Joe Dexter
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Ohio State Wrestling Bucks Looking for 2-0 start to season against Arizona State
Joe Dexter via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
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Arizona State (4-2) @ Ohio State Buckeyes (1-0) — St. John Arena 7:00 PM ET
The boys on the gridiron aren’t the only defending national champions at Ohio State. Last week, the grappling Buckeyes got their dual season started off right with an impressive 34-6 win over the 23rd ranked Virginia Cavaliers.
What makes the win more impressive is that the Bucks were without a plethora of potential starters. The next man mentality will play a huge role in this year’s defense of a title and it did last Friday.
Newcomers Micah Jordan, Jake Ryan and Cody Burcher won three matches consecutively behind defending national champion Nathan Tomasello and top ranked senior Johnni DiJuluis to help build up a 20-0 lead.
The Bucks had five bonus point wins on Friday and really impressed in weight classes where wrestling fans had a lot of questions going into the season.
Up next for the Buckeyes is a contest tonight with the Arizona State Sun Devils, a team that is in rebuilding mode. The dual can bee seen on BTN Plus.
A process that has been fast-forwarded by the addition of former Olympic freestyle head coach Zeke Jones and two back-to-back high level recruiting classes.
Probable Match Preview
125: #1 Nathan Tomasello (2-0) vs. Ares Carpio (2-1) or Mikel Perales (1-2)
After watching the reigning champ wrestle on Friday against Nick Hermann, I came to the quick conclusion that Nathan Tomasello at 125 is just unfair. It’s obvious from dual meet number one that Nate has added muscle mass to his frame while maintaining his weight.
What’s been imperative for him is his competition wrestling in the off-season. Not because he needed the extra competition, but it has obviously helped him stay in shape and at his weight instead of working his way to that position like some other wrestlers on the roster.
And the one thing you always know you are going to get from him is strong finishes to periods. There is hardly ever an ending round whistle that didn’t also add two or more points on the board.
The 125 weight class is deep, but at this point — it’s Tomasello’s to lose. Tonight, he’s matched up with two possible guys — both who have yet to prove that they can wrestle at his level.
Perales finished 2nd at the PAC-12 Championships last year, but was 18-16 on the season.
Perales is a redshirt freshman that is 0-2 on the year. He did give #2 ranked Zeke Moisey a battle in a 6-2 loss earlier this year
133: #5 Johnni DiJulius (5-0) vs. Dalton Bradley (1-2) or Cord Coronado (1-2)
Johnni reminded us last Friday that he’s the wrestler we all wanted to be, but when we tried to be as unorthodox as he is, we either end up getting pinned or laughed at for the rest of the season. DiJulius was down 5-2 heading into the third to 10th ranked George DiCamillo on Friday and pulled some magic out of the hat type positions to win 8-6.
The turnaround started when he was able to get in deep enough on a high crotch to score a takedown. From that position, he dumped DiCamillo to the mat and used an inverse cradle to score four back points and take the lead for good.
Instead of the traditional side-facing cradle, DiJulius used his shoulder blades to hold down his opponent long enough to get back points and the win.
Some people want to always question DiJulius and his ability on the mat. I’m predicting right now that this is going to be a very special season for him. He’s chaining scoring together well in traditional sequences.
Combine that with his unique approach and it can be dangerous.
Dalton Bradley is the likely call for head coach Zeke Jones. He is 1-2 on the season. Cord Coronado is the senior at this weight class, but has lost two of his three matches this year by tech fall.
141: #19 Micah Jordan (6-0) vs. Robbie Mathers (5-1)
What we found out last Friday against Virginia is that Micah Jordan is a coach’s dream in a dual meet situation. Strength. Power. Chain Wrestling. Jordan brings that all to the table and is without a doubt strong enough and conditioned enough to move up to 149 in an emergency or points needed situation.
Poor Zach Watson of Virginia was down 14-5 after two periods and worn down completely by the end of the third.
