Top 10 Seniors 2012-2013

[ghouse]

As many of you know I write an article each year for Intermat as part of their Wrestling 49 series that highlights the top 10 seniors from each state. My article covers NT as a whole with no differentiation between DI and DII.

 

Each year I solicit input from a few trusted people to help balance my own opinions. I thought it would be interesting to see what the common thoughts were here as well this year.

 

I do a pretty heavy bit of analysis for this and the numbers will drive the majority of my decisions with personal opinion coming in to help separate. I look at in-state achievements, relative levels of competition, regional success, and national success / competition.

 

I have a pretty good list that I am currently evaluating for the 10 spots along with a handful of honorable mention. However, I am always open to the fact that I might have missed someone in the initial list.

 

Please share your thoughts on who should make the list. Sound reasoning and data to back it up are always a positive.

 

Once the article is released by Intermat in the fall I will post a link as always. Of course, it requires Intermat's premium subscription which if you are a fan of wrestling is an absolute bargain.

 

This should be a fun dicussion if nothing else.

[JBoskenUSAW]

I just threw this together. Just to avoid people getting offended, my list is who I feel can compete nationally and not just based on their state medals. Not in any order.

 

Kaleb Baker

Aaron Lopez

Brandon Brunner

Mark Marchetti

Keagan Matlock

Turbo Smith

Houston Clements

Gabe Hamilton

Jacob Stevens

Nick Gray

 

 

[cbg]

Let's ask the real question: What wrestlers are being ask to take OFFICIAL visits and what schools are those wrestlers visiting? Several wrestlers may want to attend school X but until you are ask to take an official visit and receive an offer it's really a mute subject.

[trublu2]

Best 10 I can think of in no particular order:

 

Alex Elsea - McCallie

Jacob Stevens - Soddy

Blaike Henry - Soddy

Gage Richmond - Soddy

Houston Clements - Baylor

Brandon Brunner - Baylor

Nick Gray- CBHS

Kaleb Baker - CBHS

Mark Marchetti - Father Ryan

Tj Satterfield - Williams Blount

[nashwrestling]

This is an interesting thread. I agree that the wrestlers should be chosen based on college potential, and out of state accomplishments, not just in-state credentials. I will try to be as unbiased as possible, but here's how I see our state's top ten seniors IN ORDER!

 

1. Kaleb Baker (CBHS) - obviously the most decorated senior on the list, nationally ranked in top 10 in some poles, multi time All- American... could go on all day with his accomplishments

 

2. Houston Clements (Baylor) - definitely the best physique in the state, has that college wrestler type type body, multi NHSCA All-American, and i believe he won Ohio a few years back

 

3. Mark Marchetti (Father Ryan) - coming off a 50+ win season and an All-American finish at NHSCA junior Nationals, already wrestles like a collegiate wrestler, brother currently wrestling for ARMY

 

4. TJ Satterfield (William Blount) - not positive of his exact out of state credentials granted i know this kids placed in about every out of state event he's entered. One of the few upper weight guys who really knows wrestling... got every tool to excel at the next level

 

------ these first four are the only four in the class of 2013 that I really know of doing anything out of state (correct me if I'm wrong). the next six, are the the guys I see with the best in state credentials

 

5. Jacob Stevens (Soddy Daisy) - whether it's the hair, or just his ferocious style of wrestling, undoubtedly one of the the most talent/entertaining wrestlers to watch in the state at any grade

 

6. Brandon Brunner (Baylor) - Brunner is the owner of 3 state titles, but his success after high school really worries me due to his lack of success out of state. Reminds me of another Baylor great, Baily Whitaker... knew wrestling better than anyone just lacked some physical gifts that the top 3 on the list really posses.

 

7. Nick Gray (CBHS) - Similar to Brunner, Gray is another decorated in state wrestler, but if he wants to succeed at the next level he needs to spend an off season completely dedicated to the weight room... with that being said, Gray is ultra talented

 

8. Blaike Henry (Soddy Daisy) - Don't really know as much about Henry as I do some of the others except that whenever he wrestles one of our boys from the Purple Irish he never fails to impress me.

 

9. Scottie Boykin (Riverdale) - one of the most cut up 220's you will ever see, hate to say it but we will likely be losing this one to the sport of football

 

10. Gabe Hamilton (Brentwood) - proven himself in TN, would like to see him do something out of state before he makes his way any higher up the list

 

Honorable Mention:

Mike Akers (Father Ryan) - tried not to be too biased... wanted to put him in somewhere between 8-10 LOL!

