What to Watch - Weekend of Dec 10-11
Rankings are SEWrestle Coaches Rankings except South Carolina where we use SCMat.com
Walsh Ironman in Ohio - Live on FloWrestling
Alabama
2021 Swede Umbach Invite at Auburn - Live on TrackWrestling
Summary: 28 teams headlined by Alabama 5A/6A #1 Gardendale, 5A/6A #3 McAdory, and 7A #3 Hewitt-Trussville. 12 ranked teams in all including 2 Georgia teams in 7A #9 Lambert and 4A #8 Troup County. Keep an eye on 7A #4 Spain Park and 7A #5 Huntsville. A team that is currently unranked that could cause some chaos is Jasper.
Teams Include:
Auburn
Baker
Beauregard
Benjamin Russell
7A #8 Bob Jones
Buckhorn
Callaway (GA)
7A #9 Central
Daphne
Enterprise
5A-6A #1 Gardendale
Grissom
7A #3 Hewitt-Trussville
7A #5 Huntsville
Jasper
GA 7A #9 Lambert (GA)
Lee County (GA)
6A #3 Mcadory
Opelika
6A #8 Pelham
Pike Road School
Prattville
7A #10 Smiths Station
7A #4 Spain Park
Spanish Fort
Tallassee
GA 4A #8 Troup (GA)
6A #7 Wetumpka
Mako Invitational at Orange Beach
Summary: Tournament with a lot of Lower Alabama teams … not sure if this will be Baker’s top squad or their split squad (one is also scheduled to be at Swede. Same is true for Gulf Shores as one of their squads will be in the Florida panhandle.
Teams Include:
Baker
Bayshore Christian
Elberta
Gulf Shores
Northside Methodist
Orange Beach
Saraland
Spanish Fort
T.R. Miller
Spartan Invitational at Mountain Brook
Summary: Seems likely several teams will have their split squad here this weekend - Thompson, Oak Mountain, and Vestavia are in Tennessee, and Hewitt and Huntsville are at Swede. Still have 4 very good teams in Arab, Mountain Brook, Hoover, and Oxford in the mix … keep an eye on Fort Payne a team that has received some votes, but wasn’t in the top 10 the last rankings.
Teams Include:
5A/6A #2 Arab
Brookwood
Carver
Chelsea
Fort Payne
Fort Walton Beach (FL)
Hewitt (split squad?)
7A #7 Hoover
Huntsville (split squad?)
Leeds
Lincoln
Moody
5A/6A #5 Mountain Brook
Oak Mountain (split squad?)
5A/6A #10 Oxford
Randolph
Scottsboro
Southside
Sparkman
St Clair
Thompson (split squad?)
Tuscaloosa County
Vestavia (split squad?)
Villa Rica (GA)
Gene Taylor Memorial at Weaver
Summary: The Gene Taylor Memorial brings together (for the first time this season - I believe) the top teams in Alabama 1A-4A. Depending on weights and who is in the line-up - this could be a very good indication of what we can expect to see in January and February. Seven of the top 10 teams are scheduled to be there and this will be a fun one to watch.
Teams Include:
Anniston
1A/4A #4 Ashville
1A/4A #6 Cleburne County
1A/4A #7 Deshler
Oak Grove
1A/4A #5 Ohatchee
Piedmont
Pleasant Valley
Prattville Christian Academy
Ranburne
Saks
1A/4A #2 St James
1A/4A #8 St. John Paul II
Susan Moore
Walter Wellborn
1A/4A #1 Weaver
White Plains
Florida
3rd Annual Rumble at the Ranch at Wiregrass Ranch HS (Girls)
Teams Include:
Admiral Farragut
Bell Creek
Palm Harbor
Strawberry Crest
Wiregrass Ranch
2021 Santaluces Holiday Tournament
Summary: American Heritage (Delray Beach) is listed, but they are also listed at another Florida tournament and (at least) Mikey Tal-Shahar and Joseph Nicolosi are in Ohio at the Walsh Ironman. So this could be part of their varsity squad - hard to know.
