Alabama 5A Boys Individual State Team Pre-Season Preview

1. Corner
   • Returning Points – 76
   • Graduating Points – 14 
   • Last year finish – Third
   • This year prediction – Champion

Corner is probably the unconventional pick here with perennial powerhouse Scottsboro looming. Why did we pick Corner as our preseason favorite to win it all? Let’s break it down.

1. 9 Returners and 6 Placers – It is hard to argue with 9 returners. That is just a ton(technical term) of wrestlers with experience on the big stage. Add to that, 6 of them placed last year, and we see most of them with legitimate opportunities to improve on their positions this year. Their 2 Sophomore qualifiers include a Third place finisher in Ethan Estrada at 113. Ethan certified to 113 this year as well. If he does drop to that weight again, worst case scenario he should repeat in that spot, but best case, he could be the favorite. Blayne Hale was a qualifier at 106, which did return everyone this year. Unfortunately, a positive move for one of them across these two weights will likely be a negative for the other. Not ideal, but we are still counting on a 50 percent total increase in points across both of our young guys this year.
2. 7, count them, 7 Senior qualifiers returning – Would we like to see a little more returning points from this group, absolutely. Another glaring concern are their overall records, a combined 236-90. The 90 loses give us some pause that we are going to get big time points out of those who didn’t already provide them last year, The good news, a few guys did already provide them last year, and should again this year, Troy Thomas, who was the 175 lb Champion, and Bryson Millwood, the 157 lb runner-up. Based on the lack of 5A placers returning in the upper weights, we have both of these guys as favorites to be at the top of the podium. So, what about our 3 Fourth place finishers? Based on early weight certs, Roman Coker could end up being your favorite at 120. Expect a few guys to stick at this weight with no clear favorite to start, which could make it a deeper weight overall, but there is a definite pathway for him to move up the podium. Daniel Weber finished Fourth last year with a 19-18 record, our early projections put him near the same spot this year around one of these upper lower or lower middle weights. There is a lot of returning competition at those weights which will make it difficult for him to move up and score more points. Brycen Robbins is surrounded by placers on all sides at 144, and we also project him to end up in a similar podium spot this year. We expect Joseph Purser and Brodie Hale, Corner’s two senior qualifiers, to go wherever they can do the most damage, this should net Corner more than the 1 point each secured last year.
3. More Bonus Points – Expect the top performers in Corner’s lineup to get more bonus opportunities. The heavier weights lost a lot in this classification and that lack of overall depth should help our big boys secure some early bonus point wins.

Our final take, we see Corner setup for a program defining opportunity to make a Senior driven run at a State Championship!!! This Senior class has the opportunity to go down in Corner history. Will that be enough to drive them to push the room to the next level? We are excited to find out.

Count	Weight	Wrestler Name	24-25 Record	25-26 Grade	24-25 Placement	24-25 Points
1	106	Blayne Hale	29-17	10	Qualifier	0
2	113	Ethan Estrada	54-12	10	Third	15.5
3	120	Roman Coker	31-16	12	Fourth	8
4	132	Daniel Weber	19-18	12	Fourth	10
5	138	Joseph Purser	30-11	12	Qualifier	1
6	144	Brycen Robbins	36-11	12	Fourth	7
7	150	Brodie Hale	30-17	12	Qualifier	1
8	157	Bryson Millwood	49-9	12	Second	18
9	175	Troy Thomas	41-8	12	Champion	15.5
						76

2. Scottsboro
   • Returning Points – 77 
   • Graduating Points – 74
   • Last year finish – Champion 
   • This year prediction – Second

How do you replace 74 points, including 2 Champions, a Second and a Third place finisher? If anyone would know the answer to this question, it would be Scottsboro.

Why we have a lot of confidence in them to reload and repeat, 8 State Championships to Corners 0, including the last two, the lineup did take a major hit and only returns 5 qualifiers from last year. That being said, it is a strong core to build around for another State Championship run.

Digging into the lineup, it is not clear yet where Gage Staton, Scottsboro’s 113 Runner-up from last year, ends up. If it is 113, he will likely be the early season favorite. Add to that Scottsboro has two multiple time State Championship winning wrestlers almost guaranteed to repeat, and stack bonus points on top, and we have a really good base line for repeating. With these guaranteed points, Scottsboro only needs a few other wrestlers to have big years to end with a big points total, and third straight Championship.

Two guys that will be charged with doing that, Jackson Dupree and Isaac Ferguson. Jackson Dupree won Sectionals last year to qualify as an eighth grader and also scored 4 points at State. He does return to a loaded set of lower middle weights where moving up will likely require knocking off at least one returning placer. Based on historical precedent at Scottsboro, there is a good chance he does just that. Isaac Ferguson, who finished Fourth as a Freshmen, fits into the same weights as Jackson and will need to do the same thing.

Outside of the 5 returning Qualifiers, Scottsboro will need some significant points from a few State newcomers. Unable to ignore history, we slotted them as our pre-season Runner-up. Anything is possible for this team, and it wouldn’t surprise us if they are back at the top of the mountain again when this season concludes.

