Oklahoma State wins nine of 10 bouts to dominate OU 41-2 in Bedlam dual
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by Roger Moore, Special to TheMat.com
STILLWATER, Okla. – Iowa State tried to breath some life into an old rivalry with Iowa last weekend in Iowa City, but came up one-point short. Down south, in Oklahoma, the Sooners entered Sunday’s Bedlam match with Oklahoma State losers of 15 of the last 16 and without a victory in Stillwater since 1995. On the heels of the football program’s Heisman Trophy-winning evening, might the OU wrestlers bring some new energy?
No such luck.
The fourth-ranked Cowboys won 9 of 10 and showed they are not quite ready for a return to the classic days of Myron Roderick-Port Robertson or Tommy Chesbro-Stan Abel with a 41-2 rout in front of 5238 inside Gallagher-Iba Arena. The victory moved the all-time series standing to 141-27-10 in OSU’s favor and marked the host’s ninth-straight over their long-time rivals.
“That’s what you are looking for when you are wrestling somebody you should score serious bonus points against,” said OSU head coach John Smith, whose squad moved to 4-0. “The tough ones we grinded through and got our hand raised. You appreciate these wins because it is a dual meet we take seriously. There have been duals (against OU) where we’ve been favored in seven or eight matches and it didn’t turn out that way.
“Happy for the guys. Bedlam is always a match you are going to remember.”
Things started poorly for the visitors with back-up Zach Atencio getting put into a cradle 56 seconds into the 125-pound bout with Nick Piccininni (6-0) and another first-time OU starter getting run over by a very talented Daton Fix, 20-5, at 133 pounds. Things ended in a similar fashion as seniors Preston Weigel (5-0) and Derek White (3-1) finished the festivities with back-to-back dominant victories. White’s third-period pin was the first of his collegiate career at 285 pounds.
“I wanted to light it on fire; there is no better way to get the crowd going than with the pin,” Piccininni said. “By starting that way it trickles down to everyone else.”
“I like being a part of something that has a great history,” said senior Chandler Rogers, who also had a first-period pin. “Just mowing through a team it really fires everyone up. You go into the room excited about beating OU, about beating anybody like that.”
“That was my first pin as a heavyweight, so it was a big deal for me,” said White, an Oklahoma native. “It was a big deal for me to get the chance to wrestle, too. We had some health issues going into the match and I got the chance to compete and got a big pin to end it all. Last Bedlam I had to be out there to compete.”
The Sooners, starting eight underclassmen and without two starters, felt like they had chances at 141, 149, and 157 pounds to make it a competitive Sunday. But Dom Demas, a rising redshirt-freshman from Columbus, was the only positive outcome, using his Greco background early and some solid defense late to beat All-American Kaid Brock, 7-6, in an action-packed match at 141 pounds.
“Dom Demas is pretty good because he does all the extra,” said OU boss Lou Rosselli. “He does all the freestyle, all the stuff which is why he can be competitive as a freshman. The guys that don’t do that are not going to compete as quick. But we ran into a good team today that can do that to a lot of people. We either get new guys are get better because I am not going to continually do that. It comes down to getting the right kids, recruiting is the lifeline of what we do. It takes three years to develop kids.
“It is happening other places, so we can draw on that. OU has to be better.”
After Demas picked up his 15th win of the season, OSU quickly regained control. Oklahoma native Kaden Gfeller (6-0) remained unbeaten, controlling OU senior Davion Jeffries, 11-6, at 149 pounds. Another first-year starter, Edinboro transfer Andrew Showers, battled back with a third-period takedown to beat Justin Thomas, 5-3, at 157 pounds and the hosts took a 17-3 lead on the big board. Rogers (6-1) took Jeremy Thomas to his back with a short fireman’s carry and recorded a fall in 1:53 at 165 pounds. Fellow senior Jacobe Smith continued the rout with a dominating 19-6 major decision of another Sooner rookie, Anthony Mantanona, at 174 pounds.
When OSU’s second former Fighting Scot, Dakota Geer (7-0), cruised to a 10-3 victory at 184 pounds, Bedlam win No. 141 was in the books.
