ORDER GAME PHOTOS

Earlier this summer the state of Idaho took the Fargo Dome in North Dakota by storm and for the first time in history won a national team title at the U.S. Nationals (16U/Juniors) in the Junior Greco-Roman division. On top of that, Idaho produced the largest number of Junior Greco All-Americans in the team race with ten, which is also a new state record (previous record was 7). The list of national level achievements for Team Idaho are plentiful, but for the focus of this article, I am going to narrow it down to an individual that not only has had one of the best heavyweight rivalries in the country, but also contributed a great deal to the team title and for the last several years has accumulated quite an impressive list of accolades on the mat, gridiron, and in the classroom.

This rivalry included two very highly accomplished prep heavyweight wrestlers in the country, living within five miles of each other in the greater Boise area. They are Oregon State commit Aden Attao (2023 graduate of Borah H.S. in Boise) and Shilo Jones, a senior at Mountain View High School in Meridian. Together, they have built quite an impressive list of accolades, which to give an example includes a combined twenty-one All-American honors. There is much more that I can elaborate on each, but moving forward, I will shift my primary focus on Shilo. Currently ranked in the top 15 by two of the nation’s major ranking outlets (#12 FLO/#14 MatScouts), Shilo is now the top heavyweight wrestler in the state of Idaho entering the 2023-’24 prep season. As of late, he has been omnipresent and very successful at many state, regional, and national competitions, but to a moderate extent has been in the shadows of his rival, Attao.

Shilo’s journey in wrestling began at an early age when his father, TJ, introduced him and his older brother, Seth, to the sport when they were only in elementary school. Considering that his family was very active with a multitude of sports and extracurricular activities in the area, wrestling did not catch on at first, but from middle school on, it became more of a central focus along with football. By the time Shilo entered his freshman year at Mountain View High School in the fall of 2020, it didn’t take long for him to impact the competition and make a name for himself as he entered the state and national level radars early on. For starters, he qualified to compete at the 5A Idaho State Championships, placing sixth in the 220-weight division and only a few months later earned his first All-American honor at the USAW Folkstyle Nationals (16U) in Iowa.

You may have heard the phrases, “to become the best, you have to surround yourself with the best” or “Iron sharpens Iron.” When it comes to the sport of wrestling, it is essential to have a dedicated workout partner that not only has a great work ethic, but is also driven by the same vision and level of goals. Fortunately for Shilo, it just so happens that he is in one of the toughest wrestling rooms in the state of Idaho when it comes to the heavyweight division. For instance, since his childhood, he and his teammate Aiden McGinnis have been training and pushing one another to reach the next level. To date, McGinnis (Class of 2024) is a two-time state qualifier, Western Regional finalist in each style (16U), and has also earned All-American honors at the USAW Folkstyle Nationals (16U). It doesn’t stop there! Moving from Oregon to Idaho prior to the start of his junior year in 2021 – ‘2022, heavyweight Braden Moore entered the Mountain View wrestling room and from the get go only made the competition for the top two spots on the varsity team that much tougher (Note: In the 5A division, the top two wrestlers in each weight group per school are eligible to qualify from districts to state). That season, Moore and McGinnis remained at 285s, while Shilo competed at 220s. All qualified to state, but it was only Shilo that came home with some hardware (Note: The following season, Moore placed third at state, Western Regionals, and is now a freshman at Eastern Oregon University).

Rewinding back to Shilo’s sophomore season. Like clockwork, he continued his journey to the reach the top podium at state and beyond. Throughout the regular season, he had his ups and downs, but in the end put the pieces together during the post season by winning the district III divisional state qualifier and then moving up an additional rung of the ladder by placing fifth at state in the 220-weight group. After state, he continued training with McGinnis and Moore at the Best-on-Best practices led by Idaho USA leader Chris Owens and then performed well at the freestyle and Greco state and regional levels. He then capped his summer circuit by earning additional All-American honors at the USAW High School Recruiting Showcase, Folkstyle Nationals, and Fargo Nationals.

By the end of the summer circuit and through the football season, Shilo began to experience a growth spurt, which now put him in the 285-pound weight category with teammates McGinnis and Moore. From day one, the battles within the Mountain View wrestling room to maintain the top two spots between the trio intensified. It made matters even tougher for Shilo when Attao made the decision to compete an additional year for Borah (up to his sophomore year, Attao focused mainly on Greco and freestyle with Suples). Not only did Shilo have a tough wrestling room to contend with, he now had one of the best wrestlers in the country and world in his midst. The great rivalry begins!

