165-Still not a great deal of separation here. Thought they all had decent tournaments. Morelli placed highest (5th) and beat Hammond (7th place) head-to-head, so he wins the weekend, I guess. Not sure whether Hammond might have been our scorer at this weight nonetheless, with three pins (headlocking everyone in sight, including the poor lady in the parking lot) and two majors. Preisch (LEH) beat Hammond 7-4 and Rasheed 3-1. Rasheed (DNP) had a tight, 5-3 loss to finalist Massa (MICH) and a nice win over #16 ranked Faust (UVA), 5-2. Faust had just beaten #9 ranked Wilson (STAN). Both of Morelli’s losses were to good wrestlers...#14 Pickett (COR) and Staudenmeyer (UNC)…in overtime. Not sure any of the three hurt his chances this weekend. If anything, maybe Hammond climbs into the mix a little more. Side note: Had a brief, chance conversation with Alex Dieringer (OKST, two-time defending national champion) at a water fountain. What a nice kid. (Don’t tell Tognetti I said so.)
Interesting stat: 20. Denomination of the bill I (apparently) dropped when fishing in my pocket for cash on the way to the concession stand. Didn’t realize it…kept walking…then felt a tap on my shoulder. “Sir…is this yours?” Geno Morelli…with a $20 bill in his hand. Figured it must have been, so I accepted it and thanked him. (Also, it occurred to me that I wouldn’t want Cael to think I had offered one of his wrestlers an improper benefit by “dropping” a little cash on the floor.) Not sure what percentage of the general population would just pick up that bill and keep on walking, but…
174-My tickets to the tournament and hotel room were a Christmas present from my wife, who couldn’t join me for the trip. She has become a big fan herself, and this morning I asked her “Remember what it was like having Taylor and Ruth here together for those four years? I think we’re going to see it again.” I’d say that the Nickal-#1 ranked Realbuto (COR) match was worth the entire price of admission, but for me, that was zero, so… Anyway…Wow, what a match! Back and forth until the end of the second, when Realbuto was probably saved by the bell, and Bo got 4 back points for an 11-7 lead. (This is from memory; don’t sue me if I’m a little off.) By midway through the third, it became pretty clear the storm had passed, and Bo would be taking it to the house. Won’t say the other matches were formalities… Ottinger (CMU) was a horse, and Ramos (UNC) in the finals is a top guy himself, and fresh off a win over Crutchmer (OKST)… but the Realbuto match ignited the crowd more than any other match in the tournament. Side note: Had a brief, chance conversation with Chandler Rogers (OKST) in line at Panera. What a nice kid. (Don’t tell…well, you know who.)
Interesting stat: 3. Number of losses in the tournament for Realbuto, who entered the Scuffle…and Nickal match…undefeated and ranked #1 in the country. Coincidentally, also the number of seconds it took him to leave the arena after losing to Crutchmer in the 5th place match.
184-Solid day’s work for McCutcheon, avenging his only loss of the season to Macchiavello (UNC). MFF’ed out on Saturday. Don’t have any inside information on the injury and wouldn’t post it here if I did, but there didn’t seem to be a general air of great concern about it.
Interesting stat: 10. The number of dollars I won on a bet with the guy next to me that Oklahoma State would win the match for fifth place. (I collected my winnings, then went and found another seat before he figured it out.)
197-Good chance for Morgan to wrestle a couple better than decent guys. Semis with #8 Smith (WVU) was a little odd. Morgan built a 12-1 lead in the first period and got ridden out in the 2nd. Then in the 3rd, Morgan pinned him in 20 seconds from the top position. Pfarr (MINN) upended Hartmann (DUKE; we remember him) in the semis and gave Morgan a good fight in the finals. Never felt like Pfarr would take Morgan down, but Morgan had some trouble reeling him in when he’d get an ankle. Became a one-takedown match at 1-1 in the third. Morgan got it, released and parried for the final 20 seconds or so.
Interesting stat: 2,565. Number of miles from Santa Ana, CA to State College, PA. Thank you for making the trip, Morgan. Great wrestler, first class guy.
285-You know, if someone asked one of us…”Hey, wonder if you’d be willing to do a little something to support Penn State wrestling”…we’d want to do it. “Sure…bake sale? Car wash? Help make some signs? What?” “No, we really need you to come out and take on the top 285 pound wrestlers in the country. What do you say?” “Uhh…can I get back to you on that?” In his first match at the Scuffle, Jan Johnson trailed McZiggy Richards (COR) 3-2 in the 3rd period. Jan had made several takedown attempts during the course of the match, without success. With a couple seconds left, Johnson body locked Richards, and they spun toward the outside of the circle. They finished out of bounds. Time ran out. I don’t know who came out on top. I don’t know that I care. Final-3-2, Richards. Jan Johnson was disappointed that he didn’t win that match. I like Jan Johnson.
Interesting stat: “McZiggy.”
