Highland Park leads the pack in ITW UIL Preseason Poll. Cinco Ranch, Canyon Randall breathing down their backs, with Coppell & Azle closely behind. Don’t count out Arlington either!

By John Rizzuti

Rank (Based on Tournament Performance)
1 HP
2 Cinco Ranch
3 Canyon Randall
4 Coppell
5 Azle
6 Arlington
7 Coll Heritage
8 Keller
9 Lake Highlands
10 Arl Bowie

Editor’s note: Overall statewide rankings would have Bishop Lynch ranked first with the other teams above down one notch if we were to include private schools in the preseason rankings.

Comments? Feedback? john@rizzuti.com

ITW Releases the only true statewide UIL preseason rankings for the 2006-07 season

by The Ranking Czar

They were up first and they are the best statewide UIL rankings. These rankings are the work of a highly respected wrestling observer and his team of five Texas wrestling fans. The ITW managing editor (JR) does not approve, or contribute to the rankings so that they are totally independent in judgement.

103
1 Sean McCarthy (11) Azle
2 Aaron Keener (11) Leander
3 Victor Dotson (9) Canyon Randall
4 Austin Davis (10) Klein Oak
5 Chris Mears (9) Northwest
6 Ryon Hill (10) Arl. Bowie
7 Joey Voglesburg (9) Trinity
8 Tyler Lukes (9) Cy-Ridge
9 Bryan Osorio (10) Vista-Ridge

112
1 Danny Luttrell (11) Arlington
2 Chris Wilcox (11) Hebron
3 Greg Gogonas (10) Austin Bowie
4 Adam Purcell (12) Trinity
5 Nick Waltman (12) Cinco Ranch
6 Stephen Wurster (11) Rockwall
7 Eric Simmons (11) Allen

119
1 Erik Spjut (10) The Woodlands
2 Brandon McDonald (12) Canyon Randall
3 Ryan Benoit (12) McKinney North
4 Chris Nguyen (12) Klein
5 Nick Killip (10) Azle
6 Chris Ruiz (10) Amarillo Tascosa
7 Austin Cihak (11) Rockwall
8 Thomas Harris (11) Amarillo Caprock

125
1 Jeremy Sandoval (10) Colleyville Heritage
2 Harvey Saurez (12) Amarillo Caprock
3 Ian Aguirre (12) Trimble Tech
4 Zach Vick (12) HP
5 Tyler Lee (10) Marcus
6 Kalvin King (12) Canyon Randall

130
1 Josh Sandoval (12) Colleyville Her
2 Danny Caraveo (12) El Paso Franklin
3 Abel Carrillo (11) El Paso Hanks
4 Chad Gallatin (10) HP
5 Landon Christly (10) SGP
6 Austin Barnes (11) Rockwall

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The Houston Report:
Preseason Outlook and “Looking Back on Last Year’s Unreal Season”

By Russell Pate
ITW Staff Writer

When last year arrived it appeared that Houston would be in a rebuilding year. The class of 2005, led by James Aston, had come and gone. It looked questionable whether 2006 would keep up the trend of South Texas gaining ground on the rest of the state. Looking back on the season, the answer is a resounding “yes.”

Last season saw depth on a scale that Bayou-area wrestling never had known before. To make the top-ten area teams became a meaningful accomplishment rather than a guarantee for anyone simply with a full lineup of fifteen wrestlers.

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by John Rizzuti
Managing Editor
InsideTexasWrestling.com
Copyright 2006 All Rights Reserved

Also submitted exclusively to www.Intermatwrestle.com as part of Wrestling “48″

Top Recruit
Luke Ashmore
Bishop Lynch H.S., Dallas
Projected College Weight: 141/149
Background: Luke is the younger brother of the greatest dynamic duo in Texas High School wrestling history – The Bashmore Brothers. Following right behind his brother Ben, Luke is quickly carving out his own identity and the climatic setting he has done so is Fargo, North Dakota. He has been a national freestyle finalist the past three years and won the junior title at 140 this year – anchored by a stunning, do-or-die round-robin fall over heralded Ohio superstud Lance Palmer. The year prior, he won it all in the Cadet division and earned MOW in the process. He’s also a Beast of the East finalist and a National Prep finalist. He has won over 175 high school matches the past three years.

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