Wadsworth's Jaxon Joy tops the list of Greater Akron's top 20 wrestlers; here's who's next

These are the top 20 high school wrestlers the Greater Akron area has to offer heading into the 2022-23 season.

That said, it could be a catalog of the top 50. That’s how good the area is.

It’s not just a who’s who of high school wrestlers, but a look at the top athletes with Division I college scholarships.

Keep in mind this list will be much harder to crack when Portage, Summit, Stark, Medina and Wayne County athletes enter the fray in the top 20.

What Top 20 looked like in MarchWay-too-early 2022-23 Akron/Canton-area wrestler pound-for-pound top 20

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With all due respect to Western Reserve Academy’s J.T. Chance, Sam Cartella and Matthew Hart, who would make any top 20 list, we’re limiting this list to those who can compete in the state tournament.

The weight classes listed for each individual are projected and most certainly will fluctuate throughout the season.

For now, here’s the best of the best of who the area has to offer:

1. Jaxon Joy, Wadsworth, 132 pounds, jr.

Joy is a two-time state finalist and a reigning state champion for the Grizzlies. Oh, he also picked Cornell over the likes of Penn State, Purdue, North Carolina State, Oklahoma and Virginia and is a Fargo All-American.

2. Brock Herman, Brecksville, 144, sr.

A 2021 state runner-up, Herman wasn’t eligible to wrestle for the Bees last season, but won a college open last season and finished runner-up at another. The Ohio State commit, who flipped from NC State, is ranked 15th in the nation by MatScouts.com and is ready to make up for lost time.

3. Chris Earnest, Wadsworth, 157, sr.

Earnest is a two-time state placer and one of two reigning state champions for the Grizzlies. Earnest will head to Campbell University when he’s done this season. He’s also an Ironman All-American and is ranked 17th in the nation by MatScouts.com.

4. Kyle Snider, CVCA, 215, sr.

Snider was an undefeated state champion in 2021 and finished third in a brutal Division II weight class last season. The Kent State commit is ranked 10th in the nation by MatScouts.com. He's also a Walsh Ironman All-American.

5. Luke Vanadia, Brecksville, 175, sr.

Vanadia, who is headed to Michigan State, is a two-time state placer and reigning third-place finisher. He’s a Fargo All-American and is ranked eighth in the nation by MatScouts.com. He's also the projected state champion.

6. Dy'Vaire "Boots" VanDyke, Walsh Jesuit, 138, sr.

VanDyke finished third in the state as a sophomore and was runner-up as a junior, which leaves only one step to climb for the Michigan State commit. VanDyke is a gamer and a returning Walsh Ironman All-American.

7. Aaron Ries, Wadsworth, 285, jr.

Ries absolutely took the national scene by storm when he went to Fargo over the summer and won a championship in freestyle. He returns as a state placer for the Grizzlies and should skyrocket up the podium this season.

8. Bryce Skinner, St. Vincent-St. Mary, 126, sr.

Skinner comes in as the projected state champion because, well, he’s also the reigning state champion after beating Waynesville’s Matt Ellis 3-2 last season. What the senior does better than anyone is stay calm under pressure, as evidenced by two overtime wins en route to his state title.

9. Javaan Yarbrough, Copley, 106, jr.

How tough is this list to crack? Yarbrough is a two-time national champion and two-time national runner-up at Fargo and he only eked his way to the top 10. A two-time state placer, expect much better than his sixth-place finish last season that ended early due to injury.

10. Kaden Jett, Brecksville 132, sr.

An injury kept Jett from building on his third-place finish in 2021, but he’s ready to take off yet again. He’s headed to Ohio University next season and is the projected state runner-up behind Joy.

11. Coen Grimm, Wadsworth, 190, sr.

Grimm really took a gigantic step last season with a fourth-place finish at the Division I level at state. While he’s projected to finish at the same spot this season, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Buffalo commit higher on the podium.

12. Brett Stanley, Brecksville, 113, jr.

Stanley finished fourth as a sophomore and is projected to finish in the same spot again. That said, he knows when to turn it on, so seeing him climb higher shouldn’t be much of a surprise.

13. Jeremy Olzsko, Nordonia, 175, sr.

The Ohio University commit and two-sport standout reached the quarterfinals last year at state and then battled all the way back to finish fourth. All three wresters above Olzsko have graduated.

14. Max Vanadia, Brecksville, 215, sr.

Vanadia will join his brother at Michigan State after signing with the Spartans on Nov. 9. He’s a two-time state placer – sixth both season – and is also a Fargo All-American.

15. Rylan Seacrist, Brecksville, 106, fr.

Yes, there’s a newcomer to the high school scene. Yes, he’s really good. Seacrist hasn’t wrestled a match yet and he’s already ranked third in the state. Part of that is because he’s already a Fargo All-American after finishing fifth in freestyle over the summer.

16. Chase Pluhar, Brecksville, 138, sr.

Pluhar rolled into the Division I state semifinals last season before finishing fourth. The schedule coach Todd Haverdill puts together should have him right back in the mix again in his swan song season.

17. Bryson Getz, St. Vincent-St. Mary, 285, sr.

Don’t be surprised to see Getz drop down to 215 as he navigates his path to where he’ll wrestle in college. For now, he will try to erase two consecutive losses at state last season and look for the form that made him a state runner-up as a sophomore.

18. Israel Petite, Nordonia, 144, jr.

Petite comes in as a two-time state qualifier and one-time state placer after finishing seventh in Division I last season. He’s projected to finish fourth, so seeing him in a state semifinal isn’t a stretch at all.

19. Nick Humphrys, Wadsworth, 144, sr.

Humphrys took a huge step forward last season with a fourth-place finish at state. He showed incredible poise after losing in the quarterfinals to bounce all the way back to wrestle in the consolation final. Expect to see that poise throughout the season this year.

20. Lukas Stiles, Highland, 215, sr.

Stiles is easily the best wrestler never to make state, although he would have likely placed last season. A two-time alternate, Stiles was a lock to make the state tournament last season until a torn pectoral muscle kept him from the postseason.

Wrestlers who were also considered

Jack Dinwiddie, Wadsworth; Steven Duffy, Woodridge; Joey Vazsonyi, Highland; Roosevelt Andrews, Barberton; Davian Greenlee, Buchtel; Teddy Gregory, Stow.

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

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Ranking the top 20 Greater Akron wrestlers of 2022-23