SB Nation User Blog: Pete the Streak

Wrestling Update - Actual Update Edition

Pete the Streak — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:50:23 -0000

As previously noted in the Non-Update, it'll be Action City this weekend as PSU hosts the appropriately named Penn State Open. As an Open Tourney, we'll be seeing both the present and future of PSU wrestling, as both the Official Team and our Shadow Studs will be a-grapplin' - often against each other. I'll split this up into 2 areas: what we're going into battle with this year, and what's down the road a piece. (I threw in a little country corn-pone lingo there in case TP decides to peek in so he can continue to justify his tOSU decision).

Let's begin.

Official Team

Penn State opened the season ranked #15, promptly dropped its opener to #17 Lehigh by a score of 23-14, and was unimpressive doing it. PSU was dropped to #19 in the next week's poll.

Cael's Kids bounced back by beating Bloomsburg 23-15, then headed to New York for the 4-team Sprawl and Brawl Duals. (A 'duals tourney' is a round robin-style team vs team event). After a somewhat lackluster 18-17 defeat of Rutgers, the guys seemed to kick it into gear by thrashing Hah-vud (a better program than you might think) 36-6, and feasting on #15 Edinboro 22-9. Now 4-1, PSU is back to its #15 ranking.

At this point, Penn State is not a strong dual meet team on the national level, and they're not going to be. Five of the 10 weight classes have pretty serious holes, where not only are wins not particularly likely, but giving up bonus points are a distinct possibility. Bonus points are awarded when a wrestler wins by either major decision, technical fall or pin. To be a dominant dual meet team, you want everyone in your lineup to be ranked in the top 20 in their weight class, and a large majority of those to be in the top ten. As of now, PSU has 5 ranked wrestlers, of which 4 are in the top ten. They are (by weight, name, class, record and rank):

125 Brad Pataky Jr 5-0 #6 (Very tough kid who is gonna get even better)

149 Frank Molinaro So 5-0 #6 (A brute. Coulda/ shoulda been redshirted as a frosh)

157 Cyler Sanderson Sr 4-1 #4 (Cael's bro, obviously. Only loss to guy ranked #3)

165 Dan Vallimont Sr 4-1 #9 (Not flashy, but very, very solid guy)

285 Cameron Wade So 3-2 #11 (Very stable this year, and young - gonna be a force the next 2 years)

That's it. The weight classes at 133, 141, 174, 184 and 197 are unsettled. Senior David Erwin had pretty high expectations for this year at 174, but never seemed to get untracked. He's looked better since moving up to 184. He'll probably get his share of wins, and won't be giving up easy points. The other weights could be troublesome.

The better news is that this could be a pretty good tournament team, where individuals basically wrestle for themselves, but accumulate team points with wins, and bonus team points for mat-wiping guys. Two years ago Penn State finished 3rd in the NCAA tourney on the strength of only 4 place winners. Phil Davis won the NC, while Dan Vallimont (above) took 3rd, Mark McKnight wrestled the tourney of his life to take 4th, and current Shadow Stud Bubba Jenkins lost in the finals for runnerup honors. That team was not a dual meet monster either. If all the above listed guys continue to improve and can have a good tournament run, Penn State could conceiveably have a top 5 finish.

Because Sanderson is redshirting the entire freshman class and has relegated two of his best returners (senior All-American Bubba Jenkins and soph All-American Quentin Wright) to Shadow Stud status, he's pretty much doing the 'Line-up Juggle' to put his most competitive team on the mat.

Tomorrow I'll post an updated look at our Shadow Studs, and what they've been up to since the last shadow-team review

The future looks sweeeeet indeed.

Wrestling Non-Update

Pete the Streak — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:43:25 -0000

What with The Penn State Open kicking off this weekend, I've been trying to whip up an amazingly fascinating wind-up of what's been happening and what's gonna happen, but (waa,waa) I've been unable to actually login here at the office. Which pretty much sux, since I'm now forced to actually, ya know - work. Have no idea what's up. Can access the site, but can't login. Yet here I am - all logged in. I know the question on everyone's mind:

What's it all mean, Mr. Natural?.

Well. I'm only here through the Facebook link; somehow that let me through. To make things worse, my home 'puter took a dive yesterday morning, and I'm now bummed that I kept blowing off the "Time to Backup" messages that greeted me every Sunday morning. And, since I had no idea I'd be on right now, I don't have access to my outline.

Enough babble. I'm expecting to use the Hungarian Honey's laptop tonight to put things together, and post up.

Sorry for the no update update.

Wrestling Update - 'Shadow Team' Division

Pete the Streak — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:30:22 -0000

While Penn State's official wrestling team is competing in the Sprawl & Brawl Duals today in Binghamton, NY. , yesterday saw a number of PSU's 'Shadow Team' take to the mats at the East Stroudsburg Open. I'm not sure what to call our wrestlers that are either redshirting, temporarily ineligible or not yet out of high school, so 'Shadow Team' it will be - at least until someone comes up with a better label. These are the guys we'll see competing next year (or in the case of the Alton twins, possibly 2 years - as they're still in high school, and may be redshirted next year as freshmen).

