2021 Powerade Wrestling Tournament

Complete Powerade Preview & Predictions

Complete Powerade Preview & Predictions

This year's Powerade field is sure to create incredible action. Check out our full preview and predictions.

Dec 29, 2021 by David Bray
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With four #1 ranked wrestlers and nearly fifty guys ranked in the top 20, Powerade is bringing the heat. Here's a glimpse of the action you can expect to see at every weight class, complete with top 8 predictions.


106 lbs

Top 12 Seeds

1 - #3 Cooper Hilton, Wyoming Seminary (9th)

2 - #18 Louie Gill, Hickory (10th)

3 - #4 Anthony Mutarelli, Malvern Prep (9th)

4 - Smith Ayden, Notre Dame GP (10th)

5 - #16 Deion Johnson, Homewood Flossmoor-IL (11th)

6 - Jared Johnston, Moeller-OH (10th)

7 - Ty Kapusta, Franklin Regional (10th)

8 - Eren Sement, Council Rock North (9th)

9 - Luke Willochell, Latrobe (9th)

10 - Brian Melamud, Bergen Catholic-NJ (10th)

11 - Carter Beck, Saegertown (9th)

12 - Jack Dinwiddie, Wadsworth-OH (9th)

The lightest weight has plenty of heavy hitters. #3 Cooper Hilton earned the top seed with a productive fall semester. He was 7th at Super 32, undefeated at NHSCA Duals, and 3rd at Ironman. He could see #16 Deion Johnson, the 5th seed, in the semi which would be a matchup of Ironman podium finishers.

#4 Anthony Mutarelli and #18 Louie Gill appear to be on a collision course in the semi on the bottom half of the bracket. Gill was a PIAA champ last season and a Super 32 placer this year. Mutarelli has been on a hot streak and finished 4th and 2nd at Ironman and Beast of the East, respectively.

Cooper Hilton and Anthony Mutarelli's 3rd place match at Ironman

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Prediction: 1) Cooper Hilton 2) Anthony Mutarelli 3) Louie Gill 4) Deion Johnson 5) Ayden Smith 6) Ty Kapusta 7) Jared Johnston 8) Lukę Willochell 

113 lbs

Top 12 Seeds

1 - #3 Luke Lilledahl, Wyoming Seminary (10th)

2 - #6 Leo Deluca, Blair Academy-NJ (9th)

3 - HM Tyler Chappell, Seneca Valley (11th)

4 - HM Branden Wentzel, Montoursville (11th)

5 - HM Cael Nasdeo, Williamsport (11th)

6 - HM Wyatt Richter, St. Edward-OH (12th)

7 - HM Cooper Hornack, Burrell (10th)

8 - #14 Thomas Link, Malvern Prep (11th)

9 - Xavier Ortega, Howell-NJ (9th)

10 - Hunter Robinson, Saegertown (12th)

11 - Brandon Dami, Canon-McMillan (11th)

12 - Ky Szewczyk, Waynesburg (10th)

#3 Luke Lilledahl and #6 Leo Deluca sit atop the 113 lbs seeds. Lilledahl’s Super 32 title and a runner-up finish at Ironman have him in pole position while DeLuca’s Beast of the East title and 4th place finish at Ironman suggest he’ll be up for the challenge of a potential finals matchup with Lilledahl.

A number of game challengers make this a fun bracket with plenty of upset potential. #14 Thomas Link is all the way down in the #8 seed which means he could see Lilledahl in the quarterfinals. He lost to Lilledahl at Ironman, but the Malvern Prep junior is very tough.

Predictions: 1) Luke Lilledahl 2) Leo DeLuca 3) Thomas Link 4) Tyler Chappell 5) Branden Wentzel 6) Cael Nasdeo 7) Wyatt Richter 8) Cooper Hornack

120 lbs

Top 12 Seeds

1 - #1 Marc-Anthony McGowan, Blair Academy-NJ (11th)

2 - #11 Vinny Kilkeary, Latrobe (11th)

3 - HM Kamdyn Williams, Manheim Twp. (10th)

4 - HM Jack Consiglio, Malvern Prep (10th)

5 - Troy Hohman, Penn Trafford (12th)

6 - HM Jaxon Joy, Wadsworth-OH (10th)

7 - Joseph Simon, Waynesburg (10th)

8 - Gavin Caprella, Lima Central Catholic-OH (12th)

9 - Max Martin, Great Bridge-VA (12th)

10 - Adam Schweitzer, Notre Dame GP (12th)

11 - Chase Burke, Benton (11th)

12 - Derek Keen, Central Mountain (12th)

Marc-Anthony McGowan already has Ironman and Beast of the East titles this month, and he’s looking to add Powerade to his list of 2021 tournament crowns. In his way could be #11 Vinny Kilkeary, a PIAA and Super 32 champ whose gunslinging tendencies give his opponents plenty of reason to be nervous.

