Post by eazee on Apr 1, 2007 8:07:11 GMT -5
Here are the matchups:
103: Taylor Louie (CA) vs Chris Done (CA): In the smallest bracket of the tournament you have 2 CA boys going at it. California usually has sucess here w/ the 103's. Both guys were SQ's with Done placing 4th and he's my pick.
Champ: Done (CA)
112: Eric Olanowski (VA)--Delaware St vs Nektoe Demison (CA): The most interesting matchup was probably in the semi's between Olanowski and Ohio's Bo Touris. However, I'm sure Demison a CA 3rd place finisher will give Olanowski a match. In the end though I have to go with the Va State Champ in front of his hometown crowd.
Champ: Olanowski (VA)
119: Zach Sanders (MN)--Minnesota vs Nikko Triggas (CA)--Ohio St: One of the matchups that I was hoping to see. The winner may get to take home a #1 national ranking. The question is will the luster be off this matchup after Sanders' loss last week at the Dapper Dan, or will it refocus him. Speaking of focused, a tech fall win by Triggas over PA runner up Nic Bedelyon was one of the most impressive results of the tournament.
Champ: Triggas (CA)
125: Boris Novachkov (CA)--Cal Poly vs Matt Ortega (NM)--Indiana: Ortega kind of suprised me getting to the finals with a win over ILL's John Starzyk. Novachkov is too much though and CA gets their 3rd champ in 4 weights.
Champ: Novachkov (CA)
130: Kellen Russell (NJ)--Michigan vs Tyler Nauman (PA)--Pitt
3rd matchup of the year between these two. Nauman won the first in the Beast finals, then again last week at the Dapper Dan. I going with the phrase "3rd time's a charm" here.
Champ: Russell (NJ)
135: Ryan Prater (ILL) vs Chris Diaz (DE)--Indiana--No offense to these two guys but this isn't one of the stronger weight classes of the tournament. Diaz, though scored a pretty big upset beating Blair's Max Shanaman in the semi. Prater is my pick and it is suprising that he is ILL's lone representative in the finals.
Champ: Prater (ILL)
140: Frank Molinaro (NJ)--Penn State vs Jamal Parks (OK)--Oklahoma State--Great matchup between two guys who have to be as built as you will find in a HS 140. These guys missed each other earlier in the year at the Beast, when Molinaro was still at 145. My opinion is that this will be the match of the night.
Champ: Parks (OK)
145: Seth Vernon (OK)--Oklahoma vs Jamal Lawrence (IN)--These are the two finalist of a pretty balanced weight class. Neither seemed particularly dominated, Vernon won 2 matches by a point each. Aside from 103, this is the only weight where I haven't seen both guys before, so I really don't know what to expect.
Champ: Vernon (OK)
152: Tim Darling (PA)--Penn State vs Vincent Renault (MA)--Tim Darling has been head and shoulder above everyone so far and will probably be again. Renault beat the wrestler I picked to be in the final Chris Hacker (OK) in the quarters. I can't think of too many guys from Mass. who have been in the finals, but one of Darling's losses from this season came to a Mass. wrestler in Sean Bilodeau. Anything can happen but I'm going with the favorite.
Champ: Darling (PA)
160: Paul Paddock (NY)--Edinboro vs Colt Sponseller (OH)--Ohio State--Starting w/ 160 and going up the weight classes really get tough. NY's lone final representative got his biggest win a 2-1 decision over DE's Luke Rebertus in the quarters. His opponent is one of my favorites to watch, Colt will go full tilt for all 6 minutes. This should be a very physical matchup.
Champ: Sponseller (OH)
171: Justin Danz (CA)--Hofstra vs Kirk Smith (ID)--Boise State--Both of these guys have had dominating runs to the final. Each had a pinned a stud in the semis (Danz/Kilgore, Smith/Schmitz). I've gone back and forth over who I like in this one.
Champ: Smith (ID)...i think
189: Clayton Foster (ID)--Oklahoma State vs Sonny Yohn (CO)--Minnesota--189 was an absolute meatgrinder here. With so much talent you would think an upset or two would happen, but you have here probably the two best guys anyways. These two met on the big stage in the finals of Fargo with Foster winning. Seeing who both guys are signed with it may not be the last time you see them going at it.
Champ: Yohn (CO)
215: Ryan Flores (CA) vs Deron Winn (MO)--Meremac CC--Usually 215 is one of the weaker weights and despite not having the #1 ranked guy enter, it still was very strong. Winn pulled off a shocking upset of Jared Platt. Many people, myself included, thought that Platt would finally get a win at a national tournament with no Cody Gardner around. I say Winn is still up because of the Platt win and takes this one.
Champ: Winn (MO)
285: Jarod Trice (MI)--Central Michigan vs Brendan Barlow (OH)--Kent State--Is this the first of many matchup between these two MAC-signees? Trice took out one of Ohio's best in the semi, in Cameron Wade. Can he do it again? Anything can happen with the big boys.
