Badger Conference Tournament/team and individual wt class predictions

[boowrestle]

Well little more than a week away from the always tough and competitive tournament,lets hear some predictions.I will get it started these picks are being made using the wts that i think kids will go for conference.(I realize that there might be a few kids that drop down.)
106/stoughton
113/baraboo
120/milton
126/stoughton
132/??
138/stoughton
145/sauk
152/baraboo(sleeper pick)
160/??
170/sauk
182/mt horeb
195/baraboo,waunakee
220/sauk
285/deforest

[mojo123]

160 could be a barn burner. Depending on what weight Pitzner, McCarthy, Foerster and Powell decide to go. Should be interesting

[badg.conf.fan]

106- Klein, stoughton
113- Jenny, stoughton
120- Shea, Milton
126- hassleberger, stoughton
132- model, stoughton
138- Krause, stoughton
145- smith, Sauk prairie
152- hemaur, deforest
160- Foerster, Fort Atkinson
170- Powell, Sauk prairie
182- Hahn, reedsburg
195- Hooker, waunakee
220- neumauer, Sauk prairie
Hwt- Topel, Deforest

[WrestleIt]

Would change 220 to Monroe and 160 to Milton.  Will be an exciting meet to watch; I understand Milton student media will be streaming the finals online.

[Troy Grindle]

182 is going to be an incredible weight.  5 ranked wrestlers I believe.

[Mack]

I cannot imagine a day filled with better entertainment.  Thanks kids!

*And coaches
*And parents

[ElectricGuy]

I thought "Big Mac" McCarthy did a nice job with this article in the Milton paper, so I thought I would share.  I do appreciate the write-up.   I wonder who these pundits are though - as I read his articles it seems like it's always Milton against the world.  

Here are a few additional notes that I would add:
106 - Zeke Smith, Sauk 23-9 very good freshman, also Fort maybe??
120 - You could also have a very good Nate Lorenz, Waunakee 20-4 in the mix if he is back, and Freshman Dylan Golke 17-4
126 - You also have to add in previous state place winner - Preston Ernst Wanakee 32-5 and Cole Murry 26-11 #10 D2 - into that deep 126lb group
132 - Also add in Mitchell Golke, Portage 26-8 into that mix
152 - Jackson Hemauer (DeForest) 29-4 last year won conference at 138 as a Freshman, He is setting himself up to be one of the few 4x conf champions. The only question in his weight will be tally on how many ankle picks he hits for the day - Over / Under is at 12 -  You also it looks like have Trey Haugen (Reedsburg) 23-9 dropping down - this bracket might be a little more of a scrap than we think.....
160 - Patric Rilley - Stoughton and Jacob Poches 31-3 #6 D2 - Portage <- Poches is my darkhorse pick for this weight
220 - Has to be Traiten Gorr (Monroe) 33-2  #2 in D2  tournament to loose and also add in Mason Ripp Waunakee - 23-5 into the mix.

And my lock of the day is Hwt - Topel Deforest - watched him at Cheesehead - I would be surprised if he doesn't pin his way through the bracket.  As a Jr - we could be watching the makings of a 2X state champion here.  

Posted: Wednesday, February 4, 2015 9:25 am | Updated: 9:30 am, Wed Feb 4, 2015.
By Scott "Big Mac" McCarthy - Wrestling Commentator | 0 comments

In the time it takes to cook a frozen pizza, Oregon was done. The wrestling match Friday night lasted 16 minutes. Milton won 81-0. Enough said. The real competition begins this Saturday in "The Pit" when the Badger Conference will assemble for a tournament that should be a barn burner.

Although Milton beat Stoughton 37-25 earlier in the year, once again the pundits are picking Stoughton to win the conference tournament. According to Wisconsin Wrestling Online, Milton is currently ranked second in the state, Stoughton is ranked third and Sauk Prairie is honorable mention. If one were to look at the individual weight classes, a strong argument could be made that the Badger Conference is the toughest in the state of Wisconsin with 34 ranked wrestlers.

At 106 pounds, Stoughton's Brandon Klein (ranked 5th) is the favorite with Milton's Dalton Shea (7th) coming off a badly sprained ankle. Reedsburg's Thomas Holsten (HM) is also a handful.

Baraboo's Trevor Hanson (3rd) will be the favorite at 113, followed by Stoughton's Tristan Jenny (8th) and Reedsburg's Mason McMillen (HM).

At 120, it should be a two-man show between Milton's Nolan Shea (6th) and Stoughton's Kaleb Louis (7th).

The 126-pound weight class is loaded with Stoughton's Zach Hasselberger (3rd) coming in as the favorite, but he will have his hands full with Sauk Prairie's Drew Fjoser (10th) and Milton's Levi Garrett (HM).

By the rankings, Stoughton's Garrett Model (6th) is the favorite at 132, followed by Sauk Prairie's Aaron Hankins (HM). Milton's Tristan Woods, who beat Model at the dual-meet, is inexplicably unranked.

