Michigan Grappler Spotlight Coverage
1st Annual Grappler Fall Classic attracts nation-wide talent
MI Grappler's Grappler Fall Classic Coverage Section
The 1st ever Grappler Fall Classic will go down this weekend in Tecumseh, Michigan with over 400 wrestlers grade 7 through 12 entered to compete. With a star-studded field of wrestlers coming from 10 different states, a dozen college coaches in attendance, live video streaming, and college rules with college officials, this will surely be an off-season wrestling event like never seen before in the state of Michigan.
Michigan Grappler will be here all weekend with coverage including Live Video Stream, up to the minute results on TrackWrestling, and recaps, photos, and tons of video to follow. However, before the festivities get started, lets get everyone up to speed on what to expect with a weight-by-weight preview.
Projected Finals
(based on registration on 10/13)
98 - Drew Wixson (St Johns, MI) over Jacob Voss (Addison, MI)
105 - Phillip Laux (Pelin, IA) over Zac Hall (St Johns, MI)
112 - Freddie Rodriguez (Grand Ledge, MI) over Alex Uhre (St Thomas Aquinas, FL)
119 - Jack Hathaway (Iowa City West, IA) over Brandon Fifield (Leslie, MI)
125 - Dakota Bauer (Denver-Tripoli, IA) over Esteban Gonzales (Holly, MI)
130 - Alec Mooradian (DCC, MI) over Victor Vettese (Avondale, MI)
135 - Zachary Corcoran (Lake Fenton, MI) over Andrew Wisdom (Cardinal Gibbons, FL)
140 - Justin Melick (Lake Fenton, MI) over Derek Davison (Monroe, MI)
145 - Pete Baldwin (Osceola, FL) over Payne Hayden (St Johns, MI)
152 - Roger Wildmo (Durand, MI) over Alex Doran (Manatee, FL)
160 - Adam Bonner (Greenville, MI) over Ben Ralston (Oxford, MI)
171 - Chevez Farris (Ferndale, MI) over Matt Vandermeer (Clarkston, MI)
189 - Mickey Pelfrey (Iowa City West, IA) over Nyle Bartling (Syracuse, NE)
215 - Anthony Abro (Canton,MI) over Drake Renas (Big Rapids, MI)
285 - Mike Hooper (Warren Lincoln, MI) over Brandon Midcalf (Heritage, MI)
Weight-by-Weight Preview
98
Top Seed – Drew Wixson (St Johns, MI)
Heavy Hitters – Robert Lee (Kaukauna, WI), Jacob Voss (Addison, MI), Michael Irvine (St Francis, OH)
Darkhorse – Collin Welcher (Hamilton, MI)
Outlook – The Grappler Fall Classic is the only major pre-season event with a 98lb weight class added and with that we see a lot of big name middle school wrestlers, including youth state champs from Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio. Wixson, who is an 8th grader St Johns, is the top seed and the favorite to win this weight after winning the MYWAY State Title and NUWAY National Title last year in dominant fashion. Lee is one of the best youth grapplers in Wisconsin and has proven himself on the national circuit as well with Liberty and Border Wars National Titles under his belt. Voss has won MYWAY state titles the past two years in addition to the NUWAY Title last year and he could be a contender in Division 4 this year for Addison. Irvine is another promising freshman for Toledo St Francis after winning the OURWAY State Title in Ohio last year. There are a ton of little guys coming into this weight with impressive youth state and national resume’s, however, the darkhorse could be Collin Welcher of Hamilton, who is a sophomore and has a year of varsity wrestling at 103lbs under his belt, going 19-6 last year for Hamilton. Nathan Weckesser (Chippewa Hills), Ricky Azelton (Tecumseh), Steven Bleise (Dexter), Talon & Kaden Seitz (Hartland), and Conor McDill (Shelby) are all wrestlers who finished top 3 in the youth state tournament last year and could be in contention at this weight.
