I understand your point. Can someone who remembers Meekins's tenure as a wrestler clearly explain how many years he competed both as a wrestler and for aschiano, because I recall that, once he became a starter, he had given up wrestling. My biggest concern with heavyweights who also play football for a big conference program is that, if they become starters and key players for the football team, the football coach will pressure them to focus on football, and if a pro career in NFL becomes a possibility, there will just be too much pressure to continue wrestling. Possibilty of injuries, agents urging that he prioritize football, coaches doing the same. Why did Meekins quit wrestling? The two great NCAA wrestlers who come to mind as having great NCAA wrestling careers and then played in NFL - Carlton Haselrig and Stephen Neal (also a freestyle World champion) - did not play D1 football, but transitioned to NFL after their wrestling days were over. They were both amazing athletes.
RU Commits & HS Season Discussion Thread
- Thread starter MS-RU
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He was not allowed to wrestle once he went on football scholarship. Only wrestled his freshman year.
If a dual sport athlete has an opportunity to make it to the NFL, he should jump at that opportunity. Such a small percent chance of this happening that I think it isn’t worth worrying about. It seems like Kyonte has a great support system at home and I know the RU Wrestling Coaching staff will do what is in his best interest. Win/win here.
I think Kyonte is 16 months away from graduating high school and we should let him be a kid. He’s a talented athlete in both sports. Lets let it play out and be thankful he’s going to do it for Rutgers as opposed to somewhere else.
I agree. If Kyonte, for example, is a lights out football player for Schiano and decides to commit to football 100% and aspires to the NFL, great for RU football and great for him. But it will leave Goodale without a good option at 285. And we haven't had one in a while. I just think Goodale should not stop recruiting 285 yet. Other schools have multiple 285 options, and recruit and get commitments from top-rated heavyweight prospects in consecutive years. We should do the same.
Bob Golic and Curly Culp were also great wrestlers/football players.
It's districts week which kicks off the start of the 3 week individual championship process in NJ. We will find out the official seeds on Thursday, but I'm expecting all of our guys to be #1 seeds.
Here are the districts for our commits:
Connor O'Neill: District 6 - Will potentially have a tough match-up with Noah Fox (Montville) in the final, who is ranked #3 in the state behind Reitsma and O'Neill.
Joey Oliveri: District 10
Dylan Weaver: District 10 - I'm assuming he's staying at 152
John Poznanski: District 15
Andy Clark: District 27 - Will be interesting to see if he goes 145 or 152
Kyle Epperly: Distract 28
Here are the districts for our commits:
Connor O'Neill: District 6 - Will potentially have a tough match-up with Noah Fox (Montville) in the final, who is ranked #3 in the state behind Reitsma and O'Neill.
Joey Oliveri: District 10
Dylan Weaver: District 10 - I'm assuming he's staying at 152
John Poznanski: District 15
Andy Clark: District 27 - Will be interesting to see if he goes 145 or 152
Kyle Epperly: Distract 28
IMO, Things don't get interesting until the Region Semi finals. The districts have lost lost most of their excitement with the NJSIAA breaking up the traditional districts in an attempt to get the best wrestlers to the Regions and States. Good idea, but the unintended consequence has been to have a lot of teams travel distances, fewer local rivalries, and a lot of easy paths to the regions by a lot of the better wrestlers. Once the tournament gets to Atlantic City, IMO it is the best State tournament in the country, since they wrestle down to only one Champ. Pennsylvania has 2 champs, one of the smaller schools, and one for the Larger schools. I think Ohio has 4 Champs, for 4 different school sizes. Illinois has 3 separate school size champs. Although I think California still wrestles down to 1 champ.
PS- this weekend at Lehigh is the National Prep Championships. Since Blair will be missing 3 highly ranked starters (both Mastrogiovanni brothers and Mata), Wyoming Seminary will probably sail to the team scoring championship. RU prospect Shayne Van Ness's closest competition will probably be Drew Munch (Wyoming Seminary ) and Skylar Smith (Liberty Christian).
I agree that it's lost it's luster a bit, but it's still the kickoff to the state tournament and that's always exciting.
Hopefully Kyonte can bring home the 220lb Prep Championship this weekend as well!
I have to think he will be the 1 seed, with Kolby Fanklin of Wyoming Sem and Noah Pettigrew of Blair also high seeds. Not sure if Cade Lautt's HS, St James Academy in Kansas is Prep or not, he would also be a high seed.
Can’t stand having multiple champs. For duals or any other team sport, I totally get it. Bigger school means more talent on average and smaller schools don’t have a chance. (Paulsboro is an exception.) When it comes to crowning an individual champ, it doesn’t matter how big your school is or if it’s public or non public. It’s you vs the guy across from you. That’s it.
