Historically speaking I don't know if there is a feud in collegiate wrestling that goes back further than that of Oklahoma Vs Oklahoma State. It goes back to 1920. Over 100 years ago. 65 years before I was born and it'll still be going on 65 years after I'm long gone. It is the epitome of collegiate wrestling. What duals are all about. The excitement, the fun, the tradition. You don't have to be a Cowboy or a Sooner fan to appreciate the magnitude of this rivalry.
This year's first dual will take place in Norman on Sunday. A second meeting between the two will take place on Sunday February 20th in Stillwater. On paper the #3 Cowboys are highly favored over the #14 Sooners, but I question if the crimson and cream can hang with the orange and black. Stranger things have happened in college wrestling and wrestling in front of a home audience can make a major difference.
125 - #21 Joey Prata Vs #12 Trevor Mastrogiovanni
Both of these guys have had good starts thus far to the 2021-2022 season. Prata is currently 6-1, with his only loss coming to NCAA runner-up Brandon Courtney of Arizona State. Mastrogiovanni has wrestled about half the schedule, but already owns a nice 10-6 victory over NCAA 3rd place finisher Pat McKee of Minnesota. Is this a match that Prata can win? I think so. It's one of the most important matches of the dual. Neither one of these teams can afford to give up potential toss ups. John Smith has done a good job for the past 28 seasons of avoiding upsets, and an upset is exactly what Lou Rosselli is looking for here.
133 - #19 Anthony Madrigal Vs #2 Daton Fix
The key here for the Sooners is to avoid bonus points. Although Fix owns a 20-5 technical fall as well as a 4:54 fall over Madrigal, the last the two met, Madrigal held Fix to a 6-1 decision. That is absolute essential if the Sooners want to stay in this dual with the Cowboys. Madrigal has to keep the match within 7 points or less.
141 - #6 Dom Demas vs U.R. Dusty Hone
Demas was able to score an 11-3 major decision the last time the two met, but in every other match between the two, Hone has surprisingly been able to keep the score very close. We're talking a 6-4 decision, a 3-1 decision and giving the Sooner a real scare in a 4-3 decision. Could Hone potentially upset Demas? With such a valuable dual on the line, the plausibility exist. In reality the Sooners need more than a decision here, they really need that major. The Cowboys need it kept to a decision and if Hone can pull off the upset, might go ahead and call Stevie Wonder and call this dual signed, sealed and delivered.
149 - #15 Mitch Moore Vs #20 Kaden Gfeller
You have two guys with the same pattern of unpredictability about to go head to head. Most wrestlers John Smith has had in his varsity lineup over the past two and a half decades have been fairly reliable. You've known what to expect out of them. Gfeller is one of the rare times when a Cowboy leaves you guessing. There's one Gfeller that shows up and has the ability to hang with anyone. Then there's another Gfeller that shows up and struggles in situations the other Gfeller wouldn't even break a sweat in. Much the same can be said about Moore. Both of these guys have hot and cold phases. Obviously the Sooners want a hot Moore and a cold Gfeller. The Cowboys want a hot Gfeller and a cold Moore. Having no real dog in this fight, just simply wanting to see good wrestling, I'm hoping for a hot Moore and a hot Gfeller. Seeing that it's Bedlam, I think that's exactly what we'll get.
157 - #15 Justin Thomas Vs #16 Wyatt Sheets
This may only be a middle weight, but in terms of pressure and importance, this could easily be where things get heavy. You have two evenly matched competitors who know one another well. Thomas and Sheets have met a total of three times, with Thomas owning a 3-2 advantage over Sheets. While Sheets owns 5-3 & 1-0 decisions, Thomas owns an 8-3 decision, a 4-3 tiebreaker and a 13-5 major decision. How this match favors the Sooner is by location. Wrestling in front of an electric Sooner fan base will help Thomas. However, Thomas has struggled a bit this season. He lost to Arizona State's Jacori Teemer, who he was previously undefeated against and he lost to Wyoming's Jacob Wright, who he was previously 5-1 against. This is an absolute must win for the Sooners and a pretty important match for the Cowboys too.
165 - #29 Joe Grello Vs #5 Travis Wittlake
Like 133 lbs, hoping for an upset here is out of the question for the Sooners. The question is, can Grello keep this to a decision? As good as Wittlake is, that'll be a grave challenge for Grello. Yet it is essential he do so in order to keep the Sooner's hopes alive.
174 - U.R. Anthony Mantanona Vs #9 Dustin Plott
I don't know if there is a more unpredictable all over the place wrestler in NCAA wrestling than Anthony Mantanona. He has to be Forrest Gump's favorite wrestler, because with him, you never know what you're going to get. Cowboy fans may laugh at the idea of Mantanona upsetting Plott, but before you start slapping your knee at the idea, realize that he already has. Yes, that is true, Mantanona owns a 7-4 decision over Plott. Now Plott also owns an 11-6 decision over Mantanona. All I'm pointing out here is don't let the rankings fool you on this one. This could turn out to be a very good match. Another that the Sooners desperately need and that the Cowboys don't want to give up.