MI Grappler Finals Prediction – Wixson over Voss
105
Top Seed – Phillip Laux (Iowa City West, IA)
Heavy Hitters – Mitch Rogaliner (Bedford, MI), Zac Hall (St. Johns, MI)
Darkhorse – Dominic Russ (Holly, MI)
Outlook - This is one of the deepest weights in the tournament led by one of the most high profile wrestlers in the tournament in Phillip Laux. Laux was a Cadet Freestyle National Champ this past summer at 98lbs in Fargo and is currently ranked 4th in the country at 103lbs by TheOpenMat.com. Zac Hall, who will be a favorite to win the Div 2 State Title this year as a freshman for St. Johns, finished 7th at the same weight class in Fargo and Laux scored two wins over Hall during the summer. Once in Greco at Fargo and once in Freestyle at the Cadet Duals. Now they may get a chance to meet for the 3rd time in Folkstyle. D1 state champ Mitch Rogaliner of Bedford will have an opportunity to prove himself nationally with wins over Hall and Laux. If the seeds stay the same Rogaliner and Hall should meet in the semifinals in what could be a matchup of this year’s D1 and D2 state champs. Jordan Amine is the only other Michigan state qualifier in this weight, however, there are a handful of highly touted incoming freshman to watch in this weight: Cole Weaver (Hudson, MI) and Ben Griffin (Canton, MI) are both returning Super 32 Middle School placers, Ty Pelot (Kaukauna, WI) has all-americaned at almost every big time national event on the youth circuit, Kyle Keller (Delta, OH) is a returning NUWAY National Runner Up and Ohio OURWAY State Champ, and Dominic Russ (Holly, MI) is a returning Border Wars Runner Up who has thrived at many national events. In a weight filled mostly with freshmen, you have to keep an eye on a pair of proven seniors in Kris McKinley of Northrop, IN and Andrew Betke of Allegan, MI.
112
Top Seed – Freddie Rodriguez (Grand Ledge, MI)
Heavy Hittters – Alex Uhre (St Thomas Aquinas, FL), Luke Bell (Decatur), Tyler Foley (SL East)
Outlook – This weight is all Rodriguez as the 2x State Champ and reigning Fargo Double Champ is probably the most highly renowned wrestler competing this weekend. The top guys in this weight make out for a Michigan vs Florida showdown with Alex Uhre of St Thomas Aquinas who was 3rd in the state as a freshman last year and earned Greco All-American honors in Fargo last year and 2x State Qualifier Ronny Whitt of Manatee, FL. Another Michigan state champ to watch here is Luke Bell of Decatur who won the D4 state title last year and was impressive in Disney last summer. Two late scratches of top tier Michigan guys due to injury (state champ Stephen Ireland and runner-up Joey Golani) take a little bit of the depth out of this weight, however, the quality at the top is still there. In addition to Rodriguez, Uhre, and Bell, Tyler Foley of South Lyon East, MI is proven on the national stage and a 2x all-stater.
119
Top Seed – Jack Hathaway (Iowa City West, IA)
Heavy Hitters – Brandon Fifield (Leslie, MI), Alex Calandrino (Howell, MI), Ken Bade (Detroit CC, MI), Todd Melick (Lake Fenton, MI), Tim Lambert (Forest Hills, MI), Travis Sproles (Dundee, MI)
Darkhorse – Kyle Simaz (Allegan, MI)
Outlook: This is arguably one of the deepest weights in the tournament with 10 All-State Wrestlers entered at 119. Jack Hathaway of Iowa was a Cadet Freestyle Runner Up in Fargo a few months ago, finishing 2nd at 112, and is definitely the man to beat here. He is currently ranked 5th nationally at 112 by TheOpenMat and one of the top lightweights in the country. A fleet of top-tier Michiganders should be primed to challenge Hathaway with D4 State Champ Brandon Fifield, who is a top 10 senior recruit this year, 2x D1 State Placer Alex Calandrino who has earned Fargo All-American the past two years in Greco, D1 State Runner Up Todd Melick who pinned Calandrino at the state meet last year in a cement job, State Runner Up Travis Sproles, State Runner Up Tim Lambert, and Ken Bade who was 3rd in the state in Division 1 as a freshman last year. This weight should be fun to watch from the quarterfinals on with state finals type matchups going on very early. If the seeds stay the way are then we are set up for Fifield-Sproles, Calandrino-Lambert, and Bade-Melick in the quarters. Bade vs Melick could be an interesting matchup of former teammates from DCC last year. Other state placers that make this weight stacked include Jake Perrin (New Lothrop, MI), Rocco Borg (Oxford, MI), and Connor Hughes (Portage Northern, MI).
