A Look into the 23-24 Season
By Rylee Hackmann
The first round of Pre-Season ranking came out on November 7th, 2023 and then the 2nd set of Pre-Season rankings came out on Tuesday, November 21st. Looking into all class rankings you might see a familiar name that you know or a name that you may have never seen before. Let's take a moment and get to know your top 5 ranked boys wrestlers and the top 5 ranked boys teams. Starting out with the 106 weight class.
Boys #106 Weight Class-
1- Brayden Pacheco: Garden City, Junior, Class 6A
Ranked number #1 in all class rankings and #1 in 6A class rankings, Brayden placed 2nd at 106 lbs at 6A West Regionals and 2nd at 106 lbs at KSHSAA 6A State last season. During the off-season, he placed 1st @106 at USAWKS Districts and State. When he competed at War on 54 at 106 lbs he placed 1st in Freestyle and Greco. Then at USAWKS Freestyle State, he placed 3rd at 106 lbs, and at USAWKS Greco State he placed 2nd at 106 lbs.
2- Jayden Grijalva: Derby, Junior, Class 6A
Jayden is ranked #2 in all class rankings and #2 in the 6A class rankings. He placed 3rd at KSHSAA 6A West Regional and KSHSAA 6A State at 106 lbs. At USAWKS Freestyle and Greco State, he placed 1st 106 lbs. Then at Brain Keck Pre-Season Nationals, he placed 6th in the boy showcase.
3- Trevor Christenson: Basehor-Linwood, Freshman, Class 5A
He may only be a freshman, but Trevor is looking to make an impact on the 106 weight class. Christenson is ranked #1 in 5A boys and #4 in all class rankings. Trevor placed 1st at Battle of the Belt, Tournament of Champions, USAWKS District & State all at 9 2lbs. During the off-season, he placed 1st at the USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals Championships 92lbs and competed at Brain Keck Pre-Season Nationals. He was also awarded the Triple Crown winner for the 2022 Season.
4- Oscar Gauna: Goddard, Freshman, Class 5A
Oscar is another freshman, looking to make an impact in the 106 weight class. He is ranked #2 in the 5A boys ranking and #5 in all class rankings. Geuna placed 2nd at the Battle of the Belt. He placed 1st at District 2 championships and then placed 2nd at USAWKS at 95lbs. He was also a Heartland Dual Qualifier and placed 6th at USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals 94lbs. At War on 54 he placed 2nd at 16U Boy’s 100lbs in Freestyle and Greco. At USA Wrestling Southern Plains, he placed 3rd at 16U Boy’s 100 lbs Freestyle and Greco. At Fall Brawl he placed 2nd and competed at Brain Keck Pre-Season Nationals.
5- Jeredy Nilges: Mill Valley, Sophomore, Class 6A
Jeredy is ranked #3 in 6A class rankings and #5 in all class rankings. He placed 4th at the KSHSAA 6A West Regional and did not place at the KSHSAA 6A State Championships. He also placed 2nd at the USAWKS Freestyle & Greco Tournament at 16U 100 lbs and also participated at Fall Brawl and Brain Kick Pre-Season Nationals.
Boys #113 Weight Class-
1- Ezekial Whitt: Manhattan, Senior, Class 6A
Ezekial is currency ranked #1 in 6A boys and in the all-class rankings. Whitt placed 2nd at 6A Regionals West & 6A KSHSAA State at 113lbs. During the off-season, he took 1st at USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals in Junior Boys, USAWKS Freestyle & Greco State 1st in at 106 lbs & at 113 lbs, and USA Wrestling Southern Plains took 3rd in freestyle and 2nd on Greco. Ezekiel is also a Fargo AA.
2- Brogan Monty: Beloit, Sophomore, Class 321A
Monty and Sophomore from Beloit High School is ranked #1 in 321 Boy’s Ranking and ranked #2 in all class rankings. He placed 1st at 321A Regional A and 321A KSHSAA State @106. He also wrestled at the Heartland duals at 109 lbs and took 2nd at War on 54 in Boys 120 in both Freestyle and Greco. Took 5th at USAWKS Freestyle State and 3rd at USAWKS Greco State. Brogan was also selected to wrestle at the Nuclear Bragging right dual and won that match, and he was undefeated freshman year.
3- Caden Gallet: STA, Junior, Class 5A
Caden Gallet, a Junior from STA ranked #1 in 5A boys & #3 in all class ranking is a returning
State Champion at 106 lbs for Aquinas. He also placed 1st at 5A East Regionals 106 lbs. Throughout the regular season, last year I placed 2nd at the Johnston County Classic, Mid-Buchanan Invitational, and the Bobcat Classic.
