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Tournament Preview: The Christmas Clash

By USAUT, 12/12/18, 1:00PM MST

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Overview:

The Christmas Clash is a relatively young tournament, it doesn’t have the prestige of the Viewmont Invitational, L.I.T. the Rumble or others, but it has grown every year, and boasts some out of State Teams.  Each year it gets a little tougher and more teams come, before long, Jeff Newby and USA Wrestling will have built a premier High School tournament from the ground up. 

Format:

The Christmas Clash is a 32 Team tournament with a typical Line  Bracket that wrestles back and places 6. 

WHO WILL BE THERE:

Bonneville, Bountiful, Brighton, Clearfield, Cyprus, East, Emery, Farmington, Grace (ID), Granger, Hillcrest, Juan Diego, Lehi, Logan, Lone Peak, Mountain View, Murray, Northridge, Orem, Pleasant Grove, Provo, Riverton, Roy, Skyline, Spanish Fork, Spring Creek (NV), Springville, Stansbury, Syracuse, Westlake and Wasatch

Ranked or HM Wrestlers:

106: Byron Christainsen, Ryan McKitrick, Tristan Ocana, Chase Milligan

113:  Brayden Phillips, Hunter Swalberg

120:, Parker Frasure, Mathew Sedillo, James Monson, Layne Shepherd, Dylian Moore, Jacob Finlinson, Clayton Lunt

126:  Korby Christiansen, Kolby Pead, Lenin Jimenez, Trevor Clyde, Tucker Butler, Josh Tripp, Mitchell Slack, Deklan Kelly, Treyson Davis.

132:  Anthonee Ouk, Riley Fuchs

138:  Austin Gillette, Alexander Ekanger

145:  Rylan Stevens, Seth Burr, Jace Witney, Jordan Davies. Dyllan Fuchs

152:  Collin Sherman, Josh Rassi, Caden Constable

160: Gus Dalton, Joe Richardson, Aaron Mele, Camron Eden, Beau Chacon

170:  Mac Dodson, Tytan Smith, Charlie Fassold

182: Austin Winterton, Sam Sprehn, Cameron Barnson

195: Josef Mecham, Zach Warren, Jake Anderson

220:  Cordon Nuttall, Anthony Stockwell

285:  David Herring, James Tomasi, Gage Sackett, Sam Dawe. Simote Iloa, Kaden Montano, Justin Swainston

Key Match Ups:

 285:  The big men at this tournament will be challenged.  This is the premier weight class at this tournament.  6 guys who have been ranked on the season will compete at the Christmas Clash. 

120: Parker Frasure leads the way at 120, but 3 other ranked wrestlers will be at the Legacy Events center this weekend.  Rising stars like Mathew Sedillo and James Monson will get a chance to knock off someone and get into the PowerPoll. Don’t count out Clayton Lunt from Grace, Idaho who was a Idaho State Champion last season. 

126:  126 is loaded too, Wasatch alone brings 2 more than solid competitiors add to that Tripp from Spring Creek, and  game competitors like Christiansen from Emery Pead of Farmington and Tucker Butler of Westlake and this should be a fun weight class to watch.

Analysis and Predictions:

TEAM: Syracuse has to be the favorite,  they are really good from 145-182.  Watch out for Westlake, Farmington, Emery and Spring Creek Nevada though, they should have enough horses to challenge if they can get some kids to step up. 

106:  Christainsen should meet Nevada native Milligan in the final, but watch out for Ocana,  I am told he is poised to make some noise. 

113: This weight is tough, while I lean to say the Brayden Phillips wins here, but  a lot of unknowns could change that.

120:, Frasure is not used to losing High School matches.  He starts a streak this weekend.  Jacob Finlinson is the most likely to stand in his way. 

126: Slack over Tripp in the final, Kelly takes 3rd.

132:  Ouk makes the final.  Riley Fuchs and Treyson Davis in a Semi-Final dogfight is one to keep an eye on. 

138: I’m making the call that Austin Gillette wins this weight.  He has pinned Sammy Heywood and Dylan Dick on consecutive weekends, this weekend he makes the top of the podium

145:  Toss up weight here.  So much can happen.  Seth Burr is a solid competitor, Rylan Stevens can pin anyone.  Dyllan Fuchs is a beast, but I haven’t seen him wrestle since he was in 8th grade.  Meccariello is always dangerous.  Freshman Davies is a young stud looking to make his name commonplace.  My bet: The Senior from Spring Creek, NV. 

152: Another tough weight to call.  Rassi, Meccariello and Neuwirth make it fun. 

160: Gus Dalton vs Beau Chacon in the Final .  Chacon will have a tough Semi in Cameron Eden. He’ll have a tougher Final.  Dalton wins

170:  Mac Dodson over Tytan Smith in the Final. 

182: This weight should come down to Sam Sprehn vs Austin Winterton in the final.  If it does, it should be a lights out contest. 

195: Zach Warren of Westlake is the favorite at this weight,  He’ll be challenged in the semi by Jake Anderson of Farmington who bounced back from a tough LIT with a 7-1 performance in Heber.  Cyprus and Skyline should meet in the bottom Semi .

220:  Anthony Stockwell, Brian Sika have impressive records coming in, but watch out for Cordon Nuttall of Springville.  With his pinning capabilities, he is never out of a match.

285: Here are the contenders for the Heavyweight Championship of the Christmas Clash:

David Herring, a mountain of a human being with skills to match.

Gage Sackett, A dynamic Heavyweight who placed 3rd in 5A last year.

Sam Dawe:  The undefeated Don has a heritage of State Titles he is well on his way to fulfilling. 

 Simote Iloa, this kid is a terror.  Strong, Fast, Technical.  His pace will wear out most 285lbrs.

James Tomasi: If Tomasi makes weight, watch out.  He is a big, big man.  But he can move. 

Prediction:  Gotta go with Iloa here.  Just too dynamic.