Some Fun Weights to Follow at the 2021 Utah State Championships

 

The 2020-2021 season has been one we’ll all remember. Wrestlers, coaches, officials, fans, and tournament directors have all had to roll with punches and be adaptable during these unusual times. While things haven’t been convenient, we’ve had a season and our wrestlers are going to compete for state titles. We won’t see wrestling at the UCCU Center this year and many fans that would normally attend will need to watch the action on a screen.

 

Here are some weights for fans to follow during the week(s) of the state championships. 

4A 152: Joshua Armstrong and Dillon Dick on a Collision Course

It’s not often we see two undefeated wrestlers put those records on the line against one another. However, we’re likely to see exactly that when Joshua Armstrong and Dillon Dick clash in the finals of the 4A classification.

 

Dillon Dick has yet to win a state championship despite fantastic showings at tough tournaments like the Rockwell Rumble and wins over several state champions. Joshua Armstrong is hunting his second state championship. This is undoubtedly the most intriguing matchup in the 4A classification. 

 

What is fascinating about this matchup is that these two are similar in many ways. I wrote an article in the preseason about Utah wrestlers with the best snapdowns and they were both featured in it. I’m very excited to see if one of them can get to their front-headlock offense with their snaps, or if their skills will cancel the other’s out and we’ll see who has a better “Plan B.” Both wrestlers are aggressive and physical. Expect this one to be exciting for as long as it lasts. 

Snap to front-headlock, to an arm drag, to a snatch single, and the finish

Snap to a front-headlock, chase to the left, opponent squares up, chase to the left again, opponent squares up again, chase to the right catching an underhook in the process and continues to move his feet. 

6A 132: Finlinson-Lang Part 4 

In 2020, Jacob Finlinson edged Drew Lang in the divisional and state finals by a combined three points. Lang was able to pick up a 4-2 win over Finlinson in the 2021 divisional finals and they’ll likely meet up once again in the state finals. Finlinson is looking for his fourth state title, Lang is looking for his second. 

 

Most of their matches are decided from the neutral position. They haven’t been able to turn one another and they’ve both shown the ability to get out from underneath. This match will be won or lost when Lang gets to Finlinson’s legs. In 2020, Finlinson was able to score in overtime when Lang got to his legs in the state finals. In the 2021 divisional finals, Lang was able to convert his shot attempts into points. They’re evenly matched and know each other well. Expect a scrambly, cradle attempt filled chess match if they meet again in the 6A finals.

 

Finlinson does a great job with this setup for a far side cradle. He’s patient and takes his time with it so he doesn’t get pulled over the top. 

Quickness plus long arms make Lang dangerous and able to lock up cradles from anywhere

3A 126: Three Horse Race 

Will Korth is hunting his second consecutive state title. Denim Torgerson is looking to win a third and finish his high school career on top. Byron Christansen is looking to win his first one. Right now, Denim Torgerson is the betting favorite. He has a couple of wins over Christiansen and a win in the All-Star Dual over Korth. However, Korth will likely be at his best for the state tournament and Byron Christansen gave him a run at divisionals. Whoever takes home the championship in this weight, will be a candidate for OW in the lower weights of 3A. 

 

Denim Torgerson is a prolific top wrestler. He’s almost always the taller wrestler in his matches and uses every bit of extra leverage his frame provides. His length also helps him with his takedown defense. If an opponent gets in on a shot entry, their ankles are always within his reach. He’s undefeated this season and after falling short last season, he’ll look to make a statement and win a third state title. 

Torgerson does a great job here of making his hips heavy and using them to knock Korth off balance 

Will Korth is solid in every position and looking to use all of his tools to win his second straight state title. He rides well, has great defense and re-attacks, gets off the bottom, and is comfortable in scramble situations. He’s training with Blake Woolsey and Waylen Pentz every day so bet on him being well prepared to make a title run. 

Korth does his best work when his opponents shoot. He builds momentum and transitions from technique to technique using the front-headlock as his starting point.

 

Byron Christiansen is having a breakout season. He’s racked up 32 wins and won a Uintah TOC title. He’s physical, strong, and tough in every position. He has two losses to Torgerson and one loss to Korth. He lost the most recent match with Torgerson 4-3 and his loss to Korth was by the same score. He’ll need to go through both of them to win himself a 3A title since he’s on the same side of the bracket as Korth. 

Knee-pull single, keeps the leg on the finish to give him the opportunity to cradle. Nothing fancy just great fundamental wrestling. 

