As we reach the midpoint of the 2021-22 wrestling season, things are beginning to take shape.

The new 5A classification is stacked with both team and individual talent. With 32 competing schools, the field in 5A is deep and then was bolstered in the new realignment by the arrival of Uintah as the team to beat.

The Utes have won two prestigious tournaments in dominating fashion taking home the gold trophy at both the Layton Invitational Tournament and the Juab Winter Classic.

Last year, Uintah won the 4A crown outlasting Mountain Crest in a two-team race. And so far, the Utes have shown they might be the best team regardless of classification.

Payson is the returning 5A state champion but lost a decisive 52-18 dual meet to Uintah earlier this season. Wasatch, third place in 5A last season, has a stronger team then it did last year but will be hard pressed to overtake Uintah and Payson and move up in the standings.

Payson has one returning state champion in Aaron Garcia, who won the 106-pound state title last year and will likely compete at 113 or 120 pounds for the Lions this year. Garcia does miss some meets here and there to accommodate his boxing schedule, as he is one of the best youth boxers in the western United States.

Payson has additional firepower in the likes of Ethan Boulton (126 pounds), Colton Theobald (144), Will Dixon (132/138), Trevor Frank (157), Kelton Smith (150/157), Landen Shurtleff (175) and Tate Christensen (190/215), all returning state placers from last year. And very few of the top Lion grapplers are seniors, so the Lions should be formidable in the next few seasons as their youth programs keep feeding Payson with top talent.

Other Lion wrestlers to eyeball include Dallen Thomas (106), Kash Steele (113), Cole Carter (138), Layne Osborn (157/165) Chandler Loveless (195), Angel Fuentes (215) and Zayden Cook (285). Fuentes recently won the Layton Invitational Tournament as did Boulton and Shurtleff.

Wasatch still has a bevy of stars with returning state placers Parker Hayes (126), Heath Clyde (126) Tristan Ocana (132), Austin Kelly (138), Ryder Robinson (138), Bryson Lloyd (150), and Christian Slack (165). Freshman Miles Kohler (120), along with seniors Charlie Fassold (175) and Kolby Cluff (190) give the Wasps additional muscle.

The 5A field also gets plenty of talent from other Utah County programs.

Springville finished a strong third place at the Skyhawk Showdown hosted by Salem Hills as Andrew Weakley (144) won an individual title. Weakley placed fourth at state last season for the Red Devils.

Sophomore Tevita Valeti (190) placed second in divisionals last year as a freshman.

“Springville wrestling is an up-and-coming program trying to become a player in the state tournament,” Red Devil head coach David Valeti said. “With teams like Uintah, Payson and Wasatch, competition at the top of 5A is loaded. Our focus is on winning one match at a time and we’ll see where that lands us. Our kids know we are knocking on the door of becoming a solid program again, but we have to take it one match at a time.”

Valeti was recently named as the head coach of the Springville football program, and as an assistant coach for the past several years, has been able to attract quality football athletes to the wrestling program including Red Devil big man Tyson Naufahu, who placed high at the Christmas Clash.

Spanish Fork has seen its glory days winning two state titles in the early 2000’s. The Don program was hurt by the opening up of both Salem Hills and Maple Mountain in successive years but is rebounding thanks to the efforts of its head coach Kip Spencer and reestablishing its quality youth programs.

Freshmen Karson Shelley (113) and Porter Olson (120) are turning heads while seniors Evan Prokopiw (138), Bridger Warren (150) and Isaac Woodbrey (165) give steady leadership. Sophomore Junior Wetzel (138) was also named a team captain and is a returning state qualifier.

The future is bright for Spanish Fork,” said Spencer. “This young team is in the toughest wrestling division in the state and hopes to have these young superstars step up and compete with the best.”

Spanish Fork placed tenth in the 5A last year and hopes to move up a bit in the standings as does Timpanogos, who like Spanish Fork has an infusion of incoming talent, particularly freshman Conner Knudsen, who won the 106-pound division at the Skyhawk Showdown. Keep an eye out for Timberwolf grapplers Keegan McCluskey (126) Stratton Lewis(144), Russell Soundrup (157) and Porter Bentley (175).

“We have a very young team this year, but are quite solid all the way through our lineup,” said Timpanogos head coach Alex Nicholes. “We had a really good off season and the boys worked very hard.”

Mountain View finished fifth in state last and saw the Stafford brothers, Radi and Eli, take state for the Bruins and be named Utah Valley Wrestlers of the Year. But both have graduated. Mountain View does return state finalist Gable Stoddard (113/120).

The Bruins are also getting solid performances from returning state placer Cody Burr (138), along with the likes of Tyson Blevins (144) and Cameron Williams (165). At the Millard Ironman, Williams went undefeated in this very tough field of competitors. Mountain View is also finding some incoming freshmen making an immediate impact.

“The team is finding new talent in four ninth graders competing well on varsity in Glade Harman (113), Mason Grow (126), Isaac McGee (175), and Pala Pahulu (190),” said Mountain View assistant coach Chad Blevins.

