One of the true joys of high school wrestling is the annual holiday tournaments that take place the weekend after Christmas. Keeping the kids disciplined with their weight management and creating unique travel situations, you can occasionally get wild results, but you are always assured of furious action as the top stars are in fine form having shaken off any early season jitters and looking to close the year out with a big statement in front of family and friends. The king of those holiday tournaments is Powerade at Canon-McMillan just outside Pittsburgh, deep in the hotbed of Pennsylvania wrestling. With a deep history of incredible matches and a heated atmosphere fueled by intense in-state rivalries, it is the high school tournament to tune into as you work off that two-pound allowance.

Watch the 2019 Powerade Live On FloWrestling

Dec. 27-28 | 8:15 a.m. ET

Before we dive in here, it is worth explaining some of the quirks to the seeding process. Powerade rarely seeds freshmen, so even though someone might be highly touted coming in, they have to really earn that seed via past performance, and there just isn’t enough in the way of results from some kids yet. So get ready to see some big names sitting just outside of the seeds and expect some sour faces early in the tournament as they act as massive landmines and potentially send some local favorites to the consolation bracket very very early in the proceedings (feel free to go directly to 160 pounds if you would like a more detailed example.)

106

Seeds & Ranking

1. #7 - Mac Church - Waynesburg

2. #20 - Daniel Sheen - Wyoming Seminary

3. Pacey Najdusak - Mason, OH

4. Tommy Link - Malvern Prep

5. Trevon Gray - Oscar Smith

6. Brady Roberts - Parkersburg South

7. Nic Allison - Mifflin County

8. Chris Earnest - Wadsworth, OH

Unseeded Notables:

Jacob Van Dee - Erie Prep

Jacob Houpt - Canon-McMillan

Calan Bollman - Chestnut Ridge

Commentary:

Mac Church made a huge debut with making the Ironman final, before coming back down to earth just a hair in finishing 5th at Beast. It is hard not to love his intense scrambling ability and knack for working out of danger. In an odd twist it was Wyoming Seminary’s Brandon Cannon who ruined his weekend in Delaware, but Cannon is the back up at Sem currently and it will be his teammate Danny Sheen that mans the opposite side of the bracket and will be aiming to spoil his trip to Pittsburgh. Cannon was unstoppable, but did he also expose some areas in Church for Sheen to exploit? I expect the Mac Attack to be on full shutdown mode, but it will be interesting to watch it play out. There are several tough outs in the field as well, with Van Dee and Allison possibly the top of that list.

Foster's Picks:  1. Church 2. Sheen 3. Van Dee 4. Allison

113 

Seeds & Ranking

1. #11 - Gary Steen - Reynolds

2. #5* Carter Dibert - Franklin Regional

3. #19 - Brennen Cernus - Wyoming Seminary

4. Mason Brugh - Wadsworth, OH

5. Mason Prinkey - Connellsville

6. Nate Holderbaum - Chestnut Ridge

7. Luke Geibig - Mount Pleasant

8. Easton Toth - Forest Hills

Unseeded Notables:

Spencer Barnhart - Malvern Prep

Commentary:

Steen is the returning champ, returning state champ and recently crowned Ironman champ. Following a tiny blip at Super 32 he has basically been indestructible. This is always a young weight so surprises can emerge, but this is not a particularly challenging field on the face of it and Steen should have little difficulty making his way to the top of the podium and feeling the PA love. Steen is a swiss army knife of moves and he has shown that he can win in any number of ways and against a variety of styles and attacks. His main competition here should be a very game Brennen Cernus who has the potential to keep things close but this should belong to Steen from start to finish.

Foster's Picks:  1. Steen 2. Cernus 3. Dibert 4. Holderbaum

120

Seeds & Ranking

1. Dylan Chappell - Seneca Valley

2. Kyle Hauserman - Council Rock North

3. Jackson Arrington - Forest Hills

4. Dayton Delviscio - Malvern Prep

5. Gregor McNeil - Wyoming Seminary

6. Ryan Michaels - Elizabeth Forward

7. Joey Fischer - South Park

8. Nasir Wilkinson - Bullis School, MD

Unseeded Notables:

#10 - Dominic Chavez - Arlington Martin, TX

Brandon Crowder - Christiansburg, VA

Aidan Lewis - Cedar Cliff

Kai Burkett - Chestnut Ridge

Commentary:

This is a weird one from the outside looking in, with Chavez the only nationally ranked guy in the field currently, but coming from Texas a little bit of an unknown to the committee. Further complicating matters returning state champ Arrington is a late scratch. Chappell was a finalist here and at the state level. Hauserman was 4th here and 3rd in the state. Delviscio is a Prep finalist and Ironman placer. Crowder is a state champ who took 7th at Beast. Wilkinson is super slick state champ and feisty. McNeil is crazy tough and beat Chappell at Ironman, showing how you can just kind of lump all of these guys in to together.

