Elite 8 - Power Rankings
It is Elite 8 Week … check out our look at the lineups below.
NOTE: Lucas and I filmed the Team Rankings before this latest roster release. So take it with a grain of salt. The order doesn’t change because it was already done by us before we lost a few hammers. I’ve tried to add that info below so you have it for context.
It’s been 2 years since we last gathered for a Folksyle edition of the Elite 8 duals. If you recall, Minion Legends downed Mambas, Cali, JK Squad, Dynasty, Predator and eventually Kong 31-20 to take the title. Many of the names from that Minions squad are now gone and the torch has been passed to a new group that will look to defend that folkstyle crown this coming weekend in Atlanta.
Many of the top teams from that 2020 event return this weekend and will look to down a Minions squad that doesn’t enter as the favorites in our Power Rankings - at least in the eyes of SEWrestle (Fat and Scrappy’s Lucas DeSilva feels differently … check out our youtube commentary below for his take). It is important to note that the Power Rankings didn’t matter much in 2020 when Minion Legends beat the favorite Kong for the inaugural Elite 8 title. With 12 of the best teams from around the country and more than 60 ranked wrestlers in the field, this year’s edition should be even better than 2020.
The seeds have not been released, but here is a quick countdown of who we feel are the top teams:
#12 Combat Athletics – Made up mostly of wrestlers from the Tar Heel State – Combat will take the fairly short trip from Charlotte to Atlanta and look to establish themselves as the next club from the dirty south to watch. Combat is led by NC State Commit (and nationally-ranked) Jeremiah Price as well as recent Clarion commit David McClelland. Add in Virginian Noah Nininger, North Carolina State Champ Eli Murray, and current Lake Highland Prep hammer Zeno Moore and Combat looks ready to make a name for themselves. No Changes.
#11 Indiana Outlaws – The Indiana Outlaws, like Combat, are all (or nearly all wrestlers from the Hoosier state). The Outlaws enter with one nationally-ranked wrestler in Virginia Tech commit Logan Frazier, but bring a ton of others with HM out to the side of their name. Each is ready to replace that HM with a number after this weekend. Nathan Rioux and Revin Dickman will be tough to beat down low and Sammy Goin, Orlando Cruz, and Gunner Henry are ones to watch up top. No Changes.
#10 Team Empire – Team Empire is this year’s representatives from California and they come in ready to show the dirty south and the rest of the nation how things are done out west. Empire should be led by Ray Ray Harris and Anthony Harris down low and Mark Marin and Michael Murillo up top. Murillo and Marin are both ranked nationally by FloWrestling and should be the top end of a good run for Team Empire that starts with Leo Contino at 152. Rocklin Zinkin has been everywhere competing and will look to be a spark for Team Empire down low at 100 lbs. No Changes.
#9 Arsenal – Arsenal out of Cleveland, Ohio have pulled together a solid lineup from top to bottom. They have 3 wrestlers that are nationally-ranked by FloWrestling … Colyn Limbert, Dillon Campbell, and Aidan Fockler. They also have 3 nationally-ranked by MatScouts … Campbell, Fockler, and Rafael Hipolito from Virginia. Add in Fargo National Champ Javaan Yarbrough and HM’s Johnny Green, Cooper Shore, and Lars Michaelson and Arsenal has a squad to make some noise in Atlanta. Changes: Cooper Shore is out at 120 replaced by Carson Dupill; Remy Cotton fills in at 195, but Trent Sibble is out at 220.
#8 Black Mambas – The Black Mambas have been at every Elite 8 dual (whether Folkstyle or Freestyle) since its inception. And they always come to compete. This year’s squad features 5 nationally-ranked wrestlers led by Stanford commit Tyler Knox of St. John’s. Gage Singleton, Cooper Haase, Thomas Verette, Weston Dalton, and Jakob Romero makeup quite a solid lineup for the Mambas down low from 120-145. That said – 120, 126, etc. might be the deepest weights in Atlanta – so the Mambas will need Jacob Bostelman, Gage Howard and the top of the lineup to be stout if they are going to knock off those above them in the power rankings and hold off those chasing them. Expect the Mambas to be in some close duals throughout. Changes: Tyler Knox moves to Spartan … is replaced by Carlos Stantonm who bumps up from 120.
#7 Team Oklahoma – How good is 152 in the state of Oklahoma? You’ve got LaDarion Lockett who is competing for Dynasty, Kody Routledge for POWA, and Kael Voinovich who will lace it up for Team Oklahoma this weekend. Voinovich, Sam Herring, and Louie Gill will lead the way for Team Oklahoma. Chris Kiser is listed for Team Oklahoma in one place, but not in the other so not sure if we will see Ponca City standout or not this weekend. Regardless Team Oklahoma is deep with talent and watching their prep for this weekend has us excited for them to make their debut at Elite 8. Changes: Added Chris Kiser and Colt Collet at 113 as well as Payton Thomas at 195.
