But that’s exactly what could happen for Graham High School, according to the state’s foremost high school mats expert, Brian Brakeman. Author of the widely-read Brakeman Report, which is in its 40th year of projecting state mats competition. Brakeman sees the 10-time defending Division II state champion Falcons getting seven wrestlers in the finals and six eventual state champs, plus two more who should advance to the state semifinals.
Projected state champions include senior Nick Brascetta (140), juniors Ryan Taylor (112), Isaac Jordan (160) and Huston Evans (189), sophomore Bo Ryan (145) and freshman Micah Jordan (119), while senior Matt Stephens (152) is seen as a runner-up. Senior and former state champ Kyle Ryan (171) and junior Case Garrison (135) are both projected third.
With senior Mark Meyer (215) ranked ninth and sophomore Chase Crabtree (103) 10th, that would give Graham 11 state qualifiers.
“The next two weeks, we’ve just got to stay healthy and get our practices in,” said Falcons coach Jeff Jordan, who has never coached a Falcons team that hasn’t won a state title.
“From here on out, my wife doesn’t like me when I come home,” he continued, half joking. “I get so nervous thinking about the match-ups and possibilities.”
Those are endless, even for mighty Graham, which has five of those 10 projected state qualifiers nursing assorted injuries: Crabtree, Garrison, Stephens, Ryan and Meyer.
But that’s the case for all this weekend’s district qualifiers — you’ve still got to wrestle.
In D-III, Mechanicsburg is projected to advance four wrestlers, led by senior Cody Rodgers (189, projected fourth). Other Indians projected state qualifiers include freshman Austin Reese (103, sixth), sophomore Max Erwin (152, eighth) and junior Dalton Hiltibran (119, 14th).
Other projected state qualifiers include: In D-II, Kenton Ridge’s Joe Quisenberry (140, eighth), Preston Bowsier (112, 12th) and Seth Scaglia (145, 14th); Shawnee’s Nathan Silvus (189, sixth), Tecumseh’s Zeke Eier (189, 15th) and Northwestern’s Mason Sherrock (152, 12th); and in D-III, Greeneview’s Cole Smith (125, 10th) and West Liberty-Salem’s Britt Wooten (125, 12th).
Also mentioned but not picked to make it to state are KR’s Anthony Cole-Young (171, 22nd), Urbana’s Caleb Baum (103, 25th) and Tecumseh’s Daniel Crowley (140, 24th) and Chuck Buchanan (152, 25th) in D-II; and Northeastern’s Jessy Reeder (112, 25th) and Marcus Reeder (140, 24th), WLS’s Aaron Goings (171, 21st) and Greeneview’s Jacob McAdams (145, 27th) in D-III. D-I’s lone mention went to Springfield Darryl Grayson (171, 20th), but he did not advance out of sectionals last weekend.
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