The question is how does Chavez handle the PA grind and I think he handles it all just fine. Chappell won’t be happy to find him waiting in the quarters and then McNeil is looking him dead on as well. That means Chavez will have to earn it, but he is up to the test and Delviscio takes advantage of the Chavez free side of the bracket to arrive at the final.

Foster's Picks:  1. Chavez 2. Delviscio 3. McNeil 4. Chappell

126

Seeds & Ranking

1. #3 - Nic Bouzakis - Wyoming Seminary

2. Kurtis Phipps - Norwin

3. Finn Solomon - Franklin Regional

4. Donavan Whitted - Arlington Martin, TX

5. Tyler Cymmerman - Derry

6. Luke Lucerne - Council Rock North

7. Landon Hacker - Wadsworth, OH

8. Alex Kightlinger - Saegertown

Unseeded Notables:

Meyer Shapiro - Bullis, MD

#17 - Rocco Welsh - Waynesburg

Matt Vulakh - Pope John Paul II

Reed Fulmer - Malvern Prep

Commentary:

It is pretty easy to look at this as a bracket with Nic Bouzakis and then everyone else, but one thing you learn quickly in Pennsylvania is that absolutely any tournament you attend in the state will showcase a vicious batch of 126 pounders. Unfortunately, Luke Lucerne is a late scratch, taking one more hurdle out of the race. Phipps is a returning champ and Solomon is a state finalist and landmines are everywhere, but first, a little shine for Mr Bouzakis. Already one of the most dynamic wrestlers in the nation, the shift to Wyoming Seminary has afforded Bouzakis a weekly spotlight as he tears up ranked opponents right and left. Already checking off his revenge matches for the year all that Bouzakis has planned is filling up the trophy case with a mountain of shiny documents of his dominance.

Sounds like this one is a done deal? Perhaps, but there are two huge reasons to watch this bracket as some of the most exciting freshman out there look to totally blow things up by coming outside the seeds. Rocco Welsh and Meyer Shapiro have both been phenomenal so far this season and as long as they don’t face Dylan Shawver both look amazing. Welsh is certainly known in Pennsylvania circles and now he is turning heads across the country. I am lucky enough to see Shapiro here in Maryland and after his run to 5th at Beast last weekend the rest of the wrestling world has him on their radar. I absolutely love Meyer and he seems to be improving with each match and getting his hands on older kids. I would even pick him to make the finals here if he hadn’t been dropped on Bouzakis’s side.

Phipps is a returning champ and state finalist who won’t take kindly to the young pups nipping at his heels, with Solomon and Hacker also looking to keep them waiting for another year. But I think the youth movement is in full force this weekend.

Foster's Picks:  1. Bouzakis 2. Welsh 3. Shapiro 4. Phipps

132

Seeds & Ranking

1. #16 - Alejandro Herrera-Rondon - Seneca Valley

2. #7 - Patrick Noonan - Stroudsburg

3. #11 - Drew Munch - Wyoming Seminary

4. Ian Oswalt - Burrell

5. Jaheid Lucas - Oscar Smith, VA

6. Gabe Willochell - Greater Latrobe

7. Cole Homet - Waynesburg

8. Brayden Johnson - Parkersburg South, WV

Unseeded Notables:

Garrett Kuchan - Christiansburg, VA

Trent Donahue - DuBois

Amonn Ohl - Saint Joe’s Academy

Commentary:

There is a lot to like in this group but this bracket really comes down to the potential showdown with Alejandro Herrera-Rondon and Drew Munch that never took place at Ironman a few weeks back. Herrera-Rondon actually finished the tournament in 3rd place, but never gave up a point, only losing in UTB with a ride out, much to his dismay. The returning champ and two time state champ has adjusted to his added size this season but the one thing he has yet to do is add serious offense to his game. No one else is as stingy defensively, but starting slow in getting points on the board has been a chronic issue for him, and it cost him dearly at Ironman. Will he suffer the same fate here? More importantly, Munch has been a dynamic pinning machine and has little trouble scoring, but how will he get inside Herrera-Rondon’s scorpion-like defense?

