Little Rock's 174 lber Triston Wills(Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Little Rock Trojans
“We have grown-up physically, matured really well. Their bodies have changed, the way they train has changed. Taking a look up-and-down the lineup, we have just ‘grown-up.' We've gotten a lot tougher, a lot stronger -- our pace has picked up, our understanding of wrestling has picked up. … I feel really good about the direction we're going.†--Head Coach Neil Erisman
Neil Erisman and the Little Rock program took the unexpected “COVID year†in stride, enduring the challenges that came with the 2021 season while finding a silver lining in the adversity. “It was a much better ‘redshirt' experience for them than if they had a ‘real' redshirt,†Erisman reflected. With the free year of eligibility doled out by the NCAA, the Trojan staff was able to enjoy the time developing their athletes while also giving them opportunities to compete against Division I competition, knowing that the bulk of them had upwards of three to four years of eligibility ahead of them. In retrospect, it was an important period of maturation and development for the Little Rock roster.
“When we go out to compete, we're not ‘little boys' competing anymore. We're grown men now. … That was a lot of our battle last year. We didn't lose a lot of matches because we were bad at wrestling; we were losing matches because we need[ed] to get physically stronger. We needed that element of getting used to competing at this level.†For Coach Erisman, he is proud of the manner in which his youthful team embraced not only the adversity of collegiate wrestling at the highest level, but also of the strict COVID parameters placed upon them during the 2020-2021 season. The common experience has helped to foster a “unique core†for the Trojans, with athletes hailing from all over the country coming together and consistently raising the bar for themselves and the program. It is the kind of momentum that Coach Erisman and staff are seeking out of their roster; it is the kind of momentum the Trojans hope to capitalize on in the 2022 season.
With momentum and maturation in mind, Erisman has built a hefty schedule for his athletes, with a total of fifteen dual meets and three tournaments during the regular season, starting with their home tournament, the Trojan Open. The big test for his Trojans will be the consistently well-attended Southern Scuffle, followed by a dual-slate that includes trips to the Carolinas (with duals against the Virginia Military Institute, Appalachian State, and the University of North Carolina) as well as the Dakotas (with duals against North Dakota State and South Dakota State). Other notable non-conference duals include an early-season trip to the University of Wisconsin and a late-season dual against the University of Oklahoma. “If our guys got a 75% win percentage on this schedule, we're sending a lot of guys to nationals. … We'll always wrestle a schedule like [this].â€
“We're serious about being successful: from the classroom, to the mat, to life.â€
TOP RETURNERS
The Trojans enter the 2021-2022 season led by their highest conference placer from last season, Tristan Wills at 174lbs, 3rd in the Pac12 in 2021. Also returning, with about fifteen more pounds of size on his frame, is Tyler Brennan at 165lbs.
KEY DEPARTURE
Paul Bianchi, a 2020 Pac12 runner-up, 2021 NCAA qualifier, and the face of the inaugural seasons of the Little Rock program, graduates alongside a handful of the program's first crop. Bianchi set an early example for his fellow Trojans, an example for them to meet and exceed in the years following his tenure.
WRESTLER TO WATCH
A cohort of Trojans are set to form the core of the Little Rock lineup, with tacit approval from Coach Erisman. At the lightweights, Erisman is anticipating his wrestlers to emerge on the scene, with Joshua Sarpy and Jayden Carson, the latter of whom owns a win over 2019 NCAA Qualifier Dack Punke (Missouri), vying for the 125lbs starting position. At 133lbs, Jaylen Carson is expected to take the mat, with the task of filling the shoes Paul Bianchi left behind.
At 149lbs, Joseph Bianchi, one of two remaining Bianchi brothers on the Trojan lineup, is the assumed starter. Bianchi wrestled 149lbs during the 2021 regular season, before competing at the conference tournament at 157lbs, failing to capture the leading role at 149. That said, Erisman is pleased with the development and progress of Joey Bianchi. “There's no other way to say it; I don't think he wants to be the worst Bianchi.†With youngest brother Matt Bianchi now on the team and preparing for his own collegiate career, Joey Bianchi is determined to make a name for himself in Little Rock history.
California prep State Champion Josiah Hill is expected at 285lbs, after his 2021 season was cut short by injury. In that time, Hill has simultaneously healed and matured into his body. “He's starting to look like a grown man, and that's sorta scary for someone like him,†says Coach Erisman.
The aforementioned Tyler Brennan (165) and Tristan Wills (174) are in a position to be a strong one-two punch for the Trojan lineup. Brennan, who was a 120lbs senior in high school, has grown noticeably while showing flashes of potential in his brief collegiate career, trading matches with since-graduated 2x NCAA qualifier and Pac-12 Champion Josh Maruca (Arizona State) as well as logging a FALL over eventual 2021 NCAA 8th-place All-American John Millner (Appalachian State) back in 2020. Wills, a transfer from Oklahoma State a couple seasons ago, has continued to progress at Little Rock after having logged seventeen matches during the 2021 COVID season, culminating in a 3rd-place Pac12 finish behind eventual All-American Bernie Truax (Cal Poly) and NCAA Qualifier Trey Munoz (then, Arizona State). With the competitive season Erisman and company have put together, Brennan, Wills, and their fellow Trojans will be truly battle-tested when they enter the postseason stretch.
POTENTIAL LINEUP
125: Joshua Sarpy (RSFr) / Jayden Carson (So)
133: Jaylen Carson (Fr)
141: Conner Ward (So)
149: Joseph Bianchi (Fr)
157: Chase Tebbets (Jr)
165: Tyler Brennan (So)
174: Triston Wills (Fr)
184: Tanner Mendoza (Fr)
197: Brooks Sacharczyk (RSFr)
285: Josiah Hill (Fr)
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