184 - #18 Darrien Roberts Vs #7 Dakota Geer
Geer has thus far managed to rack up the bonus points for the Cowboys in this one with two major decisions via scores of 11-0 and 18-4 over Roberts. History suggest that keeping this one to a decision is going to be very difficult. In dual situations that one extra point to go from 3 team points to 4 can make a big difference. The Cowboys know that and so do the Sooners.
197 - #11 Jake Woodley Vs #1 A.J. Ferrari
Bonnie Tyler needs a hero and so do the people of Norman. You want to see someone treated like a God for a week? We're talking all the wrestling publications, twitter, facebook, ect? Have Woodley knock off Ferrari. It'd be a little over two months into the season the biggest thing to happen in collegiate wrestling. Is it possible? Yes, it is. Ferarri is 3-0 Vs Woodley but Woodley has been in all three matches. He lost 3-2, 4-1 and most recently 8-4. Woodley also owns two victories over Noah Adams of West Virginia, the only wrestler who owns a varsity victory of Ferrari. Make of that what you will.
HWT - U.R. Josh Heindselman Vs #30 Luke Surber
Again this is an area where I think an upset is certainly doable for the Sooners. Heindselman is 3-0 in three close matches with Surber's backup Austin Harris. Should be a good match.
So is this dual winnable for the Sooners? It's gonna take a lot of upsets and keeping probable losses as close as possible, but yes, Oklahoma can win this dual meet.
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Johnnythompsonnum1 at the time does not and plans on never charging for content. However, I would like to extend the coverage I do for the sport and can only do so through donation. Your contributions would help in a variety of ways including but not limited to the following examples below.
To purchase a camera in order to conduct interviews with wrestlers, coaches and wrestling personnel. (Thus far JT#1 has raised $75 through generation contribution in an effort to purchase this camera)
To start a wrestling podcast with Dennis Doderer, a former Iowa High School state runner-up, Michigan State wrestler & writer of NYPD BLUE
To help cover the cost of travel and lodging to attend more wrestling events
To create more content to where eventually Johnnythompsonnum1 is covering all Divisions of Collegiate Wrestling. Right now based on money, time & resource restraints Johnnythompsonnum1 is mainly NCAA DI with a bit of NAIA mixed in here and there. I want to eventually be able to cover DI, DII, DIII, NAIA, NJCAA, CCCAA, NCWA & all of Women’s wrestling.
If every reader of mine donated even $0.50 per month it’d be enough to achieve these goals. So please think about making a contribution to Johnnythompsonnum1 to help me extend the collegiate wrestling coverage that I do.
Send donnation via Venmo to Stephen-Stonebraker-1
P.O. Box to send cash, check or money order coming soon.
This year's first dual will take place in Norman on Sunday. A second meeting between the two will take place on Sunday February 20th in Stillwater. On paper the #3 Cowboys are highly favored over the #14 Sooners, but I question if the crimson and cream can hang with the orange and black. Stranger things have happened in college wrestling and wrestling in front of a home audience can make a major difference.
125 - #21 Joey Prata Vs #12 Trevor Mastrogiovanni
Both of these guys have had good starts thus far to the 2021-2022 season. Prata is currently 6-1, with his only loss coming to NCAA runner-up Brandon Courtney of Arizona State. Mastrogiovanni has wrestled about half the schedule, but already owns a nice 10-6 victory over NCAA 3rd place finisher Pat McKee of Minnesota. Is this a match that Prata can win? I think so. It's one of the most important matches of the dual. Neither one of these teams can afford to give up potential toss ups. John Smith has done a good job for the past 28 seasons of avoiding upsets, and an upset is exactly what Lou Rosselli is looking for here.
133 - #19 Anthony Madrigal Vs #2 Daton Fix
The key here for the Sooners is to avoid bonus points. Although Fix owns a 20-5 technical fall as well as a 4:54 fall over Madrigal, the last the two met, Madrigal held Fix to a 6-1 decision. That is absolute essential if the Sooners want to stay in this dual with the Cowboys. Madrigal has to keep the match within 7 points or less.
141 - #6 Dom Demas vs U.R. Dusty Hone
Demas was able to score an 11-3 major decision the last time the two met, but in every other match between the two, Hone has surprisingly been able to keep the score very close. We're talking a 6-4 decision, a 3-1 decision and giving the Sooner a real scare in a 4-3 decision. Could Hone potentially upset Demas? With such a valuable dual on the line, the plausibility exist. In reality the Sooners need more than a decision here, they really need that major. The Cowboys need it kept to a decision and if Hone can pull off the upset, might go ahead and call Stevie Wonder and call this dual signed, sealed and delivered.