What I loved seeing from Jordan was his speed and agility — combined with his belief in the wrestling moves he knows. Much like his brother, he has his go-tos and is willing to stick with them. He believes that no matter who is in front of him, he can pressure you so much that you’re going to want to give him enough space to pink your ankle into oblivion.
When he gets on top of you, it’s going to be hard to escape.
And anyone that is willing to throw in the power half nelson, is my ultimate hero.
Fundamentals as a younger wrestler can take you a long way. So far this season, five of Jordan’s wins have come by either pinfall, tech, or major decision. I’m expecting a similar campaign this year from Micah as we got from big brother Bo last year.
That’s not a bad way to replace a guy that won four straight national titles.
For Arizona State, Robbie Mathers’ only loss this season came to #13 Illinois’ Ervin Brock. The sophomore is a Missouri transfer, who returned closer to home when Jones took over the program. He is a three-time Arizona High School state champion.
149: Cody Burcher (7-0) vs. #17 Matt Kraus (5-1)
Coach Tom Ryan is going to have a tough decision to make once Hunter Stieber is completely healthy and ready to go near the beginning of January. Cody Burcher has taken his opportunity and ran with it to start the season.
It was Ryan who went with Burcher at 149, after he lost out on the spot at 157 to Jake Ryan. So far, the redshirt freshman is has been rolling. After taking home the Eastern Michigan crown, Burcher stuck it to Thomas Miller of Virginia on Friday.
In the second period, after using a inside single and lift directly to a cradle lock earlier in the match, Burcher went to a move made famous by assistant coach J. Jaggers. The good old cross-face cradle did the trick as Burcher pinned Miller to give OSU a 20-0 lead to open things up.
You can tell that Burcher has worked a lot with Jaggers and carries that same edge that the OSU Hall of Famer brought to the mat every single time he competed.
Let’s just hope he doesn’t share the same taste in style. I still haven’t figured out what J was wearing last Friday.
Kraus has some nice wins on the season, but is coming off a loss to Drexel’s Matthew Cimato.
157: #20 Jake Ryan (7-0) vs. Oliver Pierce (3-3)
I have to say, I have a soft spot for Jake Ryan after seeing him wrestle for the first time this season. As a defensive wrestler, I love the style that he brings to the mat. No matter what your ranking, he’s going to come after you to establish and and head control. He’s going to use his nearly impeccable defense from the neutral position to force you into situations that allows him to easily score points.
Ryan took down Andrew Atkinson on Friday night because of that pure will. Atkinson was 9-0 to start the season and coming off a big win over #6 Cody Pack of North Dakota State. Ryan took his time to find the shot he needed.
Up 3-2 in the third, Ryan used takedown defense to hold off a high crotch attempt that turned into a pretty deep outside single leg.
I love that mentality.
There’s someone else in the program with the same approach. Kyle Snyder builds momentum off his defense, then he clobbers you with positioning, control, and powerful offensive moves. I’m excited to see how much Jake improves throughout the season.
He’ll take on Oliver Pierce, who gave defending champion Isiah Martinez a run for his money earlier this month in a 2-0 loss.
165: Justin Kresevic (4-3) vs. Jacen Petersen (5-1) or Preston McCalmon (0-1)
Peterson will be a good test for Kresevic, who lost 5-3 to Garrett Peppelman last Friday. Kresevic went 10-10 last year when he filled in for Bo Jordan, but still hasn’t shown yet this season that he can be competitive enough to hold the lead spot down for the whole season.
There are a lot of hungry wrestlers in the room and it begs the question — How soon could we see Bo Jordan at 165 and freshman Myles Martin at 174? It seems like the backup plan for now, but after watching Bo wrestle last week, It’s going to be a major (maybe too major) weight cut to get him down to this class.
Kresevic will have revenge on his mind if it’s Jacen Petersen who wrestles him. Peterson defeated him 10-1 last season.