4- Jaxson Scott: Olathe North, Sophomore, Class 6A
A Sophomore from Olathe North, Jaxson Scott is ranked #3 6A class rankings and #4 in all class rankings. Jaxson is a 6A East Regional Champion for Olathe North. He DNP at the 6A KSHSAA State Championships, but he was runner-up at the Sunflower League Tournament both at 106 lbs. At USAWKS Freestyle State placed 4th and at USAWKS Gerco State he placed 3rd both at 16U 106. Scott also placed 4th at Super 32 KC Early Entry and competed at Brain Keck Pre-Season Nationals.
5- Bryson Rockers: Paola, Sophomore, Class 4A
Bryson is ranked #1 in the 4A boys ranking and #5 in all class rankings. Rockers placed 2nd at KSHSAA Regional 4C and KSHSAA 4A State Championship 113 lbs. At USAWKS Freestyle State he placed 3rd and at USAWKS Greco State he placed 4th both at 120 lbs. He also competed at the USA Wrestling Southern Plains Tournament and Super 32 KC Early Entry. Bryson placed 7th at Brain Keck Pre-Season Nationals in the 9-10 Showcase Boys and was awarded AA honors.
Boys #120 Weight Class-
1- Lucas Kauffmann: Newton, Junior, Class 5A
Kauffmann is currency ranked #1 in 5A Boys and in the All Class rankings. Last Season at 113 lbs he placed 1st at KSHSAA 5A West Regionals and KSHSAA 5A State Championships. Additionally, last season he placed 1st at the 60th Newton Tournament of Champions at 113 lbs. At the USA Wrestling Southern Plains Tournament, he placed 6th in Freestyle 120 lbs.
2- Matt Long: Garden City, Junior, Class 6A
Matt is currently ranked #1 in 6A Boys and #2 in all class rankings. Long placed 3rd at 120 lbs at KSHSAA 6A West Regionals & KSHSAA 6A State Championships. At USAWKS District 4 he placed 1st 120 lbs in the USAWKS State Championships and placed 2nd 120 lbs in HS Boys. He additionally competed at Brain Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals.
3- Brock Johnston: Paola, Sophomore, Class 4A
Brock Johnston is currently ranked #1 in 4th Boys and #3 in all class rankings. Last season, he placed 1st 106 lbs at the Frontier League Tournament, KSHSAA 4A Regional C, and KSHSAA 4A Championships. He also completed at USA Wrestling Southern Plains Freestyle. Johnston also competed in KC Super 32 Early Entry and Brain Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals.
4- Caeleb Hutchinson: Manhattan, Sophomore, Class 6A
Hutchinson is ranked #2 in 6A boys and #4th in all class rankings. At the KSHSAA 6A West Regional and the KSHSAA 6A State Championship, he placed 1st @106. War on 54 he placed 1st 113 lbs in both Freestyle and Greco State. At USAWKS Greco State he placed 6th, and at USA Wrestling Southern Plains Greco, he placed 6th at 113 lbs 16U.
5- Aiden Shields: Valley Center, Junior, Class 5A
Shields is ranked 2nd in the 5A Boys Ranking and #5th in all class rankings. KSHSAA 5A West Regional and 5A State Championships he placed 3rd at 120 lbs. He also competed at the Brain Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals.
Boys #126 Weight Class-
1- Easton Broxterman: Washburn Rural, Junior, Class 6A
Washburn Rural's Easton Broxterman is ranked #1 6A boys and in the all-class rankings. Easton placed 1st at both KSHSAA 6A West Regional and KSHSAA 6A State Championships at 126 lbs. During the off-season he participated in the Heartland Duals Tournament, USAWKS Freestyle State & Greco State placing 1st at 126 lbs16U.
2- Adam Bilby: Rose Hill, Junior, Class 4A
Adam is ranked #1 in 4A and #2 in the all-class rankings. Last season he took 1st at KSHSAA 4A Regional A 113 lbs, then moved into the KSHSAA 4A State Championships where he placed 3rd. Right after the high school season, he competed at USAWKS District 2 Champions and USAWKS State Championships where he placed 1st 120 lbs. He also took 1st at both USAWKS Freestyle and Greco State at 16U 120 lbs. Billby also placed 4th at Fall Brawl and competed at Brain Keck Pre-Season Nationals.
3- Keith Sanders: Independence, Sophomore, Class 4A
Keith is ranked #2 in the 4A class ranking and #3 overall in the all-class rankings. He placed 1st at the KSHSAA 4A Regional C and then placed 5th at the KSHSAA 4A State Championships.