125
Top Seed – Joey White (Dundee, MI)
Heavy Hitters – Dakota Bauer (Denver-Tripoli, IA), Buddy Poyner (Lake Fenton, MI), Esteben Gonzales (Holly, MI), Fox Baldwin (Lake Highland Prep, FL)
Darkhorse – Dustin Kief (Franklin, IN)
Outlook – We have just been informed that top seed Joey White will be moving up to 130 this weekend, therefore, Dakota Bauer of Denver, IA should be the man to beat. Bauer was 7th in the state at 130 last year after a disappointing a state tournament, however, he was a 2009 IA State Champ and has proven himself numerous times on the national stage. A strong group of Michigan wrestlers will be gunning for Bauer, in addition to one of the best 8th graders in the country in Fox Baldwin of Florida. Baldwin has placed in the Florida State Tournament twice (5th and 2nd) already as Florida allows Middle Schoolers to compete in their 1A tournament. 3x State placers Buddy Poyner (Lake Fenton, MI), Dakota Kelly (Hudson, MI), and Ryan Abrigo (Manchester, MI) will be among the in-state studs in contention here. If that wasn’t enough firepower in this weight class, throw in current #4 seed Esteban Gonzales of Holly, MI who was a 2009 State Runner-Up and earned Greco All-American Honors in Fargo last year. Former Indiana State Runner Up Dustin Kief could be a contender in this weight as well as they have only one division in Indiana. Kentucky All-Stater Wade Willen and Michigan All-Staters Mike Shaw & Zac Case are other names to keep an eye on in this diverse, well-rounded field of wrestlers at 125lbs.
130
Top Seed – Alec Mooradian (Detroit CC, MI)
Heavy Hitters – Victor Vettese (Avondale, MI), Terry Turner (Davison, MI), Jeff Jenkins (Tecumseh, MI), Brandt Welcher (Hamilton, MI)
Darkhorse – Logan Marcicki (Detroit CC, MI)
Outlook – 2x state champ Mooradian is currently ranked 18th in the country at this weight by TheOpenMat and has all-americaned in Fargo and the FILA Cadets (twice). He is the clear #1 seed, however, Vettese leads a group of solid seniors who will be coming after Mooradian. Two years ago, Mooradian scored one of his first big time high school wins over Vettese (who was then a returning state champ) in the Oakland County Finals. Middle School phenom Mark Hall was a late scratch in this weight as a football injury pulled him out, however, Davison senior Terry Turner is a go at this weight after finishing 4th in the state at 125 in Div 1 last year. Jeff Jenkins and Brand Welcher are two other Top Michigan seniors to watch in this weight. Jenkins was 3rd in D2 at 130 last year and Welcher was 4th at 112 in D3. Logan Marcicki is a talented freshman who could definitely make some noise out of the #10 seed. Marcicki was a match from placing in Cadet Freestyle this year in Fargo as a first year Cadet. The addition of Joey White to this weight will make a big impact on seeds as well as the returning D3 State Runner Up went undefeated in Disney last year, proving he can compete with top national talent.
Finals Prediction – Mooradian over Vettese
135
Top Seed – Zachary Corcoran (Lake Fenton, MI)
Heavy Hitters – Joe Johnson (South Lyon, MI), Andrew Wisdom (Cardinal Gibbons, FL), Taylor Grenawalt (Haslett, MI)
Darkhorse – Lukas Gilmore (Greenville, MI)
Outlook – The top three guys in this weight are very similar as Corcoran, Johnson, and Wisdom all finished top 4 in their respective state tournaments last year and they all had pretty impressive records. Corcoran won the Ohio Tournament of Champions last Spring, giving him the edge in seeding. However, Johnson had a solid summer as well, going 3-2 in the Junior Freestyle Division at Fargo. Corcoran & Johnson are both Top 35 seniors in Michigan, but they will be pushed by a Floridian in Andrew Wisdom. Wisdom could be a wildcard as the junior from Cardinal Gibbson, FL has not really done much outside the state of Florida, but was 4th in their 3A State Tournament. Five other All-State wrestlers should be in the mix in this weight as well including Taylor Grenawalt who was 7th in the state as a freshman last year and Corey Alegria & Steve Tuyo who are senior returning state placers. As of Wednesday this is the largest weight in the tournament with over 40 wrestlers entered to compete, so whoever comes out on top will have to survive a series of barn-burners.