174: #1 Bo Jordan (3-0) vs. Zach Smith (3-2)
The other reason that I believe Bo is going to stay at 174 is because of the open road to a individual title. There is nobody in the weight class that stacks up to Jordan’s ability. At 165, there is Alex Dieringer of Oklahoma State, who beat Jordan in the NCAA Tournament.
There is no doubt that Jordan put in the time to get bigger this off-season. Already, he looks like he might be the strongest wrestler in the country at that weight class. When you combine that with his unique ability to ride with legs and chain wrestle and it’s going to be hard for coaches to send someone out there to give him a true test.
On Friday against Fox Baldwin, Jordan scored 12 points in two minutes of action.
He used a cradle after a takedown to build a quick 6-0 lead. This is what’s so dangerous about Bo. The cradle isn’t one of his go-to moves. It was a situation that presented himself and he was willing to take it.
It’s like Joey Bosa’s transition to the three-technique. He makes it look so effortless in situations that aren’t exactly his bread and butter.
I feel bad for Zach Smith of Arizona State.
Match of the Night: 184: #4 Kenny Courts (5-1) vs. #3 Blake Stauffer (6-0)
This is a classic battle of a stonewall wrestler in Stauffer, who wants to use hand and head control to brutalize you and force you into bad positioning that leads to points on takedowns. Courts is the type of wrestler that waits for concrete openings to use his athletic ability to beat you.
In last year’s dual meet, both traded hand ties, head control and takedown attempts in the center of the mat for two periods. In overtime, Courts was able to hit on a beautiful duck under that led to a single leg attempt. Courts quickly transitioned his inside hand to the other leg and finished with a double leg take down to beat the top ranked Sun Devil.
This year, Stauffer comes into the season ranked higher than Courts in part because he beat him when it matters most — in March.
I’m expecting one heck of a battle here at 184 and a contrast of two different styles. I’m not saying that the casual fan will love this one, but the traditional wrestling fan will love it.
197: Matthew O’Hara (4-2) vs. Josh DaSilveira (3-3)
The Buckeyes have an interesting decision to make at 197. They’ve already committed to the redshirt of Kollin Moore, who has had a solid showing in open tournaments so far this season. Now, they have to wait and see if they’ll be doing the same for Mark Martin, who unselfishly made the switch to the 197 class to fill the gap left when Kyle Snyder took an Olympic redshirt.
Martin is 9-1 on the year in open tournaments but the feeling is that if Martin can get more competition and have a year to build his frame up to the weight class, it might really benefit him and the program to redshirt his senior year.
Jumping from 174 to 197 is a huge gap to cover and as the season begins, the more likely that Martin sits out this season.
That means that this is Matthew O’Hara’s spot to lose.
The only other option it seems for the Buckeyes is to prep 184 pounder Jack Rozema to compete at 197. Again, that’s another major jump in weight, but Rozema has proven before that he can compete with high-level wrestlers.
After all, he did defeat All-American Kenny Courts in the preseason wrestle-offs.
Josh DaSilveira is a senior, who went 25-15 a year ago.
285: #18 Nick Tavanello (6-0) vs. Tanner Hall (4-2) or Chace Eskam (0-0)
The toughest competition that Nick Tavanello has faced this season is in the wrestling room. Various media outlets have been saying from day one that Thomas Haines was going to steal Tavanello’s starting spot.
Yet here Nick stands as one of the most exciting heavyweights early in the season.
A lot of people last year were mistaking fighting through injury with lack of talent. Wrestling is the hardest sport to compete in through injury. Tavanello did it all year and didn’t complain for one second about it.
Three pins already on the year for the junior, including an emphatic cradle to end the dual meet on Friday against Virginia.
Watch out for Tavanello this season. When people continue to discredit him, he’ll continue to rack up wins. He might just be the dark horse on this team that puts them into title contention late in the year.
For Arizona State, Tanner Hall has won four straight. The redshirt freshman is ranked just outside the top 25.
