20 freshmen to watch at the OHSAA State Wrestling Tournament – DubStat’s top P4P wrestlers in the class of 2028
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Anthony Oscar (Clear Fork)
Rank: #2 – D2 138
Best Wins: D2 #5 Austin McKee (Medina Buckeye), D3 #5 Ben James (SMCC), D1 #6 Kolten Mellon Wadsworth, D3 #5 Cowin Becker (Northmor), D2 #8 Mason Ducat (Defiance)
State Tournament Outlook: Oscar is in the top half of the bracket, avoiding returning champ #1 Ayden King (Bishop Hartley) until a potential title match. He’s favored to make the finals but faces stiff competition from #6 Tommy Rowlands (Watterson) in round 2 and #4 Tyson Spicer (New Lexington) in the semifinals.
Tommy Wurster (Dublin Coffman)
Rank: #3 – D1 113
Best Wins: D1 #2 Ayden Dodd (Perrysburg), D1 #7 Oliver Lester (Olentangy Liberty), D1 #10 Colin Broxterman (Elder), D2 #7 Konner Blaney (Medina Highland)
State Tournament Outlook: Wurster competes in a stacked D1 113 bracket. His quarterfinal is likely against #6 Rohr (who beat him early in the season). If he avenges that loss, he’ll face #2 Dodd (whom he’s beaten) or returning champ Bickerton in the semis. A finals run would likely pit him against #1 Seacrist (Brecksville) or #4 Whitely (St. Edward).
Kyler Crooks (Graham)
Rank: #4 – D3 165
Best Wins: D1 #3 Lincoln Gardner (Olentangy Liberty), D1 #10 Noah Evans (Moeller), D2 #10 Collin Isaac Tippecanoe), D3 #7 Breyden Hill (Utica)
State Tournament Outlook: Crooks avoids #1 King, who is on the other side, but lands in the toughest half-bracket in D3, featuring #2 Quaintance (Lakota), #3 Clear (Malvern), and #5 Manley (River Valley). Still, he’s arguably the most talented freshman in D3 this season and capable of making a deep run.
Jake Hughes (Beaver)
Rank: #4 – D2 150
Best Wins: D1 #4 Brennan Warwick (Mass. Perry), D1 #6 Drake Brasiel (Aurora), D1 #10 Niko Giatis), D2 #8 Simon Inboden (Athens), D2 #9 Kam Stout (Claymont)
State Tournament Outlook: Hughes is well-positioned for a finals run, sitting opposite #1 Dixon, who edged him in OT at sectionals and districts. A potential round 2 matchup with #5 Duniec (Padua Franciscan) leads to a toss-up semifinal against #2 Lindsay. A finals rematch with Dixon is a real possibility.
Maddox Laymon (Sheridan)
Rank: #2 D2 120
Best Wins: D2 #5 Tristen Eckles (East Liverpool), D2 #6 Lyric Dickerson (Miami Trace), D2 #7 Carter Stuckey (Wauseon), D1 #8 Blake Frantz (Wadsworth), D1 #10 Taegan Gilmore (Medina)
State Tournament Outlook: Laymon has a clear path to the finals with #1 Garcia (Bexley) and #3 Sheets (DeSales) on the other half. His toughest test comes in round 2 against #4 Mellott (Wapakoneta), with the winner likely making the finals.
Xander Horak (Massillon Perry)
Rank: #3 – D1 190
Best Wins: D1 #6 Liam Lloyd (Mentor), D2 #5 Paul Tepley (CVCA), D3 #6 Blake Elliott (Eat Knox)
State Tournament Outlook: Horak is favored to reach the semifinals, where he faces three-time runner-up #2 JR Miller. A finals appearance would be a challenge, but he’s in position for a high placement and a strong showing as a title contender for next season.
