A Fan's Guide to the Alabama 5A State Tournament
Welcome to the Fan’s Guide for the Alabama 5A State Tournament
So what is a Fan’s Guide?
The Fan’s Guide is a look at the tournament as a whole and each individual weight class … from a fan’s perspective. But it is not a prediction of who will win or who will make the podium. In fact, a Fan’s Guide is a little different. It is a look at a few individual pieces from each bracket … they include:
Favorite: the wrestler that enters the tournament as a section champ and has the best shot to claim the top step.
Contenders: wrestlers seeded #2-#4 (most likely) … look the most likely to make a run to the finals and challenge for the top step.
Bracketbuster: a wrestler not seeded in the top 4, but could make a run for the podium.
Isn’t that kind of a prediction?
Yes and no. I do identify the favorite, but beyond that I have no idea of who will march through the bracket and claim a title (don’t get me wrong - I’ve watched a lot of wrestling this season so I have an idea of what will happen). I could give you an educated guess about a possible finals match and who will make the podium, but in the world of high school wrestling that is dangerous territory. Few wrestlers (if any) are unbeatable … but we do have past results and past accomplishments on which to make a guess or two. In reality, I am as much of a fan as any of you and like to talk wrestling. I hope each athlete goes out and performs to her ability and we, as fans, get an opportunity to watch some great wrestling.
Remember the sole purpose of the website, twitter, instagram, fan’s guides, pictures, etc. is to promote the sport in the Southeast. Have a great time this weekend, enjoy the wrestling, and best of luck to everyone competing.
NOTE: ALL INFORMATION BELOW IS ASSUMING THAT THE INFORMATION INPUTTED INTO TRACKWRESTLING EITHER BY THE EVENT DIRECTOR OR THE COACHES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON IS CORRECT.
A Look Back at 2023:
Team Race:
Winning on the backside. It something coaches talk about a ton in traditional IBT’s (Individual Bracketed Tournaments). Having a lot of Champs and Runner-ups is the easiest path to a team title, but that doesn’t happen often. Few teams put 10 in the finals - 6 of which take first. So most tournaments are won through consis and the bloodround (the round before placing) is huge in the team score. Placement points for 3rd and 4th (in 5A) or 3rd through 6th in other classes is huge. Jasper didn’t enter with the most qualifiers - in fact they were 5 wrestlers short of what Gulf Shores brought. They also didn’t get a huge number of points on the front side with just 1 Champ (they did have 3 runners-up which was important). But it was 4 wrestlers that battled their way through the backside of the bracket that proved the difference … wrestlers like Anotnio Nash and Carter Reed who lost in the quarters and came back to take 3rd.
Seeding - Good, Bad and the Ugly
Things rarely work out the way we think they will and that is true in the seeding of a tournament. Rarely do you see all four of #1 seeds in the NCAA Basketball Tournament make the final four or the top seeds in the NFL playoff make the Super Bowl. We enjoy watching the underdogs (what we call in the Fan’s Guide the darkhorse or bracketbusters) make a mess of the bracket. Remember the point of the seeds - it is to reward someone for past performance - not to predict their future performance. Often those two things go hand-in-hand, but not always. Still a poorly seeded bracket can cause chaos and not see the two best individuals make the finals (which is what we want as fans - the best final the bracket can produce) … when two outstanding individuals meet in the first round or the quarterfinals and both dominate from that match through the rest of the tournament - something is lost.
We can generate a seed error based on where individuals are seeded and where they end up on the podium (if they end up on the podium). And that seed error is then translated into an error factor. Ideally you’d like to be at 0 - no error in the bracket. That rarely happens. If you can get a weight to be below .200 you are doing well and between .200 and .300 is what we might consider fair. It should be noted that the lines being drawn are my own based on looking at past events. Remember the labeling of bad isn’t a judgment on who won or who didn’t - it is an analysis of how good the committee did in seeding the bracket. That’s it. So - how did the seeding go last year?
Overall - seeding a smaller bracket is “easier” because there are fewer opportunities for error (but don’t get me wrong - an 8-man bracket can be terribly seeded just like any other). Still it is unusual and it is more likely that see the top 4 seeds just in the wrong order or like we see below at 138 … 1, 2, and 4 are correct, but we had the #5 seed replace the #3 seed on the podium.
Team Notes
The table below is a list of every qualifier by school, along with their seed (not their place at sectionals). So we could talk about a number of different teams, but in reality there are just a handful that have enough to really make a run for a team title. They are discussed below the table.
