#1 Logan Massa, St. Johns (11)
Since winning Super 32 it’s almost been a boring couple of months watching Logan Massa. Through no fault of his own, he simply just hasn’t been challenged in a match setting. I hoped he would tangle with Nick Bennett in Holland earlier this month, but with Drew Garcia unavailable, DCC made the correct strategic move by bumping Bennett to 160. Hopefully that changes in the near future and Massa runs into some more evenly matched competition. Either way, Logan earned the #1 spot in October, and that’s where he stays.
#2 Zac Hall, St. Johns (12)
Much like with Massa, it’s been a relatively uneventful start to the season for Hall. I thought Zac might have been in for a tough one when he came up to 145 to wrestle D3 state champ Doug Rojem, but he put any doubts to rest with a 22-7 Tech Fall. Even though I never thought Zac would lose, the margin of victory was indicative of how just good he is. He is currently neck-and-neck with his teammate, Massa, for the top spot, and the pair has really distanced themselves from anyone else on the list.
#3 Drew Garcia, DCC (12)
Like most of the wrestlers on this list, Drew was not tested too strenuously in the first month of MHSAA action. He doesn’t blow people out of the water like Massa or Hall, but so far Drew has been in complete control all season. Currently everyone else is chasing those 2, and for now Drew leads that pack. However, Arthur and Weaver are not far behind, and with the DCC Invite and Super Duals in Drew’s immediate future, I expect him to be tested mightily.
#4 Angus Arthur, St. Johns (11)
It was a quiet fall for Arthur, who turned his attention to football after competing at the Junior World Championships in August. Nonetheless, he doesn’t seem to have missed a beat, and has been more dominant than ever at his new weight class. Like most teams, St. Johns has yet to get to the toughest part of their schedule, so although he hasn’t really had an opportunity to pass Garcia yet, that may change in the upcoming 2 weeks at the New Lothrop HOF Classic and DCC Super Duals.
#5 Cole Weaver, Hudson (12)
The way I see it right now, if Massa and Hall are “Group A,” then “Group B” consists of Garcia, Arthur and Weaver. This meaning that there is minimal separation between them, and that they have put some distance between themselves and the rest of the competition. Like the others, Cole hasn’t been tested too heavily so far, but that should change in the near future. Inclement weather stepped in the way of a Weaver vs. Limmex match in week 1, but luckily the pair should still get an opportunity to do battle, as both teams are scheduled to compete at the DCC Invite, and GRCC will be attending the Hudson Super 16.
#6 Nick Bennett, DCC (12)
So far the former 2X Texas Prep Champ has been nothing short of outstanding since arriving in the Great Lakes State. Bennett absolutely ran through a tough chart at the GFC, and then, after an early slip-up, did the same in the consolation bracket at Super 32 for a 3rd place finish. At this point I think he is a half step behind Weaver as far as ranking criteria goes, but given the level of competition he is slated to see over the next month, I think that a spot in the #3-5 range is well within the realm of possibility come January.
#7 Jordan Cooks, Davison (12)
It didn’t take long for Cooks to meet his first big test of the season. In week 1 he took on Marcicki in rematch of last year’s state finals, and emerged the winner. He prevented Marcicki from putting together any semblance of offense, and was efficient with his own attacks. In my eyes Jordan’s body of work is not quite on the same level as Bennett, but he is a very firm #7, and was not in any danger of being jumped this month. However, that could change in a hurry with many top-tier competition events on the near horizon.
#8 Justin Oliver, Davison (12)
He took somewhat of a bad loss to Machart at the GFC, but showed a lot of moxie by responding with a 4th place finish at Super 32 the next week. Yes, Machart is not ranked in the Prep 10 and Oliver is, but given the overall resume of both, I believe Oliver’s rank is very justified.
#9 Logan Marcicki, DCC (12)
He saw his stock rocket up after a phenomenal Fargo, but an injury suffered in his last bout of the tournament kept Logan on the shelf all fall, and prevented him for further boosting his ranking at the GFC and Super 32. So far he is has seen limited action this season, but I’d be surprised not to see him compete at the Super Duals, so hopefully that will provide a much clearer picture of where he stands.
#10 Nate Limmex, GRCC (11)
Even more so than Marcicki, an offseason injury makes Limmex’s current rank status extremely difficult to gauge. He was nothing short of magnificent at Flonationals this spring, but a lot happened afterwards while he was on the mend all summer/fall. This may turn out to be way too low for him, but at this point I think it’s better to err on the side of caution.
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