Pennsylvania wrestler Joey Bachmann named SBLive national champion at 106 pounds

Bachmann's victory at Super 32 Tournament was the springboard to a special season for freshman phenom

Joey Bachmann arrived on the national high school wrestling scene with an exclamation mark in October of 2023, winning the prestigious Super 32 Tournament. At Super 32, Bachmann pinned No. 8 Rocco Hayes (Carl Sandburg, IL) in the finals.

The freshman phenom added wins over No. 4 Shamus Regan (Wyoming Seminary, PA), and two guys who landed at 113 for the season, No. 20 Ezekiel Witt (Manhattan, KS) and Honorable Mention Wyatt Lees (Detroit Catholic Central, MI) at this affair.

Faith Christian Academy freshman Joey Bachmann is the SBLive Sports 106-pound National Wrestling Champion

Bachmann defeated Regan two more times, both as the regular season got underway – in a dual meet and the finals of Ironman. The Lion added a win over No. 7 Rocco Cassioppi (Honengah, IL) to his ledger at Ironman.

Bachmann’s next challenge came at the Beast of the East, where he locked down another hallowed crown with a win over No. 3 Cam Sontz (Delbarton, NJ) in the finals.

A title at the Coal Cracker Invitational included a win over No. 10 Dominick Morrison (Hatboro-Horsham, PA) en route to the gold.

The title at Super 32 gave Bachmann the No. 1 ranking, as there was a loss lurking in his past to No. 2 Dominic Deputy (Chestnut Ridge, PA) at the Journeymen Spring Classic in 2023. Deputy ended Super 32 in the 4th spot, with both of his losses being to wrestlers that moved to 113 as the season began.

After locking down the AA Southeast Region title with a win over previously ranked Samuel Wolford (North Lebanon), Bachmann rolled into the state tournament on a collision course with Deputy. After slaying his early opponents, a rematch in the finals awaited him, and Bachmann delivered with a 6-1 win to reaffirm his No. 1 ranking and finish the year with a 34-0 record.

Some of Bachmann’s pre-high school accomplishments include being a six-time Pennsylvania Youth State Champion (Hasn’t lost at states since he was five years old but opted out some years and Covid one year). Seven-time Super 32 Champ, who won his eighth this year.

He made the 2023 World Team and finished third in the World in Freestyle. U17 and U15 Freestyle gold medal Pan Am and U15 gold in Greco-Roman.

Deputy was a state runner-up last year as well. The sophomore defeated the No. 3 and 5 wrestlers to win the PowerAde crown, downing Sontz in the finals, and Killian Coluccio (Christian Brothers Academy, NJ). At Super 32, he hung a loss on No. 6 Caleb Noble (Warren Township, IL).

Sontz gained his No. 3 position after avenging a Super 32 loss to Regan with two wins at the Hall of Fame Duals and PowerAde. Sontz lost to Coluccio in the state duals but avenged that with a win at states on the way to winning the championship. Sontz placed 8th at Super 32, 2nd at the Beast, and 2nd at PowerAde.

Regan was fifth at Super 32, second at Ironman, third at PowerAde (with a win over Coluccio), and a National Prep Champ. At Super 32, the freshman beat Noble.

In addition to the state duals win, Coluccio, who won the Escape The Rock tournament, also has a win over Sontz from last spring’s Ultimate Club Duals. Coluccio was 4th at PowerAde with a win over No. 15 Alex Diaz (Council Rock North, Pennsylvania).

Faith Christian Academy's Joey Bachmann finished his freshman high school season with a 34-0 record and numerous prestigious tournament titles

FINAL 2023-24 SBLIVE 106 NATIONAL WRESTLING RANKINGS

1-Joe Bachmann (Faith Christian Academy, PA) FR

2-Dominic Deputy (Chestnut Ridge, PA) SO

3-Cam Sontz (Delbarton, NJ) FR

4-Shamus Regan (Wyoming Seminary, PA) FR

5-Killian Coluccio (Christian Brothers Academy, NJ) FR

6-Caleb Noble (Warren Township, IL) FR

7-Rocco Cassioppi (Honengah, IL) FR

8-Rocco Hayes (Carl Sandburg, IL) JR

9-Henry Aslikyan (Birmingham, CA) SO

10-Dominic Morrison (Hatboro-Horsham, PA) FR

11-Arseni Kikiniou (Poway, CA) FR

12-Jake Goodin (Edmond North, OK) JR

13-Turner Ross (Simley, MN) FR

14-Aiden Herndon (Cedar Cliff, PA) FR

15-Alexander Diaz (Council Rock North, PA) SR

16-Julian Rios (Phillips Academy, MA) SO

17-Liam McGettigan (Gilman, MD) FR

18-Allen Woo (Montini Catholic, IL) FR

19-Nico DeSalvo (Southeast Polk, IA) FR

20-Peyton Schoettle (Roncalli, IN) SO

21-Mason Jones (Lake Central, IN) SR

22-Hayden Schwab (Don Bosco, IA) FR

23-Emilio Albanese (Emmaus, PA) FR

24-Max Tancini (Perkiomen Valley) SO

25-Nicholas McGarrity (Peters Township, PA) FR

HM:

Wilmont Kai (Whitehall, PA) SO

Nicholas Salamone (Easton, PA) SO

Connor Lagier (West Scranton, PA) SO

Brandon Bickerton (Highland, OH) FR

Ayden Dodd (Perrysburg, OH) SO

Blake Woodard (Buchanan, CA) SO

Jarrett Smith (Lowell, MI) SO

Royce Malone (Monrovia, IN) FR

Jensen Boyd (Delta, IN) FR