These two teams saw each other twice this season. The first was at the CV Kickoff and the second was the Bethlehem Holiday tournament. Wilso outscored CRS south at CV 120 to 116.5. CRS outscored Wilson at Bethlehem 120 to 115.5. Wilson lost 33-30 to Pennridge and beat OJR 45-29. I think this is a close match. Wilson will throw four really good wrestlers out there. CRS has to figure a way to win a match from 172-285. The 107 match is huge. The winner gets BECA. OUCH!

Monday: Quakertown (1/4) vs Chambersburg (3/3)

These teams saw each other at Escape the Rock. Quakertown finished way ahead of them which isn't surprising. Chambersburg is going to win at least three matches between 107 and 133. They may win four depending on what happens at 114 (true toss up). Quakertown is going to pulverize Chambersburg from 139-152 (probably 160 too). Thye are going to rack up a ton of points. Unfortunately for Quakertown they are looking at three pins from the outstanding Chambersburg Upper weights. I'll take Lachman over Evans but the other three form 172-285 are almost certainly Chambersburg pins. The winner gets Cannon Mac. 

 

Maybe they looked at the bracket too.  

They withdrew from the tournament citing too many injuries.

Here's what I think happens:

CRS - Draws Wilson West Lawn to kick things off.  I like CRS here but close...something in the neighborhood of 36-33.  Then, on to BECA.  Are both of these teams the "Golden Hawks?"  Is a Golden Hawk even a thing?  After the inevitable curb stomping (I personally would not wrestle a single starter...cue Ricky Watters "for who for what") I see them dropping down to face District 4's Shikellamy.  D4 rarely has a good product so I give CRS the W here.  I don't even think it's a question of who they will get the loser of.  If it's not Central Dauphin and Nazareth in this quarter, I will eat my shoe...and my shoe has seen the light of a bathroom after a wrestling weigh in...its not good.  The road stops here for CRS.  Even though the Rams of CD aren't the Rams of their hay day, they don't have the holes that CRS has.  CD by a safe margin...something in the neighborhood of 41-20.  

Spring Ford - Oddly, I kind of like this spot for a win (singular) for the Rams from Royersford...btw -Why the Rams?  I've never seen a Ram once while visiting Royersford.  Feel like they could have battled for worst mascot in PA sports with the Bubblers of Boiling Springs and gone for more of a connection to their Stove Making history.  Anyhoo.  SF opens with Cathedral Prep.  Prep is always interesting but I like Spring Ford here.  I don't know why, it's just a gut feeling.  Seislove does a good job of teaching his kids how to keep it close and I think SF has just enough fire power to squeak one out here.  Then, the rubber meets the road.  I think they're competitive against the Mighty Macs from Canon-Macmillan but here's where those holes start to hurt them.  Dropping down to the consis I think they get the loser of Central Mountain and Cumberland Valley.  Since I like the kids from "upstate" in that one, its on to face the D3 runner up from Mechanicsburg (must have a lot of car problems out in their neck of the woods...I know there are a lot of car dealerships so, who knows!?)  I know D3 is down but Im taking CV in this one.  I think Spring Ford really was fortunate not to see CRS in the Semis of D Duals...just a nightmare matchup for them...and their runner up finish a little tainted as a result.  Not saying CRS is any better or worse, I just didnt see them flipping their previous loss to the Golden Hawks.

Pennridge - What's up with all these Rams?  Ok, the red hot Rams of Pennridge roll into the Prelims in the spot that all D1 teams crave.  In the past, any really good D1 team (sans holes) had a shot at the Semis.  Notice, I said shot...it's still a tough 4 pack.  I know Pennridge (did you know the Indian tribes in the area actually pronounced it Pocasie - meaning the place one goes to crack nuts...I can picture it now, a couple of big nuts on the front of a t shirt...a lot you could have done with that) is wrestling really well right now but, I just don't see it in the cards for a team from SEPA to break into the top 6 this year.  After a battle with D7 3rd, Hempfield (a W here is far from guaranteed), I see them getting beat by Central Mountain pretty handily.  Dropping into the Consis, I think you have a better shot at the Powerball than figuring out who they get.  Best guess is Cathedral Prep but it really could be any team other than Canon Mac, who I think is the strong favorite to win this sub bracket.  Regardless, I think Pennridge has enough horses to beat any of those teams as long as the lineups fall their way.  This is it though for the D1 Champs.  I just don't see them beating Waynesburg who fell a tiebreaker away from capturing their 4th D7 Dual Championship in a row a feat that has only been accomplished by the victor in that dual, Canon McMillan.

