Best Freshman

may already have been talked about, I'm new.
Who are freshman with a chance to win it this year

Lambotte out of rossville is about as good of a freshman as I have seen. I know there are some others, but I have seen this kid wrestle several times and he has been impressive.

Brogan Humphrey at 125 in 3a and Lombotte at 135 in 3a I would say have the best shot to win it if that is the topic. They are ranked the highest of any FR this year that I found. They also seem close to the level of the guys ranked above them.

JMO

These are the 4 freshman that I think will have the best shots of winning their state brackets.

Brogan Humprey of Fredonia
Tagen Lambotte of Rossville
Dustin Williams of Gardner Edgerton
Preston Weigel of Hays

The great thing about Freshman is that they have 3 more years to wrestle in high school and this can come as a big advantage especially if they can make it deep into the brackets against upper classmen who, I have seen, get a little tight because they know they are running out of time to win a title. (Obviosly this is the minority of the time or Freshman would always win.) But my point is it can create the perfect storm where a more experienced wrestler can get beat because they don't stay relaxed and agressive.

Here is my list of possibles...some are long shots but they are all good wreslters with bright futures ahead of them. Exciting for the state of Kansas!

Kale Knowling 103 AD
Dustin Williams 140 AC
Daniel Wilson 103 LV
Greg Jones 112 WH
Tyler Mies 103 AN
Dreher 112 Oberlin
Brogan Humphrey - 125 FD
Tagen Lambotte- 135 Ross

Each of these guys have people ranked ahead of them with a lot experience so they will need to wrestle their very best to have a shot. There are obviously others but I haven't either seen them or don't know enough about their opponents to comment.

Parker Howell-Kapaun (103)

You know Tommy I love Parker and one of the major impediments for Parker to be a 5A Regional Champion and possible State Champion is that dang Gentzler kid.

Tell Cherie to feed the kid a few more pop tarts.

See you tomorrow in Ark City!

Tagen Lambotte. 4 year placer if not 4 time champ!

No pressure, Tagen.........I was impressed with him at Bobcat.

Jacob Durossette 125 from fort scott really impressed me

Brogan is a tough kid. He is probably the best freshmen i have seen this year.

Lambotte and Williams are wrestling at weights where they see alot of upper classmen. Williams had some impressive wins before having to set out for awhile. Sure he will be back in top form for tomorrow. Lambotte looked great today. Would get my vote, but having seen Bogan and Parker during summer wrestling, also very good.

Rose Hill's Jake Wilson. He's their 112 and he's lost a few matches but all by close margins and 1 or 2 by questionable calls.

Have to think Clayton Himpel (4A #112) from Tonganoxie, is in the discussion. 4th seed at Holton regional, 1st place regional champion.

Bird looked impressive in winning tonight. Can't remember the weight class. I need to got to bed. But, i was at the regional that was held in Concordia. Nice facility. My first time there. Newton, GREAT TOURNEY. I LOVE IT. But study Concordia's bathroom layout real carefully please! ;-)

Yeah Spencer Bird was awesome at the Con regional, 140lbs,great job Mr Bird!

Tagen Lambotte was voted Regional Wrestler of the Year at the 3-2-1A Regional at Silver Lake.

I'd say our PJ Cheney belongs in this discussion. Regional Champ at Mill Valley. Tough wrestler.

superiorsteve

Tyler Dickman is a tough freshman. 5a 119#.

I'll take Preston Weigel of Hays... 35-2 as a freshman going into regionals, pins his way through regionals... looks to make a pretty good case here, I guess we'll see after next week. He will see Bontz in the finals if he makes it there (which assuming he will after seeing the bracket)

Weigel is a tough Fr. no doubt, but I would not assume he will Bronco. Spencer Blew a 2x state champ is on the same side as Weigel. Spencer has been on fire since moving up to 45 and not cutting so much to try to hold 40. Spencer has pinned his way through STATE for the last 2 years. Not that Spencer is invincible either, but to assume as you say Weigel will make the finals is a bit uneducated.

You can also bet that Koehn will be getting better every week, after his long layoff. No doubt Weigel is a stud, but don't talk that freshman into thinking he has an easy route.

Spencer Blew has pinned everyone..except Brent Koehn of Pittsburg at State. I would say even with Brent's long break, he will still bring it on strong to anyone he wrestles. Weigel still has to go through a State Runner-up in '09 and a 2x State Champion. I would go with Andrew Milsap on a good Freshman. Definitly a young man with a lot of heart and a lot of skill. Good Luck to all at State!

I agree that Brent is very tough and if Weigel gets there (and he could) he has earned it. I just wanted to point out Bronco's statement that he "assumed" he would make the finals. There are several kids that have a great shot. That like almost every bracket is who get hot and who takes control of the situation. And that is the way it should be.

Good luck to all!

Sorry guys didn't mean to get under anyone's skin. I guess that's what happens when I don't follow wrestling as closely as I should.

I didn't mean to imply he would "walk" to the finals but rather has the capability to make it, and if he does he makes a pretty big case for "Best Freshman" as he did it in a pretty rough weight and a weight class dominated by upperclassmen usually.

Good luck to everyone this weekend.

I think Preston has a good shot of being a top 4 placer at state, and he could make a run at the title if he can put together some good matches, as far as "talking that freshman into thinking he has an easy rout" i don't think you have to worry about that as Preston is one of the most level headed young man on that mat as a freshman i have seen for a long time. He goes out and gets the job done, if he gets beat he learns from it and gets better. I know if some of the upper classman over look him because he is a freshman might get an eye opener in a hurry. Good luck to all wrestlers all classes this weekend.

There are surely lots of "best" freshman this year but I don't see at this point how anyone but Lambotte could be considered the "best". Of course I realize that is my opinion but it is based on evidence with no bias.
And I realize that we may have a better idea Saturday night.

Who are Lambotte's losses to?

Tanenbaum at 135. He then lost at 140 in a dual to Clarke from Lyons.

Looks as though Humphrey is pretty good too.

Not just looking at the loss to Tanenbaum but also the fact that he was second at Basehor to Tanenbaum and that 135 was arguably the toughest weight. We should know how tough Basehor is, arguably the toughest. He has beat some studs.
Clearly R. Humphrey is pretty good too but we are talking about freshman here as you know I am sure. That is why I did not bring up Humphrey.

I think they are talking about Brogan Humphrey the 125er from Fredonia.

Can Preston get some votes for freshman of the year yet, he has answered the bell against the first 2 wrestlers people thought would beat him. He still has a huge challenge ahead of him in the finals I wish him the best of luck.

I wish Preston the best of luck tomorrow.

I would have to say after watching Preston Weigel from Hays yesterday that he would get my vote. Very impressive kid. Handled 2x state champ fairly easy.

Out of the freshman we have discussed on this board these are the ones that are in the championship tonight, Weigel 145@5A, Humphrey 125@321A, Lambotte 135@321A, Mies 103@4A. Are there any other freshman in the finals tonight that need to be recognized, as some of the best freshman in the state? Good luck to all these freshmen, and all other wrestlers, during the do or die day!!

I see that Brogan Humphrey and Tagen Lambotte both won their 1st State titles in 321A!! Congrats to both!

Lambote looked very physical and quick in his win over Terrel of Norton. It was the only one I caught after my nap.

Lambotte definitely earned his championship. Terrell looked very Impressive during the tournament. Congrats to the freshman!

I agree i would say Lambott earned the honers of one of the best freshman, Congrats to the rest of the freshmen and good luck the rest of your career.

I agree i would say Lambott earned the honers of one of the best freshman, Congrats to the rest of the freshmen and good luck the rest of your career.