I had planned a detailed preview but ran into time constraints...

Here are a some random thoughts.

106 - Keegan Slyter from ON is a USAW Schoolboy national champion and the highest ranked wrestler at this weight. There are four ranked wrestlers, including Hunter Bindi, that will take their shot at him. It's always fun to see underclassmen grow up at the classic tourney.

113 - Cody Phippen returns to his home gym seeking his third straight Bobcat title. He is a 5x Fargo AA and a Missouri state champion. Minor, Podlena and Davis will battle to claim a memorable upset.

120 - Dylan Gowin, Will Spexarth, Mason Turner and Joseph Irwin are ranked 2/3/4/5 in 5A. This will be a fun one to watch! All of these guys are athletic and can win this weight.

126 - Tanner Hitchcock, Jevon Parrish, Luke Richard, Logan Pirl and Jake Kellogg from CO, headline this weight class. Hitchcock is the favorite as a Bobcat finalist from last year, losing a close 1-0 decision to Alex Cavanaugh. Knowing the other guys in this bracket, they consider themselves the favorite. Great battles ahead here.

132 - Riley Tubbs, Conner Ward and Corbin Nirschl bring a wagon load of hardware to this bracket. Tubbs won his bracket here last year defeating Flood, Browne and Bowen that catapulted him toward a 3A state championship. Ward has a close win over Nirschl this year and knowing these two well, they HATE to lose. Ward is a 2X state finalist and Folkstyle national AA. Nirshl is a former state champion, 2X Bobcat champion and Fargo AA. Add state placers Korbin Reidel and Riley Alderman and we have ourselves a nails bracket.

138 - Tate Steele, Zach Eck, Jarret Bendure, Bryce Gfeller and Jett Merlo from Missouri give this weight class plenty of competition. Steele and Eck are ranked 2nd and 3rd in the All-Class rankings and are both state champions. Gfeller is a former state champion and placed 4th here last year. This is always a competitive weight class with many surprises.

145 - Garrett Lange, Kolby Droegemeier and Bryce Erickson are the early favorites here. Payton Price from Missouri and Patterson Starcher are ranked in their classes. Lange is a 5A finalist and a Folkstyle AA. Droegemeier is also a state finalist.

152 - Kameron Frame is the favorite here. He is a 2X state champion, a 2X Fargo AA and Folkstyle national champion. He won the Bobcat in 2015 and lost in the finals last year to Ethan Karsten from Missouri. The hometown crowd will be cheering on Jon Trowbridge, who is a former state champion and Folkstyle national champion. Jonny's pure athleticism is a blast to watch. Glenwood, Iowa brings state placer Trevor Anderson to the mix along two ranked Kansas wrestlers in Wes Jameson and Cade Lautt. Lautt is a freshman that is at a big boy weight and is off to an awesome start this year.

160 - Kendall Frame heads this weight class, bringing much hardware to the mat. He's a 2X state champion, Fargo and Folkstyle AA and a Bobcat champion last year. Add state champion Hunter Mullin from Clay Center, state placers Isaiah Luellen from Rossville , Bret Heil from Blue Springs, Terrell Garroway from Olathe North and Joe Tallie from Pittsburg along with other ranked wrestlers... this weight is deep.

170 - Sammy Cokeley is the favorite. He's a state champion and Fargo AA that is closing in on 500 career matches through his high school years! Troy Fisher, Joey Ewalt, Hayden Koepke, Michael Waggoner, Dakota Schmidt from Missouri and Ryan Hanson from Colorado will be chasing the podium. Should be a fun weight.

182 - Clay Lautt, our state's most recognized wrestler, heads this weight. He is a 2X state champion, multiple Fargo AA and UWW Cadet Greco World Team member. His main competition will be Glenwood, Iowa's Anthony Sherry who is a Fargo AA and lost to Lautt in last year's Bobcat final at 170. Austin Andres, Trey Hoerner and Ricardo Yanez will vie for the podium.

195 - This one is worth the drive and admission. Multiple Fargo AA and Folkstyle AA Dylan Prince from Pittsburg, clashes with state champion and Wyoming signee Cale Davidson, state champion Jake Boyd from Missouri, state champion Anthony Capul, Fargo AA Drake Barbee from Oklahoma along with other ranked Kansas wrestlers. The skilled big guys are in the house!

220 - Deveron Duncan, Gabe Spexarth, Caleb Willis, Ethan Dean, Cade Cox from Missouri along with other ranked wrestlers will be aiming for Casey Jumps from Platte County, a Bobcat finalist from last year who lost a close OT match in the finals.

285 - Nationally ranked Kayne Hutchison from Pittsburg is the one to beat. Kayne is Fargo and Folkstyle AA. Tylen Wallace, Sam Burt and Glenwood, Iowa's Caleb Sanders will battle for the podium.