Quakertown - By far the most interesting draw for any team because they have some of the best horses (Gaj is just straight stupid...and I mean that as a compliment...kinda like "phat" or "tope")  but also some of the biggest holes.  I have no idea what Coach Handel has up his sleeve but, if the stars align, I can see them winning as many as 2 matches....and that's a HUGE "if".  They are going to struggle with Chambersburg.  Should they sneak by Chambersburg, the Panthers (do we even have Panthers in PA, why not something to do with the Liberty Bell since it was hidden in Quakertown from the British on it's way to Allentown, during the Revolutionary War?) the Panthers would face the loser of Cathedral Prep/Spring Ford.  Since I gave the Rams the W here on a gut feeling, that means they will face the Ramblers from CP.  Could they win this matchup, yes, but I don't think it's very likely.  If they should pull off an upset, they get steam rolled by Waynesburg.

It's just not the year for D1 when it comes to the Dual Meet tourney.  These predictions could easily be worse.  I can see CRS and QT both getting beat tonight, and SF and PR both going 0-2.  For the sake of our reputation, let's hope not!  Equally interesting would be a consi bracket that includes QT, SF and the Pennridge quarter final drop down.  In that scenario, none of them beat Waynesburg.  

Yeah, just have to pay the streaming fee.  I haven't looked to see if anyone is doing video but I thought I saw some the matches out west will be on radio or audio only streams.

If a school does the stream, they might not have to pay.  Not 100% certain on that.

Is there going to be a state duals preview video?

We aren't planning on doing one.  If that changes in the next day or two, I'll post something.  But thanks for asking!

I'm not going to dignify this with a prediction. 

Thursday: Spring Ford vs. Erie Cathedral Prep

107: Smith (SF) mdec Carter 4-0

114: Smith (SF) p. Johnson 10-0

121: Oler (ECP) dec Ferrizzi 10-3

127: Smith (SF) p. Gammon 16-3

133: Staab (ECP) wtf. McGrann 16-8

139: Domkowski (ECP) dec Silva 16-11

145: Offner (SF) dec Byrd 19-11

152: Mest (SF) dec Martucci 22-11

160: Crockett (ECP) dec Attilio 22-14

172: Richards (SF) p. Mallory 28-14

189: Shetler (ECP) mdec: Kelly 28-18

215: Spauling (ECP) dec Borzillo 28-21

285: Hudak (SF) dec Harrick 31-21

This is a good dual match. It will probably be closer than ten points. Spring Ford forfeiting to Staab might not be a bad move for them. 

Thursday: Pennridge vs. Hempfield

107: Martinelli (P) dec N. Kapusta 3-0

114: Coffin (P) p. Magill 9-0

121: McBride (P) dec King 12-0

127: Caracciolo (H) dec Granite 12-3

133: Lebin (H) wbff      12-9

139: Carr (H) mdec Kuhns 12-13

145: L. Kapusta (H) p. McHahon 12-19

152: Mesich (H) dec Iadonisi 12-22

160: Gallagher (P) dec Turner 15-22

172: Hogan (P) mdec Steffey 19-22

189: Rowe (P) p. Wolfe 25-22

215: Binakonsky (H) dec. Washington 25-25

HWT: Cullen (P) p. Shaw 31-25

This prediction is based on Ethan Lebin weighing in at 127. If he weighs in at 133, I can almost guarantee you Logan Williams will be used at 133 and Lebin will go up to 139. I also picked McBride over King. I have no clue who will win that match. This is the best dual match of the opening round, IMO. 

Tough one for Pennridge today. Hopefully they can bounce back.

If you have access to FLO, you should watch Botero's initial takedown -- one of those around the front moves that he specializes in. The kid was on his back and spent the rest of the bout fighting off the pin. He didn't make it.  

Sugalski held his opponent in this crazy forward cradle for a long time before getting the fall in the first period. How he held that crazy hold for so long is beyond me.

I saw it live. The trainer/doctor was about ten feet away. I knew it was going to be stopped. It wasn't intentional but definitely illegal. After that Pennridge had almost no shot to win. Hempfield's middle weights are tough! Kuhns did well against Eli Carr. I thought that match was going to be a near technical fall but Kuhns was right with him through two periods. 

Triple H wrote: Isn't a trap arm from the standing position supposed to be stopped for potentially dangerous before a slam can even occur?  Any refs wanna weigh in...

Berks Catholic is very good and FCA just beat them 40-15. The 15 points BC score included 2 forfeits and a win in the UTB. FCA starts all frosh and sophs.  They wrestle the 2nd place team from D10, Ft, LeBeouf  FCA beat the 1st place team, Reynolds 55-10.  Reynolds won 1 bout a MD at 285 and received a forfeit.  Obviously FCA's 114 is out since they have forfeited every dual and they seldom put a 285 out any way.