149 - #15 Mitch Moore Vs #20 Kaden Gfeller
You have two guys with the same pattern of unpredictability about to go head to head. Most wrestlers John Smith has had in his varsity lineup over the past two and a half decades have been fairly reliable. You've known what to expect out of them. Gfeller is one of the rare times when a Cowboy leaves you guessing. There's one Gfeller that shows up and has the ability to hang with anyone. Then there's another Gfeller that shows up and struggles in situations the other Gfeller wouldn't even break a sweat in. Much the same can be said about Moore. Both of these guys have hot and cold phases. Obviously the Sooners want a hot Moore and a cold Gfeller. The Cowboys want a hot Gfeller and a cold Moore. Having no real dog in this fight, just simply wanting to see good wrestling, I'm hoping for a hot Moore and a hot Gfeller. Seeing that it's Bedlam, I think that's exactly what we'll get.
157 - #15 Justin Thomas Vs #16 Wyatt Sheets
This may only be a middle weight, but in terms of pressure and importance, this could easily be where things get heavy. You have two evenly matched competitors who know one another well. Thomas and Sheets have met a total of three times, with Thomas owning a 3-2 advantage over Sheets. While Sheets owns 5-3 & 1-0 decisions, Thomas owns an 8-3 decision, a 4-3 tiebreaker and a 13-5 major decision. How this match favors the Sooner is by location. Wrestling in front of an electric Sooner fan base will help Thomas. However, Thomas has struggled a bit this season. He lost to Arizona State's Jacori Teemer, who he was previously undefeated against and he lost to Wyoming's Jacob Wright, who he was previously 5-1 against. This is an absolute must win for the Sooners and a pretty important match for the Cowboys too.
165 - #29 Joe Grello Vs #5 Travis Wittlake
Like 133 lbs, hoping for an upset here is out of the question for the Sooners. The question is, can Grello keep this to a decision? As good as Wittlake is, that'll be a grave challenge for Grello. Yet it is essential he do so in order to keep the Sooner's hopes alive.
174 - U.R. Anthony Mantanona Vs #9 Dustin Plott
I don't know if there is a more unpredictable all over the place wrestler in NCAA wrestling than Anthony Mantanona. He has to be Forrest Gump's favorite wrestler, because with him, you never know what you're going to get. Cowboy fans may laugh at the idea of Mantanona upsetting Plott, but before you start slapping your knee at the idea, realize that he already has. Yes, that is true, Mantanona owns a 7-4 decision over Plott. Now Plott also owns an 11-6 decision over Mantanona. All I'm pointing out here is don't let the rankings fool you on this one. This could turn out to be a very good match. Another that the Sooners desperately need and that the Cowboys don't want to give up.
184 - #18 Darrien Roberts Vs #7 Dakota Geer
Geer has thus far managed to rack up the bonus points for the Cowboys in this one with two major decisions via scores of 11-0 and 18-4 over Roberts. History suggest that keeping this one to a decision is going to be very difficult. In dual situations that one extra point to go from 3 team points to 4 can make a big difference. The Cowboys know that and so do the Sooners.
197 - #11 Jake Woodley Vs #1 A.J. Ferrari
Bonnie Tyler needs a hero and so do the people of Norman. You want to see someone treated like a God for a week? We're talking all the wrestling publications, twitter, facebook, ect? Have Woodley knock off Ferrari. It'd be a little over two months into the season the biggest thing to happen in collegiate wrestling. Is it possible? Yes, it is. Ferarri is 3-0 Vs Woodley but Woodley has been in all three matches. He lost 3-2, 4-1 and most recently 8-4. Woodley also owns two victories over Noah Adams of West Virginia, the only wrestler who owns a varsity victory of Ferrari. Make of that what you will.
HWT - U.R. Josh Heindselman Vs #30 Luke Surber
Again this is an area where I think an upset is certainly doable for the Sooners. Heindselman is 3-0 in three close matches with Surber's backup Austin Harris. Should be a good match.
So is this dual winnable for the Sooners? It's gonna take a lot of upsets and keeping probable losses as close as possible, but yes, Oklahoma can win this dual meet.
====
Johnnythompsonnum1 at the time does not and plans on never charging for content. However, I would like to extend the coverage I do for the sport and can only do so through donation. Your contributions would help in a variety of ways including but not limited to the following examples below.
To purchase a camera in order to conduct interviews with wrestlers, coaches and wrestling personnel. (Thus far JT#1 has raised $75 through generation contribution in an effort to purchase this camera)
To start a wrestling podcast with Dennis Doderer, a former Iowa High School state runner-up, Michigan State wrestler & writer of NYPD BLUE
To help cover the cost of travel and lodging to attend more wrestling events
To create more content to where eventually Johnnythompsonnum1 is covering all Divisions of Collegiate Wrestling. Right now based on money, time & resource restraints Johnnythompsonnum1 is mainly NCAA DI with a bit of NAIA mixed in here and there. I want to eventually be able to cover DI, DII, DIII, NAIA, NJCAA, CCCAA, NCWA & all of Women’s wrestling.
If every reader of mine donated even $0.50 per month it’d be enough to achieve these goals. So please think about making a contribution to Johnnythompsonnum1 to help me extend the collegiate wrestling coverage that I do.
Send donnation via Venmo to Stephen-Stonebraker-1
P.O. Box to send cash, check or money order coming soon.
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