Alex Elsea (McCallie)

Pierce Olson (BGA)

Gage Richmond (Soddy)

 

At the end of the day, I do believe Baker, Clements, and Marchetti are the most suited for college style competition simply because they all possess adequate amounts of strength, speed, and technique... but what do I know? LOL! Hope all enjoy the rest of the summer and are working hard, I know the defending State Champion Purple Irish Are!!!!!

[YOUTHCOACH16]

Best 10 I can think of in no particular order:

 

Alex Elsea - McCallie

Jacob Stevens - Soddy

Blaike Henry - Soddy

Gage Richmond - Soddy

Houston Clements - Baylor

Brandon Brunner - Baylor

Nick Gray- CBHS

Kaleb Baker - CBHS

Mark Marchetti - Father Ryan

Tj Satterfield - Williams Blount

 

 

Gage Richmond is just a junior this year.

[Rabbitt]

1. Kaleb Baker

2. Mark Marchette

3. Turbo Smith

4. Houston Clements

5. Aaron Lopez

6. Gabe Hamilton

7. Blaike Henry

8. Brandon Brunner

9. Jacob Stevens

10. T.J. Satterfield

[StarRaider]

 

9. Scottie Boykin (Riverdale) - one of the most cut up 220's you will ever see, hate to say it but we will likely be losing this one to the sport of football

 

 

 

Scottie is considering attending UTC and doing wrestling and football.... also has a football offer from Georgia Tech (amoung other schools).

[ghouse]

All,

 

Some really good discussion going on in this thread... especially for the wreslting off-season.

 

I am going to throw in a couple more names that haven't been brought up yet.

 

1) Amos Mason - Brentwood Academy - 2x state champ (2011-215, 2012-220) with most significant win being the upset over John Mackey of Baylor in the 2011 state finals. Per my research he is carrying a 138-12 record with an undefeated 47-0 last season in which only three of his matches didn't end in a fall. Obviously Mason is a football player so he hasn't really tested himself out of state / nationally but he has a great build and tons of athleticism. However he is another I see us losing to football at the next level. BA doesn't see the toughest schedule out there but if you have watched Mason wrestle and look at his resume then he will clearly be high on the list.

 

2) Austin Oliver - Cleveland - I thinkthe only reason Bosken didn't throw him out there was out of modesty. If you are going to consider Nick Gray (who I agree deserves consideration) then you need to consider Oliver. Oliver has a win over Nick Gray in each high school season thus far and he took one match from Stevens last year.

 

3) Barrett Walthall - CBHS - Another situation where if you are going to consider Blaike Henry then you need to consider Walthall. Walthall and Henry split matches on consecutive days last season with Walthall winning the last match. Walthall has a state 3rd and 2nd on his resume with a lose last season to Michael Hooker in the state finals. Walthall has also seen tough competition with CBHS's in-season schedule and has seen a good dose of national competition in the summers... something that in my end gets you a little leverage... I like to see kids competing at a high level and challenging themselves.

 

So far there hasn't been a wrestler mentioned that has been in my list to evaluate for consideration. Everyone has their personal favorites so some will make the list and others won't but at least I appear to have the right group to evaluate (I started with about 25 kids to reasearch this year).

 

In my eyes the top ~7 seniors are pretty clear for next year. However, narrowing down the 8-10 slots is one of the more difficult sets I have seen since I started doing this.

 

It is very interesting to note that a glut of the top wrestlers all come from the same relative weight grouping around 145 and have wrestled each other many times: Baker, Smith, Lopez, Marchetti. If you were to fit Hamilton into that group as well you could be looking at as much as half of the top 10 being in that cluster of wrestlers.

 

Let's keep the conversation coming!

[ironjaw]

1. Baker of Christian Bros.

2. Mason of Brentwood Academy

3. Clements of Baylor

4. Marchette of Father Ryan

5. Smith of Soddy Daisy

6. Stevens of Soddy Daisy

7. Satterfield of Knoxville

8. Henry of Soddy Daisy

9. Brunner of Baylor

10. Hamilton of Brentwood

 

Wouldn't it be fun to see a weight class with Baker, Clements, Marchette, and Smith? Or a Satterfields v. Mason match up? Talk about some matches! This group is filled with talent across the board. Which kids are getting looks from college programs?

[cbg]

If Mason made the decision to wrestle at the next level he has the athleticism to become a national champion at heavyweight. He would need to be in a program that has a great workout partner for him along with having a good schedule.

Edited July 27, 2012 by cbg

[trublu2]

GHOUSE- When is your article going to be published?