The post Ohio State Wrestling Bucks Looking for 2-0 start to season against Arizona State appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
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Joe Dexter via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Arizona State (4-2) @ Ohio State Buckeyes (1-0) — St. John Arena 7:00 PM ET
The boys on the gridiron aren’t the only defending national champions at Ohio State. Last week, the grappling Buckeyes got their dual season started off right with an impressive 34-6 win over the 23rd ranked Virginia Cavaliers.
What makes the win more impressive is that the Bucks were without a plethora of potential starters. The next man mentality will play a huge role in this year’s defense of a title and it did last Friday.
Newcomers Micah Jordan, Jake Ryan and Cody Burcher won three matches consecutively behind defending national champion Nathan Tomasello and top ranked senior Johnni DiJuluis to help build up a 20-0 lead.
The Bucks had five bonus point wins on Friday and really impressed in weight classes where wrestling fans had a lot of questions going into the season.
Up next for the Buckeyes is a contest tonight with the Arizona State Sun Devils, a team that is in rebuilding mode. The dual can bee seen on BTN Plus.
A process that has been fast-forwarded by the addition of former Olympic freestyle head coach Zeke Jones and two back-to-back high level recruiting classes.
Probable Match Preview
125: #1 Nathan Tomasello (2-0) vs. Ares Carpio (2-1) or Mikel Perales (1-2)
After watching the reigning champ wrestle on Friday against Nick Hermann, I came to the quick conclusion that Nathan Tomasello at 125 is just unfair. It’s obvious from dual meet number one that Nate has added muscle mass to his frame while maintaining his weight.
What’s been imperative for him is his competition wrestling in the off-season. Not because he needed the extra competition, but it has obviously helped him stay in shape and at his weight instead of working his way to that position like some other wrestlers on the roster.
And the one thing you always know you are going to get from him is strong finishes to periods. There is hardly ever an ending round whistle that didn’t also add two or more points on the board.
The 125 weight class is deep, but at this point — it’s Tomasello’s to lose. Tonight, he’s matched up with two possible guys — both who have yet to prove that they can wrestle at his level.
Perales finished 2nd at the PAC-12 Championships last year, but was 18-16 on the season.
Perales is a redshirt freshman that is 0-2 on the year. He did give #2 ranked Zeke Moisey a battle in a 6-2 loss earlier this year
133: #5 Johnni DiJulius (5-0) vs. Dalton Bradley (1-2) or Cord Coronado (1-2)
Johnni reminded us last Friday that he’s the wrestler we all wanted to be, but when we tried to be as unorthodox as he is, we either end up getting pinned or laughed at for the rest of the season. DiJulius was down 5-2 heading into the third to 10th ranked George DiCamillo on Friday and pulled some magic out of the hat type positions to win 8-6.
The turnaround started when he was able to get in deep enough on a high crotch to score a takedown. From that position, he dumped DiCamillo to the mat and used an inverse cradle to score four back points and take the lead for good.
Instead of the traditional side-facing cradle, DiJulius used his shoulder blades to hold down his opponent long enough to get back points and the win.
Some people want to always question DiJulius and his ability on the mat. I’m predicting right now that this is going to be a very special season for him. He’s chaining scoring together well in traditional sequences.
Combine that with his unique approach and it can be dangerous.
Dalton Bradley is the likely call for head coach Zeke Jones. He is 1-2 on the season. Cord Coronado is the senior at this weight class, but has lost two of his three matches this year by tech fall.
141: #19 Micah Jordan (6-0) vs. Robbie Mathers (5-1)
What we found out last Friday against Virginia is that Micah Jordan is a coach’s dream in a dual meet situation. Strength. Power. Chain Wrestling. Jordan brings that all to the table and is without a doubt strong enough and conditioned enough to move up to 149 in an emergency or points needed situation.
Poor Zach Watson of Virginia was down 14-5 after two periods and worn down completely by the end of the third.