Regarded as one of the top high school level competitions in the greater western United States, Shilo entered the Reno Tournament of Champions in late December. At this point, his hard work and commitment to reach greater heights in the sport was beginning to pay off. Reaching the championship finals in a talented field of heavyweights, Shilo met his familiar rival, Attao. Leading up to the finals, Attao had dominated his competition by either winning by pin or technical fall, but on center stage, Shilo gave him the best match of the tournament, only losing by a slim margin of 5-3 (At this point, Attao had already won the USAW triple crown, Pan American Gold, and earned the Bronze at the U20 World Championships). This was an important leading indicator for Shilo, especially early in the new season where his recent performances provided him a greater perspective of his growth and position among the top-level competition in the country.  

Throughout the remainder of the season, Shilo met Attao several more times and experienced the same fate. Regardless, the norm at this point was he never backed down from his challenges and was one of the few wrestlers that battled Attao from start to finish, and did not meet defeat by pin. Always moving forward, Shilo kept focused and dominated a majority of his competition for the remainder of the regular season, but once again faced Attao in the district and state finals. Losing both matches, Shilo did not make any excuses and immediately after state, put his nose to the grindstone and prepared for the off-season summer circuit.

Entering the 2023 summer circuit with three Idaho state medals in addition to five All-American honors to his credit, Shilo did not take much time off, recalibrated, and focused on his future goals. Moving forward, his training regimen and competition scheduled intensified and increased significantly. At this moment, his demanding schedule included the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) Junior Nationals in Virginia Beach, Folkstyle Nationals in Iowa, US Open in Las Vegas, Junior Duals in Oklahoma, Western Regionals in Utah, and then the big test at Fargo where he planned to compete in both styles. Definitely not an easy task!

To attempt such a demanding schedule requires a lot of focus, discipline, true grit, support, and good fortune. For instance, not only is the competition level going to be tough as nails throughout, but to travel back and forth across the country takes its toll, both mentally and physically. Spending a majority of his time back east, Shilo performed well in his first two national level tournaments, earning All-American honors at both the NHSCA and Folkstyle Nationals, respectively. He then traveled back to the west coast and competed in the US Open. In the opening rounds, he performed well, but then lost to his rival, Attao, in a hard-fought quarter-final match. Shilo once again, regrouped and bounced back in the consolation rounds to earn his eighth All-American honor.

After the US Open, Shilo initially planned to join Team Idaho at the Junior National Duals in Oklahoma, but due to a minor injury sustained at the US Open, he decided to take some time off to heal. To maintain his cardio, he attended a football conditioning camp at Boise State instead. Not too long after the camp, Shilo felt healthy enough to compete at the USAW Junior Western Regionals where he had his eyes set on the Fargo Nationals in July. By winning the Greco division and placing second in freestyle, Shilo was back on track, both physically and mentally, and ready to take on Fargo.  

For the past several years, it has been Shilo’s goal to earn double All-American honors at Fargo (Place in the top 8 in both freestyle and Greco). Heading into this year’s championships, Shilo had already earned a Fargo All-American honor the year prior, but was more than ready to take on this new challenge. In the Junior freestyle competition, he won his preliminary matches with no major challenges, but then lost a tough match in the quarter-finals. Despite this loss, he regrouped, came back strong in the consolation rounds, and finished sixth in a highly competitive weight that featured several national ranked wrestlers. Next came Junior Greco! With nine All-American honors to his credit, Shilo not only desired a tenth, but also wanted another shot at Attao before he moved on to the collegiate level.

In the Greco competition, Shilo came out of the gates blazing and won his first four matches by a combined score of 32-0. In the semi-finals, he dominated his opponent with great skill and determination. By reaching the championship finals, he helped secure Team Idaho’s first national title in addition to facing his rival and teammate for the seventh time in the last year. At this point, Shilo had earned his tenth (X) All-American honor, achieved his goal of earning double All-American honors, but once again had to face his rival for the BIG PRIZE, a national Fargo title or as it’s known in the wrestling circles, “The Stop Sign.” Ironically, only a few weeks prior, he was going head-to-head and training with Attao at the Team Idaho Fargo training camp in preparation for this great event. Unfortunately, the finals match did not last very long. From the first whistle, Attao executed a series of high scoring moves to score a victory by superiority over Shilo in the first 20 seconds. The silver lining in this loss was that Shilo proved to himself that he was more than capable of maintaining a high-level and demanding tournament schedule throughout the country, overcome an injury in the process, and to achieve his goal of double All-American at Fargo. Oh, let’s not forget he now had ten (X) All-American honors to his credit before entering his senior year in high school.

