Super 32 Upper-Weight Preview & Predictions
Super 32 Upper-Weight Preview & Predictions
The big boys at Super 32 will bring plenty of heat. With two returning champs and some insane athleticism, you'll want to see these guys get after it.
Super 32 coincides with football season which does take some of the potential juice out of the upper weights, but make no mistake, many of the best big men in the country will be throwing down in Greensboro. Two of these weights have returning champs looking to defend, and all of them will have plenty of high-paced big guys.
182 lbs
Brian Soldano brought the belt back to New Jersey a year ago, and he's the clear favorite to do it again. He'll have his hands full in a bracket full of killers. This one should be fun.
182 - #2 Brian Soldano, High Point, NJ
182 - #5 Hayden Walters, Crescent Valley High School, OR
182 - #6 Clayton Whiting, Oconto Falls, WI
182 - #7 Kole Mulhauser, Central Square HS, NY
182 - #8 Joseph Martin, Buchanan High School, CA
182 - #10 (170) Ryder Rogotzke, Stillwater, MN
182 - #12 Remy Cotton, Davison, MI
182 - #15 Andrew Donahue, Liberty, OH
182 - #16 (195) AJ Heeg, Edmond Memorial, OK
182 - #16 Dominic Thebeau, Belleville East HS, IL
182 - HM Drake Buchanan, Center Grove, IN
182 - HM Brian Burburija, Countryside, FL
182 - HM Mickey Griffith, Des Moines Lincoln High School, IA
182 - HM Donnie Hidden, washington hs, IL
182 - HM Tucker Hogan, Daniel Boone, PA
182 - HM Damion Schunke, Brandon valley, SD
182 - HM Caleb Uhlenhopp, Green Valley High School, NV
The returning champ Soldano is on the must-watch list for the entire tournament. Not only is he incredibly accomplished, he's unpredictable, can score from any position, and is fearless. He'll put guys on their backs from anywhere, including from his own back.
Brian Soldano's 2020 Super 32 final
A potential semi-final awaits between Soldano and #10 Rogotzke, and if that happens, it could be a match for the ages. Rogotzke has the same gun-slinging quality that makes Soldano so fun to watch, so if those two cross paths, buckle up.
The group of #5 Walters, #6 Whiting, #7 Mulhauser, and #8 Maartin is rock solid. Any one of those guys is capable of putting it all together this weekend. In Fargo, Walters beat Whiting on the back side of the bracket, and that could be a rematch in the semi on the bottom half in Greensboro. There is no shortage of challengers, so keep your eyes peeled on 182 lbs.
Prediction: 1) Brian Soldano 2) Clayton Whiting 3) Hayden Walters 4) Mulhauser 5) Ryder Rogotzke 6) Martin 7) Heeg 8) Cotton
195 lbs
This bracket has the opportunity for redemption for a number of guys who had their sights set on bringing home a belt last year but came up a little short. We could also see some matchups wrestling fans have been looking forward to for a long time.
195 - #4 Seth Shumate, Dublin Coffman, OH
195 - #5 (220) Martin Cosgrove, Camden Catholic, NJ
195 - #5 Rylan Rogers, Coeur D'Alene High School, ID
195 - #6 Kolby Franklin, Wyoming Seminary, PA
195 - #9 Wyatt Voelker, West Delaware High School, IA
195 - #11 (220) Max Ramberg, Baldwin-Woodville, WI
195 - #15 Jacob Meissner, osseo, MN
195 - HM Michael Bartush, Norwalk, CT
195 - Remy Brancato, Bergan Catholic, NJ
195 - HM Luke Cochran, Jefferson, GA
195 - HM Soren Herzog, Simley High School, Inver Grove Hts, MN
195 - HM Gabe Sollars, Mater Dei, IN
195 - HM Michael Tal-Shahar, American Heritage, FL
Many people picked Seth Shumate to win Super 32 a year ago, but losses to Gavin Nelson and Martin Cosgrove landed him in 5th, a respectable finish but not what he wanted. Both Shumate and Rogers competed in Who's Number One in 2020 at 195 lbs and 182 lbs respectively and came up just short of their goal of remaining #1. Now, we could see those two collide in a fascinating clash of styles if both can navigate this tough bracket.
