State Wrap up - Episode 3: Alabama and Florida Hammers
Each state had some absolute hammers at their state tournaments. We routinely recognize hammers throughout the season (in fact we try to do it weekly in December and January). In that case, coaches are asked to submit a wrestler that exceeded their expectations - whether that was on the mat, in the classroom in a leadership position, etc. We believe “hammers” aren’t just those wrestlers that destroy their competition and it is important to recognize those wrestlers that are continuing to push their ceiling.
But in this case - we are looking for those wrestlers that really hammered their way to a state title. These are the wrestlers that left no doubt. Not all State Champs are listed … the names below met 3 criteria: 1) they won a state title, 2) each classification had representatives, and 3) they met the point cutoff. Honestly - some brackets were tougher than others and a wrestler that won 5-4 in the semis and then 3-2 in sudden victory to win a title might be more deserving even though he or she did not score as many team points … I fully recognize that. But to avoid confusion (and to make it as objective as possible) I went with the above criteria.
Point cutoffs for each:
Alabama 7A: 27
Alabama 5A-6A: 30
Alabama 1A-4A: 30
Florida (all classes): 27.5
Will Anderson (Athens) - Alabama 5A-6A 113 lb. State Champ
There were few wrestlers in Huntsville as impressive as Will Anderson of Athens. Anderson, the #2 seed, had 3 1st period falls before downing one of the top 113’s in the SE in Hudson Waldrop 4-1 in the semis. He then hammered #4 seed Daishon Powe 16-5 to claim the 113 lb. title.
Cade Atkins (Westminster Christian) - Alabama 1A-4A 170 lb. State Champ
Atkins ran through the Alabama 1A-4A 170 lb. bracket … securing falls of 34 seconds, 45 seconds, 1:46, and 2:20. He gave just 1 point the entire tournament - an escape to Dylan Harris in the finals.
Brodie Christmas (Mortimer Jordan) - Alabama 5A-6A 106 lb. State Champ
Christmas navigated the tough 32-man bracket with relative ease. The top seed had 3 falls before having to fight through a tough semifinal vs. David Miguel of Ft Payne for a 3-1 decision. He then downed Cale Tucker of Chelsea 9-1 to claim the 5A-6A 106 lb. title.
Jonathan Conrad (Carrollwood) - Florida 1A 170 lb. State Champ
Conrad outstanding en route to his 4th state title. He had 3 falls including a first period pin of Khalil Mitchell in the finals, but it was his relentless pressure in his semifinal win over Dylan Kohn 3-2 that pushed him through to the finals.
Marvin Collins (Winter Springs) - Florida 2A 285 lb. State Champ
Collins is a straight up beast. He also had 4 falls en route to the 285 lb. State Title. Pinning Magrinet, Foyem and Box before pinning Kathleen’ Jeremiah Jackson with 7 seconds remaining in their State Final.
Jack Crook (Jesuit) - Florida 2A 145 lb. State Champ
Crook, like his brother, dominated early with two falls before running into his tough challenge In Saturday morning’s semifinals. Crook downed Christian Moder 4-2 to punch his ticket to the finals where he easily dismantled Palmetto Ridge’s Carson Miller 21-6.
Jonny Dobbs (Jensen Beach) - Florida 1A 126 lb. State Champ
Dobbs showed a ton of grit a determination after getting two early falls. He beat Suwannee’s Tim Joliceur in a tight 3-0 semifinal and then got the fall over Tyler Reeve in the 3rd period in a match that was either tied or he was trailing.
John Edwards (Vestavia Hills) - Alabama 7A 170 lb. State Champ
Edwards rolled through his opening round match before having to fight through a tough Evan Warren of Hoover in the quarters (a match he ended up winning by fall in the 3rd period). He then hammered Will Conlon 16-2 to setup a final with #2 seed Joseph Grijalva of Florence. Edwards had 3 takedowns in the 1st period and led 6-2 before ultimately getting the win 12-8 for his 2nd state title.
Drake Ewing (Gulf Shores) - Alabama 5A-6A 195 lb. State Champ
Ewing makes the list after a controversial ending to his 2021 state tournament. Ewing had 3 falls before claiming a tough 4-2 Sudden Victory in the semis over Logan Thomas. His match versus John McKimmon was 1-0 in the 2nd period when McKimmon was disqualified (I believe the official ruled it a bite).
Will Garrett (Thompson) - Alabama 7A 152 lb. State Champ
Garrett finished his season a superb 40-1 and the 7A Alabama 152 lb. title. He had 2 falls, a 9-1 major decision over Jeffery Smith of Grissom and then a tough 5-0 win over Lucas Reaves of Hewitt-Trussville in the finals.