Noonan might have something to say about all of this as he had a great preseason winning Journeyman and coming in 4th at Super 32 and is a returning 4th here. Munch will certainly have his hands full come the semi so the destined meeting is far from a certainty, but I hope it comes to fruition as I can’t wait for the story to have an ending.

Foster's Picks:  1. Herrera-Rondon 2. Munch 3. Noonan 4. Oswalt

138

Seeds & Ranking

1. #10 - Sam Hillegas - North Hills

2. #1 - Beau Bartlett - Wyoming Seminary

3. Kenny Kiser - Saegertown

4. #13 - Wyatt Henson - Waynesburg

5. Bo Moler - Parkersburg, WV

6. Jared Keslar - Connellsville

7. John Altieri - Norwin

8. Jaden Twolance - Arlington Martin, TX

Unseeded Notables:

Zach Witmer - Saint Joe’s Academy

Kaeden Berger - Reynolds

Nathan Stone - Franklin Regional

Damon McGee - Bullis, MD

Commentary:

You have to think this has a good chance of closing the show should Hillegas and Bartlett stay the course. There are few guys that are better at being spotlighted at the end of a tournament than Beau Bartlett. Hillegas is a two time state champ and returning Powerade champ and an absolute force on the mat. Pretty much any other tournament you wouldn’t blink to see him as the top seed, but with Bartlett opposite it makes things very interesting. Following his upset loss in the Ironman final Bartlett will be looking to make a big statement here and I wouldn’t want to get in his way. Adding to the drama is that Bartlett knows his way around Hillegas and Powerade was the spot in 2017 where he gave Hillegas his first ever high school loss. Adding any inspiration to Beau with the seeding just feels cruel.

Kenny Kiser is a guy that you can link results with half of the state and he usually comes out on top. He is a returning third here and a state finalist, but already has an in state loss this year, and he has been prone to pick a few up here and there, as is the case in such a tough region. Wyatt Henson returns to PA and has been basically spending every minute this year testing himself against the best kids in the country. Immensely talented, he does seem to start slow at times and might be holding himself to this weight a little more tightly than most. Henson continues to feel like he is just on the edge of that big breakthrough, but an upset over Bartlett would be a tall order, so he will be happy to find himself taking a crack at Hillegas in the semi which is one to circle.

The rest of the field is pretty scrappy with Keslar and Moler particularly solid, and they should be fun to watch beat up on each other, but the top four should show some early separation.

Foster's Picks:  1. Bartlett 2. Hillegas 3. Henson 4. Kiser

145

 Seeds & Ranking

1. #1 - Lachlan McNeil - Wyoming Seminary

2. Erik Gibson - Forest Hills

3. Ty Linsenbigler - Hempfield

4. #16 - Paniro Johnson - Erie Prep

5. #20 - Gavin Quiocho - Parkersburg South, WV

6. Kip Nininger - Christiansburg, VA

7. Antonio Amelio - Seneca Valley

8. Cody Walsh - Camden Catholic, NJ

Unseeded Notables:

Kenny Duschek - Freedom

Mason Spears - Franklin Regional

Gene Quoldala - Bullis, MD

Commentary:

Lachlan McNeil has been a huge story this year with jumping levels and just putting every tournament that he enters under lockdown. Kicking off the Fall with a romp through Super 32 he just kept on rolling doing it again in style at Ironman. It has been wonderful watching all of the pieces fall into place as he rocketed to the number one ranking. Now that he has navigated the national competition, he faces what can be the toughest part of the season when you ply your trade in PA; making your way through the thick jungles of the local assassins. We often say that the best part about wrestling in a tough state is that you get to hit great foes and nationally ranked kids all the time, while the worst part about it is that you get to hit great foes and nationally ranked kids all the time. McNeil will be happily living that adventure starting right now.