6A 120: Chasing Quade Smith 

At divisionals, defending state champion Quade Smith picked up a win via fall over fellow 2020 state champion, Dallan Hunsaker. This puts them on opposite sides of the bracket. Hunsaker will likely have to best Pleasant Grove’s transplant from Washington, Israel Gonzales who was a state placer in Washington last season to get another crack at the Lancer.  

 

This season we’ve seen Smith put together offense on his feet better than he ever has to give him more tools to get on top which is where he’s historically been able to pile up points with tilts, bars, and leg riding. In the All-Star Dual, he was scoring takedowns against Clayson Mele using re-attacks. He utilized his head to stop the initial entry and then caught an overhook and used an outside trip and a fireman’s carry to pick up takedowns. 

1. Downblock

2. Catch overhook

3. Outside trip on the same side as the overhook to eliminate both posts on that side

One thing that Hunsaker has shown this season is the ability to make adjustments and win rematches. He lost to Morgan’s Blake Woolsey in the All-Star Dual and made the right adjustments and picked up a win over Woolsey in the quarterfinals of the Rockwell Rumble. Hunsaker is solid in every position and with his proven ability to perform better in rematches, he may be able to push Smith should they meet up again in the finals of the 6A state tournament. 

Hunsaker does a great job here of not panicking and just methodically working through the process of scoring in the position

Gonzales will likely need to beat Hunsaker and Smith to win a state championship. He didn’t meet either of them at divisionals and hasn’t met either of them this season based on available information on TrackWrestling. His common opponent matches make him the underdog on paper against Hunsaker and Smith but matches aren’t contested on paper, they’re contested on mats where styles matter. Gonzales is quick on his feet and has the ability to finish a single leg in multiple ways including in scramble positions. He’s also tough on top and can ride well. Pleasant Grove knows how to have their wrestlers peaking for the state tournament, so don’t be surprised if Gonzales pulls off an upset or two. 

Gonzales leads with his left leg, entered this low single on the “off” side, and transitioned to the other leg on the backside to work his finish. 

2A 138: Evans-Sanchez 

These two briefly met in the divisional finals but the match was cut short due to Evans passing out while fighting out of a headlock. Coming into state, both of these seniors will have no shortage of motivation. Brian Evans is looking to make history for Beaver High School by winning his fourth state title. Kaleb Sanchez has taken third on two occasions and has one more shot to get his name on the state champion board of Duchesne High School. Both wrestlers want to finish their high school careers on top. 

 

Brian Evans has a great duck under that he has used throughout his high school career and pairs it with nice ankle picks and slide bys. He also has a stout frame that makes him difficult to take down and difficult to ride. You can read more about his three-pronged offense here.

Right hand controls the wrist, right hand collar tie makes opponent stationary, open the door with the wrist control, swing the head through 

Evans’ likely state finals opponent, Kaleb Sanchez brings that hard-nosed, aggressive style we’re accustomed to seeing out of  Duchesne wrestlers. Sanchez does a good job of keeping his hands active in the ties and anticipating shots from his opposition and getting his legs far and away from them. From the sprawl, he likes to let his opponent circle up to their feet where he’ll pummel into an over-under position. From there, he looks to use attacks such as head throws, inside trips, and fireman’s carries where he pinches down on the side with the overhook. He has the ability to put five points on the board quickly and is dangerous for all six minutes of the match. 

Get them to set their feet, pinch down on the overhook, swing head through, and pull the arm.

 

Underrated Bracket: 4A 138 

Mason Morris, Terrell Lee, Josh Holmes, and Tristyn Dennett have a combined season record of 112-15. Lee was a state finalist in 2020, Dennett and Holmes both finished in third, and Morris didn’t place a season ago, but is having a great season this year with two wins over Dennett in 2021 (L.I.T and Divisionals) coupled with a win over Jacob Finlinson back in December of 2020. Morris and Lee are on the top side of the bracket while Holmes and Dennett occupy the bottom half. 

 

This weight will also be important to Mountain Crest and Uintah in the team race. Both would like to have their wrestlers punch into the finals but they will face stiff opposition in the semifinals if they advance to that round. 

 

Postseason Magic 

Magic happens every postseason. Someone always comes out of nowhere and turns a bracket on its head. That’s the funnest part of all of it. There’s always the possibility of the matches we want to or are expecting to see don’t materialize because a motivated underdog has other plans. 

 

Best of luck to all the competitors!