Gill named Outstanding Wrestler in Boys National Recruiting Showcase, with champs from 12 states
by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
DES MOINES, Iowa - After a crazy semifinal round, where some of the most prominent wrestlers in the draw were defeated, the championship finals of the 2023 Boys National High School Recruiting Showcase did not disappoint, with high-level action up and down the lineup at Hyvee Hall at the Iowa Events Center on Saturday.
There were individual champions from 12 different states, an indication of the depth and talent in this elite event, where all entries met specific achievement criteria to be included in the field.
Prior to the finals, all three returning National Recruiting Showcase champions were defeated and did not repeat. In addition, the only FloWrestling Pound-For-Pound ranked wrestler in the field was also beaten in the semifinals.
In a 120-pound semifinals, NC State signee and past Pennsylvania high school champion Louis Gill of Pennsylvania defeated returning Showcase champion and 2022 Junior Triple Crown winner Mack Mauger of the Team Idaho WC, 7-0.
Gill came back in the finals with a strong victory over two-time Idaho state champion Taylon Eck. Gill won some great scrambles, dominated from the feet, and led 7-0 with just seven seconds remaining when Eck was injured and could not finish.
Gill’s 120-pound weight class had the most state champions registered with 17, and his dominant performance earned him the Most Outstanding Wrestler Award.
At 144 pounds, Jaydon Robinson of Victory Elite Wrestling, an NC State signee and 2022 USA Wrestling Junior Folkstyle Nationals runner-up, scored a 10-3 decision over two-time Showcase champion Jackzen Rairdon of Bear Cave WC of Colorado.
Robinson kept up his powerful wrestling in the finals, scoring a 10-5 decision over Evan Gosz of the Alber Athletics WC. Robinson scored takedowns and had backpoints from the top, with an 8-2 lead that he never let go.
The 285 pound division was a round-robin and completed before the finals round, and 2022 Showcase champion Albert Butler of Level Up Wrestling Center of Georgia ended up placing third. Capturing the weight class with a perfect 3-0 record was Koen Mattern of the Lake Stevens WC of Washington.
Add in the fact that 2022 16U Nationals double champion Dreshaun Ross of the Sebolt Wrestling Academy, No. 30 in FloWrestling’s Pound-For-Pound rankings, also fell in the semifinals at 215 pounds. Ross was leading 13-4 against Alabama state runner-up Kyle Oliveira of Stronghold Wrestling. Ross had a stoppage for an injury and when he continued, Oliveira was able to drive Ross to his back for a pin in 3:46
Oliveira was not able to finish off the tournament with a win, however, falling to Jake Fernandez of the Platte County WC in Missouri in the finals, 4-2. Fernandez jumped to a 4-0 lead and closed out the win.
At 106, Caden Correll of Illinois scored the first two takedowns and defeated Mathew Prine of Moen Wrestling Academy of Iowa, 4-2
Abdirahman Unle of the MWC Wrestling Academy in Nebraska broke open a tight match with a third period escape and takedown for a 7-3 lead and ended up with a 7-6 victory over Mac Crosson of Sebolt Wrestling Academy of Iowa, 7-6 at 113 pounds.
Scoring a takedown late in the match, Texas state runner-up Caio Aron of the Boneyard Wrestling Academy defeated Illinois wrestler Joshua Vazquez of Cory Clark Wrestling, 3-1 at 126 pounds.
Two-time Florida state champion Maximus Brady also used a late takedown to win a tight battle with Jayce Luna of Sebolt Wrestling Academy of Iowa, 4-3 at 132 pounds.
Dominating on his feet, Michigan state runner-up Blake Cosby scored a 6-0 shutout over Maverick Mueller of Waconia WC of Minnesota at 138 pounds.
Colorado state runner-up Isaak Chavez of Goldman`s Wrestling Academy of the Rockies shut out Brandon Dean of Force Wrestling Club of New Jersey, 4-0 at 150.
Luke Swanson of Pinnacle Wrestling Club of Minnesota scored four takedown in his 8-3 victory over Idaho state champion Kaden MacKenzie of Team Idaho WC at 157 pounds.
At 165 pounds, Tanner Hodgins of New Jersey got a second period escape and takedown and held off Charles Petit of MN Elite WC, 3-2.
