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Brock Herman tops a loaded top 20 middleweights list in Greater Akron/Canton area

brad bournival, akron beacon journal
·4 min read
Brecksville's Brock Herman drives Wadsworth's Nick Humphrys to the mat in the 144 weight class match. The senior has risen above the rest in terms of Greater Akron/Canton middleweights.
Brecksville's Brock Herman drives Wadsworth's Nick Humphrys to the mat in the 144 weight class match. The senior has risen above the rest in terms of Greater Akron/Canton middleweights.

The middleweights are the meat of the order in every wrestling match, but it goes much deeper than that.

Many times in duals and tournaments, wrestlers from 138 to 165 pounds are the lifeblood of the team and can swing a victory before the heavyweights even grace the mat.

It’s the most crowded of all weight classes, so winning in these five weights really means something.

Not light on talent:Wadsworth's Jaxon Joy tops list of top 20 Greater Akron/Canton-area lightweight wrestlers

With that said, here are the top 20 middleweights in the Greater Akron/Canton area. It’s a list filled with parity as individuals from 13 schools are represented.

1. Brock Herman, Brecksville

144 pounds, senior

Brecksville's Brock Herman, bottom, controls Wadsworth's Nick Humphrys in the 144 weight class match during Wadsworth Brecksville Dual meet at Wadsworth High School.
Brecksville's Brock Herman, bottom, controls Wadsworth's Nick Humphrys in the 144 weight class match during Wadsworth Brecksville Dual meet at Wadsworth High School.

Herman has a title this season at the Brecksville Holiday Tournament and placed third at the Ironman. He is ranked sixth nationally by MatScouts.com. The Ohio State commit bonused in all five matches at the Connellsville (Pa.) Duals.

Wadsworth's Chris Earnest, right, leaps into the arms of wrestling coach Clay Wenger after beating Perrysburg's Wynton Denkins, left, by major decision to win the 150-pound Division I state title during the OHSAA State Wrestling Tournament at the Jerome Schottenstein Center.
Wadsworth's Chris Earnest, right, leaps into the arms of wrestling coach Clay Wenger after beating Perrysburg's Wynton Denkins, left, by major decision to win the 150-pound Division I state title during the OHSAA State Wrestling Tournament at the Jerome Schottenstein Center.

2. Chris Earnest, Wadsworth

157 pounds, senior

Earnest has titles at the Hoover Holiday Tournament and Maumee Bay Classic. The Campbell commit and returning state champion also placed at Powerade.

A beauty at the bay:Wadsworth wrestling holds off national top-20 team to win Maumee Bay Classic

3. Dy'Vaire "Boots" VanDyke, Walsh Jesuit

138 pounds, senior

Walsh Jesuit's Dy'Vaire VanDyke, top, works over Sunbury Big Walnut's Vince Giordano during their 138-pound preliminary match on Day One of the OHSAA State Wrestling Tournament last season.
Walsh Jesuit's Dy'Vaire VanDyke, top, works over Sunbury Big Walnut's Vince Giordano during their 138-pound preliminary match on Day One of the OHSAA State Wrestling Tournament last season.

VanDyke scored bonus points in seven of his eight matches on the way to a title at the Catholic Invitational Tournament. The Michigan State commit is a returning state runner-up and also won the Hoover Holiday Tournament.

4. Dominic Hoffarth, Louisville

150 pounds, junior

Dominic Hoffarth celebrates his Division II 138-pound state championship win in the stands with his family last season.
Dominic Hoffarth celebrates his Division II 138-pound state championship win in the stands with his family last season.

Hoffarth has a title at the Hoover Holiday Tournament. The Ohio University commit and returning state champion finished second at the Maumee Bay Classic after taking a forfeit in the finals.

5. Brandon Batson, GlenOak

165 pounds, senior

GlenOak’s Brandon Batson works to take down LaSalle’s Chase Stein in their 175 matchup at the OHSAA State Tournament last season.
GlenOak’s Brandon Batson works to take down LaSalle’s Chase Stein in their 175 matchup at the OHSAA State Tournament last season.

Batson has titles at the Solon Comet Classic, Hudson Holiday Tournament and Bill Dies Memorial Tournament. He was up a weight class last season at the state tournament and finished eighth.

In his senior season, Garfield's Hunter Andel, right, is turning it on in hopes of a state title.
In his senior season, Garfield's Hunter Andel, right, is turning it on in hopes of a state title.

Hunter Andel, Garrettsville Garfield

165 pounds, senior

Andel has titles at the Waterloo Classic and Portage County Tournament. He was runner-up at the Solon Comet Classic and Brecksville Holiday Tournament. The Kent State commit is a two-time state placer.

7. Israel Petite, Nordonia

144 pounds, junior

Nordonia's Israel Petite, top, looks ready to take a big step this season for the Knights.
Nordonia's Israel Petite, top, looks ready to take a big step this season for the Knights.

