125
(#17) Jarrett Trombley NCSU vs (#18) Caleb Smith App. State
Kicking the dual at 125 we have two Top-25 Ranked wrestlers, at #17 Jarrett Trombley from NC State and at #18 Caleb Smith of Appalachian State. With Jakob Camacho out due to injury, Trombley leads the Wolfpack at 125 to begin the season. Returning NCAA Qualifier Caleb Smith is back at the weight for the 2022-2023 season for the Mountaineers. Smith is coming back after a hot hand at NCAA's after scoring one of the largest upsets of the tournament by knocking off then #5 Patrick McKee of Minnesota. Smith kept the momentum going by Placing fifth and earning All-American Status at the U23 World Team Trials at 57kg. Trombley entered at the same weight also earning the All-American status taking 7th. Sadly, these two did not meet at the World Team Trials, but we get to kick off the season with an explosive matchup between the two.
133
(#12) Kai Orine NCSU vs (#26) Sean Carter App. State
Following 125, we head to 133 with another ranked match-up. For NC State #12 Kai Orine and for Appalachian State #26 Sean Carter. Orine is a returning NCAA Qualifier from the 2021-2022 season where he entered the tournament as the #15 seed and finished the weekend 2-2. Coming off of a season with a third-place finish at the ACC Championships and four Top-25 wins, Orine will look to make a statement. Expect a lot of offense from the Wolfpack's 133 as he ranked 18thin D1 with 5 Tech Falls. You can't count the Mountaineer out here though. Carter is a returning NCAA Qualifier from the 2020-2021 season and the 133 Socon Champ from that year. Carter finds himself back in the Mountaineers lineup and is looking to make up for the lost time. Carter is known to show out for the NC State dual, looking back to last year when he knocked off NC State's Trombley in an overtime win.
141
(#22) Ryan Jack NCSU vs Heath Gonyer App. State
At 141, the Wolfpack send out a familiar face in #22 Ryan Jack. Jack is a returning NCAA Qualifier, ACC Runner-Up, and also had a very solid off-season taking second at the U20 World Team Trials and then fifth at the US Open both wrestling at 65kg. Jack had a solid 2021-2022 season punching his ticket to the NCAA Tournament after placing second in the ACC with a win in the Semis over eventual NCAA Runner-Up Kizhan Clarke from UNC. Jack entered NCAA's as the #18 seed and went 2-2 with his only losses coming from higher-seeded wrestlers, including Clarke. For the Mountaineers is Heath Gonyer. Gonyer was inserted into the lineup due to injury and ran with the opportunity, finishing the season as the 141 SoCon Runner-Up. This will be a solid match for Gonyer to see where he is stacking up with the Top 25, but look for Jack to control it.
149
Jackson Arrington NCSU vs (#6) Jon Jon Millner App. State
149 is the first match of the dual where Appalachian State is favored, thanks to #6 Jon Jon Millner. Millner is a 3X SOCON Champ, 3X NCAA Qualifier, and 2X NCAA All-American placing 6th in 2022 for the Mountaineers. Millner also found success in Freestyle over the off-season making it to the Finals of the U23 World Team Trials at 70kg earning yet another All-American status. NC State has a pretty solid lineup with few holes, one of those holes is here at 149. After being ranked the #28 overall recruit by MatScouts, the three-time PA State champion and Super-32 Runner-Up, Jackson Arrington, won his wrestle-off and earned the spot at 149 to kick the season off. He faces a tall task in his dual opener for the pack with All-American, Milner. I expect Milner to look for bonus points in this match no matter who NC State gives the nod to.