What I loved seeing from Jordan was his speed and agility — combined with his belief in the wrestling moves he knows. Much like his brother, he has his go-tos and is willing to stick with them. He believes that no matter who is in front of him, he can pressure you so much that you’re going to want to give him enough space to pink your ankle into oblivion.
When he gets on top of you, it’s going to be hard to escape.
And anyone that is willing to throw in the power half nelson, is my ultimate hero.
Fundamentals as a younger wrestler can take you a long way. So far this season, five of Jordan’s wins have come by either pinfall, tech, or major decision. I’m expecting a similar campaign this year from Micah as we got from big brother Bo last year.
That’s not a bad way to replace a guy that won four straight national titles.
For Arizona State, Robbie Mathers’ only loss this season came to #13 Illinois’ Ervin Brock. The sophomore is a Missouri transfer, who returned closer to home when Jones took over the program. He is a three-time Arizona High School state champion.
149: Cody Burcher (7-0) vs. #17 Matt Kraus (5-1)
Coach Tom Ryan is going to have a tough decision to make once Hunter Stieber is completely healthy and ready to go near the beginning of January. Cody Burcher has taken his opportunity and ran with it to start the season.
It was Ryan who went with Burcher at 149, after he lost out on the spot at 157 to Jake Ryan. So far, the redshirt freshman is has been rolling. After taking home the Eastern Michigan crown, Burcher stuck it to Thomas Miller of Virginia on Friday.
In the second period, after using a inside single and lift directly to a cradle lock earlier in the match, Burcher went to a move made famous by assistant coach J. Jaggers. The good old cross-face cradle did the trick as Burcher pinned Miller to give OSU a 20-0 lead to open things up.
You can tell that Burcher has worked a lot with Jaggers and carries that same edge that the OSU Hall of Famer brought to the mat every single time he competed.
Let’s just hope he doesn’t share the same taste in style. I still haven’t figured out what J was wearing last Friday.
Kraus has some nice wins on the season, but is coming off a loss to Drexel’s Matthew Cimato.
157: #20 Jake Ryan (7-0) vs. Oliver Pierce (3-3)
I have to say, I have a soft spot for Jake Ryan after seeing him wrestle for the first time this season. As a defensive wrestler, I love the style that he brings to the mat. No matter what your ranking, he’s going to come after you to establish and and head control. He’s going to use his nearly impeccable defense from the neutral position to force you into situations that allows him to easily score points.
Ryan took down Andrew Atkinson on Friday night because of that pure will. Atkinson was 9-0 to start the season and coming off a big win over #6 Cody Pack of North Dakota State. Ryan took his time to find the shot he needed.
Up 3-2 in the third, Ryan used takedown defense to hold off a high crotch attempt that turned into a pretty deep outside single leg.
I love that mentality.
There’s someone else in the program with the same approach. Kyle Snyder builds momentum off his defense, then he clobbers you with positioning, control, and powerful offensive moves. I’m excited to see how much Jake improves throughout the season.
He’ll take on Oliver Pierce, who gave defending champion Isiah Martinez a run for his money earlier this month in a 2-0 loss.
165: Justin Kresevic (4-3) vs. Jacen Petersen (5-1) or Preston McCalmon (0-1)
Peterson will be a good test for Kresevic, who lost 5-3 to Garrett Peppelman last Friday. Kresevic went 10-10 last year when he filled in for Bo Jordan, but still hasn’t shown yet this season that he can be competitive enough to hold the lead spot down for the whole season.
There are a lot of hungry wrestlers in the room and it begs the question — How soon could we see Bo Jordan at 165 and freshman Myles Martin at 174? It seems like the backup plan for now, but after watching Bo wrestle last week, It’s going to be a major (maybe too major) weight cut to get him down to this class.
Kresevic will have revenge on his mind if it’s Jacen Petersen who wrestles him. Peterson defeated him 10-1 last season.
