Wrestling Wreport: Penn State sweeps Lehigh and West Virginia
by Galen on Dec 12, 2011 8:20 PM EST
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The Penn State wrestling team traveled to #10 Lehigh Friday night and hosted West Virginia on Sunday. Collectively, the team went 14-6 in bouts en route to a 24-12 victory over Lehigh and a 34-6 whitewash of West Virginia. Even with two starters out of the lineup, Penn State had little trouble. Frank Molinaro, David Taylor, and Ed Ruth all remained undefeated going 2-0 on the weekend. The Lions managed 8 major decisions, a tech fall, a pin, and an injury default (Ed Ruth was up 12-1 at the time of the injury). Penn State moves to 3-1 on the season.
Lehigh
| Wt. | Winner | type | Loser | Score | Bout score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 125: | #15 Nico Megaludis PSU | dec. | Mason Beckman LU, | 4-0 | 3-0 |
| 133: | Chris Dinnien LU | dec. | Derek Reber PSU, | 10-7 | 3-3 |
| 141: | Bryan Pearsall PSU | maj. dec. | Jimmy Carucci LU, | 12-2 | 7-3 |
| 149: | #1 Frank Molinaro PSU | maj. dec. | Anthony Salupo LU, | 14-3 | 11-3 |
| 157: | #10 Dylan Alton PSU | maj. dec. | Sean Bilodeau LU, | 10-1 | 15-3 |
| 165: | #1 David Taylor PSU | dec. | #9 Brandon Hatchett LHU, | 8-5 | 18-3 |
| 174: | #2 Ed Ruth PSU | inj. def. | Nathaniel Brown LU, | (5:00, Ruth up 12-1) | 24-3 |
| 184: | #1 Robert Hamlin LU | dec. | #5 Quentin Wright PSU, | 8-3 | 24-6 |
| 197: | #7 Joe Kennedy LU | dec. | Justin Ortega PSU, | 2-0 | 24-9 |
| 285: | #3 Zach Rey LU | dec. | #8 Cameron Wade PSU, | 3-2 | 24-12 |
West Virginia
| Wt. | Winner | type | Loser | Score | Bout score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 125: | #15 Nico Megaludis PSU | dec. | Shane Young WVU, | 8-2 | 3-0 |
| 133: | Derek Reber PSU | maj. dec. | Jesse Schiffbauer WVU, | 12-4 | 7-0 |
| 141: | #19 Nathan Pennesi WVU | dec. | Bryan Pearsall PSU, | 5-4 | 7-3 |
| 149: | #1 Frank Molinaro PSU | maj. dec. | George Scheffel WVU, | 10-1 | 11-3 |
| 157: | #10 Dylan Alton PSU | maj. dec. | Dominic Prezzia WVU, | 16-4 | 15-3 |
| 165: | #1 David Taylor PSU | tech fall | Kyle Eason WVU, | 22-7 (TF; 4:17) | 20-3 |
| 174: | #2 Ed Ruth PSU | maj. dec. | Lance Bryson WVU, | 18-6 | 24-3 |
| 184: | #5 Quentin Wright PSU | pinned | #17 Matt Ryan WVU, | WBF (1:57) | 30-3 |
| 197: | Mac Mancuso WVU | dec. | Justin Ortega PSU, | 3-2 | 30-6 |
| 285: | #8 Cameron Wade PSU | maj. dec. | Brandon Williamson WVU, | 11-0 | 34-6 |
The Good
While the score may not show it Nico Megaludis was extremely aggressive in both bouts over the weekend. He drew stall calls in both matches as his opponents ran from him the entire match. For a true freshman he is starting to assert himself early on and pushing his pace. That's a good sign for the young Nittany Lion. Derek Reber also turned up the pace a notch again Schiffbauer of WVU and turned in the best match of his season to date. Molinaro punished his opponents grinding them into the mat like he normally does. This picture pretty much sums that up.
This hurts just looking at it (Photo: BSD/Galen)
Dylan Alton recorded two majors and looked more aggressive against West Virginia. He's starting to look more aggressive after a tentative bout against Minnesota.
This is an aggressive shot (Photo: BSD/Galen)
I'd write something nice about Ruth and Taylor but it's just beating a dead horse, both wrestlers are machines.
