NHSCA High School Nationals - Freshmen Boys Wrap up
Same note as from the other Wrap-ups … so if you’ve read it - skip to the results.
I don’t have the time or the bandwidth to write this like a normal article … so I’m going to highlight with bullets the things that stood out to me. Keep in mind that there were tons of matches - and as of Monday I have only been able to watch a handful (I will go back over the next two weeks and watch every match that an SE wrestler competed in - but it isn’t in time for this wrap-up).
An important note … not all brackets are created equal. A wrestler could have gone 4-2 in a very deep weight - not made the podium, but in my estimation had a very good tournament. That doesn’t diminish any wrestler that made the podium in a weight that wasn’t as deep or didn’t have the top-end talent like some others … those wrestlers came to compete - they did and they did their job of making the podium. I just want everyone to know that because I highlight someone that didn’t make the podium (over someone that did) doesn’t mean anything (don’t read too much into it). The same is true for the draw … some draws are easier than others. But winning close matches and advancing says a lot - you have no control over your draw - you only have control over how you compete.
THE RESULTS
The Freshmen class has some real hammers, but it is hard to know how that will translate as they move up to high school. The freshmen held their own this weekend against some very competition. Crapps, Larson, and Bartelt each won an NHSCA National title and are well on their way to be on the radar of some college programs.
Georgia had 7 All Americans
Florida had 5
Alabama had 2 finalists - no other AA’s
Tennessee had 1 AA in Landon Desselle
Wilfong and Murray led the way for North Carolina
FRESHMEN
Championship Finals
120: Jake Crapps (GA) dec. Matthew Hart (OH), 6-2
145: Seth Larson (GA) dec. Oliver Howard (AL), 5-1
182: Tucker Paynter (PA) dec. Landon Williams (AL), 12-3
195: Sawyer Bartelt (FL) dec. Carter Neves (OH), 3-1 SV1
All American Matches
3rd/4th
106: Ethan Rivera (FL) dec. Draegen Orine (MO), 9-6
145: Latrell Schafer (GA) dec. Noah Hall (VA), 8-2
160: Hoke Poe-Hogan (GA) dec. Creed Thomas (GA), 6-5
285: Brandon Toranzo (NJ) fall Jacquavian Daniels (GA), 5:29
5th/6th
126: Andrew Wittenberg (FL) dec. Bryce Griffin (IL), 6-1
132: Landon Desselle (TN) dec. Tristin Greene (OH), 10-1
152: Ryan Garvick (PA) dec. Tyler Secoy (GA), 6-4
170: Tre Wilfong (NC) dec. Bryce Phillips (MO), 10-2
7th/8th
132: Brandon Cody (FL) fall Austin Simmons (CA), 2:27
138: Eli Murray (NC) dec. Brandon Bauer (NJ), 9-6
145: Eddie Nietenbach (OH) forfeit Gunner Holland (FL)
BRIEFLY BY WEIGHT CLASS
106
Great weight class that was headlined by Ohio hammer Beric Jordan - the eventual champ, but he got a call that most don’t over Rivera in the semis (with seconds left in a match that Rivera was leading by 1). Interested in the match - you can watch the replay n Flowrestling. Besides that hiccup - Rivera was outstanding in taking 3rd. NC’s Cameron Stinson went 5-2 and lost in the bloodround to Bryson Valdez of New Mexico. His 13-2 major of Reed Walker of Georgia was super impressive. Baglio, Tellez, and Mitchum each finished 3-2 on the weekend - but in a deep 106 lb. bracket that wasn’t close to making the podium.
113
No SE freshmen made the podium at 113, but several gave it a go. Florida State Champ Anderson Heap went 4-2 - he lost 5-4 UTB to Tyson Sherlock and then to Cash Donnell in the consis. Good run, but not quite good enough to make the podium. TN’s Jarvis Little went 5-2 - losing to Sherlock in the opening round 3-0 and then won 5 straight before being eliminated by Mason Kernan of PA. Both Heap and Little lost two wins short of making the podium.