Teams Include:
1A #2 American Heritage (Delray Beach)
Atlantic
Belen Jesuit
Benjamin
Boca Raton
Clewiston
Cooper City
Coral Springs
Forest Hill
J I Leonard
Jupiter Christian
Lake Worth
Monarch
Palm Beach Central
Palm Beach Gardens
Royal Palm Beach
Santaluces
Seminole Ridge
Spanish River
Suncoast
William T Dwyer
Captain Archer Memorial Classic at Charlotte
Summary: Several of the top 2A teams should be full strength - Charlotte and Brandon will have to contend with 3A #7 Riverdale. Lemon Bay, #10 in 1A, is still probably missing their hammer in Schyck - we will see how the others step up and if the Rays can make a top 5 appearance.
Teams Include:
2A HM Barron Collier
Braden River
2A #4 Brandon
Cape Coral
2A #3 Charlotte
Cypress Lake
Dixie Hollins
Dunbar
2A #10 Ft. Myers
Gulf Coast
Ida Baker
Lely
1A #10 Lemon Bay
Mariner
Naples
Oasis
2A HM Palmetto
3A #7 Riverdale
Sarasota
Venice
40th Annual Kiwanis Invitational at Hernando HS
Summary: Tons of central Florida teams headlined by 2A #6 Winter Springs and 1A #9 The Master’s Academy. This tournament is a perfect opportunity for teams that are close, but haven’t broken into the top 10 - to make their mark. It is a deep tournament and should feature some really good matchups.
Teams Include:
Central (Brooksville)
Citrus
Clay
Cocoa Beach
Crystal River
Cypress Creek (Wesley Chapel)
East Bay
Fivay
Forest (Ocala)
Gaither
Gulf
Heritage
Hernando
Hudson
Land O`Lakes
Lecanto
Lyman
Mckeel Academy
Natures Coast
Newsome
Pasco
Pinellas Park
Robinson
South Lake
Strawberry Crest
Sumner
Sunlake
1A #9 The Master`s Academy
Weeki Wachee
West Port
2A #6 Winter Springs
Yulee
Zephyrhills
Zephyrhills Christian
Capital City Classic at Chiles HS
Summary: CCC has been around forever and always puts on a good show. Will this year feature Somerset’s top team or some form of a split squad (they are also listed at a Port St Lucie Tournament). Wakulla and Lincoln are both honorable mention tournament teams to begin the season and both could make a statement by taking the Capital City Title this weekend.
Teams Include:
Bishop Kenny
Cairo (GA)
Chiles
Florida
Leon
Liberty County
2A HM Lincoln
Matanzas
Middleburg
Mosley
Niceville
Ridgeview
1A #3 Somerset
Terry Parker
The Bolles School
1A HM Wakulla
Summary: Good tournament that should feature a nice battle between North Port, Palm Harbor, and Harmony. Jesuit, the top team in 2A, has all of their hammers in Ohio at the Ironman. Does Steinbrenner or Springstead have some horses to put themselves in a spot to knock off the top 3?