Tallassee qualified all 14 and has to be in the driver’s seat with one additional wrestler. Obviously they still need to perform in order to take the title, but even a few points from their two #4’s could be the difference between a team title or not. Jasper is close, but would need a lot to break their way in order to beat each of the teams in front of them. This, in reality, is a three team race for the title. Scottsboro is a little behind with 4 fewer qualifiers than Tallassee and 3 fewer than Gulf Shores so their margin for error is smaller. They must get Champs and all 10 must make the podium (in my opinion) for them to win it all. With 9 that took 1st or 2nd and 4 that finished 3rd … Gulf Shores probably has to be considered the favorite, but again - bringing 13 only helps if everyone scores points.
106 lbs.
Favorite: Mason Nelson (Tallassee) - South 1st
Contenders:
Abel Brantley (Gulf Shores) - South 2nd
Brynn Jenkins (Moody Hs) - North 1st
Gage Staton (Scottsboro) - North 2nd
Bracketbuster: Jeremy Lambert (Alexandria HS) - North 3rd
Seeds (#1 is at the top - all the way down to #8):
Mason Nelson (Tallassee) - South 1st
Abel Brantley (Gulf Shores) - South 2nd
Brynn Jenkins (Moody Hs) - North 1st
Gage Staton (Scottsboro) - North 2nd
Parker Vannoy (Beauregard HS) - South 3rd
Jeremy Lambert (Alexandria HS) - North 3rd
Eli Carter (Southside, Gadsden) - North 4th
Jayden Allen (Elberta HS) - South 4th
Thoughts: Nelson is a hammer and has been nearly unbeatable since dropping to 106 (lost to Swiger in late January). Nelson was 3rd last year at 113 and beat Brantley for the south title last weekend. Keep an eye on Lambert - tons of matches (wins and losses) but has wrestled a ton
113 lbs.
Favorite: Colby Silva (Arab) - North 1st
Contenders:
Cole Snyder (Scottsboro) - North 2nd
Thomas Norris (Southside, Gadsden) - North 3rd
Rhys Coulter (Gulf Shores) - South 1st
Bracketbuster: Sean Bianca (Leeds) - North 4th
Seeds (#1 is at the top - all the way down to #8):
Colby Silva (Arab) - North 1st
Cole Snyder (Scottsboro) - North 2nd
Thomas Norris (Southside, Gadsden) - North 3rd
Sean Bianca (Leeds) - North 4th
Rhys Coulter (Gulf Shores) - South 1st
Thomas Patterson (Tallassee) - South 2nd
Brandon Harman (Beauregard HS) - South 3rd
Stran Webb (Elmore County School) - South 4th
Thoughts: Silva is 50-2, won the north over Snyder and is the returning 106 lb. State Champion. Now Smyder gave him a great match in the North finals - so this isn’t a cakewalk for Silva to another title. Norris beat Bianca 7-6 … Bianca is an easy choice as a bracketbuster. Coulter beat phenom freshman Patterson 3-2 in sudden victory. Patterson vs. Norris is a very good 1st round match (although Norris beat him handily in late January).
120 lbs.
Favorite: PRESTON JONES (Alexandria HS) - North 1st
Contenders:
Ramon Lozada (Tallassee) - South 1st
Kortez Samuels (Jasper) - North 3rd
Harley Briscoe (Hayden) - North 2nd
Bracketbuster: Brice Patrick (Arab) - North 4th
Seeds (#1 is at the top - all the way down to #8):
PRESTON JONES (Alexandria HS) - North 1st
Kortez Samuels (Jasper) - North 3rd
Harley Briscoe (Hayden) - North 2nd
Ramon Lozada (Tallassee) - South 1st
Brice Patrick (Arab) - North 4th
Hayden Cook (Gulf Shores) - South 2nd
Gavin Crumpton (Elberta HS) - South 3rd
Dylan Andres (Elmore County School) - South 4th
Thoughts: First thought is Lozada is seeded too low. He is 40-0 and was 4th in 6A at 113 a year ago. I don’t know where he slots in with Samuels and Briscoe, but being a 4 seed doesn’t seem right. Samuels was 2nd at 113 in 5A, Jones was 2nd at 120 in 5A, and Briscoe was 3rd at 106 in 5A last year … so the bracket is stacked. Jones beat Briscoe by tech fall in the North Finals … don’t be surprised if your finals match is actually the top semi. That’s not a knock on Samuels or Briscoe, but I don’t know how being unbeaten, teching your opponent in the finals, and being a returning placer in another division doesn’t get you a higher seed than #4.