The Bad
Cameron Wade is still inconsistent, he looked good against unranked Williamson of WVU not allowing a single point but didn't generate much offense against Rey. Cam manhandles the guys out of the top 10 but gets defensive against the elite. If he wants to make it deep into the nationals he will have to turn it up against the top guys. I hesitate to call Bryan Pearsall's performance bad, but he had a ranked opponent locked up in a cradle and wasn't able to finish.
Bryan ALMOST had the pin (photo:BSD/Galen)
There could be some argument that Pennesi was pinned but that's a moot point, if Pearsall gets that kind of big move he has to make it stick. All he needed to do in the 3rd period was escape to tie the match and he couldn't. Quentin did a fine job pinning #17 Matt Ryan but the top guys in his weight know to stay away from his upper-body throws.
Quentin DID have the pin (Photo: BSD/Galen)
Q will have to develop more leg shots if he wants to repeat as national champ because the top guys have figured him out.
The Ugly
Justin Ortega wrestled for a slightly injured Morgan McIntosh who was held out for precautionary reasons. Ortega didn't wrestle bad per se, but he does just enough to lose. He lost by 1 point to a top 10 wrestler and could have had a win against Mancuso but he refuses to shoot. You can't score if you don't shoot and Ortega spent the entire third period dancing around with no shots when he was down by one. He looks better than last season and his defense is very good but he needs to get aggressive and start taking shots.
Overall
Penn State demolished an unranked opponent who only had two ranked wrestlers and took control of a top-10 team. The team as a whole appears to be getting more and more consistent as the young guys build up confidence as the season moves along. Molinaro, Taylor, and Ruth look like guys on a mission and are leading this team. Penn State gets a tune-up against Lock Haven next Friday before heading to the Southern Scuffle starting New Year's day. Hopefully they can get the injured guys back in the lineup before the break over the holidays.
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I thought the Pearsall match was a bad coaching call imo. Pearsall had just ridden him for 1:30 and Pennesi is really tough on top. Why not put him back in one of his better positions. Even still your really can get turned in a 2 on 1 tilt, especially after your rolled through it twice.
I thought Wade actually looked a little sloppy against WVU got away with some stuff he wouldn’t get away with against better guys.
Agree on Wright needing more leg attacks, but that was still a pretty throw. Also I’ll give Wright the benefit of the doubt he knows titles aren’t won and lost in December.
Also glad to hear Martelotti might be back in the lineup this weekend, and glad Reber was able to pick up a win this weekend. Maybe that will give him some confidence.
by psuwresfan on Dec 12, 2011 8:54 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Best Reber wrestled all year.
I listened to him talk to his dad after the match and he was upset he gave up the early 2. He said that a lot of stuff the coaches have been drilling him on in practice is starting to come natural without thinking.
His legacy is US. The legacy of the young men who he took from a variety of backgrounds, races, religions, economic circumstances and set on a right path, and that's the legacy. WE ARE... the legacy, not his 409 wins and certainly not this incident." -Jimmy Cefalo
I agree
on Pearsall, but…. you would hope he could at least get out and he was close to a reversal but couldn’t get it.
Reber was a pleasant surprise, he really pushed the pace and wrestled his match.
If Martelotti comes back that will be a huge shot in the arm for this team.
Agree like I said he really should have gotten out there with the match on the line, I just think strategy wise it was a curious decision. And to be fair there was a lot of debate on the sideline before Pearsall made his choice.
I also didn’t really like the body language from Pearsall when he told the ref he was taking bottom. Sort of slumped his shoulders a bit looked like he didn’t have much confidence he would get out.
Cool pics
So I haven’t watched these yet, just read @psupat and a few FOS recaps, but some interesting developments. Sounds like Lehigh knew they were overmatched and were coached to try to frustrate PSU in other ways. Beckman running/stalling. Salupo trying to headslap Tank. I read that DT was pretty sick on Fri, but had a real nice TD in the 2nd to secure the lead and prevent a possible tie in the 3rd. Then it looks like he was pissed about a regular Dec, so made quick work of the poor Eer on Sunday. I’m reading some nice things about Iowa’s (Pennsylvania’s!) Evans and his mean-ness on top, which is kinda nice to have our opponents start thinking their guy can give the Unicorn a match. Hatchett sure did. Also, still on that subject, I love, love, how Steve Fittery, still hurting from his only blemish last year in the national semis, hunted down DT and came to the NLO to wrestle folkstyle for another shot. Then DT mauled him in a major.