2023 Junior Folkstyle Nationals champion Hudson Rodgers, an Idaho state champion, scored a clutch three-point tilt from the mat on the way to a 5-1 decision over Owen Wasley of the Victory School of Wrestling of Wisconsin at 175 pounds.
Nebraska’s Sam Andres scored the only pin of the finals, putting away Max McWilliams of Calvary Chapel High School of California in 2:30 to win the 190-pound title.
BOYS NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL RECRUITING SHOWCASE
At Des Moines, Iowa, October 27-28
106 pounds
1st - Caden Correll (Illinois) dec. Mathew Prine (Moen Wrestling Academy) (Dec 4-2)
3rd - Royce Malone (Monrovia Youth Wrestling Club) dec. Cole Caniglia (MWC Wrestling Academy) (SV-1 6-4)
5th - William Du Chemin (First There Training Facility) pin Jayden Grijalva (South Central Punisher Wrestling) (Fall 2:52)
7th - Dylan Munson (Iowa) dec. Blake Hawkins (Bear Cave Wrestling Club) (Dec 7-5)
113 pounds
1st - Abdirahman Unle (MWC Wrestling Academy) dec. over Mac Crosson (Sebolt Wrestling Academy) (Dec 7-6)
3rd - Mikey Ruiz (Canyon Randall High School Wrestling) dec. Zachariah Morse (Team Champs Wrestling Club) (Dec 9-3)
5th - Nolan Brown (Big Game Wrestling Club MT) dec. Cale Vandermark (Moen Wrestling Academy) (Dec 5-2)
7th - Waylon Rogers (Virginia) dec. Mason Shirk (Big Game Wrestling Club) (Dec 4-3)
120
1st - Louis Gill (Pennsylvania) inj. dft. Talen Eck (Team Idaho Wrestling Club) (Inj. 5:54)
3rd - Mack Mauger (Team Idaho Wrestling Club) dec. Jake Knight (Sebolt Wrestling Academy) (Dec 7-2)
5th - Deven Casey (Izzy Style Wrestling) dec. Elijah Lowe (Lake Gibson High School Wrestling) (Dec 3-0)
7th - Xavier Rodela (Burleson Centennial High School Wrestling) dec. Ryder Shelton (Victory Wrestling) (Dec 5-0)
126
1st - Caio Aron (Boneyard Wrestling Academy) dec. Joshua Vazquez (Cory Clark Wrestling) (Dec 3-1)
3rd - Keyan Hernandez (Team Champs Wrestling Club) dec. Michael Lopez (Black Fox Wrestling Academy) (Dec 6-1)
5th - Jaxton Packer (Team Idaho Wrestling Club) pin Gianni Bottone (Reverence Wrestling Club) (Fall 6:00)
7th - Koufax Christensen (Sebolt Wrestling Academy) dec. Cole Krutzfeldt (Montana) (Dec 11-4)
132 pounds
1st - Maximus Brady (Florida) dec. Jayce Luna (Sebolt Wrestling Academy) (Dec 4-3)
3rd - Ty Edwards (SPAR Wrestling Academy) dec. Maksim Mukhamedaliyev (Izzy Style Wrestling) (Dec 6-2)
5th - Zachary Parisi (Izzy Style Wrestling) pin Noah Keen (Spartan Wrestling Club) (Fall 2:32)
7th - Damien Reyes (Goldman`s Wrestling Academy of the Rockies) maj. dec. over Chevy Rosales (Combative Sports Athletic Center) (Maj 14-2)
138 pounds
1st - Blake Cosby (Michigan) dec. Maverick Mueller (Waconia Wrestling Club) (Dec 6-0)
3rd - Garrett McChesney (McChesney Grappling Academy) pin Cadyn Wild (Big Game Wrestling Club) (Fall 3:38)
5th - Nathaniel Ruiz (Canyon Randall High School Wrestling) medical forfeit Emmett Nelson (Askren Wrestling Academy) (MFF)
7th - Tyson Brown (Nebraska) dec. Malikai Badillo (Golden Bears Wrestling Club) (Dec 9-5)
144 pounds
1st - Jaydon Robinson (Victory Elite Wrestling) dec. Evan Gosz (Alber Athletics Wrestling Club) (Dec 10-5)
3rd - Carson Weber (Illinois) medical forfeit Jackzen Rairdon (Bear Cave Wrestling Club)