Christian Guzman (Columbus) - Florida 3A 106 lb. State Champ
Guzman looked like he was on a mission after coming up just short a year ago. He opened with a 14-0 major before pinning Evan Martinez in the quarters. A 11-1 major over Ethan Vugman put him in the finals opposite a phenom freshman in Anderson Heap of Osceola. The match was close in the second when Guzman locked up a crossface cradle and got the fall.
Cooper Haase (Osceola) - Florida 3A 120 lb. State Champ
Like some of the others on this list - Haase cruised the in the early rounds before running into his toughest match in the semis. He got up early on returning State Champ Danny Martinez, but had to hold on for a 7-6 win to advance to his 2nd state final. Haase easily controlled Bryce Taranto in the finals (up 11-2) before getting to fall in the 2nd period for his 2nd title.
Carson Hall (Ranburne) - Alabama 1A-4A 285 lb. State Champ
Hall absolutely destroyed the 285 lb. bracket … and this might be something we need to get used to since he is just a sophomore. Hall had 4 falls and just the final vs. Cole Dennis went to the 2nd period.
Jaekus Hines (Osceola) - Florida 3A 138 lb. State Champ
Hines was unstoppable all weekend. He had a 17-1 tech fall and a 2nd period fall before downing Frank Lopez 16-0 in the semis. In the finals Hines had returning 120 lb. State Champ Alex Couto of South Dade - but the App State commit was spectacular. He had 3 takedowns and a 3 pt nearfall in the 1st period to build a 9-2 lead and followed that up with a 2nd period that had a reversal and two more takedowns. He capped it off with a takedown in the 3rd to cruise to an 18-5 win.
Warren Hoyt (Grissom) - Alabama 7A 182 lb. State Champ
Hoyt was named the OW of the 7A tournament after blitzing the 182 lb. bracket. He is the only champ to get 4 falls on his way to the top step including a 1st period fall of JT Foster of Hoover in the finals. Hoyt was superb on his feet - securing 9 takedowns and yielding none.
Joshua Johannson (Weaver) - Alabama 1A-4A 152 lb. State Champ
Johannson - like every other Alabama 1A-4A Champ to make this list - had 4 falls on his way to the top step. Johannson pinned Blain Hines in the 2nd period to claim the 152 lb. title.
Riley Kuhn (Ft Payne) - Alabama 5A-6A 220 lb. State Champ
Kuhn had 3 1st period falls, but also two very close matches as he took the 220 lb. title. He survived a close 8-7 decision to Micah Burrow in the quarters and fought through a 7-3 decision over Abe Preston in the finals to claim the 5A-6A title.
Cory Land (Moody) - Alabama 5A-6A 126 lb. State Champ
Land was 2nd only to Isaiah Powe in terms of team points in the Alabama 5A-6A State Tournament. Land had 3 falls and 2 tech falls including a 21-6 win over Sam Sutton in the finals at 126. Land had an amazing 34 takedowns over the 5 matches and did not surrender a single offensive point (all points were escapes).
James Latona (Thompson) - Alabama 7A 145 lb. State Champ
Latona was superb all season and came into the tournament with a perfect 29-0 record and the top seed. He had a forfeit, 2 1st period falls before hammering Conner Cole 18-1 to take the 145 lb. title.
Tylynn Lukens (Manatee) - Florida 3A 182 lb. State Champ
Lukens steamrolled through the first 3 rounds with falls and the outcome never in doubt. He drew Ethan Lopez of Hagerty in the finals … the only wrestler he had lost to all season. In a great match the two battled back and forth before Lukens was able to get the takedown in sudden victory to claim his 2nd title with a 5-3 SV1 decision.
Kyle McGill (Chiles) - Florida 2A 195 lb. State Champ
McGill came in unbeaten at 30-0, but a little under the radar coming from Region 1. He did what he had done all season … very workmanlike in getting takedowns and falls through the first 3 rounds of the tournament. He drew fellow 2020 State Placer Greg Dennard of Ft Myers in the final. McGill used a 2nd period takedown and a 3rd period escape to claim the first state title for Chiles.
Dylan Melendez (Piedmont) - Alabama 1A-4A 120 lb. State Champ
Melendez had 4 falls on his way to the top step at 120. He pinned Torres in 48 seconds, Arboneaux in 2:38, Champion in 3:23, and Tennison Norton in 3:15 in the finals. Melendez was dominant throughout - yielding just one point (an escape to Champion) in 4 matches.
