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, individuals 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.
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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
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.
2. Chris Earnest, Wadsworth
157 pounds, senior
Earnest has titles at the Hoover Holiday Tournament and Maumee Bay Classic. The Campbell commit is a returning state champion also placed at Powerade.
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3. Dy’Vaire “Boots” VanDyke, Walsh Jesuit
138 pounds, senior
VanDyke scored bonus points in seven of his eight matches on the way to his 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
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
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.
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
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.
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
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
Pluhar is coming off a championship weekend where 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
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.
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.
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.
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