157
(#6) Ed Scott NCSU vs (#23) Cody Bond App. State
Our second match of two Top 25 ranked wrestlers takes place here at 157. For the Mountaineers #23 Cody Bond. Bond was a 2021 NCAA Qualifier and SOCON champ, then a 2022 SOCON Runner-Up for the Mountaineers and traveled to Detroit as an alternate for the NCAA Tournament. For the Wolfpack is #6 Ed Scott. Scott is coming off of an eighth-place finish at U23 WTT at 70 kg. Scott is the returning ACC Champion, where he defeated former National Champion Austin O'Connor of UNC, earning a bid into the NCAA Tournament and earning the fourth seed. Scott went 2-2 falling to eventual national finalist Quincy Monday of Princeton. The last time Scott and Bond met head-to-head was last season when Scott won the match convincingly winning by Major Decision 18-7.
165
Donald Cates NCSU vs (#15) Will Formato App. State
At 165 for Appalachian State, we have #15 Will Fomato. Formato is a 2X NCAA Qualifier and 3X SOCON Finalist. Formato is coming off of a solid season for the Mountaineers with his two most notable wins coming against NC State's Thomas Bullard, one during the dual and the second at the Southern Scuffle. I am not sure who the Wolfpack will be sending out at 165, but my best guess is that it will be between Donald Cates and Derek Fields. Cates has seen time in the starting lineup for the Wolfpack in recent years. Fields is coming off of a successful offseason though placing fourth at 74kg at the U20 World Team Trials and eighth at U20 US Open at 74kg. I am interested to see who the Pack gives the nod to here at 165. I believe they will go with Cates with the veteran experience in the lineup for this dual. Cates did win the job in the wrestle-off beating Fields 5-2.
174
Brock Delsignore NCSU vs Will Miller App. State
After an impressive wrestle-off performance, Brock Delsignore came out on top in a very stacked weight for the Wolfpack. Delsignore, the 2022 U20 86kg U.S. Open Runner-Up will lead off the very impressive upper half of the lineup for NC State. Will Miller should get the nod for the Mountaineers.
184
(#3) Trent Hidlay NCSU vs Chopper Mordecai App. State
The superstar is here! #3 U23 World Silver Medalist Trent Hidlay kicks off the season as the leader of the Pack! Hidlay is a 2X ACC Champ, and is coming off of a fifth-place finish at NCAA's where he fell to eventual National Champion Aaron Brooks of Penn State. Hidlay is one of the most exciting and electrifying wrestlers in the country and is always looking to put on a show. I also have a feeling he is going to be juiced up and motivated after a loss in the U23 World Finals. It seems like Chopper Mordecai will be stepping into the 184 slot for the Mountaineers against the returning All-American.
197
(#18) Isaac Trumble NCSU vs Wyatt Miller App. State
At 197 we have yet another Wolfpack wrestler coming off of an offseason with freestyle success, #18 Isaac Trumble. Trumble was the 2022 US Open Runner-up and the 2022 World Team Trials Runner-up at the 92kg weight class, Trumble was also the ACC Runner-up last season and is a returning NCAA Qualifier. App. State returns a starter from their lineup last year in Wyatt Miller. Miller seems to be on the edge of becoming a breakout guy for the Mountaineers and will face a tall task in Trumble who is coming off of a lot of momentum from the offseason.
HWT
(#13) Tyrie Houghton/ Owen Trephan vs Mason Fiscella
Wrapping up this electric in-state dual is the big guys! For the Wolfpack, #13 Tyrie Houghton. Houghton took 3rd at the U23 125kg World Team Trials, was the 2022 ACC Runner-up and is a returning NCAA Qualifier for the Pack. Houghton caught fire last year picking up three Top 25 wins. NC State is in a tight situation though after their wrestle-offs after Owen Trephan knocked off Houghton 5-4. We will see who State sends out to kick the season off. Returning to the lineup for the Mountaineers after a season-ending injury is Mason Fiscella. Fiscella is new to the weight, having spent most of his career in the 184 and 197 weight classes, he will face Houghton that is on a tear and looking to continue to climb the rankings and start the season out with bonus points
This dual will take place on November 5th at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC at 7 PM. Headlined by three ranked matchups, 12 Ranked wrestlers and three in the top ten. This is sure to be an exciting season-opening dual.
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