120
Few freshmen come in with the same hype as Jake Crapps of Georgia (the only one that I can think of is Sawyer Bartelt of Florida) … and both deserve it. Crapps won 5 in a row to claim the 120 lb. title. His toughest match came in the semis vs. Omar Ayoub of Ohio … a 4-3 decision. Otherwise Crapps wasn’t really challenged. The only SE hammer to get close to making the podium was Georgia’s Noah Danforth who finished 3-2 - 2 wins shy of the podium.
126
Florida’s Andrew Wittenberg was the only SE hammer to make the podium - finishing 5th after going 5-2 on the weekend. Wittenberg is another name that might not be as familiar because he wrestles at LHP and they didn’t wrestle at the Florida State Tournament this year - I’m sure you would have heard his and others names much more if there had been an Ironman, Doc B, etc. this year. Jack Garrett of Georgia also had a good weekend, but ran into Wittenberg on the front side and then was eliminated after losing to PA’s Chase Frameli 6-1 in the consis.
132
Two SE hammers made the podium at 132 … TN’s Landon Desselle was 5th and Florida’s Brandon Cody was 7th. Desselle was 5-2 with 4 of his wins by fall and a 10-1 major over Tristin Greene of Ohio for 5th. Desselle’s win in the Round of 16 over Casper Stewart of New York where he was down late in the 3rd period and got the fall was his most impressive win. Love the fight. Cody was 4-2 with wins over California’s Austin Simmons and Virginia’s Thomas Stofka. He lost a close quarter vs. Colorado’s D’mitri Alarcon 2-1. Georgia had two - Konlin Weaver and Marley Washington - that lost in the bloodround.
138
138 was another very deep weight and just one SE hammer was able to work his way to the podium - Eli Murray of North Carolina. Murray lost his 1st round match to eventual Champ Miguel Estrada 14-5 and then won 4 in a row to make the podium. Wins over Griffin Walizer of PA and Dane Steel of West Virginia were part of that run for Murray who ended up 7th.
145
145 was loaded with SE hammers and Georgia State Champ Seth Larson won some close matches to take the title. He downed Florida State Champ Gunner Holland 3-2 in the quarters and fellow Georgian Latrell Schafer 3-1 in the semis. A 5-1 decision over Alabama’s Oliver Howard capped off a nice weekend. Howard easily handled the bottom side of the bracket on his way to the finals … beating Franlin Enkmandakh of California 6-2, Jaxon Townsed of PA 12-1, and Tyrus Jangula of North Dakota 11-0. Schafer bounced back from his semi loss to Larson to take 3rd with an 8-2 decision of Noah Hall of Virginia. Holland downed Alabama’s Cole Sykes 4-0 to make the podium - losing a close one to Noah Hall in the consi semis before medically forfeiting to 8th. In all - a great weight for the SE.
152
Georgia’s Tyler Secoy was the only SE hammer to make the podium at 152. He had 3 wins to start the tournament including an 8-5 win over NJ’s Frank DiBella and a 17-7 major of KY’s Joshua Strayer. He took a tough loss to eventual Champ Zack Ryder of New York in the semis. Unfortunately for Secoy he couldn’t get back on track and lost two close matches to finish the tournament in 6th. Overall a nice run to the podium.
160
Really good weight class that ultimately saw Jefferson (GA) teammates Hoke Poe-Hogan and Creed Thomas cross paths for 3rd. Poe-Hogan had 2 good wins before dropping his semi to eventual Champ Nate Taylor of Connecticut 4-3. Thomas took care of business on the bottom side with a fall and a 13-6 decision before dropping his semifinal match to Gunner Cramblett of Ohio 7-1. Both won their consi semis matches fairly easily and then we got to see a good 6-5 match go Poe-Hogan’s way for 3rd.
