98-Pounds
First Team: Ramos
Second Team: Romero
Second Team: Martino
106-Pounds
First Team: Stacey
Second Team: Hess
Second Team: Mason
113-Pounds
First Team: Peterson
Second Team: Orr
Second Team: Mitchelle
120-Pounds
First Team: Mauger
Second Team: Reardon
Second Team: Taboa
126-Pounds
First Team: Summers
Second Team: Evans
Second Team: Talboa
132-Pounds
First Team: Keough
Second Team: Norman
Second Team: Beal
138-Pounds
First Team: Delarosa
Second Team: Zuffelt
Second Team: Rios
145-Pounds
First Team: Lovett
Second Team: Wilson
Second Team: Mathews
152-Pounds
First Team: Cordingly
Second Team: Giulio
Second Team: Williamson
160-Pounds
First Team: Fouret
Second Team: Nuekom
Second Team: Morris
170-Pounds
First Team: Shelley
Second Team: Miller
Second Team: Twiss
182-Pounds
First Team: Hobbs
Second Team: Fisher
Second Team: Winmill
195-Pounds
First Team: Fagen
Second Team: Boone
Second Team: Anderson
220-Pounds
First Team: Ojokwu
Second Team: Luna
Second Team: Jackson
285-Pounds
First Team: Copley
Second Team: McGinnis
Second Team: Heindel
First Team: Ramos
Second Team: Romero
Second Team: Martino
106-Pounds
First Team: Stacey
Second Team: Hess
Second Team: Mason
113-Pounds
First Team: Peterson
Second Team: Orr
Second Team: Mitchelle
120-Pounds
First Team: Mauger
Second Team: Reardon
Second Team: Taboa
126-Pounds
First Team: Summers
Second Team: Evans
Second Team: Talboa
132-Pounds
First Team: Keough
Second Team: Norman
Second Team: Beal
138-Pounds
First Team: Delarosa
Second Team: Zuffelt
Second Team: Rios
145-Pounds
First Team: Lovett
Second Team: Wilson
Second Team: Mathews
152-Pounds
First Team: Cordingly
Second Team: Giulio
Second Team: Williamson
160-Pounds
First Team: Fouret
Second Team: Nuekom
Second Team: Morris
170-Pounds
First Team: Shelley
Second Team: Miller
Second Team: Twiss
182-Pounds
First Team: Hobbs
Second Team: Fisher
Second Team: Winmill
195-Pounds
First Team: Fagen
Second Team: Boone
Second Team: Anderson
220-Pounds
First Team: Ojokwu
Second Team: Luna
Second Team: Jackson
285-Pounds
First Team: Copley
Second Team: McGinnis
Second Team: Heindel
The Idaho Wrestler Announces 2018-19 All State Team

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The Idaho Wrestler's 2019 State Predictions
The critics have been out in full force this season--and for good reason. Two game-changing decisions have changed the face of wrestling in Idaho, at least for the immediate future. First, the realignment of classifications based on enrollment and school-wide performance has shook up all sports but maybe none more than wrestling. In an effort to foster greater athletic parity statewide, schools were evaluated for their overall success across all activities. Where schools tended to struggle across the board, they were considered for re-classification. Ironically enough, Kuna and Columbia, juggernauts in wrestling, were not having much success in nearly any of their other programs, sending them down to the 4A where maybe success could be found. It would seem that what might have been good for these schools--not necessarily their wrestling programs, might not have been in the best interest of the rest of the state. Undoubtedly, the state will be revisiting this decision at the conclusion of the present classification cycle (2020).
As if that were not enough, a newly applied seeding criteria has left many, including your truly, scratching their heads. The criteria which gives unprecedented weight to district champs has given rise to lopsided brackets where the otherwise championship matches will take place in the semi finals and in a few cases the quarter finals. Expect an uncommon number of #2 and #3 seeds to be knocked off in the early rounds (on the weaker sides of the brackets). The state coaches' association will likely want to review the new criteria which encourages remote districts to remain remote (i.e., avoiding stiff competition).
As if that were not enough, a newly applied seeding criteria has left many, including your truly, scratching their heads. The criteria which gives unprecedented weight to district champs has given rise to lopsided brackets where the otherwise championship matches will take place in the semi finals and in a few cases the quarter finals. Expect an uncommon number of #2 and #3 seeds to be knocked off in the early rounds (on the weaker sides of the brackets). The state coaches' association will likely want to review the new criteria which encourages remote districts to remain remote (i.e., avoiding stiff competition).