I think in Pa, and probably Ohio and California there are many more High Schools, so for logistical and time reasons, they probably have multiple champs. I doubt any outdraw the approx. 45,000 that flock to Atlantic City to watch 1 overall champ. In California, they had about 20,000 in Bakersfield last year watch. Not sure how many attended Hersehy, Pa went to watch the Pa, or in Ohio either. I doubt more than 45,000.
I found this :
Attendance.
This is becoming a real problem. The overall number was just over 40,000 for three days. It was 43,000 last year, 45,000 in 2016. Just 5,406 watched the premier session, Saturday night’s 3A finals. Good seats were empty all weekend. Sure, Thursday’s uncertain weather was no help, but that affected only a relatively small part of the state and, besides, this is getting past the point where weather can be blamed. New Jersey, which faced weather issues too, is a smaller state with a less central location for its state tournament and the NJSIAA drew 42,000-plus for six sessions; PIAA did 40,000 for eight. We heard from people who disliked the general-admission seating policy. And it may well be time for the PIAA to think Friday-Saturday-Sunday for the tournament. But perhaps this comment from a two-time state champion who is a significant contributor to the sport sums things up: when asked if he was staying for the finals, he said, “Nah, I am going to go home and watch them on TV.” He was hardly alone.
https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/sports/2018/03/our_a-to-z_review_of_the_piaa.html
Poznanski named to Team USA in US vs PA Wrestling Classic. Nice honor and good to see an RU guy in there
Updated 2023 Big Board (Top 50) from Flo
NJ Targets:
#9 Jim Mullen (285) - St. Joe's
#17 Anthony Santaniello (106) - Brick
#31 Tyler Vasquez (106) - Delbarton
Blair:
#1 Marc-Anthony McGowan (106)
#3 Cody Chittum (138)
#25 Lorenzo Norman (145)
https://www.flowrestling.org/rankin...arnold-presses-for-top-spot-on-2023-big-board
NJ Targets:
#9 Jim Mullen (285) - St. Joe's
#17 Anthony Santaniello (106) - Brick
#31 Tyler Vasquez (106) - Delbarton
Blair:
#1 Marc-Anthony McGowan (106)
#3 Cody Chittum (138)
#25 Lorenzo Norman (145)
https://www.flowrestling.org/rankin...arnold-presses-for-top-spot-on-2023-big-board
Everyone is a #1 seed in his district except O'Neill. He is the #2 behind Fox which doesn't make any sense to me but it really doesn't matter all that much.
Clark is going 145 as well
Clark is going 145 as well
My picks for states, feel free to correct me if I have a guy not in the right weight class:
106 - Santaniello
113 - Klinsky
120 - Peterson
126 - Ventresca
132 - Olivieri
138 - Clark (though there’s legitimately 7 or 8 different kids who can win this weight)
145 - Clark
152 - Boggiano (prob my biggest reach pick)
160 - Soldano
170 - O’Neil
182 - Poz
195 - Cosgrove
220 - Jacob
285 - Gashi
106 - Santaniello
113 - Klinsky
120 - Peterson
126 - Ventresca
132 - Olivieri
138 - Clark (though there’s legitimately 7 or 8 different kids who can win this weight)
145 - Clark
152 - Boggiano (prob my biggest reach pick)
160 - Soldano
170 - O’Neil
182 - Poz
195 - Cosgrove
220 - Jacob
285 - Gashi
Remember Districts goes by points(when you get to regions and states it is prior placement and advancement). O'Neill only gets 2 points for an out of state win(no matter how good the kid is he beat). He will be the 2 seed at states(just a quirk in the system....he will be 2 seed in district but 2 seed in the states.)
Hamilton is in the hole on mat 7 on Flo for his first round match-up at the National Prep Championship.
Hamilton gets the 2nd period pin after a nice reversal starting on bottom in the 2nd! Completely overpowered his opponent.
Hopefully a soon to be commit
Hamilton with the 1st period pin!
Another dominant performance.
Another dominant performance.
Damn, not sure the competition but he completely dismantled that kid before the pin. His re-shots are quick and decisive.
Neither Van Ness or Hamilton will see a ranked (top 20) opponent until the finals if the seeds hold. Each of their weights only have 3 ranked guys, and none in the top 10 except for themselves.. They are both pretty heavy favorites.
Van Ness wins by TF 21-5. I actually thought he had the pin at the end. He is so aggressive and athletic.
One thing I notice about all the Blair wrestlers, especially the light and middle weights, is how much bigger they look then their weight and opponents. Every year I see a Blair kid and think "Wow, he is a big ### pounder."
One thing I notice about all the Blair wrestlers, especially the light and middle weights, is how much bigger they look then their weight and opponents. Every year I see a Blair kid and think "Wow, he is a big ### pounder."