4- Kaiden Powell: Paola, Junior, Class 4A
Powell is ranked #3 in the 4A class ranking and #4 in the all-class rankings. Last year when he was a sophomore season, he competed at 120 lbs where he placed 1st in the 4A Regional C Weight class and then moved on to the KSHSAA 4A State Championship and placed 3rd.
5- Jase Adam: Salina Central, Junior, Class 5A
A Junior out of Salina Central, Jase is currently ranked #1 in 5A Boys class ranking and #5 in all class rankings. Last Year at the 5A West Regional he placed 4th at 113 lbs and was runner-up at the KSHSAA 5A State Championships 113 lbs. In his Freshman year, he placed 5th at the 5A West Regional at 113 lbs and then moved into the state and placed 3rd at 113 lbs.
Boys #132 Weight Class-
1- Johnny Leck: Rose Hill, Junior, Class 4A
Leck is ranked #1 in both the 4A boys ranking and all class rankings at 106 lbs. He finished 1st at KSHSAA 4A Regional A and at 106 lbs he took 2nd at the KSHSAA 4A State Championships. At the USAWKS Greco & Freestyle State, he took 1st at 113 lbs 16U.
2- Owen Suttles: Winfield Junior, Class 4A
Ranked #2 in both 4A boys and all-class ranking, Owen is KSHSAA 4A Regional A Champ at 120lbs and KSHSAA 4A State Championship runner-up. Once the high school season was over he competed at the USAWKS District 2 Championship at 132 lbs HS Boys then placed 3rd at USAWKS State Folkstyle Championships. Then competed at War on 54 in both Freestyle and Greco at 138 lbs 16U Boys and got 3rd. At USAWKS Freestyle State he got 5th at 138 lbs 16U Boys and at USAWKS Greco State he got 5th at 138 lbs 16U boys.
3- Maddox Casella, Mill Valley, Senior, Class 6A
Maddox is ranked #1 in the 6A class rankings and #3 in the all-class rankings. At the KSHSAA 6A West Regional, he placed 2nd and then placed 3rd at the KSHSAA 6A State Championships. Casella wrestled at the USAWKS Freestyle and Greco State at 138 lbs Junior/Cadet boys and placed 3rd in both tournaments.
4- Mason Younger: Ellis, Senior, Class 321A
Younger is ranked #2 in the 321 Boys ranking at 150, and in the all-class rankings #4 at 132 lbs. At the KSHSAA 321A Regional B and the KSHSAA 321A State Championship, he placed 1st 126 lbs. He has an overall record of 40-1.
5- Kaden Hoffman: Great Bend, Senior, Class 5A
Kaden is ranked #1 in 5A class rankings and #5 in all class rankings. He placed 6th at 126 lbs at the KSHSAA 5A West Regional and then placed 2nd at the KSHSAA 5A State Championships.
Boys #138 Weight Class-
1- Dillion Cooper: Mill Valley, Senior, Class 6A
Cooper, a Senior from Mill Valley is ranked #1 in the 6A class ranking and #1 in the all class rankings. Dillion placed 1st 126 lbs at the 6A KSHSAA East Regional and the 6A KSHSAA State Championships. At the USAWKS Freestyle tournament, he placed 2nd and at the USAWKS Gerco Tournament, he placed 1st both at Junior at 132 lbs. USA Wrestling Southern Plains Freestyle tournament he got 6th and USA Wrestling Southern Plains Greco Tournament he got 3rd both wrestling at Junior at 132 lbs. He also wrestled at the KC Super 32 Early Entry tournament and placed 3rd. Dillion also received American Honors at freestyle greco dual, fell short of placing at Fargo in the blood round, and has committed to wrestle at the next level at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock.
2- Adam Maki: Andover, Senior, Class 5A
Maki is ranked #1 in the 5A Boys and #2 in the all-class rankings. Wrestling at 138 lbs last year he placed 1st at both the KSHSAA 5A West Regional and the KSHSAA 5A State Championships. During the season he wrestled at the Heartland duals tournament at 141 lbs, USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals Junior HARD and got 2nd, USAWKS Greco State 145 lbs Junior got 4th and USAWKS Freestyle State at 145 lbs Junior and got 6th.
3- Kohen Wright: Independence, Senior, Class 4A
Ranked at #1 in 4A boys and #3 in the all-class rankings. Wright placed 1st at 132 lbs at KSHSAA 4A Regional D then placed 2nd at KSHSAA 4A State Championship. His final match was #1 all-class ranked & #1 ranked 4A boys at 144 lbs Senior, Braden Moore from Tonganoxie. Kohen wrestled at War on 54 Freestyle and placed 6th. He also wrestled at USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals and Fall Brawl during this off-season.
