The Ultimate Fan Guide to the 2010 Division 3 High School Wrestling Forecast by Brian Brakeman
Dan Cosimi - The Ohio Wrestling Network

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NUW

2010 HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING FORECAST (39th ANNUAL EDITION)
Brian F. Brakeman
January 26, 2010

Division 3

171 pounds

All-Ohio
State Champion: OC-1 Chris Phillips - Junior - Monroeville High School - Monroeville, Ohio [2009:D3-171-1st, 2008:D3-171-1st]
2nd place: MH-1 Alex Utley - Junior - Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy - Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio [2009:D3-160-2nd, 2008:D3-160-3rd]
3rd place: KF-1 Dillon Kwiat - Senior - Calvert High School - Tiffin, Ohio [2009:D3-171-Q]
4th place: HE-1 Jake Conrad - Senior - Ridgewood High School - West Lafayette, Ohio [2009:D3-171-Q]
5th place: MH-2 Todd Remenaric - Senior - Tuslaw High School - Massillon, Ohio
6th place: MH-3 Brit Hunter - Senior - Manchester High School - Akron, Ohio [2009:D3-171-Q]
7th place: OC-2 Mitchell Gross - Junior - St. Paul High School - Norwalk, Ohio [2009:D3-160-A]
8th place: MH-4 Alec Torgerson - Junior - Cuyahoga Heights High School - Cuyahoga Heights, Ohio [2009:D3-171-A]

Qualifiers
11. KF-2 Raymond King - Senior - Deer Park High School - Cincinnati, Ohio
12. HE-2 Brian Kahl - Junior - Shadyside High School - Shadyside, Ohio
13. OC-3 Brandon O'Neill - Sophomore - Clear Fork High School - Bellville, Ohio
14. KF-3 Joe Brandt - Junior - Versailles High School - Versailles, Ohio
16. KF-4 Josh Stone - Senior - Arcanum High School - Arcanum, Ohio
19. HE-3 Michael Dodd - Senior - Shenandoah High School - Sarahsville, Ohio
21. HE-4 Connor Garber - Senior - Newark Catholic High School - Newark, Ohio
23. OC-4 Kyle McCarty - Senior - Montpelier High School - Montpelier, Ohio

Challengers
9. MH-5 Tyler Porter - Junior - St. Peter Chanel High School - Bedford, Ohio
10. MH-6 Nick Zele - Senior - Kirtland High School - Kirtland, Ohio
15. MH-7 Phil Wellington - Junior - Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School - Cleveland, Ohio
17. MH-8 Zach Glagola - Senior - Mogadore High School - Mogadore, Ohio
18. MH-9 Tyler Siegel - Senior - Waynedale High School - Apple Creek, Ohio
20. KF-5 Cody Lovejoy - Junior - Allen East High School - Harrod, Ohio
22. HE-5 Derek Posey - Senior - Utica High School - Utica, Ohio
24. OC-5 Austin Hood - Junior - Buckeye Central High School - New Washington, Ohio
25. OC-6 Dalton Ishmael - Freshman - North Baltimore High School - North Baltimore, Ohio

Chris Phillips has only lost one high school bout - and that was one that featured stalling - and he has two state titles salted away. The last two years he has defeated the wrestler who became the Division 1 state champion just to emphasize his superiority. As I said last year, Ohio has produced a number of Hall of Fame upper weight wrestlers but none were ever better in high school than this boy. He is the most advanced upper weight wrestler I have ever seen. He has had elbow issues this year and so has not competed much but it really makes very little difference. One thing that would help Monroeville is four falls at the state level. He did pin his last two opponents but was content with technical falls the first two rounds and that cost them (among a myriad of other factors) a team title. I have never seen an upper weight wrestler better than this boy.

There has been a wholesale exodus of wrestlers away from 171 pounds but I think that migration will soon change directions. Coaches and wrestlers will realize that if your goal is to qualify for Columbus, or if it is to place, then this is the ideal situation. Right now this weight looks rather weak and undefined. However, as the opportunity that exists here is recognized we'll see names we thought would compete at 160 pounds flowing back in this direction.

One wrestler who has decided to challenge is Alex Utley. He has had a tremendous season. He was third at the Ironman and Medina, losing only to Michael Alexander both times. He was a smashing winner at the Top Gun, beating Raber by ten in the finals. I thought, at first, that he would go at 189 pounds and then it seemed reasonable to expect him to return to 160 pounds. He has chosen neither option and will do battle with Phillips. Last year Utley had three falls and a major decision in winning his district. He cruised to the finals where three-time champ Zach Toal - wrestling not only for an individual title but also for the team championship - defeated him. That gave Utley a runner-up trophy to go with the third place medal he won as a freshman. He and Phillips will be seeded apart and I expect that their match-up is one of the safest predictions you can make.

Maple Heights District
The battle for the last three qualifying spots at Maple Heights will not bring forth a lot of familiar faces. However, with the logjam at 160 pounds we may see some additions here in February. State qualifier Hunter has not yet competed but he would be second best. After him it would be a free-for-all. I like Remenaric who was third at the Dies and state alternate Torgerson. Glagola was one bout from state last year losing to Hunter 4-3, while Wellington has had a big year, including a fourth at Solon. Porter has transferred from Berkshire to Chanel where he was sixth at Solon and fourth at the CIT. His brother was a state champ just two years ago and this boy is quickly getting better. Add in Zele and Siegel and it is a district that has reached parity except for Utley.

Owens Community College District
Phillips has no rivals at Owens (or any where else for that matter) and I'm seeing a field with very few credentials. State alternates Gross and Puehler have had sold district experiences in the past and can be expected to do so again. I expected Gross to be very good this year but it hasn't quite happened. He was second at the Gorman and may be starting to peak. Puehler was most recently third at Delta but did not place at the GMVWA. O'Neill won the Gorman and was second at Tiffin while Ishmael and McCarty are certainly possibilities. This district gets a lot tougher if Dye decides to compete here.

Heath District
Conrad is the only state qualifier at Heath finishing fourth in this district at this weight class. He had inauspicious debut in Columbus losing twice by fall after drawing Rodgers in the first round. State alternate Wiggers also returns at this weight class. He won at Meigs and should have good qualifying chances at this district. I've also ranked Garber, Kahl and Posey given that each of them has had some successes this year. Dodd and Snider (St. Clairsville) are other thoughts.

Kettering Fairmont District
I expect to see state qualifier Kwiat at this weight class at Fairmont. He matched up with the much bigger looking Brettrager in the first round and couldn't bounce back. This year he won at Tiffin and Milan Edison and should be the class of the field at this district. Brandt was sixth at the GMVWA and 1st at Plymouth while King was second at Madeira and Deer Park and fourth at the SWOWCA. Stone and Lovejoy are also "players" here.