Both McGowan and Kilkeary will have challenges on their way to a potential finals matchup. Kilkeary is seeded to see Kamdyn Williams in the semis, a guy who won their meeting in March last year. McGowan is seeded to see Jack Consiglio, last year’s Powerade champ at 106 lbs. McGowan did win in their most recent meeting in Germantown.

Marc-Anthony McGowan's major decision in the Beast of the East final

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Predictions: 1) Marc-Anthony McGowan 2) Vinny Kilkeary 3) Kamdyn Williams 4) Jack Consiglio 5) Jaxon Joy 6) Troy Hohman 7) Joseph Simon 8) Adam Schweitzer

126 lbs

Top 12 Seeds

1 - #5 Vincent Robinson, Homewood Flossmoor-IL (11th)

2 - HM Jake Van Dee, Erie Prep (12th)

3 - #9 Dalton Perry, Central Mountain (9th)

4 - #15 Nick O'Neill, Malvern Prep (10th)

5 - Dylan Coy, North Allegheny (12th)

6 - #20 Matty Lopes, Blair Academy-NJ (10th)

7 - HM Maddox Shaw, Thomas Jefferson (9th)

8 - HM Ryan Bennett, St. Edward-OH (10th)

9 - Joe Manno, St. Joseph Regional-NJ (12th)

10 - JoJo Przybycien, Fort LeBoeuf (10th)

11 - Brady Roberts, Parkersburg South-WV (11th)

12 - Andrew Binni, Canon-McMillan (10th)

Four ranked wrestlers are spread throughout this bracket. Ironman champ #5 Vincent Robinson earned the top seed. We could see a rematch of a competitive bout with #15 Nick O’Neill in the semifinals. O’Neill missed the podium at Beast of the East but was 4th at Ironman and is one of the best mat wrestlers in all of high school wrestling.

The bottom half of the bracket is tough. #9 Dalton Perry and #20 Matty Lopes are seeded to meet in the quarterfinals, and the winner is seeded to see PIAA champ Jake Van Dee in the semis. Lopes is riding a Beast of the East title, but he’ll have his work cut out for him against Perry who was 4th at Super 32 in a deep bracket. Van Dee isn’t currently ranked, but he’s a gamer who makes his moves during folkstyle season. Don’t count him out.

Vince Bouzakis will be drawn into this bracket. His junior high resume suggests that he’s could really shake things up here.

Prediction: 1) Vincent Robinson 2) Dalton Perry 3) Nick O’Neill 4) Jake Van Dee 5) Matty Lopes 6) Vince Bouzakis 7) Dylan Coy 8) JoJo Przybycien

132 lbs

Top 12 Seeds

1 - #1 Nic Bouzakis, Wyoming Seminary (12th)

2 - #7 Mac Church, Waynesburg (11th)

3 - #3 Cameron Catrabone, Williamsville North-NY (10th)

4 - #15 Tyler Vazquez, Delbarton-NJ (11th)

5 - #18 Spencer Barnhart, Malvern Prep (11th)

6 - HM Brandan Chletsos, Notre Dame GP (12th)

7 - Chad Ozias, Connellsville (12th)

8 - HM Ibrahim Ahmed, Blair Academy-NJ (12th)

9 - Calan Bollman, Chestnut Ridge (11th)

10 - Ethan Kolb, Benton (11th)

11 - Braden Bower, Williamsport (12th)

12 - Carson Main, Riverbend-VA (10th)

Nic Bouzakis is back to defend his #1 ranking, but it won’t come easy. #3 Cam Catrabone, #7 Mac Church, #15 Tyler Vazquez, #18 Spencer Barnhart, Brandan Chletsos, and more will look to knock off the top man.

Catrabone was third at Super 32 this fall as a sophomore, and he’ll look to improve on that performance here. He could see #7 Mac Church in the semis. Church has looked solid this year with a 6th place finishes at Super 32 and a run to the Ironman finals. The potential semi with Catrabone would be must-watch stuff.

