Semis are set:
We have Piccinnini, Jonce Blaylock, Joe Smith, Chandler Rogers and Andrew Marsden in the semis and still have Austin Schafer, Dusty Hone, Tristan Moran, Ryan Blees in the consolations. Tristan Moran wrestles Deangelo again and has a chance for revenge as he lost his first round to him 5-2.
Barlow McGee dec. Piccinnini 3-1 and I missed it by going to the store for provisions for the football game.
Joe Smith dec. Joe Lavallee 5-3 with a takedown and escape in the first and two more escapes. He was close to a 2nd takedown but Lavallee hit a roll and scrambled out of it. Dusty Hone won his conso 7-2.
Chandler Rogers win his semi 12-6 over Jacobe Smith. Andrew Marsden will wrestle next.
Tristan Moran avenges his one loss by coming back and dec. DeAngelo 10-3. Ryan Blees wins his conso 4-3.
Schafer wins again in consos and Andrew Marsden pinned by Jake Smith from West Virginia
Joe Smith dec Dylan Cottrell 7-1 for 1st place. Moran comes back for fifth. Chandler Rogers up next.
I went to this tournament yesterday. I wish Kaid Brock would have been there. Joe Smith was our most impressive wrestler and he seems to be progressing every year. Therefore I would prefer that he redshirts but we have been on 34 championships for a long time. I don't think he is ready for IMAR yet but next year he may. The only takedown he gave up was to Missouri's LaValle and he lost his balance before the takedown. I wish we could get Chandler Rogers into the lineup because he continues to improve and he has a lot of fight in him. Piccinini looked decent but did not have 1 good shot on Barlow. He did not seem that quick in this tournament. Marsden has some funk but in his quarterfinal match he looked horrible the last half of that match. Blees got more offensive and actually got on wrestlers legs in his last coup[le of matches. Before that he could not get a good shot on anyone decent. Our future at 197 is questionable, I saw Weigel's 2nd match and it was shocking how horrible he wrestled. Boyd appears to be our best answer. The guy who won 133 I believe was the guy who beat Kaid solidly in that Midwest allstar event that was held after the state tournament. Moran and Hone battled. Schaeffer can look good and next match appear bad.
Harley, thanks for the recap of the tournament. Like you, I have mixed emotions about Joe Smith coming out of redshirt. I believe we have a better shot this year in winning it all than we have had in several years and we will be in a rebuilding mode next year with other teams getting stronger. This may be the year to go for all the marbles and John has said he will put the best man on the mat at each weight. I agree we have major issues at 197 but with three potential #1 wrestlers and strength at other weights this just might be the year. I trust John to make the right decision.
Some of the reserves go to the Bob Smith Open at Fort Hayes St. It is December 6 this year.
Barlow has stepped up his game from last year and Piccininni gave him the best match for the day. Enjoyed the 141 matches from Hone and Moran, tough young wrestlers. Hone has really improved from last year (really likeable young man). Marsden has been sick all week and probably shouldn't of been on the mat, showed a lot of toughness just being out there in the open competing against upper classmen. If you watched all the other schools competing for placement other than for first they usually med-out of there match against there own team mates. Sick and all, Andrew went against the better wrestler and showed no quit in him. That's the kind of wrestler that I want on our team, if you also haven't notice most of our young wrestlers has improved a lot since Sept. One more point, all freshmen from Iowa wrested in the frosh/soph division, and last year all ours did too.