Seth Shumate and Kolby Franklin's battle in the Fargo semifinals
#5 Cosgrove, #6 Franklin, and #9 Voelker are all monsters for this weight class, and their size and considerable skill could land them atop the heap when it's all said and done. Max Ramberg and Jacob Meissner round out the ranked list and are both very tough. 195 lbs should be a whole lot of fun.
Prediction: 1) Seth Shumate 2) Rylan Rogers 3) Wyatt Voelker 4) Franklin 5) Cosgrove 6) Max Ramberg 7) Jacob Meissner
220 lbs
Christian Carroll loves to compete, and the wrestling world is better for it. Not only is he coming to Super 32 to defend his belt, he couldn't be more excited about it. He'll be one of the biggest favorites of the tournament, but don't write off the field.
220 - #1 Christian Carroll, New Prairie, IN
220 - #9 Logan Shephard, Perry High School, OH
220 - #10 Jack Darrah, Wyoming Seminary, PA
220 - #14 Parker Ferrell, Christiansburg High School, VA
220 - #19 Dylan Russo, Olentangy Liberty High School, OH
220 - HM Evan Anderson, Western Reserve Acadamy, OH
220 - HM Chase Crayton, Mount Pleasant High School, NC
220 - HM Caden Ferris, Delton Kellogg, MI
220 - HM Gunnar Garriques, Baylor, TN
220 - HM Nicholas Sahakian, Saint John Bosco High School, CA
220 - HM Sam Sorenson, Homer, NY
220 - HM Caleb Vanbuskirk, Palm Desert, CA
While Carroll will be a big favorite, keep an eye on Logan Shephard and Jack Darrah. Both have been on the scene for a while and have been looking for a big-time breakthrough. An upset of #1 Carroll would certainly be that.
Christian Carroll's impressive Fargo finals victory
Parker Ferrell finished third in 16u at Fargo, and the Christiansburg, VA sophomore is an up-and-comer that will be making noise for a while. This is one of the weights where we could see some lesser-known entities make big names for themselves, and I'm excited to find out who that might be.
Prediction: 1) Christian Carroll 2) Logan Shephard 3) Jack Darrah 4) Parker Ferrell 5) Dylan Russo 6) Chase Crayton 7) Evan Anderson 8) Sam Sorenson
285 lbs
Chase Horne came up just short in Fargo and at Super 32 last year. This just might be the weekend where he puts it all together. The NC State commit will be the favorite, but this heavyweight bracket is no walk in the park.
285 - #3 Chase Horne, West Laurens High School, GA
285 - #10 Keith Miley, Whitfield School, MO
285 - #15 Gage Cook, Granger Highschool, WA
285 - #19 Ethan Vergara, Mater Lakes Academy, FL
285 - #20 (220) Alex Semenenko, Poly Prep, NY
285 - HM Max Acciardi, Paramus Catholic, NJ
285 - HM Matt Cruise, Easton, PA
285 - HM Zachary Evans, Chambersburg, PA
285 - HM Jamier Ferere, Southern Guilford High School, NC
285 - HM Aidan Fockler, Massillon Perry High School, OH
285 - HM Matthew Moore, Mesa Ridge HS, CO
285 - HM Riley Ucker, Dublin Coffman, OH
In addition to #3 Horne, the field here also includes #10 Keith Miley, #15 Gage Cook, #19 Ethan Vergara, and #20 Alex Semenenko, who's up from 220 where he competed in Fargo.
Chase Horne's wild Fargo match with Harley Andrews
Miley and Cook are college-bound seniors headed to Little Rock and Army West Point respectively. A tournament victory here for either would establish them as more than ready for the next level and would demonstrate significant progress. Vergara and Semenenko are also seniors trying to prove that they belong among the nation's elite heavyweights, and they just might do it this weekend.
Prediction: 1) Chase Horne 2) Keith Miley 3) Ethan Vergara 4) Gage Cook 5) Aidan Fockler 6) Matthew Moore 7) Alex Semenenko 8) Riley Ucker