126 lbs.
Favorite: Stone Staton (Scottsboro) - North 1st
Contenders:
Ethan Sharkey (Gulf Shores) - South 1st
Ephram Ormiston (Southside, Gadsden) - North 2nd
Hudson Best (Hayden) - North 3rd
Bracketbuster: Jaxon Ivey (Arab) - North 4th
Seeds (#1 is at the top - all the way down to #8):
Stone Staton (Scottsboro) - North 1st
Ethan Sharkey (Gulf Shores) - South 1st
Ephram Ormiston (Southside, Gadsden) - North 2nd
Sequoah Hicks (John Carroll Catholic HS) - South 2nd
Aiden Bridgman (Tallassee) - South 3rd
Hudson Best (Hayden) - North 3rd
Jaxon Ivey (Arab) - North 4th
Garrett Slaughter (Shelby County) - South 4th
Thoughts: Good weight that is headlined by returning 113 lb. State Champion Stone Staton. Staton won the North 9-6 over Ormiston. Sharkey won the south over Hicks. Staton is 36-2 with a loss to Stephen Springfield and Wallace Blue … he has beaten Preston Jones and others and is the favorite. But the field is deep an he will need to wrestle well in order to claim the top step again.
132 lbs.
Favorite: Nick Sykes (Shelby County) - South 1st
Contenders:
Noah Guthrie (Gulf Shores) - South 2nd
Antonio Nash (Jasper) - North 1st
Reese Thorn (Beauregard HS) - South 3rd
Bracketbuster: Matthew Dupree (Scottsboro) - North 3rd
Seeds (#1 is at the top - all the way down to #8):
Nick Sykes (Shelby County) - South 1st
Noah Guthrie (Gulf Shores) - South 2nd
Antonio Nash (Jasper) - North 1st
Reese Thorn (Beauregard HS) - South 3rd
Grant Long (Moody Hs) - North 2nd
Matthew Dupree (Scottsboro) - North 3rd
Brady Adams (Tallassee) - South 4th
Ball Dakota (Alexandria HS) - North 4th
Thoughts: Nick Sykes is 51-2 and is the returning 120 lb. State Champion. He beat Noah Guthrie, 4th at 120, in the South finals 3-1. Antonio Nash, 4th at 126 in 2023, downed Grant Long to claim the North Section title. This weight is a little like 126 … a returning champ, but a deep field … Sykes needs to wrestle well, but he is the favorite coming in and wrestles to his ability he should claim the top step again.
138 lbs.
Favorite: John Stewart (Scottsboro) - North 1st
Contenders:
Cooper Brooks (Jasper) - North 2nd
Taylor Cheek (Gulf Shores) - South 1st
Thomas `jay` Zito iii (John Carroll Catholic HS) - South 2nd
Bracketbuster: Avery Brantley (Tallassee) - South 3rd
Seeds (#1 is at the top - all the way down to #8):
John Stewart (Scottsboro) - North 1st
Cooper Brooks (Jasper) - North 2nd
Taylor Cheek (Gulf Shores) - South 1st
Thomas `jay` Zito iii (John Carroll Catholic HS) - South 2nd
Avery Brantley (Tallassee) - South 3rd
Brody Edwards (Beauregard HS) - South 4th
Tanner Vodosia (Hayden) - North 3rd
Corey Owens (Alexandria HS) - North 4th
Thoughts: Stewart is 39-0 and could be the best wrestler in Alabama regardless of class. Stewart pinned Brooks in the North final and is the clear favorite after claiming the 126 lb. State title a year ago. It will be interesting to see who emerges on the bottom side between Brooks, Cheek, and others. Keep an eye on Brantley vs. Zito - that should be the best 1st round match.
144 lbs.
Favorite: Land Bell (Tallassee) - South 1st
Contenders:
KADEN DELINE (Alexandria HS) - North 1st
Josh Draskovic (Scottsboro) - North 2nd
Charles Knight (Gulf Shores) - South 2nd
Bracketbuster: Hayden Graham (Southside, Gadsden) - North 3rd
Seeds (#1 is at the top - all the way down to #8):
Land Bell (Tallassee) - South 1st
KADEN DELINE (Alexandria HS) - North 1st
Josh Draskovic (Scottsboro) - North 2nd
Charles Knight (Gulf Shores) - South 2nd
Shawn Colvin (Elmore County School) - South 4th
Hayden Graham (Southside, Gadsden) - North 3rd
Demetrius Mcbride (Carver Birmingham) - South 3rd
David Baradell (Jasper) - North 4th
Thoughts: Bell is the returning state champ at 132, and like Sykes and Staton, comes in as the favorite, but the weight is deep and the same sentiment holds true … he must be ready because Deline, Drakovic, and Knight are looking to claim the title as well. Bell beat Knight 8-7 in the South Section final, Deline beat Draskovic, who is the returning 145 lb. runner-up, 7-5.
