The Teams:
No. 1 Lincoln East (Spartans)
106 Nic Swift SQ
113 Corbin Harrington SQ
120 Maxx Mayfield 1st
126 Nathan Rizek SQ
132 Breckin Sperling SQ
138 Adam Kinnaman 3rd
145 Chance Fry 1st
152 DaShawn Dixon 1st
160 Cade Kammerer 5th
170 Grant Lyman 4th
182 AJ Muthersbaugh 2nd
195 Elliot Alexander 4th
220 Chris Karmazin SQ
285 Drake Reinke 5th
No. 2 Kearney (Bearcats)
106 Dallyn Ritchie
113 Brayden Smith 1st
120 Rylie Steele SQ
126 Phillip Moomey 1st
132 Colten Kowalek SQ
138 Nick James 1st
145 Teontae Wilson 2nd
152 Carter Ables
160 Gus Franzen SQ
170 Matt Oliphant SQ
182 Steven Berumen SQ
195 Sean Jackson 3rd
220 Conner Brown SQ
285 Lee Herrington 1st
No. 3 Gretna (Dragons)
106 Jaxon Hotovy
113 Brandon Stalker
120 OPEN
126 Luke Figi SQ
132 Trevor Fauver SQ
138 Tyler Cunningham 2nd
145 Tristan Towey SQ
152 Cole Huss 3rd
160 Cody Everhart 3rd
170 Kobe Everson 5th
182 Lance Jarrett 1st
195 TJ Huber SQ
220 Connor Fee 4th
285 Omar Holtan SQ
No. 4 Columbus (Discoverers)
106 Clay Cerny 5th
113 Tanner Kobza SQ
120 Thad Baldwin SQ
126 Carter Kucera 5th
132 Alex Korte
138 Camdyn Iwan
145 Cade Fullner SQ
152 Avery McMeekin SQ
160 Blayze Standley SQ
170 Carson Zwingman 2nd
182 Kasten Grape 3rd
195 Anthony DeAnda 2nd
220 Eddie Loredo 6th
285 Tristan Colford SQ
No. 5 Omaha Burke (Bulldogs)
106 Jakason Burks 1st
113 Thomas Mullen
120 Jayden Looney
126 Blaine Miller
132 Jason Welch SQ
138 Kevin Castle SQ
145 Giovanni Mainor
152 Deson Stapleton 4th
160 James Burks 1st
170 Austin Dougherty
182 Nathan Lenz 5th
195 Dillyn Miller 1st
220 Dylan Sales SQ
285 Jamel Young 5th
No. 6 Millard South (Patriots)
106 Caleb Coyle 2nd
113 Blake Jackson 4th
120 Conor Knopick 4th
126 Garrett Carbullido SQ
132 Alex Vacha
138 Shane Quandt
145 Garett Svoboda 6th
152 Alfonso Cunningham
160 Isaac Trumble 2nd
170 Josh Trumble 6th
182 Krew Tran SQ
195 Chris Wortman SQ
220 Gavin Peitzmeier 2nd
285 Jake Mayville SQ
No. 7 Grand Island (Islanders)
106 Eliceo Ramirez 3rd
113 Juan Pedro SQ
120 Kolby Lukasiewicz SQ
126 Brody Arrants
132 Zack Kuta SQ
138 Jacob Sheldon
145 Emerson Urbina
152 Kolton Sliva 2nd
160 Aidan Williams SQ
170 Alexzaiah Deras SQ
182 Daylon Keolavone SQ
195 Oscar Richter SQ
220 Gabe Sanchez
285 Ethan McPhillips SQ
No. 8 Lincoln Southeast (Knights)
106 Hunter Dillon SQ
113 Ethan Batterton SQ
120 Arman Erickson SQ
126 Taye Hill SQ
132 James Hamlette
138 Malik Johnson
145 Austin Filliez SQ
152 Braxton Betancur SQ
160 Preston Gallegos SQ
170 Anthony Bailous SQ
182 Quinn Reis
195 Dyllon Bell
220 Cody Kirby SQ
285 Dawson Effle SQ
The Bracket:
The Predictions:
Quarterfinals
#1 Lincoln East vs. #8 Lincoln Southeast
The Spartans won 70-9 over the Knights on January 11th, while missing district champion Nic Swift (106) and third place finisher Adam Kinnaman (138). Neither lineup should change too much, so Lincoln East should prevail again barring multiple major disasters.
Key Match
152 DaShawn Dixon (LE) vs Braxton Betancur (LSE)
-Dixon won the state title while Betancur lost in the blood round. They did not meet during the season, and this should be the most competitive match of the dual.
