Season Preview: 5A Boys

Defending Class 5A state champion Chickasha returns two state champions, a state placer, two state qualifiers and a room full of talented wrestlers ready for their turn on the mat.  In most years, that might get them the early nod as the favorite, but not this year.  A tough Coweta team that returns three state champions, two state placers, and five state qualifiers is the early favorite to win the title.  If that wasn’t enough Coweta added five wrestlers that scored 68 points at last year’s State Tournament to put them as the overwhelming favorite this year. 

Led by Elgin’s 3X state champion, Ritson Meyer, there are eight returning or past state champions in the field. All of the other returning champions are from either Chickasha or Coweta.  Chickasha returns 2X state champion Jarrett Patty and Cash Bratt.  Coweta returns Aiden Jalajel, Legend Ellis and 2X state champion Toby Shipman.  Joining Coweta are 2X state champions Mason Burnham and Cason Craft.

Four wrestlers shined this summer, earning All-American honors at Fargo.  Cason Craft, a 2024 Greco national champion, earned an impressive sixth Fargo All-American finish with a runner-up finish in the junior freestyle tournament.  Kingston Sikes (Carl Albert) placed 4^th in 16U freestyle, Bryson Burton (Duncan) placed 5^th in 16U Greco and Aiden Jalajel placed 6^th in 16U Greco.

Ritson Meyer enters the season as a 3X state champion as he looks to finish his storied career as Elgin’s first 4X state champion.  With the football team once again undefeated, the star of last year’s state championship football team (In the state finals, he ran for 221 yards and three touchdowns), will probably get another late start this year.  It didn’t hurt him last year as he rolled to a 21-1 record in claiming the 215 lb. state title.  Meyer enters his senior season with a 94-7 career record.

Chickasha’s Jarrett Patty went undefeated in both his freshman and junior years to claim state titles.  Injured for much of his junior year, he still came through with a 4^th place State Tournament finish.  Patty went 27-0 last year and enters his senior season with a 92-5 career record.

Cash Bratt won the 106 lb. state title as a freshman last year, to take the first step in becoming a 4X state champion.  Bratt was dominant at the State Tournament with a fall, tech fall and 12-1 major decision in the finals to finish the year with a 40-3 record.

Like Bratt, Coweta’s Aiden Jalajel took the first step in becoming a 4X state champion, winning the 113 lb. state title in his freshman year.  Jalajel moved to the finals with a fall and tech fall and then defeated Chickasha’s returning state champion Canaan Brummett in the finals to claim the title.  Jalajel finished 38-2 last year.

Wrestling for Sallisaw and Catoosa, Cason Craft and Mason Burnham won the last two Class 4A state titles at 106 and 113.  In 2024, Craft won the 106 lb. title and Burnham won at 113 lbs.  Last year, the two traded places, with Burnham winning at 106 lbs. and Craft winning at 113 lbs.

In his two State Tournament appearances, Craft has five bonus point wins in his six matches, including all bonus point wins last year.  Craft went 38-0 last year and enters his junior season with a perfect 74-0 career record.  Burnham won his second title last year with a 15-0 tech fall in the finals.  Burnham was undefeated on the mat last year, but did have to medical forfeit at the Perry Tournament to finish the year with a 30-1 record.  He enters his junior year with a 64-5 career record.

Coweta’s Legend Ellis went 40-3 last year, capping off his sophomore season with the 144 lb. state title.  Ellis was a runner-up as a freshman falling to 4X state champion Canon Acklin by a 1-0 score.  Ellis enters his junior year with a 90-5 career record.  Ellis was a 2024 Fargo All-American, with a 3^rd place finish in 16U Greco. 

Coweta’s Toby Shipman is a 2X state champion and 3X finalist.  Shipman won titles his freshman and sophomore years, but was denied in last year’s finals, when he fell to Chickasha’s Colby Longanacre.  Shipman, 36-3 last year, enters his senior season with a 116-12 career record.  

Returning state runners-up are Cash Wiley (Carl Albert), Toby Shipman (Coweta), Kinston Sikes (Carl Albert), Gavin Wyatt (Grove) and 2024 runner-up Skylar Red Elk (Lawton Mac). 

In addition to Patty and Bratt, Chickasha, coached by Chad Randle, return state placer Marley Scott, and state qualifiers Noah Knight, Quinton Benitez.  Ready to make their mark this year are Jaxon Randle, Zander Bowen, Charles Wheeler, Edward Perez, and Jayden Thomas.

In addition to Jalajel, Craft, Burnham, Ellis and Shipman, Coweta, coached by Gabe Ellis, return 2X state placer Tohmi Carney, state placer Sonny Hicks, 2X state qualifiers Baylor Bart and Brock Heilmann, and state qualifiers Logan Kerr, Caleb Jones, and Riley Hicks.  Also moving to Coweta, were 2X state placer Aiven Robbins and 2X state qualifier Logan Hargrove (both from Catoosa) and 3X state placer Ty Thrasher from Lincoln Christian.  

The only change in Class 5A was Ardmore and Douglass trading places, with Douglass now competing in Class 5A and Ardmore moving to Class 4A.  Douglass returns 3^rd place state medalist, Zackery Johnson. 

RETURNING AND PAST STATE CHAMPIONS AND STATE PLACERS

Records from State Tournament brackets / SQ = State Qualifier / WI = Lost wrestle-in match at State