Sounds like D.Alton did some serious riding this weekend. Both those boys are sure curious. Sky’s the limit, but they need to keep working to get there. Bummer for Nate Brown to go out on injury. Sounds like he came in with intent to give Ruth a hard run, but it didn’t work out. Hope he doesn’t lose too many matches from the injury.
Do I have this scoring right in the Hamlin/Q match: Hamlin’s 3TDs and a Rev and Q 3 escapes? I’m reading Q is not abandoning the throw attempts soon enough and looking for his very good double. Also that he is struggling to attack following a tie-up or off-balance by the opponent and is letting them get reset for some reason. Are you guys seeing some of that?
Sounds like the hold of McIntosh may have been in part strategic (in addition to precautionary health reasons). Joe Kennedy is a guy it sounds like Sanderson believes MM could beat, but that he is working on MM’s confidence. Here’s the quote wresfan was referencing after the NLO last week:
“Morgan was right there. If he stays real positive, I think he has got a great chance of being a national champion this year,” Sanderson said. “As long as he stays positive, he’s going to win. He’s figuring things out.”
It was clear he could compete with #2 Yohn, and he dropped a close 12-9 bout to #20 Boley, but he’s got quite a few more oppties against ranked guys to show what he can do. I’m not sure anybody is gonna halt the Cam Simaz juggernaut at 97 this year, but I do very much like the sound of Sanderson’s confidence in this true frosh.
Wade gonna Wade.
I guess DT being sick was the reason Fischer was weighed in on Sunday.
You are right on Wright. He worked up top the entire match on Sunday, of course pinned his guy but the guy got in on a single and Q just made himself heavy and the guy never got his head out.
On a side, do you want me to send you a text the next time I get tickets. A guy at work has three, two adults and a child. I had them this weekend. He thinks he is only going to Iowa and Michigan so I might Ohio St and Pitt, 1/29 and 2/19.
His legacy is US. The legacy of the young men who he took from a variety of backgrounds, races, religions, economic circumstances and set on a right path, and that's the legacy. WE ARE... the legacy, not his 409 wins and certainly not this incident." -Jimmy Cefalo
Sure, hit me up
I’m the remotest of longshots for a DC to SC drive for a meet, but a sizable portion of my lifestyle’s planning these days is spontaneity, so would love to at least hear about an oppty. Thanks, dude.
both matches are on a Sunday. We left about 10:15 and we were eating at Faccia Luna at noon. You of course would get to hear my adorable grandson talk incescantly from the burg to SC, he is extremely ADHD. Some of the conversations are pretty interesting. How can Santa get in the small chimneys (yeah, still believes, which is cute), I fessed up that brown cows do not give chocolate milk but he still thinks they might, and then he described the trees on the road from Cowan’s Gap to Burnt Cabins as looking like hands greeting you while driving down the road, some nice and some evil. 6 yr olds have amazing imaginations.
I just read.
I think with regard to Wright’s throws as I said before I think he knows what he’s doing. If I had to guess in the room he’s probably working a variety of leg attacks, but sees no reason to give his opponents a look at them now.
I’m not just saying this as an excuse for him, he’s done it pretty much every year so far at Penn State. His freshman year he got beat by Iowa’s backup in the dual meet. Then at the Big Ten tournament he beat Jay Borschel in the semifinals but shooting just straight doubles. Borschel hadn’t seen him do it all year and he looked completely foolish out there.
In regards to Evans, he’s talented and a tough kid saw him wrestle a ton in high school. I’m not entirely convinced his style will transition to college well against some of the better wrestlers, but we’ll see. I think Taylor will beat him handily, in fact I would say Taylor’s quickness and length is probably the worst possible style matchup for Evans. But after last year’s nightmare against Iowa I’m not making any promises.
LOVE this!
If I had to guess in the room he’s probably working a variety of leg attacks, but sees no reason to give his opponents a look at them now.
Very cool angle. /adopts it. Thanks, wresfan!
