By Benny Mitchell
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Delaware individual state championships. The DIAA will hold the event at Cape Henlopen High School as 224 wrestlers will battle it out over two days and in the end only 14 will be crowned state champions for 2026.
We have scoured through the brackets, checked our crystal ball and have broken down the favorites, the sleepers and some dangerous opponents lurking in the brackets.
106 pounds
Freshman Luca Seramone (Delaware Military) has been at the top of the rankings since the beginning of the season and gets the top seed in the state tournament. Ryan Farissier (Milford) sits at the four seed. Seramone pinned him early in the season.
Julian Phillips (Wm Penn) is athletic and big for 106 pounds. He and Jaden Udhe (Smyrna) could have a rematch of the Delcastle Invitational in Saturday morning’s semis.
Bracket Landmine: The top five are pretty solid in this bracket.
Sleepers: Natalie Radecki (Caravel) tons of national and international experience on the girls side.
113 pounds
Wrestling fans expect to see Donato – Pierson 5. Defending state champion Ben Donato (Caesar Rodney) is the top seed after winning his second Henlopen Conference title. Michael Pierson (Smyrna) is on the other side of the bracket as the two seed. They have split the last two meetings and both close matches.
Bracket Landmine: The rest of the field is wrestling for third.
Sleeper: Samar Robertson (Howard) made his arrival on the wrestling scene last weekend winning the Blue Hen Conference title.
120 pounds
This will be a fun weight class to watch this weekend. Cole Perrin (Delaware Military) the Independent Conference champion gets the nod as the top seed. Jamen Haliburton (Smyrna) and Nathan Moore (Laurel) will have a rematch of their Henlopen Conference championship on Friday night for the right to meet Perrin in the semifinals.
Defending state champion Gabe Campanelli (Salesianum) is the two seed and could face a third match this season with Mason Milligan (First State Military). Campanelli has two wins over Milligan thus far this season.
Perrin, Campanelli and Milligan have all three held the top spot in the rankings at some point this season.
Bracket Landmine: Cale Baker (Cape Henlopen) at the six seed could make things interesting.
Sleeper: Robert Ritterbeck (Newark Charter) sitting at the seven seed may make some noise on the backside of the bracket.
126 pounds
Dominic Lucian (Salesianum) having been in three state finals winning as a freshman appears to be focused on the top of the podium. He is the top seed and should find his way to another state final.
The bottom half of the bracket is loaded and could be a state tournament itself. Clif Bakhsh (St. Mark’s) a three time finalist is the two seed looking to get the monkey off his back and get his first state title. Three seed Nicholas Papiro (Delaware Military) stands in his way.
Bracket Landmine: DeMarion Russ (Lake Forest) is a dangerous seven seed.
Sleeper: Austin Guerrieri (Cape Henlopen) won a state title as a freshman and then missed last season’s tournament with an injury. He is the six seed.
132 pounds
Defending state champion Anthony Andrews (Sussex Tech) sits atop the bracket and is looking to repeat on Saturday night. Kaquan Holland (Wm. Penn) was upset in the Blue Hen Conference finals and got bumped to the four seed.
Blue Hen champ Brayden Kelley (Middletown) will look to keep the upset train going in the bottom bracket, but Henlopen runner up Andrew Almafitano (Woodbridge) sits at the two seed. Almafitano has quietly just won big matches this season.
Bracket Landmine: Zachary Derbyshire (Salesianum) at a six seed is dangerous.
Sleeper: Gabe Crenshaw (Smyrna) and Tyler Delcollo (Delaware Military) could shake up this bracket.
138 pounds
The craziness will continue in this wild bracket. Rusty Lloyd (St. Georges) emerges as the top seed after winning the Blue Hen Conference title. Zeke O’Hara (Laurel) is going to be a tough out as the five seed.
Dominic Spennato (Salesianum) the Independent champ and Logan King (Sussex Tech) the Henlopen champ could have a rematch from the Delcastle Invitational in the semifinals.
This is a weight class that has the most changes at the top in the rankings. Any one of eight guys could legitimately win this weight class. Who shows up on Saturday?
Bracket Landmine: Tripp Gannon (Cape Henlopen) and J.J. Spence (Caesar Rodney) will meet in the first round and are a threat in the top half of the bracket.
Sleeper: Mark Everitt (Sussex Central) had a good Henlopen tournament. Keep an eye on him. He is the seven seed.
144 pounds
This bracket is top heavy with Bam Cordell (St. Georges) is the top seed and will await the winner of the John Rovillard (Sussex Central) and Tyler Rosan (Polytech) rematch from the Henlopen finals.