When it comes to Shilo winning his tenth All-American honor, the letter “X” sticks out to me. For instance, the letter “X” denotes the number ten in the Roman numeral system. It also is used as a variable to stand for the unknown quantity in algebra. In my humble opinion, I believe Shilo has not reached his true potential and has the athletic skill set to reach the highest point in wrestling or whatever he sets his mind to achieve. Keeping that algebra “X” in mind, it’s a high probability that Shilo will make every attempt to change the variable in the letter “X” in the future years to come.

“Shilo Jones has done a great job of putting himself on the national scene by placing at many high-level events over the past couple of years. I think the best could be yet to come for Shilo because of his capacity and love for hard work!”

• Chris Owens, Director of Idaho USA Wrestling  

Along with his wrestling abilities, Shilo is also an exceptional student and player on the gridiron. For example, he maintains a 3.52 (cumulative) grade point average, has earned honor roll multiple times, and in 2022 earned All-Conference Academic honors. On the gridiron, Shilo enters his third year with the varsity team as a defensive lineman and last season made the First Team All-Southern conference. Additionally, his family is very active and has been a great support system and the common denominator of his accomplishments. For instance, his father, TJ, a three-sport athlete in high school (wrestling, football, and golf) is one of his wrestling coaches while his mother, Toni, also a former three-sport athlete (volleyball, basketball, and Track & Field) is the glue that has kept the logistics of family, sport, school, and daily life together. On top of that, Shilo’s siblings are also very active in sports. His older brother, Seth, is currently a member of the golf team at Boise State, while his younger sister, Samantha, a sophomore at Mountain View is on the varsity soccer and basketball teams. Furthermore, she is also active with a travel soccer team. What’s more, Shilo’s siblings are also exceptional students. Impressive!!

In closing, since the beginning of my interview process with Shilo, I have learned so much more about him and his family, their journey together, and the sacrifices they have all made to reach this point. Beyond a shadow of doubt, Shilo is definitely a “HIDDEN GEM” in the state of Idaho that has surfaced and made a name for himself, not only in the Gem State, but across the country. Although he has been in the shadows of his rival, Attao, I truly believe it was Shilo’s shadow that kept Attao on his feet and was motivator for him to reach his own dreams. The future is unknown and has not been written, but one thing is certain, Shilo will always strive to achieve his goals and much more, even in the midst of failure. My college wrestling coach, Zack Papachristos, frequently emphasized to his athletes, “Always strive for perfection, but settle only for excellence.” Shilo definitely lives his life by this motto.

I look forward to Shilo’s future journey and what he achieves moving forward. He expressed to me that he desires to become a Mechanical Engineer someday and among many other goals in life to win an individual Idaho State title this coming season and an NCAA title in college. He is more than capable of achieving these goals. I say, follow your dreams whatever they may be. Shilo is no longer a HIDDEN GEM, but now among the TOP TIER wrestlers in the country. Stay tuned!

Recently, I had the opportunity to perform a Q&A interview with Shilo (family inclusive). We talked about wrestling, goals, family life, academics, and his future. Below is my Q&A with Shilo in addition to his academic and athletic profile. Enjoy!

Q&A INTERVIEW WITH SHILO JONES

HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INVOLVED IN THE SPORT OF WRESTLING? 

SHILO – My family is very active in sports, my Dad thought it was important to have lots of different experiences: baseball, hockey, golf, football, track and field, and wrestling. My dad first introduced my brother and I to wrestling when I was still in elementary school. He would take us to roll with the Kuna wrestling club. I think I was still a little too young to digest fully what they were teaching, but I still enjoyed it. We would play king of the ring; I don’t think I ever lost that game. Because of my size, age, and experience there was not a lot of kids to justify wrestling in tournaments. Then in 6^th grade I started wrestling because all my football buddies were, So I wanted to join. In middle school I could start to compete a little bit against kids my own size as a middle school HWT. I started to find some success in middle school, I won the Treasure Valley tournament and Middle school state these were some of my best accomplishments at the time. 

WHO HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCE IN THE SPORT?

