This guy and program are legends in PA. They are mass producers of top D2 studs. For an open enrollment school they have been a power house for years. Take away the open enrollment, Plum kids, Valley wrestlers, Kiski kids they are average like most.
PA HS Wrestling thread
- Thread starter El-Jefe
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it’s not really total open enrollment. They do lower the tuition to like $3500 last I saw to get more students.. Some places are like 10-12 grand a year. But still not as much a deterrent as some places. They require a certain GPA to stay in the program. No clue how many wrestlers they’ve gotten over the years.
Always heard those rumors about them and Reynolds being “open enrollment”. So looked into it a little bit.
Always heard those rumors about them and Reynolds being “open enrollment”. So looked into it a little bit.
Bo's dad named Little Lions head coach.
Reynolds is open enrollment. They have been for a while. They just don’t get as many ultra high level kids now that Steen and Bad Karma have severed ties with the program. Camp Reynolds Training Center is the new feeder for them. Bad Karma is tighter with Hickory and Grove City now so their youth kids are getting good in a hurry. Also explains Chase Karenbauer staying at Grove City rather than heading to Reynolds like in years past.
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Willie’s top Sophomores for this recruiting season. Brandt Harer needs to be way higher. Bechtold is really high and came out of no where. Fca and Mcort have about ten. Cross Cassidy is really high. He might not have made it out of regionals then wins a VA State titles. Dekraker kid is good, listed at Council rock but will be in fca lineup since Davidheiser, Waltenbaugh and Weidemoyer left. He is a solid fill in for sure. Deputy up 4 weights. He was big at 107 last year.
Denari Mickel back in PA. He was in Iowa. Lost of 🤔 on this list.
**Mod - a couple names or PSU hopefuls OK to post paywalled rankings.
Denari Mickel back in PA. He was in Iowa. Lost of 🤔 on this list.
**Mod - a couple names or PSU hopefuls OK to post paywalled rankings.
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@BrockBronson FYI, we don't post entire paywalled articles/lists here. The property rights owner can publish his content here but we have no right to.
A snippet or a few names is usually ok but not the entirety.
Recommend you whack the table before the mods delete your post.
A snippet or a few names is usually ok but not the entirety.
Recommend you whack the table before the mods delete your post.
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Regarding Willie's rankings for the specific names: in general I'll defer to him. He puts in a mega crap-ton of work on them, and is right far more than wrong.
Harer (12) DNP at Super 32 (lost before the quarters), and did not go to Fargo last year or U17 Nationals last month. Most of the guys ranked above him participated in at least 2 of those events and placed in one or more. I suspect his ranking is based largely upon his record during the regular season and at NHSCAs (a decidedly weaker event than Fargo or U17s or Super 32). Otherwise one could argue he's over-ranked, not under-ranked.
Bechtold (20) placed at states at 189 last year, then took 3rd at Fargo, then moved up to HWT and placed at Super 32, then made the HWT state finals, and a couple weeks ago made the U17 finals. He's been wrestling at a high level nationally for a full year.
Harer (12) DNP at Super 32 (lost before the quarters), and did not go to Fargo last year or U17 Nationals last month. Most of the guys ranked above him participated in at least 2 of those events and placed in one or more. I suspect his ranking is based largely upon his record during the regular season and at NHSCAs (a decidedly weaker event than Fargo or U17s or Super 32). Otherwise one could argue he's over-ranked, not under-ranked.
Bechtold (20) placed at states at 189 last year, then took 3rd at Fargo, then moved up to HWT and placed at Super 32, then made the HWT state finals, and a couple weeks ago made the U17 finals. He's been wrestling at a high level nationally for a full year.
i could be a touch overzealous on Bechtold. i just really like his trajectory.
Cassidy way too high in my opinion. Not sure what he’s done to get him that high.
This one was out of left field. His brother was better in HS and did the same. Moved all around and not sure if he is wrestling in college. The one now wouldn’t even place top 3 in District 4
Im all in on Bechtold as well, he keeps making jumps and beating kids he had been losing to. His build is perfect for modern heavyweight and I think hes likely to win states+ so much more the next two years.
Kaden wrestles for George Mason. Either 149 or 157 I believe. I'm guessing that's why the family moved to VA. But Kaden did switch a bunch in HS. Bishop McCort, Chestnut Ridge, and finally Bedford.
I agree regarding Kross. Don't think he is nearly the caliber of Kaden.
in the past two years at NHSCA's he placed 3rd and 2nd with losses only to Dallas Russell and Walker Turley. his bracket this year was arguably the deepest in the Soph field. He had wins over LaPlante (who won it this year, Chavez, and Alston).
I may have him a touch too high, but he's a Top 50 guy.
I may have him a touch too high, but he's a Top 50 guy.
Willie do you value NHSCA? Most of the good wrestlers don’t even do that one.
How would you rank the HS events
1. Super 32 (Toughest Preseason, One time weigh in)
2. WTT (Toughest FS, Scratch multiple time
3. Ironman (Toughest in season)
4. Fargo
5. Doc B
6. Powerade
7. Beast
8. Escape the Rock
9. Cheesehead
10. NHSCA
11. Top Hat, etc
How would you rank the HS events
1. Super 32 (Toughest Preseason, One time weigh in)
2. WTT (Toughest FS, Scratch multiple time
3. Ironman (Toughest in season)
4. Fargo
5. Doc B
6. Powerade
7. Beast
8. Escape the Rock
9. Cheesehead
10. NHSCA
11. Top Hat, etc
doesn't matter the name of the tournament to me. it matters the field.