Will Miller (Thompson) - Alabama 7A 160 lb. State Champ
Miller capped off his senior campaign in style. Finishing the season unbeaten at 38-0 with 2 falls and a 21-5 tech fall before having to battle through being behind in the finals to returning State Champ Jack Lamey of Vestavia. Miller found himself behind 4-2 after the 2nd period (giving up 3 points in the 2nd period) - he got a takedown with about a minute left to tie it up 4-4. Miller then gave the escape and was behind 5-4 before getting the final takedown with 25 seconds left to win another title.
Adrian Morales (South Dade) - Florida 3A 113 lb. State Champ
I will be the first to admit - I got this one wrong. Morales was superb en route to the 3A 113 lb. title. I didn’t doubt him at all throughout … he had 3 falls and cruised to the finals. He got Angelo DeDona in the finals - a wrestler he had lost to earlier this season - but this is where I was 100% wrong. Morales was in full control. He scored an takedown to close out the 1st period, a takedown to start the 2nd period and a reversal in the 3rd after DeDona realized his best shot was on top and to get a turn. Morales would have none of it and won with a comfortable 6-0 decision.
Jaden New (Alexandria) - Alabama 5A-6A 152 lb. State Champ
Jaden had 2 falls to start things off before downing Keenan Wyatt 8-2 in the quarters and Kendrick Young 3-1 in the semis. New put an exclamation point on another Alabama State title as he pinned Gabe Sweat in the 2nd period to claim the 152 lb. title.
Isaiah Powe (Gardendale) - Alabama 5A-6A 120 lb. State Champ
Powe was the only wrestler to pin his way through the 5A-6A State Tournament. Not only did he get 5 falls, he outpointed his opponents by a score of 56-13 before getting the falls.
Melton Powe (Gardendale) - Alabama 5A-6A 138 lb. State Champ
Powe nearly matched his brother in terms of team points and was a significant contributor to Gardendale claiming a second state team title. He had 3 falls, a 20-4 tech fall, before winning a thrilling 11-9 decision over returning State Champ Kyler Adams in the finals.
Matthew Rodriguez (Ridgeview) - Florida 1A 132 lb. State Champ
Rodriguez scored 30 team points this weekend … the most a wrestler could score at the state tournament. He had falls of 17 seconds and 34 seconds in the opening two rounds before being pushed into the 2nd period in his semifinal match with Brandon Cody of the Master’s Academy. Rodriguez pinned Ronald Thielacker of Palm Bay at 3:22 to claim his first state title.
Caleb Roe (Arab) - Alabama 5A-6A 170 lb. State Champ
Roe, the top seed at 170, rolled through the first 4 opponents - getting falls in 18 seconds, 3:36, 2:59, and 5:11 (only trailing for a short time in his semifinal match with Luke Jasper). Roe downed Seth Branham 7-2 to claim the 170 lb. title in a very deep 170 lb. bracket.
Cody Souder (Weaver) - Alabama 1A-4A 160 lb. State Champ
Souder was one of the best in Alabama this past season - regardless of classification. And he showed that skill in recording 3 1st period falls and a 2nd period fall on his way to the 160 lb. title.
Jaylen Thomas (White Plains) - Alabama 1A-4A 145 lb. State Champ
Thomas had 4 falls on his way to 145 lb. title, but two of his matches .. his semifinal vs. JT Weathington and his final vs. Xander Stewart were close before Thomas got the fall.
Yanni Vines (Thompson) - Alabama 7A 126 lb. State Champ
Vines, the top seed at 126, had two falls, and 21-6 tech fall over Austin Buird, and a 17-5 major decision over Carson Farris of Vestavia to claim the 126 lb. state title.
Tyler Washburn (Palmetto Ridge) - Florida 2A 106 lb. State Champ
Washburn has to be one of the best 106’s in the SE. He had 2 falls to begin his state tournament and followed that up with a 6-2 decision of Dominic Nardini in the semis. In the finals - Washburn was on fire. He had a takedown in the 1st period and a takedown in the 2nd period before getting the fall.
Lucas Willis (Charlotte) - Florida 2A 160 lb. State Champ
Few have ascended to the top step at the state tournament a record 5 times in their career. On Saturday evening, Willis became just the 7th Floridian to do so. Willis left no doubt as to the best 160 lb. wrestler in 2A was this past weekend. He had under a minute falls in the first round and the semi as well as a 1:04 fall of Sergio Desiante of Jesuit in the finals. Lake Gibson’s Frank Solorzano was the only wrestler to take him the distance - losing 10-2 in the quarters.