SHILO – I have had some of the greatest coaches and training partners that anyone could ask for.  Every one of those people have had an impact on who I am today. From my battle buddies at practice, my coaches, my dad, my grandpa, everyone has been more then generous with their time to help me represent my school, my state, and my family. My big brother has blazed a path that is hard to follow: Cal Ripken World Series, National Hockey Championships, Golf Championships, Junior Hockey carrier and now D1 Golfer at BSU. My baby sister is also very active in high school sports including: travel Soccer, basketball, and Track.  All three of us had a 4.0 GPA and Academic honors last year, my Mom and Dad are most proud of that data point. All three of us have chosen different paths to follow, but we still influence each other greatly.

DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE AT MOUNTAIN VIEW HIGH SCHOOL, BOTH ON THE MAT AND IN CLASSROOM.

SHILO - MVHS is the largest high school in Idaho and it is loaded with great people and talented athletes. But that is a double edge sword, often there are athletes that don’t get the opportunity to showcase their abilities just because the environment to represent the school is so competitive. We have students that would be stars in other environments that don’t even get a chance to play for MVHS. Take MVHS wrestling last year for example, we had 4 of the best HWTs in the state but only 2 wrestlers get to qualify for district and state events. Some High schools do not even have 1 HWT. This is true for other sports as well but the positive is that MVHS is almost always competitive at the state level and loaded with talent.   

Academics are the same, lots of resources, some great teachers, but lots of kids in each class trying to find their way to the next level, whatever that might be. MHVS staff has been great working with me and my very competitive travel schedule during the year. I still achieved a 4.0 GPA last spring wrestling and traveling 3-4 times a month. I have been blessed that my Dad, Coaches, and volunteers are deeply vested in helping the wrestling program at MVHS year around. Same is true for other sports and activities at the school.      

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE UPCOMING SEASON AT MOUTAIN VIEW?

SHILO - The goal this year is to be the Idaho HWT state champion, not just 5A but the true undisputed Idaho champion. I want to set the benchmark for our team, and demonstrate the culture that can be passed on to the next generation of MVHS wresters. Then I will turn my attention to the post high school national events where I will wrestle for the National Championships in Folkstyle, Freestyle and Greco. I have been knocking on the door for a few years now earning 10 All American honors. I want to be the best by competing with the best at a national level. I also hope to be training and competing at the college level the following year. I am on track to celebrate 150 High school wins representing MVHS early this season, not very many people have those kind of high school numbers, not counting a significant number of post season competitions.

HAVING HAD SOME GREAT SUCCESS AT THIS POINT IN YOUR CAREER, DESCRIBE YOUR TRAINING ROUTINE AND YOUR OUTLOOK IN THE YEARS AHEAD.

SHILO - Thanks for recognizing and documenting my accomplishment and the effort it takes to get there, its greatly appreciated. My family thinks it is important to reflect and celebrate your achievements. Reflection and documentation give perspective on the mile stones and how you can improve or change the path going forward. I basically train year around for Football and Wrestling but often those activities overlap so it is not as simple as hours spent and mat time. I have been Wrestling in Indianapolis for Team Idaho one day and BSU Football camp the next.  Often going from a full football practice or weight training to Best on Best wrestling. I hope to take that work ethic and do great things in the future both in academics and athletics.

DO YOU HAVE AMBITIONS OF COMPETING AT THE COLLEGIATE LEVEL?

SHILO – Yes, we are currently looking at options to wrestle or play football at the NCAA D1 level. I would like to study mechanical engineering and compete as an Athlete. I’m currently open to opportunities and I’m in contact with several programs that we will be visiting and evaluating the financial probability of those opportunities. My parents have clearly articulated to me that school is where you specialize in a subject for a career, if you can enhance your experience or get help financially through athletics, that’s a bonus.

IS THERE AN OLYMPIAN, COLLEGIATE LEVEL WRESTLER, COACH OR SOMEONE OUTSIDE OF THE SPORT OF WRESTLING THAT YOU WANT TO ASPIRE TO BE SOMEDAY?

SHILO – I’m lucky enough to have a lot of great leaders and mentors surrounding me, from coaches, teammates, and family.  All of which have influenced me and shown me something that I can strive for. However, I want to pave my own path and see where it takes me. During the US Open in Las Vegas this year I had the chance to see some of the best College and Olympic HWTs in the country. On ESPN or TV, they are bigger than life, but in reality, I’m just as big and I am still growing and maturing at age 17.  

WHAT LIFE LESSONS HAVE YOU LEARNED IN WRESTLING THAT APPLIES IN YOUR DAY-TO-DAY LIFE?