Teams Include:
Admiral Farragut Academy
Anclote
Bayshore
Berkeley Prep School
Boca Ciega
Booker
Clearwater Clearwater Central Catholic
Countryside
Discovery
Dunedin
Freedom (Tampa)
George M. Steinbrenner
Gibbs
3A #8 Harmony
2A #1 Jesuit
Lakewood
Largo
Leto Comprehensive
3A #9 North Port
Northside Christian School
3A HM Palm Harbor University
Parrish
Plant
River Ridge
Riverview (Sarasota)
Seminole
Springstead
St Petersburg Catholic
Tampa Preparatory School
Tarpon Springs
Winter Haven
Steadwell-Grow Memorial at Port St Lucie HS
Teams Include:
American Heritage Delray
Archbishop McCarthy
Centennial
Forest (Ocala)
Ft. Pierce Central
Ft.Pierce Westwood
Lincoln Park Academy
Martin County
Okeechobee
Port St.Lucie
Somerset Academy
South Fork
Treasure Coast
2021 Ryan Blackwell Invitational at Gulf Breeze HS
Teams Include:
Arnold
Choctawatchee
Crestview
Destin
Escambia County (AL)
Gulf Breeze
Gulf Shores (AL)
Houston Academy (AL)
Milton
North Bay Haven
Ocean Springs (MS)
Pace
Robertsdale (AL)
Rocky Bayou
South Walton
Tate
W.S. Neal (AL)
Wewahitchka
2021 Danny Byron at Osceola HS - Day 1 - Day 2 - Live on Trackwrestling
Summary: Great opportunity to get in some very good wrestling right at the beginning of the season. The Danny Byron doesn’t keep team scores, but you can learn a great deal about some important pieces of each squad in an event like this where each wrestler will get a ton of matches. If last year was predictive of how wrestlers would do in the post-season and you can extend that to this year … then you want to keep an eye on those final matches (which featured State Champs and a ton of State Placers a year ago). This is a tournament where a wrestler can really make an impact.
Teams Include:
Braddock
Buchholz
7A #1 Camden (GA)
Celebration
GA 7A #3 Colquitt County (GA)
Cypress Creek
Deland
Doral Academy
2A #5 Fleming Island
Freedom
Gateway
1A #1 Jensen Beach
Jupiter
2A #2 Lake Gibson
Olympic Heights
3A #4 Osceola
1A #5 Palm Bay
Poinciana
3A #1 South Dade
3A #2 Southwest Miami
St Augustine
Timber Creek
3A HM Wellington Community
No Teams Listed
William Nutter Memorial at Merritt Island
Teams Include:
Boone
Eau Gallie
Flagler Palm Coast
Liberty
Merritt Island
Satellite
Sebastian River
Viera
Georgia
Fight Before Christmas at Denmark
No Teams Listed
Dragon Duals at Pepperell
No Teams Listed
Cherokee Duals
No Teams Listed
John Smith Mountaineer at Lumpkin County
No Teams Listed
Teams Include:
Bainbridge
Berrien County
Cook
Dodge County
Dublin
Pierce County
Tift County
Valdosta (split squad - no other tournament listed for the Cats)
Raider Invitational at Habersham Central
Teams Include:
Athens Christian
Franklin County
Habersham Central
Lakeside Evans
Rabun
Seneca (SC)
Stephens
Towns County
Teams Include:
Central (Macon)
First Presbyterian
Howard
Jones County
Mount de Sales
Stratford Academy
Tattnall Square Academy
Veterans
Westfield School
South Metro Invitational at Eagle’s Landing
Summary: Ola looks like the team to beat. Woodward Academy will likely take their hammers to McCallie leaving Ola to put up the points. Locust Grove and Union Grove are both ranked in the top 10 in 5A and seem to tbe the likeliest to challenge Ola. Lots of opportunities for several programs to make their mark.
Teams Include:
Alcovy
Dutchtown
Eagles Landing
East Coweta
Eastside
Fayette County
Forest Park
GMC Prep
Hampton
Langston Hughes
5A #6 Locust Grove
Luella
McDonough
Morgan County
Morrow
Mt. Zion
Newnan
Newton
5A #4 Ola
Putnam County
Rockdale
St. Pius X
Stockbridge
5A #7 Union Grove
Whitewater
5A #3 Woodward Academy (split squad - most will probably be at McCallie)
CRWA Tournament at Central Carroll
Teams Include:
6A #5 Alexander
Bowden
Bremen
4A #6 Central, Carroll
Harlason County
LaGrange
McIntosh
Mt Zion
Northgate
1A #7 St. Anne-Pacelli
Pike County
Starr’s Mill
Southside-Gadsden (AL)
2021 Takedown Invitational at Buford
Summary: Several ranked teams including the hosts - Buford. This is always a good event with some really good individual matchups. South Paulding looks like they’ve finally got everyone back and it will be interesting to see how they do as a team. Keep an eye on Olgethorpe County.
