The state tournaments are officially over. Up next are All Star events like Dapper Dan and Dream Team and the NHSCA's which will have the most impact in the final rankings and, especially, the Big Board rankings.

But before then, one thing I like to do each year is to look back at the state tournaments and point out the best brackets of the year.

The first, obvious question is how to define that. There were tons of brackets where nationally ranked showdowns loomed. Minnesota, who you won't find in this list, had many of those. And in Iowa (who also don't show up on the list below, had a lot of brackets with young talent that haven't cracked the weight class Top 20), there were several brackets I think we'll look back on in a couple years and marvel at the depth.

But for the purposes of 'best brackets' I'll use the criteria of 3 or more ranked guys. 

The usual suspects had the most brackets that satisfied the '3 ranked' rule. Of course, that's more likely to occur in single-class tournaments like California, New Jersey and Indiana.

Here are (by my count) all the state brackets that had three or more ranked (or formerly ranked) wrestlers in their state bracket. Please write me if you recognize any omissions (willie@flosports.tv): 

Pennsylvania AAA (8) - 120, 132, 138, 145, 160, 170, 195, 285

California (7) - 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 145, 152

National Preps (5) - 113, 120, 126, 182, 220

New Jersey (4) - 106, 113, 120, 126

Ohio D1 (4) - 113, 138, 145, 152

Indiana (2) - 126, 170

Illinois 3A (2) - 120, 126

Pennsylvania AA (2) - 106, 145

Illinois 2A (1) - 285

Now, I'll reduce that even further and give you a fifteen (I started with a list of 10, but kept going) of the best State Brackets of 2019.

15) Indiana, 170

Ranked Individuals: #16-Nick South

Formerly Ranked: Graham Calhoun, Joey Walker

The Results: Very deep bracket here that probably still won't get it's due. South made waves as a breakout performer at S32. Calhoun and Walker have really solid results and got in to the Top 20 with ranked wins at one point. But, speaking even further to this bracket's depth, Calhoun beat Walker for 5th and 6th while two other honorable mention wrestlers - Clayton Fielden and Derek Blubaugh did damage ahead of them.

14) Ohio, D1 138

Ranked Individuals: #19-Bryce Hepner

Formerly Ranked: Luke Baughman, Marco Regalbuto, Jake Niffenegger

The Results: Hepner won a very good bracket that was wild throughout. One of America's best Freshman, and already a Fargo AA, Niffenegger beat returning runner-up Baughman in semi's. Hepner beat Regalbuto, who was ranked earlier this season. Like Indiana 170 above, there were a couple disruptors to the party - Gus Sutton and Matt Zuckerman wrestled for 3rd after beating Baughman and Regulbuto, sending them to the 5th place bout.

13) Pennsylvania, AA 145

Ranked Individuals: #16-Andrew Cerniglia

Formerly Ranked: Gabe Miller, Caleb Dowling, Nathan Haubert

The Results: Perhaps the best half bracket, all but Miller were in the top portion. Cerniglia, who was 4th as a Frosh before missing all of last year, beat one of the top freshman in the country in Gavin Garcia. Dowling, a runner-up last year, beat Haubert, a returning champ, in the other quarter. Cernigia beat Dowling in the semi and Miller in the finals. And he did it all without yielding a point the entire tournament.

Haubert, a Lehigh commit, finished 7th. That's how competitive this one was.

12) Ohio, D1 152

Ranked Individuals: Sam Dover

Formerly Ranked: Victor Voinovich, E'lan Heard

The Results: Ironman Champ Dover won the whole deal as expected, but what a great final four grouping. Dover beat Heard in one semi. And Enrique Munguia beat Voinovich in the other. All but Dover return next year.

11) California, 132

Ranked Individuals: #12-Kyle Parco; #13-Ryan Franco

Formerly Ranked: Henry Porter, Marcus Polanco

The Results: Parco was one of this year's surprise seniors. And he ended his season in style, beating 2 Fargo finalist Ryan Franco for the title. Additonally, honorable mention Jose Fernandez played a part in this bracket by beating Soph. Big Boarder and returning state runner-up Porter in the quarters. Porter would wrestle back to 3rd. Polanco, a senior Minnesota Gopher signee finished 6th behind Fernandez. 

10) California, 145

Ranked Individuals: #3-Jaden Abas; #14-Cael Valencia

Formerly Ranked: Dawson Sihavong, Joey Martin, Luka Wick

The Results: Abas capped a sensational career that included finals appearances at all the majors. He beat Valencia, who was a double Fargo AA and 3rd at Ironman. Sihavong and Wick have posted ranked wins throughout their careers. And Martin is one of the country's best freshman.