Carter Davis (Salesianum) will eye up a rematch with Jackson Grandel (Delaware Military) for a trip to the state finals.
Bracket Landmine: Josh Hernandez (Delcastle).
Sleeper: Don’t sleep on Ryan Risko (Newark Charter).
150 pounds
Jamir Ross (Wm Penn) won the Blue Hen Conference championship and the top seed for this weight class. Rajat Bhaskaran (Delaware Military) and Ian Alfree (Smyrna) should square off in the quarterfinals for a chance to meet Ross on Saturday morning.
Grayson Davis (Cape Henlopen) the Henlopen Champion sits at the two seed. Ethan Ferger (Caesar Rodney) is the third seed and will have to get through Garrett Till (Salesianum) if he wants the chance of a rematch of the Henlopen finals Saturday.
Bracket Landmine: I don’t see anyone blowing up this bracket.
Sleeper: Ian Messick (Laurel) at the nine seed is in a nice spot to work the backside of the bracket.
157 pounds
Defending state champion Nick Walker (Cape Henlopen) grabs the top seed in this bracket and is favored to return to the state finals. Max Morrison (St. Mark’s) and Miguel Sigaran (Caesar Rodney) sit at the four and five seeds respectively, always the fun part of the bracket. The winner gets Walker in the semis.
The bottom of the bracket is not as clear. Jerusalem Howard (Lake Forest) was the Henlopen runner-up, but was awarded the two seed while Santino Sianni (Salesianum) the Independent champ is the three seed. They should meet in Saturday’s semifinal.
Bracket Landmine: I really see this as a three man race to the finals.
Sleeper: No one jumps off the page here. Maybe a weight class that goes close to chalk.
165 pounds
Last year’s bracket landmine is this year’s favorite. Justin Ryland (Delaware Military) was a state finalist last year and has been ranked #1 since the first day of this season. Chase Thompson (Salesianum) and Bennett Brumbley (Sussex Tech) will meet Friday night for a trip to the semis.
Blue Hen Conference champion Camar Miller (Wm Penn) and Henlopen Conference champ Davonne Dallas (Milford) may be on a collision course for the semifinals on Saturday. Miller has just one loss in state and that was to Brumbley in early December.
Bracket Landmine: Not seeing anyone that will break through.
Sleeper: Doubensly Saint Jean (Seaford) could finish much higher than his 14 seed.
175 pounds
Roman Cimorosi (Wilmington Charter) is looking to be the first ever state champion for the Force. Blue Hen champion Nick Eddinger (Middletown) may have something to say about that in Saturday’s semis.
Sloan Makoujy (Wilmington Friends) was a 2025 state finalist at 157 and jumped up two weight classes this year and got the two seed. Ben Ranauto (Salesianum) is the three seed in a weight class that will be as interesting at 138 pounds.
Bracket Landmine: Jose Washington (McKean) could cause problems in the top bracket.
Sleeper: T. J. Potter (Caesar Rodney) surprised everyone last weekend. A Henlopen Conference champ at the 7th seed is a dangerous spot.
190 pounds
Defending state champ Brayden Ranauto (Salesianum) is the front runner in this weight. In fact so dominant this season this may be a race for second place. He should meet Teagan Gratkowski (Smyrna) in the semifinals.
Henlopen Conference champion Jeremiah Heath (Caesar Rodney) and Josh Jalloh (First State Military) met back in January at the Delcastle Invitational and should both survive to meet in the semifinals.
Bracket Landmine: Carter Dulin (Polytech) will be a tough out in the quarterfinals.
Sleeper: Lawson Josefyk (Wilmington Charter).
215 pounds
Chase Lewis (Lake Forest) grabs the top seed in one of the most competitive weight classes. Shane Montgomery (St. Mark’s) could be a problem as the number four seed.
A highly anticipated third match between Jacque Wilson (Middletown) and Vaughn Brooks (McKean), two of the state’s top linebackers during the football season, awaits Saturday.
Bracket Landmine: The top four should advance.
Sleeper: Jadyn Thompson-Green (Caesar Rodney).
285 pounds
Greg Lockett (Milford) is the only unbeaten wrestler in the state and needs to do it four more times this weekend to win a state title. Te’Quan Smith (Woodbridge) fell to Lockett in the Henlopen finals and would probably like another shot in the semis.
Two seed Matt Brunner (Caravel) has had two close matches with Lockett, but a talented Jahlil Settles (St. Georges) stands in his path to the state finals.
Bracket Landmine: John Bittman (Conrad).
Sleeper: Caesar Thomas (Howard) is big and athletic and could get on a roll this weekend.