4- Damon Ingram: Rose Hill, Junior, Class 4A
Damon is ranked #2 in the 4A boys class ranking and #4 in the all-class ranking for 138 lbs. Ingram placed 1st at 126 lbs at the KSHSAA 4A Regional A and then placed 2nd at 126 lbs at the KSHSAA 4A State Championship. Ingram placed 4th at Brian Keck Pre-Season Nationals and had an overall record of 35-5.
5- Landen Kocher-Munoz: Washburn Rural, Sophomore, Class 6A
Landen is ranked #2 in the 6A boys class rankings and #5 in the all-class rankings. Last year he wrestled at 120 lbs and placed 1st at both the KSHSAA 6A West Regional and KSHSAA 6A State Championships. After the high school season last year, went and qualified for the Heartland National Dual tournament. Throughout the off-season, he placed 2nd at the USAWKS Freestyle State & placed 1st at USAWKS Greco State both wrestling at Junior 16U 132 lbs. In June of 2023, he wrestled at the USA Wrestling Southern Plaines tournament and placed 6th in Freestyle at 16U 138 lbs. This fall he wrestled at the Brain Keck Pre-Season National tournament and placed 2nd in the 9th-10th grade.
Boys #144 Weight Class-
1- Braeden Moore: Tonganoxie, Senior, Class 4A
Ranked #1 in the 4A boys class ranking & #1 in all class rankings is Braeden Moore from Tonganoxie. Braeden is your 4A KSHSAA Regional B & KSHSAA 4A State Champ at 132lbs. He also placed 1st at USAWKS Freestyle and Greco State at Junior Boys Junior 145. At the Indy Pre-Season tournament, he placed 4th in Boys 138-142. He is also a 2023 Triple Crown winner.
2- Harley Zimmerman: Hays, Senior, Class 5A
Ranked #1 in both 5A boys and all class rankings, Zimmerman is a returning KSHSAA 5A West Regional and KSHSAA 5A State Champ at 132 lbs for Hays. Once high school was over he placed 1st at the USAWKS District 4 tournament along at the USAWKS State Tournament at HS Boys 138 lbs. Harley also competed at the USAWKS Freestyle and Greco State Tournament where he placed 2nd in both at Junior 138 lbs.
3- Carson Ochs: Hoxie, Senior, Class 321A
Ochs is ranked # 1 in the 321A boys rankings and #3 in the all-class rankings. He placed 1st in both the KHSSAA 321A Regional B and the KSHSAA 321 State Championships. He was a Heartland duals qualifier and wrestled at the USA Wrestling Folkstyle National. He also placed 6th at the USA Southern Plains Tournament.
4- Kaden Allen: STA, Junior, Class 5A
#2 in the 5A class ranking and #4 in the all-class rankings Kaden Allen from STA. Kaden placed 4th in the KSHSAA 5A East Regional Tournament and 2nd at the KSHSAA 5A State Championship both at 132 lbs. Allen also placed 8th at the Council Bluffs tournament and 4th at the Bobcat Classic both wrestling at 132 lbs.
5- Jasper Allison: Fort Scott, Senior, Class 4A
Jasper a Senior from For Scott is ranked #2 in the 4A class ranking and #5 in the all class rankings. Last year he wrestled at 132 lbs and placed 2nd at the KSHSAA Regional Championships C and then placed 4th at the KSHSAA 4A State Championships. Allison also wrestled at USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals and placed 1st in Junior Hard.
Boys #150 Weight Class-
1- Tucker Cell: Abilene, Senior, Class 4A
Cell a Senior from Abilene is ranked #1 in the 4A boys class rankings and #1 in the all class ranking 150 lbs. Tucker won the 4A KSHSAA Regional Championship D 144 lbs and then placed 3rd at the KSHSAA 4A State Championship. He additionally won his weight class (144) at the Bobcat Classic Tournament. Tucker is also and 2 time state champion.
2- Brady Martin: Tonganoxie, Sophomore, Class 4A
Brady is ranked #2 in the 4A boys ranking and #2 in the all-class rankings. Martin placed 1st 144lbs at the KSHSAA 4A Regional A tournament and then placed 2nd at the KSHSAA 4A State Championships. Martian put in some off-season work and placed 1st USAWKS Freestyle and Greco Tournament at 16U 160 lbs and in the USA Wrestling Southern Plains Greco Tournament where he placed 4th at 16U 160 lbs.