9) Illinois, 3A 126

Ranked Individuals: #12-Dylan Ragusin; #16-Joel Vandervere; #20-Anthony Molton

Formerly Ranked: Travis Ford-Melton

The Results: TFM had a very uneven senior season. But at one point, and after making the S32 finals as a Junior, he was a Top 5 guy. He had split matches with Molton this year, and took 4th in a monster Ironman bracket before falling to 6th at the state tournament.

Former Fargo Champ won the bracket, beating Vandervere in the finals. If you don't know Vandevere, you will soon. He's one of the best Sophs in the country (placed 3rd at states as a Frosh) but missed all of the national scene last summer with an injury. He beat Ford-Melton in the semi's.

8) Pennsylvania, AAA 170

Ranked Individuals: #4-Gerritt Nijenhuis, #10-Edmond Ruth; #20-Lenny Pinto

Formerly Ranked: Luke Nichter

The Results: I think this one will come as a surprise to some. Everyone knew about the pending showdown between Nijenhuis, the FloNats and S32 runner-up and Ruth, who placed everywhere and was defending back-to-back state titles.

What they probably weren't aware of was that Pinto was one of the best Sophomores in the country and won NHSCA's as a Frosh. Nichter was ranked 11th before losing in the Pinto in the 3rd place bout. 

When Seniors are removed, you're probably looking at Nijenhuis as a #1/#2 guy and Pinto and Nichter as Top 10's. Ruth graduates.

7) Pennsylvania, AAA 132

Ranked Individuals: #5-Julian Chlebove, #7-Sammy Hillegas, #11-Kenny Herrmann

Formerly Ranked: None

The Results: How's this for a story line: two kids that never lost a match in their postseason careers meeting in the semi's. Chlebove beat Hillegas in a tight 2-1 affair before beating a nationally ranked Herrmann after wrestling him in both the District and Regional finals. 

6) National Preps, 120

Ranked Individuals: #5-Trevor Mastrogiovanni; #7-Lachlan McNeil; #9-Chris Barnabae

Formerly Ranked: Chris Kim

The Results: 2x Ironman Champ Mastro led a group of three Top 10's. McNeil reversed a Beast of the East result by beating Barnabae in the semi's. Mastro over McNeil in the finals. 

5) New Jersey, 113

Ranked Individuals: #6-Dean Peterson; #19-Nick Babin

Formerly Ranked: Alex Almeyda, Nick Kayal, Nico Nardone, Quinn Melofchik

Others: HM-Vincent Santaniello

The Results: Perhaps the deepest bracket in the country, placing here was even a chore. Peterson beat returning 3rd Nardone in the semi's and then Babin in the finals. The four in the 'formerly ranked' list placed 4th through 7th with Vincent Santaniello coming out of nowhere to beat Kayal twice.

4) National Preps, 113

Ranked Individuals: #10-Ryan Miller; #11-Cooper Flynn; #16-Dayton Delviscio; #17-Troy Spratley

Formerly Ranked: Wil Guida

The Results: You know a weight is deep when a 2x Fargo FS champ that's going D1 takes 7th. That's Wil Guida. Miller, Flynn and Spratley all proved their mettle over a grueling high school season that saw them place at several majors. Delviscio was the pleasant surprise, beating Guida and Spratley and losing only to Miller in the finals.

3) California, 120

Ranked Individuals: #10-Maximo Renteria; #16-Brandon Paulson; #17-Joey Cruz; #18-Antonio Lorenzo

Formerly Ranked: Jacob Rivera, Carson Sauriol

The Results: Maximo captured his second state title as a Soph. He beat Paulson in the finals who had a fantastic and unpredicted senior season. Cruz, the FloNats runner-up to Richie Figs, and Lorenzo, a former S32 Champ, split bouts with Cruz winning in the 3rd place bout.

2) California, 152

Ranked Individuals: #6-Sonny Santiago; #7-Jace Luchau; #17-Tyler Badgett; #18-Aaron Gandara

Formerly Ranked: None

The Results: One of the premier semifinals in the country with a Top 10 match up between Santiago and Luchau. Santiago finished 3rd at an absolutely loaded S32 bracket. Luchau placed at Akron, Fargo, and made Ironman finals. Badgett had been showing promise for a while and got in to the rankings with a win over Gandara who has placed just about everywhere. 

1) Pennsylvania, AA 106

Ranked Individuals: #6-Sheldon Seymour; #9-Levi Haines; #10-Gary Steen, #11-Joey Fischer

Formerly Ranked: None

The Results: It's usually AAA (the big school division) that gets all the pub in PA, but 106 AA had four ranked wrestlers in the Top 11 nationally. 

Returning champ Steen lost in the first round but battled back for 3rd, beating Fischer. Steen was also this year's Ironman runner-up, while Fischer was the Fargo Champ.

Seymour, a Fargo AA, beat Haines - one of the Top Freshmen in the country.