5th - Billy Greenwood (GRIT Athletics Wrestling Club) medical forfeit Landon Desselle (Spartan Wrestling Club)
7th - Dylan Bratt (Chickasha Wrestling) dec. Caleb Carter (Team St Louis Wrestling Club) (Dec 4-3)
150 pounds
1st - Isaak Chavez (Goldman`s Wrestling Academy of the Rockies) dec. Brandon Dean (Force Wrestling Club) (Dec 4-0)
3rd - Logan Trenary (Moen Wrestling Academy) pin Jadyn Johnson (Cardinal Wrestling Club) (Fall 3:20)
5th - Caleb Juarez (Caprock High School Wrestling) dec. Carlos Valdez (Team Idaho Wrestling Club) (Dec 9-4)
7th - Gil Mossburg (Ascend Wrestling Academy) dec. Mercer Ashley (Cardinal Wrestling Club) (Dec 3-1)
157 pounds
1st - Luke Swanson (Pinnacle Wrestling Club) dec. Kaden MacKenzie (Team Idaho Wrestling Club) (Dec 8-3)
3rd - Zyon Trujillo (Gold Rush Wrestling) medical forfeit Malachia Harris (Kentucky)
5th - Brandon Ploehn (Stallions Wrestling Club) pin Jack Lewis (Sebolt Wrestling Academy) (Fall 2:12)
7th - Caleb Farrar (Gold Rush Wrestling) maj. dec. Cooper Zickefoose (Claremore Wrestling Club) (Maj 10-2)
165 pounds
1st - Tanner Hodgins (New Jersey) dec. Charles Petit (MN Elite Wrestling Club) (Dec 3-2)
3rd - Owen Uppinghouse (Illinois) dec. Logan Cole (Montana) (Dec 5-0)
5th - Ezekiel McEwen (Mat Demon Wrestling Club) dec. Jackson Tribbett (GRIT Athletics Wrestling Club) (Dec 7-3)
7th - Caden Gousetis (Missouri) dec. Jacob Blandford (Team Idaho Wrestling Club) (Dec 2-1)
175 pounds
1st - Hudson Rogers (Team Idaho Wrestling Club) dec. Owen Wasley (Victory School of Wrestling) (Dec 5-1)
3rd - Jay Eversole (Tennessee Wrestling Academy) dec. over Jayden Ford (Maize Wrestling Club) (TB-1 4-2)
5th - Ryan Beirne (Right Coast Wrestling) medical forfeit Toren Vandenbush (Askren Wrestling Academy)
7th - Caden Wilson (Tri-City Tyrants) tech. fall Rhett Briggs (South Central Punisher Wrestling) (TF 15-0)
190 pounds
1st - Sam Andres (Nebraska) pin Max McWilliams (Calvary Chapel High School Wrestling) (Fall 2:30)
3rd - Damarion Ross (Iowa) dec. Adonis Bonar II (MWC Wrestling Academy) (Dec 3-2)
5th - Leonardo Tovar (Izzy Style Wrestling) dec. Kyler Scranton (Big Game Wrestling Club) (Dec 3-0)
7th - Owen Burling (Askren Wrestling Academy)
215 pounds
1st - Jake Fernandez (Platte County Wrestling Club) dec. Kyle Oliveira (Stronghold Wrestling) (Dec 4-2)
3rd - Asher Sheldon (Izzy Style Wrestling) won by medical forfeit
5th - Ronnell Parker-Borrero (FordDynastyWrestlingClub) won by medical forfeit
285 pounds
1st Place - Koen Mattern of Lake Stevens Wrestling Club
2nd Place - Zack Chatman of Alabama
3rd Place - Albert Butler of Level Up Wrestling Center
4th Place - Gabriel Garibaldi of New York
Albert Butler (Level Up Wrestling Center) won by forfeit over Gabriel Garibaldi (New York) (FF)
Koen Mattern (Lake Stevens Wrestling Club) won by major decision over Zack Chatman (Alabama) (Maj 12-0)
Zack Chatman (Alabama) won by decision over Albert Butler (Level Up Wrestling Center) (Dec 4-3)
Koen Mattern (Lake Stevens Wrestling Club) won by forfeit over Gabriel Garibaldi (New York) (FF)
Koen Mattern (Lake Stevens Wrestling Club) won by fall over Albert Butler (Level Up Wrestling Center) (Fall 2:52)
Zack Chatman (Alabama) won by forfeit over Gabriel Garibaldi (New York) (FF)