Champ--Trice (MI)
103: Taylor Louie (CA) vs Chris Done (CA): In the smallest bracket of the tournament you have 2 CA boys going at it. California usually has sucess here w/ the 103's. Both guys were SQ's with Done placing 4th and he's my pick.
Champ: Done (CA)
112: Eric Olanowski (VA)--Delaware St vs Nektoe Demison (CA): The most interesting matchup was probably in the semi's between Olanowski and Ohio's Bo Touris. However, I'm sure Demison a CA 3rd place finisher will give Olanowski a match. In the end though I have to go with the Va State Champ in front of his hometown crowd.
Champ: Olanowski (VA)
119: Zach Sanders (MN)--Minnesota vs Nikko Triggas (CA)--Ohio St: One of the matchups that I was hoping to see. The winner may get to take home a #1 national ranking. The question is will the luster be off this matchup after Sanders' loss last week at the Dapper Dan, or will it refocus him. Speaking of focused, a tech fall win by Triggas over PA runner up Nic Bedelyon was one of the most impressive results of the tournament.
Champ: Triggas (CA)
125: Boris Novachkov (CA)--Cal Poly vs Matt Ortega (NM)--Indiana: Ortega kind of suprised me getting to the finals with a win over ILL's John Starzyk. Novachkov is too much though and CA gets their 3rd champ in 4 weights.
Champ: Novachkov (CA)
130: Kellen Russell (NJ)--Michigan vs Tyler Nauman (PA)--Pitt
3rd matchup of the year between these two. Nauman won the first in the Beast finals, then again last week at the Dapper Dan. I going with the phrase "3rd time's a charm" here.
Champ: Russell (NJ)
135: Ryan Prater (ILL) vs Chris Diaz (DE)--Indiana--No offense to these two guys but this isn't one of the stronger weight classes of the tournament. Diaz, though scored a pretty big upset beating Blair's Max Shanaman in the semi. Prater is my pick and it is suprising that he is ILL's lone representative in the finals.
Champ: Prater (ILL)
140: Frank Molinaro (NJ)--Penn State vs Jamal Parks (OK)--Oklahoma State--Great matchup between two guys who have to be as built as you will find in a HS 140. These guys missed each other earlier in the year at the Beast, when Molinaro was still at 145. My opinion is that this will be the match of the night.
Champ: Parks (OK)
145: Seth Vernon (OK)--Oklahoma vs Jamal Lawrence (IN)--These are the two finalist of a pretty balanced weight class. Neither seemed particularly dominated, Vernon won 2 matches by a point each. Aside from 103, this is the only weight where I haven't seen both guys before, so I really don't know what to expect.
Champ: Vernon (OK)
152: Tim Darling (PA)--Penn State vs Vincent Renault (MA)--Tim Darling has been head and shoulder above everyone so far and will probably be again. Renault beat the wrestler I picked to be in the final Chris Hacker (OK) in the quarters. I can't think of too many guys from Mass. who have been in the finals, but one of Darling's losses from this season came to a Mass. wrestler in Sean Bilodeau. Anything can happen but I'm going with the favorite.
Champ: Darling (PA)
160: Paul Paddock (NY)--Edinboro vs Colt Sponseller (OH)--Ohio State--Starting w/ 160 and going up the weight classes really get tough. NY's lone final representative got his biggest win a 2-1 decision over DE's Luke Rebertus in the quarters. His opponent is one of my favorites to watch, Colt will go full tilt for all 6 minutes. This should be a very physical matchup.
Champ: Sponseller (OH)
171: Justin Danz (CA)--Hofstra vs Kirk Smith (ID)--Boise State--Both of these guys have had dominating runs to the final. Each had a pinned a stud in the semis (Danz/Kilgore, Smith/Schmitz). I've gone back and forth over who I like in this one.
Champ: Smith (ID)...i think
189: Clayton Foster (ID)--Oklahoma State vs Sonny Yohn (CO)--Minnesota--189 was an absolute meatgrinder here. With so much talent you would think an upset or two would happen, but you have here probably the two best guys anyways. These two met on the big stage in the finals of Fargo with Foster winning. Seeing who both guys are signed with it may not be the last time you see them going at it.
Champ: Yohn (CO)
215: Ryan Flores (CA) vs Deron Winn (MO)--Meremac CC--Usually 215 is one of the weaker weights and despite not having the #1 ranked guy enter, it still was very strong. Winn pulled off a shocking upset of Jared Platt. Many people, myself included, thought that Platt would finally get a win at a national tournament with no Cody Gardner around. I say Winn is still up because of the Platt win and takes this one.
Champ: Winn (MO)
285: Jarod Trice (MI)--Central Michigan vs Brendan Barlow (OH)--Kent State--Is this the first of many matchup between these two MAC-signees? Trice took out one of Ohio's best in the semi, in Cameron Wade. Can he do it again? Anything can happen with the big boys.
Champ--Trice (MI)
