As long as I can remember this was a good tough transition period for eight grade - it gets them prepared for what is coming down the road next year. The only age differences tougher that I can recall are 14 year old freshman wrestling 18 or older high school seniors. The next one as 17 year old freshman college wrestlers who are wrestling 22-25 year old developed men just starting college who may have served in the military first and then began their college career. Absolutely, I never had a problem with good HS 14 year jumping into a bracket that contained the same age athletes. It is called developing your athletes. This was around the time you could tell some of these kids if you are going to pee with the big dogs lift your leg a little higher.