As I said in regards to the Michigan State Open, these early season opens, if all varsity starters attend, have the ability to be very fun and very exciting. A lot of great wrestling to potentially take place at the Clarion Open.
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| 125 lbs |
Where to start? A lot to say about this potential bracket and the answers it could provide if all varsity starters show up to compete. For one, it could let us know where Girard stands. A healthy Willy Girard is as tough as anyone & a contender to win the title. Yet we all know that an unhealthy Girard and a healthy Girard are two completely different people. I've called Dylan Ryder one of the best wrestlers in all of NCAA DI to not qualify for the NCAA championships in 2019, 2020 and 2021. That's three years straight, he's been #34 or close to it as far as I'm concerned by year's end. The EIWA isn't going to be any easier this year than it has been in year's past, so he might as well rack up those important victories. The more the merrier and what better place to start than the Clarion Open? The target will be brightly painted on the back of All American Killian Cardinale who I would imagine takes the #1 seed on Saturday. I'll say similar things for Werner that I said for Ryder, and the real culprit to watch here is Colton Camacho. I had three time NCAA qualifier Gage Curry penciled in as Pittsburgh's starter, but Camacho made it look easy as he handled Curry in a 6-1 decision in the Panther wrestle-off. He continues to wrestle like that, he'll continue to open up eyes. If all six of these guys I have pictured enter the tournament, I'll bet they end up being our top six place-winners.
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| 133 lbs |
If Phillippi enters the tournament, he ought to walk through this bracket. The real question is, who will be his finals opponent? If it were up to me I'd give the #2 seed to Allen and the #3 seed to Spann, which I think could turn out to be a pretty good semi-final matchup. Look for Rhone and Newell to also be place-winners within the top 6.
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| 141 lbs |
Like teammate Phillippi I expect Matthews to pretty much walk in and walk out with the title here as he owns a 4-0 decision over Rea and a 13-4 major decision over Manley, who should prove to be his toughest competition within the bracket. An upset over Matthews would be huge for either Manley or Rea, but I just don't see it happening. Rea is a pinner, who has gotten more than one ranked opponent on his back in the past, and could again. I can see either one of these guys in the finals against Matthews.
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| 149 lbs |
I would think that since Karam owns a head to head 4-0 victory over Moore, that he would take the #1 seed, but in the case that some rankings have Moore ahead of Karam & that it is his home tournament, he may take the #1 seed instead. Regardless of who is #1 and who is #2, Moore Vs Karam is a likely finals. I'd like to see a good performance out of Gaxiola. Third place is definitely within his grasp, but I wouldn't dare look over Komara or Kemerer either.
157 lbs
I'm anxious to see how this bracket ends up being seeded. If I were in charge, here is how I would seed the bracket.
#1 - Hornfeck
#2 - Cerniglia
#3 - Heller
#4 - Carida
#5 - Barton
#6 - Cleary
#7 - Petite
#8 - Elfvin
Rebuttal? Criticism? I expect it. I welcome it, but you better bet I have a case for my position. Even though Heller won the EIWA title to Cerniglia's 3rd place finish, I give Cerniglia the nod ahead of Heller, due to Heller having a 7-2 loss to Carida and a 5-0 loss to Hornfeck. Hornfeck in relation, also owns a 7-5 victory over Barton, thus why with his notable victories here I give him the #1 seed. I put Heller ahead of Carida, as the last time they met, Heller won 5-0. Many wouldn't be happy with me seeding Barton as low as #5, but I'm not putting Barton ahead of Hornfeck who already proven he can beat him. Carida defeated Petite twice in 3-1 victories, as Cleary defeated Petite 8-3. Does your head hurt yet? Maybe not how you would seed the bracket, but I feel comfortable in my decision.
With that said, it's likely to work out nothing like I have seeded it in my head. I do feel that as of today Alex Hornfeck deserves more recognition and credit than what he's thus far received. I can see a lot of things happening in this bracket.
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| 165 lbs |
At first glance it would look as if Wentzel is in the same position as Phillippi and Matthews. He's a returning NCAA finalist and most rankings have him pretty high. He most certainly should take the #1 seed entering this tournament. I too think he should win this tournament but that last thing I'd do is snooze on Hall. Of all of the returning NCAA finalists from last season, I would say Wentzel's road to be the rockiest with the most amount of barriers. Hall will be a pothole he'll want to avoid. Look for Stamm to take 3rd place honors and I'd like to think Ho at home would be his consolation finals opponent. Wrestling in front of a home crowd, I hope to see to his advantage. No reason at all he shouldn't place top 6, but he's lost more than once when he shouldn't have.
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| 174 lbs |
If you read over my preseason review of Hofstra you know that I believe that Heller can win an EIWA title this season. Along the way Scott Joll of West Virginia should the two meet up in the finals, will be a good test. They have two common opponents in Jacob Oliver of Edinboro and Thomas Flitz of Appalachian State. Joll lost to Oliver 16-12, whereas Heller lost technical fall to Oliver, but then turned around and defeated him 10-4. Joll defeated Flitz 14-9 where Heller lost to him 12-4. Parity as it often does comes into play here.
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| 184 lbs |
It's pretty black and white as to who should get the #1 seed here. I think Key with a 4-2 victory over Wohlabaugh and a fall over Small more than proves he deserves that distinction. As to who gets the #2? Now that's more of a gray area. Regardless of how seeds end up, I think we will see some hardnosed wrestling in the quarterfinals and in the semi-finals. Small, Harvey, McCracken and Wohlabaugh all look to further themselves and wins over one another will do just that. A runner-up showing here or even going further into an upset over Key will do all of these guys a world of good this season.
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| 197 lbs |
Very little in NCAA Division I wrestling is straightforward but this weight class seems to be. Again treating this as if all of the varsity starters show up to compete. NCAA runner-up Bonaccorsi ought to rip through this bracket as if it were tinfoil. I think Smith is the obvious choice for the #2 seed, seeing that he defeated Koser 13-9 and stuck Rogers in 2:42. I think that puts Koser as the #3, having a 4-2 victory over Rogers. Feldkamp has a fall over Rogers himself, which I think would give him the #4 seed. So there you have it in how I not only think they should be seeded, but how I think they will finish up in the placings.
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| HWT |
I don't think he'll get it, but I do think that Zach Schrader of Maryland deserves to be the top seed here. Head to head, he defeated Knighton-Ward 6-3 and he defeated Birchmeier 4-3. Personally I would put ZKW at #2, Birchmeier at #3, Bagoly who owns a 4-2 victory over Wolfgram at #4, Wolfgram at #5 and finally Cahill at #6. I have a feeling that current rankings will play more into seeding than head to head results, so I could see Schrader as low as #4. I would hope they wouldn't put him any lower than that, but who knows. Regardless if he is given a lower seed, I see him upsetting his way through the tournament to a title. A positive not only for him, but for Maryland in general.
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Clarion could have made it easier on themselves by inviting teams of lesser caliber but they know as well as anyone does that in order to improve you have to face that competition. If Pittsburgh brings a full lineup along with Navy and West Virginia that poses for some tough brackets.
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