Teams Include:
6A #1 Buford
Chattahoochee
Collins Hill
6A #6 Creekview
Evans
GAC
Loganville
7A #2 Lowndes
5A #5 Harris County
1A #2 Mt Pisgah
2A #4 Oglethorpe County
Pinecrest Academy
Roswell
South Forsyth
6A HM South Paulding
Thomas County Central
North Carolina
Summary: On paper it looks like Currituck and Havelock, but don’t sleep in Croatan and Dixon.
Teams Include:
Croatan
3A #9 Currituck
Dixon
3A HM Havelock
Jacksonville
New Bern
Richlands
Swansboro
Topsail
Washington
West Carteret
West Craven
White Oak
Falcon Frenzy at West Henderson
Summary: Should be a good one … can Enka, North Henderson, and Pisgah hold off the challenge from Robbinsville? This should be a good tournament with some outstanding matchups.
Teams Include:
A C Reynolds
Asheville
Brevard
Chase
Clinton (TN)
Crest
East Henderson
3A #8 Enka
Erwin
Gibbs (TN)
Hendersonville
Hoke County
Madison
McDowell
North Buncombe
3A #6 North Henderson
3A #10 Pisgah
Polk County
1A #2 Robbinsville
1A #9 Rosman
1A #5 Swain
T C Roberson
Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy
Travelers Rest (SC)
Tuscola
West Henderson
Anson County
Ardrey Kell
Butler
3A #1 Central Cabarrus
Charlotte Catholic
Charlotte Country Day
East Gaston
East Mecklenburg
4A #4 Hough
Independence
Jay M. Robinson
4A HM Mallard Creek
Mountain Island Charter
Myers Park
North Davidson
Oak Hill (VA)
Olympic
Parkwood
Rocky River
Salisbury
South Mecklenburg
West Charlotte
Wheatmore
Big Cat Invitational at Patton
Teams Include:
Burns
Chase
Chesnee (SC)
East Rutherford
3A #2 Fred T Foard
Freedom
Patton
West Wilkes
Teams Include:
Apex
Apex Friendship
3A #7 Cape Fear
4A #7 Cardinal Gibbons
Carrboro
Clayton
Fuquay Varina
Jack Britt
Middle Creek
Northern Durham
Western Harnett
Willow Spring
2021 Joe Johnson Wrestling for Pride Invitational
Teams Include:
Athens Drive
Cary Academy
CB Aycock
DH Conley
East Wake
Enloe
Green Level
Heritage
Hillside
Leesville Road
Middle Creek
Riverside
South Central
South Garner
Southeast Raleigh
Southern Durham
Southern Lee
Wake Forest
West Johnston
Summary: CATA, Mt Pleasant, and Pinecrest - yes please. Add in a few other solid teams and this is one to watch.
Teams Include:
Ashbrook
3A #3 Central Academy of Technology and Arts
Cuthbertson
Maiden
Metrolina Christian Academy
Monroe
2A #1 Mt Pleasant
North Myrtle Beach (SC)
Piedmont
4A #6 Pinecrest
Porter Ridge
Providence
Scotland
Union Academy
Weddington
West Stanly
Nick Sgroi at Bishop McGuinness
Teams Include:
Atkins
Bishop McGuinness
Dudley
Montgomery Central
Northwood
Ragsdale
2A #5 Reidsville Senior
Rockingham County
Southern Guilford
Warrior Invitational at West Caldwell
Teams Include:
Cherryville
East Burke
Hibriten
Hickory
4A #2 Lake Norman
Lincolnton
Shelby
South Caldwell
Watauga
West Caldwell
South Carolina
All SC Tournamenta I could find are in FloArena - so I don’t know which teams are scheduled to appear.