3- Brady Duling: Bishop Carroll, Junior, Class 5A
Ranked #2 in the 5A boys class rankings and #4 in the all-class rankings is Junior Brady Duling from Bishop Carroll. Last year he wrestled at 138lbs and got 3rd at both KSHSAA 5A West Regional and KSHSAA 5A State Championships. Wrestling at USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals, Brady placed 1st in the 16U HARD LUCK 137-137 B bracket. He also placed 8th at the USAWKS Greco State Tournament at Junior 152 lbs.
4- Cooper Liles: Great Bend, Senior, Class 5A
Lies is ranked #3 in 5A boys class rankings #4 in the all-class rankings. He placed 4th at 150 lbs at the KSHSAA 5A West Regional and then placed 5th at the KSHSAA 5A State Championships.
5- Wyatt Gardner: Leoti, Senior, Class 3A
Gardner is ranked #1 in 321A boys class rankings and #5 in the all-class rankings. He placed 1st in the 321A KSHSAA Regional B and then placed 2nd at the 321A KSHSAA State Championships. During the off-season, he participated in USAWKS 2023 District 4 Championship and placed 1st in HS boys 150, USAWKS 2023 State Folkstyle Championships, and placed 3rd in HS boys 150, placed 1st 2023 USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals, placed 3rd at War on 54 Freestyle Tournament, and 6th at USAWKS Freestyle and Greco Tournament.
Boys #157 Weight Class-
1- Owen Eck: Andale, Senior, Class 4A
Eck is ranked #1 in the all-class ranking and #1 in the 4A class rankings. Going into his senior year at Andale, he is current record overall is 43-0. Last year he wrestled at 144 lbs and won both the KSHSAA 4A Regional A and KSHSAA 4A State Championships. Owen has also committed to wrestle at the next level at the University of Oklahoma.
2- Jacob Goodwin: Goddard, Junior, Class 5A
Goddard’s Jacob Goodwin is ranked #1 in 5A boys and in the all-class rankings. He placed 1st 144 lbs a the 5A West Regional and the 5A State Championship. Goodwin also competed at the USAWKS Freestyle State where he placed 4th at Junior 152 lbs. Jacob also wrestled and competed at Brain Keck Pre-Season Nationals.
3- Easton Schletzbaum: Effingham, Junior, Class 321A
Easton is ranked #1 in 321A boys and #3 in the all-class rankings.. Easton placed 1 in the KSHSAA 321 Regional A tournament and KSHSAA 321A State Championship 150 lbs. At the USAWKS 2023 District 1 Champions, he placed 1st 157 lbs. He also competed at War on 54 Freestyle he placed 4th at Junior Boys, then placed 6th at the USAWKS Freestyle State at Junior Boys 160. At the Sunflower State Games, he took 1st in Folkstyle and 2nd in Takedown wrestling at Male High School.
4- Trevor Vazquez: Olathe North, Senior, Class 6A
Trevor is ranked #1 in the 6A class rankings and #3 in the overall class rankings. Last season he placed 2nd at the KSHSAA 6A Regional and then placed 3rd at the KSHSAA 6A State Championships.
5- Brody Gomez: Fort Scott, Junior, Class 4A
Ranked #4 in 4A boys at 150 lbs and #5 at 157 lbs in the all-class ranking is Brody Gomez from Fort Scott. Gomez placed 1st in the KSHSAA 4A Regional Championship C and then placed 5th at the KSHSAA 4A State Championships. At both tournaments, he wrestled at 144 lbs.
Boys #165 Weight Class-
1- Colin McAlister: Mill Valley, Senior, Class 6A
Colin is ranked #1 in both 6A boys and all-class rankings. McAlister placed 1st in the Sunflower League Tournament, KSHSAA 6A East Regional, and KSHSAA 6A State Championships all at 150 lbs. Once his junior year of high school wrestling season was wrapped up he wrestled at the Heartland Dual Tournament, USAWKS Freestyle Tournament where he placed 1st, and USAWKS Greco Tournament placing 2nd both wrestling at Junior 160 lbs. Then he wrestled at the USA Wrestling Southern Plain Tournament Freestyle where he placed 6th at Junior 160. Took 1st in both the Sunflower State Games Folkstyle and Takedowns at Male High School. Then this fall he wrestled at the Fall Brawl Tournament and Brain Keck Pre-Season National where he placed 3rd.
2- Creyo Koop: Howard-West Elk, Junior, Class 321
Creyo is ranked #1 in 321 boys and #2 in the all-class rankings. Koop placed 1st at the KSHSAA 321 Regional C and placed 3rd at the KSHSAA 321 State Championship at 165 lbs. He also wrestled at the USA Wrestling Southern Plains Tournament Greco and placed 6th at Junior 160.