Let's look at a few weight classes to see what's in our future, shall we? (Links take you to bios or ranking pages).

141: High school senior and uber-recruit Andrew Alton (ranked #1 in the country at 145) had a decent day. If, of course, by 'decent' you mean going 4-0 and winning the whole thing. This isn't some pansy tourney for team leftovers, either: with over 400 wrestlers entered, there are plenty of top-flight collegians here, with excellent teams sending their starting line-ups. Andrew Alton worries not about that. Nice future for him, to say the least.

149: High school senior and uber-recruit (is there an echo in here?) Dylan Alton (ranked #1 at 152) merely went 5-1 to finish 3rd. These two kids are tough, motivated and mean. So mean, in fact, that Dylan ruined a great day by freshman James English, who went 6-2. Both his losses were to Alton.

157: Redshirt senior Bubba Jenkins led a nasty PSU group here, going 4-0 and taking the gold. Jenkins - a 2008 NCAA runner-up before injuries got him last year - edged last year's #1 national recruit and RS FR David Taylor in the finals. Taylor finished the day 4-1. To top it off, freshman Jim Vollrath ended his excellent day 5-1. This group should be fun in the practice room.

165: RS FR Jake Kemerer took the bronze after finishing 4-1. VERY tough kid - read the bio for his bona fides. Impressive.

184: Here's where things get crazy, as PSU swept all three places. Quentin Wright took the gold by beating last year's #3 ranked recruit and RS FR Ed Ruth in the finals. As a bonus, soph transfer (from Pitt - hehehe) David Crowell finished the day 5-1 to take the bronze and complete the sweep. Crowell won't be eligible until January due to his transfer status. He's one guy that appears to be thriving under Sanderson's tutelage. (Did I just type that word? 'Tutelage'? Sheesh - what a dork I am).

197: Lastly, RS FR Luke Macchiaroli had a solid day, going 3-2 against guys 3-4 years older. It's very difficult for freshmen to compete at these upper weights. Just don't bother telling Luke.

Remember - these are the guys that we most probably WON'T see in an official PSU singlet this year, because it's OBVIOUS they need more seasoning and maturity.

Yes, the future is bright.

BTW - Happy Valley Half Nelson has some videos up of our wonderboys in action. Go take a peek.

Sanderson's PSU Team Debuts Tonight

Pete the Streak — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:44:19 -0000

Sanderson's PSU Team Debuts Tonight

Penn State takes on in-state rival/power Lehigh on the road tonight, and I'm not sure what to expect. As previously posted, all our highly touted freshmen are hoping to redshirt (even the ones that beat our starters in last week's wrestle-offs), as are two of our most accomplished veterans. As of this moment, only Sanderson knows our starting line-up, and even that could change depending on how the match developes.

I'll hit y'all up tomorrow on the result, and what it may mean.

Until then, if you're in the PSU area, take the time to visit Rec Hall and cheer the Hot Babes in Short Shorts as they look to extend their Streak (love that term!).

Any Pre-Game Meet-up this week?

Pete the Streak — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:10:27 -0000

Just wondering if anyone here is tailgating, and wouldn't HATE HATE HATE it if some BSD'ers showed up to say 'Hey, what's up, can we have some booze, and maybe some snacky s'mores"?

Mike, you gonna be outside Medlar again? Or do you just HATE HATE HATE it when weasels such as myself feel free to self-invite?

JtotheP was hitting on me in the wrestling post thread, and I'd feel safer in a group setting.

So? Will it happen?

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Sanderson Locks, Loads, and....Locks Again

Pete the Streak — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:12:11 -0000

Penn State wrestling's version of Midnight Madness kicks off tonight with Coach Cael Sanderson changing the usual wrestle-off format for starting spots into an intra-squad scrimmage. Preliminary eliminations have whittled the weight classes down to the top two (more or less), and the scrimmage winners will begin the season as starters. Except when they won't.

Confused? Then read on.

Sanderson has decided to redshirt (if possible, and injuries permit) his entire ass-kicking '09 recruiting class, even if some win in tonight's scrimmage. This isn't remarkable in itself; freshmen have a difficult time adjusting to both the physical and mental rigors of big time D-1 wrestling (Coach Cael being one obvious exception). Wrestling doesn't lend itself to Frosh Phenoms like other sports do, as wrestlers don't have the luxury of being specialists (e.g. nickel backs, kick returners, short yardage backs, etc.). They need to do it all themselves - offense, defense, 2-minute drill and running out the clock. It's very tough for an 18 year old to compete with a twenty-two or twenty-three year old with years of experience and mature man-strength in a one-on-one situation.