The Idaho Wrestler's 2018 State Predictions
The Art of Seeding
The Sunday before the state tournament, coaches from all classifications converge on Boise for the purpose of ensuring that their respective athletes are placed in the bracket with a measure of fairness. Coaches from 2A through 4A gather in various rooms at the state athletic association's office while 5A coaches typically meet at Capital High School. In their hands, coaches carry the names of qualifiers from their respective programs, including how those qualifiers faired in each of their matches during the season. "Seedable" wrestlers are typically placed on a board and collectively coaches begin moving through the criteria for the purpose of determining how these wrestlers should be seeded. Non-seedable wrestlers are drawn into the remaining bracket lines.
In year's past, accessing opponents' individual match results could prove to be difficult, forcing coaches to linger over the various shoulders of their colleagues, hoping to get a glimpse of who exactly a given wrestler lost to and who they defeated. Technology--more specifically Trackwrestling--has afforded Idaho wrestling fans and coaches a transparency regarding this information. Not only does Trackwrestling afford a window into the results of other programs but to some degree can be programmed to rank/seed a demographic of wrestlers based on specified criteria--but it's not perfect. Out-of-state tournaments, spelling and input errors have all proven to keep the program from being faithful to the criteria. And when it comes to the state championships, coaches, wrestlers, and fans want accuracy and fairness.
Ultimately, it is the objective of coaches to be as accurate as possible when it comes to seeding wrestlers in a given weight class. Theoretically the one seed should be the best kid in the bracket--coming into the state tournament. The two seed, the second best; the three seed, the third best… . The driving force behind the seeding is the notion that we do not want the best kids wrestling each other in the early rounds of the tournament. Ideally, the best two kids in the bracket should not meet until the championship round. Evidence suggests that coaches typically do a pretty good job at ensuring that this objective is achieved. Occasionally, however, technicalities can undermine this objective and the "real" championship match takes place in the semi-finals.
The seeding is only as good as the criteria that determines it. Idaho high school wrestling relies on three different sets of criteria: 5A, 4A, and 3A/2A each has their own criteria. In fairness, the 2A/3A criteria is similar to the criteria used by the 4A. What distinguishes the 5A criteria is the premium that class places on the previous year's performance at state over common opponent. While all classifications give priority to head-to-head results, the 2A/3A and 4A criteria then gives priority to common opponent where the 5A gives priority to the results of the previous year's state tournament.
Critics of "common opponent" claim that how two different wrestlers perform against a given opponent offers little insight into how those two wrestlers would perform against each other. Critics of giving credence to the previous year's results claim that the previous year is too far removed to be an accurate indicator of the present.
So, which seeding has proven to be most accurate? At least as far as last year (2014-15) goes, the 5A's criteria proved to be the most accurate. The table reflects the number of times the wrestler fulfilled his exact seed. For example, 10 of 15 #1 seeds in the 5A finished in first places, while 3 of the #4 seeds finished in fourth place.
In year's past, accessing opponents' individual match results could prove to be difficult, forcing coaches to linger over the various shoulders of their colleagues, hoping to get a glimpse of who exactly a given wrestler lost to and who they defeated. Technology--more specifically Trackwrestling--has afforded Idaho wrestling fans and coaches a transparency regarding this information. Not only does Trackwrestling afford a window into the results of other programs but to some degree can be programmed to rank/seed a demographic of wrestlers based on specified criteria--but it's not perfect. Out-of-state tournaments, spelling and input errors have all proven to keep the program from being faithful to the criteria. And when it comes to the state championships, coaches, wrestlers, and fans want accuracy and fairness.
Ultimately, it is the objective of coaches to be as accurate as possible when it comes to seeding wrestlers in a given weight class. Theoretically the one seed should be the best kid in the bracket--coming into the state tournament. The two seed, the second best; the three seed, the third best… . The driving force behind the seeding is the notion that we do not want the best kids wrestling each other in the early rounds of the tournament. Ideally, the best two kids in the bracket should not meet until the championship round. Evidence suggests that coaches typically do a pretty good job at ensuring that this objective is achieved. Occasionally, however, technicalities can undermine this objective and the "real" championship match takes place in the semi-finals.
The seeding is only as good as the criteria that determines it. Idaho high school wrestling relies on three different sets of criteria: 5A, 4A, and 3A/2A each has their own criteria. In fairness, the 2A/3A criteria is similar to the criteria used by the 4A. What distinguishes the 5A criteria is the premium that class places on the previous year's performance at state over common opponent. While all classifications give priority to head-to-head results, the 2A/3A and 4A criteria then gives priority to common opponent where the 5A gives priority to the results of the previous year's state tournament.
Critics of "common opponent" claim that how two different wrestlers perform against a given opponent offers little insight into how those two wrestlers would perform against each other. Critics of giving credence to the previous year's results claim that the previous year is too far removed to be an accurate indicator of the present.