#15 Tyler Vazquez, and #18 Spencer Barnhart could meet in a quarterfinal. The two were 1st and 5th respectively at Beast of the East but didn't meet in that event. The winner would expect to see Bouzakis in the semis. This bracket has plenty more capable guys that could cause all kinds of rankings headaches.

Prediction: 1) Nic Bouzakis 2) Cam Catrabone 3) Mac Church 4) Tyler Vazquez 5) Spencer Barnhart 6) Brandan Chletsos 7) Ibrahim Ahmed 8) Ethan Kolb

138 lbs

Top 12 Seeds

1 - HM Briar Priest, Hempfield (12th)

2 - HM Alessio Perentin, Delbarton-NJ (9th)

3 - HM Alex Almeyda, St. Joseph Regional-NJ (12th)

4 - #12 Paul Ognissanti, Blair Academy-NJ (10th)

5 - HM Joey Cangro, Bergen Catholic-NJ (12th)

6 - #14 Pierson Manville, State College (10th)

7 - HM Colton Stoneking, Waynesburg (12th)

8 - Connor Saylor, Hickory (11th)

9 - Elliot Alessia, St. Vincent-St Mary-OH (12th)

10 - Jamison Poklembo, Mt. Pleasant (10th)

11 - Aliazer Alicea, Manheim Twp. (12th)

12 - HM Kai Owen, Wyoming Seminary (12th)

This bracket is as wide open as any in the tournament. #12 Paul Ognissanti and #14 Pierson Manville are the 4th and 6th seeds because of the parity here.

PIAA champ Briar Priest earned the top seed. He could see either Ognissanti or Bergan Catholic senior Joey Cangro in the semis if seeds hold.

Second-seeded freshman Alessio Perentin's road could take him through Waynesburg's Colton Stoneking in the quarters and either Alex Almeyda or Pierson Manville in the semis. All of those outcomes are difficult to preduct.

Predictions: 1) Pierson Manville 2) Paul Ognissanti 3) Alex Almeyda 4) Alessio Perentin 5) Briar Priest 6) Joey Cangro 7) Colton Stoneking 8) Kai Owen

145 lbs

Top 12 Seeds

1 - #4 Meyer Shapiro, Wyoming Seminary (11th)

2 - HM Finn Solomon, Franklin Regional (12th)

3 - #18 Cross Wasilewski, Delbarton-NJ (11th)

4 - HM Reed Fullmer, Malvern Prep (11th)

5 - Riley Bower, Williamsport (12th)

6 - Keegan Roberson, Lockport-IL (12th)

7 - Lucas Kapusta, Hempfield (11th)

8 - Pierce Taylor, Archbishop McNicholas-OH (12th)

9 - Eric Alderfer, Faith Christian Academy (12th)

10 - HM Ty Watters, West Allegheny (11th)

11 - Luke Geibig, Mt. Pleasant (12th)

12 - Chris Bacchioni, Bergen Catholic-NJ (11th)

We haven't seen much of Meyer Shapiro in a Wyoming Seminary singlet yet, but this is our chance. The Cadet World champ will be the heavy favorite here.

PIAA champ Finn Solomon and #18 Cross Wasilewski appear to be Shapiro's largest obstacles, and they could meet in the semis. Solomon hasn't had a lot of results lately, so he's dropped out of the top 20, but his potential is very high.

If you're looking for someone who could bust up the bracket, circle #20 William Henckel who will be drawn in. He has the potential to cause a whole lot of problems for people.

Prediction: 1) Meyer Shapiro 2) Finn Solomon 3) Cross Wasilewski 4) William Henckel 5) Reed Fullmer 6) Ty Watters 7) Riley Bower 8) Keegan Roberson

152 lbs

Top 12 Seeds

1 - #3 Jackson Arrington, Forest Hills (12th)

2 - #6 Joseph Sealey, Wyoming Seminary (10th)

3 - #7 Andrew Troczynski, Delbarton-NJ (12th)

4 - #9 Richard Fedalen, McDonogh-MD (12th)

5 - #16 Derek Raike, Point Pleasant-WV (12th)

6 - Chase Kranitz, Norwin (12th)

7 - #5 Dylan Evans, Chartiers Valley (11th)

8 - HM Evan Maag, Notre Dame GP (12th)

9 - HM Christopher Earnest, Wadsworth-OH (11th)

10 - Jack Pletcher, Latrobe (12th)

11 - Nico Taddy, West Allegheny (11th)

12 - Kelin Laffey, Pine Richland (12th)

Wyoming Seminary sophomore Joe Sealey has been on a hot streak and just won a Beast of the East title, but #3 Jackson Arrington presents a different sort of challenge. If seeds hold, we'll get that match in the finals, and Arrington's elite pace will present an excellent measuring stick for where Sealey currently stands against the nation's best.

