The #2 Wartburg Knights hop in the bus & travel an hour & 15 minutes southeast to Iowa's second largest community, Cedar Rapids, to do battle with the #25 Coe Kohawks. On paper this looks like heavy swords & flails ready to slaughter. On the mat, I believe tells a different story. Perhaps I'm giving Coe too much credit here, but I think wrestling in their house, in front of their people, they give the Orange and black a respectable showing. Not going to pull off a team upset, but in position to pull off some upsets on an individual level.
#7 James Levy Vs U.R. Brayden Parke
125
5th & 4th in the Lower Midwest Regional thus far, James Levy has proven himself to be one of the best wrestlers in the D3 nation yet to make the national tournament. With some nice wins thus far this year, he's earned himself a #7 ranking. Make no mistake however, despite Brayden Parke being unranked, the Knight has himself a great challenge this Friday night. The young freshman is 19-3 in his own right, including sticking Keito Shaw, who recently upset Levy 10-5 about a month ago.
#6 Josh Gervey Vs #12 Bryce Parke
133
Senior Josh Gervey is testimony to how deep the depth chart is on the Wartburg Knights' wrestling team. This is his first season as a starter, and he's done an outstanding job, posting a 17-4 record heading into Friday night. Despite being six points ahead of #12 Bryce Parke in the rankings, like teammate Levy, Gervey has one Hell of a challenge ahead of himself. Bryce Parke is a two time NCAA DIII qualifier with back to back 3rd place showings at the Lower Midwest Regional. Both Wartburg and Coe are in Region 6 this year, so a win here will be vital.
#1 Charlie Dojan Vs U.R. Dresden Grimm
149
I do believe that upsets are 125 and 133 are possibilities for Coe. If the Parke brothers were to both pull off wins & get the Kohawk arena the loudest it has been in '24-'25 that wouldn't surprise me at all. I think both Brayden & Bryce are capable of doing just that.
An upset at 149? No, I don't think that's happening. 3rd in the D3 Nation last season & the #1 prospect to win a national title a little over a month from now, I do not see Charlie Dojan being upset in this dual by an unranked opponent. I tell you what I do see though. I think Dresden Grimm can give him a respectable match. 8th in the Lower Midwest Regional last year, I think Grimm is actually capable of qualification this season. He's 17-4 on the year with some nice wins. I think he can keep this match within 7 points, I really do.
#4 Blain Christie Vs U.R. Tyler Koedam
157
I meant what I said when I said that this dual is going to be a lot better on the mat than what it is on paper. Christie, like Gervey is another Knight illustrating the depth of each weight class that Wartburg provides. 16-4 on the season, he's positioned himself into the prospected All American potential. With that said, he better not be overlooking his opponent this Friday. Tyler Koedam might not be ranked, but he was an NCAA DIII qualifier last season with a 3rd place showing at the Lower Midwest Regional. A two time Coe Invitational champion, he has 12 wins on the season.
#14 Matt Rogge Vs #4 L.J. Richardson
174
Coe is capable of winning quite a few matches in this dual as far as I'm concerned, but on paper, 174 lbs is the only time the Kohawks are favored over the Knights. L.J. Richardson was an All American in 2023 with a 6th place showing in the D3 nation. He missed out on NCAA DII qualification last season, finishing 4th in the Lower Midwest Regional. Thus far this year he is 15-3 on the season, with titles won at both the Coe Invitational & the North Central Invitational. In an effort to get back to the national tournament and reclaim his All American status, Richardson is going to have some stiff competition. Matt Rogge, yet another Knight, living, breathing proof of the Wartburg depth chart is 12-4 on the year with some very notable wins.
#3 Kasey Ross Vs #11 Jared Voss
184
Coe has an opportunity to showcase a very respectable showing against Wartburg and 184 lbs is another example of it. The rankings highly favor #3 Kasey Ross over #11 Jared Voss. However, the head-to-head favors the Kohawk, as it is Voss that owns a 3-0 victory over Ross. Both of these guys are looking very good so far in '24-'25. Ross, a Lower Midwest Regional champion last season is currently carrying a 20-1 record. Voss, 17-2 who has been 3rd & 4th in the Lower Midwest Regional, recently earned his third Coe Invitational title. Both of these guys are hungry to make it back to the national tournament and compete for All American honors. Winning this match will be crucial for seeding purposes at Regional 6.
#1 Massoma Endene Vs #11 Matt Arsenault
197
I may be overly optimistic at times, but I'm not utopian. Massoma Endene is a two time NCAA DIII national champion, with a record of 63-1. He's not getting upset Friday, nor did I ever dare dream that. That's not the question here. The question here is can Matt Arsenault go the distance with Endene & make this match last a full 7 minutes? The last the two met, Endene won a 20-4 technical fall 2:26 into the first period. That's a lot of points, in a relatively short amount of time. It's a reflection of how good Endene is. I still wonder how he would have fared in DI had he stayed at Wisconsin. However this match ends, don't let it deter your thoughts on Arsenault. He was 4th at the Lower Midwest Regional last season, and capable of qualification this year.