Finals Prediction – Corcoran over Wisdom
140
Top Seed – Justin Melick (Lake Fenton, MI)
Heavy Hitters – Collin Holler (Carl Sandburg, IL), Derek Davison (Monroe, MI), Brendan Papin (Belleville, MI)
Darkhorse – Travis Mann (New Boston Huron)
Outlook – This weight should be a multi-state affair with wrestlers from Michigan, Illinois, and Florida all in the hunt to win. Returning Division 1 State Champion Justin Melick is the #16 senior in Michigan and the favorite to win this weight, however, Collin Holler of Illinois powerhouse Carl Sandburg High School is a talented sophomore who finished 5th in Illinois State Meet as a freshman last year. Holler also made the all-tournaemnt team at The Clash in Minnesota last year, which is a prestigious prep event. D1 state placers Derek Davison of Monroe, MI and Brendan Papin of Belleville, MI lead a pack of other talented Michiganders who will push Melick and Holler. Camden McCaskey of Hudson and Mitchell Kennedy are both state placers in Michigan’s Division 4 who will have a chance to prove themselves against top notch D1 and out-of-state talent in this weight. A pair of Florida state qualifiers, Max Becks and Jake Ferrara add depth to this large weight class.
Finals Prediction – Melick over Davison
145
Top Seed – Roger Wildmo (Durand, MI)
Heavy Hitters – Pete Baldwin (Osceola, FL), Payne Hayden (St Johns, MI), Kyle Fletcher (Addison, MI), Brian Gibbs (Bedford, MI)
Darkhorse – Travis Reinhart (Dundee, MI)
Outlook – The match of the day probably won’t happen as we have received word that top seed Roger Wildmo will be moving up to 152 this weekend, which eliminates the potential Wildmo-Baldwin showcase matchup. Baldwin is ranked nationally by TheOpenMat.com and is the #32 recruit in the country by InterMat. He now becomes the heavy favorite at this weight. Division 4 State Champ Kyle Fletcher of Addison, MI and Cadet Greco All-American Payne Hayden of St. Johns, MI, who was 3rd in the state as a freshman, should be formidable opponents for Baldwin at this weight. Brian Gibbs of Bedford, who was 3rd in the state as well last year, is a top 20 senior in Michigan who could also make noise here. This is one of the deepest weights with Cadet Double All-American Travis Curley of St. Johns, MI as well as 2009 Cadet Double All-American DJ Beauch of Ohio lurking at the #6 and #7 seeds. Travis Reinart of Dundee is a 3x Kansas State Placer who just moved to Dundee this summer and will have his first introduction to Michigan wrestling this weekend. A few very quality wrestlers are unseeded and will be drawn into this weight, which could provide some fireworks in the early rounds. Florida 2x State Qualifier Brandon Pellecer, Indiana Semi-State Qualifier Drake Meska, as well as highly touted freshmen Drew Garcia & Jordan Cooks of Michigan are among the big name, unseeded wrestlers. Another name who is not pre-seeded but just entered today at this weight is 2009 Ohio Div 1 State Placer and 2009 NHSCA Freshman National Champ Zach Dailey of Massillon Perry, OH.
Finals Prediction – Baldwin over Hayden
152
Top Seed – Britton Thompson (Iowa City West, IA)
Heavy Hitters – Alex Doran (Manatee, FL), Connor Branchaeu (Lake Fenton, MI), Tim Sims (Milan, MI)
Darkhorse – Ian Ousley (Saginaw Heritage, MI)
Outlook – Wildmo moving up to 152 shakes this weight up quite a bit but the top 3 pre-seeds are no slouches. Thompson moved to Iowa City West this year, but comes from Montanta where he is a 3x state placer, 2x state finalist, and 2009 State Champ. He was also a 2009 Folkstyle National Runner Up (losing to Taylor Massa in the finals). Doran has a similar track record, earning 3 All-State honors in Florida including a state title in 2008 as a freshman. Michigan All-Staters Branchaeu and Sims should be in the mix as well, however, after that the weight is pretty open and there could be an opportunity for some lesser proven guys to work their way into the placing rounds here.