#5 Dylan Evans, #7 Andrew Troczynski, #9 Richard Fedalen, and #16 Derek Raike will all look to play spoiler to that potential finals match. Sealey beat Troczynski who beat Fedalen at Beat of the East, but any of those rematches would be exciting. Evans is looking to build on his 5th place performance at Super 32, and this loaded bracket is a great place to do it.

Circle 152 lbs as one of the weights to watch this weekend. It should be a lot of fun.

Prediction: 1) Jackson Arrington 2) Joe Sealey 3) Richard Fedalen 4) Andrew Troczynski 5) Dylan Evans 6) Derek Raike 7) Evan Maag 8) Christopher Earnest

160 lbs

Top 12 Seeds

1 - HM Grant Mackay, Laurel (11th)

2 - #10 Lorenzo Norman, Blair Academy-NJ (11th)

3 - #12 Hunter Mays, Howell-NJ (12th)

4 - HM Nick Fea, Bergen Catholic-NJ (12th)

5 - HM Enzo Morlacci, Kiski Area (12th)

6 - HM Gage Wright, Parkersburg South-WV (10th)

7 - HM Jared Keslar, Connellsville (12th)

8 - Carter Gill, Hickory (12th)

9 - HM Holden Garcia, Notre Dame GP (11th)

10 - Roberto Padilla, St. Joseph Regional-NJ (12th)

11 - Shawn Taylor, West Allegheny (10th)

12 - Dom Federici, Wyoming Seminary (10th)

Laurel's Grant MacKay has the top seed at 160 lbs. He could see either Nick Fea or Enzo Morlacci in his semifinal if seeds hold. Both are very tough and could cause MacKay problems.

On the bottom side of the bracket, #10 Lorenzo Norman and #12 Hunter Mays are seeded to hit in the semifinal. Mays was third at Super 32 while Norman was third at Beast of the East and second at Ironman. That's the semi to watch at this weight.

Prediction: 1) Lorenzo Norman 2) Nick Fea 3) Hunter Mays 4) Enzo Morlacci 5) Grant MacKay 6) Holden Garcia 7) Gage Wright 8) Jared Keslar

172 lbs

Top 12 Seeds

1 - #1 Gabe Arnold, Wyoming Seminary (11th)

2 - #3 Rocco Welsh, Waynesburg (11th)

3 - #9 Luke Geog, St. Edward-OH (12th)

4 - #10 Danny Wask, Blair Academy-NJ (12th)

5 - #13 Rune Lawrence, Frazier (10th)

6 - #20 Vincent Lee, Delbarton-NJ (10th)

7 - #8 Brayden Thompson, Lockport-IL (11th)

8 - HM Michael Dellagatta, St. Joseph Regional-NJ (11th)

9 - Kurt Thompson, Moeller-OH (12th)

10 - HM Nolan Lear, Benton (12th)

11 - Luke Moore, Chestnut Ridge (12th)

12 - Matthew Furman, Canon-McMillan (11th)

This bracket is absolutely loaded. If seeds hold, we'll get a Who's Number One rematch between Gabe Arnold and Rocco Welsh, but both guys have a whole lot to overcome before that can happen.

Arnold's side of the bracket has #10 Danny Wask and #13 Rune Lawrence whose quarterfinal might be the ultimate clash of styles here. Whoever wins is likely to see Arnold in the semis assuming Arnold gets past a tough Michael Dellagatta.

On the bottom half of the bracket, Welsh will expect to see #8 Brayden Thompson. This matchup feels more like a semi than a quarter, but the seeds dictate that we could see it earlier. The winner there will expect to see the winner of #9 Luke Geog and #20 Vincent Lee. Geog is the favorite there. This weight is the deepest of the entire tournament.

