
| 1993 | Hobart |
| 1994 | Hobart |
| 1995 | Hobart |
| 1996 | Hobart |
| 1997 | Evansville Mater Dei |
| 1998 | Evansville Mater Dei |
| 1999 | Evansville Mater Dei |
| 2000 | Evansville Mater Dei |
| 2001 | Evansville Mater Dei |
| 2002 | Evansville Mater Dei |
| 2003 | Evansville Mater Dei |
| 2004 | Evansville Mater Dei |
| 2005 | Evansville Mater Dei |
| 2006 | Indianapolis Cathedral |
| 2007 | Indianapolis Cathedral |
| 2008 | Indianapolis Cathedral |
| 2009 | Indianapolis Cathedral |
| 2010 | Indianapolis Cathedral |
| 2011 | Perry Meridian |
| 2012 | Perry Meridian |
| 2013 | Perry Meridian |
| 2014 | Perry Meridian |
| 2015 | Perry Meridian |
| 2016 | Brownsburg |
| 2017 | Brownsburg |
| 2018 | Brownsburg |
| 2019 | Brownsburg |
| 2020 | Brownsburg |
| 2021 | Brownsburg |
| 2022 | Brownsburg |
| 2023 | Brownsburg |
| 2024 | Brownsburg |
This table provides a historical overview of team champions in Indiana high school wrestling, highlighting the dominance of certain schools over the years.
Keep checking back for more updates as the season progresses!