Army
In the first match of the Rogers/Greenberg era we took on a very tough Army team. This was the first time since I have been here (maybe longer!) that we put a full team out on the mat. This had to be a huge factor for our guys mentally as last year we would go into duals down 12-0 or even 18-0. I know it doesnt sound like much of a motivator but to go into a dual 0-0 really can help a wrestler feel like they are fighting for more than just an individual match result. In the dual we fought hard and with a few breaks here and there we could have won the dual. Matt Fullowan and Anthony Bongarzone lost by a combined total of 3pts with Anthony losing on a controversial call at the buzzer. Could the call have gone the other way? Sure it could have, but in wrestling you cannot leave the match up to the clock or the official. This is a lesson I hope the guys learned Saturday and something they will not have to be on the losing end of again. Throughout the match we scored the first takedown in almost every matchup. This is a huge improvement for our program given we would usually be hesitant and wait for the action to come to us last year. We had game plans for each opponent and we stuck to them even if we fell behind.
American
Against American we performed decently, but what made me excited was all of the guys fought hard. Obviously American has some buzzsaw's that just have more experience than our guys, but in the matches where we went up against their studs we still fought with all we had. Our shape and conditioning was more than good for both matches, in the Army dual we seemed to be able to use it more to our advantage, but from the coaches perspective we were very satisfied with our guys gas tanks.
125-Matt Murray wrestled hard for his first time down to weight. In the Army match he scored the first takedown but was not ready for the emotional pressure scoring first can put on you. This being the first time Matt competed at 125, he will only get better from here. He will manage his weight better and only get stronger as the season progresses. Matt will need to stay aggressive on his feet and use his length and power to his advantage if he wants to build on first period takedowns.
133-Jake Bucha picked up where he left off the first round of EIWA's last year. I say the first round because Jake didn't perform at his best after that point in the tournament last year. In his first match he beat the 4th seeded wrestler from Penn convincingly and looked as good as he had all year. Jake scored at will this past weekend, dominating from his feet and giving up nothing on the mat. He avenged an 2009 early season loss to the Army wrestler and never looked like he was in trouble. Against American he was a bit tentative and if he wants to make it to Philly this year he will have to push himself to score until the final whistle.
141- Kenny Knapp stepped in for us even though he was hurt and did his best against Army. Kenny needs to get healthy so that he can show everyone how good he really is.
149- Andrew Murano got the freshman welcome to college wrestling. While he took some lumps on the mat he did show some promise on his shots and his overall heart during the two matches. He was unfortunate to draw two of the best wrestlers in the gym Saturday, but I have no doubt he will rebound and learn from this experience and be ready by the end of the year to make a run.
157- Ladies and Gentlemen, please let me introduce you to the most dangerous man in the world. Eric Norgard has no fear on the mat and showed our team that no matter where you are in the match you are always in a position to win. Trailing in the second period Eric turned and stuck the Army wrestler sparking a huge roar from the fans. Against American, Eric put #2 Steve Fittery on his back for a count and almost a fall before Fittery fought back for the win. Eric is a perfect example of somebody who has bought into the system we are teaching and as a result is a much more complete (and dangerous) wrestler.
165- Anthony Bongarzone lost a heart breaker to the Army kid when the ref failed to call the TD as time ran out on the one point match. Anthony needs to learn that he cannot wait for the end of a match to press the action and that he needs to create motion on his feet if he wants to get in on his shots. Against American Anthony had good news and bad. The good news is he only got hit with one move in the entire match, the bad news is the guy hit it on him 6x. We are spending the week on this position and Anthony will be ready next time.
174- Matt Fullowan lost a close match to Army not because of skill but because of nerves. He held back and didn't open up and wrestle to his potential. If he had wrestled like I know he can he would have beat the Army guy easily. Against American Matt did open up and scored a variety of takedowns to finish 1-1 on the day.
184- Matt Latessa showed flashes of greatness on his feet but unfortunately made some big mistakes there as well. Matt needs to improve on his shot defense and he will be a tough match for anybody at 184.
197- Colin "Vino" Ely had quite the day, finishing up 2-0. I call him "vino" because for the last few weeks he has been hurt (or on the shelf) yet he only gets better (just like wine!) Colin wrestled smart on his feet, held position, and capitalized on his opponents mistakes. It was a great start for his season.
HWT- Danny Canfield wrestled really well against the Army guy scoring early in the first with a nice leg attack. He held position and was able to escape fairly easily to ein the match without too many mistakes. The one area we need Danny to work on is opening up and believing in his shots. He is a quick heavy so he should be able to score on a lot of the bigger, slower guys. Against American Danny made a silly mistake which landed him on his back and ended what could have been an exciting HWT match. Danny will have a great year and surprise some people who overlook him (which isn't too hard since he is 5'9" ZING!)
Coach Rogers talks about the weekend with Danny Canfield and Steve Peed here.
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