150 lbs.
Favorite: Tyler Payton (Elmore County School) - South 1st
Contenders:
Stephen Nelson (Hayden) - North 1st
Peyton Adams (Southside, Gadsden) - North 2nd
Ethan Jones (Tallassee) - South 2nd
Bracketbuster: Cotton Crowell (Gulf Shores) - South 3rd
Seeds (#1 is at the top - all the way down to #8):
Tyler Payton (Elmore County School) - South 1st
Stephen Nelson (Hayden) - North 1st
Peyton Adams (Southside, Gadsden) - North 2nd
Ethan Jones (Tallassee) - South 2nd
Cotton Crowell (Gulf Shores) - South 3rd
Zachary Reynolds (East Limestone) - North 3rd
TRISTAN PAGE (Alexandria HS) - North 4th
Samuel Segarra (Holtville) - South 4th
Thoughts: Seeds look solid at 150. Payton has had a great freshman campaign and will look to top it off with a state title on Saturday. He is 38-1 with his only loss coming to Rainwater in December. Payton beat Jones 8-2 and is the favorite coming into the weekend. Nelson beat Adams 8-2 to claim the North title.
157 lbs.
Favorite: Aiden Goggans (Scottsboro) - North 1st
Contenders:
Garrett Caldwell (Jasper) - North 2nd
Tra`mel Mccoy (Tallassee) - South 1st
Josh Lugo (Beauregard HS) - South 2nd
Bracketbuster: Kadin Walter (Arab) - North 3rd
Seeds (#1 is at the top - all the way down to #8):
Aiden Goggans (Scottsboro) - North 1st
Garrett Caldwell (Jasper) - North 2nd
Tra`mel Mccoy (Tallassee) - South 1st
Josh Lugo (Beauregard HS) - South 2nd
Kadin Walter (Arab) - North 3rd
Kyle Simmons (Gulf Shores) - South 3rd
Hayden Fochtmann (Elmore County School) - South 4th
Amorea Green (Alexandria HS) - North 4th
Thoughts: Another weight where the seeds look right to us. Goggans beat Caldwell (5-4) to take the North title .. both are returning State Placers that will look to take the title this weekend. McCoy beat Lugo for the South title, but must be ready for Caldwell in the semis (assuming they both get there). Gulf Shores will be counting on Kyle Simmons to get a few wins and make the podium.
165 lbs.
Favorite: Ansel Goggans (Scottsboro) - North 1st
Contenders:
Xander Shook (Shelby County) - South 1st
Christian Mccary (Tallassee) - South 2nd
Luke Horsley (Jasper) - North 2nd
Bracketbuster: Isaac Orear (Hayden) - North 3rd
Seeds (#1 is at the top - all the way down to #8):
Ansel Goggans (Scottsboro) - North 1st
Xander Shook (Shelby County) - South 1st
Christian Mccary (Tallassee) - South 2nd
Luke Horsley (Jasper) - North 2nd
Miles Stoufflet (Gulf Shores) - South 3rd
Isaac Orear (Hayden) - North 3rd
Jimmy Mcmillan (John Carroll Catholic HS) - South 4th
Hunter Smiley (Lincoln) - North 4th
Thoughts: A really good weight … Goggans comes in as the top seed after taking 2nd a year ago and downing Horsley to claim the North title last weekend. McCary medically forfeited to Shook in the South final … but will get another shot (potentially - no clue why he forfeited) in the semis this week. Not a fan of having section finalists meet in the semis.
175 lbs.