Cole Winemiller (Graham)
Rank: #1 – D3 144
Best Wins: D3 #2 Jordan Neal (LCC), D3 #6 Thor Etter (Paulding), D2 #9 Owen Weaks (Benjamin Logan)
State Tournament Outlook: Winemiller dominated the Troy district, which featured the #2, #3, #5, and #6 wrestlers at 144. His main challenge in the semifinals will be a rematch with #2 Neal (LCC), whom he beat 16-9. In the finals, he would be favored over #3 Marshall (Centerburg), #4 Gossett (Union Local), or #6 Etter (Paulding).
Connor Whitely (St. Edward)
Rank: #4 – D1 113
Best Wins: D3 #1 Jake Landis (Graham), D1 #6 Lincoln Rohr (Mass. Perry), D1 #9 Joshua Medina (Oregon Clay), D1 #10 Teagan Gilmore (Medina)
State Tournament Outlook: Whitely faces a tough round 1 test in #7 Lester (Olentangy Liberty) but is the favorite to reach the semifinals against #1 Seacrist (Brecksville). If anyone can pull off the upset, it’s Whitely. The other half-bracket is loaded with #2 Dodd, #3 Wurster, #5 Bickerton, and #6 Rohr.
Urijah Lopez (Perrysburg)
Rank: #5 – D1 132
Best Wins: D2 #4 Gavin Hoover (Logan Elm), D1 #7 Gael Ramirez (Moeller), D1 #8 Cayden Pluhar (Brecksville), D2 #8 Michael Kenney (Chaminade-Julienne)
State Tournament Outlook: Lopez faces #8 Pluhar in round 1, a wrestler he’s already beaten. His quarterfinal is likely against #4 Williams, who he lost to at the Brecksville tournament. If he gets past Williams, a finals berth likely means defeating #3 Manns (St. Edward) in the semifinals. #1 Rohr and #2 Contos are on the other side of the bracket.
Budder Manley (River Valley)
Rank: #5 – D3 165
Best Wins: D2 #5 Luke Kaiser (Athens), D2 #7 Bradley Spencer (Morgan), D1 #9 Gabe McNally (Oregon Clay), D3 #6 Levi Collins (Waynesville)
State Tournament Outlook: Manley has one of the toughest draws in the state. He meets #2 Quaintance (Lakota) in round 2 as the underdog but has shown he can contend, evidenced by his 2-1 district semifinal loss to #1 King (Barnesville). His half-bracket also features #3 Clear (Malvern) and #4 Crooks (Graham).
Joshua Sheets (DeSales)
Rank: #3 – D2 120
Best Wins: D1 #8 Blake Frantz (Wadsworth), D2 #9 Ryan Morgan Jr. (Archbishop Alter)
State Tournament Outlook: Sheets is on the same side of the bracket as returning champ #1 Garcia (Bexley). Before that potential semifinal matchup, he has to get past #5 Eckles (East Liverpool) in round 2. An upset over Garcia would set him up for a toss-up final against #2 Laymon or #4 Mellott.
Tommy Rowlands (Bishop Watterson)
Rank: #6 – D2 120
Best Wins: D3 #9 Colten Taylor (Graham), D2 #10 Brayden Phillips (Tecumseh)
State Tournament Outlook: Rowlands avoids returning champ #1 King (Hartley) until the finals but faces a tough path, needing to get through #2 Oscar (Clear Fork) and #4 Spicer (New Lexington) first. It’s a difficult route, but if he pulls it off, he could potentially extend Watterson’s streak of freshman state champions to four straight seasons.
Loc Webber (Dublin Coffman)
Rank: #1 – D1 106
Best Wins: D1 #5 Caleb Snyder (Mt. Vernon), D1 #8 Sam Adams (Mass. Perry), D1 #7 Tyler Swaney (Springboro), D1 #9 Bennett Wachter (Elyria)
State Tournament Outlook: Webber is the heavy favorite to win the D1 106-pound title, likely with all bonus-point victories. His semifinal will be against either #3 Schultz (Brecksville) or #4 Mlynarczyk (St. Edward). His most probable finals opponent is #2 Bagdonas (Perrysburg) or #5 Snyder (Mt. Vernon).