Other wrestlers to watch from Utah County 5A programs are Braden Balmforth of Cedar Valley; Will Cleary (190) and Isaac Terrell (285) from Lehi; Hixon Canto(150) and Andrew Jensen (190) from Maple Mountain; Jake Hopkins (190) from Provo; Hudson Doussett (190) from Orem; Luke DeGraffenreid, Monsen Morley (190) and Dawson Wood (175) from Salem Hills and Timpview’s Michael Fox (157). Jensen is a state champion from two seasons ago and recently won the Skyhawk Showdown at 190 pounds defeating Morley in the championship finals.

6A Notes

Westlake wants to knock down the door and win the school’s first ever state title in a boys sport. The girls won the school’s first ever state title in wrestling last season and boys head coach Cody Burdett will lead the girls program while Jeff Newby takes the helm of the boys program. Newby has been the architect of the Westlake youth program, which is the largest in the United States with nearly 300 wrestlers K-8.

Westlake opened the season at the Wrestling Against Cancer Duals with two impressive dual meet wins over last year’s 6A runner-up Layton and Mountain Crest, the 4A runner-up.

Two incoming freshmen Korbin Chuchran (106) and John Fish (126) are turning heads.

Brayden Robison (126/132) became the school’s second ever state champion, and he’s just a sophomore. Seniors Cameron Baum (138), Tucker Butler (144), Jace Brower (150), Jacob Green (157), and Mason Bodell (285) are returning state placers. And senior Mark White (175), along with sophomore Trey Thompson (120) are very capable as well.

For Newby, there is no time like the present to obtain program goals.

“Our goal is to win a state championship,” said the Thunder head coach. “Our program has been growing and getting better every year. We have one of the biggest clubs in the country, so each year the goal is to do a little better than the year before. We have a great senior class and the ultimate goal is to win the 6A state title.”

Pleasant Grove remains the team to beat in 6A as the deep and talented Vikings look for their 11th state title in the last 12 seasons.

Pleasant Grove doesn’t have any returning state champions but Jacob Carson (126), Koda DeAtley (138) and Kort Wilkinson (285) did place second for the Vikings in 2021. For Carson, a junior, it was his second straight runner-up season.

Another Viking to watch is Israel Gonzalez, who went undefeated at both the Millard Ironman and Wasatch Intermountain Duals at 120 pounds. And like last year Pleasant Grove got a top move-in with Bradlee Farrer (132). Adding to the Viking depth will be Max Benson (144), Trevyn Gates (175) and Jake Closson (215). And though he is on the Viking second team, Damian Neuwirth (138/144) went undefeated at the Wasatch Intermountain Duals pounds against stellar varsity competition. Raymond Griffin (285) backs up Wilkinson and recently took second place in the Christmas Clash tourney.

There was a titanic shake up in Region 4 when brothers Cayaen (175) and Mahkyi (190) Smith transferred from Skyridge to Lone Peak.

Mahkyi placed third in state last year as a sophomore after taking second as a freshman, while Cayaen, a sophomore, placed second in state as a freshman. They will give huge firepower to a Lone Peak line-up that also features junior Cooper Mumford, who placed third in state last year at 285 pounds.

Skyridge still has returning state champion and 3-time state finalist Joshua Millward. The Falcon grappler lost just once last year and has already won the Layton Invitational Tournament defeating Uintah’s highly touted Dillon Dick in the championship final. The Falcons Erol Yellowhair (106) and Billy Ferguson (157) are returning state qualifiers for the Falcons, while freshman Nate Terrazas has shown well at 113 pounds.

American Fork has some outstanding individual talent in Cameron Hunsaker (126/132), who has placed second in state twice and sandwiched in a state title in 2020 in between these runner-up finishes. Freshman Tege Kelley (120/126) went undefeated at the Cache Valley Classic and bolstering the Cavemen line-up is junior Wade Mecham (113), seniors Logan Diether (138) and Andrew Grow (157), along with sophomore Thomas Bartholomew (144).

3A Notes

American Leadership Academy (ALA) will be led by 3-time state placer and 2019 state champion Lukus Carrillo (138/144) and Andrew Fox (113), a returning state placer who recently won the Skyhawk Showdown. Trae Rasmussen (126) is another Eagle grappler to watch.

Rankings

5A Team Rankings: 1. Uintah 2. Payson 3. Wasatch 4. Box Elder 5. Viewmont 6. Mountain View 7. Woods Cross 8. Maple Mountain 9. Lehi 10. Springville.

6A Rankings: 1. Pleasant Grove 2. Westlake 3. Layton 4. Fremont 5. Mountain Ridge 6. Syracuse 7. Davis 8. Riverton 9. Bingham 10. Corner Canyon.

3A Rankings: 1. Juab 2. Morgan 3. Emery 4. South Summit 5. Delta 6. Richfield 7. South Sevier 8. North Sanpete 9. ALA 10. Manti.

Preece’s Power Poll (Top 25): 1. Uintah 2. Pleasant Grove 3. Juab 4. Layton 5. Payson 6. Millard 7. Westlake 8. Wasatch 9. Morgan 10. Mountain Crest 11. Fremont 12. Mountain Ridge 13. Syracuse 14. Emery 15. Davis 16. Riverton 17. South Summit 18. Beaver 19. Bear River 20. Box Elder 21. Viewmont 22. Mountain View 23. Delta 24. Hurricane 25. Desert Hills.

Pleasant Grove head wrestling coach Brock Moore (second from right) joins the team to celebrate after winning the state title in the 6A state boys wrestling tournament at Corner Canyon High School in Draper on Friday, Feb. 19, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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