COMING FROM NO WHERE
Ten unnoticed high schools programs that made postseason waves
The underlying theme of this wrestling season, it seemed, was “More of the same.”
How many years has Blairstown (N.J.) Blair Academy ruled our Super 25 roost? Despite a lineup this season that was short on household names — no Mocco, Backes, Esposito or Perry — the Bucs had what is becoming a typical year, with eight National Prep champions.
Easton High and Northampton High have ruled Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley for several years now. Ditto Lakewood St. Edward High, Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit High and St. Paris Graham High in Ohio, Brandon High in Florida, Apple Valley High in Minnesota, Chesapeake Great Bridge High in Virginia, Poway and Bakersfield High in California … the list goes on and on.
Those schools get plenty of attention in their home areas and in this column. And I’m happy to report that some new schools have made it this year. Two of them made this issue’s Final Super 25: No. 23 Indianapolis (Ind.) Lawrence North High and No. 25 Jackson (N.J.) Memorial High. For both schools, it is their first listing ever. And with just two seniors, expect Lawrence North to contend for a higher position next season.
Some of this year’s great teams, however, just missed the cut. I’ve narrowed the list down to “the 10 best schools this season nobody except their opponents know about.” All 10 have one thing in common: Since I began doing national team rankings in the 1991-92 school year, none of these teams has ever made one of my Super 25 lists — pre-season, regular season or final. But all were deserving this year.
1. Lodi (Wisconsin) High
They didn’t face Division I champion Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln High this season and that may have been a good thing for the Red Raiders. Under long-time coach Jack Reinwand, the former Wisconsin NCAA champion, the Blue Devils have been a Division II powerhouse for some time. But this may have been their best team. They finished 27-1 this season, pounding Luxemburg-Casco High, 33-19, in the state semifinals (they also beat the Spartans, 48-12, during the regular season) and former Division I school Medford, 53-10, in the final. The only loss, 50-19, to No. 10 Heber City (Utah) Wasatch High, came in The Clash in Minnesota. They beat Emmetsburg (Iowa) High, 43-19, Division III champion Mineral Point High, 47-15, always-tough Belle Plaine (Minn.) Scott West High, 28-25 and Iowa champion LaPorte City Union High, 37-29. Only five of their 24 dual meets against Wisconsin competition were decided by less than 50 points.
Every Blue Devil from 125 through heavyweight was a senior and 12 starters won at least 35 matches. Few teams had an answer for their closing punch — state champsMike Ramsden (189) and Pat Detmer (HWT) and placers Kyle Mack (171) and Kory Lochner (215).
2. New Orleans (Louisiana) Jesuit High
Coached to 11 Division I state titles during the 1980s and 1990s by Sam Harnsongkram, Jesuit was taken to a new level this season by former Great Bridge and Oklahoma State wrestler Mark Strickland. Most impressive among its regular-season victories this season was its 35-24 victory over previously-ranked Cleveland (Tenn.) Bradley Central High in the finals of the American High School Division in the Virginia Duals. It was Bradley Central’s only loss this season.
In the state tournament, Jesuit ended cross-town rival Brother Martin High’s streak of four consecutive titles, 281.5-244. Winning titles were Robert Lewis (119), Hugh Breckenridge (130), Stephen Foley (152) and Eugene Settoon (171). They advanced eight to the finals and placed 13, all in the top five.
3. Waynesburg (Pennsylvania) Central High
They’ve always been known as a tournament team, with the likes of three-time Class 3A champion Coleman Scott, standout 103-pounder Chris Neidermeier and current Pittsburgh wrestler Drew Headlee. And they didn’t disappoint this year, finishing third in the individual state tournament behind Northampton and Easton.
Long-time competitors in the Walsh Ironman Invitational and Beast of the East tournaments, Waynesburg finished 10th in this year’s Beast, along with a third-place finish in the Powerade Tournament behind Walsh Jesuit and Connellsville.
This year’s squad held its own in dual meets as well, reaching the WPIAL dual finals before losing to Connellsville for the second time.
4. Rio Rancho (New Mexico) High
In just a few years, Rio Rancho has become the Land of Enchantment’s pre-eminent wrestling team. They got the nation’s attention with a sparkling fifth-place finish in the Reno Tournament of Champions. The four teams that finished ahead of them — Wasatch, Bakersfield (Calif.) High, Easton and Ponca City (Okla.) — all ranked high in our Super 25.