3- Jayden Ford: Mazie, Senior, Class 6A
Ford is ranked #2 in the 6A boys ranking and #3 in the all-class rankings. Jayden placed 2nd at the 5A KSHSAA State Championships at 165 lbs. Then he wrestled at USAWKS 2023 District 2 Championships and got 1st at HS boys 175, and then moved into the USAWKS Folkstyle State and placed 3rd. At the USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals, he placed 4th in Junior boys and placed 4th at Brain Keck Pre-Season Nationals Boy’s Showcase.
4- Taye Wilson: Pratt, Junior, Class 4A
Wilson is ranked #1 in 4A boys and #4 in the all-class rankings. Last season he wrestled at @150 lbs and placed 2nd at the KSHSAA 4A Regional A and then 1st at the KSHSAA 4A State Championships. Taye also wrestled at the USAWKS Freestyle Tournament and placed 3rd at Junior 160.
5- Keon Edwards: Newton, Junior, Class 5A
Keon is ranked #1 in 5A boys and #5 in all class rankings at 165 lbs. Keon placed 3rd at KSHSAA 5A West Regional and KSHSAA 5A State Championships.
Boys #175 Weight Class-
1- Zach Wessley: Goddard, Senior, Class 5A
Wessley, a Senior from Goddard is ranked #1 in both 5A boys and the all class rankings. Zach won the KSHSAA 5A State Championships his freshman year, Sophomore Year he placed 3rd at the KSHSAA 5A State Championships, and in his Junior year won the KSHSAA 5A West Regional and placed 2nd at the KSHSAA 5A State Championships.
2- Parker Guge: Ottawa, Senior, Class 4A
Ranked #2 in the all-class rankings and 4A Rankings is Parker Guge. Parker was out last year with an injury, but he was able to get back onto the mat in May and placed 2nd at USAWKS Freestyle State, and then 3rd at USAWKS Greco State wrestling at Junior 170lbs. Looking back at his Sophomore year he won the KSHSAA 4A Regional D and KSHSAA 4A State Championships at 145lbs.
3- Sam Watkins: Hoxie, Senior, Class 321
Sam is ranked #1 in the 321A rankings at 190lbs and #3 in the all-class rankings at 175lbs. In his junior season, he placed 1st at the KSHSAA 321A Regional B and then placed 3rd at the KSHSAA 321A State Championships. USAWKS Freestyle state he placed 3rd and at USAWKS Greco State 2nd both wrestling at Junior 182lbs. USA Wrestling Southern Plains tournament he placed 6th in Junior 182lbs.
4- Tad Forsyth: Blue Valley South West, Sophomore, Class 5A
Tad is ranked #2 in the 5A boys class ranking and #4 in the all-class rankings. Forsyth wrestled 165 lbs last year and placed 3rd at KSHSAA 5A Regionals and then placed 4th at the KSHSAA 5A State Championships. USAWKS Freestyle and Greco State he wrestled 16U 170 and placed 1st in both. At the USA Wrestling Southern Plains Freestyle and Greco Tournament he wrestled 16U 170 lbs he placed 2nd. Fall Brawl High School he placed 1st along with at Brain Keck Pre-Season National he placed 1st in the 9-10 boys.
5- Cooper Reves: Salina Central, Sophomore, Class 5A
Reves is #3 in 5A boys class rankings and #5 in all class rankings. He placed 5th at the KSHSAA 4A State Championships.
Boys #190 Weight Class-
1- Ayden Flores: Mazie, Senior, Class 6A
Flores a Senior out of Mazie High School is ranked #1 in both the 6A boys class rankings and the #1 in all-class rankings at 190 lbs. He placed 1st at the KSHSAA 5A West Regional and the KSHSAA 5A State Championships wrestling at 215 lbs. He also placed 1st in the District 2 Championships and USAWKS Folkstyle State Championships wrestling at 215 lbs.
2- Jack Harvey: Baldwin, Senior, Class 4A
Jack is ranked #1 overall in the 4A class rankings and #2 in the all-class rankings. The senior from Baldwin placed 1st at the KSHSAA 4A Regional B and the KSHSAA 4A State Championships wrestling at 190 lbs. He also has an overall record of 39-1.
3- Seth Ferguson: Ottawa, Junior, Class 4A
Ferguson is ranked #1 in 4A class rankings at 215 and #3 in all class rankings at 190 lbs. He placed 3rd at the KSHSAA 4A Regional C and then placed 2nd at the KSHSAA 4A State Championships.
4- Isaiah Wilson: Andale, Senior, Class 4A
The senior from Andale is ranked #2 in 4A class rankings and #4 in all class rankings. He placed 2nd at 175 lbs at both the KSHSAA 4A Regional A and KSHSAA 4A State Championships.
