Fargo is regarded as the most difficult high school wrestling tournament in the nation and for good reason. According to Flowrestling there were 369 total ranked wrestlers registered for this tournament across all age brackets and weight classes. Fargo is one of those tournaments that if you do well, you could very well walk away with the attention of several collegiate programs. To be frank, it’s the real freakin deal and you better be strapped in tight if you plan on making a run in this tournament.
Historically, Georgia wrestling has done ok at this tournament, but with us never being viewed as a blue blood wrestling state we have always lived up to expectations. Being just good enough to get our asses kicked. This year is slightly different since we have several nationally ranked wrestlers, girls and boys, who are moving into college and have done well at this tournament in the past. This seems to be the year we can begin to put ourselves into the conversation of a state to be respected and feared for years to come.
Below you can find a general recap of the 16u and Junior men’s wrestlers from Georgia.
The Outstanding:
Ariah Mills was the definition of excellence for the freestyle tournament going a perfect 5-0 with 4 tech falls and a decision to win a National Championship. Ariah didn’t give up a single point until the finals match where he won 5-2. He was about as dominant as you could possibly be in a tournament. Coming off his undefeated performance at national duals, the young Mills is putting together an amazing summer and is a force to be reckoned with.
Christopher Swann came into this tournament as the 17 seed and left this tournament with a national championship. Swann finished the tournament with a 6-0 record, beating the number 1 seed from Michigan in the round of 16 by a score of 10-4. Of Swann’s 6 total matches 5 of his opponents were seeded higher than he was, but he would not be denied. That type of perseverance is what GA wrestling is all about.
Drew Gorman was the number 6 seed for this 138 lb weight class and he finished in 2nd place overall. He went 6-1 in the tournament overall falling in the finals to the number 9 seed, Vega from Arizona. The Buford rising junior has been a household name for everyone who pays attention to wrestling in the state of GA. Finishing 2nd place at what most consider to be the toughest high school tournament in the nation, don’t be surprised to see Gorman on some nationally ranked lists here in the near future.
The Good:
Antonio Mills has been a dominant force in this state for the last few years. He is one of the most dynamic and explosive wrestlers we have produced. This Roundtree Wrestling Academy product was the 28 seed for this tournament, won his first 2 matches and then ran into a buzz saw from Pennsylvania in the round of 32. As good wrestlers do Mills was able to bounce back in the consolation rounds to put himself in position to be on the podium. Mills finished 8th overall with a 7-3 record. Personally, I am excited to see what the future holds for this special young man.
Blue Stiffler finished as a Fargo champion in 2023 in the 16u division, so expectations were high even though he was in the junior division this year. Stiffler rattled off 4 straight wins getting all the way into the quarters before he fell to the number 13 seed from Oklahoma. Luckily he did just enough in the consolation rounds to hit the podium in the number 8 placer. Being a 2 time fargo placer is an extremely impressive feat, and something tells me this young man will be hungry to get back to that top spot next year.
Cody Clarke finished this 16u division in 5th place overall with a 4-2 record. Just coming off a dominant performance in the 16u national duals representing Team GA Clarke had established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the lightweight weight classes. Clarke is an interesting combination of technique and athleticism and he is a hard puzzle to solve as most of his Fargo opponents figured out. This young man did an amazing job representing our state.
The Disappointing:
Logan Paradise did not have a terrible tournament by any means, he started off strong, as expected for the UNI commit. Paradise was absolutely dominating the number 2 seed in the quarters. Going into the second period he got a big takedown and then went for a gut wrench, got a little too far forward and ended up on his back. After that loss it never seemed like he could get it back on track. For a kid who has already placed at this tournament last year, not being on the podium again this year has to be a disappointment.
Jack Godbee is a two time state placer and was a state champ for the GHSA folkstyle season this past year. He had a decent go of it at National Duals last month, and that experience can go a long way at the national level. It’s hard to explain why a wrestler of this caliber went 1-2 at this tournament.
Jacob Levy is one of the most accomplished wrestlers we have in our state. He recently committed to UNC to wrestle, he won a state championship in 2023 and 2024, he is also a Fargo champ in 2023 in the 16u age division. He lost to the eventual champion from New Jersey in the round of 16, and then again to the eventual 6th place finisher from Oklahoma so he did have a tough road. But that is what this tournament is all about, no one ever has an easy road. For a defending champion to not hit the podium has to be a disappointment.
WTF Happened?!?
Dominic Bambinelli is probably the most well known wrestler we have representing our state. He is committed to wrestle for Mizzou after he graduates. He is nationally ranked on all the websites that actually matter and is a certified badass on the mat. He was on his usual pace starting off hot going 4-0 without many issues. Bam ran into the number 2 seed in the quarters and never seemed to be able to get it going. He was also visibly hurt in his ribs and midsection area. While most wrestlers would be thrilled to leave the Fargodome with a 4-2 record, seeing this record for a wrestler like this is a head scratcher. I know the injury played an enormous part of his tournament outcome and we at Pony Boy are hoping he is able to recover quickly.
James Seivers is an up and coming stud wrestler in this state. The Social Circle rising sophomore is already a force to be reckoned with in folkstyle as he is currently a defending GHSA state champion. He had a decent showing at the national duals tournament last month. When you watch this young man wrestle you know he has something special. When you see that this young man went 0-2 like some scrub, you have to wonder WTF just happened?
You can check out the brackets and results all GA wrestlers here.
Pony Boy Wrestling 