Stoughton also tops the list at 138 with last year's state champion Collin Kraus, followed by Milton's Alex Chesmore (8th) and Baraboo's Andre Mayllen (HM).

Milton senior Sean Gohlke will have his work cut out for him at 145 with Sauk Prairie's Eddie Smith (2nd) and Stoughton's Tyler Dow (7th).

The top ranked wrestler at 152 is Baraboo's Zach Raymond (HM). Milton's Taylor Prochazka could really make a difference for the Red Hawks at this weight.

The only ranked wrestler at 160 is Fort Atkinson's Keegan Foerster (12th). However, with his unbeaten record in conference, Milton's Billy Pitzner might be the No. 1 seed.

Sauk Prairie's Austin Powell (7th) will likely get the top seed at 170. Milton's John McCarthy (11th) and Stoughton's Gunnar Helland (13th), who had a one point match earlier this year, will be nipping at his heels.

The 182-pound weight class boasts five ranked wrestlers: Reedsburg's Dalton Hahn (4th), Milton's Bowen Wileman (7th), Waunakee's Trevor Stats (14th), DeForest's Kevin Rauls (HM) and Fort Atkinson's Brett Dunkelburger (HM).

Waunakee's Cole Hooker (6th) will be the No. 1 seed at 195 followed by Stoughton's Austin Benton (12th) and Baraboo's David Gale (14th).

Sauk Prairie has the only ranked wrestler at 220 pounds.

DeForest's Hunter Toppel (2nd) will hopefully see Milton's meat hook, Hunter Nelson (8th), at heavyweight.

On paper, much like the dual-meet, Stoughton certainly appears to be the favorite. It's a good thing we don't wrestle on paper. It is rarely the top seeds that make the difference anyway. It's the kid who fights his tail off for seventh place. It's the wrestler who doesn't place but picks up two pins for bonus points on the consolation side of the bracket. This should be a close one.

Milton should win their 22nd consecutive conference championship. The only question is whether it will be an outright championship or whether it is shared with their good friends to the north. For a wrestling fan, it doesn't get much better than what we will see in "The Pit" on Saturday starting at 9 a.m.

[Mack]

Thanks for sharing that, Electric Guy.  That is just the type of thing I hope to read when I check the forum 84 times a day! I've become such a disgusting wrestling junkie.

Even though McCarthy and I are on different teams, I sure love the way he writes.  And, what he writes about. In a previous article, he said something like, "...that wrestler had his chestnuts pulled from the fire".

I read it, and thought, "Can he say that? Well, I guess he just did."

I agree with you.  Where/who are these mysterious "pundits" who favor Stoughton?  Was that on ESPN, maybe?  Let's be honest, there are only so many people even paying attention to this race, but I don't mind the stretch.  It makes for exciting reading.  

[ElectricGuy]

Mack -  LOL!!   I did laugh a ton also when I read that and also thought "did he just say that" 

Here is a excerpt from McCarthy on their Evansville dual night. 

By Scott "Big Mac" McCarthy - Wrestling Commentator

When the coach snatches the microphone from the announcer after the match and announces to the crowd: "Parents of Milton wrestlers, do not wait up for your sons. We will be having practice tonight," you know the meet did not go as the coach planned. Such was the case last Thursday night against the Evansville Blue Devils.

Milton pulled out the victory 39-27, but on senior night, it took the effort of a freshman, Andrew Wells, and a sophomore, Austin Harms, to pull the Red Hawks' chestnuts out of the fire.

[mojo123]

Still waiting on Maggie to hear his picks 

[ElectricGuy]

Mag's been quite for awhile - only a few post over the past week.

[Mack]

Mack -  LOL!!   I did laugh a ton also when I read that and also thought "did he just say that"  

Here is a excerpt from McCarthy on their Evansville dual night.  

By Scott "Big Mac" McCarthy - Wrestling Commentator

When the coach snatches the microphone from the announcer after the match and announces to the crowd: "Parents of Milton wrestlers, do not wait up for your sons. We will be having practice tonight," you know the meet did not go as the coach planned. Such was the case last Thursday night against the Evansville Blue Devils.

Milton pulled out the victory 39-27, but on senior night, it took the effort of a freshman, Andrew Wells, and a sophomore, Austin Harms, to pull the Red Hawks' chestnuts out of the fire.

Yep.  That's it.   I'm going to start yelling this line from the stands, "Pull your chestnuts from the fire"!!!

[ElectricGuy]

Your hubby and boys will be proud I'm sure in that moment! 

[boowrestle]

I expect maggie to gets his picks in friday night after he sees the computer seeds,that way there isnt alot of time for everybody to pick apart his picks .Good luck to everybody its going to be a great tourney like always.

[Mack]

Yep.  Nothing they like more than when mom causes a ruckus in the stands; screaming and foul language are a favorite.  It's called "class",  Electric Guy.