#6 Beast Coast – Recent Penn State commit AJ Friccione heads up a Beast Coast squad that is loaded from top to bottom. Friccione is joined by fellow Jersey hammers Harvey Ludington, Michael Dellagatta, and Aiden Schlett at the top of the lineup in what could be the best 182-285 quartet in the building. Jay Peace, Christian Fretwell, JJ McComas, and Brendon Cannon form a solid core down low (113-132). The Beast Coast lineup is tough from top to bottom and has all of the makings of a team that will be in the hunt in Atlanta this weekend. No Changes.
#5 Team Carnage – is there a better name for this group? Because when all is said and done … Team Carnage could possibly leave the Georgia International Convention center in just that state – CARNAGE. Eight wrestlers nationally-ranked wrestlers by either FloWrestling or MatScouts … 5 in the top 10. Luke Stanich and Grigor Cholakyan come in at #4 with Cross Wasilewski #8 and Dylan Russo and Emmanuel Ulrich (either #6 or #9 depending on who you ask). Add in Dylan Newsome, Gauge Botero, Matt Repos, and Brian Burburija and Team Carnage has no holes. When you begin to drop below the top 4 there is usually a gap … that is not the case this year. Team Carnage can compete with anyone. Changes - Vincent Lee out at 182, replaced by TJ McDonnell and Josh Cardio. Dylan Russo out at 220 replaced by Trent Sibble from Arsenal.
#4 POWA – POWA returns and looks ready to make a run at the Elite 8 title this season … coming in at our #4 spot in the power rankings. POWA have between 8 and 10 nationally-ranked wrestlers depending on whether you are looking at FloWrestling or MatScouts. The team is led by a trio of top 5 ranked wrestlers in Joel Adams, Hayden Walters, and Matt Moore. Walters, out of Crescent Valley Oregon, is a University of Michigan commit. Moore surprised a lot of people the last time he competed in Atlanta – beating #2 Chase Horne and Joel Adams just won a U17 Greco World Title. Add in Ethan Stiles, Cameron Catrabone, Jackson Blum, and others and POWA has a team that can beat anyone in Atlanta this weekend. No Changes.
#3 Minion Legends – the defending champs return after knocking off powerful Kong last time around. But this isn’t the 2020 version of Minions. They lose Singleton, Chittum, Horne, and others and will look to some new hammers if they are going to keep the title here in the dirty south. The Minions are super tough up top with a pair of #1’s in Brayden Thompson (170) and Christian Carroll (220). Add in future Hawkeye Gabe Arnold as well as Michigan commit Dylan Gilcher and this team is stacked. They key for the Minions will be from 100-126 … all matches they can win, but in some super deep weights. Changes - Rohr’s out at 100 and 106 - repalced by Axel Ritchie and Davis Motyka; Gabriel Bouyssou out at 138 replaced by Hayden Whidden; Christian Moder out replaced by Aiden Brenot (Brayden Thompson moves up to 182) with Gabe Arnold.
#2 Spartan RTC – Spartan makes their Elite 8 duals debut and with the roster they have pulled together … they have come to win it all. They have assembled a roster with 10 nationally-ranked wrestlers according to FloWrestling and 11 according to MatScouts. Add in Honorable Mentions Kole Davidheiser, Matthew Dolan, and Nate Taylor and this is a team with no holes and will be able to go toe-to-toe with anyone in Atlanta. With 9 wrestlers ranked in the top 10 – they make a case for being #1 in the power rankings. Ben Davino, Joe Sealey, and Lorenzo Norman lead the way … don’t be surprised if they take home the robes this season. Changes - Tyler Knox moves over from Black Mambas - replacing Ben Davino
#1 Dynasty – There is no better team, at least on paper, in this year’s Elite 8 duals than Dynasty. There are 11 nationally-ranked wrestlers according to FloWrestling and 10 nationally-ranked wrestlers according to MatScouts with a few Honorable Mentions add for good measure. Dynasty features 8 wrestlers ranked in the top 10 including Dominic Muneretto, Bo Bassett, Kale Laurdisen, Vince Bouzakis, Ladarion Lockett, Aiden Sinclair, AJ Heeg and #1 126 lber Jax Forrest. After not making the finals in 2020 – Dynasty has assembled an outstanding team and should be considered the favorites heading into this weekend. No Changes with latest Roster update (Sept 19).