SHILO - Wrestling has taught me how to be comfortable when I am uncomfortable. As well as teaching me to not be afraid of failure, because it shows you where your abilities are and how you can improve them. As my grandpa Tom says, “A good ass kicking never hurt anyone.” So, the lesson there is that failure is only failure if you don’t learn anything from it.

DO YOU HAVE A SAYING, PHILOSOPHY OR MOTTO THAT YOU LIVE BY?

SHILO - My parents say: “live everyday like it might be your last, but plan on living 100 years”. What that means to me is Balance, you must enjoy and celebrate each day, because it very well could be your last.  But you must invest in your education, relationships, career, and your financial assets like you are going to be here for a very long time.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE A YOUNG WRESTLER WANTING TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE SPORT OF WRESTLING OR IN LIFE?

SHILO – There are things that you can do to be successful that require zero talent just the responsibility and dedication. Do those things well regardless of your talent level and you will be a success.

OUTSIDE THE SPORT OF WRESTLING, WHAT OTHER GOALS DO YOU HAVE IN LIFE?

SHILO - High School Graduation is one of the big mile stones this year. Football is also big part of my life today and I am playing football this fall for MVHS. The goal every year is to be Conference and State Champs, and my hope is being voted one of the best players in the state. There will be some opportunities for me to play football at the next level. I will pick the school and sport that’s best for me. When I am in college my goal is to specialize in mechanical engineering and prepare me for the next stage of my life.     

ONCE YOU ARE DONE COMPETING, DO YOU HAVE PLANS TO STAY INVOLVED WITH WRESTLING? 

SHILO – I hope to carry on, teach my kids and maybe others some of the lessons and tricks that I learned along the way. We have a few guys that drop in from time to time in our wrestling room and they make a huge contribution in just a few hours here and there. It takes both those coaches that are fulltime and those that can share their wisdom at the appropriate time.

WHAT HOBBIES AND FAMILY FUNCTIONS DO YOU ENJOY MOST?

SHILO – Sports are a big part of my family’s life, both time and resources and we travel a lot for those events. Often more than one of us is on the road playing in some event each week. But when we don’t have an event on the calendar, we try and leverage that same well-rounded approach to life and have a little taste of everything. We get out of the house and enjoy the outdoors, camp, fish, raft, boat, hunt, and enjoy all the great things that Idaho has to offer. I would like to do those things even more often, but for now I have made a commitment to high school football and wrestling. 

ACADEMIC AND ATHLETIC PROFILE

Shilo Jones

SCHOOL: Mountain View High School, Meridian (5A)

WRESTLING CLUBS: Team Idaho/Best-on-Best

GRADE: 12 (Class of 2024)

WEIGHT GROUP: 285

RECORD: 117 – 34 (M.V.H.S)

NATIONAL RANKINGS: #12 FLO/#14 MatScouts (#140 Senior Big Board)

ACADEMIC ACCOLADES

• GPA: 3.52 (Cumulative)
• Honor Roll (multiple times)
• All-Southern Conference – Academics ‘22

WRESTLING ACCOLADES

• Fargo Junior Greco Finalist/ALL-AMERICAN ‘23
• Fargo Junior FS ALL-AMERICAN ’23
• USA Junior Greco Western Regionals Champion ‘23
• USA Junior FS Western Regionals Finalist ’23
• US Open Greco ALL-AMERICAN (U20) ‘23
• USAW Folkstyle ALL-AMERICAN (U18) ‘23
• NHSCA Junior High School ALL-AMERICAN – 3^rd Place ’23
• Idaho 5A State Championships – 2^nd Place ‘23
• IHSAA 5A District III – 2^nd Place ‘23
• Reno Tournament of Champions – Finalist/ALL-AMERICAN ‘22
• Fargo Junior Greco ALL-AMERICAN ‘22
• USA Junior FS Western Regionals Finalist ‘22
• USA Junior Greco Western Regionals Finalist ‘22
• USMC Folkstyle ALL-AMERICAN ‘22
• USAW HS National Recruiting Showcase Champion/ALL-AMERICAN ‘22
• Idaho 5A State Championships – 5^th Place ‘22
• IHSAA 5A – District III Champion ‘22
• USAW Folkstyle ALL-AMERICAN (16U) ’21
• Idaho 5A State Championships – 6^th Place ’21
• IHSAA 5A District III – 5^th Place ‘21

FOOTBALL ACCOLADES

• All Southern Idaho Conference Defensive Lineman ’22 (FIRST TEAM)
• 3x Varsity Defensive Lineman