Two-time defending national champ Blair Academy (Blairstown, New Jersey) starts the 2017-18 wrestling season on top of the USA TODAY/National High School Coaches Association Super 25 Preseason rankings.
RANKINGS: Full Super 25 Preseason Wrestling Rankings
Once again, the talent-laden 37-time national prep champs will wrestle a challenging individual tournament schedule that will include the Walsh Ironman in Ohio, Beast of the East in Delaware, the Tony Iasiello Christmas City Tournament in Pennsylvania and the Geary Invitational in Oklahoma.
The Bucs will wrestle dual matches against No. 3 Wyoming Seminary (Kingston, Pa.) Jan. 19, along with No. 7 St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) and Easton (Pa.) Jan. 26. In addition, Blair will also compete in the Who’s No. 1 Duals in New Jersey in early January that will include No. 2 Buchanan (Clovis, California) and No. 5 Bergen Catholic (Oradell, New Jersey).
RELATED: Final 2016-17 Super 25 Wrestling Rankings
Blair returns four of last year’s six national prep champs. Two-time prep champ Chris Cannon returns, along with Andrew Merola, Trevor Mastragiovanni and Malcolm Robinson.
Ohio and Pennsylvania lead the Super 25 with four teams each.
Aside from Wyoming Seminary, Keystone Staters in the national rankings are No. 9 Malvern Prep, No. 12 Bethlehem Catholic and No. 22 Cathedral Prep (Erie).
The top teams in the Buckeye State are No. 6 Graham (St. Paris), No. 7 St. Edward (Lakewood), Brecksville-Broadview (Broadview Heights) at No. 11 and La Salle (Cincinnati) at No. 17.