Also, still on that subject, I love, love, how Steve Fittery, still hurting from his only blemish last year in the national semis, hunted down DT and came to the NLO to wrestle folkstyle for another shot. Then DT mauled him in a major.
How did I not hear about this?
"Woop woop." - Waylon Jennings
by ReadingRambler on Dec 13, 2011 10:49 AM EST up reply actions
Oh, and while Simaz's loss to Kilgore was flukey, let's be real:
Cornell’s a bunch of pansies.
"Woop woop." - Waylon Jennings
by ReadingRambler on Dec 13, 2011 10:50 AM EST up reply actions
Kilgore was one of our biggest helpers last year!
But I don’t remember seeing him/his style much. I do, however, distinctly remember watching Simaz destroy the shit out of Yohn a few weeks ago. Even if he does wrestle for the Big Red, one of the most awful names of an American sporting team, when you’re seeing a dude in Beast Mode who says to himself that a Tech Fall just feels too easy and decides to deck his victim instead, and when that victim is the #2-ranked cat in his weight class, it’s pretty damn cool.
I was at the match with my grandson.
great time. Frank Molinaro and his parents are great people. They stood and chatted with Zayden and me for a while and I got a great picture of Frank and Zayden. Zayden got to meet Ed Ruth, who had what appeared a bunch of kids from his home area around with his family, really nice kid.
It is great to see Rec Hall filled like that for the match. Very fun and an extremely knowedgeable crowd, as the ref just would not call many stalls on Sunday. I think WVU wrestlers were taught to push the shoulders and take a step back. Nico’s match was horrible the way Young ran from him.
His legacy is US. The legacy of the young men who he took from a variety of backgrounds, races, religions, economic circumstances and set on a right path, and that's the legacy. WE ARE... the legacy, not his 409 wins and certainly not this incident." -Jimmy Cefalo
Yea I was really surprised to see Young wrestle like that, normally a much more aggressive wrestler. But I think it speaks some to the talent of Nico as well.
Nico did a great job of stalking that match
Young just wouldn’t engage until they were on the edge. The ref did a bad job because that is addressed in the rules this year.
Grandson and I sat mid mat on the upper west end. Fun time. Hoping to get to two more matches this year, OSU and Pitt.
His legacy is US. The legacy of the young men who he took from a variety of backgrounds, races, religions, economic circumstances and set on a right path, and that's the legacy. WE ARE... the legacy, not his 409 wins and certainly not this incident." -Jimmy Cefalo
Man, Q would be so much better if he was from the 717.
He takes too long to get going. B, j, you two and I need to adopt him into the 717 so he can be Undefeatable every year.
"Woop woop." - Waylon Jennings
by ReadingRambler on Dec 13, 2011 10:52 AM EST reply actions
Officials
are ‘all over the mat’ with their stall calls. I had hoped that there would be more stall calls this year now that a wrestler can no longer be disqualified but the subjectivity is still there. Against Minny, I heard the official tell Sherlock twice to work towards the center before he gave a stall warning yet Nico’s WV opponent stalled enough to be disqualified under the old rules and he wasn’t penalized enough. I couldn’t believe DA was warned while riding his opponent that was flat on the mat. There doesn’t seem to be a consensus yet among officials about interpreting the new stall rules. This needs to be clarified before tournament time.
It was strange to see the second official award a takedown when the mat official would not.
Stop blaming Joe -- media mobs!
Nominate - Elect Franco Harris, Brandon Short, Jimmy Cefalo to BoT (and vote out incumbents for next three years)
by OlderBudweiser on Dec 13, 2011 12:47 PM EST reply actions
The Alton call was baffling, I thought he meant to call it against the WVU wrestler but didn't.
Also, the guy crawling off the mat under Ruth, Ruth sits up lifts his arms and looks at the ref, like how is this not stalling and the guy doesn’t do anything but reach out to crawl farther off the mat, no call.
I just read.
Stall calls
I knew this was going to be a Pandora’s box with the new rules, don’t get me wrong I like the new rules but now there’s a huge gap between the refs that call stalling the way it’s written and the guys that let things go. It could mean the difference between a win and a loss come tournament time if they don’t all get on the same page.
I loved the fact that the second official stepped in and awarded the takedown. It was the right call and far too often the second guy lets things go. I hope for more of that.
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