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Fi: Fall Stock Up Report

Willie Saylor, Editor



It's a fun time of year. Big national tournaments filled with imperative results are all over the place. It's great to see things shake out, to judge who is where, and how they've developed.



As a person who likes to evaluate talent, one of the more interesting things is to see wrestlers 'climb levels' or make significant gains. Superstars are fun, but seeing kids get to that (or the brink of it) is part of the charm to me.



A few times a year I like to highlight those that have surprised, maybe not themselves, but the national audience.



Here are the guys that had breakout performances the past few weeks:



Seniors

120 - Bryan Damon, Jefferson, NJ - Super 32 5th

Coming in to the tournament, Damon was a virtual unknown. He did have a 5th place finish at the state tournament, but not much in the way of national results. He placed 5th here, with both of his losses coming to Sean Russell.



120 - Alijah Jeffrey, Linn-Mar, IA - PSN Champion

Jeffrey beat two ranked opponents on his way to the title: Camden Bertucci and Kyle Akins.



126 - Dom Forys, North Allegheny, PA - Super 32 Runner-Up

What a run! Forys looked great: ultra aggressive and focused. He beat OH State Champ Anthony Tutolo before knocking off super stud, Tommy Thorn. His only loss came in the finals to Ryan Millhof.



126 - Stephen Polakowski, Libertyville, IL - PSN Champion

In both the semi’s and the finals, Polakowski beat a Fargo finalist. First Taylor Lamont, then PT Garcia.



132 - Chase Zemenak, Nazareth, PA - Super 32 5th

Zemenak smashed his way in to the semi’s with an 8-1 win over Gary Wayne Harding and a 17-4 demolition of Brock Ervin.



145 - Nick Bennett, Detroit CC - Super 32 3rd

Always a threat, Bennett has knocked off some highly touted wrestlers over the last year. His problem has been consistency. But he’s had it going this fall. First he won the Grappler Fall Classic, then he placed 3rd in Greensboro.



145 - Mike Longo, Santiago, CA - Super 32 4th

A Fargo GR finalist a couple years back, Longo has been tinkering with stardom. He looked great at Super 32 and even had a lead halfway through his quarterfinal with Logan Massa.



152 - Louis Hernandez, Mepham, NY - Super 32 3rd

Still on the open market, Hernandez beat Corbin Allen, Toby Hague, Zack Hertling, Jack Bass, and Fox Baldwin in Greensboro. His only loss was a 1-pointer to eventual champ, Danishek.



160 - Garrett Sutton, Richmond-Burton, IL - PSN Champion

Sutton won a bracket that included Dayton Racer, Logan Breitenbach, Tyler Mann, and Weston Dobler.



170 - Kimball Bastian, Maple Mountain, UT - Freak Show 3rd

Double 5th in Fargo, the still uncommitted Bastian beat Davonte Mahomes twice to place 3rd in a monster bracket that also included Chandler Rogers and Anthony Valencia. His only loss was to Mark Hall in the semi’s.



182 - Stephen Loiseau, Lancaster Catholic, PA - Super 32 3rd

In a bracket with great depth, Loiseau beat two Pennsylvania 3rd placers (Sleigh and Sponseller). His only loss came in quarters to eventual runner-up, Nicky Hall.





Juniors

138 - Zehlin Storr, Leslie, MI - PSN Champion

One week after being a match away from placing at Super 32, Storr beat Patrick Lugo and Max Thomsen to claim the title.



145 - Tommy Dutton, Rocky Point, NY - Super 32 7th

Continuing his standout Fall, Dutton beat 2x NJ State Runner-Up Gary Dinmore.



152 - Zach Kelly, Kiski Prep, PA - Super 32 Runner-Up

Kelly backed up a 3rd place, 1-loss Fargo with a great performance at Super 32 where he beat Fox Baldwin and was within seconds of claiming a belt.



152 - Isaiah Crosby, South Dade, FL - Super 32 6th

Unknown on the national scene, Crosby turned heads in Greensboro, knocking off Toby Hague, Austin Eades, and Paden Bailey.



170 - Anthony Valencia, St. John Bosco, CA - Freak Show Champion

Always in the thick of things, Valencia seemed to hit a new level in Vegas. Up at least two weight classes, Valencia was incessantly on the attack. He beat two Top 5 guys in Chandler Rogers and Mark Hall.





Sophomores

106 - Ty Agaisse, Delbarton, NJ - Super 32 3rd

Losing only to State Runner-Up Luke Karam, Agaisse beat both Ben Freeman and Ohio State Champ, Tyler Warner.



126 - Israel Saavedra, Modesto, CA - Freak Show Champion

It’s no surprise that Saavedra is successful. The State Champ borders on prodigy status. But it was interesting to see how he would do up multiple weight classes. The results are in, and Israel confirmed he’s the real deal. He beat fellow State Champ Mason Pengilly, and State Runner-Up, Johnny Parada.





Freshmen

108 - Justin Mejia, Clovis, CA - Freak Show Champion

With five other ranked wrestlers at this weight class, including Fargo finalists Andrew Nieman and Kaden Gfeller, Mejia ran the gauntlet. He’ll surely be moving up from his #47 ranking on the Freshmen Big Board.



132 - Cameron Coy, Penn Trafford, PA - Super 32 4-2

Coy entered at #20 on the Freshmen Big Board. And though he didn’t place, he had a very strong tournament with a win over Double Fargo Finalist Hayden Hidlay. His losses came to Sr.’s Coy Ozias and, in the round to place, to Colton Adams in OT.



138 - Kyle Lawson, Graham, OH - Super 32 6th

It didn’t take long for the nation’s #17 Freshman to make some noise on the high school scene. He knocked off nationally ranked Josh Maruca and made the semifinals before falling to 6th.







