Class 4A KWCA Preseason rankings - click here
Class 3-2-1A KWCA Preseason rankings - click here

With fall sports in the books for many across the state the attention shifts to that of the winter sports and for many its basketball but many boys across the state have their attention turned to wrestling for the winter months.

In preparation for the season the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association has released its preseason rankings for wrestling teams across the state and the individual weight class rankings also and three teams and 22 individuals find themselves ranked in Class 4A and 3-2-1A.

Class 4A, houses the defending state champions who hail from the listening area in the Holton Wildcats as they start the season off preseason ranked number one with six individuals ranked, all who competed at the state level last year. Junior, Lucas Lovvorn and senior, Cooper Zeller both return as the highest ranked Wildcats to start the season both checking in at second their weight classes of 152lbs and 285lbs. Lovvorn is coming off a fourth place finish at State last year at the 138lbs level totaling a 35-7 record, while Zeller took home fifth place last year in the heavyweight competition going 35-6.

Jonah Lutz, Justin Rieschick and Andrew Rieschick all return for the Wildcats wrestling program after notching fifth place finishes last year at state. Junior, Lutz checks in at fourth in the 126lbs weight class to start the season after going 31-14 last year, while senior, Andrew Reischick is also ranked fourth to start the year in the 170lbs weight class after going 39-6 in the 160lbs weight class, last year. Sophomore, Justin Rieschick starts the season preseason ranked fifth in the 132lbs weight class; a weight class that he totaled a 27-11 record in last year.

Junior, Mason Baum, also returns after competing in the state competition last year too for Holton and starts the season ranked fourth in the 160lbs weight class after going 33-13 in the 152lbs weight class last year.

The Jeff West Tigers start the season in the top 10 as a team preseason ranked sixth lead by state champion, Justin Scott who returns for his senior year for the Tigers. Scott finished last year a perfect 39-0 capturing the 220lb weight class and this year moves up to the heavyweight spot (285lbs) where he starts the year preseason ranked number one. His teammate, Tucker Schreiner joins him in the rankings starting off ranked sixth in the 126lbs weight class after going 32-4 last year and competing at state; junior, Josiah Dowding too is ranked for Jeff West at number five in teh 160lbs weight class after posting a 28-11 record last year and making it to the state tourney.

Royal Valley and Atchison each start the season with a state returner that is preseason ranked, also. For the Panthers, senior, Bryce Golightley starts the year preseason ranked number four in the 145lbs weight class after going 24-19 last year and competing at state. The Redmen wrestling squad will be led by senior, Tyler Harris who starts the season ranked second in the 170lbs weight class after going 31-6 last year at the 160lbs weight class.

While 4A is stacked with area wrestlers ranked to start the season, seven different schools in Class 3-2-1A have at least one wrestler ranked to start the season and one school is ranked as a team.

The ACCHS Tigers, fresh off sending six wrestlers to state last year start the season preseason ranked ninth this year, behind three individual wrestlers ranked. Junior, Logan Bowen leads the way checking in at number two in the preseason polls in the 120lbs weight class after taking second at state last year with a 35-8 record. Senior, Scott Birkinsha and junior, Willy Dieckmann each return for the Tigers after competing at state and start the year ranked third and fourth in the weight classes of 152lbs and 145lbs, respectively. Birkinsha last year registered a 23-11 record, while Dieckmann totaled a 32-7 record and fifth place at state.

Marysvilla and Doniphan West are the only other two area schools with multiple wrestlers preseason ranked in 3-2-1A. For the Bulldogs sophomore, Chris Deters and junior, Josh Nelson each start the season preseason ranked fifth in the weight classes of 113lbs and 160lbs. Deters took home fourth place at state last year in the 106lbs weight class with a 35-9 record, while Nelson was 28-15 last year and competed at state.

The Mustangs of Doniphan West have a pair of guys start the wrestling season preseason ranked fifth in the weight classes of 106lbs and 152lbs with Hunter Idol and Trevor Fee. Both Idol and Fee each competed at state last year totaling records of 24-10 and 22-17, respectively.

Onaga, Troy, Riverside and Centralia each have a wrestler with state experience returning to start the year preseason ranked. For Onaga it's junior, Dustin Blow who starts the year ranked sixth in the 195lbs weight class after going 27-15 last year and Troy Trojan, Tristan Speer joins him in the 195lbs weight class and starts the year preseason number one, after going 32-7 and taking fourth at state last year.

For Riverside, senior, Cody Walker starts the season ranked number one in the 220lbs weight class after amassing a 22-9 record last season and for Centralia senior, Andrew Beck starts the year ranked third in the 132lbs weight class after taking fifth at state last year and finishing with a 41-6 record.

Overall three teams and 22 area individual wrestlers will start the season preseason ranked and look to have great seasons on the mat once again.