Petite counts tournament wins at the North Coast Classic, Perrysburg Invitational and Top Gun. He finished second at the Doan Ford Invitational and is a returning state placer.

Wadsworth's Nick Humphrys, left, wrestles Nordonia's Gino Perrine, right, during their 144 pound match in the quarterfinal round of the Grizzly Invitational Tournament last season.
Wadsworth's Nick Humphrys, left, wrestles Nordonia's Gino Perrine, right, during their 144 pound match in the quarterfinal round of the Grizzly Invitational Tournament last season.

8. Nick Humphrys, Wadsworth

144 pounds, senior

Humphrys was runner-up at the Hoover Holiday Tournament and is coming off a third-place finish at the Maumee Bay Classic. He finished sixth at state last season.

9. Charles Curtis, Perry

138 pounds, junior

Perry's Charles Curtis is working to make a big statement at this season's state tournament.
Perry's Charles Curtis is working to make a big statement at this season's state tournament.

Curtis beat Mentor’s Antonio Shelley 4-2 at the Brecksville Holiday Tournament to log a seventh-place finish. He is a returning state placer and is a two-time state qualifier.

10. Chase Pluhar, Brecksville

138 pounds, senior

Brecksville's Chase Pluhar, rear, wrestles Wadsworth's AJ Jardine in the 138 weight class match during Wadsworth Brecksville Dual meet at Wadsworth High School on Friday.
Brecksville's Chase Pluhar, rear, wrestles Wadsworth's AJ Jardine in the 138 weight class match during Wadsworth Brecksville Dual meet at Wadsworth High School on Friday.

Pluhar is coming off a championship weekend during which he scored four pins and logged bonus points in all matches at the Connellsville Duals. He finished fourth at state last season.

11. Creed Hill, Highland

150 pounds, senior

Hill has tournament wins at the North Coast Classic and Top Gun. He finished runner-up at the Perrysburg Invitational and was third at the Medina Invitational Tournament.

12. Brian Crevar, Walsh Jesuit

157 pounds, senior

Crevar coupled his Solon Comet Classic tournament title with a first-place finish at the Catholic Invitational Tournament. He finished third at the Hoover Holiday Tournament.

13. Kaden King, Buckeye

157 pounds, senior

King has titles at the Mike Lewis Invitational and JC Gorman Invitational. He was runner-up at the Medina Invitational and placed at the Maumee Bay Classic.

14. Andrew Supers,

Medina 157 pounds, senior

Supers counts titles at the Edison Invitational, Hudson Holiday Tournament, Medina Invitational Tournament and Kilted Classic. He was fourth at the Maumee Bay Classic.

15. Greyson Siders, Dalton

165 pounds, junior

Dalton's Greyson Siders defeats Waynedale's Caleb Zimmerman in the 150-pound WCAL championship.
Dalton's Greyson Siders defeats Waynedale's Caleb Zimmerman in the 150-pound WCAL championship.

Siders is coming off a runner-up finish at the Bill Dies Memorial Tournament, where he scored pins in two of his four matches. His only loss came to GlenOak’s Brandon Batson by injury default.

Highland's Chase Crutchley returned from injury last weekend and won the Top Gun in his first tournament action of the season.
Highland's Chase Crutchley returned from injury last weekend and won the Top Gun in his first tournament action of the season.

16. Chase Crutchley, Highland

157 pounds, junior

Crutchley finally returned to the lineup from injury last week and won Top Gun. He is a returning state qualifier who missed placing by one match.

17. Gino Perrine, Nordonia

157 pounds, junior

Perrine counts third-place finishes at the North Coast Classic, Doan Ford Invitational, Perrysburg Invitational and Top Gun.

18. AJ Dolph, Hoover

165 pounds, sophomore

Dolph scored bonus points in two matches before upsetting Davin Halladay of Delaware Hayes 8-3 to finish third at the Top Gun. He is a returning state qualifier.

Landen Johnson, top, of Perry defeaded Dakota Whitacre, bottom, of Lake in a 138 pound bout at Perry on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022.
Landen Johnson, top, of Perry defeaded Dakota Whitacre, bottom, of Lake in a 138 pound bout at Perry on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022.

19. Landen Johnson, Perry

150 pounds, sophomore

Johnson finished sixth at the Brecksville Holiday Tournament. He lost in the blood round at the Beast of the East. He missed placing at state by one match.

20. Jake Keirn, Wadsworth

150 pounds, senior

In his first full season since transferring from St. Vincent-St. Mary, Kern has fourth-place finishes at the Hoover Holiday Tournament and Maumee Bay Classic.

Contact Brad Bournival at bbournival@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @bbournival.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron/Canton-area high school wrestling top 20 middleweights