Count	Weight	Wrestler Name	24-25 Record	25-26 Grade	24-25 Placement	24-25 Points
1	113	Gage Staton	25-3	9	Second	15.5
2	126	Stone Staton	25-1	12	Champion	22.5
3	132	Jackson Dupree	18-6	9	Qualifier	4
4	138	Isaac Ferguson	19-9	10	Fourth	11
5	144	John Stewart	32-0	12	Champion	24
						77

3. Hayden
   • Returning Points – 74
   • Graduating Points – 45.5
   • Last year finish – Runner-up 
   • This year prediction – Third

Hayden’s returning a similar profile to Scottsboro, with a little more balance across the top of the group, including 1 Champion, 1 Runner-ups, 2 Third and 1 Fourth. Champion Hudson Best (138) is in a good spot to repeat. John Kelley (150) finished Second and will likely have to knock off a Champion to take the top spot. Kolten Motte finished Third at 215, and will likely be the favorite to win his first Championship this year. Harley Briscoe finished a 40-5 season finishing Third and will also need to likely beat a higher finisher from last year to move up the podium.

Hayden had an amazing season last year with 3 Champions and a Runner-up team finish. Unfortunately, two of those Champions graduated. While we expect a second straight top 5 finish, we are not sure there is a clear pathway to the top of the podium as a team this year. That being said, Hayden seems to be a program on the rise that could be in this conversation for several years to come.

Count	Weight	Wrestler Name	24-25 Record	25-26 Grade	24-25 Placement	24-25 Points
1	106	Eli Mcalpine	37-17	10	Fourth	9
2	113	Skylar Owens	16-7	9	Qualifier	1
3	126	Harley Briscoe	40-5	11	Third	14.5
4	138	Hudson Best	40-5	11	Champion	21.5
5	150	John Kelley	27-8	12	Second	14.5
6	215	Kolten Motte	32-11	12	Third	13.5
						74

4. Arab
   • Returning Points – 73
   • Graduating Points – 16
   • Last year finish – Fourth
   • This year prediction – Fourth

Arab’s returning roster is a picture of consistency with 3 Seconds and a Third, but no Champions. Brody Patrick will move up weight classes and be a legitimate threat to win a State Title this year. Expect Owen Ridgeway (190) to add to his points total from last year with the mass exodus at the upper weights we have already discussed. The remaining returners, Brice Patrick (120) Second, Colby Silva (132) Second, Nolen Dunn (150) Qualifier and Kadin Walter (157) Third, all should return to pretty difficult weights. Expect them to find a lot of roadblocks on their way up the podium this year.

The composite sketch shows us a top 5 team that will need to knock off some Champions, and get a lot of production from newcomers, to secure their 9th State Championship, and their first since 2020,

Count	Weight	Wrestler Name	24-25 Record	25-26 Grade	24-25 Placement	24-25 Points
1	120	Brice Patrick	28-5	11	Second	16
2	132	Colby Silva	32-3	12	Second	18
3	150	Nolen Dunn	32-12	10	Qualifier	0
4	157	Kadin Walter	29-10	12	Third	13
5	165	Brody Patrick	27-2	11	Second	17
6	190	Owen Ridgeway	22-13	12	Qualifier	9
						73

5. Elmore County School
   • Returning Points – 51
   • Graduating Points – 4
   • Last year finish – Seventh
   • This year prediction – Fifth

For our final spot we are going to go for what some may consider a reach, but there is a method to our madness. If we were going straight by the numbers, Beauregard HS would get the nod for this spot, but Elmore County School has something we like in this 5A division. If you have been following along up to this point, you know the upper weights suffered some heavy losses, and the lower to middle weights retained a lot of their placers. That means two of Elmore County’s Qualifiers, Junior Gavin Eason (165) and Senior Connor Pike (175) have a chance to move onto the podium, and add significant points to their 6.5 total. Elmore already returns the 157 lb Champion and he could get these guys ready to take the next step. Casey Crumpton (106) and Stran Webb (113) look likely to return to the same weights and should have a good opportunity to match, or improve on, their Third and Fourth place finishes from last year.

Their last 3 Qualifiers Dylan Andres (126), Hudson Fulmer (132) and Hayden Fochtmann (150) will need to put some points on the board for Elmore County to finalize a spot in the top 5. With what looks like a really strong room developing in Elmore County, we expect them to do just that. Enough proven points returning, with a lineup that sets up well for the weights with opportunities, earns Elmore County the final spot in our pre-season top 5 this year.

Count	Weight	Wrestler Name	24-25 Record	25-26 Grade	24-25 Placement	24-25 Points
1	106	Casey Crumpton	41-14	10	Third	12
2	113	Stran Webb	27-8	11	Fourth	11
3	126	Dylan Andres	30-24	11	Qualifier	0
4	132	Hudson Fulmer	14-13	12	Qualifier	0
5	150	Hayden Fochtmann	22-17	12	Qualifier	0
6	157	Tyler Payton	28-1	11	Champion	21.5
7	165	Gavin Eason	25-13	11	Qualifier	3
8	175	Connor Pike	26-17	12	Qualifier	3.5
						51