He shouldn’t have too much trouble but Gibson and Linsenbigler are exactly the kind of local trap matches he needs to navigate. Quiocho in particular had a nice run at Ironman finishing sixth and can be dangerous against anyone. Johnson really came on last year and has the potential to hang with McNeil so we could have a very interesting semi on our hands. I am also a fan of recent Bullis transfer Quoldala and won’t be surprised to see him work his way into the mix late into the weekend.

Foster's Picks:  1. McNeil 2. Gibson 3. Johnson 4. Quiocho

152

Seeds & Ranking

1. #6* - Ed Scott - DuBois

2. #3 - Dalton Harkins - Malvern Prep

3. #8 - Brayden Roberts - Parkersburg South, WV

4. #13 - Cameron Robinson - Council Rock North

5. #10 - Caleb Dowling - Saint Joe's Academy

6. Brandon Mooney - Camden Catholic, NJ

7. Conner Redinger - Quaker Valley

8. Sterling Waters - Oscar Smith, VA

Unseeded Notables:

#18 - Connor Kievman - Wyoming Seminary

AJ Corrado - Burrell

Drew Vlasnik - Seneca Valley

Commentary:

This is a bit of a sneaky good bracket. Harkins came out of nowhere to win Ironman in dramatic fashion, and both Roberts and Dowling put in some nice work to place there as well, with Roberts in particular having back to back heartbreaking finishes to slide to sixth. Harkins then showed it was no fluke as he emerged as a Beast champ a week later, winning a tight one over Cole Handlovic in the final. Dowling has a solid resume and has already split matches with Handlovic this year. Robinson put together a good Super 32. Mooney put together a decent run on the back at Beast and is a returning 6th place finisher here. Redinger is a total wild card gaining size and weight and pairing it with a top game that may or may not be able to handle bigger guys. If it can he could be trouble. Sitting outside the seeds is two time National Preps champ Connor Kievman. It is a tough bunch and Roberst in particular has the skills to upset the pecking order.

All of them will be chasing returning champ, and PA State champ Ed Scott. Scott and Harkins were both in the 138 bracket here last year and it was a tournament dominated by Scott, where Harkins placing seventh was an afterthought. Harkins is far from an afterthought now as he has the attention of everyone in the country by winning back to back majors. Can he pull off the trifecta? Scott will be looking to protect his house and assert his PA dominance and you won’t find many locals willing to bet against him. Scott was incredible this year, but I just have that itch that Harkins can continue to ride his hot streak.

Foster's Picks:  1. Harkins 2. Scott 3. Roberts 4. Dowling

160

Seeds & Ranking

1. #19 - Jack Blumer - Kiski Area

2. #8 - John Martin Best - Parkersburg, WV

3. #12 - Luca Augustine - Waynesburg

4. Keegan Rothrock - Saint Joe's Academy

5. Dillon Sheehy - Council Rock North

6. #16 - Jack Wehmeyer - Malvern Prep

7. Kurt Thompson - Moeller, OH

8. Brendan Finnerty - Thomas Jefferson

Unseeded Notables:

#7 - Gabe Arnold - Wyoming Seminary

Isaac Cory - Montoursville

Ryan Weyandt - Forest Hills

Commentary:

One word - GABE! In a field filled with a jumble of nationally ranked kids and darkhorses does Arnold explode and claim his first major, in what will eventually be a long line of trophies? The dynamic freshman was can’t miss viewing at Ironman and looked fully equipped to grab some hardware at the earliest convenience. Some kids just scream “I’M SPECIAL” the first time you see them and that was Arnold as soon as he hit the mat in that Blue Knights singlet. A lot is being made of his being J’Den Cox’s cousin but this weekend is the start of Arnold making his own name in a big way.

The biggest question is which side of the bracket does he wreck? As I mentioned at the top of the preview, Powerade rarely seeds freshman, so Arnold is essentially a cannonball being thrown into the crowd. I have a weird feeling he ends up up top and makes life miserable for Jack Blumer, who already had a dicey path with the likes of Keegan Rothrock in the way. Down below John Martin Best is the epitome of steady eddie in these things and just keeps plugging away. Each year he has gotten progressively better and those solid fundamentals were on display at Ironman as he took out tough competition in TJ Stewart and Connor Strong. In the same bracket Wehmeyer benefited from Thayne Lawrence’s injury but also beat a tough Dom Isola. Augustine also beat Stewart and Strong and Wehmeyer on the back, before falling to Arnold, as Best finished up beating Wehmeyer as well. Now, Arnold beat all of them, including Rothrock - but his matches were incredibly close across the board, leaving us wondering if he just had a red hot run, or if he is the real deal.

