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Tournament Preview: The Juab Winter Classic

By USAUT, 12/06/18, 12:00PM MST

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OVERVIEW:

Juab hosts a Dual tournament on the second weekend of the season. 24 teams attend the Juab Winter Classic, the format opens with pool competition then the winners go to one bracket second place from pools to another, etc. The gold pool will be super tough. 

WHO WILL BE THERE:

Blackfoot ID, Bountiful, Copper Hills, Duchesne, Emery, Fremont, Gunnison, Highland, Hillcrest, Juab, Juan Diego, JV All-Stars, Manti, Millard, Millard 2, Monticello, North Summit, Pleasant Grove, Richfield, Salem Hills, Snow Canyon, Springville, Timpanogos, and Uintah.

Key Team Projections:

Juab, Millard, and Uintah are definitely the favorites with Monticello, Salem Hills and Fremont in the second tier.  The wild card: Blackfoot Idaho, Blackfoot has traditionally been tough, but I am not sure they make it to the Gold pool. 

A rematch between Juab and Millard is one to watch for definitely.  It’s always a treat to see these two central Utah powers go at it.  The rivalry has been on an off since the early parts of this century when both were bringing home 2A trophies. 

Uintah gets its first test in dual format. How solid are they?  Are they #3 in the State?  They will be tested.  No Deets , no Ayotte and no Bennion  according to the rosters on Trackwrestling, that will hurt them, can the rest of the team score enough to counter their absence? 

Ranked or HM Wrestlers:

106: Byron Christiansen, Jess Christiansen, Raiden Harrison, Tristan Smith, Hector Martinez, Keaton Sperry, Bowdy Larsen

113:  Mack Bray, Denim Torgerson, Khegan Tarkleson, Bronson Richins, Dawson Wood

120:  Mathew Sedillo, Trayton Teeples, Hayden Wilcox,

126:  Van Bray, Korby Christiansen, Matt Beh, Jaxon Morlan, Channing Warner

132:  Mason Denton,  Steven Robinson, Colby Harper, Conner Ingram

138:  August Harrison, Graydee Warren, Ryker Pentz, Mark Beh, Kalob Nybo

145:  Hayden Anderson, Cade Bowring

152: Ryan Larsen, Tyler Lynn, Daxton Edwards

160: Joe Richardson, Chyler Zeeman, Tyler Schuern, Gus Dalton, Wyatt Harmon

170: Heston Wood, Holland Knudsen, Aaron Mele

182: Charles Watts, Elijah Kratzer, Cameron Laris, Merrill Morley, Dylan Sorenson, Ryker Blackburn.

195: Wyatt Whitaker, Alex Eidem, Collin Adair, Blake Mangleson

220: Calvn Whitaker,  Simote Iloa

285: Weston Warr, Chance Kinnicker, Tuits Kanosh

Key Match Ups:

Denim Torgerson vs the Field:  In case you’ve been living under a rock somewhere, Utah Wrestling loves to hate on Denim Torgerson.  He was untouched at the Panguitch invitational last weekend.  This weekend he’ll face everything that the Juab Winter classic has to throw at him, and we’ll get a chance to see if the hype is real or the haters are right. 

 

Mason Denton vs Conner Ingram: Both guys are ranked in the top 25.  A matchup between the two will answer the question of who is better. 

 

138:  Kalob Nybo is unorthodox to put it mildly.  August Harrison can and will put you on your back from any position.  Graydee Warren will scramble with the best of them, and Ryker Pentz is a hardnosed scrapper.  Adding Beh from Monticello and his small town funk, and 138 will be super fun to watch. 

 

Cade Bowring vs. Hayden Anderson II

 

160:  Dalton vs Zeeman was phenomenal in October.  If both hit the mat this weekend it will be another scramblefest.  Add Tyler Schuern  who will be looking to avenge his loss to Zeeman, and Wyatt Harmon who is looking to make a statement in his senior year and started off well at the Iron Man.

 

182:  Watts is ranked in the Powerpoll.  Kratzer Blackburn and Morley are on the watch list.  Laris and Sorenson are solid wrestlers who could make a name for themselves.  Can any of these guys have a good weekend and take over Watts’ position in the rankings? 

 

Tui Kanosh:  The Snow Canyon Heavyweight made a somewhat surprising run  to the 4A finals last season.  Is he in position to repeat that performance in his senior year?  If he gets on the mat with Warr we will find out. 

Analysis and Predictions:

Team Race: Millard Wins.  Uintah leaving their horses in the stable decides the tournament and Millard squeaks out another win 34-32. 

 

106: No one goes undefeated, but solid matchups with foreshadowing of  February  are possible. 

 

113: Denim Torgerson earns bonus points in every match he wrestles. 

 

120: Teeples, Sedillo and  Wilcox are all solid.  If they meet up, Sedillo could follow up a 4th place finish at L.I.T with a 10-0 weekend and establish himself as a threat in 4A.

 

126:  The disappointment of missing a Deets v Bray match up stings, but Without Cub, Van Bray cruises to another stellar weekend.  Christiansen & Warner could be fun and full of fireworks.  The weekend finishes Bray,  Christiansen, Warner. 

 

132:  Ingram beats Denton in OT.

 

138: Warren>Harrison>Nybo as Warren steps up big and helps cement Millards place in the Team Race. 

 

145: Bowring v Anderson is another tight match with Bowring getting the upper hand this time.  6-5.

 

152:  Tyler Lynn is just too strong for the competition at 152

 

160: Both Dalton and Zeeman have missed time due to injury if either wrestle, they will be the favorites and if they meet up the you won’t want to miss the scramble clinic they put on.  Without those two, Schuern and Harmon walk through the competition and if the meet up, I give the slight edge to Harmon in his home gym

 

170: Holland Knudsen is the class at the 170 pound weight class. His only challenge could likely come in Heston Wood  of Salem Hills.  If they meet, I’ll Take Knudsen 10-6

 

182: Watt emerges unscathed, Blackburn, Morley and Kratzer  battle it out with Morley avenging his loss to Kratzer.  Morley beats Blackburn as well. 

 

195: Blake Mangleson is the best wrestler at 195 in the field.  Wyatt Whitaker helps solidify Millards line up.  Best match is a possible Eidem vs Whitaker match. 

 

220:  Millards Whitaker pins everyone. 

 

285:   As mentioned before, the real question here is Kanosh.  If he meets Kinnicker or Warr, I’ll go out on a limb and say he wins both.