5- Tucker Jackson: Clay Center, Senior, Class 4A
Jackson is ranked #3 in the 4A boys class rankings and #5 in the all-class rankings. He placed 1st at the KSHSAA 4A Regional D and then 3rd at the KSHSAA 4A State Championships.
Boys #215 Weight Class-
1- PJ Cunningham: STA, Senior, Class 5A
STA’s 3rd wrestler in the all-class ranking is PJ Cunningham from STA. PJ ranked #1 in both the 5A boys ranking and all-class rankings. He placed 3rd at KSHSAA 5A East Regional and 2nd at the KSHSAA 5A State Championships wrestling at 215 lbs. Right after high school season was over he jumped into putting off-season work he placed 1st in the District 1 Championship and then 2nd at USAWKS Folkstyle State Tournament wrestling at 215 lbs. He placed 6th at USA Wrestling’s Folkstyle Nationals Junior boys. USAWKS Freestyle State he placed 2nd and USAWKS Greco State he placed 1st both wrestling at Junior 220 lbs. At the USA Wrestling Southern Plains Freestyle and Greco Tournament, he placed 6th at Junior 220 lbs.
2- Brayden Hill: Garden City, Junior, Class 6A
Brayden is ranked #2 in the all-class rankings. He placed 2nd at the KSHSAA 6A West Regional and then placed 4th at KSHSAA 6A State Championships wrestling at 215. USAWKS Freestyle State he placed 2nd and at USAWKS Greco State he placed 1st wrestling at Junior 285. USA Wrestling Southern Plains Freestyle and Greco Tournament he placed 1st at Junior 285. After having a great season last year, Brayden is unfortunately out for right now.
3- Ronan Wunsch: Mazie, Senior Class 6A
Wunsch is ranked #1 in the 6A boys class ranking along with #3 in the all-class rankings. He placed 2nd at the KSHSAA 5A West Regional and then 3rd at the KSHSAA 5A State Championships wrestling at 190 lbs. USAWKS District 2 Championships he placed 3rd and placed 2nd at USAWKS Folkstyle State Championships wrestling at HS Boys 190. He also wrestled at USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals at Junior boys and he placed 7th overall. At Brain Keck Pre-Season Nationals he placed 6th in Boys Showcase.
4- Daimot Mucker: Valley Center, Senior, Class 5A
Ranked #2 in the 5A boys class rankings and #4 in the all-class rankings is Dai’Mont Mucker from Valley Center. He placed 4th at KSHSAA 5A State Championships and placed #7th at KSHSAA 5A West Regional.
5- Omari Elias: KMC, Junior, Class 5A
Omari is ranked #3 in the 5A boys class ranking and #5 overall in the all-class rankings. He placed 2nd at 215 lbs at the KSHSAA 5A West Regional and then 5th at 215 lbs at the KSHSAA 5A State Championships. At the USAWKS Folkstyle State, he placed 3rd in HS Boys 215.
Boys #285 Weight Class-
1- Brett Carroll: Olathe East, Senior, Class 6A
Brett Carroll is a Senior from Olathe West and is ranked #1 in both 6A Boys and all-class rankings. Caroll placed 1st in the 6A KSHSAA West Regional and 6A KSHSAA State Championships wrestling at 285 lbs. He was also a Heartland Dual qualifier.
2- Sebastian Lopez: Garden City, Senior Class 6A
Lopez is ranked #2 in both 6A Boys and all-class rankings. The Senior from Garden City placed 1st at the KSHSAA 6A West Regional and 2nd at the KSHSAA 6A State Championships.
3- Milan Colvin: Rose Hill, Junior, Class 4A
Milan is ranked #2 in the 4A boys class ranking and #3 in the all-class rankings. He placed 1st at the KSHSAA 4A Regional A, and he placed 3rd at the KSHSAA 4A State Championships. Colvin wrestled at USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals and placed 1st in Junior Boys 285, USAWKS Freestyle State and got 1st place, and USAWKS Greco State and got 3rd wrestling wrestling 285 at both tournaments.
4- Kainen White: Coffeyville, Senior, Class 4A
Kainen is ranked #4 in the all-class rankings and #1 in the 4A boys class rankings. He placed 1st in the KSHSAA 4A Boys Regional C and 2nd at KSHSAA 4A State Championships.
5- Willy Jon Morales: Augusta, Junior, Class 4A (track profile & picture)
Willy is ranked #3 in the 4A class rankings and #5 in the overall class rankings. He placed 2nd at the 4A KSHSAA Regionals and 2nd at the 4A KSHSAA State Championships. He also has an overall record of 37-8.