He might be young, but he sure looks like the real deal to me.

Foster's Picks:  1. Arnold 2. Best 3. Blumer 4. Augustine

170 

Seeds & Ranking

1. #11 - Connor O'Neil - Depaul Catholic, NJ

2. #7 - Tyler Stoltzfus - Saint Joe's Academy

3. #5 - Trey Kibe - Mifflin County

4. Shane Reitsma - Howell, NJ

5. #6 - Leonard Pinto - Stroudsburg

6. #8 - Jaden Bullock - Oscar Smith, VA

7. #19 - Mac Stout - Mt. Lebanon

8. Nick Delp - Kiski Area

Unseeded Notables:

Trent Schultheis - Freedom Area

Caden Rogers - Malvern Prep

Andrew Donahue - Wyoming Seminary

Cael Crebs - Montoursville

Tyler Kocak - Hampton

Commentary:

This bracket is worth the price of admission alone! You know it is loaded when Pintomania! has been slotted in as the fifth seed. Caden Rogers is a Beast and National Preps placer and he isn’t sniffing the seeds here. This is going to be nothing but FIRE all weekend long! The fact that it is jammed with some of the best wrestlers regardless of weight in Pennsylvania only adds to the excitement. It is hard to know where to start so let’s just rock it from the top on down. Connor O’Neill is coming off a Beast title last week as he bested Dom Mata in the final. O’Neill is rock solid and always seems to be able to find another gear or edge when needed. Tyler Stoltzfus might be peaking at exactly the right time as he smoothes out his inconsistencies and starts racking up the wins. He had a back and forth battle from the top with Jaden Bullock at ironman before seizing control and grabbing the crown and his well rounded game is trouble for anyone. Trey Kibe beat Pinto at Super 32 and outplaced everyone and Pinto beat Stoltzfus and O’Neill both there as well, while Stoltzfus also beat O’Neill - showing how just how INSANE this can all get. Reitsma fell out of that bracket but then rebounded to beat Dom Mata recently. I can’t forget Kibe’s state championship over Clay Ulrey or his split matches with Stoltzfus, and I certainly can’t forget Pinto burning through NHSCA and Fargo. O’Neill would be quick to point out that he is the returning champ here with a sudden victory win over Stoltzfus. Where do you even start?

Against this backdrop you had Bullock emerging as a breakout star at Ironman, and while he didn’t quite keep that fire aglow with the same intensity at Beast, he more than has a chance here to capture the attention of every college coach in the country. I haven’t even touched out rock solid competitors like Mac Stout and Nick Delp (who has split matches with Pinto), or one of the most watched big boy prospects in Andrew Donahue, who might be a work in progress but still has the skills to finish 6th at Ironman.

Zero chance that the seeds hold here and I don’t know that we will be able to call any of the bouts from the quarters on an upset, no matter who wins. I am going out on a limb and calling for a special Pinto run as he runs through the field like a wild mustang as Stoltzfus takes a slow and steady approach on the other side to win several close matches and make the final.

Foster's Picks:  1. Pinto 2. Stoltzfus 3. Kibe 4. O’Neill

182

Seeds & Ranking

1. #2 - Gerrit Nijenhuis - Canon-McMillan

2. Ryan Weinzen - Norwin

3. #20 - Cole Rees - Wyoming Seminary

4. Nathan Warden - Christiansburg, VA

5. Jon List - Wadsworth, OH

6. Zion Carpenter - Oscar Smith, VA

7. Owen Amburgy - Mason, OH

8. Andrew Connolly - Malvern Prep

Unseeded Notables:

Dakoda Rogers - Connellsville

Bryce McCloskey - Reynolds

Donovan McMillon - Peters Township

Commentary:

Get ready to celebrate the most fabulous mullet to grace the mats of Western Pennsylvania this weekend as Gerrit Nijenhuis more than deserves your adoration. After years of traveling all over the country to take on all comers and put himself in every dangerous scenario imaginable, Nijenhuis has it all coming together for his senior year. There are few kids that I have enjoyed watching more and getting the opportunity to celebrate a little at the biggest tournament at his home gym is a fitting spotlight. It is impossible to forget Nijenhuis battling Carter Starocci last year in the final match of the event. The match itself was filled with tension which soon spilled over to heated words and a bit of scuffle afterwards. This year might not feature a grudge match, but following his Super 32 win Gerrit will be looking to take care of some unfinished business and add a Powerade crown.