The #2 Wartburg Knights hop in the bus & travel an hour & 15 minutes southeast to Iowa's second largest community, Cedar Rapids, to do battle with the #25 Coe Kohawks. On paper this looks like heavy swords & flails ready to slaughter. On the mat, I believe tells a different story. Perhaps I'm giving Coe too much credit here, but I think wrestling in their house, in front of their people, they give the Orange and black a respectable showing. Not going to pull off a team upset, but in position to pull off some upsets on an individual level.
|
| #7 James Levy Vs U.R. Brayden Parke 125 |
5th & 4th in the Lower Midwest Regional thus far, James Levy has proven himself to be one of the best wrestlers in the D3 nation yet to make the national tournament. With some nice wins thus far this year, he's earned himself a #7 ranking. Make no mistake however, despite Brayden Parke being unranked, the Knight has himself a great challenge this Friday night. The young freshman is 19-3 in his own right, including sticking Keito Shaw, who recently upset Levy 10-5 about a month ago.
|
| #6 Josh Gervey Vs #12 Bryce Parke 133 |
Senior Josh Gervey is testimony to how deep the depth chart is on the Wartburg Knights' wrestling team. This is his first season as a starter, and he's done an outstanding job, posting a 17-4 record heading into Friday night. Despite being six points ahead of #12 Bryce Parke in the rankings, like teammate Levy, Gervey has one Hell of a challenge ahead of himself. Bryce Parke is a two time NCAA DIII qualifier with back to back 3rd place showings at the Lower Midwest Regional. Both Wartburg and Coe are in Region 6 this year, so a win here will be vital.
|
| #1 Charlie Dojan Vs U.R. Dresden Grimm 149 |
I do believe that upsets are 125 and 133 are possibilities for Coe. If the Parke brothers were to both pull off wins & get the Kohawk arena the loudest it has been in '24-'25 that wouldn't surprise me at all. I think both Brayden & Bryce are capable of doing just that.
An upset at 149? No, I don't think that's happening. 3rd in the D3 Nation last season & the #1 prospect to win a national title a little over a month from now, I do not see Charlie Dojan being upset in this dual by an unranked opponent. I tell you what I do see though. I think Dresden Grimm can give him a respectable match. 8th in the Lower Midwest Regional last year, I think Grimm is actually capable of qualification this season. He's 17-4 on the year with some nice wins. I think he can keep this match within 7 points, I really do.
|
| #4 Blain Christie Vs U.R. Tyler Koedam 157 |
I meant what I said when I said that this dual is going to be a lot better on the mat than what it is on paper. Christie, like Gervey is another Knight illustrating the depth of each weight class that Wartburg provides. 16-4 on the season, he's positioned himself into the prospected All American potential. With that said, he better not be overlooking his opponent this Friday. Tyler Koedam might not be ranked, but he was an NCAA DIII qualifier last season with a 3rd place showing at the Lower Midwest Regional. A two time Coe Invitational champion, he has 12 wins on the season.
|
| #14 Matt Rogge Vs #4 L.J. Richardson 174 |
Coe is capable of winning quite a few matches in this dual as far as I'm concerned, but on paper, 174 lbs is the only time the Kohawks are favored over the Knights. L.J. Richardson was an All American in 2023 with a 6th place showing in the D3 nation. He missed out on NCAA DII qualification last season, finishing 4th in the Lower Midwest Regional. Thus far this year he is 15-3 on the season, with titles won at both the Coe Invitational & the North Central Invitational. In an effort to get back to the national tournament and reclaim his All American status, Richardson is going to have some stiff competition. Matt Rogge, yet another Knight, living, breathing proof of the Wartburg depth chart is 12-4 on the year with some very notable wins.
|
| #3 Kasey Ross Vs #11 Jared Voss 184 |
Coe has an opportunity to showcase a very respectable showing against Wartburg and 184 lbs is another example of it. The rankings highly favor #3 Kasey Ross over #11 Jared Voss. However, the head-to-head favors the Kohawk, as it is Voss that owns a 3-0 victory over Ross. Both of these guys are looking very good so far in '24-'25. Ross, a Lower Midwest Regional champion last season is currently carrying a 20-1 record. Voss, 17-2 who has been 3rd & 4th in the Lower Midwest Regional, recently earned his third Coe Invitational title. Both of these guys are hungry to make it back to the national tournament and compete for All American honors. Winning this match will be crucial for seeding purposes at Regional 6.
|
| #1 Massoma Endene Vs #11 Matt Arsenault 197 |
I may be overly optimistic at times, but I'm not utopian. Massoma Endene is a two time NCAA DIII national champion, with a record of 63-1. He's not getting upset Friday, nor did I ever dare dream that. That's not the question here. The question here is can Matt Arsenault go the distance with Endene & make this match last a full 7 minutes? The last the two met, Endene won a 20-4 technical fall 2:26 into the first period. That's a lot of points, in a relatively short amount of time. It's a reflection of how good Endene is. I still wonder how he would have fared in DI had he stayed at Wisconsin. However this match ends, don't let it deter your thoughts on Arsenault. He was 4th at the Lower Midwest Regional last season, and capable of qualification this year.
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