The Texas USA Wrestling Elite Eight – Part II
This week’s update will showcase the second group of four Texas High School wrestlers who comprise the Texas USA Wrestling Elite Eight. Again, this list is solely my choice. I did not consult anyone, nor is it in anyway meant to construe anything other that my very educated opinion.
Just a few notes from last week. I went to the Super Bowl in San Diego. If you’ve never been to a Super Bowl, it is something very extraordinary. This was my second trip (first trip to Phoenix for Super Bowl XXX when the Cowboys beat the Steelers). I met lots of celebrities and former NFL stars. I hung out for a while with MC Hammer (he is now just “Hammer”) and of course asked him, “What happened to all the money?” I also met superstar actress Jill Kelly and hung out with her for a while. Great fun and had great seats for the game. Seven rows off the field. Saw Santana (great), Bon Jovi (yawn), Celine Dion (OK), Styxx (great), Dixie Chicks (OK), Shania Twain (hot!), No Doubt (OK), Sting (great) and was looking for Britney all day.
The Texas USA Wrestling Elite Eight
Two weeks ago, I listed my credentials and qualifications to put this list out. You can refer to last week’s report for that info.
To recap, what is this list all about? This is a list of those young men currently wrestling in Texas High Schools who I believe have an opportunity to do two things: First, to place at a post-season national high school competition or at the Junior Nationals in Fargo in the top four. Second, those competitors who I believe can compete at elite Division I college programs and become an All-American in college if they pay the price to do so. It has less to do with what a young man has done currently and more to do with my predictive analysis for what they can do if they decide to move to the next several levels of competition.
Last week’s update we listed the top four positions:
1. Clay Kehrer
2. Will Rowe
3. Jake Jackson
4. Joe Comparin
To me the first four were easy. These guys are superstars in a class by themselves. I got a nice note from Will Rowe and am looking forward to meeting him and the other guys on the list. I will be at the State Meet in Austin writing human-interest stories for the website.
The second list is positions 5-6-7-8. This second list is harder. First, I’ll tell you who didn’t make it and why. You won’t find Ben Ashmore on the list. He is only a freshman and he has a ways to go and I don’t think its fair to put him under pressure like that. I do believe that he has the ability to possibly become the greatest wrestler ever to come out of the State of Texas. Same with Brent Smith of The Woodlands. I’m keeping the Elite Eight to juniors and seniors. Danny Ruiz is not on the list because (IMO) he is not the best 103-pounder in the state. James King of Rockwall and Dane Covey of Coppell also did not make the elite group. Both of these guys are great wrestlers and I think both are right there, but not quite to the “elite” status just yet. (Please prove me wrong during the post season.) I haven’t seen Kenny Holmes from Caprock so I can’t put him on the list although he may deserve it
The Texas Elite Eight, places 5-6-7-8:
5. Keegan Mueller, HP
Highland Park has year-in and year-out the best wrestling program in the state, but I wouldn’t usually consider a HP kid for this list for two reasons. First, they don’t compete in the post season and at Fargo, and second, they don’t compete at the Division I level in college. He is hoping that changes as Keegan Mueller has the talent and drive to excel at the next level.
6. Nathan Fox Amarillo and Jorge Herrera San Antonio Churchill
I put both of these super heavyweights together because at the college level the hardest weight to fill is heavyweight and good heavyweights are in high demand. I can get both of these guys Division I offers right now. Fox is better right now, but Herrera may be better long-term.
7. Kyle Herrington, Trinity
Another Trinity wrestler with huge potential. I like how he approaches the sport and each match with great intensity and drive. He has the right mental framework to excel in post season competition and at Fargo and to move up to the next level and compete in an elite Division I program. I’d like to see Kyle and Joe Comparin mixing it up in the Trinity wrestling room and am pretty sure that having each other as a teammate has helped both of these guys greatly. Kyle really brought his game up this year.
8. Jack Kitchen, Plano East
Here is an interesting story to say the least. This is a kid with unlimited potential. Question is can he keep his game at the high level that he must do to be successful. Also, how bad does he want to excel? Like to see this kid up at OU when his time comes. I'll be watching Jack very closely over the next year, along with others to see how he progresses. It’s all up to him.
Next week . . . my predictions for the state championships!
Later,
John