At the outset of the 2024-25 high school wrestling season, Ryle coach Tim Ruschell made some estimations.
“Ryle will be respectable this season, returning six state placers. We lost some good wrestlers, but we could have five or six guys who can win region,” Ruschell said in December. “We could have a few more than that going to state.”
On Saturday at the KHSAA Region 5 wrestling championships at Campbell County Middle School, the Raiders did their coach one better, and then some. Ryle put seven individual regional champions on the podium. The Raiders are sending 10 wrestlers to the KHSAA boys state meet which begins Feb. 28 at Alltech Arena in Lexington.
“We have some good wrestlers who work hard,” said Ruschell, who had five regional champs last year.
The Raiders put eight wrestlers in Saturday’s championship finals and topped the team standings with 247.5 points. They well outpaced Conner (199) which nevertheless surprised by taking home the runner-up trophy. The Cougars were fifth last year.
“To me, that’s the biggest surprise, Conner,” Ruschell said. “They do a nice job over there.”
Simon Kenton finished third Saturday with 174.5 points. The Pioneers’ Braydan Blevins earned the meet’s Most Outstanding Wrestler award.
Walton-Verona (130.5) placed fourth. Highlands (126.5) was fifth, just ahead of Covington Catholic (122.5) and Scott (121). A total of 13 teams competed.
Entering the meet, the Kentuckywrestling.com statewide team rankings had the region’s top five looking like this: 1. Ryle, 2. Simon Kenton, 3. Walton-Verona, 4. Highlands, 5. Conner.
Ryle is No. 3 statewide. Simon Kenton is No. 8 in the state.
Regarding his team’s chances at the state meet, Ruschell is cautiously optimistic.
“Anything can happen,” Ruschell said. “Three weeks ago, I had seven wrestlers out sick. Guys get hurt. The state meet isn’t until Friday. But yeah, we did alright this weekend.”
The coach doesn’t believe he has to quarantine his team then roll out his wrestlers in bubble wrap in Lexington.
“We’re good and well past that. We’re alright, for now,” Ruschell said. “I’m happy for the guys. Gotta keep workin’ hard.”
Coach Ruschell said it’s the Raiders’ fifth consecutive crown in Regions 5 and 6. He remains stumped about the total number of team titles in his 21 years as Ryle head coach.
“Couldn’t tell ya,” he said.
A select group of Ryle seniors have wrestled for the last four champions in Region 5 including Landon Evans, Rider Trumble and Travis Steiber. All three captured weight-class championships on Saturday in repeat performances, two at different weights.
Also taking home individual regional crowns for Ryle are freshman twins Bryant Brinkman and Aiden Brinkman. The other Raiders champs are junior Callen Schmidt and sophomore Keigan Reisenbeck.
That means half of Saturday’s list of 14 weight class champions come from one school – Ryle. Several repeat champions emerged from there and elsewhere.
Bryant Brinkman (38-4) won Saturday’s 106-pound championship. Aiden Brinkman (32-17) won the 113-pound title. It’s just the latest in a meteoric rise for both young wrestlers, especially Bryant, who was No. 18 in the state rankings two months ago. He is now No. 2 statewide at Kentuckywrestling.com.
Evans won the 138-pound crown and remained unbeaten at 32-0. He won at 120 pounds last year. He’s No. 2 statewide at 138 this season.
Trumble (45-2) won at 157 pounds Saturday after taking last year’s 150-pound title. He is the state’s top-ranked wrestler at 157. Schmidt (36-5) prevailed at 165 pounds. Reisenbeck (37-11) took the crown at 175. Steiber (23-4) repeated at 190 pounds and won his final match by pin.
“It’s good to have a No. 1 seed, and we have seven guys like that going to state,” Ruschell said. “The No. 1s wrestle the No. 4s in the first round and may not see another No. 1 until the third round. It’s just an advantage to go down there with a No. 1 seed.”
Other Ryle wrestlers qualifying for state include Luke Cornwell at 126 pounds, Jagger Irvin at 132 and Noah Crisp at 144. Cornwell, No. 2 statewide at his weight, is the regional runner-up in his class after winning last year at 106 pounds. Irvin finished third in his weight class on Saturday.
The Brinkmans, Reisenbeck and Crisp, a middle school state placer last year, moved up to varsity this season.
“Oh, they are tough,” Ruschell said. “I thought they’d do well.”
The other seven weight class champions include a pair of wrestlers from both Simon Kenton and Walton-Verona.
Blevins (45-2) at 126 pounds and Jonah McCloskey (49-5) at 132 captured crowns for Simon Kenton. Blevins rallied from a six-point deficit against Ryle’s Cornwell and won 12-11 in double overtime.
“We just kind of had a meltdown there,” Ruschell said. “Both kids are really good wrestlers, No. 1 vs. No. 2. We’ll work on it.”
Blevins, a junior, is the current state No. 1 in his weight class, joining Ryle’s Trumble as northern Kentucky’s only top-ranked wrestlers. McCloskey, a senior who won region at 126 pounds last year, is No. 2 this year at 132.
Winning for Walton-Verona on Saturday in repeat performances were seniors TJ Meyer (40-3) at 144 pounds and Luke Hyden (33-2), a back-to-back winner at 215. Meyer won last year at 138. Each won by pin this year in the championship finals. Both wrestlers are No. 2 statewide in their respective weight divisions.
Conner junior Clayton Badida (50-2) is another repeat champion with a familiar name. He captured the 120-pound crown on Saturday. He won at 113 pounds last year. He’s currently No. 3 statewide at 120.
Highlands senior TJ Hicks (42-9) won Saturday at 150 pounds. He is No. 7 statewide.
Freshman Jayden Pointer (50-4) of Boone County took the 285-pound title. Pointer is ranked No. 8 in the state in the heavyweight division.