Among those on the mend for OSU is former All-American Weigel, not on the mat since early November. He worked just 2:21 for his technical fall at 197.
“I pushed him out there. We need to figure some things out pretty quickly … if he is going to remain healthy,” said John Smith of Weigel, injured in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Championships and with a list of untimely injuries throughout his career. “He is in a good place right now. He’s had some things happen at tough times. It’s his last season, so let’s stay intense every day.”
Reunion weekend always brings back OSU alumni. Many legends were in attendance, including Stillwater native Matt Holliday, not a wrestler but a pretty solid quarterback for Stillwater High and an MLB All-Star.
“I walked in to get ready to warm up and Pat Smith is sitting there on the bench,” Rogers said of the first four-time NCAA champion. “That’s pretty cool. He’s up on that wall and he’s sitting here and I’m the room with a legend.”
“Johnny Thompson … Coleman Scott,” added Piccininni. “Shout out to Matt Holliday.”
“Nolan Boyd,” White added.
They all saw another one-sided Bedlam dual. The Cowboys have outscored the Sooners, 142-15, in last four meetings. Sunday marked the most lopsided Bedlam since 1992, a 43-0 rout. Other than the 141-pound match, the only “almost” Bedlam came after White’s 6:18 pin of Jake Boyd in the final bout. Boyd took exception and OU was docked a team point.
No. 3 Oklahoma State 41, Oklahoma 2
125-Nick Piccininni (OS) pin Zach Atencio, :56
133-Daton Fix (OS) technical fall Anthony Madrigal, 20-5 (6:27)
141-Dom Demas (O) dec Kaid Brock, 7-6
149-Kaden Gfeller (OS) dec Davion Jeffries, 11-6
157-Andrew Shomers (OS) dec Justin Thomas, 5-3
165-Chandler Rogers (OS) pin Jeremy Thomas, 1:53
174-Jacobe Smith (OS) major dec Anthony Mantanona, 19-6
184-Dakota Geer (OS) dec Kayne MacCallum, 10-3
197-Preston Weigel (OS) technical fall Ruston Duke, 16-1 (2:21)
285-Derek White (OS) pin Jake Boyd, 6:18*
*OU deducted a team point for unsportsmanlike conduct following 285-pound match
No such luck.
The fourth-ranked Cowboys won 9 of 10 and showed they are not quite ready for a return to the classic days of Myron Roderick-Port Robertson or Tommy Chesbro-Stan Abel with a 41-2 rout in front of 5238 inside Gallagher-Iba Arena. The victory moved the all-time series standing to 141-27-10 in OSU’s favor and marked the host’s ninth-straight over their long-time rivals.
“That’s what you are looking for when you are wrestling somebody you should score serious bonus points against,” said OSU head coach John Smith, whose squad moved to 4-0. “The tough ones we grinded through and got our hand raised. You appreciate these wins because it is a dual meet we take seriously. There have been duals (against OU) where we’ve been favored in seven or eight matches and it didn’t turn out that way.
“Happy for the guys. Bedlam is always a match you are going to remember.”
Things started poorly for the visitors with back-up Zach Atencio getting put into a cradle 56 seconds into the 125-pound bout with Nick Piccininni (6-0) and another first-time OU starter getting run over by a very talented Daton Fix, 20-5, at 133 pounds. Things ended in a similar fashion as seniors Preston Weigel (5-0) and Derek White (3-1) finished the festivities with back-to-back dominant victories. White’s third-period pin was the first of his collegiate career at 285 pounds.
“I wanted to light it on fire; there is no better way to get the crowd going than with the pin,” Piccininni said. “By starting that way it trickles down to everyone else.”
“I like being a part of something that has a great history,” said senior Chandler Rogers, who also had a first-period pin. “Just mowing through a team it really fires everyone up. You go into the room excited about beating OU, about beating anybody like that.”
“That was my first pin as a heavyweight, so it was a big deal for me,” said White, an Oklahoma native. “It was a big deal for me to get the chance to wrestle, too. We had some health issues going into the match and I got the chance to compete and got a big pin to end it all. Last Bedlam I had to be out there to compete.”
