Aaron Brooks makes college debut, Hall dominates Kutler as Penn State downs Lehigh, 23-10

Six undefeated wrestlers. Three undefeated returning national champions.

And three-time NCAA finalist Mark Hall pointed out the freshman dual meet debut of Aaron Brooks.

“It was awesome,” the reigning NCAA champion at 174 said of Brooks, who made his Penn State dual meet debut with a 10-5 decision over Lehigh’s Chris Weiler at 184. “He’s got a high ceiling.”

Brooks joined a formidable lineup that helped No. 3 Penn State rebound from its first loss in 60 dual meets, doubling up host Lehigh 23-10 in front of a record crowd of 6,047.

“It was fun,” said Brooks who missed out on a major in his college dual debut by giving up a late takedown. “It felt great. I was kind of upset about that last takedown, it just happens sometimes. I didn’t finish clean.”

Brooks stepped in at 184 where No. 2 Shakur Rasheed has yet to wrestle, even though he’s getting healthy enough to go.

“If we were going to wrestle him, it made sense to get him out there now, these big dual meets away and home, and ready for when we start the Big Ten season,” Penn State coach Cael Sanderson said. “I just felt like it was the right thing to do.”

Penn State (2-1) used wins from returning national champions Vincenzo Joseph (165), Mark Hall (174) and Anthony Cassar (285), along with wins from All-Americans Roman Bravo-Young (No. 4 at 133), Nick Lee (No. 3 at 141), and the dual season debut of No. 6 Brian Berge (157) to spearhead the win. All but Cassar wrestled before Brooks.

“Watching my teammates from a sideline standpoint was pretty electric, so it was a lot of  fun,” Brooks said. “I haven’t wrestled in a dual since high school. Big difference right there. You feed into it. You kind of get the energy from your team. All my teammates knew it was my first college dual, so they were making sure I was ready, making sure I was smiling and having fun.”

“He’s a guy we feel can contend for a national title at that weight class” Sanderson said.

Despite some tight matches, Lehigh (1-3) came up short.

“It sucks we didn’t the team win,” said Lehigh 197-pounder Jake Jakobsen, who did get a 3-1 decision over No. 20 Kyle Conel. “We have to get back to the drawing board, even the kids who won. We have to go back. It’s a long season. It’s all about March. We have a little break here and it’s a matter of getting in the room and working hard.”

In the feature bout pitting the top two 174 pounders in the country, Hall decisioned No. 2 Jordan Kutler 7-2.

Hall (6-0) scored a takedown in the opening seconds and rode out the previously unbeaten Kutler for the final 2:32 of the period to take a commanding riding time lead. Hall escaped in 10 seconds to start the second period. Kutler brought the partisan crowd at Stabler Arena to its feet with a tight-waist lift and drop for a takedown on Hall, who again escaped for a 4-2 lead plus 2:00 of riding time.

Kutler went low on an ankle shot after a neutral start in the final period before Hall countered for a stalemate. Hall hit his first shot of the final period with 30 seconds to go, forcing a desperation turn by Kutler, who surrendered another takedown as Penn State took a 17-7 lead with three bouts remaining, setting the stage for Brooks to score the match-clinching points.

Lehigh’s Brandon Paetzell, No. 11 at 125, got the Mountain Hawks off to a good start with a showy 15-5 major over redshirt freshman Brandon Meredith, rolling up six takedowns on the way to a 15-5 major decision in the evening’s opening bout. Penn State’s Brody Teske did not weigh in.

Bravo-Young, No. 4 in the nation at 133, put Penn State in business against Lehigh’s Jaret Lane, who wrestled in place of No. 17 Nick Farro. Bravo-Young nearly hit two takedowns in the scoreless opening period, but Lane warded them off, once by holding onto an ankle, the second time with an arm whizzer.

Bravo-Young, a returning All-American, built up riding time in the second period with a full-period ride. Bravo-Young (6-0) got aggressive and hit two takedowns for a 5-2 decision. He nearly had Lane (5-2) in a cradle at the end, but Lane rolled through to ward off a score.

Lee (7-0) , No. 3 in the country and a two-time fifth-place finisher at nationals, toyed with Lehigh’s Joe Lubeck at 141 to put the Nittany Lions on top with a 7-minute technical fall, rolling up nine takedowns and a reversal for a 22-7 win and an 8-4 team lead.

