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pennlive.com 5-Part Series on PSU Wrestling this week

Sean Harp

Sean Harp

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Dec 18, 2015
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Part 1: http://www.pennlive.com/sports/index.ssf/2016/08/penn_state_wrestling_program_s.html

Monday, Aug. 8: Cael Sanderson on the state of Penn State wrestling; Jake Varner named volunteer coach.

Tuesday, Aug. 9: Where does top recruit Mark Hall fit in this season? Sanderson looks at the lineup, the redshirts and those who have opted to defer enrollment.

Wednesday, Aug. 10: Coaching entails far more than the normal fan sees.

Thursday, Aug. 11: Does Cael Sanderson still get the itch to wrestle?

Friday, Aug. 12: Nittany Lion Wrestling Club on solid ground.)
 
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Sean Harp said:
http://www.pennlive.com/sports/index.ssf/2016/08/penn_state_wrestling_program_s.html

Monday, Aug. 8: Cael Sanderson on the state of Penn State wrestling; Jake Varner named volunteer coach.

Tuesday, Aug. 9: Where does top recruit Mark Hall fit in this season? Sanderson looks at the lineup, the redshirts and those who have opted to defer enrollment.

Wednesday, Aug. 10: Coaching entails far more than the normal fan sees.

Thursday, Aug. 11: Does Cael Sanderson still get the itch to wrestle?

Friday, Aug. 12: Nittany Lion Wrestling Club on solid ground.)
Click to expand...
Thanks for this info. I'm sure a lot of PSU fans will be looking forward to Tuesday's article in particular!
 
Clever Caption for Capped Cael.


caelwithhat16jpg-bbd2d4b0ecccc85f.jpg

The way Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson sees it,
there's no cap on how good the Nittany Lion program can become.
(Mark Selders/gopsusports.com photo)​
 
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Part 2:
http://www.pennlive.com/sports/index.ssf/2016/08/penn_state_wrestling_cael_sand_1.html

Direct link, though links to ALL the articles published this week are listed on each day's article.

The plan to redshirt Hall is unchanged, as are the delayed enrollments of A.J. Nevills and Mason Manville.

The door was left open for Hall. From the article..."Sanderson said the decision gives them the flexibility to "wrestle him or not wrestle him.'' The situation, Sanderson said, is that Penn State doesn't need Hall right now, "but things can change and his mentality can change ... ours can change, but ultimately it comes down to the kids being on board with whatever the plan is."
 
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Cael on Bo:
"Long term he will go to 184 eventually. When that is, who knows? It could be this year, I would guess definitely in a year from now he would go up. We'll see, it's up to him and whether he grows or not."

I like this. Not annointing Nickal the 184 starter, basically saying he has to make it happen if he wants it. Respectful of the other guys who want the weight (including the incumbent). Certainly better than putting out a newsletter saying "I'm not sure that he is big enough." [cough, cough]
 
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That is a pretty decent line-up if we can stay healthy. Of course, many teams are saying the same thing.
 
SRATH said:
That is a pretty decent line-up if we can stay healthy. Of course, many teams are saying the same thing.
Click to expand...

Lots of teams is right!! For 2016-17; Iowa, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech, and Missouri top my list of top-6 teams...adding Penn State, of course. My hope is all teams will remain healthy throughout the year, but we all know that's unlikely.
 
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Trying to read between the lines, it sounds like Bo will stay at 174 this year and move up next year. With Mark Hall redshirting, it makes a lot of sense. Lots of injury issues at 184-285. I hope guys can stay healthy at those three weights. If they do, look out.
 
The 174 weight class is literally a no mans land when the guys are trying to juggle their freestyle and folk style careers. Even 184 is tough, when you face a guy like Cox cutting from 197 to wrestle at 86kg. Can Bo get big enough to compete on the international stage at 86kg? He certainly cannot get to 74kg.
Mark Hall is going to face this issue as well. He is big for 74kg, and that would keep him at 165 for us. But he is likely slotting at 174 if Bo moves up. Can he then make the cut for freestyle?
I know that the chances of getting a new weight class between 74kg and 86kg is zero, but it is such a huge jump (26 pounds).
We have a lot of potential with the new lineup, even without Mark Hall. Bo at 174, and Mouse/Rasheed at 184 give us the best across the board lineup. Let's see how it goes.
 
