BOYS OF DECEMBER
Who were best preps at national touraments?
No they are not the state tournament. But the results of some of the great December tournaments across the nation provided plenty of material for newspaper articles and message boards all across the nation.
The Walsh Jesuit Ironman Invitational, the Beast of the East Tournament, the Reno Tournament of Champions, the Powerade Tournament and the Minnesota Clash were just a few of the showcase high school events that packed gymnasiums and field houses all across America prior to the conclusion of the holidays.
So who were the wrestlers who made a name for themselves as the second half of the season ; the countdown to state tournaments ; gets ready to begin?
Here are our selections for the inaugural W.I.N. Magazine All-December Team:
103 pounds ; Aaron Hart, St. Paris, Ohio, Graham High, sophomore
An undersized 103-pounder last year, Hart followed up a second All-America finish at Fargo with victories in the Ironman and Beast of the East. He beat Blairstown, N.J. Blair Academy freshman Kellen Russell in the finals of both tournaments: 6-4 in the Ironman final and 7-3 in the Beast of the East final.
112 pounds ; Josh Oliver, Easton, Pa., High, junior
Injuries and illness helped limit the Red Rovers’ effectiveness prior to the holidays, but don’t blame Oliver. All the first-year starter did was win the Reno Tournament of Champions, spilling defending California state champion Brian Moreno of Bakersfield Foothill High in the final. The weight class also included previously-ranked Brett Land of Bakersfield, Calif. High, Jeff Sumner of Broken Arrow, OK High and John Gurich of Gilroy, Calif. High. For good measure, Oliver added the Manheim title, scoring an overtime takedown to beat Morgan Baublitz of Mechanicsburg Cumberland Valley High, 4-2.
119 pounds ; Troy Nickerson, Binghamton, N.Y., Chenango Forks High, junior
Who else … after his dominating performance in repeating as Beast of the East champion? A 25-second pin followed by three technical falls, a semifinal pin over Brice Wasserman of El Reno, Okla., High and an 8-1 decision over Jeff Schell of Bloomsburg, Pa., High added to the legend of one of the top three juniors in the nation.
125 pounds ; Coleman Scott, Waynesburg, Pa., Central High, senior
The Oklahoma State recruit had only one close match in winning the Beast of the East and Powerade Tournaments. That was his 5-2 victory over Hyattsville, Md., DeMatha junior Mike Rowe in the Beast final. He dominated Jarrett Hostetter of Oxford, Pa., High, 12-0, in the Powerade final after getting to the finals with four falls. Bulking up in the off-season has certainly paid dividends.
130 pounds ; Adam Frey, Blairstown, N.J., Blair Academy, junior
Frey was a perfect 3-for-3, winning the Ironman, Beast of the East and the Hurricane titles with only one close match, 6-5 over two-time West Virginia champion Brandon Rader in the Beast final. It was a rematch of the Ironman final, which Frey won by technical fall after also recording a technical fall over Ohio Division III champion Jordan Lipp of Beachwood High in the semifinals. Frey advanced to the Beast final with four falls and a fifth win by disqualification.
135 pounds ; Cyler Sanderson, Heber City, Utah, Wasatch High, junior
The youngest of the famous four Sanderson brothers resumed his own quest for greatness by winning the Reno Tournament of Champions, leading six Wasps placewinners en route to the team title. The ringleader of Wasatch’s tough middleweights also dominated his weight class at the Clash in Minnesota, as he recorded four pins and two technical falls to go 6-0. The Wasps finished second to Apple Valley, Minn., High.
140 pounds ; David Jauregui, Santa Ana, Calif., Calvary Chapel High, senior
The unranked Jauregui came out on top in one of the toughest weight classes at the Reno Tournament of Champions. Jauregui beat Fresno State recruit Lionel Sierra of Rio Rancho, N.M., High in finals, a weight that saw Alex Herrera, Bakersfield, Calif., High, beat Cody Sweat, Heber City, Utah, Wasatch High, for third place.
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