Great tournament. Love the atmosphere. The personnel at the arena are first-rate. David Taylor’s parents were there. Made a few new friends. Thought the PSU guys were outstanding. Saw where the margin of victory was 25 or so. Haven’t done the math to see where a placement for Brock and burning Smith’s shirt would have put OKST, but they’d be right there. Thought they wrestled well, too. Seemed like every time I turned around, they were pinning somebody. Sure hope Brock’s OK. Overheard in the stands by a Lehigh group: “Third place behind Penn State and Oklahoma State. I’ll take that.” I’d think Minnesota would be somewhat encouraged by results at several weight classes: 125, 133, 149 and 197. Didn’t hear who won the OW, and purposely haven’t read the message boards until I finished this. We talked about it in the stands, mentioning Garrett, Zain, Nolf, Dieringer and Nickal. Was going to pick one here, but won’t. No one would care, and they all deserve it. Gotta go…need to start my Christmas list for next year.
SR/BHF
Interesting stat: 20. Denomination of the bill I (apparently) dropped when fishing in my pocket for cash on the way to the concession stand. Didn’t realize it…kept walking…then felt a tap on my shoulder. “Sir…is this yours?” Geno Morelli…with a $20 bill in his hand. Figured it must have been, so I accepted it and thanked him. (Also, it occurred to me that I wouldn’t want Cael to think I had offered one of his wrestlers an improper benefit by “dropping” a little cash on the floor.) Not sure what percentage of the general population would just pick up that bill and keep on walking, but…
174-My tickets to the tournament and hotel room were a Christmas present from my wife, who couldn’t join me for the trip. She has become a big fan herself, and this morning I asked her “Remember what it was like having Taylor and Ruth here together for those four years? I think we’re going to see it again.” I’d say that the Nickal-#1 ranked Realbuto (COR) match was worth the entire price of admission, but for me, that was zero, so… Anyway…Wow, what a match! Back and forth until the end of the second, when Realbuto was probably saved by the bell, and Bo got 4 back points for an 11-7 lead. (This is from memory; don’t sue me if I’m a little off.) By midway through the third, it became pretty clear the storm had passed, and Bo would be taking it to the house. Won’t say the other matches were formalities… Ottinger (CMU) was a horse, and Ramos (UNC) in the finals is a top guy himself, and fresh off a win over Crutchmer (OKST)… but the Realbuto match ignited the crowd more than any other match in the tournament. Side note: Had a brief, chance conversation with Chandler Rogers (OKST) in line at Panera. What a nice kid. (Don’t tell…well, you know who.)
Interesting stat: 3. Number of losses in the tournament for Realbuto, who entered the Scuffle…and Nickal match…undefeated and ranked #1 in the country. Coincidentally, also the number of seconds it took him to leave the arena after losing to Crutchmer in the 5th place match.
184-Solid day’s work for McCutcheon, avenging his only loss of the season to Macchiavello (UNC). MFF’ed out on Saturday. Don’t have any inside information on the injury and wouldn’t post it here if I did, but there didn’t seem to be a general air of great concern about it.
Interesting stat: 10. The number of dollars I won on a bet with the guy next to me that Oklahoma State would win the match for fifth place. (I collected my winnings, then went and found another seat before he figured it out.)
197-Good chance for Morgan to wrestle a couple better than decent guys. Semis with #8 Smith (WVU) was a little odd. Morgan built a 12-1 lead in the first period and got ridden out in the 2nd. Then in the 3rd, Morgan pinned him in 20 seconds from the top position. Pfarr (MINN) upended Hartmann (DUKE; we remember him) in the semis and gave Morgan a good fight in the finals. Never felt like Pfarr would take Morgan down, but Morgan had some trouble reeling him in when he’d get an ankle. Became a one-takedown match at 1-1 in the third. Morgan got it, released and parried for the final 20 seconds or so.
Interesting stat: 2,565. Number of miles from Santa Ana, CA to State College, PA. Thank you for making the trip, Morgan. Great wrestler, first class guy.
285-You know, if someone asked one of us…”Hey, wonder if you’d be willing to do a little something to support Penn State wrestling”…we’d want to do it. “Sure…bake sale? Car wash? Help make some signs? What?” “No, we really need you to come out and take on the top 285 pound wrestlers in the country. What do you say?” “Uhh…can I get back to you on that?” In his first match at the Scuffle, Jan Johnson trailed McZiggy Richards (COR) 3-2 in the 3rd period. Jan had made several takedown attempts during the course of the match, without success. With a couple seconds left, Johnson body locked Richards, and they spun toward the outside of the circle. They finished out of bounds. Time ran out. I don’t know who came out on top. I don’t know that I care. Final-3-2, Richards. Jan Johnson was disappointed that he didn’t win that match. I like Jan Johnson.
Interesting stat: “McZiggy.”
Great tournament. Love the atmosphere. The personnel at the arena are first-rate. David Taylor’s parents were there. Made a few new friends. Thought the PSU guys were outstanding. Saw where the margin of victory was 25 or so. Haven’t done the math to see where a placement for Brock and burning Smith’s shirt would have put OKST, but they’d be right there. Thought they wrestled well, too. Seemed like every time I turned around, they were pinning somebody. Sure hope Brock’s OK. Overheard in the stands by a Lehigh group: “Third place behind Penn State and Oklahoma State. I’ll take that.” I’d think Minnesota would be somewhat encouraged by results at several weight classes: 125, 133, 149 and 197. Didn’t hear who won the OW, and purposely haven’t read the message boards until I finished this. We talked about it in the stands, mentioning Garrett, Zain, Nolf, Dieringer and Nickal. Was going to pick one here, but won’t. No one would care, and they all deserve it. Gotta go…need to start my Christmas list for next year.
SR/BHF
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