Overall thoughts about the all-class rankings:
From researching and gathering information one of the toughest weight classes is 150 lbs. There will be a fight for a 4A State Championship at this weight class. The top contenders for the 4A State title would be Owen Eck from Andale, Tucker Cell from Salina, and Brady Martin from Tonganoxie. Brady Duling from Bishop Carroll is one of the top 150 lbs in the state. Another weight class to watch out for is 165 lbs as this is the second toughest weight class. The third toughest weight class is 113 lbs. Witt from Manhattan is Fargo AA and you can’t forget Brogan Monty who has an undefeated record and is looking to win his 2nd state title as a sophomore.
The top #5 overall wrestlers to watch this season are…
#1- Ezekiel Witt- 113 - Manhattan
#2- Owen Eck- 150 - Andale
#3- Colin Mcalister- 165 - Mill Valley
#4- Dillon Cooper- 138 - Mill Valley
#5- Braeden Moore- 144 - Tonganoxie
Now that we have looked into the top 5 wrestlers per weight class let's look into the top 5 teams.
All Class Rankings Top 5 Boys Teams-
#1: Rose Hill- Class 4A
Rose Hill placed #2 at the 4A KSHSAA State Championships. They are ranked #1 in the 4A boys and have 6 wrestlers ranked in the 4A boys class rankings. This season they are returning 5 state placers and last season they went undefeated in dual. Additionally, This past summer Rose Hill sent 10 of their wrestlers to wrestle at the USA Wrestling Fargo Tournament.
Coach Saferite: Thoughts on the upcoming season: “This year the Rockets have their sights set on winning a state championship. However, to get that done, we know we are going to need a little luck staying healthy, getting kids at the right weight and figuring out our lineup, and having getting the kids to buy into the work and dedication that it will take in order to achieve that goal. We know that we will have a bullseye on our chest, but our kids led by these four juniors know how to overcome some of the adversity that will face us. We have a lot to be excited about, it should be a fun year and we just have to let the wrestling take care of itself. We are lucky as coaches to have the talent that we have, now we just have to get them all on the same page and compete everyday.”
#2: Manhattan- Class 6A
Manhattan placed 4th at the KSHSAA 6A State Championships and they are #1 in 6A boys class rankings. They have 8 wrestlers ranked in the 6A class rankings.
#3: Hoxie- Class 321A
Hoxie is ranked #1 in the 321A class ranking and #3 in the all-class rankings. Last year they sent 12 wrestlers to the 321A KSHSAA State Championships. At the tournament, the 6 State Champions, 2 runner-ups, and 3 wrestlers placed 3rd and placed 2nd as a team. This season they return 3 state champs, 1 runner-up, 2 3rd placers, and one state qualifier.
#4: Mill Valley- Class 6A
Mill Valley placed 3rd at the KSHSAA 6A State Championships and is ranked 2 in the 6A boys class rankings. They have 6 wrestlers ranked in the 6A boys class rankings.
#5: Mazie: Class 6A
Mazie is currently the 5A class champion. This year Mazie will return 5/7 of their state qualifiers and one state champion. The incoming freshman has a lot of potential and they are looking to make a run for a state title in the 6A class.
Thoughts about the top #5 Ranked Teams:
With Mazie moving up to 6A due to reclassification the stage is set for any team to win a 5A Boys State Title. Newton was runner-up and is ranked #2 in 5A boys and 3rd place was St. Thomas Aquinas and they are ranked #7th in 5A Boys. A couple of other teams to be watching to win a state title for 5A are Valley Center, Great Bend, and Andover. One of the more ‘quieter' 5A teams to watch out for Basehor-Linwood. They are returning 5/7 of their SQ and bringing in a stacked freshman class which includes Trever Christenson, Jet Millison and Cael Puderbaugh. Mazie now has joined stacked 6A teams which are Manhattan, Mill Valley, Garden City, Washburn Rural, and Derby. Manhattan is looking to win a title for the first time since 2017. The KSHSAA 6A Class Tournament will be fun to watch to see who wins the tournament. Over the past couple of years, 4A Rose Hill moved into the rankings and will travel to wrestle tough competition. This year they will have to fight the 2022 State Champion Tonganoxie, Paola, and last year’s State Champion Andale. The powerhouse team in 321A remains to be Hoxie. They have 13 team titles and 3 of them are back to back.
A HUGE thank you to JC Christenson, Eric Johnson, and any coaches that I messaged for taking time out of their day to send me information to help me write this story.
To all the wrestlers who ranked or may not be ranked, good luck this season!
