The #31 Army Black Knights take one the #2 Nebraska Cornhuskers in what should be, according the rankings, a rather lopsided victory for the red & white. I'm reminded of what my high school wrestling Coach Jeff Kirby would say whenever we'd go up against a highly ranked team. "Show them no fear. Show them that you belong out there on the mat with them." Just that little pep talk had me once wrestle the #12 guy in the state to a 7-4 decision. It had the guy a weight above me go a full 6 minutes, without giving up a major to that year's eventual state champ. That's what I'm expecting out of Army this Friday. There are 10 matches wrestled in a dual & I see no reason at all why in at least four of these matches the black & gold can't show that they came to wrestle & they came to compete.
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| #32 Charlie Farmer Vs #27 Kael Lauridsen 125 |
I've been excited about the official varsity debut of Kael Lauridsen for quite some time now. The four-time Nebraska high school state champ was already doing collegiate things while still in high school, including winning the UNK-Yunes Hospitality Open long before becoming a Husker. I think he has a career full of possibilities. With that said, Charlie Farmer is no slouch. 3rd in the EIWA last season, I say he gives Lauridsen a good match. I wouldn't count on, but I also wouldn't rule out an upset either.
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| #24 Ethan Berginc Vs #5 Jacob Van Dee 133 |
An All American last season, Husker fans are probably expecting bonus points in this matchup of their #5 Vs Army's #24, but I don't think so. Berginc is a tough wrestler, who can be difficult to score points on. He went 25-8 last year, only giving up bonus points once. He wrestled two-time NCAA DI runner-up Drake Ayala to a respectable 7-3 decision. I say he can put up just as good, if not better of a fight against JVD.
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| #21 Braden Basile Vs #2 Brock Hardy 141 |
Here, I'm pretty sure that Nebraska shows their dominance. An NCAA DI qualifier in 2024, who failed to make the tournament last year against a 2026 NCAA DI title contender? If this one doesn't end in at least a major decision, I'll be shocked. Might even see a fall here. Hardy is on a quest for gold, a quest to knock off King Mendez, and I think he'll demonstrate that hunger from start to finish.
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| #14 Gunner Filipowicz Vs U.R. L.J. Araujo 149 |
A five-time North Dakota State champ, who is already a U20 World as well as a U20 PAN-AMERICAN bronze medalist isn't ranked yet. Give it time, he will be. This matchup with Filipowicz will give us a clean indication of exactly where he is. Filipowicz himself is one of those wrestlers that it wouldn't be surprising at all to see him finish top 12 or even higher by season's end. When you wrestle for a school like Army, rankers, seeders, no one is going to give you the benefit of the doubt on anything. Everything you get, you earn. Even though Araujo is unranked at the time, if Filipowicz can win here, that is a very notable win under his belt.
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| #24 Wolfgang Frable Vs #7 Camden McDanel 197 |
Similar situation to 133 lbs, but with less odds. I do think that Wolfgang Frable can give Camden McDanel a respectable match, but I don't feel as strongly about it as I do Berginc giving JVD a good match. McDanel was an All-American last year, but he also had 14 losses on the year. Anxious to see how this one turns out.
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