THE SPORTS DESK
Prep Wrestling Notepad: Commonwealth sorting out its pecking order
Seventeen of the Commonwealth District’s 28 first- or second-place finishers from 2012 return this year, and with the usual shuffling of weight classes that comes as wrestlers get bigger (or smaller) sets up a few intriguing weights for this winter, plus a few more that should be wide open.
Wednesday night, the nine Commonwealth schools gathered at Colonial Forge for the district’s first round-robin duels.
As the wrestlers got a start on the district chase, the FLS can take a crack at each of the 14 Commonwealth District weight classes and how they’ll shake out this winter:
106: With Colonial Forge’s Bryce Gentry moving up to 113, this should be one of those wide-open weights.
113: Gentry finished second in the district last year at 106 and is probably the favorite here.
120: Another runner-up who has moved up a weight—Mountain View’s Josue Beltran was second at 113 last year.
126: North Stafford’s Dylan Thompson was the district’s runner-up last year. He’ll get a strong challenge from Colonial Forge’s J.D. Stone, the district’s 113-pound champion last year.
132: Another weight where a clear favorite is not yet obvious.
145: Forge’s Tony Neis, last year’s 132-pound champ moves up to here.
152: Perhaps the district’s best weight, with four potential state qualifiers. Orange’s Ryan Almond is the defending champ; Forge’s Sean Murphy, last year’s 145-pound titleist, will wrestle here, too.
160: Orange’s Sean Raftery is the defending champion.
170: The Hornets’ Zach Ryder was second to Forge’s Zach Martinez, who is moving up to 182.
182: Martinez should be a factor in the state tournament at this heavier weight.
195–220: Two wide open weights. Stafford’s Cameron Houston was second at 182 last year, and could land anywhere from 182 to 220.
285: Orange’s Billy Knabe returns to defend his title.
—Justin Rice