With Mark Hall and Bo Nickal slated for 174 and 184 next season, there may be some transfers to thin out the logjam at 184 and 197.

I could easily envision two of Matt McCutcheon, Shakur Rasheed, Anthony Cassar, or Kellan Stout transferring elsewhere. AJ Nevills will be a redshirt next season and I would think he'd stay put with brother Nick and quite possibly Seth on the way.

184 loses a lot of its best to graduation next year, leaving Bo Nickal to tangle with Mark Martin, Zack Zavatsky, and Zahid Valencia. Both Mouse and Shak are capable of crashing that party. Remember the beating Mouse gave Zavatsky in Blacksburg last fall?

197 loses J'Den Cox and Brett Pfarr next season, the best of what is a relatively weak weight class. There will be lineup and scholarship opportunities elsewhere.

It's always sad to lose any one of "our guys" but I certainly understand when they transfer to a better situation like Garrett Hammond or choose graduation over being a backup like Zack Beitz. Perhaps that is the avenue Mouse will choose.

Regardless, they will still be our guys and I will cheer them on no matter their choice.
 
Sean Harp said:
It's always sad to lose any one of "our guys" but I certainly understand when they transfer to a better situation like Garrett Hammond or choose graduation over being a backup like Zack Beitz.
Click to expand...

Hammond also graduated and will be in grad school at Drexel, iirc. That's another avenue if your eligibility is not exhausted.
 
RoarLions1 said:
Lots of teams is right!! For 2016-17; Iowa, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech, and Missouri top my list of top-6 teams...adding Penn State, of course. My hope is all teams will remain healthy throughout the year, but we all know that's unlikely.
Click to expand...

RoarLion1 - Are the five teams you listed in your perceived order, from 2nd to 6th, or is that just a list of teams you think will be among the top 6?

If they are not in order, would you care to post or re-post your "very early" team order? Thanks - I'll hang up and listen to your reply. ;)
 
T J said:
RoarLion1 - Are the five teams you listed in your perceived order, from 2nd to 6th, or is that just a list of teams you think will be among the top 6?

If they are not in order, would you care to post or re-post your "very early" team order? Thanks - I'll hang up and listen to your reply. ;)
Click to expand...

Penn State
Ohio State (Only team even close to PSU in bonus points, but loss at 165 a problem)
Virginia Tech (All back but Brascetta)
Oklahoma State (Brock and Crutchmer return, but D-Ringer & Big Marsden gone)
Iowa (Not enough bonus points, might be higher if Bull goes)
Missouri (Sleeper, great dual team, could surprise at NCAA's)
 
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RoarLions1 said:
Penn State
Ohio State (Only team even close to PSU in bonus points, but loss at 165 a problem)
Virginia Tech (All back but Brascetta)
Oklahoma State (Brock and Crutchmer return, but D-Ringer & Big Marsden gone)
Iowa (Not enough bonus points, might be higher if Bull goes)
Missouri (Sleeper, great dual team, could surprise at NCAA's)
Click to expand...

Mr. T, Any truth the rumors that JoJo might RS this year?
 
dunkej01 said:
Mr. T, Any truth the rumors that JoJo might RS this year?
Click to expand...
Mr. T??

Haven't heard that. Looking at their losses in 2017-18 (Collica, J. Rogers, Crutchmer, Boyd), looks better for the Cowboys to go all-in for 2016-17, maybe RS him in 2017-18. No info at all, just reading the tea-leaves.
 
RoarLions1 said:
Mr. T??

Haven't heard that. Looking at their losses in 2017-18 (Collica, J. Rogers, Crutchmer, Boyd), looks better for the Cowboys to go all-in for 2016-17, maybe RS him in 2017-18. No info at all, just reading the tea-leaves.
Click to expand...

Sorry Roar, I quoted your post. Mr. T is togentti.....He gets respect around here, so I use Mr. T.
 
I am not confident of Cassar, at all, after the Alton's shoulder issues. Do not know much about Stout but could see Rasheed and/or MM there next year. Doesn't sound like it will happen this year.
 
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No matter how the lineup shakes out, whether it's plan A or B (and conceding differing valid opinions on what's A and what's B, or even C), it seems like a full lineup of AAs come March is a not-completely-nuts possibility. Things have to break right, especially at 197.