Projected Winner: Lincoln East by 50+
#4 Columbus vs. #5 Omaha Burke
This dual will be close. On paper, Burke is favored in 8 matches, and have already earned bonus points in at least 3 times when those matchups happened earlier this season.
Key Match
152 Deson Stapleton (OB) vs Avery McMeekin (COL)
-Stapleton won 8-5 over McMeekin at Districts.
Projected Winner: Omaha Burke by 10 or less
#3 Gretna vs. #6 Millard South
In matchups where wrestlers haven’t met this season, each team will be favored to get bonus point wins in 3 matches. Millard South will be looking for bonus points at 106, 113, 120 (a possible forfeit), while Gretna will be looking for bonus points at 132, 138, and 182. Millard South’s Garrett Carbullido was a state qualifier and went 1-2 at 126, while Gretna’s Luke Figi went 0-2 at 126. Gretna’s Cole Huss (3rd at 152) is favored over Alfonso Cunningham (non state qualifer), but they haven’t met this season. The team that avoids giving up bonus points and can win the toss-up matches will win this dual.
Key Matches
145 Garett Svoboda (MS) vs Tristan Towey (GRE)
-Svoboda beat Towey 5-4 in the quarterfinals last weekend. Gretna’s cause
160 Isaac Trumble (MS) vs Cody Everhart (GRE)
-Trumble pinned Everhart in the semifinals last weekend. Neither wrestler got what they wanted at state, so this will be the most hotly contested match of the dual.
Projected Winner: Millard South by 10 points or less
Semifinals
#1 Lincoln East vs #5 Omaha Burke
On paper, Lincoln East is favored in 10 matches. Omaha Burke has state placers at 3 of those weights who finished lower or lost head to head at state. East should earn bonus points in at least 3 of the 10 matches they are favored in.
Key Matches
152 DaShawn Dixon (LE) vs Deson Stapleton (OB)
-Dixon won the state title while Stapleton had a breakout tournament to finish 4th
160 Cade Kammerer (LE) vs James Burks (OB)
-Burks pinned Kammerer this season, but Kammerer has a knack of keeping matches close.
182 AJ Muthersbaugh (LE) vs Nathan Lenz (OB)
-These two haven’t met, but Lenz performed well at state garnering a 5th place medal in the process.
195 Elliot Alexander (LE) vs Dillyn Miller (OB)
-This will be a rematch of the state quarterfinals where Miller won 14-6.
285 Drake Reinke (LE) vs Jamel Young (OB)
-Reinke won 4-1 over Young in the 5th place match last weekend.
Projected Winner: Lincoln East by 20+ points
#6 Millard South vs #2 Kearney
Millard South starts this tournament with 119 straight dual victories and should capture their No. 120 vs Gretna. On paper, Kearney is favored in 8 matches, and they are expected to get bonus points in 4 of those matches. The Patriots are expected to get bonus points in 3 of the 6 matches they are expected to win.
Key Matches:
106 Dallyn Ritchie (KE) vs Caleb Coyle (MS)
-State finalist Coyle is favored over Ritchie who didn’t qualify for state, but Ritchie has some solid wins this year and if he can pull the upset it would greatly help Kearney.
113 Brayden Smith (KE) vs Blake Jackson (MS)
-Smith was trailing late in their state semifinal match before earning the fall. This match will be hotly contested and the winner will provide a big momentum swing for his team.
Projected Winner: Kearney by 10 points or less
Finals
#1 Lincoln East vs #2 Kearney
The dual between these nationally ranked teams on January 4th was an exciting back and forth battle in Lincoln East’s auditorium. Throughout the season Kearney has proven they can get bonus points at 5 weights (113, 126, 138, 195 and 285) while Lincoln East has proven they can get bonus points at 4 weights (106, 120, 145 and 152). Lincoln East is favored in 7 matches and Kearney in 5 matches, with 132 and 220 being tossups. Wrestlers from both teams have not met at 132 and 220. Should either team win both matches, the momentum will be greatly in their favor.
Key Matches:
132 Breckin Sperling (LE) vs Colton Kowalek (KE)
-Sperling lost 4-0 to ranked Gage McBride earlier in the season before Kowalek took over the spot when McBride suffered a season ending injury. This match is a toss-up.
170 Grant Lyman (LE) vs Matt Oliphant (KE)
Lyman finished 4th at state while Oliphant went 0-2. In the January dual, Lyman was leading Oliphant before Oliphant injury defaulted. It didn’t look like Lyman was going to earn major bonus points in that match, so if Oliphant can keep it close, it would be huge for Kearney.
220 Chris Karmazin (LE) vs Conner Brown (KE)
-Brown ended up pinning formerly ranked teammate Aipperspach in the dual after a back and forth battle. How will his style match up with Karmazin?
Finals Prediction: Kearney 31 Lincoln East 29