Lehigh’s Jimmy Hoffman (7-3) got the pro-Lehigh crowd back into the meet with an overtime win over Jarod Verkleeren (4-2) , who scored first when he rolled out from the bottom position in the second period for an escape. Hoffman, who missed a takedown at the edge of the circle at the end of the period, escaped to start the third, and then scored the only takedown of the bout with just  seconds left in sudden victory to cut the Penn State lead to 8-7.

Berge, No. 6 at 157, scored off a quick scramble against No. 13 Josh Humphreys in the first period. Humphreys escaped to start the second period and the pair went into a scramble on the mat that resulted in a stalemate.

Berge, making his season debut, escaped at the start of the third to take a 3-2 lead, then hit a second takedown. Humphreys escaped with just over 30 seconds left, but couldn’t get in on a leg until just a few seconds remained in the match, and Berge walked off with a 5-3 decision for an 11-7 Penn State lead at intermission.

Joseph, No. 1 in the nation and a two-time NCAA champion, received a little jolt from Brian Meyer (2-8) when the Lehigh freshman too him down at the end of the second period.

Joseph (3-0) opened with a takedown and allowed a second-period escape before Meyer surprised him with a takedown near the end of the second period that resulted in an immediate escape. Joseph escaped to start the final period, and then forced a bad shot in the closing 45 seconds to earn his second takedown en route to the 7-4 decision. Penn State took a 14-7 team lead, but the crowd loudly applauded Meyer for tugging on Superman’s cape.

“All those Lehigh kids are tough kids,” Sanderson said. “They’re all real well coached. They scored off our shots quite a bit tonight … that’s something we need to get better at.”

At 184, undefeated Penn State freshman Aaron Brooks (4-0) hit three first-period takedowns on junior Chris Weiler (6-5) to clinch the win with a 10-5 decision for the Nittany Lions, up 20-7 with two bouts remaining.

Weiler chose top to start the second period and got warned for stalling after going topsy turvy for a near reverse. Brooks picked up a two stalling points before getting a reverse for a 10-2 lead with 30 seconds left in the second period, but Weiler escaped and got a takedown to erase riding time.

At 197, No. 15 Jake Jakobsen of Lehigh escaped on Kyle Conel (2018 All-American Kent State) in the second period for the first point of the bout. Conel, who missed scoring on deep shots in the first two periods, escaped in the third period to tie it 1-1. He went to hit the shot in the third period, but this time Jakobsen worked around it for the winning takedown.

Cassar (285) took down Np. 10 Jordan Wood late in the opening period just after Wood received a stall warning. Cassar (3-0) escaped to start the second period.

Wood escaped in the third and scored a takedown to fire up the crowd. Cassar immediately escaped and won a scramble for a a three-point lead. Wood lost a desperation shot with 20 second left with Cassar getting the takedown and a riding point for a 9-4 decision.

No. 3 Penn State 23, No. 13 Lehigh 10
125 – No. 11 Brandon Paetzell (Lehigh) maj. dec. Brandon Meredith (PSU) 15-5.
133 – No. 4 Roman Bravo-Young (PSU) dec. Jaret Lane (Lehigh) 5-2.
141 – No. 3 Nick Lee (Penn State) tech fall  Joe Lobeck (Lehigh) 22-7, 7:00.
149 – Jimmy Hoffman (Lehigh) dec. Jarod Verkleeren (PSU) 3-1 sudden victory.
157 – No. 6 Brian Berge (PSU) dec. No. 13 Josh Humphreys (Lehigh) 5-3.
165 – No. 1 Vincenzo Joseph (PSU) dec. Brian Meyer (Lehigh) 7-4.
174 – No. 1 Mark Hall (PSU) dec. No. 2 Jordan Kutler (Lehigh) 7-2.
184 – Aaron Brooks (PSU) dec. Chris Weiler (Lehigh) 10-5.
197 – No. 15 Jake Jakobsen (Lehigh) dec. No. 20 Kyle Conel (PSU) 3-1.
285 – No. 1 Anthony Cassar (PSU) dec. No. 10 Jordan Wood (Lehigh) 9-4.

Referees: James Rivello and Rob Butka; Attendance: 6,047 (Stabler Arena wrestling record).