Ryan Weinzen has a loss already this year up at 195 to Justin Hart and most of his high school success has been at 220 and 285 during his junior year, so he comes in to the 182 bracket as a bit of a wild card. He is a returning 3rd placer, which explains his seed, but this whole thing feels on shaky ground and I expect this to be one of the more volatile brackets. Cole Rees handled Nate Warden pretty easily at Ironman and also traded matches there with JT Davis getting his first year in the 182 slot off to a solid start. That win over Warden proves pretty crucial as he can avoid Nijenhuis until the final. Warden had a great Super 32 but it hasn’t quite continued with inconsistent results so far and a particularly disappointing Beast last weekend. Having said that, he is very talented and can tie guys in knots at times so should he get on a roll early he should hold his reservation for the semi.

Speaking of that semi, I was lucky enough to call the Super 32 meeting between Nijenhuis and Warden and Gerrit barely let me catch my breath before he was in on a blast double. Warden settled in and acquitted himself nicely, keeping it tight for a good while, but those two know the score going in. Andrew Connolly is young and adjusting to the weight while dealing with a difficult schedule but I expect him to settle in sooner rather than later. Jon List and Toby (Owen) Amburgy come over from Ohio with some interesting results. List has shined particularly in freestyle including a tech of David Harper who I am high on. Amburgy nearly surprised Peyton Craft with a pin at NHSCA and put together some solid wins at Ironman this year. Of those three I am going to say Amburgy reverses his past Powerade luck and sneaks into the top four.

Foster's Picks:  1. Nijenhuis 2. Rees 3. Warden 4. Amburgy

195

Seeds & Ranking

1. #4 - Luke Stout - Mt. Lebanon

2. #7 - Nicholas Feldman - Malvern Prep

3. Austin Walley - Ellwood City

4. Brayden Roscosky - Kiski Area

5. Dom Loparo - Wadsworth, OH

6. Justin Hart - Hampton

7. Justin Cramer - Hempfield

8. Martin Cosgrove - Camden Catholic, NJ

Unseeded Notables:

Kareem Carson - Cathedral Prep

Cole Whitmer - Trinity

Austin Brown - Bullis, MD

Commentary:

This could very well be the best final of the entire show right here. Nick Feldman gained a lot of admirers with his Fargo performance and then he was shot out of a cannon at Ironman losing only to Seth Shumate in the final. Last weekend he treated The Beast as his personal playground unleashing his shocking quickness and brutal power as he topped the podium. It is an understatement to say that Feldman has quickly emerged as one of the most exciting high school wrestlers in the country and likely the first name on most recruiter’s watchlist. 

That’s not to say that he is the polished final product and it just so happens that he is in the same field as a noted cooler - Luke Stout knows his way around ending a hot streak. I can’t count the times I have thought some kid looking amazing in his early matches and was on his way to becoming a star and then they come up against Stout and barely register a blip as Luke imposes his will upon them. I believe that Stout is the same age as the rest of the kids but far too often does he wrestle like a man amongst boys. Stout has those long arms with a deceiving range to his attacks and as he starts measuring you it is like he is just sizing up his prey before he is about to jump in and squeeze it to death. Feldman will try to get inside and act like a wolverine once he is up close and watching the two battle it out should be fascinating.

Walley, Hart and Roscosky know their way around a PA heavy crew with Carson possibly throwing himself into the mix. Loparo has shown the ability for a big win and the real wild card is Martin Cosgrove who I am very high on. Cosgrove was locked in with Mike Misita last weekend at The Beast and lost late in the match and then defaulted out of the tournament, so I am not sure if he will be 100% here, but if he is I like him as a grinder on the back making his way to third.

