The Best High School Wrestlers and Teams in KentuckyState of Kentucky Report
By Robert Fulk
Top Large Schools (1000+ enrollment)
1. Trinity High School (Louisville)
2. Campbell Co High School
3. Ryle High School
Honorable Mention: Woodford Co, John Hardin, Johnson Central
Top Small Schools
1. Union Co
2. LaRue Co
3. Wayne Co
Honorable Mention: Sheldon Clark, North Oldham. Henry Clay
Best High School Team
Union Co High School
Two time consecutive state champions Union Co have their hands full if they want a third straight title with top teams Trinity, Campbell Co, Ryle and Woodford challenging for the crown come February. Union has placed first the last two years, fourth the year previous, and seventh in 2005. Side by side with Trinity who's highest placement is fourth in the last four years Union has the edge in knowing what to do under the lights. Union currently boasts nine top ten ranked wrestlers, including three that are ranked number one at their weight.
Top Wrestler in the state of Kentucky
Harrison Courtney, Woodford Co, Senior
3rd Sophomore Nationals
3 time Kentucky State Champion
2006 AAU World Champion
2nd Middle School Nationals
5 time Regional Champion
4 time Woodford Co Invitational Champ
All American Honors- High School, Middle School, Elementary School
The most feared wrestler in the state of Kentucky, Harrison Courtney is poised to become a 4 time Kentucky state champion. Having placed in the high school state tournament as a 7th and 8th grader, Harrison has been undefeated in state competition since his freshmen year. Last year at the state tournament he pinned or tech falled his way through all opponents. His senior year should be nothing short of dominant. Harrison has verbally committed to Campbellsville University in Kentucky.
Top 5 Wrestlers at each age level:
Senior
1. Harrison Courtney 160 lbs Woodford Co
2 Matt Zarth 119 lbs Henry Clay High School
3. Justin Davis 140 lbs Eastern High School
4. Aaron Carr 125 lbs Union Co High School
5. Ryan Kelly 215 lbs Sheldon Clark High School
Junior
1. Brad Hitchings 171 lbs Trinity High School
2. Josh Johnson 135 lbs John Hardin High School
3. Korey Shotwell 140 lbs Campbell Co High School
4. Myron Bradbury 112 lbs Trinity High School
5. Michael Osborne 119 lbs Ryle High School
Sophomore
1. Caleb Ervin 130 lbs Union Co High School
2. Conner Coyle 160 lbs Ryle High School
3. Vince Staten 285 lbs McCreary Central High School
4. Logan Stuerle 145 lbs North Oldham High School
5. John Lampe 135 lbs St Xavier High School
Freshmen
1. John Fahy 103 lbs Trinity High School
2. Nick Paden 103 lbs LaRue Co High School
3. Bernard Ray 171 lbs LaRue Co High School
4. Luke Troxell 112 lbs Wayne Co High School
5. JJ Jude 152 lbs Johnson Central High School
Kentucky
State Championship ResultsTEAM PTS COACH PLACE
Woodford Cnty 233 R Parks 2 3 1 1
Campbell Cnty 163 M Bankemper 1 1 3 1
South Oldham 162 S Fiser 0 3 0 1
St X 147 C Gold 1 1 0 0
LaRue Cnty 146.5 G Canter 1 1 1 2
Oldham Cnty 139.5 B Martinko 2 1 1 0
Ryle 135 D Barnes 0 1 2 0
Sheldon Clark 112 J Matney 1 1 0 0
Eastern 111.5 P Coomes 1 0 0 0
Simon Kenton 98.5 P Kiser 2 0 0 0
Coach of the Year: Steve Fiser, South Oldham
103-Matt Thompson, Oldham County; 112-Billy Clark, Sheldon Clark; 119-Tyler Baldwin, Woodford County; 125-Joey Hagedorn, Campbell County; 130-Brad Cooper, Simon Kenton; 135-Luke Metzker, Henry Clay; 140-Scott Cooper, LaRue County; 145-Isaac Knable, St X; 152-Craig Cooper, Simon Kenton; 160-Josh Riorda, Oldham County; 171-Eric Slugantz, Woodford County; 189-Ben Vessels, Seneca; 215-Derek Sawyer, Eastern; 275-Jason Gray, Tates Creek
May Report for Kentucky
trying to take a look at what everyone has coming back and figuring out who
is the team to beat in the state of Kentucky next year. After taking a look
at what everyone has coming back for next year, it seems to me that the
state once again will be wide open. Oh, there are some teams that have
quite a bit coming back, but overall, there doesn't seem to be any one team
that has a dominating team from top to bottom Everyone has holes and when
there are holes, there are places for a pin (6 points) and with an upset
along the way, any team can be beaten.
a good idea, with two classes, I will be looking at first both classes and
then the overall state. So here are my top five in each class and then the
top five overall.
champions) and if they would have had Clark at 103 (he was out with
sickness) and at least one or two others place high, St. X would not have
won. BUT, SC lost those three state champions to graduation and the young
guys last year didn't produce at regions like many thought they would.