174: #1 Bo Jordan (3-0) vs. Zach Smith (3-2)
The other reason that I believe Bo is going to stay at 174 is because of the open road to a individual title. There is nobody in the weight class that stacks up to Jordan’s ability. At 165, there is Alex Dieringer of Oklahoma State, who beat Jordan in the NCAA Tournament.
There is no doubt that Jordan put in the time to get bigger this off-season. Already, he looks like he might be the strongest wrestler in the country at that weight class. When you combine that with his unique ability to ride with legs and chain wrestle and it’s going to be hard for coaches to send someone out there to give him a true test.
On Friday against Fox Baldwin, Jordan scored 12 points in two minutes of action.
He used a cradle after a takedown to build a quick 6-0 lead. This is what’s so dangerous about Bo. The cradle isn’t one of his go-to moves. It was a situation that presented himself and he was willing to take it.
It’s like Joey Bosa’s transition to the three-technique. He makes it look so effortless in situations that aren’t exactly his bread and butter.
I feel bad for Zach Smith of Arizona State.
Match of the Night: 184: #4 Kenny Courts (5-1) vs. #3 Blake Stauffer (6-0)
This is a classic battle of a stonewall wrestler in Stauffer, who wants to use hand and head control to brutalize you and force you into bad positioning that leads to points on takedowns. Courts is the type of wrestler that waits for concrete openings to use his athletic ability to beat you.
In last year’s dual meet, both traded hand ties, head control and takedown attempts in the center of the mat for two periods. In overtime, Courts was able to hit on a beautiful duck under that led to a single leg attempt. Courts quickly transitioned his inside hand to the other leg and finished with a double leg take down to beat the top ranked Sun Devil.
This year, Stauffer comes into the season ranked higher than Courts in part because he beat him when it matters most — in March.
I’m expecting one heck of a battle here at 184 and a contrast of two different styles. I’m not saying that the casual fan will love this one, but the traditional wrestling fan will love it.
197: Matthew O’Hara (4-2) vs. Josh DaSilveira (3-3)
The Buckeyes have an interesting decision to make at 197. They’ve already committed to the redshirt of Kollin Moore, who has had a solid showing in open tournaments so far this season. Now, they have to wait and see if they’ll be doing the same for Mark Martin, who unselfishly made the switch to the 197 class to fill the gap left when Kyle Snyder took an Olympic redshirt.
Martin is 9-1 on the year in open tournaments but the feeling is that if Martin can get more competition and have a year to build his frame up to the weight class, it might really benefit him and the program to redshirt his senior year.
Jumping from 174 to 197 is a huge gap to cover and as the season begins, the more likely that Martin sits out this season.
That means that this is Matthew O’Hara’s spot to lose.
The only other option it seems for the Buckeyes is to prep 184 pounder Jack Rozema to compete at 197. Again, that’s another major jump in weight, but Rozema has proven before that he can compete with high-level wrestlers.
After all, he did defeat All-American Kenny Courts in the preseason wrestle-offs.
Josh DaSilveira is a senior, who went 25-15 a year ago.
285: #18 Nick Tavanello (6-0) vs. Tanner Hall (4-2) or Chace Eskam (0-0)
The toughest competition that Nick Tavanello has faced this season is in the wrestling room. Various media outlets have been saying from day one that Thomas Haines was going to steal Tavanello’s starting spot.
Yet here Nick stands as one of the most exciting heavyweights early in the season.
A lot of people last year were mistaking fighting through injury with lack of talent. Wrestling is the hardest sport to compete in through injury. Tavanello did it all year and didn’t complain for one second about it.
Three pins already on the year for the junior, including an emphatic cradle to end the dual meet on Friday against Virginia.
Watch out for Tavanello this season. When people continue to discredit him, he’ll continue to rack up wins. He might just be the dark horse on this team that puts them into title contention late in the year.
For Arizona State, Tanner Hall has won four straight. The redshirt freshman is ranked just outside the top 25.
The post Ohio State Wrestling Bucks Looking for 2-0 start to season against Arizona State appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
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