Finals Prediction – Wildmo over Doran
160
Top Seed – Adam Bonner (Greenville, MI)
Heavy Hitters – Ben Ralston (Oxford, MI), Richard Gaskill (Milan, MI)
Darkhorse – Zach Brown (Westerville, OH)
Outlook – Bonner is the man to beat here with two state placers leading the field of challengers. Ralston was a D1 state placer last year and Gaskill placed in D2. Either one of them has an opportunity to make an argument as a legitimate state title contender if they can take Bonner down. Kentucky State Qualifier Daniel Urban and Michigan State Qualifiers Brandon Hill and Adrian Morang are among the 6 other state qualifiers. Two out-of-state wrestlers to watch are Zach Brown of Ohio and Chris Hogendobler of Indiana. Neither of them qualified for states, however, Hogendobler is in a one-division Indiana tournament and Brown is D1 in Ohio, which is their strongest division.
Finals Prediction – Bonner over Ralston
171
Top Seed – Matt Vandermeer (Clarkston, MI)
Heavy Hitters – Chevez Farris (Ferndale, MI), Mark Weiss (St Thomas Aquinas, FL)
Darkhorse – Robert Steveson (Portage, IN)
Outlook - This could be looked at as 2-horse race with returning state placers Vandermeer and Farris, however, there are a few more heavy hitters hidden in the field who could push the top two. Both Farris and Vandermeer come off strong summer showings and are primed for a state title run this year. Florida state qualifier Mark Weiss and Michigan State Qualifier Brennan Kelly could be in the mix here as well. 8th grade stud Robert Steveson of Indiana is a name to watch as well who won the Folkstyle Nationals and Ohio TOC last year.
Finals Prediction – Farris over Vandermeer
189
Top Seed – Nyle Bartling (Syracuse, NE)
Heavy Hitters – Jarrad Labelle (Davison, MI), Mickey Pelfrey (Iowa City West, IA)
Darkhorse – Cameron Lee (Waverly, MI)
Outlook – It is common for the heavier weights of preseason tournaments to be thinner in terms of overall depth and talent, however, this 189lb class packs some major punch at the top with 3 state placers and a Fargo Double All-American. Top seed Nyle Bartling of Nebraska is a returning state runner up who has been relatively succesfull at many regional and national events and could be primed for a breakout this weekend. Jarrad Labelle of Davison and Miles Trealout of DCC are two returning Michigan State Placers who will be top contenders for the D1 state title this year. Labelle earned All-American honors in Disney this year. Mickey Pelfrey of Iowa City West is one of the top sophomores in the country after earning double All-American honors in Fargo last year. Pelfrey did not place in the Iowa State Meet as a freshman last year, but after a strong summer look for him to contend at this weight. Matt Roos, Kurt Alder, Brandon Goethels, and Lawrence Abbey are talented Michigan wrestlers who could find themselves in All-State contention this March. Cameron Lee is a talented freshman to watch who has been dominant on the youth scene for the past few years.
215
Top Seed – Anthony Abro (Canton, MI)
Heavy Hitters – Drake Renas (Big Rapids, MI), Brandon Lustgarden (Wellington, FL)
Darkhorse – Youseff El-Sayed (Crestwood)
Outlook – Abro and Renas are the big dogs at this weight and the only returning state placers. Abro is a natural 189lber and likely a little more agile then Renas, a natural 215lber. Abro has gotten out a lot nationally and should be the top contender to win the state title at 189 in D1 this year. Lustgarden is a Florida state qualifier and Zane Krall of Wauseon, OH was a state qualifier in Ohio as a freshman last year at 189lbs. The only state qualifier here is Tom Hall of Forest Lake, MI. With 14 wrestlers in this weight and a few heavy hitters, definitely worth its weight for a preseason tournament where finding big guys is a challenge.
285
Top Seed – Mike Hooper (Warren Lincoln)
Heavy Hitters – Nick Cooper (Huntington North, IN), Brandon Midcalf (Heritage, MI)
Darkhorse – Shawn Chamberlain (Dexter, MI)
Outlook – As expected, 285 is probably the thinnest weight in the tournament, however, returning D1 State Placer Mike Hooper is a legitimate State Title contender this year and one of the best heavyweights in the state. Look for Indiana State Qualifier Nick Cooper to challenge here. Indiana is a one-division state, so Cooper may be about the ability of a Michigan state placer in most divisions. Regional Qualifiers Brandon Midcalf and Alex Gaglio of Michigan should be in the hunt as well.
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