So, which seeding has proven to be most accurate? At least as far as last year (2014-15) goes, the 5A's criteria proved to be the most accurate. The table reflects the number of times the wrestler fulfilled his exact seed. For example, 10 of 15 #1 seeds in the 5A finished in first places, while 3 of the #4 seeds finished in fourth place.
Ultimately, though, coaches know that 100% accuracy when it comes to seeding is impossible. A bad tournament or ONE bad match during the regular season can undermine a wrestler's seed. And once a wrestler reaches the state tournament, a difficult bracket (see 5A 152-pounds) or, again, a bad match at state can send one of the top seeds into the consolation bracket. Still, overall, seeded wrestlers should place somewhere within a given range of their seed. The #1 should place in the top three. The #2 seed should place in the top 3-4.
With that said, let's reconsider seed accuracy and consider the bigger picture. If we were to award 3-points for a wrestler fulfilling his seed (#3 seed finishes 3rd); 2-points for a wrestler placing within one place of his seed (#2 seed finishes 1st or 3rd); and 1-point for a wrestler finishing within two places of his seed (#4 seed finishes 2nd or 6th) here's what we get:
With that said, let's reconsider seed accuracy and consider the bigger picture. If we were to award 3-points for a wrestler fulfilling his seed (#3 seed finishes 3rd); 2-points for a wrestler placing within one place of his seed (#2 seed finishes 1st or 3rd); and 1-point for a wrestler finishing within two places of his seed (#4 seed finishes 2nd or 6th) here's what we get:
Regardless of how the accuracy is viewed, the 5A's criteria proved to be the clear winner when it comes to predicting a wrestler's ranking within the bracket--at least as far as the 2014-15 season goes. What might this accuracy be attributed to?
• Strength of the 2014-15 5A classification where multiple wrestlers distinguished themselves, helping to clarify a ranking within a given bracket
• Frequency of competition between the various 5A schools where the highly-regarded Head-to-Head criteria came into play more often
• A more valid set of criteria
The last possible reason, however, would require that results from the past 3-4 years to be analyzed in a similar manner.
Until then, let the debate continue.
• Strength of the 2014-15 5A classification where multiple wrestlers distinguished themselves, helping to clarify a ranking within a given bracket
• Frequency of competition between the various 5A schools where the highly-regarded Head-to-Head criteria came into play more often
• A more valid set of criteria
The last possible reason, however, would require that results from the past 3-4 years to be analyzed in a similar manner.
Until then, let the debate continue.
2014-15 Season
Post Falls, Caldwell, Snake, and Ririe Roll |
The Idaho Wrestler's 2015
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While no one would characterize this year’s crowned champions as upsets, their respective margins of victory (outside of the 2A) certainly had to raise some eyebrows.
In the 5A, the Post Falls Trojans came in favored but not heavily as Bonneville came in with a seasoned line up that included 23-participants. Still the Trojans wrestled like they have all year--tough to end up dominating the 5A field. The 4A race certainly seemed a bit more wide open with Caldwell, Mountain Home and Kuna holding the cards—but that did not last long, either. The Cougars had a fantastic tournament to absolutely overwhelm the field. In the 3A, Snake looked good on paper—but maybe not quite as good as either Sugar or American Falls. Fortunately for the Panthers, kids don’t wrestle on paper. It was in the 2A where fans were treated to a hold-your-breath finish with Ririe leaning into the finish line ahead of New Plymouth by a half of a point! 5A The top four finishers played out their scripts at least as far as brackets go. Going into state, The Idaho Wrestler predicted the top four finishers in the correct order, relying on power-points. Post Falls compensated for their lack of participants, 19 compared to Bonneville’s 23, by way of pin and out-wrestling their seeds. The Trojans secured six more falls than the Bees, translating into an additional 12-points. But the Trojans real (unexpected) points emerged from their unseeded wrestlers. Brad Noesen (+7), Lucas Bolster (+13), and Steven Zettel (+12) contributed 32-points. Bonneville secured a lot of falls but rarely surpassed their seeds—in most cases, however, that fact speaks to the difficulty of the brackets, rather than a poor performance by the Bees. Quite simply, the Trojans had a spectacular year (because of a hard-working and experienced line up) that included a Tri State title and a state title. 