Matney is a good coach and if he can get them ready for this year, then this
team will finish higher, but preseason wise, this is my number five pick.
have three state placers back from last year, led by my pick as outstanding
sophomore next year Chris Sanders. Buddy Dodd is an outstanding wrestler
and I look for him to be a force at whatever weight class he wrestles at
next year. Again, if Upchurch can have his younger guys mature and be ready
at State Duals and State Tournament, this team will also finish higher.
least one go out on a limb team and this year, this is mine. Knox returns
three outstanding wrestlers, John Phillips at 160, Craig Barnhill at 189,
and Mike Hines at heavyweight. They also have Jimmy Noggle back at 171 who
is not bad. They have a coach who wants to win a state championship and
they had some younger guys who if they work in the off season, will be good
wrestlers next year. They may not challenge for a state dual title, but
they will do well at the state tournament.
Alloway at 19, Cole at 25, Askew at 35, and Thomas at 40. The 12, 25, or 35
could be in the finals next year with a good draw. They may not challenge
for a state dual title, but they will finish very high at state tournament
and Walls has a way of finding someone else along the way to do well. Their
89 from last year, who was a district champion, just could be that wrestler
to finish this team off.
including state champion Todd Allen at 160, but they have a whole lost
coming back. Plus, the are the defending state dual champions, upsetting X
in the finals and the Class A state tournament champions. They have Scott
Cooper back, T.J. Elmore, and Chris Shaw all of which were state placers
along with state qualifiers Kyle Ross, Andrew Cooper, and Jason Pearsall.
Allow me to throw out another name who will be a force next year in
wrestling, Jordan Newton. Newton didn't wrestle this past year because he
would have been behind Allen, but the Hawk coaching staff looks for this
young man to be in the finals next year at whatever weight he wrestles. If
they can find some quality athletes in the lower weights, this team could
again win another state dual title and challenge for the overall tournament
title as well. Preseason, this is my number one team in Class A.
it would last year at the state tournament, but they were in a tough region
and I am sure this had something to do with it. They had the best, I mean
very best, middle school team last year in the state and this will start to
produce for them over the next few years. They are the team to beat of the
future but, they are still one or two years away from challenging, or should
I say, dominating, this state in wrestling.
their outstanding senior, Isaac Knable. He has won three state
championships and is currently ranked sixth in the nation. I don't think
there is anyone in the state who will beat him next year and he will be a
four-time state champion. Why are they not higher? They lost their 3, 45,
52, 60, 71, 89, 215, and 275 to graduation. They might again be the force,
but I will have to see their team next year before I put them higher.
Bankamper at 3, Hines at 12, Hagedorn at 19, Boggs at 30, Reis at 40, and
Nelson at 71. They lost their state champion at 275, but they will again be
a force to be reckoned with. If they can get some good heavier weights,
this team could challenge the top two.
returning headlined by two returning state champions in Baldwin at 12 and
Slugantz at 71. They have six other state qualifiers back as well led by
Goode at 35, Hart at 25, and Luegers at 30. They were down last year and
they had holes. If they can fill those holes then this team will win
another title this upcoming year but I don't know what will be in those
holes so they only get the nod for number two from me.
wrestling in this state. They return all of their state qualifiers from
last year and they were all quality wrestlers: Denny at 3, Whitehouse at
12, Shaver at 19, Oliver at 25, Van Nostrand at 30, Lovewell at 40, Fiser at
45, and Emge at 71. They are tough at each of those weights and if they can
fill some holes, no one will touch them this year. The place South got hurt
last year was in the upper weights, and if they can't finish a dual out
strong, then they again will fall short, but in the preseason I like what I
see from South Oldham and they are my preseason number one.
5. Campbell
5. St. X
3. LaRue
2. Woodford
1. South Oldham
team that looks like they will dominate this year. There are some promising
teams out there, but the state is wide open for someone to step in their and
upset the favorites and win it all. This looks to be a promising year again
in wrestling in the state of Kentucky.