Favorite: Cole Sykes (Shelby County) - South 1st
Contenders:
Carter Reed (Jasper) - North 1st
Weston Reed (Gulf Shores) - South 2nd
Colton Durham (Scottsboro) - North 2nd
Bracketbuster: Triston Brown (East Limestone) - North 3rd
Seeds (#1 is at the top - all the way down to #8):
Cole Sykes (Shelby County) - South 1st
Carter Reed (Jasper) - North 1st
Colton Durham (Scottsboro) - North 2nd
Weston Reed (Gulf Shores) - South 2nd
Triston Brown (East Limestone) - North 3rd
Joseph Hooks (Tallassee) - South 3rd
Dewayne Harris (Carver Birmingham) - South 4th
Ethan Green (A P Brewer High School) - North 4th
Thoughts: Another instance where we get section finals as the potential semis this week … I understand the seeding, but having that matchup again is unfortunate. Sykes, the returning State Champ at 170, pinned Weston Reed for the South title. Carter Reed downed Durham 6-0 for the North Title. Sykes has pinned Weston Reed twice this year so I’m not sure we see it going a different way this weekend and he downed Carter Reed by decision in early December. Carter Reed has beaten Durham 3 times this year … so again not sure how that changes although the score has gotten closer.
190 lbs.
Favorite: Landon Everett (Gulf Shores) - South 1st
Contenders:
Rhett Walters (Lincoln) - North 1st
Grant McGill (Hayden) - North 2nd
Hunter Scott (Leeds) - North 3rd
Bracketbuster: Tyson Phillips (Jasper) - North 4th
Seeds (#1 is at the top - all the way down to #8):
Landon Everett (Gulf Shores) - South 1st
Rhett Walters (Lincoln) - North 1st
Grant McGill (Hayden) - North 2nd
Hunter Scott (Leeds) - North 3rd
Nolan Addeo (Tallassee) - South 2nd
Tyson Phillips (Jasper) - North 4th
Luke Reinert (Elmore County School) - South 3rd
Austin Webb (Elberta HS) - South 4th
Thoughts: McGill is a returning State Placer as is Everett and Scott. Rhett Walters, a returning SQ, pinned McGill in the 1st period to win the North title. Everett downed Addeo 7-4 for the South Title. This weight seems less clear than a few of the others in 5A. Everett is the favorite, but Walters has looked great. The two have not crossed paths this season … that said Tyson Phillips has a win over Walters (as well as a loss) and sits on the same side of the bracket. Addeo is an important piece for Tallassee in their quest for the team title.
215 lbs.
Favorite: Cole Carter (Jasper) - North 1st
Contenders:
Keith Castleberry (Shelby County) - South 1st
Griffin Price (Hayden) - North 2nd
Luke Calfee (Scottsboro) - North 3rd
Bracketbuster: Landon McKendree (Springville) - North 4th
Seeds (#1 is at the top - all the way down to #8):
Cole Carter (Jasper) - North 1st
Keith Castleberry (Shelby County) - South 1st
Griffin Price (Hayden) - North 2nd
Luke Calfee (Scottsboro) - North 3rd
Landon McKendree (Springville) - North 4th
Jude Rogers (Tallassee) - South 2nd
Austin Harrison (Elberta HS) - South 3rd
Tony Gamble (Carver Birmingham) - South 4th
Thoughts: Cole Carter is the returning State Champ at 195 and is the clear favorite to claim a title this weekend. He pinned Price for the North title and has beaten Castleberry earlier in the year. In fact, Castleberry might be the only person that Carter did not pin or tech fall this season. That said … there is still work to do and everyone will be motivated to knock off the returning champ. Keep an eye on Jude Rogers - another important piece for Tallassee … they need a couple of wins and for a spot on the podium to help them in their quest for the team title.
285 lbs.
Favorite: Christopher Eyerly (Elmore County School) - South 1st
Contenders:
Logan Hall (Moody Hs) - North 1st
Jaedon Hill (Elberta HS) - South 2nd
Sam Schepker (Gulf Shores) - South 3rd
Bracketbuster: Antwone DuBose (East Limestone) - North 3rd
Seeds (#1 is at the top - all the way down to #8):
Christopher Eyerly (Elmore County School) - South 1st
Logan Hall (Moody Hs) - North 1st
Jaedon Hill (Elberta HS) - South 2nd
Sam Schepker (Gulf Shores) - South 3rd
Kalub Blanding (Hayden) - North 4th
Braden Arnold (Tallassee) - South 4th
Antwone DuBose (East Limestone) - North 3rd
Michael Gomer (Saint Clair County) - North 2nd
Thoughts: Eyerly is the favorite and pinned Hill to take the South title. Hall pinned Gomer to take the North title. Gomer taking 2nd and then being seeded 8th is a little strange, but again I understand they are looking at the entire season and not just sectional results. Eyerly and Hall haven’t crossed paths this year … it seems likely we will see the two battle it out for a 285 lb. title on Saturday. Schepker is big for Gulf Shores … he has the ability to beat anyone and they will need him in order to stay in the hunt for the team title.