Interesting degree of frankness from Cael re Cassar's first surgery. Hopeful for Cassar's sake he's past the shoulder surgery phase of his career.
 
This is such an exciting time to be a fan of this program! I can't wait to see guys like Pipher and Gardner in some opens this year!
 
purescurve said:
View embedded media
Click to expand...

Paonia’s
 Bo Pipher to sign with Penn State
By Staff
Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Paonia senior Bo Pipher will sign a letter of intent today to wrestle for Penn State.

After dismantling the Class 2A ranks for three years, Pipher will be joining one of the best wrestling programs in the nation next year.

Penn State has won five of the past six NCAA national championships, including the 2015-16 title.

Pipher’s coach and dad, Andy, said being a Nittany Lion is something Bo has wanted for quite some time.

“He’s wanted to wrestle for Penn State since he was in the seventh grade,” he said. “He made a lot of sacrifices to get to this point. As a dad and a coach, it doesn’t get any better than this.”

Bo Pipher capped his final high school season with his third straight state title. He placed second as a freshman.

Wrestling at 145 pounds as a senior, Pipher was the most dominant wrestler in Colorado.

He went 48-0 as a senior with 43 of those wins coming via the pin.

Pipher set the all-time Colorado record for career pins with 131 and his 43 pins this year set the state record for pins in a season. His career record with the Eagles was 170-7.

In his junior and senior seasons, Pipher pinned all of his opponents at the state tournament.

He ended his high school career on a 119-match winning streak and as a junior, 35 of his 47 victories were pins.

Andy said it was an unbelievable feeling when the Nittany Lions made the offer, which came during a visit to the Penn State campus.

“It was kind of like ‘pinch me,’ is this really happening?” he said.

Penn State is coached by wrestling legend Cael Sanderson, who went 159-0 at Iowa State and won a gold medal in the 2004 Olympics.

Bo Pipher is the second Paonia wrestler in as many years to be headed to a Division I wrestling program.

Jesse Reed, a four-time state champion, wrestles for the University of Northern Colorado.

Pipher’s signing will be at
2 p.m. at Paonia High School.

 
burnsie1983 said:
This is such an exciting time to be a fan of this program! I can't wait to see guys like Pipher and Gardner in some opens this year!
Click to expand...

Reminder, from report when Bo Pipher announced in May for Penn State...

Bo Pipher of Paonia, Colorado – a three-time state champ who notched falls in 131 of his 170 career victories – signed a letter of intent on Wednesday. He projects at 141/149; he went 48-0 this past season while winning at 145 pounds.

Pipher's coach was his father, Andy, who said in the Grand Junction (Colorado) Daily Sentinel that Bo has wanted to wrestle for Penn State since seventh grade. He visited Penn State and received an offer, according to the Daily Sentinel.

"As a dad and a coach, it doesn't get any better than this,'' said Andy Pipher.

Bo pinned 43 of 48 foes this past season and ended his career on a 119-match winning streak; he pinned each foe at the state tournament during his junior and senior seasons.
​
 
from Part 3 of the series:

"Justin Lopez, Yonkers, New York, more than 100 career wins, sports 3.76 grade-point average and seeks sports medicine major... projects at 125."

I believe he's the only surprise in the list of recruits in the article. All the others, including Pipher, we had discussed a good bit over the past year.
 
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Ian said:
I am not confident of Cassar, at all, after the Alton's shoulder issues. Do not know much about Stout but could see Rasheed and/or MM there next year. Doesn't sound like it will happen this year.
Click to expand...
I liked Cael's comment that the shoulder surgery was more complete this time. As he was not enrolled last year he was not under the team's care.
 
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Interesting to hear those words from the king surveying his kingdom and it will be even better in the future. Hard to imagine how...
 
Based on the news that Manville won't be enrolling in 16-17, should we assume that he enrolls and redshirts in 17-18, and then sets his sights set for 57 if/when Nolf moves up?
 
Ja1339 said:
Based on the news that Manville won't be enrolling in 16-17, should we assume that he enrolls and redshirts in 17-18, and then sets his sights set for 57 if/when Nolf moves up?
Click to expand...
That's what I thought for the longest time, but when I hear he walks around at 190, it makes me pause for anything below 165.
 
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