2024 ACC Finals Preview

We have the finals set for the ACC Championships tonight in Chapel Hill. It has been a busy day with NC State and Virginia Tech fighting for the team title. Going into the placing rounds, the Wolfpack hold a 10 point lead over the Hokies. It’s going to be a fun one to watch tonight as NC State has 8 finalists to 7 for Virginia Tech and they go head-to-head at 5 of those weights. The finals will start at 157 tonight, with 149 being the marquee matchup of the evening. First whistle is at 7:05 pm Eastern on ACC Network. 

125: Jakob Camacho NCST v Cooper Flynn VT

Camacho took a 5-1 decision in the dual a couple weeks ago, but this is very much a toss-up match. Flynn won 4-2 over Colton Camacho of Pitt in the semifinals while Camacho earned a 3rd period pin over Logan Agin of Duke. 

133: Kai Orine NCST v Sam Latona VT

This is a rematch of last year’s semi-final where Orine took a 4-3 win; Latona took that win back in the NCAA medal round. This matchup has been back and forth the past two years and is always entertaining. Gonna be a fun one. 

141: Ryan Jack NCST v Cole Matthews Pitt

Matthews has continued his amazing ACC run with a sudden victory win over Lachlan McNeil. Jack had a decisive win over Tom Crook in the semifinals. They had a high scoring battle in the dual with Matthews getting a 15-10 decision win to give Jack one of his only three losses on the year. 

149: Jackson Arrington NCST v Caleb Henson VT

The true sophomores will face for the second straight year in the ACC finals. Henson holds a 3-0 series advantage over Arrington though the scores have tightened. Both have been ranked in the top-10 the majority of the season. This will be the final match of the Finals and should be a fun one. 

157: Ed Scott NCST v Sonny Santiago UNC

Santiago has quietly taken care of business in the ACC this year, topping Ed Scott in their dual match. Scott had a controlling win over Bryce Andonian in the semifinals and will make his second trip to the ACC Finals after winning in 2022. 

165: Nick Hamilton UVA v Connor Brady VT

Hamilton had one of the bigger upsets on the day to take out Derek Fields in the semifinals. Brady had a decisive win over Holden Heller in the semis to make his first ACC Finals. Both are heading to Kansas City with automatic bids. 

174: Justin McCoy UVA v Mekhi Lewis VT

Mekhi Lewis will make his 4th appearance in the ACC Finals looking for his 4th title. McCoy was the ACC Champion at 165 last year and will make his second straight finals appearance. Lewis took out Alex Faison in the semis while McCoy had a come from behind win over Tyler Eischens. 

184: Dylan Fishback NCST v TJ Stewart VT

Another bout showcasing some of the young talent in the ACC. Both finalists are redshirt freshmen and will be meeting for the second time with Stewart earning the win in the dual. Fishback topped Reece Heller in the semifinals while TJ Stewart beat Gavin Kane on a takedown in sudden victory. I hope this is the beginning of another fun rivalry in the ACC. 

197: Trent Hidlay NCST v Max Shaw UNC

Hidlay continues his BONUS spree through the ACC with a tech fall over Mac Stout in the semifinals. Shaw had a controlling win over Andy Smith, who had a win over him earlier in the season. Hidlay is the prohibitive favorite, coming in at 22-0 on the year with a 87% bonus rate. Shaw has had a good year at 19-4 but it would take one of the biggest upsets in ACC history to finish on top of the podium tonight. 

285: Owen Trephan NCST v Hunter Catka VT

These two have not met this year and have a history of tight matches, with their last two matches going to sudden victory, so I’m looking forward to it. Trephan made the finals with a win over Dayton Pitzer in the semifinals while Catka beat his younger brother, Ryan, for the second time this year to make the finals. This one could be important for the team race, another thing to keep in mind as you watch the finals tonight.