Teams Include (partial list):
Blue Ridge
Clover
Gilbert
Greenville
Hillcrest
Laurens
Mauldin
Riverside
Rock Hill
Woodruff
Tennessee
2021 Indian Classic in Kingsport (TN)
Summary: Always one of the premier events in the first part of December … the Indian Classic routinely brings in top quality competition outside Tennessee. This year we get Thompson (AL), Bremen (GA), Grundy (VA) as well as teams from South Carolina, Louisiana, and West Virginia. Add in top in-state teams like Christian Brothers, Lakeway Christian, etc. and this is one to watch.
Teams Include:
Beech
2A #5 Bremen (GA)
Castlewood (VA)
Christian Academy Knoxville
D2 #2 Christian Brothers
David Crockett
2A #7 Dobyns Bennett
Eastern View (VA)
Elizabethton
1A #6 Gibbs
Grundy (VA)
Heritage
James River (VA)
D2 #5 Lakeway
Maryville
Morristown East
Morristown West
Nashville Christian
Palmetto (SC)
Parkway (LA)
Patrick Henry (VA)
Rockvale
Sevier County
Spring Hill
St Albans (WV)
Stauton River (VA)
Sullivan East
Tennessee High
AL 7A #1 Thompson (AL)
Volunteer
West Greene
West Ridge
Smoky Mountain Duals in Gatlinburg (TN)
Summary: Best dual tournament this weekend? Maybe. Certainly bringing in some top Georgia teams with Trion, Jefferson, West Forsyth, and North Forsyth. Can in-state Pigeon Forge, Science Hill, and Boyd Buchanan keep the title in the state?
Teams Include:
D2 #7 Boyd Buchanan
Heritage
GA 4A #1 Jefferson (GA)
Knoxville Webb
Lamar (GA)
GA 7A #6 North Forsyth (GA)
Notre Dame
AL 7A #7 Oak Mountain (AL)
1A #2 Pigeon Forge
2A #6 Science Hill
Seymour
GA 1A #1 Trion (GA)
GA 7A #3 West Forsyth (GA)
Teams Include:
David Crockett
Dobyns Bennett
Elizabethton
Spring Hill
Tennessee High
West Greene
West Ridge
Lester/Welsh Duals at Tullahoma
Teams Include:
Bearden
Cascade
Collierville
Oakland
Tullahoma
Walker Valley
West Creek
Teams Include:
Brentwood
Cartersville (GA)
Cass (GA)
Chattooga (GA)
Columbus (GA)
Dalton (GA)
Heritage (GA)
Johns Creek (GA)
Lakeview - Fort Oglethorpe (GA)
Marist School (GA)
McCallie School
Northwest Whitfield (GA)
Polk County
Pope (GA)
Ravenwood
Ridgeland (GA)
Ringgold (GA)
Signal Mountain
Southeast Whitfield (GA)
Vestavia Hills (AL)
West Laurens (GA)
Woodward Academy (GA)
Cleveland Duals
Summary: Cleveland is hosting an outstanding dual tournament … we could look ahead to a Woodland vs. Cleveland final, but I think that would be foolish. So many tough teams that this could go many different directions. Is Cleveland the #1 dual team in the SE after their win over Baylor last weekend?
Teams Include:
2A HM Arlington
2A #5 Blackman
2A #2 Bradley Central
2A #1 Cleveland
D2 #4 Father Ryan
GA 3A #2 Gilmer (GA)
2A HM Rossview
2A #4 Summit
GA 5A #1 Woodland (GA)
Teams Include:
Bartlett
Battle Ground Academy
Briarcrest Christian
Center Hill (MS)
Christian Brothers
Cordova
Millington Central
St. Andrews (MS)
St Benedict at Auburndale
St George’s