170
North Carolina’s Tre Wilfong was the only SE wrestler to make the podium at 170. He had 2 falls to start the tournament and then lost 4-2 to Utah’s Landen Shurtleff in the semis. A tough 4-3 loss to another Utahan in Cayaen Smith in the consi semis put him into the 5th/6th place match where he downed Bryce Phillips of Maryland 10-2.
182
Freshmen Division and bigger guys … the brackets have a tendency to shrink a bit. At that is especially true this year as the NHSCA put a limit on the number of wrestlers. Still Alabama’s Landon Williams looked good in a limited number of matches (he got just 3 - going 2-1 and finishing 2nd). Williams had a nice single leg takedown and then into a guillotine to pin Connecticut’s Dom Iaquinto in the 1st period of their semi.
195
195 featured several very talented freshmen. Florida’s Sawyer Bartelt had a fall and a tech fall before grinding out a 7-2 decision over VA’s Parker Ferrell (who finished 3rd). Bartelt then drew Ohio’s Carter Neves in the finals … a match that Bartelt won with a takedown in sudden victory.
220
The SE didn’t have any entries at 220 - in a bracket that was only 8 deep and won by PA’s Dante Burns.
285
Larger bracket than 220 - Georgia’s Jaquavion Daniels had a very nice tournament finishing 4th. He had 2 falls before losing to Lousiana’s Spencer Lanosga in the semis. A win over UT’s McNaughton and a loss to NJ’s Brandon Toranzo put him 4th on the podium.
ON THE RISE
These 10 Freshmen - in my opinion - showed that the next group of high school hammers are here. Not many freshmen get a ton of attention, but if these 10 continue to develop they should have programs from all over knocking on their door.
Seth Larson (GA) - Larson beat Holland, Schafer and Howard to claim the 145 lb. top step. He showed he can win the close matches and has to be one of the fastest rising freshmen around.
Jake Crapps (GA) - Crapps is a known commodity - so a win here isn’t surprising. It was nice to see him battle with Ayoub of Ohio in the semis - showing he continues to get better every time out.
Sawyer Bartelt (FL) - Bartelt, like Crapps, is a known commodity. It isn’t common that you have two very good freshmen 195’s cross paths, but that happened in the finals with Bartelt and Neves. A good match for Bartelt to showcase his skills.
Ethan Rivera (FL) - Rivera was within a breath of knocking off Jordan in the semis. Would he have beaten Quintero of California in the finals … who knows, but he had a great tournament and deserves to be high on this list.
Oliver Howard (AL) - Howard (as far as I can tell) didn’t wrestle this high school season, but has wrestled in various tournaments around the SE - still making a final at 145 at NHSCA’s is big. If you didn’t know his name before this weekend … you do now.
Landon Williams (AL) - Williams (like Howard) didn’t wrestle the past high school season in Alabama. He had a nice run 182 lb. bracket before losing in the finals.
Latrell Schafer (GA) - Schafer finished 3rd in a good 145 lb. bracket with his only loss coming to eventual Champ Larson in the semis.
Hoke Poe-Hogan (GA) - Poe-Hogan came in as the top seed in the 160 lb. bracket … had a good tournament finishing 4-1 with his only loss coming to eventual champ Nate Taylor 4-3 in the semis.
Tre Wilfong (NC) - Wilfong had a really good tournament - finishing 5th at 170. His two losses were very close and he was very close to breaking through to the finals. It will be interesting to see how his first high school season goes this year.
Tyler Secoy (GA) - Secoy had three excellent wins to start the tournament (and make the semis). He took 2 tough losses in the consis or he would’ve been higher on this list.
Struggled in picking the last few in this group. Florida’s Andrew Wittenberg, Tennessee’s Landon Desselle as well as Georgia’s Jacquavian Daniels and Creed Thomas could be on this list. I went with Wilfong, Hoke Poe-Hogan, and Secoy partly because of the depth of the weights (although Wittenberg at 126 and Desselle at 132 had a very good weights as well). Any of the wrestlers making the podium could be in the top 10 and all are “on the rise” based on their performance this weekend.