Foster's Picks:  1. Stout 2. Feldman 3. Cosgrove 4. Walley

220 

Seeds & Ranking

1. #2 - Braxton Amos - Parkersburg South, WV

2. #11 - KolbyFranklin - Wyoming Seminary

3. Cameron Wood - Montoursville

4. #15 - Dorian Crosby - Erie Prep

5. Duane Knisely - Chestnut Ridge

6. Dillon Ferretti - Hempfield

7. Derek Witsberger - St. Clairsville, OH

8. Owen Veitmeier - Malvern Prep

Unseeded Notables:

Braydon Herbster - Reynolds

Haydn Crum - Mifflin County

Commentary:

Looking to be a three time Powerade Champ. Braxton Amos continues his senior year victory lap that began at Super 32 and continued through Ironman. Amos is so talented that he is slicing through stacks of talented wrestlers and almost making it look too easy. His mix of tenacity, mat awareness, tactical savvy, lightning hands that feel like Thor’s hammer when he closes them and pure power can be impossible to deal with in the best of circumstances. Determined to make the most of his final appearances at these special tournaments means that his opponents could be scrambling for their lives.

Kolby Franklin might be the future of Pennsylvania upperweights by the time National Preps rolls around but the challenge this weekend might be in how close can he hang with Amos in the final. Franklin has a lot of those same qualities, but more so in the developmental stages, and he found himself in the middle of the 220 pack at Ironman trading matches with ranked kids and eventually finishing fourth. Franklin isn’t likely to hit Dorian Crosby but he has distanced himself from him in the past. Crosby can’t be happy about missing out on that chance and being the four seed and ending up on Amos’ side. This tournament has not been kind to him with a 7th place finish last year, where as Cameron Wood is a returning 4th. He will hope to reverse that this year. 

Wood will have other plans and more than happy to dole out quick pins whenever the opportunity presents itself. He also has an array of little trips that can give folks fits. It will be tough for anyone else to fight their way into the top four but Kniesly, Ferretti and Witsberger all have enough talent to pull off a quirky upset of Wood possibly, especially if he is off balance on one of those trips. Veitmeier is only 5-5 on the year so far but has had a brutal schedule with Ironman and Beast, so it will be interesting to see if he can get on more of a roll here early.

Foster's Picks:  1. Amos 2. Franklin 3. Crosby 4. Wood

285

Seeds & Ranking

1. #6 - Isaiah Vance - Hempfield

2. #15 - Cole Deery - Malvern Prep

3. Giomar Ramos - Canon-McMillan

4. Blaine Davis - Mifflin County

5. Stone Joseph - Kiski Area

6. Max Harar - Council Rock North

7. Alex O'Harah - DuBois

8. Justin Wright - Howell, NJ

Unseeded Notables:

Nate Miller - Wyoming Seminary

Anthony Shires - Cedar Cliff

Dawson Dietz - Hampton

Commentary:

While we wait for Jake Kaminski to make his heavyweight debut for Wyoming Seminary we should still be treated to a pretty titanic tussle in the final here. The field is packed with a lot of guys who are no fun to face and will be doing their best to batter and bruise the competition, but it is hard to see a scenario where Vance and Deery don’t navigate their way to become the last two standing. Isaiah Vance is the king of guys that are no fun to wrestle, making every position a struggle and forcing you to fight for every inch of the mat along the way. His style is far from flashy but it can take a little while to figure out, and by the time you do it can be too late. Deery will be happy to be on the other side of the bracket as Vance can make for an especially exhausting semi opponent at these kinds of tournaments.

Vance has beaten Deery in the past, as has Nate Miller, and I would be remiss if I didn’t highlight that Deery has a bit of an all or nothing style that does leave him at risk at times, but I would also be remiss if I didn’t underline that the Coltin (call me Cole) Deery that we have seen this year has clearly jumped a few levels from the kid that was little more than a trap match last year. Coming off an Ironman title and a third place finish at Beast, Deery will like his chances against Vance, and I will as well. There should be some fun as he quickly pins his way racing towards the final and the main question for me will be if he can put Vance in real danger at the end of the day and possibly even end things with a fall, or if he just has to depend on winning the takedown battle and top and bottom game. Vance is so savvy that I think he prevents his shoulders from hitting the mat but I expect Deery’s hand to be raised at the end.

The best of the rest might center on grinders like Blaine Davis, or Max Harar who is off to a quick start this season. Miller is experienced at making the most of these brackets, and Dawson Dietz almost lasted the full three periods with Vance earlier this season, but this is clearly a two horse race.

Foster's Picks:  1. Deery 2. Vance 3. Miller 4. Dietz