I get that. Just seems way out of place being ahead of Baum, Milheim, and Deputy on any list.
Here is Cassidy's record at Bedford for the past 1.5 years thru Jan 2024, before he transferred to Virginia.
PA-Wrestling.com : Your online resource for Pennsylvania Wrestling
www.pa-wrestling.com
It's the record of a fringe medal candidate at PA AA states, and someone who might not have qualified out of SW regionals if Bedford were AAA. He lost 6-3 to the eventual S7. Meanwhile, Gage Wentzel (74th) was S4 at the same weight.
Cassidy didn't go to Fargo or Super 32 in 2022 or 2023, so his interstate competition is limited to NHSCAs. As Willie noted, he took 3rd -- beat 27 LaPlante, 78 Alston, 139 Chavez, lost to 40 Turley.
That's a tough sell for me for a national top 30 guy -- and ahead of multiple PA guys who were better in-state and did more national events. But I saw little of his matches, and a lot can change in the next 2 years.
yeah, y'all could be right. he could be too high. time will tell.
NHSCA isn’t a real tournament. Wrestling single grade levels shouldn’t hold weight in rankings in my opinion.Here is Cassidy's record at Bedford for the past 1.5 years thru Jan 2024, before he transferred to Virginia.
PA-Wrestling.com : Your online resource for Pennsylvania Wrestling
It's the record of a fringe medal candidate at PA AA states, and someone who might not have qualified out of SW regionals if Bedford were AAA. He lost 6-3 to the eventual S7. Meanwhile, Gage Wentzel (74th) was S4 at the same weight.
Cassidy didn't go to Fargo or Super 32 in 2022 or 2023, so his interstate competition is limited to NHSCAs. As Willie noted, he took 3rd -- beat 27 LaPlante, 78 Alston, 139 Chavez, lost to 40 Turley.
That's a tough sell for me for a national top 30 guy -- and ahead of multiple PA guys who were better in-state and did more national events. But I saw little of his matches, and a lot can change in the next 2 years.
Where would you rank Brandt Harer without NHSCAs?
He gets little competition until Hershey due to a weak regular season schedule. He DNP at Super 32 and has not gone to Fargo, US Open, U17 Nationals, etc.
He has the same HS state placement (S2/S1) as Coby Merrill, who's at a tougher state tourney than PA AA and is a U17 national champ. Less success at states than Dillard and Waters, who are both national champs.
The closest comparison would be Milheim -- S2/S1, Super 32 blood round, DNP Fargo 2022, did not go to Fargo 2023. Willie has Milheim at 34.
it's not a real tournament?
it's a tournament for people in the same grade. and this is a ranking of....people in the same grade.
again, i don't fault anyone for thinking he shouldnt be that high. perhaps i overvalue him at the moment.
but he is a thing. and nhsca, when the bracket has several that have placed at other majors, matters.
i actually get a lot of people trying to tell me S32 'isn't a real tournament' bc it's one-day night-before weigh ins. or that 'that shouldn't count in rankings b/c it was fs'.
2020 AA 126lb weight class is the best weight class of any state tournament of current college wrestlers. Prove me wrong.
Holy moly. I would have to agree. This is incredible. Could be one of the best brackets AA of all time. Crazy part if any of the top 3 went up they would have won it. However McMillen was tough in HS so who knows.
Within PA no doubt, and unlikely any other state brackets +/- a few years would beat it within the current group of college kids.
2019 National Preps 132 had Bartlett and Van Ness as the top 2 seeds. Both bonused their way into the finals. Beau won the final 20-13.
Some future potential in 2020 PA AAA 106: 1 Kilkeary, 2 Van Dee, 3 Church, 5 Kasak, Watters DNP.
IMO if 126 and 132 were combined, McMillen would've finished 4th at best. He would've lost to Arrington at regionals, then (using the 126 brackets as a guide) drawn Evans in the quarters and Crookham in the semis. Best case would've been a rematch with Arrington for 3rd.
Twice that postseason, McMillen he beat Oswalt in OT, including the state finals. Oswalt was good but not Levi, Crookham, or Arrington. Their bracket was otherwise not exactly a meat grinder.
100% agree with you on this. He won three state titles and barely scored points. He was very good but boring.
20-13 in folkstyle is nuts, talk about “letting it fly”.
That 106 bracket is crazy as well, waters was and still is under rated. If I remember, Kilkeary kind of came out of no where to win it. How many 106 kids just shook their heads after districts realizing that their path to a medal goes through that guanlet?
I could look it up myself, but did or has McMillen started for Pitt? As a contrast in styles, the guys who push the pace and take risk (kilkeary) seem to do well at the next level
No. Purely on the Opens circuit, and this offseason has transferred to UPJ.
I actually brought this exact tournament and weight class up around January(?), yes it was tuff as nails,alot of fun to watch hammers up and down!
Mcmillen was more than tough in hs, he is what alot of kids WANTED to beat!
Him and Herra-Rondon both.
Some finalized news on next seasons classifications.
Notre Dame is moving up to AAA
Faith Christian Academy will remain in AA
Bishop McCort will remain is AA
Notre Dame is moving up to AAA
Faith Christian Academy will remain in AA
Bishop McCort will remain is AA
My guess is after the next 2 seasons they will move up. FCA has 2 incoming transfers that I know of and McCort has a few as well. FCA was able to stay AA because they officially had Zero transfers in the last cycle.
Last I was told it was both Dekrakers but I haven't confirmed the 2nd one.
Yeah the HWT and am hearing rumors of another but I haven't confirmed that one either.
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