4A Did the Cougars have a good weekend? No, they had an amazing weekend. Caldwell entered the tournament with 12-seeded wrestlers. Eleven of those twelve wrestled to or above their seed—the one who didn't was beaten by a teammate who did! The Cougars had an additional two unseeded wrestlers who also placed. Maybe most devastating for the rest of the field was the performance of Caldwell’s first two weight classes; between 98 and 106, the Cougars accumulated a whopping 89-points, averaging just over 22-points/wrestler. Helping the Cougar cause was a field of co-favorites that wrestled to or just under their expected performances. While neither Kuna nor Mountain Home had a particularly bad tournament, they certainly didn't have a good tournament either. Fourth place Lakeland, however, was second only to Caldwell in terms of surpassing expectations. Unseeded Chris Washburn (182) and Bryan Edelblute (113) combined for 31-points, helping the Hawks to a fourth place finish. 3A Unlike their fellow champions, Snake River’s seeds pretty much wrestled to their expected finish, giving a lot of credence to how those kids were seeded. The Panthers did have a few kids surpass expectations, most notably Payson Anderton who finished first after being seeded fifth. Point-wise, such finishes can be profound. When a non-seed finishes sixth, he likely picks up an unexpected 6-8 points. When a fifth or sixth seed advances to the finals, he likely picks up an unexpected 10-12 points. Much like the champions, runner-up Fruitland also pretty much fulfilled paper-point expectations with most wrestlers competing close to their seed. Weiser proved to be the anomaly in the 3A. The Wolverines had three unseeded wrestlers place in the top five, giving them the third largest seed differential in the entire state. 2A Twelve of the champion’s thirteen qualifiers contributed to the cause. Ririe had one unseeded competitor place, another four finish one spot above their expected finish, and yet another place two spots above his expected finish. In short, the Bulldogs did what they needed to do to claim the title—but it was close Hot on Ririe’s heels was New Plymouth. The Pilgrims’ performance mirrors that of Ririe’s with no real anomalies in terms of finishers. They did have a non-seed finish 6th but also had three seeds finish one position below their expected finish—nothing to out of the ordinary. |
Team of the Year: Post Falls High School
The Trojans were nothing short of dominating throughout the 2014-15 season, securing the 5A state title by a 66-point margin. Coach of the Year: Jeff Kloetzer, Caldwell HS Despite the uncertainty heading into the 4A state championships, Kloetzer's Cougars were firing on all cylinders at the 4A state tournament come Friday and Saturday at Holt Arena. Coach K had his kids ready to roll when it mattered most. Person of the Year: Pat Owens, Kuna HS Owens spearheaded a a much-needed event in Idaho: The Hall of Fame Classic. The Classic proved to be a well-executed event, spotlighting Idaho's hardest working talent. 2014-15 Idaho Wrestler All State Team 98 First Team-Kade Lincoln, Skyline Second Team-Dante Carreno, Caldwell Second Team-Emanuel Cerros, Caldwell 106 First Team-Pierce Mederios of Mountain Home Second Team-Mysun Mather of Capital Second Team-Matt Mcleod of Post Falls 113 First Team-Larry Johnson, Lakeland Second Team-Bryce Fogleman, Nampa Second Team-Treyton Nilsson, Snake River 120 First Team-Dorian Sapien, Borah Second Team-Jacob Garrison, Meridian Second Team-Boone Giulio, American Falls 126 First Team-Drake Foster, Post Falls Second Team-Bridger Carpenter, Idaho Falls Second Team-Devaughn Sapien, Borah 132 First Team-TJ Wolf, Post Falls Second Team-Sammy Eckhart, Fruitland Second Team-Taite Martin, Bonneville 138 First Team-Alius DelaRosa, Post Falls Second Team-Jake Lords, Kuna Second Team-Blake Ivie, Kellogg 145 First Team-Bryce Parson, Lewiston* (The Idaho Wrestler's Co-WOY) Second Team-Spencer Rich, Rocky Mountain Second Team-Donivan Banks, Bonneville 152 First Team-Demetrius Romero, Mountain View Second Team-Ryan Klemp, Lewiston Second Team-Dakota Wall, Centennial 160 First Team-Taylor Owens, Borah Second Team-Drake Randall, Lewiston Second Team-Rowdy Paul, Potlatch 170 First Team-Tucker Leavitt, Highland Second Team-Casey Randles, Sandpoint Second Team-Tragor Abatti, Challis 182 First Team-Seth McLeod* (The Idaho Wrestler's Co-WOY) Second Team-Levi Perry, Kuna Second Team-Jared Bird, Bonneville 195 First Team-Afton Silvis, Nampa Second Team-John Hensley, Meridian Second Team-Killian Estes, Lakeland 220 First Team-Eric Thrift, Borah Second Team-Carrik Smith, Bonneville Second Team-Colton Horn, Shoshone 285 First Team-Justin Farnsworth, Post Falls Second Team-Stephen Boone, Bonneville Second Team-Zion Dixon, Lake City The Idaho Wrestler's 2105 Wrestler of the Year 145-Bryce Parson, Lewiston 182-Seth McLeod, Post Falls |