The biggest class in Iowa high school wrestling also has some of the biggest questions coming into the season. 

2019-20 Iowa 3A Rankings

Will the perennial powers of Southeast Polk or Waverly-Shell Rock battle it out for a team championship? Can one of the underdogs like Fort Dodge or Ankeny bring home the crown? How will Cullan Schriever and Drake Ayala respond to injuries? Starting on December 2, those questions will begin to be answered.

Team Race: Fort Dodge with an Edge in a Tight Pack

Fort Dodge starts the year as the team to beat. Not only do they return the most team points from last season, but they also start the year with the most ranked wrestlers in 3A. The eight ranked wrestlers are led by the state’s P4P #1, Drake Ayala. Joining Ayala this year will be defending state champ Carson Taylor and two other state placers.

Trailing close behind Fort Dodge is Waverly-Shell Rock. If they want to repeat as state champions, they’ll have to get big production from all seven of their ranked wrestlers. Returning finalist Brayden Wolf leads off the three other state placewinners from last year: Bailey Roybal, Evan Yant, and Aiden Riggins. 

Bettendorf also looks to compete for a team title this season. They start the year with seven guys in the preseason rankings. Returning finalist and P4P #11 Griffin Liddle leads the way for the Bulldogs. After a runner-up finish last season, he will be looking for his first state title. Three other Bettendorf athletes who were on the podium last year will return this season. The highest-ranked of them is #3 at 126, Aiden Evans.

Other contenders include Ankeny, Mason City, and Southeast Polk, who all have a defending champion returning. Ankeny Centennial, Prairie Cedar Rapids, and Iowa City West can’t be left out of the mix, either. A few incoming freshmen could be huge difference-makers in the team race as well. Ryder Block of Waverly-Shell Rock and Nathan Jesuroga of Southeast Polk both have high expectations at 106. The top bunch of teams is separated by very narrow margins, so all will need to go right for any single team to pull away. 

Prediction: When all is said and done, I believe Fort Dodge will get the job done and bring home the state championship. 

Wrestlers to Watch: Schriever & Ayala Are the Headliners

The state’s top two P4P wrestlers are both in class 3A; both of them also have questions coming into the season relating to their health. 

Cullan Schriever was on track to be a four-time state champion after winning it all as both a freshman and a sophomore. An injury last January sidelined Schriever until the district tournament. Schriever made it through districts unscathed, but he was forced to medically forfeit his semifinal match at state and default to sixth place. Now, in his senior season, the Hawkeye commit looks to reclaim his spot on the top of the podium. 

Drake Ayala has been on a tear as of late. After winning his first state title last year, Ayala went on to win a Fargo title this summer. He followed that up attending the prestigious Super 32 tournament. He was looking to improve upon his runner-up finish from 2018 when a wrist injury forced him to medically forfeit out of the tournament. Drake, who is one of the nation’s top uncommitted recruits, will be an integral part of the Fort Dodge team, and they’ll need him healthy if they want to compete for a team title. 

Other than Ayala and Schriever, five other wrestlers return to defend their state titles. Included in those wrestlers are Hawkeye commits P4P #4 Gabe Christenson and P4P #10 Caleb Rathjen. Ankeny’s Trevor Anderson capped off his phenomenal freshman campaign with a state title. Carson Taylor and Eli Loyd are also back looking for a second state title to close out their careers.

The season is almost here, and our questions will soon be answered.