I tell you what, I still have a bitter taste in my mouth that Alex Madrigal was left at home last season. Of all the wrestlers to not qualify for the NCAA championships, who truly deserved an at large/wild card selection, it's hard to top Madrigal. I suppose in all things you realize there is no changing it and you move on. Not all stories end as they should.
With that said, wrestling is a sport that thrives on heartwarming, good stories & The Patriots have an opportunity to tell a couple of them this season. I'm excited to see if both unfold as they have potential to. We'll get to that here in a second....
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| 149 lbs Kaden Cassidy |
8th in the MAC last season, Kaden Cassidy was 17-8 on the season. Notable wins over Heath Gonyer of Appalachian State, C.J. Composto of Pennsylvania & Saul Ervin of SIUE.
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| 157 lbs Peter Pappas |
Here's a guy the past couple of seasons that I have been watching trying to figure out what was wrong with him. Was he hurt? Was he injured? Was he sick? Something wasn't right with Peter Pappas & while I have absolutely no inside knowledge, I honestly think it was simply a matter of being unhappy. I know first hand how debilitating depression can be & maybe that wasn't the issue, but I can't help but think it was. I think now Pappas is in an environment where he wants to be. I think he's happy here as a Patriot & I think it'll show this season.
Some may laugh and roll their eyes, but hear me out, Pappas is quite capable. Anthony Gibson of Northern Illinois, Trevor Elfvin of Clarion, Graham Rooks of Indiana, Garrett Model of Wisconsin, Mike Van Brill of Rutgers, Kolby Ho of Clarion, Holden Heller of Pittsburgh, he's proven he can win against the field. I really hope that this is a standout season for him because talent wise, he's got what it takes.
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| 174 lbs Logan Messer |
Here's another guy I think can be a qualifier for the Patriots. 27-9 on the year, Logan Messer was 4th in the MAC championships. He had a win over Thomas Flitz of Appalachian State.
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| 184 lbs Kyle Davis |
Here's another guy you just want to see do well. Buffalo to Sacred Heart to George Mason it took Kyle Davis a while to find the right fit. What a heartbreak it was for him last season at the MAC championships. Takes an impressive 3rd place finish & then challenges for true-2nd only to come up just short. I honestly think that Davis can be an MAC champion this year. He's got his work cut out for him with Will Feldkamp of Clarion & DeAndre Nassar of Cleveland State, but he can defeat both of them. He's 1-1 with Nassar thus far.
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