As much as we'd like to get a look at David Taylor (nation's #1 ranked recruit), Ed Ruth (#3) Jake Kemmerer (#9), and Luke Macchiaroli, it likely won't happen in a varsity setting this year.

Expect the same with next year's nasty group ('10 class), which already includes the Alton twins (Andrew #2, Dylan #5), Sam Sherlock (#17), and Dirk Cowburn (#47). Unconfirmed rumors indicate more gunslingers will be joining them; Sanderson is a HUGE draw for PSU.

Locking and loading is great, but...relocking? Sanderson plans on also redshirting '08 NCAA runner-up and senior Bubba Jenkins. Jenkins currently has academic issues, and isn't eligible until January anyway. Injuries kept him from repeating his NCAA showing last year, so another year in the practice room getting splattered by Cael should do wonders. He's National Champ material.

Relocking? Another unexpected redshirt is soph Quentin Wright, who had to step up last year as a true frosh because of lineup injuries. Boy, did he deliver: 33-13, and 6th at Nationals. That is amazing, especially at 174 pounds where he battled juniors and seniors all year. Coming back next season with sophomore eligibility and a year under Cael will be tremendous for PSU. More National Champ material.

These guys won't be stashed in a closet all year, though. All are allowed to wrestle in Open tourneys throughout the season, listed as 'Penn State - Unattached', and will gain invaluable experience. By season's end, our 'unofficial' team may be stronger than our varsity. Weird, but waaay cool for the upcoming years.

Sanderson also just received a committment from HS junior ('11) Nico Megaludis, currently the #2 ranked 112 pounder in the country. He was a Pa. State Champ last year as a soph, and a tough little dude. In other words - just our type. More commits for both '10 and '11 should begin rolling in after January

While this list of guys that WON'T be competing this year is impressive, it doesn't mean we'll be throwing out a team of stiffs this season. Far from it. The next update will focus on who IS wrestling, and we'll have a better handle on it after tonight.

I just wanted to give you a glimpse of what's in store for the next few years. Lots and lots of fun for us, but not so much for everyone else.

Cael Sanderson rocks.

DA Madeira gets Pwned!

Pete the Streak — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:31:44 -0000

DA Madeira gets Pwned!

PSU athletes exhale, and smile.

Sanderson Scores Again!

Pete the Streak — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 10:39:38 -0000

Penn State wrestling was the beneficiary of another change of heart, as Hempfield's Jake Kemerer decommitted from Oklahoma and joined Cael's eye-popping 2009 class.

Kemerer went 48-0 last year, won his second PIAA State Title, and was #1 in Intermat's final national rankings at 160. He is number 7 in Intermat's top 50 high school recruits for 2009, giving Penn State 3 of the top 7 this year, joining #1 David Taylor and #5 Ed Ruth. All 3 are expected to redshirt.

Jake Kemerer is one tough kid, and a tremendous get.

Looking ahead, Intermat's national recruiting rankings for 2010 includes 4 Pennsylvania kids in the top 6, including Penn State early commits Dylan and Andrew Alton. Rumors (which I cannot yet confirm) indicate much more ridiculous awesomeness could follow.

Hiring Sanderson was hella brilliant, and instantly turned Penn State into Recruiting Central. The PSU brass done good on this one, kids.

PSU Wrestling Scores Yet Again

Pete the Streak — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 01:54:41 -0000

Gimme a State Champ and a Siren Whoooooooo!!!

Cael Sanderson snared another Pa. State Champ this week in West Mifflin's Sam Sherlock. Sherlock, another stud in the Class of 2010, took the AAA class title at 125 lbs. last winter as a junior, and was ranked #6 nationally. He recently competed with a Pa. All-Star team in the Disney Duals, and merely went 15-0, barely sweeping the field.

If it seems like you're reading this same story every week, it's only because you are. Sherlock makes the fourth State Champ to choose PSU from Pa.'s 2010 HellaClass, joining Coudersport's ~~Mr. Country~~ Dirk Cowburn, and Central Mountain's ~~carnivores~~ twins Dylan and Andrew Alton.

Additional background info on Sherlock here:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09204/985642-364.stm

It's very probable you'll be seeing another edition of this story in the next few weeks. No matter how many times it repeats itself, it sure doesn't get old.

Welcome, Sam!

Can someone 'splain this to me?

Pete the Streak — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:12:03 -0000

As a result of Bama's latest foray into the land of NCAA violations, part of the penalty (besides the fine and a pretty much useless type of probation) is the 'vacating' of any wins in which the transgressors participated.

What, exactly, does that mean? If Bama loses the wins, but the opponent in those games is not credited with a win, where did it go? Is the opponent stuck with the loss? Did the game go down the memory hole? Does Bama's, say, 7-5 season become an 0-5 season?

Can someone explain? Use small words, please.

'Preciate it.