Gabe Arnold and Rocco Welsh's epic Who's Number One final

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Prediction: 1) Gabe Arnold 2) Rocco Welsh 3) Brayden Thompson 4) Luke Geog 5) Rune Lawrence 6) Danny Wask 7) Vincent Lee 8) Michael Dellagatta

189 lbs

Top 12 Seeds

1 - #7 Mac Stout, Mt. Lebanon (12th)

2 - #6 Jude Correa, Wyoming Seminary (9th)

3 - HM Andrew Connolly, Malvern Prep (12th)

4 - Brian Finnerty, Thomas Jefferson (12th)

5 - HM Nick Olivieri, Delbarton-NJ (12th)

6 - Landon Caldwell, Saegertown (12th)

7 - Gabriel Stafford, Canon-McMillan (11th)

8 - Patrick Cutchember, Quaker Valley (12th)

9 - Jonathon Sanchez, Moeller-OH (12th)

10 - HM AJ Fricchione, Bergen Catholic-NJ (11th)

11 - Aydan Edwards, Parkersburg South-WV (12th)

12 - Dan Church, Fort LeBoeuf (11th)

Mac Stout already has 7 falls on the year, and now he's looking to win a title at the tournament that ended his season a year ago. If seeds hold, he'll see #6 Jude Correa, a Wyoming Seminary freshman who has been having a big impact on the national scene thus far.

Those two are heavily favored to make the finals, but guys like Andrew Connolly could cause problems. Still, this looks like a Stout vs Correa final.

Prediction: 1) Mac Stout 2) Jude Correa 3) Andrew Connolly 4) AJ Fricchione 5) Nick Olivieri 6) Brian Finnerty 7) Landon Caldwell 8) Gabriel Stafford

215 lbs

Top 12 Seeds

1 - #5 TJ Stewart, Blair Academy-NJ (12th)

2 - #8 Dayton Pitzer, Mt. Pleasant (12th)

3 - #10 Jack Darrah, Wyoming Seminary (12th)

4 - #13 Andrew Blackburn-Forst, Lockport-IL (12th)

5 - HM Remy Brancato, Bergen Catholic-NJ (12th)

6 - Corey Boerio, Latrobe (11th)

7 - Carter Dilts, Kiski Area (12th)

8 - HM Eli Makel, Waynesburg (11th)

9 - Justin Thomas, Homewood Flossmoor-IL (12th)

10 - Joshua Sarasnick, Chartiers Valley (12th)

11 - Nick Pavlechko, State College (10th)

12 - Nathan Crispell, Benton (10th)

TJ Stewart has been tearing through nationally ranked big-men all month, and this tournament could be more of the same. The Ironman and Beat of the East champ will be the heavy favorite.

Stewart could see #13 Andrew Blackburn-Forst in the semis and either #8 Dayton Pitzer or # 10 Jack Darrah in the finals although Stewart already owns a win over Darrah.

Prediction: 1) TJ Stewart 2) Dayton Pitzer 3) Jack Darrah 4) Andrew Blackburn-Forst 5) Remy Brancato 6) Eli Makel 7) Corey Boerio 8) Carter Dilts

285 lbs

Top 12 Seeds

1 - #1 Nick Feldman, Malvern Prep (12th)

2 - #2 Jim Mullen, St. Joseph Regional-NJ (11th)

3 - #14 Riley Robell, Bishop McDevitt (11th)

4 - Ty Banco, Trinity (11th)

5 - Leo Muzika, Faith Christian Academy (12th)

6 - HM Noah Tustin, Waynesburg (12th)

7 - HM Charles Crews, Williamsport (12th)

8 - Dominick Brogna, Bergen Catholic-NJ (12th)

9 - DJ Moehring, Wyoming Seminary (12th)

10 - Tyrese Washington, Manheim Twp. (12th)

11 - Aaron Ries, Wadsworth-OH (10th)

12 - Jacob Pressinger, Riverbend-VA (10th)

This bracket is all about the finals. We could get a clash between the nation's top two heavyweights. Nick Feldman has looked unstoppable, but he has yet to see #2 Jim Mullen, the Cadet World silver medalist.

Mullen will likely have to survive #14 Riley Robell to face Feldman, but even after a full football season, that's a test he's likely to pass. If we get a Feldman vs Mullen final, wrestling fans win.

Prediction: 1) Nick Feldman 2) Jim Mullen 3) Riley Robell 4) Charles Crews 5) Noah Tustin 6) Ty Banco 7) Leo Muzika 8) Tyrese Washington