The Sooners, starting eight underclassmen and without two starters, felt like they had chances at 141, 149, and 157 pounds to make it a competitive Sunday. But Dom Demas, a rising redshirt-freshman from Columbus, was the only positive outcome, using his Greco background early and some solid defense late to beat All-American Kaid Brock, 7-6, in an action-packed match at 141 pounds.
“Dom Demas is pretty good because he does all the extra,” said OU boss Lou Rosselli. “He does all the freestyle, all the stuff which is why he can be competitive as a freshman. The guys that don’t do that are not going to compete as quick. But we ran into a good team today that can do that to a lot of people. We either get new guys are get better because I am not going to continually do that. It comes down to getting the right kids, recruiting is the lifeline of what we do. It takes three years to develop kids.
“It is happening other places, so we can draw on that. OU has to be better.”
After Demas picked up his 15th win of the season, OSU quickly regained control. Oklahoma native Kaden Gfeller (6-0) remained unbeaten, controlling OU senior Davion Jeffries, 11-6, at 149 pounds. Another first-year starter, Edinboro transfer Andrew Showers, battled back with a third-period takedown to beat Justin Thomas, 5-3, at 157 pounds and the hosts took a 17-3 lead on the big board. Rogers (6-1) took Jeremy Thomas to his back with a short fireman’s carry and recorded a fall in 1:53 at 165 pounds. Fellow senior Jacobe Smith continued the rout with a dominating 19-6 major decision of another Sooner rookie, Anthony Mantanona, at 174 pounds.
When OSU’s second former Fighting Scot, Dakota Geer (7-0), cruised to a 10-3 victory at 184 pounds, Bedlam win No. 141 was in the books.
Among those on the mend for OSU is former All-American Weigel, not on the mat since early November. He worked just 2:21 for his technical fall at 197.
“I pushed him out there. We need to figure some things out pretty quickly … if he is going to remain healthy,” said John Smith of Weigel, injured in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Championships and with a list of untimely injuries throughout his career. “He is in a good place right now. He’s had some things happen at tough times. It’s his last season, so let’s stay intense every day.”
Reunion weekend always brings back OSU alumni. Many legends were in attendance, including Stillwater native Matt Holliday, not a wrestler but a pretty solid quarterback for Stillwater High and an MLB All-Star.
“I walked in to get ready to warm up and Pat Smith is sitting there on the bench,” Rogers said of the first four-time NCAA champion. “That’s pretty cool. He’s up on that wall and he’s sitting here and I’m the room with a legend.”
“Johnny Thompson … Coleman Scott,” added Piccininni. “Shout out to Matt Holliday.”
“Nolan Boyd,” White added.
They all saw another one-sided Bedlam dual. The Cowboys have outscored the Sooners, 142-15, in last four meetings. Sunday marked the most lopsided Bedlam since 1992, a 43-0 rout. Other than the 141-pound match, the only “almost” Bedlam came after White’s 6:18 pin of Jake Boyd in the final bout. Boyd took exception and OU was docked a team point.
No. 3 Oklahoma State 41, Oklahoma 2
125-Nick Piccininni (OS) pin Zach Atencio, :56
133-Daton Fix (OS) technical fall Anthony Madrigal, 20-5 (6:27)
141-Dom Demas (O) dec Kaid Brock, 7-6
149-Kaden Gfeller (OS) dec Davion Jeffries, 11-6
157-Andrew Shomers (OS) dec Justin Thomas, 5-3
165-Chandler Rogers (OS) pin Jeremy Thomas, 1:53
174-Jacobe Smith (OS) major dec Anthony Mantanona, 19-6
184-Dakota Geer (OS) dec Kayne MacCallum, 10-3
197-Preston Weigel (OS) technical fall Ruston Duke, 16-1 (2:21)
285-Derek White (OS) pin Jake Boyd, 6:18*
*OU deducted a team point for unsportsmanlike conduct following 285-pound match
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