Thomas Lindsay (Bishop Watterson)
Rank: #6 – D2 132
Best Wins: D1 #7 Gael Ramirez (Moeller), D2 #8 Michael Kenney (Chaminade-Julienne)
State Tournament Outlook: Lindsay won his district and landed in the best possible position in a deep bracket featuring two returning champs and a third-place finisher. He should win his opening match but will face a tough round 2 test against #4 Hoover (Logan Elm). He’s the slight underdog there, but it’s a winnable match. If he advances, he’ll see returning champ #3 Hisey (Memorial). A finals run would mean facing #1 Bartos (Medina Buckeye) or #2 Smith (Chillicothe).
Jakob Hoke (Graham)
Rank: #3 – D3 175
Best Wins: D1 #5 Michael Feeney (Coffman), D1 #6 Jace Love (Butler), D2 #4 Aden Strahler (Warren), D2 #8 Ethan Carpenter
State Tournament Outlook: Hoke is an impressive freshman competing at an upper weight, which is rare. He’s the favorite to reach the semifinals over #6 Youngblood (Rootstown), but he’ll be a heavy underdog against returning champ #1 James (Milan Edison). If he falls short in the semis, he’s well-positioned to wrestle back and take third, solidifying himself as a top contender for the future.
Carolyn Geckler (Mass. Perry)
Rank: #1 – 115
Best Wins: #3 Kandice Spry (Tri-Valley), #3 (120) Morgan Leonhardt (Gibsonburg), #6 Gabi Gartin (Chippewa), #8 Meredith Greenslade (Clyde),
State Tournament Outlook: Geckler is the top girls freshman in the state and a top-five wrestler across all grade levels, as evidenced by her U15 Pan American title this summer. She has a clear path to the finals, with all her top challengers on the opposite side of the bracket. Her most likely finals opponent will be #2 Gibbs, #3 Spry, or #4 Adams.
Brooklyn Whited (Logan)
Rank: #2 – 135
Best Wins: #3 Gwen Matt (Greeneview), #4 Kiera Depinet (Seneca East), #5 Chloe Tompkins (Olentangy Orange), #6 Haylynn Littleton (Harrison), #8 Addison Lyon (Marysville)
State Tournament Outlook: Whited (46-1) has only lost to #1 Mozden (Alliance) but has beaten every other top-eight contender. She’s the favorite to reach the finals, where she’ll look to avenge that loss. Her biggest semifinal challenge will come from either #3 Matt or #4 Depinet.
Abigale Torres-Miller (Poland Seminary)
Rank: #4 – 145
Best Wins: #5 Tori Wilson (Tusky Valley),
State Tournament Outlook: Torres-Miller won her district but landed in the toughest part of the bracket. A first-round win against #7 Holdebery sets up a likely round 2 rematch with #8 O’Brien, whom she lost to 11-7 earlier in the season. However, she flipped a loss to #5 Wilson into a tech fall at districts, showing her improvement. A semifinal against #1 Knapp (Pickerington North) would be a major test.
Vivi Legato (Archbold)
Rank: #3 – 155
Best Wins: #4 Jada Weiss (Bellbrook), #5 Natalie Carlisle (Lebanon)
State Tournament Outlook: Legato faces #2 Grimes (Marysville) in the quarterfinals, a wrestler she’s lost to three times this season. But she showed her ability to compete with a 20-17 loss at the Findlay FIGHT. A win would set up a semifinal against #5 Carlisle, whom she pinned earlier this season.
Haylynn Littleton (Harrison)
Rank: #7 – 135
Best Wins: #8 Addison Lyon (Marysville), #9 Serenity Ulmer-Earnest (Fairborn)
State Tournament Outlook: Littleton faces #8 Lyon in round 1, an opponent she’s 2-1 against this season. If she advances, she likely sees #5 Triplett (Cleveland CC) in the quarterfinals—a winnable match. From there, she would need to pull off a big upset over #1 Mozden (Alliance) to reach the finals, but she has a solid path to a strong placement finish.