Freshman Matt Ortega won the Reno title with Fresno State-recruit Lionel Sierra (140) finishing second. The rest of their potent lower weights also came through as Vicente Varela (112) and Nick Ramirez (125) finished fifth and Ace Adamson (130) sixth.
After winning the Class 5A state duals by an average 62-9 score, Rio Rancho (287 points) won the individual state meet by 124 points. All five Reno placewinners won titles and were joined in the winner’s circle by Josh Wenze (152).
5. Oviedo (Florida) High
Many know Brandon, but few are familiar with the Orlando-area power that had its best season ever in romping to the Class 3A title as the Eagles walked away with the 2A crown.
Junior Jason Robbins (135), who won his third state title, is the best known. But he’s got company. Seven Oviedo wrestlers placed — six in the top three — with senior Steve Hewitt (125) and junior Justin Fraga (145) joining Robbins as champions. They won the crown by 70.5 points over defending champ Homestead South Dade and return 11 of 14 starters next season.
6. Albert Lea (Minnesota) High
Some wondered whether the Tigers were a one-hit wonder after they upended perennial power Owatonna High the first weekend of the season in their own Albert Lea Duals. They proved to be anything but.
The Tigers lost only to Apple Valley and Simley in dual meets during the season, maintaining a top-five ranking all year. After pounding Rochester Mayo High, which had upset Owatonna in the semifinals to win Region 1, the Tigers finished third in the state tournament, beating Bemidji High, 37-18, in the quarterfinals and Shakopee High, 45-19, for third place after a 50-6 loss to Apple Valley in the semifinals. They also turned in an outstanding performance in the individual state meet with six state qualifiers and three placewinners, led by unbeaten senior Adam Elseth (140).
7. Orland Park (Illinois) Carl Sandburg High
Relegated year after year to the same Class AA sectional (and sometimes regional) as state powerhouses New Lenox Providence High and Chicago Marist High for more than a decade, it’s safe to say that few know about the Eagles outside their own backyard. This despite several unbeaten seasons — including this year — and a relatively close 30-19 loss to the Celtics in the dual-team sectional semifinal. Probably no better team in the nation has no trips to the state tournament in its history.
No team on their tough regular-season schedule came within 25 points in a dual meet. The only time the Eagles didn’t prevail was at the Al Dvorak Memorial Invitational, when they finished fourth behind Chicago St. Rita High, Providence and Lombard Montini High.
But this is a young Sandburg bunch that appears to have turned the corner behind the coaching of veteran Mike Polz and former Illinois NCAA champion Eric Siebert.
8. Durham (North Carolina) Riverside High
Walt Tolarczyk built a powerhouse program at North Canton (Ohio) Hoover High in the 1980s and early 1990s. In his second coaching life, he’s elevated Durham Riverside above perennial power Cary High as the fast-growing state’s wrestling power.
Tolarczyk’s team recently beat Cary for the third consecutive year in the Class 4A dual-team final, 35-28. They also handily won the individual team title as North Carolina recruit Vincent Ramirez (130) and George Hickman (135) won their third state titles with fellow senior Daniel Llamas (189) also winning as they sported six state placewinners.
9. Tempe (Arizona) Marcos de Niza High
They might have been better last year before losing two-time state champion Joey Hooker to Cornell, but Marcos de Niza did just fine this year. They prevailed in their regular-season battles against Class 4A powerhouse Tucson Sunnyside High and scored 209 points to win their third consecutive 5A title in style by 50 points.
Seniors Alex Varela (130) and Arizona State recruit Alex Pavlenko (160) won their second state titles, leading nine state placewinners in a balanced line-up.
10. Portage (Indiana) High
While Lawrence North got the credit as Indiana’s new dual-team state champion, it was the Indians who did the dirty work. Winning four of the final five matches to erase a 17-14 deficit, including a match-clinching pin by junior heavyweight Anthony Espinoza, Portage stunned Evansville Mater Dei High, 29-23, in the state quarterfinals. It was the first loss for Mater Dei in the history of the state duals after sweeping to the title in the first eight years of the tournament’s existence.
Coached by Ed Pendoski, a former standout at nearby Merrillville High, the Indians improved to 27-0 with the victory. But they didn’t have long to celebrate. Their semifinal opponent was Lawrence North, which eliminated them in a 23-21 semifinal classic. The Wildcats put on a rally of their own, winning the final four matches to avenge a 30-25 loss to Portage — their only loss of the season — on Dec. 13.
The Indians also posted a strong individual tournament with five state placewinners, led by senior state champion Darren Elkins (140).